#10. Shallow Depth of Field. If you thought shooting 1.4 on a DSLR was shallow,
wait until you try shooting f/2.8 on a medium format rig.
Noticed how the depth of field in this portrait of my dog, Willy, draws your eye inward.
There’s a ton of math needed to determine depth of field in relation to sensor size, distance to subject, focal length,
yada yada yada I won’t go into in great detail, but it is a much shallower depth of field from my experience than what I’ve been used to using for the last decade.
#3. Thinking long-term with an open-source platform.
I like modular systems where I have the power to pick and choose what I want to work with. Lenses, bodies, and backs.
This gives me greater flexibility over the next 10 years as my shooting style evolves.
Heck, if in 10 years I want to shooting landscapes all over the world, I can still use my back on a technical camera.
Can’t say that about other big-name DSLRs. Here, my friend Tim Boatman uses an Arca-Swiss Rm3D technical camera mounted with PhaseOne 140 back.
#11. Optimal ISO. With my PhaseOne IQ, there’s a lower base ISO of 50 vs. 100 which means I can get 1 stop more flash power than the closest a DSLR.
This gives me more options to use shallower depth-of-field, without the need for ND grad filters to slow autofocus. But I am not stuck there.
Shooting at ISO 400 still looks amazing! And with Sensor+ technology, I can shoot up to ISO 3200 sensitivity and get a beautiful film-like grain,
especially when converted to B&W. Plus, those images are smaller in size and speeds up my post-production workflow especially nice when I am editing reception photos.
#8. Embrace smarter technology. The focus and exposure mask features are powerful and very useful, especially when shooting portraits in a short-amount of time.
Confirming critical focus, stat, is super important especially with shallow depth of field of medium format.
A double tap on the screen allows me to confirm focus on this portrait of my brother, Sean, doing his “Blue Steel” pose.
#9. Don’t forget old school lenses.
You have lots to choose from: Hasselblad, Mamiya, Zeiss, ect. After lots of research, I found the leaf shutter lenses from Schneider-Kreuznach (especially the 55mm) to be stellar.
I am not tied to one particular camera manufacturer, but can choose from lenses and camera bodies that have been around for decades.
Below, the fastest medium format lens available, the Mamiya 80mm f/1.9 is shot wide open at 1/400 sec, ISO 50 in open shade. My friend Tim Ho (pictured left) isn’t fond of the chromatic aberration of the 80mm f/1.9 wide open):
While I bet there are not a huge crowd of MF followers in this forum that make their living shooting medium format cameras at weddings, I'd thought I'd offer my perspective to this small, but influential group of followers of all things medium format.
Good news. The medium is alive and well. And it is a totally different crayon. And if I have a daughter. And if she is planning on getting married, I'd love to know that her chosen photographer is using the best tools available.
My thoughts on the matter, share on el blogito ::
http://www.kern-photo.com/2013/01/shooting-digital-medium-format-in-wedding-photography-2
I share 11 technical advantages of digital medium format vs 35mm DSLR cameras.
Love to hear your thoughts!
Cheers,
R. J.
I shoot 20-30 weddings a year using Canon 1DX, 5D3's and Hasselblad H4D 40. While I get a slightly better file (after post processing) with the Hassy in perfect lighting condition, the negatives far out weight the positives. The H4D 40 is bulkier, AF is slower, and doesn't do well past ISO 800. Also I get significantly shallower depth of filed with my 50 and 85L's vs the Hasselblad HC 100 2.2 wide open.
Nikon D800 can be set to ISO 50. Base ISO is 100, but the ISO 50 setting for all practical purposes will let you do what you are doing with ISO 50 on an MF back.
Also a 1 or 2 stop ND filter on a D800 will not slow down the focusing to anything near as slow as the DF especially on a fast lens.
In his continued crusade to find anything wrong to nitpick that might shed positive light on anything related to Phase One, Fred has of course, glossed over relevant details...
I don't have time to go through each point, nor the patience any more, but here is one:
What makes a subject pop off an out of focus background (the "look" of shallow DOF shots) is not ONLY related to [Aperture + Angle-of-view]. If all you do is run a calculator you will NOT know how shallow DOF subjects render on any given lens+sensor combo looks.
A Phase One 150/2.8D is significantly sharper wide open than an 85/1.2 (I say this from a lot of experience with both lenses). Moreover the more the resolution the more the detail (assuming a sharp lens), and therefore the more that detail can contrast with an out of focus background. So with an IQ160 or IQ180 for example you have much more detail on the in-focus areas than with a 5D2. The rendering profiles of both lenses are also quite different and I find the transition from in-focus to out-of-focus to be much smoother with the 150/2.8 than with the 85/1.2 - BUT this is definitely a personal/aesthetic assessment so YMMV. The net result, in my eyes, from my shooting, is a significantly better ability to pop a subject matter off a background with shallow DOF when using a FF digital back and a 150/2.8 than a FF Canon with an 85/1.2.
Moreover the 85/1.2 has a lot of chromatic aberration in out of focus areas, which drives me crazy. I (personal feeling) think it makes it look far too digital and severely hampers my use of it wide-open.
Shooting through an ND filter is a very poor shooter-experience in my opinion. Especially when dSLR viewfinders tend to start off small and dark - an ND filter only makes it darker.
Also, ISO50 on a D800 is not a real ISO. It is simply a one stop overexposed image at ISO100. I would not recommend this setting for weddings where white detail (highlights on faces and white dresses) is often essential. Frankly, I'm surprised you'd recommend it.
And if I have a daughter. And if she is planning on getting married, I'd love to know that her chosen photographer is using the best tools available.
In his continued crusade to find anything wrong to nitpick that might shed positive light on anything related to Phase One, Fred has of course, glossed over relevant details...
I don't have time to go through each point, nor the patience any more, but here is one:
What makes a subject pop off an out of focus background (the "look" of shallow DOF shots) is not ONLY related to [Aperture + Angle-of-view]. If all you do is run a calculator you will NOT know how shallow DOF subjects render on any given lens+sensor combo looks.
A Phase One 150/2.8D is significantly sharper wide open than an 85/1.2 (I say this from a lot of experience with both lenses). Moreover the more the resolution the more the detail (assuming a sharp lens), and therefore the more that detail can contrast with an out of focus background. So with an IQ160 or IQ180 for example you have much more detail on the in-focus areas than with a 5D2. The rendering profiles of both lenses are also quite different and I find the transition from in-focus to out-of-focus to be much smoother with the 150/2.8 than with the 85/1.2 - BUT this is definitely a personal/aesthetic assessment so YMMV. The net result, in my eyes, from my shooting, is a significantly better ability to pop a subject matter off a background with shallow DOF when using a FF digital back and a 150/2.8 than a FF Canon with an 85/1.2.
Moreover the 85/1.2 has a lot of chromatic aberration in out of focus areas, which drives me crazy. I (personal feeling) think it makes it look far too digital and severely hampers my use of it wide-open.
And if I have a daughter. And if she is planning on getting married, I'd love to know that her chosen photographer is using the best tools available.
I have two daughters and when they got married that was not even a consideration, compared to his eye, experience, people skills, sense of humor, work ethic etc.
I shoot 20-30 weddings a year using Canon 1DX, 5D3's and Hasselblad H4D 40. While I get a slightly better file (after post processing) with the Hassy in perfect lighting condition, the negatives far out weight the positives. The H4D 40 is bulkier, AF is slower, and doesn't do well past ISO 800. Also I get significantly shallower depth of filed with my 50 and 85L's vs the Hasselblad HC 100 2.2 wide open.
Mind you the H4D-40 (like a P40+ et al) is a 1.3 crop from full frame, which limits your ability to shoot shallow depth of field.
Each tool has it's positives, negatives, abilities, and limitations.
I could not agree with you more. Hyper image quality is not a priority in event photography. Telling the story is and capturing the memories.Agreed and I hate people giving me the hard sell on non-essentials.
What is important to keep in mind is that the image quality difference is between a current generation full frame Nikon vs a crop sensor MF is practically indistinguishable.
This is not correct.
Comparing a 1.4 Nikon or Canon DSLR lens with the same angle of view as a 2.8 lens on a crop sensor (44x33mm), the 1.4 Canon or Nikon lens will have shallower depth of field.
You may be comparing lenses that do not have the same angle of view. For example the angle of view of a 50mm Nikon on a full frame sensor is not the same as an 80mm Mamiya/Phase One on the IQ140
that you use.
Their are no Hasselbld, Phase One or Mamiya lenses that will produce the same shallow depth of field and angle of view
combination of the following on a Nikon or Canon full frame.
24mm 1.4
35mm 1.4
50mm 1.4 or 1.2
85mm 1.4 or 1.2
200mm 2.0
The shallowest depth of field lens from Phase is the 150mm 2.8 D IF. Very nice lens.
Lets lok at the closest comparison that would be relevant.
85mm on Nikon/Canon vs Schneider 110mm 2.8 on a 33x44 sensor.
They have almost the same angle of view.
At two meters the Canon 85mm has the shallowest depth of field. 0.040m
Nikon 85mm 1.4 depth of field: 0.045m
The Schneider 110mm 2.8 with a 33x44 sensor depth of field 0.088m
Even on an IQ 180 the 110mm will still not have the shallower depth of field. 0.080m
Then there is the issue of shallow depth of field usability.
The af systems in the latest Canon and Nikon cameras as well as live view make accurate ultra shallow depth of field focusing
far more usable and accurate especially for off center compositions.
The king of shallow depth of field will be the new Leica with the Noctilux now that the Leica will have live view.
Another thing to be considered is using the method known as the Brenizer method.
He uses this for ultra shallow depth of field shooting that also gives him huge file sizes.
Here are some of his examples:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/110492963926129353210/albums/5642588167921700753?sqi&sqsi
Here is one:
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-eLfyS4T2D9Q/Tk6Ac7Cli7I/AAAAAAAAGMI/7O9-5HHfH3E/s1150/100904-175541+85mm_f1.4.JPG)
As you can see he uses it quite a bit at weddings.
You need a fast camera to use this technique. The result is quite beautiful.
Your talking about shallow depth of field, but you post a photo that was taken at at least f8. Nice shot of your brother.
IF we are talking about new technology I would hardly call focus masking rocket science. First of all it will only confirm focus on high contrast features.
Second it's after the fact.
With a D800 and a few other DSLRs you can shoot in live view with an on Camera HDMI monitor with real time focus masking.
There are even very integrated ones available.
Also on the D800 you can zoom in to a pre set magnification with one touch of a button.
There is also an advanced face recognition review function that let's you zoom into faces and check focus as well as expressions.
It even lets you rapidly go over many faces in a single shot.
http://youtu.be/yNajUFMpISs (http://youtu.be/yNajUFMpISs)
Fred,
I appreciate your time and thought in assisting me with my blog post. Again, I share my thoughts and experiences only to help others through my eyes. I strive to do my research before I click publish, but I value accurate information relative to real-world application vs the abstract theoretical. I thank you for your input.
After all, we are human. And personally, I rely on intuition and practicality vs facts and figures when it comes to choosing the 'right' paint brush for me. After all, that the beauty of the artists' tools: what works for one won't always for another.
Kind Regards,
RJ
Mind you the H4D-40 (like a P40+ et al) is a 1.3 crop from full frame, which limits your ability to shoot shallow depth of field.
Still, I agree with everything you say here (as applied generically to medium format). It is heavier, bulkier, and the AF is slower. I never shoot a wedding 100% medium format. I use each camera where it excels. Notably, with (more recent) Phase backs you can use Sensor+ for a very good ISO1600 and an ISO3200 that can make a beautiful Delta3200 film-like B+W image when grain and contrast is added. If I think I'll need f/2+ISO6400 in a wedding scene I reach for my Canon. In many/most situations I don't I reach for the Phase.
Each tool has it's positives, negatives, abilities, and limitations.
While I bet there are not a huge crowd of MF followers in this forum that make their living shooting medium format cameras at weddings, I'd thought I'd offer my perspective to this small, but influential group of followers of all things medium format.
Good news. The medium is alive and well. And it is a totally different crayon. And if I have a daughter. And if she is planning on getting married, I'd love to know that her chosen photographer is using the best tools available.
My thoughts on the matter, share on el blogito ::
http://www.kern-photo.com/2013/01/shooting-digital-medium-format-in-wedding-photography-2
I share 11 technical advantages of digital medium format vs 35mm DSLR cameras.
Love to hear your thoughts!
Cheers,
R. J.
While I think I see somewhat more dimensionality and subtle tonal variations in your examples, I have not yet had a chance to see the results with comparable subject matter with the newest Nikons; though I suspect that it will always be the case that, the less you have to enlarge an image, the greater the tonal range and clarity will be. However, in practical terms, I think this will be much more important for large-scale display prints than for Web viewing or prints in an album. So, for the more formal portraits, I would say that medium format might be a distinct advantage, if the client wants large display prints. However, for the event itself, I think medium format puts you at an extreme disadvantage when trying to shoot more spontaneously and capture fleeting moments. Personally, I do not like the heavy flash look and generally more posed feel that seems typical of medium format event photography. But then Jeff Ascough is one of the people I admire when it comes to wedding photography, and that is a whole different thing altogether.
A very nice article with proper, real life examples and beautiful images!
Yair
Technically, perhaps better in some situation. Practically, probably not.
Another issue is in back-up. If there's a failure with the MF digital, what's the likelihood that there's a second camera/back/lens other than the "technologically inferior" smaller format? With full-frame digital and for sure, DX digital, a competent photographer will have backups of body/lens/flash, etc. or he's probably a "friend with a nice camera".
When I shot 6x6 for weddings, I not only had backs and bodies for back-up but brought along the 35mm. Today, It's a minimum of three bodies, duplicate lenses/flashes and all sort of redundancies for me.
Bottom like, it's not how much technically the equipment is compared to something, it's the heart of the image and my vision that my clients hire me for and the craftsmanship of the final image.
If you like Jeff Ascough's work you might like the Wright Brothers.... film wedding photographers. http://www.twinlenslife.com/
Regarding large printing.... you really have to go large to see the difference and even then it's not that much.
See this review done by an IQ180 owner
http://www.circleofconfusion.ie/d800e-vs-phase-one-iq180/
Also here is a side by side of a 40mp MF sensor VS the Nikon D800.
(http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=69391.0;attach=64261;image)
I agree to disagree. I've found my clients are not interested in side-by-side comparisons. In fact, if I ever showed them that in a client meeting, they'd probably look elsewhere.
A Mickey Mouse watch tells the same time as a Breitling. And a broken watch still tells the time correctly twice a day. At the end of the day, I'd rather clients know they are getting a Breitling on their wedding day than a Mickey Mouse watch, especially if I'm the timekeeper.
Hi,
What strikes me a bit is that the pictures using flash are quite a bit underexposed, at least on my screen. Also, flash illumination is uneven. It may be that just me.
Best regards
Erik
In fact they started way before advertising and editorial photographers.
Scanning back cameras were used in advertising photography waaaaaaaay before that.
Not to dismiss your point, just say'n.
There are people that choose the right tool for the job because they can discern the difference. And there are people that can't see a difference even if their life depended on it. Given a general decrease in required quality on the information-consumption-side, it stands to reason that more production will take place with cheaper tools of lower quality, which probably equates to 35mm mainstream tools.
information-consumption-side = general public reading glossies, but also art-directors commissioning work. If you have 30+ years of photography experience and you have to work for a smart-phone-generation-art-director, then good luck explaining the necessity of the quality difference...
I don't think anyone would dispute that in the digital world probably 99% of weddings and events are shot with 35mm cameras.
In fact when I first started with digital, I learned more from wedding and event photographers than anyone because they work in the same workflow and speed I do when we shoot loose lifestyle projects and wedding guys/girls started digital earlier to keep the costs self contained.
In fact they started way before advertising and editorial photographers.
Still, there are photographers in every genre that use every format and do it well.
Look at this link of the Hasselblad Masters section of Wedding/Social
http://www.hasselblad.com/masters-finalists?#image-Bryan-Foong-Wedding-Social
All the imagery is stunning, regardless of camera.
What I do take strong exception with is the absolute definitive view that a any 35mm cmos camera replaces any form of medium format.
I have owned at least a dozen cmos cameras and 5 ccd cameras and shot many side by side and I know that the ccd files work deeper and offer more possibilities.
Does that mean that my selection is right for everyone . . . No. Right for me . . . Yes.
Pixel count means nothing as long as their are not artifacts, what matters, especially when you go to post is the depth and sharpness of the file that a clean non aa filtered CCD provides. My little Leica M8 doesn't have near the file size of a most modern dslrs but the file works deeper and looks more detailed than cameras with twice the pixel count.
In regards to the image, of course that's important and every photographer has their reason for selecting a certain camera and lenses, film, sensors and post production software.
There is no right answer. Consequently there is no wrong camera.
But in regards to working under pressure which I assume most weddings and events come with a truck load of, I shot Ronaldinho in Barcelona, 14 set ups, multiple monitors, many multiple client suggestions from 20 plus clients, two sets and 90% with a p30+.
This image was shot in 4 frames and was featured in CA magazine's photo annual. It may not be outside lifestyle, it may not be for emotion only, but the pressure more or equals a wedding shoot (which I have great respect for), the thought process to block the shot happened in minutes.
(http://russellrutherford.com/ronnie_ca_winner.jpg)
This session of Asafa Powell in Kingstonwas scheduled for 8 hours and a lot of set ups. Instead of 8 hours we had him for 2. We worked so fast the assistants are holding the lights because we didn't have time to set up stands and two grip trucks were in the background.
So we shot background plates to blend out the crew. Used a Contax and Aptus 22.
(http://russellrutherford.com/Asafa_Powell_by_Russell_Rutherford.jpg)
Now this last image is of Sanya Richards shot with a Nikon D3, 300 mm 2.8 at 2.8. We had one opportunity to get this image, planned the shot and angle two days before her run, and honestly this was a heart stopping shoot.
Would I have shot this medium format . . . NO . . . but every situation requires a different set of equipment. Then again I doubt if a D800 Nikon could have shot this at 12 FPS in available darkness. Maybe, haven't tried one yet.
(http://russellrutherford.com/SANYA_200M.jpg)
But this shot of Sanya with a p30+ was for a different look, different time.
(http://russellrutherford.com/sanya_p30.jpg)
Now I'm not trying to prove this is an apples to apples comparison just wanted to show what worked under extreme pressure.
If one system did everything for me, heck I'd own it.
Now the funny thing is the night I shot the B+W of Sanya there was a Japanese photographer working with a Nikon d1 or d2, or some old digital Nikon. So old that the black was worn off it.
I saw him upload his image to wirelessly transmit and they were stunning. Earlier that night I saw a photographer with an H system, 4 assistants with wireless flash and just working away.
I didn't see his images, but he knew his stuff.
There is no wrong camera.
IMO
BC
A client can cut back anything and will as long as your willing. The best way to stay ahead is to stay professional and that covers a lot of territory.
Hi,
The samples that "Bcooter" shows really impress me. I don't think that the use of Canon, RED or Contax/Phase makes his photography successfull. What makes him a successfull photographer is the vision and the workmanship. I guess that he takes the tool needed for the job.
The images are stunning, but they would be stunning whatever equipment he would use. I bet he would make excellent images with iPhone!
It's all about vision, styling, workmanship and all the photoshop work behind. Bcooter says the MF files are better. But not even an IQ 180 would turn a boring image into a masterspiece.
Best regards
Erik
+1
And what makes BC different than some other folks here is that he USES the tools and he's not scared of stretching their envelopes even when there's a big cheque on the table.
He's owned and used those two poor P+ backs and Contaxes forever and has shot a gazillion frames with them in all sorts of conditions and on REAL jobs. I don't know anyone else who uses an M8 commercially and very few shoot stills with a RED successfully
There is a HUGE difference between that and buying some used kit on the Bay, fuffing about with it for 7 weeks, 700 frames (and raving about it) and selling it on for a profit.
That is also why I liked RJ's article: He's got a toolbox which he's happy with, he appreciates the virtues of using the 2 different formats and he knows their limitations. It also seems like his clients are happy with the service he provides!
Whoever tells him that he is wrong is a fool IMO...
Yair
Your productions are often like that (from what I glean from your wonderful imagery and posts) but how do you operate when it's just you and whatever you can fit into that shoulder bag that you have to carry around all day from morning until night? Not every photographer has a grip truck and minions running around after them and the budget to allow that.
RJ,
You have some excellent work on your site. Keep on making images "YOUR WAY" and keep on having fun!
Ed
My thoughts on the matter, share on el blogito ::
http://www.kern-photo.com/2013/01/shooting-digital-medium-format-in-wedding-photography-2
I share 11 technical advantages of digital medium format vs 35mm DSLR cameras.
Love to hear your thoughts!
Cheers,
R. J.
The featurelist is impressive, The flash power with HSS mode is 50% as high as with normal Mode 1 setting, the powerconsumption is only marginally higher.
"Not just me and a camera"
So not really a comparison to how a lot of wedding photographers work, and you are right that to produce your images you wouldn't want to compromise on anything (be it decent lunch or a bit of kit) that affects the quality of your shoot.
This was shot in a restaurant of a sound studio building because there wasn't enough room in the studio itself, it had black walls and was very dimly lit, just the light of the battery powered elinchrom. Tiny crew, no time (20mins) and constantly changing situation. I shot an ex presidents wife and the man that owns half the worlds advertising/media industry plus a few other notables for this campaign. Would have loved to shoot MF but it's too slow, too inflexible. Would have been fine in a proper studio with a half day on each shot but that was never going to happen. The client was very happy, they wouldn't have been any more or less happy whatever i had shot on but the logistics meant that I wouldn't take a p45
5dIII 100mm macro elinchrom ranger quadra lighting
(not got the original finals so this from a media news website, talent is Labrinth a musician/producer who today's youth know about ::) )
(http://cached.imagescaler.hbpl.co.uk/resize/scaleWidth/460/?sURL=http://offlinehbpl.hbpl.co.uk/News/OMC/6AC8D848-F8CD-9692-8AE97BEFB3D0F6F7.jpg)
Those HSS strobes look interesting, wonder if they will make it to the u.k?
Haven't used a ranger, but from the same shoot, profoto B2
(http://spotsinthebox.com/profoto_b2.jpg)
IMO
BC
Is that Port Hueneme in Oxnard?
Love to hear your thoughts!
You asked for it.
1. Savor the ‘look.’
Lots of people say their system has a special look that can't be described. Right. They can't objectively quantify it, but somehow there's a "duende" that makes it special. That "soul" is called the "placebo effect". Take a double blind test between systems X and Y, say 50 samples of image pairs from either (X,X), (X,Y), or (Y,Y): how many folks can actually get a statistically significant accurate rate of distinction? I'm talking current sensor tech, not an IQ180 vs some 10-year-older 6mp 35mm sensor. With the exif stripped out, of course.
2. Use 1/1600 flash sync
Really? First of all, just to be pedantic, faster sync speed doesn't make your lights "like 4 times powerful". It lets you drop ambient, sure. But it's also very easy to drop ambient by a 2 or 3 stops (hell even with speedlights) with bog-standard 1/200. More realistically, how often do you shoot outdoor weddings in high noon where the bride wants the ceremony photos to look like they took place at night on a new moon?
3. Thinking long-term with an open-source system
This has NOTHING TO DO WITH WEDDINGS. So how is it an advantage for wedding photography???
4. Edit with 16 bit depth per color channel
Yeah, except that 2 of those bits are, you know, under the noise floor.
5. Relish the shooting experience
That's fine for you. Does it matter to the bride what your shutter sounds like? Maybe it does. What happens when she says "your shutter sounds so puny compared to a pentax67"? Or "why is that camera so small compared to the 8x10 our other photographer used"?
6. Dig the aspect ratio
Except 4/3 aspect ratio is not unique to medium format.
7. Touch the screen, please
Hey, if you're able to determine that you generate more business because you're able to impress clients by scrolling through photos using gestures rather than pushing a button (which is objectively a FASTER action),more power to you.
8. Embrace smarter technology
Except focus peaking doesn't work in the 4fps "live view" for IQ backs. And if you're not applying focus peaking to 100% magnified playback, it's not really "critical" focus now is it. What's the point of 80MP when focus peaking is only calculated at lower resolution?
9. Don’t forget old school lenses
Not only does this have NOTHING TO DO WITH WEDDINGS, but pretty much EVERY digital system can use "old school lenses", especially Medium format ones. So how is this an advantage of MFDB for wedding photography???
10. Shallow Depth of Field
No, there's NOT a ton of math. It's bad enough that authors like to beat readers with the math stick in peer reviewed white papers. It's just silly for someone to try and pretend to beat the reader with math skills he doesn't even have. Also, you're wrong. You will easily get shallower DOF on 35mm than you can on 2.8 MF lenses for equivalent FOV.
11. Optimal ISO
What are you even talking about? Dropping the ISO drops the strobe too. It doesn't give your strobe more power. It doesn't give your strobe more power relative to ambient. It just drops EVERYTHING by a stop. Also, now you're saying that the advantage of a MFDB over a DSLR is that the MFDB can shoot in hardware binning mode so that the files can be small...(like a DSLR)...? Huh? Might need to work on your logic.
Your port is nice. However, one thing that was conspicuous was that you are mainly a posed portrait shooter. I don't recall noticing any candids (prep, ceremony, reception, etc). Those are MAJOR parts of shooting weddings, and are domains in which DSLRs (with ISO, AF, and frame rate advantages) thoroughly trounce MFDBs.
Also, here is the google cached version of the OP's article. Just a personal peeve about folks drumming up site traffic using articles containing limited content.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?hl=en&tbo=d&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=cache:PQ4zU-5mJbMJ:http://www.kern-photo.com/2013/01/shooting-digital-medium-format-in-wedding-photography-2/%2Bhttp://www.kern-photo.com/2013/01/shooting-digital-medium-format-in-wedding-photography-2/&gbv=1&sei=HCj6UIjGFKrKiALJr4GIAQ&ct=clnk
Hi,
An observation is that author compares a Nikon D700 with an IQ 140. The D700 is essentially a low resolution semipro camera oriented at high ISO, while the IQ 140 is a pro camera oriented at low ISO. Comparing MFD with Nikon D600/D800 or Sony Alpha 99 would be much more relevant.
Best regards
Erik
Hyper image quality is not a priority in event photography. Telling the story is and capturing the memories.
This is SOOOO True! I am curious how many brides will notice the medium format look...:) They couldn't care less. Canon and Nikon rules....!!!
Haring
Damn... you can really tell the story well. Brilliant portfolio. Very emotional, many touching moments and while the tones are rich the images have a natural feel to them.
I think your work is a very good example of how the speed and agility of the cameras you use free you up to capture the story and bolt around capturing your interesting angles
and moments.
I don't do weddings, personally or professionally,
Shot, I dunno in about 5 or 10 minutes.
80mm lens. F. 2.8 something, 400 iso, 125th second.
BC
10 minutes is often what we get to shoot pretty much all of our B&G shots. 25 or so separate setups.
P.S. A non paid endorsement, no agenda except I'd like to get a deal with Contax to update my lenses. I know there has to be leaf shutters for them somewhere and if they're not too expensive I might rent one or two.Ask them for the special ones with the programmable MTF curves where you draw a red circle on the model's eye and the lens automatically deforms and the camera will beep once that eye is at at least 180 lp/mm
That impressive seriously.
What's B&G?
IMO
BC
The images that your clients will notice the difference in quality (using a MFDB) is with bridal portraits, and selected wall portrait enlargements.
Really?
That impressive seriously.
What's B&G?
IMO
BC
Yes, really.
You don't shoot weddings do you Fred? You don't print large wall portraits yourself do you Fred? Not that I'd give a f**k if you did....
Your clients don't necessarily need to know the effort you go through in capturing different images, but often it does show. And sometimes it's enough to simply have that personal satisfaction.
Yes, really.
You don't shoot weddings do you Fred? You don't print large wall portraits yourself do you Fred? Not that I'd give a f**k if you did....the point being from my post is that a MFDB is simply a tool, and you're not foreclosed from using any other camera/equipment alongside when shooting a wedding. Professional photographers can and do use different cameras/equipment to create images---their own vision. A good photographer can and does use different cameras and can create great imagery. So post some images if you have them from your old P25+ that you had for a few months.
We get you don't like medium format digital. Ad nauseum. Get over it. If you're happy with using the D800, goody for you. It's a great DSLR. But the hasty generalizations, constant posting of the same images, the same charts, the google searches, and the same rants are seriously old. It really detracts from the quality of this forum. Instead of insights into medium format digital "__________," it seems every thread initiated here quickly becomes a witch-hunt against Phase One and negative medium format digital ramblings. Helpful? Not in the least.
::)
The reason Fred reposts the same images is in part that there are few valid comparison images available.
À propos of not much at all, were I given the choice to shoot for Condé Nast's Sposabella or to cover the highest of high society wedding, I'd take the magazine any and every day, regardless of the financial rewards from the real wedding.
One would be fun, and the other (for me) would represent a friggin' nightmare and huge sense of betrayal of why I became a photographer. I'm odd that way.
Rob C
Yes, really.
You don't shoot weddings do you Fred? You don't print large wall portraits yourself do you Fred? Not that I'd give a f**k if you did....the point being from my post is that a MFDB is simply a tool, and you're not foreclosed from using any other camera/equipment alongside when shooting a wedding. Professional photographers can and do use different cameras/equipment to create images---their own vision. A good photographer can and does use different cameras and can create great imagery. So post some images if you have them from your old P25+ that you had for a few months.
We get you don't like medium format digital. Ad nauseum. Get over it. If you're happy with using the D800, goody for you. It's a great DSLR. But the hasty generalizations, constant posting of the same images, the same charts, the google searches, and the same rants are seriously old. It really detracts from the quality of this forum. Instead of insights into medium format digital "__________," it seems every thread initiated here quickly becomes a witch-hunt against Phase One and negative medium format digital ramblings. Helpful? Not in the least.
::)
"I wouldn't be surprised if other people are just as fed up with dealers circling around forums like vultures and seemingly treating every new post on......."Hi Jeffery -
Actually Gerald. You seem to forget that the dealers on this forum are also accomplished photographers. They are not used car dealers. They are resources who will gladly share information on a wide range of gear (not only what they sale). I can guarantee that many professionals on this site have picked up the phone and asked technical questions on a project from the dealers. As matter of fact I recently photographed Steve Harvey (An American comic and actor) for a magazine cover. This was great, however the magazine gave me the assignment with only 48 hours notice. That may seem like a lot of time. But not when you have have a gold throne constructed and put together a team to do the shoot. Dave. G. fedexed me in Miami at 110 mm (rental) LS which I needed. It's called teamwork.
So what if they want to sale a lens or body or whatever. That's what they do.
Yes FRED does provide other options. And he's entitled to his opinions.
But if you are working professional who has to produce consistent quality on time or a weekend warrior (with 48 hours to produce some beautiful Ansel Adamest images) you may want to listen to other positive, inspirational voices on LL.
Thank you,
Jeffery Salter
Dealers are dealers they have products to sell and need to put food on the table just like photographers, though ultimately that's why they are here.
Actually, I haven't forgotten a thing. But moving swiftly on from the condescension...
Hi Gerald,
No condescension meant. I do not receive free equipment or Loaners from any Phase one dealer. I pay as I go. They have mortgages to pay as well. And I really like having them around. I own or rent my gear on a per project basis.
Yes. I agree there are many sources on the web. I'm a bit partial to LULU because it reminds me of when you would drop off film to your lab and bump into another photographer judging a clip over a light table. It's was a great place to trade notes on shooting or photography war stories. As I said Fred is entitled to his opinions.
Thank you,
Jeffery
Of course excellent relationships have a positive effect on your business.
Photographers that treat their suppliers and crew well get better performance and I don't know what you shoot, or your business model, but having a deep list of good suppliers that will search for some esoteric piece of equipment, or give you a pre heads up about a new firmware or equipment change can save you a ton of time.
Also it's nice to work with people you can count on.
I work with dealers and rental companies around the world and until you've a bad one, you can't really appreciate a good one.
In regards to the dealers on this forum it's obvious they want to sell equipment and put it in it's best light. There is no hidden agenda on this.
Then again, of the few dealers and reps that participate, I've seen them help more non clients than clients, so I believe anyone that labels them as vultures is mistaken.
In regards to the person that posts about the d800 I think it's fine though it seems to be the same song over and over, regardless of the topic which gives the impression that there's an agenda cooking.
Maybe because he didn't have the positive experience he was hoping for from his 645 camera and back.
I could be wrong, but some of this I just don't get. If I was a meticulous as this poster professes to be, before I bought something as expensive as a medium format system I would have tested it in the exact conditions I work.
By the time I wrote the check there would be few surprises and if there were I can promise you the dealers on this forum will make it right.
This is why you want a good dealer relationship, because before the point of purchase they will make sure to get the right equipment in your hands to test to your hearts content.
As long as your serious about buying from them.
After the point of purchase they'll do there best to support you.
And BTW: Photographers can be dicks. Don't think any of these dealers or reps have it easy and roll in the jack, because it's not that way.
I'd have to grow twenty hands to count the times i've seen photographers bug a dealer to death, ask a trillion questions, test everything on the shelf, then when it comes time to write the check they search the Bay or some going out of business dealer and buy from them, all to save $400.
The crazy ass thing is if the equipment goes south, they call the original dealers that they drove nuts and start screaming about why don't you get this fixed?
There also the same photographers that scream the loudest when their clients go to some cheap guy that offers more volume and less service, though they think it's fine when they do the same.
It use to be the WallMart syndrome, now it's the Amazon syndrome.
Sorry to go off topic.
IMO
BC
I can't see a problem as long as all interests are declared. I can live with bias if I know it exists.
Of course excellent relationships have a positive effect on your business.
In regards to the person that posts about the d800 I think it's fine though it seems to be the same song over and over, regardless of the topic which gives the impression that there's an agenda cooking.
Maybe because he didn't have the positive experience he was hoping for from his 645 camera and back.
I could be wrong, but some of this I just don't get. If I was a meticulous as this poster professes to be, before I bought something as expensive as a medium format system I would have tested it in the exact conditions I work.
By the time I wrote the check there would be few surprises and if there were I can promise you the dealers on this forum will make it right.
Fred likes to entertain - and not long ago we heard the same song and dance from Fred about 35mm DSLR:
http://www.modelmayhem.com/po.php?thread_id=823993
So his experience wasn't all bad :)
......snip........combined with the instability of MFD that changed my mind.
OK.
I'll cut you some slack cause you love your Nikon.
You think it's better than what you used before, fine that's a personal call.
Let me repeat. That's a personal call.
But the quote about mfd being unstable, on that I call BS.
I've shot tethered and to cards with everything I've owned. Nikon D2x, D3, D700, Canon 1ds1, 2, 3, 1dx, Leaf Valeo, Aptus, Phase p30, p30+, p21+ and Leica (no tethering on the Leica) and (drum roll please).
Nothing shot as stable, error free, tethered and to cf cards, with the stability of the Phase backs.
I've shot the Phase backs with about every kind of Mac, back to the White 27" I-macs to the next to latest Imacs, to G5's and Intel towers, three versions of 17" powerbooks up to the latest thunderbolt 17".
Early on had a few (by few I mean like three or four) problems due to some new but faulty firewire cords and had to learn to monitor the Contax battery use.
C-1 Version three was almost crash proof, V4 early on had teething problems, but now is a rock, after that .............
Nothing, Nada, not one brand or format did better than the Phase.
Do you run clean computers, new firewire cords, backups on everything, fresh or new secondary drives, max ram, modern graphics cards. Are your computers clean, your cf cards formatted and dedicated to the specific cameras, fresh batteries, clean contacts?
Did you personally know the software inside and out and/or have a dedicated tech?
In a very heavy day of shooting, I might have one slowdown/freeze a day with the Phase 99.9% of the time it's low batteries on the camera. With our Canons and Nikons I average 2 freezes a day with DPP, or Nikon Capture or C-1.
If I watch the Contax batteries I'm shocked if we have any slowdown in a week's heavy production.
So what were your problems?
IMO
BC
by joshshinner » Fri Jan 20, 2012 10:43 am
Just wondering how many other people were experiencing lock up problems?
Locking up being where you press to release the shutter and the camera just freezes and locks up,
and in order to get going again you have to either switch it off and on again, or remove the battery
and drain power completely. It's annoying in a normal shoot, however if you have the camera locked off
(ie for car photography) and you have to get the battery out, it is a complete nightmare.
Especially seeing as the battery release on the V Grip is terrible and doesn't pop the battery out, so you either have to use a magnet to get it out, or tip the camera!
This happens mainly in mirror up mode, however it does also happen on single and continuous modes.
We've been telling Phase about this for almost 2 years and they still haven't solved it with new firmware.
firmware on camera is 1.25 and we're using an IQ180.
by AnGy » Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:23 pm
Same problem here.
645 DF was used with a P40+ and now with an IQ180 and locks up sometimes one time over 10 actuations sometimes over 3 or 5 actuations.
Update of firmware to version 1.2.5 did not change anything.
joshshinner » Fri Mar 02, 2012 10:47 am
Hey Drew,
So still no firmware or any sight of anything to fix the immensely irritating lock up problems....
It has been over 2 years and it is mind blowing that Phase have not addressed this issue.
And please don't say we haven't said anything about it,
Phase were first made aware of our issues regarding this well over 18 months ago and we have been promised a fix with every new firmware, yet alas no fix.
The cameras have also been back for repair in that time.
Please tell me when this is going to be sorted?
Not impressed. Still.
John232 » Sun Mar 11, 2012 12:17 am
My Phase One DF locks up randomly as well. The camera focuses and functions fine, but pressing the shutter button does nothing.
Usually it does this for a just a frame or two about every 25-50 shots.
I thought the issue might be a specific lens, but it does it with all my lenses ("D" versions, LS versions and 645 manual lenses).
So I am ruling out lenses as the culprit. About 2 weeks ago the camera just refused to shoot and the batteries had to come out of the camera and back.
That has never happened before.
I think the issue might be the automatic switching between LS and FP,
or something to do when the camera and/or back to come out of their power save modes, or it might be the orientation sensor -
the problem seems to happen more frequently when shooting upwards (such as shooting a skyline or tree canopy immediately above me).
Right now there are too many variables and the problem is too random for me to lay out a specific cause-effect sequence.
The DF has firmware 1.25 and the P65+ has firmware 5.2.2. The most worrisome part is a random centerfold issue with the P65.
I am pretty sure the shot (file) following lock-up has centerfold.
I've reach out to my Phase dealer, hopefully he'll have some helpful feedback. My gut feeling is that there is something amuck with the DF body.
joshshinner » Mon Mar 12, 2012 11:01 am
John232 wrote:
Right now there are too many variables and the problem is too random for me to lay out a specific cause-effect sequence.
I must say John, this is the most to the point and accurate review of the phase one camera, and it's exactly what I say to anyone asking me about it.
And I completely feel your frustration... when something goes wrong, to start with it could be one of a dozen things,
which when working under time pressure is beyond irritating. Hope you get your problem fixed....
by NNN634255317662300975 » Sun Apr 01, 2012 2:15 pm
Same here.
The shutter (in my LS lenses?) sticks shut at the rate of about 1 in 10 shots.
Actually I just sent my body in and the shutter was replaced. But I'm still having the same problem.
by NN891992 » Thu Dec 06, 2012 10:24 pm
Hi there
is anyone still having a problem with this
both my iq160 and p30+ on 2 different DF bodies and using different computers on capture one 6.4 and 7.01 shoot occasional frames at a recorded f1
usually happens 1 frame in 100 sometimes a few frames in a row
can happen after a pause or during continuos shooting
body and back firmware up to date
any ideas at all , hyper annoying when working with directing talent into a position.
thanks
Sven
NN891992
645 DF not recognising leaf shutter lenses
by NN153991UL4 » Fri Dec 07, 2012 5:54 am
Camera body 645df
Leaf shutter lenses 55mm, 110mm and 120 mm and 80 mm
firmware ver 3. on back
I am having trouble with leaf shutter lenses. The camera is not using the shutter speed when leaf shutter lens is on the front of camera. camera OK with normal lenses.
It overexposes to the point where it is white.
I am trying to update firmware to latest version to see if firmware?software has been corrupted.
I have taken batteries out and reset camera to factrory settings.
Cant run FWupdater error message DLL required to run is missing.
by HEIKO121 » Tue Sep 25, 2012 10:59 am
Hello Drew,
Since you lovked the discussion about jamming 80 mm lenses
I had to open a new one. Yes I sold my Phase One equipment.
It is not possible to work with it professionaly, as long as you do not take two lenses of the same kind with you.
And regarding to the repair of the 80 mm lens I have tto tell that it dorsn't work after the repair.
This causes me so much hassle and stress again cause i probably have to take it back.
You claim that you can't help any further because I sold it,
but perhaps you can tell me and the rest of the community how such help could look like?
Perhaps I send you the still not working lens so you can prove yourself that I'm not telling ****** here and prove that phase One offers some service at least?
Kind regards
HEIKO HELLWIG
by NN8850041 » Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:11 am
I am onto my third 80mm LS Schneider lens.
This weekend the shutter blades jammed closed and my camera was unusable.
This is the third lens of the same model to do this.
Phase One have replaced my lens every time but I am beginning to lose complete faith in the camera system?
I am shooting in the Maldives early March and I can't afford to have my kit breaking down or out of action.
The digital technician operating my camera and I were both at a loss to explain why the kit was breaking down so consistently.
I am interested to hear from Phase One or anyone with similar experiences?
thanks
Antony
http://www.antonynobilo.com
by NN163027UL » Fri Mar 23, 2012 6:31 pm
I had the same issue 2 weeks into the new lens.
The dealer replaced the lens no questions asked but amazingly annoying.
Now that new lens doesn't auto focus to infiniti. Need to bring it in to be fixed. WTF?!
by NNN634255317662300975 » Sun Apr 01, 2012 2:07 pm
I have had very similar problems lately.
During my last job, the shutter in the df body destroyed itselt while shooting.
I rented a second body. Then the shutters in both my LS80mm and LS110mm would stick shut like once in 10 shots.
They make a strange noise and then open back up.
This went on during the whole shoot.
Both the body and the lenses were one and a half months out of warranty.
I sent the body in for repair and the shutter in the body was replaced at full charge.
When I asked about the lenses, phase one's answer was I would have had to pay €350 for them to look at them,
with no guarantee that they would find a fix. In which case the shutters would be replaced at full charge.
That's about the worse service I've ever received in my life. And I'm stuck with two time bombs in my bag.
Anyone else have this problem?
by NN159009UL4 » Mon Apr 02, 2012 2:15 am
The shutter on my DF body stuck closed after only 2500 cycles. It has been sent in for repair but frankly,
I am hesitant to make any further additions to this system. My scheduled purchase of the 110 LS is on indefinite hold as I have again been forced to regress to my 1Ds III to complete an upcoming job.
If P1 wants to survive upcoming Japanese competition they should take notice, provide excellent customer support and and meet any responsibility arising from their own manufacturing deficiency.
by HEIKO121 » Mon Sep 24, 2012 4:57 pm
You claim that the leaf shutter will work over 100000 actuations and do not repair mine after only 4000?
kind of ridiculous isn´t it? And regarding to my new Nikon, there is a much bigger variety of lenses that you can carry with you and they do not cost a fortune.
On top they do not cost fortunes for repairing them.
And they do not sell me "Schneider" lenses made in Japan.
by klabton » Thu Dec 06, 2012 11:40 am
History of my 80 LS lens..
- repair after +/- 4k shoots (warranty)
- locked again and replaced for a new one. (warranty)
- shutter replace ( paid ) about year ago.
- and the last one, lens locked. Today should arrive... (paid)
(twice repaired shutter in body, once digital back)
I have this gear 2,5 years.....
I don't think, this lens has capacity to take 100k shoots.
I don't even use leaf shutter. But still this lens locks after less than 20000 shots...
I realize that, after all, the best solution for tethered shooting in studio. Much, much better service than Hass...
Shooting in studio with D800 tethered is a little bit annoying...
What can be done, to improve this system???
Technical issues with Phase One equipment reported/discussed on the Phase One forum designed for the reporting/discussion of technical issues. News at 11 (http://m.urbandictionary.com/#define?term=news%20at%2011).You can try to write this issue off with another sarcastic post. However I think that other can see that there is a level of complaints and dissatisfaction
Shall we go to the Nikon forum, Adobe forum, Apple forum and see if any one is reporting technical issues?
I try not to keep a synopsis on all of your posts, though the last one pretty much covered it all.
You an expert surfer.
Custom made recreational equipment.
Beautiful Wife.
Beautiful Kids.
Beautiful Dogs.
A List Clients and Subjects.
Humanitarian that saves lives.
All I see is the behavior of a bully.
These type of brand bashing threads have become too strange even for me.
I'm outta this type of talk.
IMO
BC
And I'm the Bully????????
Jesus, you guys should have been in my boarding school if you even remotely consider Fred a bully. Get real, or does the new reality mean that everybody has to sing the same communal song 24/24? I'd rather hear different songs, even if some make me switch off or simply switch channels at times...
Rob C
Please note use of 'Wink' smiley for context...
Quote from: FredBGG on January 22, 2013, 07:40:26 PM
......snip........combined with the instability of MFD that changed my mind.
I shot twenty magazine covers last year with my P40+ with DF body. Not one single problem.
........
Thank you,
Jeffery
The Phase One 645DF+ builds on the success of previous generations of the camera
and has undergone a complete overhaul of all moving parts to produce a camera with the highest uptime in the market of high-end photography.
I find it pretty interesting this never gets a mention. I owned a Nikon D800 that certainly has this issue and my D800e does as well, not as bad but still a issue
https://www.google.com/search?q=nikon+d800+left+af+problem&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari
And Canon also not without issues.
https://www.google.com/search?q=canon+5d+mark+iii+issues&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari
I find it pretty interesting this never gets a mention. I owned a Nikon D800 that certainly has this issue and my D800e does as well, not as bad but still a issue
https://www.google.com/search?q=nikon+d800+left+af+problem&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari
And Canon also not without issues.
https://www.google.com/search?q=canon+5d+mark+iii+issues&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari
Now I agree this seems to happen more than any of us care to see and that goes for any OEM. I did not post Leica, Sony , Hassy and others but there always seems to be some bug or issue that crops up. Now as far as Phase yes I agree the DF had a power issue and it affected a good number of users even myself it happened to me in the beginning but like anything else you find workarounds and through a lot of folks trying diffrent things a switch in batteries helped a great deal, than like anyone else in the photo world a firmware fix addressed it as well. For most of us these things worked very well and some users maybe many never had any issues. What helped a lot of used was the ability to work with there dealers for any help needed in getting to a fix, repair and even replacements. Buy used and frankly your on your own just like buying a used Nikon or Canon. But dealers in 35mm are not like MF dealers at all and this needs to be clear. We had a workshop attendee on location have a complete DF failure , one phone call and a new body was in his hands by 10 am. Lets be really honest here shit happens and Murphy's law is ever present and I don't care what name is on the faceplate. My D800 failed twice for no reason. Pulled battery and turned it back on just like when I had my Phase DF. No difference same deal I could not shoot. I'm not dismissing the DF issue at all but on the same hand I'm not dismissing the left AF issue with my Nikons.
Sorry to say but with electronics this crap just happens , do you know a PC that never needed a reboot. Even the Mac diehards can't say they never had reboot or see the grey screen of death. I know I have. LOL
Unfortunately and I even hate to say this but the truth is with electronics this is becoming the norm and not the exception. Folks this is digital it has a lot of pluses for us but we all know it has its downside as well. It's tougher to shoot , you now are the processing engine and frankly maybe more work than we shot film all for the convienance of instant results. Good , bad or indifferent this is the digital age and this is our norm. The real trick or hope as users is these OEMs recognize there issues and make a effort to correct it, repair it, upgrade it or replace it. First they need to acknowledge it and start working on it and if they don't than they would be what we would call incompetent I would not consider any of these companies incompetent as they all took some measures to make things right. My Leica M8 two of them to be exact spent months and I mean months in Solms trying to figure out the sudden death syndrome they had. Luckily they gave me loaners just imagine as a Pro losing two bodies without backups for months on end . Not a good situation and one major reason when I went to MF from the M8 in full capacity as a replacement I went through a dealer to do that. I value there service as they have provided useful help over the years in MF and also a close friendship which leads to a relationship that you can count on when you lens, back or body decide it does not want to go to work that day . Like I said in the world of electronics you need to protect yourself from the new normal of products that are not exactly ready sometimes.
Now on to wedding work with MF. I don't do a lot of it but have used both together and each system on its own. Now lets face it 35mm is a little easier to deal with but seriously I never found MF that hard to deal with even under the pressure of shooting a gig in fast order. Honestly I never ran into a problem shooting MF where I mumbled to myself I wish I was shooting 35mm right now. Maybe it's me but I found shooting MF itself as a camera pretty easy. The biggest issue that always is a thought is more about DOF and making sure you can carry focus through a image. To me that is the biggest limitation if there is one and it happens in all types of shooting even in landscape work is carrying DOF. We all know the smaller the format the given extra DOF given the same aperture, its the one plus 35 has over MF. Now a lot of this depends on your thoughts on DOF to begin with and your expectations given the shooting gig. But I don't agree with you can't do weddings with MF. I never found there is much I can't do with any cam , its just a matter of your determination of getting something done and working within the limitations and knowing your work arounds and how your going to accomplish your task. Obviously there was a time when almost a huge population of wedding shooters shot MF film and they got along just fine. Does shooting MF digital pose maybe a change in how you go about your work over 35mm than sure I would agree, you certainly have to think more and different of how to get things done. Nothing wrong with thinking and working hard to get the shots you need, as a Pro doing weddings lets face it that is why your getting paid.
Aside from the green cast my D800s have no issues. they are from Summer/Fall 2012.
Never had issues with the 5D cameras, all told five of them since the original 5D came out. I beat these things and while I always thought the CF doors would fall off they never did. No issues with the 1ds series either, not even failed fire wire ports. No problems with any digibacks either. I did have problems with the Mamiya AFD1 and 2. Premature shutter failure and bad communications between back and body. maybe I'm just lucky, or maybe issues are over blown.
Hi,
The green cast is on the LCD preview screen, right?
Best regards
Erik