My Great Return to Medium Format

minicoop1985 · Oct 19, 2016

Well, folks, the time has come for me to make my comeback in my personal work. I'll be upgrading to a Hasselblad H2 with film back in the very near future (already bought the viewfinder). Now I need your help. I'm stuck between the 150mm f3.2 and the 80mm f2.8. I will be shooting cars as well as portraits. Maybe even a wedding or two. So given that, I'm leaning to the 150mm, but I need you to convince me either way.

pixmedic · Oct 19, 2016

150mm will be a nice portrait length on MF.

480sparky · Oct 19, 2016

Yep. 150mm is in the short telephoto end. A 'normal' or 'standard' lens would be in the 90-100mm range. It iwll be the same as a 75mm on a full frame DSLR.

It's going to be hard to choose between the two. Given my druthers, I'd get both and be ready to go.

minicoop1985 · Oct 19, 2016

150's a better portrait length, that's for sure. I shot these with the one I had summer of 2015:

Duality of Bipolar by Michael Long, on Flickr

A slightly different portrait by Michael Long, on Flickr

Off into the distance by Michael Long, on Flickr

Mother and son by Michael Long, on Flickr

I miss this thing so much. Which is why I neeeeeeeeeeeeed another. I was heartbroken when I had to sell it.

Hasselblad H1 by Michael Long, on Flickr

pendennis · Oct 20, 2016

Unless you absolutely need the compression from the 150mm lens, I'd opt for the 80mm f2.8. It's a bit wide angle for the format (80mm v. 85mm "normal"), but I'd like the extra half stop.

Have you seen any comparisons between the bokeh of the two? I think that would be one more criterion.

480sparky · Oct 20, 2016

Next stop: 4x5.

minicoop1985 · Oct 21, 2016

LOL. I have no desire to shoot large format at the moment. However, a GX680 (about as close to large format as I plan to get) is on my wish list.

480sparky · Oct 21, 2016

Don't worry. You will sometime.

minicoop1985 · Oct 23, 2016

Ordered a Hasselblad strap yesterday. Should be here tomorrow. Black emblazoned with Hasselblad in bright white. Could you really expect any less from me? lol

I also picked up some film the other day.

minicoop1985 · Oct 28, 2016

OK folks, I have a question for you all. I have the opportunity to do one of two things. I can scrap the whole H2 idea for an H3D 39, or I can bay a Phase One back. If it were your choice, which would you choose, and why? The H3D is integrated and powered by one battery. The Phase One doesn't have a cooling fan, which adds to battery life. The Phase backs I'm looking at are 22 mp, which produces a beautiful image. The Hasselblad 39mp back also produces beautiful images, but there's the pixel density. 22mp seems to be the sweet spot for MF backs. The Phase One is also considerably older, unfortunately.

minicoop1985 · Oct 29, 2016

Small update: The H2 works. Found a fantastic deal on a 150mm 3.2, so I'm going to snag that whenever I can, and going to finance a Phase One P40+. Should make for one hell of a camera setup.

Advanced Photo · Oct 29, 2016

The phase one FX is a good camera add the IQ1 100 mp back and it's a very nice camera setup. I didn't really look at the P40 backs, I am sure they are nice though.

minicoop1985 · Oct 29, 2016

ARGH My financial calculator keeps telling me to go the H3D route, now that I know Hasselblad will service them.

I REALLY want the new Phase stuff, but it's astronomically out of my budget at the moment. Someday, though...