Hasselblad H3DII-39MP Best Camera/Raw Settings help for new user from Portugal

[pedro39photo]

Hello everyone,

I am a Industrial/Stock Photographer from Portugal and after a short 2 months experimentation with a H3D 22MP, i made the jump to the DMF and bought a H3DII - 39MP and a 50-110mm lenses.
Now i have a lots of questions and i will try to resume all in one post, but first i have to say thanks to Paul Gould in Hasselblad UK for the dedication, attention for customer in the deal. I think that close relation its what make a great brand like Hasselblad.

Now for the questions, i like to listen from Hasselblad H users some advices/tips for:

1 - the best Cameras settings / Custom options in this system

2 - After 2 days in the field i have a general underexposure in the pics and i have to give always +2/3 or full stop compensation, its this normal?

3 - I was using a monopod for the inicial first days in the exterior of testing with sunny days (1/125 - 1/250 speeds at F8 and iso 50) at this speeds the tripod give me superior sharp results?

4 - RAW software, its Phocus still given you the best conversions files ? or the new Lightroom 4 its now fully optimize for the Lens and the Hasselblad sensor system?

5 - Best/Optimal settings for 39MP digital back ( Lightroom 4.1 ) for the Sharpening + Noise Reduction + Presence

6 - I have the 50-110mm zoom, but i am not satisfied with the optics performance in the left corner of the photos that are less sharp that the right one with the same f5.6 or f8, have anyone send your lens to hasselblad service for optical calibration ? what was the results? Much better results after service? or we have to try find another copy?

7 - Open to listen comments, suggestion or tips from other users to this remarkable medium format sys.

Thanks so much, and congratulations to this forum administrators and users for the great sharing knowledge put in here in a daily basis !
Sorry my bad English, and please any DMF users from Portugal please contact me, i am trying to join a group in this country for some friendly photo meetings.

PedroNunes
Photography

[jonathan.lipkin]

Hello and welcome, Pedro



>>1 - the best Cameras settings / Custom options in this system
I set the user button to mirror lock up and try to shoot with mirror up as much as possible

>>2 - After 2 days in the field i have a general underexposure in the pics and i have to give always +2/3 or full stop compensation, its this normal?
I've noticed this as well

>>3 - I was using a monopod for the inicial first days in the exterior of testing with sunny days (1/125 - 1/250 speeds at F8 and iso 50) at this speeds the tripod give me superior sharp results?
Depends on focal length of the lens. I rarely shoot handheld at 80mm at less than 1/250. Mostly I'm on a tripod.

>>4 - RAW software, its Phocus still given you the best conversions files ? or the new Lightroom 4 its now fully optimize for the Lens and the Hasselblad sensor system?

I always use Phocus because I shoot with an HTS adapter. Here is what Hasselblad technicians told me about LR:
Quote
Lightroom 4.x offers the ability for Hasselblad DAC lens correction with HC/HCD lenses. It does not have the ability to provide corrections when a tele-converter, extension tube or HTS is used. You will need to utilize Phocus for this and then export to Tiff.
/Quote

>>5 - Best/Optimal settings for 39MP digital back ( Lightroom 4.1 ) for the Sharpening + Noise Reduction + Presence
I use NIK sharpener pro set at 67%

No noise reduction, and a bit of presence set in Phocus. However, I'm just this morning looking at some images I shot at ISO 200, and NIK is causing a lot of noise in the shadows. Looks like Phocus does a better job in this particular case.

>>6 - I have the 50-110mm zoom, but i am not satisfied with the optics performance in the left corner of the photos that are less sharp that the right one with the same f5.6 or f8, have anyone send your lens to hasselblad service for optical calibration ? what was the results? Much better results after service? or we have to try find another copy?
No experience with that lens. I did some testing with some of my lenses at various apertures and found significant diffraction limits on some of them, especially at the corners.