Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Medium Format / Film / Digital Backs – and Large Sensor Photography => Topic started by: Endeavour on December 10, 2015, 03:07:28 pm
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A couple of years ago I emigrated from the UK to Canada. I've loved it here since the day I landed.
Being heavily into landscape and nature photography I felt the country had a lot to offer (if only it wasn't so bloody big!)
the romance of throwing all my kit into the back of my SUV and heading off into the Canadian wilderness for a day or two to get some great photos has kept me entertained on the rare weekend I can get away (weather and family life permitting)
thats the good bit, the bad bit is now I want to expand into medium format for landscape & portraiture. And it's because of the latter that I will be wanting a camera with auto-focus; thus a Hassy V system seemed good for the former, but not the latter.
A good solution I thought would be an early H series. H1-3 which would allow me to upgrade the digital back, to a newer PhaseOne or Leaf if I sold enough of my work to fund the purchase.
Now can I find a used H1, H2 or H3 for sale in Canada? can I find a used phase one P45 H type digital back in Canada?
no and no
I should have stayed in europe, seems there are loads for sale back over there, with lots more choice. Even buying from USA or EU and shipping it is going to incur a lot of cost (notably import duty)
I should have gotten into medium format 3 years ago, then I might have some nice kit I could have imported for free
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A couple of years ago I emigrated from the UK to Canada. I've loved it here since the day I landed.
Being heavily into landscape and nature photography I felt the country had a lot to offer (if only it wasn't so bloody big!)
the romance of throwing all my kit into the back of my SUV and heading off into the Canadian wilderness for a day or two to get some great photos has kept me entertained on the rare weekend I can get away (weather and family life permitting)
thats the good bit, the bad bit is now I want to expand into medium format for landscape & portraiture. And it's because of the latter that I will be wanting a camera with auto-focus; thus a Hassy V system seemed good for the former, but not the latter.
A good solution I thought would be an early H series. H1-3 which would allow me to upgrade the digital back, to a newer PhaseOne or Leaf if I sold enough of my work to fund the purchase.
Now can I find a used H1, H2 or H3 for sale in Canada? can I find a used phase one P45 H type digital back in Canada?
no and no
I should have stayed in europe, seems there are loads for sale back over there, with lots more choice. Even buying from USA or EU and shipping it is going to incur a lot of cost (notably import duty)
I should have gotten into medium format 3 years ago, then I might have some nice kit I could have imported for free
I think that with the will, with a considered approach to what you shoot, you could get mileage out of one of those super-wide 120 film cameras from Linhof et al. Might be a good thing keeping a stack of transparencies for a while, and then once the novelty of each wears, decide what's worth scanning?
Rob C
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thanks, but with time constraints and small kiddies running around, I dont want to go back to film & developing.
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And how much would an H3 cost in Canada?
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And how much would an H3 cost in Canada?
as soon as I find one for sale, I'll let you know.
But lets say I find a kit in the US for about USD $10,000 - CAD $13626.00: to import that would mean I pay nearly $2000 in import duty & taxes
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The only tax payable should be 13% HST I believe, if you import. If you buy from a dealer in Canada you will still have to pay it, but not if you buy privately.
The recent drop in the C$ vs US$ adds a lot of cost to US purchases, there are probably better deals to be had buying from Europe since the Euro exchange rate has fared better. If you can afford to wait, something will most likely turn up locally.
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it depends on the province you live in unfortunately, I live in Ontario
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/dte-acl/est-cal-eng.html
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it depends on the province you live in unfortunately, I live in Ontario
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/dte-acl/est-cal-eng.html
You are correct, Ontario is 13% as are most provinces, I should have mentioned that in my previous post. Albertans only get dinged 5%.
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so yeah its quite a slap to the face, to have an extra 2k on the cost, once you put in import tax/duty, shipping, insurance etc :(
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as soon as I find one for sale, I'll let you know.
But lets say I find a kit in the US for about USD $10,000 - CAD $13626.00: to import that would mean I pay nearly $2000 in import duty & taxes
What kind of "kit" are you looking for? Camera? Lens?
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Hasselblad have a number of dealers in Canada, do none of them do S/H from trades, what's the rental market like, where do their "old" stocks go, all are good sources on the UK.
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What kind of "kit" are you looking for? Camera? Lens?
Body ideally with autofocus, as although primary usage will be landscape, I also want it for portraiture and possibly (shudder) weddings
Lenses I'd initially be wanting a 50mm and I'll be after a 110mm
digital back, at least 39m to start with, and upgrade in the future if my work takes off (I realise this is where all the investment is)
that's why I was thinking an H1 or H2 or H3, so I can keep the lenses/body and go bigger on the back if needed later on.
If i didnt need autofocus, I would happily jump on the V series, of which there are loads for sale in Canada particularly the 500 c/m.
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Why not get something like this...this guy is in Canada. You could ad a DF+ and 80mm for a about 2K and you've got a pretty sweet kit.
http://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=105515.0
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Why not get something like this...this guy is in Canada. You could ad a DF+ and 80mm for a about 2K and you've got a pretty sweet kit.
http://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=105515.0
I agree, unfortunately that back is out of my budget right now
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I agree, unfortunately that back is out of my budget right now
Few places to check...
Headshot (Henrys)
B3K Digital
Thecamerastore.com
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Body ideally with autofocus, as although primary usage will be landscape, I also want it for portraiture and possibly (shudder) weddings
Lenses I'd initially be wanting a 50mm and I'll be after a 110mm
digital back, at least 39m to start with, and upgrade in the future if my work takes off (I realise this is where all the investment is)
that's why I was thinking an H1 or H2 or H3, so I can keep the lenses/body and go bigger on the back if needed later on.
You are saying that you want an AF MF camera, at least 39 mpix, and a 50mm lens. I checked for you on eBay Europe.
An H1 costs about 700-800€ with viewfinder.
The H2 is hard to find and has no advantage over the H1 for you.
The H3 accepts film backs, but will not necessarily accept Phase One backs (I have seen one refuse third party digital backs, I am not entirely sure they were from Phase One). But if you ever intend to buy an IQ380, an H1 is 700-800€, so I don't see the problem.
The H3 backs were built with 22, 31 and 39 mpix. You won't find a higher resolution. So basically, you want an H3D-39. There are 3 on ebay as we speak between 3000 and 3800€ (buy-in, not auction). The H3D works very well, has the advantage that it accepts film back and the inconvenient that its rear screen is a disgrace. That's about it.
An HC50 lens costs about 1500-1800€. It is not as good as the version II, but you won't see much difference at the apertures used for landscape. Still, if I were you I would be an HC35 lens instead (about same price).
So, to sum it up, we are talking about a budget of 5000€ for what you want on eBay Europe. Even with shipping and taxes, we are still under your budget. What is the problem?
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thanks for that
your comment about the H3 potentially not accepting 3rd party digital backs is a concern I had.
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your comment about the H3 potentially not accepting 3rd party digital backs is a concern I had.
But why would that be a real problem? The real investment is in the lenses and the backs. If you go the H route and change to a different back in some time, you will sell your camera anyway: few people want to buy an H3D back without the body. And then, depending on your budget, your either get an old H1 or a brand new H5x.
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you're right
I'm just trying not to paint myself into a corner.
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Am I missing something, what about the Pentax 645D or 645Z? Seems like the D is squarely in your budget, brand new.
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Am I missing something, what about the Pentax 645D or 645Z? Seems like the D is squarely in your budget, brand new.
I did look into the 645z, but considered it wasnt worth it (quality wise) over retaining my L glass and a 5dsr, for the price
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you're right
I'm just trying not to paint myself into a corner.
There isn't a 'not painting myself into a corner' option. Hasselblad has 2 lines of bodies, one that take their 'paired' backs, and one that takes 'other' backs. Finally seeing them merge back together, as you can get the H5 backs with the H5x body. Best of luck in your hunt, MF is a small fish, but it sounds like it's even smaller in Canada.
-Joe
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Such is the PITA of a country, that while huge in size, has a very small population and as a result a low number of dealers and professional shooters churning higher-end gear - and just as few buyers. If you live outside a larger CDN center, like myself on the East Coast, it's a wasteland in terms of high-end gear. Damn near fell over when I saw a Broncolor Move kit on sale (on ebay) from the area.
It's also a market where far too many (CDN) dealers fail to realize it's 2015 and the internet is, in fact, here to stay. The typical prices on dealer used items, even with the current FX rate, is laughable compared to folks like B&H and others. It's the same for Bron or Profoto hardware - if you can find it.
Frustrating, but you keep your eyes open for that rare item that shows up here at a fair price, and resign yourself to buying from (typically) the US market.
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Such is the PITA of a country, that while huge in size, has a very small population and as a result a low number of dealers and professional shooters churning higher-end gear - and just as few buyers. If you live outside a larger CDN center, like myself on the East Coast, it's a wasteland in terms of high-end gear. Damn near fell over when I saw a Broncolor Move kit on sale (on ebay) from the area.
It's also a market where far too many (CDN) dealers fail to realize it's 2015 and the internet is, in fact, here to stay. The typical prices on dealer used items, even with the current FX rate, is laughable compared to folks like B&H and others. It's the same for Bron or Profoto hardware - if you can find it.
Frustrating, but you keep your eyes open for that rare item that shows up here at a fair price, and resign yourself to buying from (typically) the US market.
you're not wrong
guess I'm just going to have to suck it up and give the Canadian govt some cash for the privilege of bringing a camera into the country.
by the time I find something I will be snowed in at -40oC realfeel and not able to go anywhere to shoot anyway ;)
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you're not wrong
guess I'm just going to have to suck it up and give the Canadian govt some cash for the privilege of bringing a camera into the country.
by the time I find something I will be snowed in at -40oC realfeel and not able to go anywhere to shoot anyway ;)
Some of the best landscapes are after a nice wet snowfall :)
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Some of the best landscapes are after a nice wet snowfall :)
unfortunately my eyeballs stop working at those temperatures which a canadian winter reaches
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guess I'm just going to have to suck it up and give the Canadian govt some cash for the privilege of bringing a camera into the country.
According to some Canadian friends of mine, you give your government some cash for a better education, a better health system and policemen who do not shoot you. Their words, not mine and, I suggest, to be taken with a good dose of humour. ;)
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unfortunately my eyeballs stop working at those temperatures which a canadian winter reaches
Actually, once your eyeballs freeze into place, it is not so bad.
(http://www.jagsiva.com/img/s2/v51/p426088418-5.jpg)
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I did look into the 645z, but considered it wasnt worth it (quality wise) over retaining my L glass and a 5dsr, for the price
I don't mean to be waving the pentax flag but the 645 has some of the best IQ on the market. If you aren't satisfied with the jump in IQ from a 5d to a 645z, then the same could be said for pretty much any MF setup, until you got to something like a 80mp phase one.
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you're not wrong
guess I'm just going to have to suck it up and give the Canadian govt some cash for the privilege of bringing a camera into the country.
by the time I find something I will be snowed in at -40oC realfeel and not able to go anywhere to shoot anyway ;)
Something to keep in mind is that if you are making money commercially with photography, you can get a HST registration number. Then the HST is refundable on all business related expenses such as equipment. That may not be your situation at present, but something to keep in mind in future.
I do think taxes are too high in Canada, but on the positive side if you want cheap university tuition or need a heart transplant you are covered.
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Something to keep in mind is that if you are making money commercially with photography, you can get a HST registration number. Then the HST is refundable on all business related expenses such as equipment. That may not be your situation at present, but something to keep in mind in future.
I do think taxes are too high in Canada, but on the positive side if you want cheap university tuition or need a heart transplant you are covered.
yeah, I'm not convinced there is much money to be made in photography these days, unless you are doing weddings - but I'd be delighted to be proved wrong
I can appreciate the qualities of Canada; although I am university educated in England and thus have also had the UK's free NHS on tap for the first 25 years of my life :)
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yeah, I'm not convinced there is much money to be made in photography these days, unless you are doing weddings - but I'd be delighted to be proved wrong
There is decent money to be made in product photography: catalogues, etc...
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There is decent money to be made in product photography: catalogues, etc...
I think that's one of the few sectors that will be completely overtaken by CGI within a few years.
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I think that's one of the few sectors that will be completely overtaken by CGI within a few years.
I was going to say that.
I thought most product stuff is 3d rendering these days. particularly reflective stuff like phones, watches, Cars etc
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I think that's one of the few sectors that will be completely overtaken by CGI within a few years.
That is true for some products, but not products made of soft materials (e.g.: bags, fashion accessories but also foods) or artisanal products. Price is also an element and photography is often cheaper.
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dragging the topic tenuously back to medium format ... :)
just out of interest, how capable is a V series (i.e. a 500 cm) in a studio environment?
My concerns are towards:
a) accurate focusing on a non static object - i.e. a model
b) controlling strobes
is it a world of pain?
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dragging the topic tenuously back to medium format ... :)
just out of interest, how capable is a V series (i.e. a 500 cm) in a studio environment?
I know a pro who lives from what they output. He does 100% product photography.
a) accurate focusing on a non static object - i.e. a model
Pre-focus.
b) controlling strobes
Use a flash meter.
is it a world of pain?
No pain, no gain.
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I know a pro who lives from what they output. He does 100% product photography.
Pre-focus.
Use a flash meter.
No pain, no gain.
great, thanks :)
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This might be of interest re: Hassy V in studio.
http://fstoppers.com/bts/dslr-shooter-reviews-hasselblad-cfv-50c-102077
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This might be of interest re: Hassy V in studio.
http://fstoppers.com/bts/dslr-shooter-reviews-hasselblad-cfv-50c-102077
That film image in the review looks like a keeper - I must be getting nostalgia
Edmund
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That film image in the review looks like a keeper - I must be getting nostalgia
Edmund
Always said; a 500 series with a square, film-sized format sensor is the perfect answer. Rotation of a cut sensor would be a step ahead, but that costs a lot of visual opportunities. Regarding cost: for those really using the format every day and with good clients, I don't think costs means squat.
Studio: I would hate to have had coloured walls like that all over the place in either of the studios I ran, especially the smaller, last one.
Rob C
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Always said; a 500 series with a square, film-sized format sensor is the perfect answer. Rotation of a cut sensor would be a step ahead, but that costs a lot of visual opportunities. Regarding cost: for those really using the format every day and with good clients, I don't think costs means squat.
Studio: I would hate to have had coloured walls like that all over the place in either of the studios I ran, especially the smaller, last one.
Rob C
Yeah, I dunno, the weakness of the 500 is the same as any dSLR: the focus path is not the same as the image path. It shows in these pix, and the pain he relates in getting them.
Mirrorless/liveview is the way to go: a box with a lens. If only they made one with a large square sensor, and a wire to clip an iPad on top :)
Edmund
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Yeah, I dunno, the weakness of the 500 is the same as any dSLR: the focus path is not the same as the image path. It shows in these pix, and the pain he relates in getting them.
That is just a question of adjustments and tolerances. Photographers have worked with cameras with a focus path different of the image path for decades and have managed to get perfectly focussed pictures with them.
For example: I use an Hasselblad H4D. With true focus, I can point at the eye of a model and will be sure that I focus on that eye and not on the other one, or the tip of her nose. It is quick, efficient and simple. There is no need for me to fumble with an electronic image on an LCD. Sure, it needs the camera to be built to tight tolerances, but this is what I paid good money for. Why would I want to replace that quick, efficient and simple system by something else?