HELP Hasselblad Phocus making my files too "crunchy"

[Master Technika]

Cross-Forum Posted as I need the help ASAP!

Hasselblad Phocus is either over-sharpening or adding too much detail or something like imposing too much of a "crunchy and digital" feel on my files. They look so much smoother and more natural using Adobe Camera Raw, but I actually need to use the Phocus software for a few of the features and those will be negated if I export from Phocus as a DNG. I need to figure what it is that I am missing in the Hasselblad Phocus software that is making the files too "crunchy and digital". I ahve un-clicked every box that I could imagine would be causing this, such as "sharpening" and even have gone so far as to remove "clarity" and detail" in Phocus and still isn't doing what I need, which is to give me that nice and natural feel. I am in the last phases of a time-sensitive project. Thank you all for your time and experience. If ANYONE can help me solve this I will print and mount or frame something of theirs for them at my shop, on the house! Thank you in advance.

[BobShaw]

Why would you export out of Phocus as a DNG?
Export as a TIFF.

[delfalex]

.. export from Phocus as a DNG.

Am I presuming correctly that in exporting as a DNG you trying to process Multishot files within ACR (otherwise not just process the .FFF files directly)?

Why would you export out of Phocus as a DNG?
Export as a TIFF.

Then the file would be fully demosaic-ed & the modifications made by Phocus "baked in"/finalised; it would negate the purpose of processing the image in another Raw file convertor.

[BobShaw]

Then the file would be fully demosaic-ed & the modifications made by Phocus "baked in"/finalised; it would negate the purpose of processing the image in another Raw file convertor.

Hopefully so. Why would you go from one raw file with all camera features like FFF and Phocus to another  pseudo raw file with less features like DNG?

Photoshop is probably the premium image editor so start with an image format. ACR and DNG to me are Jacks of all trades, master of none.

[delfalex]

Hopefully so. Why would you go from one raw file with all camera features like FFF and Phocus to another  pseudo raw file with less features like DNG?

Well as the OP is saying; if it's falling down in the area of aggressive pre-sharpening (which one can't turn off) and a better result can be achieved by going through the 'pseudo' route, then it ain't really so super duper after all.

In terms of Phocus's handling of their Multishot files, I have found that it pretty much runs at a legacy level often doing more damage to the image (especially with the auto over-sharpening) than is to be gained from shooting at Multishot level, which begs question as to why they keep making the hardware.


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[Master Technika]

Thank you guys thus far for your replies and willingness to help! I've attached two examples: The first from "Adobe Camera Raw" and the second through "Phocus".
INFO:
Hasselblad H5D 200ms, HC Macro II, f11, 6shot multishot- thus making the 200mp version.

-I've posted both images as close to each other in size as I patiently could at the moment- I'm on a deadline for some large prints (my own work) These are test portions and are both critically focused through tethering and all that other good stuff that you're doing when you're not messing around . BOTH Images are increased to 200% to show the artifacts in ACR.

-It seems as though "Phocus" is putting too much detail in on their own which additionally is removing a lot of smoothness and causing a lot trouble for the specular highlights.

-Phocus settings for this example:
Everything that I can tell would matter is UNCHECKED. No sharpening, noise adjustments, etc.

-Adobe Camera Raw seems to handle the gradation better, looks soft but accepts sharpening very nicely, BUT doesn't have "color cast correction" which is would helpful to these prints in one spot AND it leaves these little artifacts in small bright details. I've seen this with another 200ms when using Adobe Camera Raw.

-Adobe Camera Raw settings for this example:
Everything that would matter is UNCHECKED. No sharpening, noise adjustments, etc>

-This test has nothing to do with color, ONLY resolution.

-I'm liking the adjustments I'm getting out of Phocus, with the exception of this "hyper" something that it's doing- I'm really hoping I'm just missing something and the files can come out a lot smoother.

Does anyone have any idea what I might be missing??? Big prize for whoever can help me solve this! I mean it!

Thank you for any and all suggestions. I hope I've explained enough for someone to just know what the hell it is I'm missing

[BobShaw]

You need to give more information on how you are doing this.
Is it untethered, producing a .3FR file or tethered, producing a .FFF file?
In what module are the settings unchecked - Capture, Browse, Adjust or Export?
What preset are you using for Export? Presumably DNG in which you are using a setting with no parameters that Hasselblad abandoned 10 years ago.
Export as a Full Size TIFF and try that.

[Master Technika]

Hi Bob,

The multishot cameras only allow for multishot capabilities while tethered, so these are tethered.

They are "fff" files.

All the boxes are unchecked in Catpure, Browse, Adjust. Export doesn't appear to have anything in it to uncheck.

I have exported as a full sized "Tiff-16". That is the only way to retain the changes you make in Phocus. The problem here is that Phocus seems to automatically put some extra stuff on them that causing highlight and over-sharpening problems I am having. 

When I export from Phocus as a DNG I can then use Adobe Camera Raw which seems to be handling the highlights and fine detail more elegantly.

[BobShaw]

Ok, you may need to email Hasselblad support.
Last idea. Are you using V3.4 of Phocus? If so do you have the Exposure set to V1 or V2? See the Read Me.

[elliot_n]

This is a long shot, but I wonder if having sharpening unchecked applies some default sharpening? Have you compared to results with sharpening checked, and all sharpening sliders set to minimum? (I'm not a Phocus user, but I used to process 3f film scans in Flexcolor, and in that software you had to set sharpening to minimum (-200) in order to switch it off.)

[Doug Peterson]

Have you contacted your dealer? It’s literally their job to help with issues like this.

[faberryman]

To my eye the top image is soft and the bottom image is perhaps over sharpened. But these are at 200%. I would want to see them at print size before passing final judgment.

[Master Technika]

These have been printed, but it's difficult to show an accurate representation online, BUT in the prints is where the problems really show up.  The 200% is to show the artifacts, plus it's not the worst way to judge the quality judge the quality of a pixel. If anyone were in the MA area and wanted to see for themselves, they're more than welcome to come by the shop.

I don't have a dealer. Would be awesome, but it's just not the case in my current situation.

[BobShaw]

I don't have a dealer. Would be awesome, but it's just not the case in my current situation.

Everyone has a dealer.
customersupport@hasselblad.com

[Frans Rutten]

Did you check the adjustment panel?
You can see the adjustments you made in your editing steps, and also the settings used for export.

[DiamondsDr]

Hi it seems somehow you exporting with previous settings, also when you import the files phocus can apply previous settings as well, based on open image. I've just tested(export tf16) one raw image with sharpening unchecked and then one checked it seems to work for me..on mac ver.3.4

[delfalex]

it seems somehow you exporting with previous settings,
.. when you import the files phocus can apply previous settings as well, based on open image.

Unlike the H4D60 and other single shot format cameras, the Multishot process is a tethered process and cannot be done in camera.
The settings one selects in Phocus will be embedded in the resulting file after the multishot exposure process has been completed; as the OP has confirmed that all of the settings were zeroed or off we can take it that the multishot file retains those settings once the exposure process had completed.

[BobShaw]

The settings one selects in Phocus will be embedded in the resulting file after the multishot exposure process has been completed

There are two steps here. The OP needs to establish where the problem is.

One step is the conversion to the .FFF raw file. That has to be done.

The second step is converting the .FFF file to something else and that is completely optional. 95% of the time I just import the FFF file in my catalogue programme and edit and export from there to whatever format I need. However I am using Aperture on a Mac. ACR supports the FFF files directly so I am unsure why anything is being exported. Exporting as a DNG to ACR is just asking for trouble.

If I want to go directly from Phocus to Photoshop then that is the the only time I export as a 16 bit TIF.

Having said that there are still unanswered questions like what version of Phocus, is the switch set on V1 or V2 and how the JPG shown were produced.

If you are on a Mac then just for fun open a FFF file using the Preview app and then export as a TIF. Does it look the same as the export of TIF from Phocus?

[DiamondsDr]

Unlike the H4D60 and other single shot format cameras, the Multishot process is a tethered process and cannot be done in camera.
The settings one selects in Phocus will be embedded in the resulting file after the multishot exposure process has been completed; as the OP has confirmed that all of the settings were zeroed or off we can take it that the multishot file retains those settings once the exposure process had completed.

.. when you import the files phocus can apply previous settings as well, based on open image. I mean tethered(i do 90% of the time) and in my experience i have to click in image browser outside the image in order to avoid it or set the settings to default and then play.

[DiamondsDr]

Sometimes restarting computer help to solve some issues.