The Phase One IQ180, raising the bar for LCD screens..

[MattBeardsley]

Hello LL,

Had the chance to spend an hour or so with a pre-production Phase One IQ180.  The interface is very cool, very useful, and works as advertised.  Shooting with the camera brings up a full screen preview that can be zoomed and navigated by touch (like an iPhone).  Phase has brought some needed innovation to medium format photography... everyone knows MF LCDs have not been the segment's hottest selling point (it might be now!)

http://photoartsmonthly.com/blog/2011/03/07/preview-the-phase-one-iq180-80mp-digital-back-and-the-new-iq-line/

[ChristopherBarrett]

+1

I played with the 180 for a bit last night.  The interface is a HUGE improvement.  Getting to 100% preview is super fast and it's easy to move around the image.  Adding that to the use of the focus mask to come on production units might have me very well shooting my exteriors untethered.

I'll still shoot to the Mac inside as clients often like to zoom into different areas for propping.

Yeah, there's a 180 in my future.

CB

[cng]

I played with the 180 for a bit last night.  [...]  Yeah, there's a 180 in my future.

Christopher, did you by any chance test the IQ180 with your wider lenses (say 47mm and below)?  Just wondering how the new 80MP backs (and associated software) are responding when used in combination with these lenses.

Thanks.

[issa]

Hi Chris

"I played with the 180 for a bit last night.  The interface is a HUGE improvement.  Getting to 100% preview is super fast and it's easy to move around the image.  Adding that to the use of the focus mask to come on production units might have me very well shooting my exteriors untethered."

Was live View operational, and what is your understanding of Focus Mask, Is that to be used with the live view to set focus, or after  to the check

[ChristopherBarrett]

The back was at a demo night at my dealer.  I didn't bring my camera in, so no testing with my wider lenses yet.  Also, this was a Pre-Production unit and the Live View and Focus Mask were not enabled.  As I understand it they will function like this:  Live View will be available on the back (untethered) but is limited to about 3 frames per second.  The focus mask will show up as it does now in C1 Pro (as a green shaded area over the parts of the image with highest contrast, as in focus).  There is a display mode where you can see a large preview alongside of a thumbnail and a histogram.  You will be able to choose to have the focus mask show up on just the thumbnail or the thumbnail and the preview... showing you what areas of the image are in focus.  Also the 100% magnification renders so quickly and is so much quicker to navigate that (when combined with the focusing accuracy of the Rm3d) I would feel fully confident shooting untethered when needing to move more quickly.

[michael]

No one outside the company has seen Focus Mask or Live View operational yet, and likely wont until backs start shipping in about two months.

But based on everything we're being told this is going to be a real game changer. I anticipate being able to shoot in the field without a viewfinder or groundless, with a small technical camera like an Alpa TC, and be able to work almost as effectively as with a tethered laptop.

Michael

[issa]

Thanks Michael.

Hope you are correct, it ill be a game changer for me too, as i use a view camera, and would love to compopse and focus using the back screen