My thoughts on the new PhaseOne XF (what are yours?)

[voidshatter]

Kevin and Doug have already made it pretty clear they don't see a larger CMOS next year.

Is this accurate? That means my IQ250 may still be crowned with dynamic range for another year - incredible!

[BernardLanguillier]

Is this accurate? That means my IQ250 may still be crowned with dynamic range for another year - incredible!

Probably for another 2 years... Unless something better comes from below of course.

Cheers,
Bernard

[voidshatter]

Probably for another 2 years... Unless something better comes from below of course.

Cheers,
Bernard

That saying is of course a necessary condition to persuade people buy the IQ380 so that the CCD inventory can be cleared out. Though another source (claimed to have connections with Sony and ATI) also suggested 2017.

[synn]

Of course, I don't expect "modern professional" photographers like Synn to understand this oldfashioned nostalgia for the square.

Edmund

There is no reason to drag my name into this. I am not the one who started the discussion about square formats, nor did I make a comment on it. You can take your trolling elsewhere.

Btw, "Where is the new phase one body"?
Here it is.

Where is your money?

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

The way I see it, the camera body is the only thing not contributing to the image. What is in front of the body like subject and lens matter a lot. A solid tripod with a good head also contributes to image quality. The stuff behind the body, like photographer and sensor also matter a lot.

Is that PhaseOne XF overpriced? If you don't feel that an IQ 350 is overpriced the pricing of the body my be utterly irrelevant.

The way I see it, Phase One did a good job designing a new body that works well with leaf shutter lenses. A lot of good things with that body. For me the Phase One system is clearly beyond what I want to spend on a camera system.

Best regards
Erik

Damn.  That was a big margarita!  Anyway... what was I saying?  Right... cameras are utterly irrelevant.  Vision and skill, that's what sells.

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

My take is that a high MP camera is best used on tripod anyway, so handholding doesn't matter for me. When backpacking or traveling by air the weight obviously matters a lot.

Best regards
Erik

The thing that would personally bother me more is the weight. My arm already feels pretty tired after carrying a D810 and Otus 85mm f1.4 and that combo is less than 2 kgs. The camera+back+most lenses will be close to 3kg. That makes it hard to shoot handheld for most photographers.

I cannot afford it now and would prefer a larger CMOS chip in the 90MP range anyway. Hopefully the IQ490 (just guessing) 2 years down the road will be the perfect camera and I'll have saved the cash by then.

Kevin and Doug have already made it pretty clear they don't see a larger CMOS next year.

Cheers,
Bernard

[Chris Livsey]

Hi,
My take is that a high MP camera is best used on tripod anyway,

For many applications high MP cameras are too much. When resolution is approaching 10x8 the set up is going to be the same, not much hand holding there!!
It's obviously been easier to ramp up MP than dynamic range (real range, however you want to define it) and latitude in exposure cf film curves at exposure not applied in post to massage the data.

I'm surprised no one picked up on the cost comparison. Michael, quite accurately, placed the competition in Leica, Hasselblad land, the question posed though was against the 645Z much as the A7R and the camera we don't name, a bit like a certain play by Shakespeare, the 8*0 are in a similar bracket, not a percentage but a decimal point different when the output is still a stream of digital data and what you place both in front of and behind the body to generate that data is vastly more important.

All the gear, no idea.

[Gel]

I think it's an albatross.

But I like it.

[JoeKitchen]

My opinion, love the camera body and the new WLF.  I agree that the ergonomics are not quite there when compared to the Hy6, but overall it looks better then the Hassy. 

The IQ380, meh.  I know that they say the 380 has better LE abilities, which is the only reason I would consider it over a 360 (or 260), but the fact that it does not start until ISO 200 has me skeptical. 

I am curious to see what the higher ISO performance looks like. 

[robert zimmerman]

Dear PhaseOne: Please bring out a second camera. Call it the "XF Professional".
This version should have nothing in common with the XF, except the fast autofocus. The "XF Professional" should only come with a shutter speed dial/wheel, an aperture dial/wheel and a shutter release button. Nothing else is required. It should cost less than 2k and be compatible with all p1 digital backs. And it should have a right angle grip for shooting in portrait mode for 12 hour sessions. You don't need to market this camera, just put them in equipment rental houses and we'll find em.
Thanks.

[Joe Towner]

I think $8k retail is high for a body, especially when it's 'open' but only usable with a Phase/Leaf back, and a limited subset of those in existence.  I understand the need to update the interface, and hope it'll do a lot for the platform going forward (IQ4 and such).  I think Phase would do themselves a huge service by doing a tradein/upgrade for DF+ customers - make it as cheap as possible.  Refurb them and offer the DF+ bodies dirt cheap in a combo with P/P+ backs.

[Steve Hendrix]

I think $8k retail is high for a body, especially when it's 'open' but only usable with a Phase/Leaf back, and a limited subset of those in existence.  I understand the need to update the interface, and hope it'll do a lot for the platform going forward (IQ4 and such).  I think Phase would do themselves a huge service by doing a tradein/upgrade for DF+ customers - make it as cheap as possible.  Refurb them and offer the DF+ bodies dirt cheap in a combo with P/P+ backs.

Done and done.

DF+ owners can trade in their camera body (credit should be roughly $2,000).

For the past 2-3 months, Capture Integration has been offering Certified DF+ Bodies for $2,500 with a P+ DB (or any other digital back purchase), and will continue to do so going forward.


Steve Hendrix
CI

[NickT]

I think $8k retail is high for a body,

Actually I'm amazed they could sell it this cheaply. In fact I am amazed that Phase were able to do this at all given the huge R&D costs associated with creating a new camera like this.

I do wish the tire kickers (not you Joe), would stop whining about a camera they have not yet seen, and are never going to buy anyway. Instead let's congratulate Phase on making the thing and giving Hasselblad some (more) competition to think about.

Well done Phase One.

[Weldon Brewster]

I just got back from DT's event here in LA.  I wished and hoped that the XF would suck and I wouldn't want one.  That wasn't the case.  It is a bad ass camera.  Feels really good in your hands, extremely well made.  It can be as crazy complicated as you want or perfectly simple, you choose.  Phase One hit one out of the park, this is a revolutionary camera that other manufacturers are going to be copying for years.  I apologize to your accountant and your spouses.  In the end it's just a tool for creating images, nothing more, like a tow truck or cement pump.  Dang is it a nice tow truck though.

[eronald]

Actually I'm amazed they could sell it this cheaply. In fact I am amazed that Phase were able to do this at all given the huge R&D costs associated with creating a new camera like this.

I do wish the tire kickers (not you Joe), would stop whining about a camera they have not yet seen, and are never going to buy anyway. Instead let's congratulate Phase on making the thing and giving Hasselblad some (more) competition to think about.

Well done Phase One.

If I may be allowed a joke, we should congratulate Phase One for doing the R&D so Pentax can improve their products
I'm sure the next Sony sensor will owe a lot to Phase One's requests ...

Edmund

[JoeKitchen]

If I may be allowed a joke, we should congratulate Phase One for doing the R&D so Pentax can improve their products
I'm sure the next Sony sensor will owe a lot to Phase One's requests ...

Edmund

My god, isn't it the middle of the morning in France right now?  You really are relentless. 

[eronald]

My god, isn't it the middle of the morning in France right now?  You really are relentless. 

Time without other distractions

Edmund

[JamesJetel]

+1 BC, +5 rather, I see this as Phase almost getting up to speed. 2 years ago I would've been thrilled. Being said, I bought it the moment I got the e-blast. Flying around the world with a DF has been like carrying around a corpse. Not unlike Weekend at Bernie's, where, sure the corpse can dance for you if you play the music, but ultimately it's still dead.

The XF is a welcome update, and I'm glad to spend the money provided it works. I should have mine on set by late June/early July when I'm back in the states. (THANK YOU DOUG SPERLING of PROGEAR). I can maybe help run it through the paces. Though don't expect the charts and other quantifications. I'm strictly looking at he question - does this make my job easier than before.

Also, BC, you have great work.

[yaya]

I just got back from DT's event here in LA.  I wished and hoped that the XF would suck and I wouldn't want one.  That wasn't the case.  It is a bad ass camera.  Feels really good in your hands, extremely well made.  It can be as crazy complicated as you want or perfectly simple, you choose.  Phase One hit one out of the park, this is a revolutionary camera that other manufacturers are going to be copying for years.  I apologize to your accountant and your spouses.  In the end it's just a tool for creating images, nothing more, like a tow truck or cement pump.  Dang is it a nice tow truck though.

That's great to hear Weldon! We are very proud and excited about the new camera and appreciate any feedback!

BR

Yair

[synn]

I just got back from DT's event here in LA.  I wished and hoped that the XF would suck and I wouldn't want one.  That wasn't the case.  It is a bad ass camera.  Feels really good in your hands, extremely well made.  It can be as crazy complicated as you want or perfectly simple, you choose.  Phase One hit one out of the park, this is a revolutionary camera that other manufacturers are going to be copying for years.  I apologize to your accountant and your spouses.  In the end it's just a tool for creating images, nothing more, like a tow truck or cement pump.  Dang is it a nice tow truck though.

Happy to hear one real life (And very positive) experience amongst the sea of usual nonsense.
I am dreading the day when I test this because I have a feeling I am gonna be a lot poorer soonafter.