hi K, how are you?
Since you own the Contax 645, the Hassi H3 as well as the Sinar Hy6, I was thinking that you would be the best placed in this "room" to speak about:
1. Shutter lag compared on the 3 camera bodies
2. Mirror vibrations / blur due to the mirror slap compared on the 3 bodies
How do you experience these?
Kindest regards,
Thierry
Hi Thierry, I am very well. And to be very very honest, I don't have the probem with any of the cameras mentioned for mirror vibration, may be it is due to what I shoot and how I shoot. But let me try to reply the question in my own opinion;
Shutter lag + mirror vibration - this is a combination question to answer to me and to comment this we must say we are pressing the shutter directly on the camera, I sometimes found the release cable is not as responsive, and certainly not from the computer. Since I am not a scientist capable of staging the comparison shot and all the measurement (OK, it is not my job anyway), so many of what I comment may be phycological biased. I think it is fair to say all three camera that I use, I don't have such issue, and I shot quite a few fashion works, quite a few action shots.
Of all, Contax seemed to be the most smooth, the mirror is well dampped, so when you make shot by shot - not as fast as the Canon or Nikon of course, you feel the camera is responsive to your command. I think today a lot of user has the smaller DSLR and knew and flet such rapid firing frame rate, you got what you want easier with rapid sequence, because the smaller DSLR has smaller mirror and can advance faster. But I don't apply that to medium format to be fair. In reality one may missed more shot or action with medium format not necessary becasue medium format has longer shutter lag - or may be it is, but to me some of the factors has to do with the frame rate.
Coming back to the point, I don't feel the shutter lag a particular problem for me, one need to know his camera and how it works and eventually you control your camera to get what you want, not rely on camera to help to get the shot. But to speak of what I felt, Contax is best among the three, and Hy6 very similar feel as Contax and may be as good, the miror is softer and the motor advance with a nice rhythm, not quite a music, but close. H3D for this matter, is like knocking the door. I think all the three camera has similar frame rate, but they act differently, repeat again, I don't get bothered by any of these camera for shutter lag, but how the camera works, especially the H, is somewhat distracting, at least it is to me. May be I am not a big fan of H, but I am a user still.
And it is hard to say whether or not becuase H mirror has more vibration, yes, I felt so, but no scientific number to proof, but as a user I don't have to, may be part of the camera design needs to make the photographer feels good. The mirror vibration is one thing, and noise is another. So if I were to take a more imtimate shot, I will not use H, because it is quite noisy and distracting. For look book and fashion, yes. Both H and Hy6 has nice mirror function, so as Contax but since I use the L plate, the location of mirror up control on Contax is not possible, especially in vertical mode, this is a problem for me to use the Contax when constant mirror lock is required. But locking the mirror is probably only useful in still and landscape work, in stuio shooting protrait and fashion with the constant mirror up, firing, framing, it is not working for me.
Sorry for a long post, but truthfully, I wish the camera can be improved, but as they are, I have no porblem with them, because I need to work with my camera to get work done, and I don't complain camera. Coming back to the camera again, it seemed Contax has more universal appeal and love, Hy6 unfortunately too few shooter to make enough voice, and H is more polarized. H system is more polarized because I think it has more polarized policy behind it. A close integraton indeed has many advantages, convenient, fast, and H might have the best and accuracy in AF but there are people hate the concept because they were locked out. If I were to pick an issue with integrated system, is the back can't work independently without extra accessory, unless tethered to a computer. But otherwise, the final image is the sole responsibility of the photogrpaher, not the camera.
Regrds, K