Open letter to Hasselblad

[bab]

Open letter to Hasselblad
The H6D 100c could use one firmware upgrade to keep it alive in keeping with newer cameras released in 2020.
If you Hasselblad would add focus stacking (intregated step focusing) this would give the H6D 100c the ability to be on level par with the new
ly Released offerings from your competitors. In fact it is the only feature missing that severely limits the camera, being able to quickly stack images without touching or interrupting the sequence.

I realize the using Phocus you can move the motor in the lens yes I’ve done so roughly 15k times so I am familiar with that method. That method is great in studio but not using the camera for outdoor captures.

The other suggestions would be to offer lens upgrades to the new shutters a service that give a huge revenue to Hasselblad. And if possible to also offer an upgrade to the rear LCD enabling better resolution much needed for live view critical focusing among many other uses. You need not be afraid to offer these upgrades as they can only bring in revenue and maybe more sales expanding the life of the product.

Hasselblad you must have many reasons WHY you have abandoned the H6D 100c consumers but it’s time to rethink your strategy and review the product.

Thanks for reading!

 

[edmundphoto888]

I think Hasselblad would rather release a new model H7D? instead of updating the 4 years old model!

 

[P. Chong]

I think releasing H7D is sensible, and I would support this move. Hopefully with a price reduction to make it more competitive.

Though the H6D is so "perfect" in so many ways that a few changes, in the direction bab suggested, may be sufficient to best the competition. For me, the H body shape, placement of buttons, the feel in the hands (ok I don't mind if its lighter, maybe a carbon fibre body? ) is so much better than the Phase One XF (love the IQ, features and functions, but hate how the body feels in my hand), the Fuji GFX 100...maybe tie with the Leica S3 (really superb UI, but no removable back reduces its ability to work with a view camera for movements).

I think Hasselblad would rather release a new model H7D? instead of updating the 4 years old model!

 

[georgecleansman]

Though the H6D is so "perfect" in so many ways that a few changes, in the direction bab suggested, may be sufficient to best the competition. For me, the H body shape, placement of buttons, the feel in the hands (ok I don't mind if its lighter, maybe a carbon fibre body? )

I agree to this message, the H6D-100c delivers great image quality and superb colors. With some features like focus bracketing implemented in a new firmware this would be great.

To improve the H6D with a newer model H7D there is the question what part of the H-system can Hasselblad make better? The back was modernized 4 years ago. The handgrip can be updated with a better display, but not the excellent form.

It remains the autofocus, which is not state of the art - with exception of the True focus, which generally is very helpful.

On the other hand the sensor is a major part of a digital camera beside the very good Hasselblad demosaicing process. How is the roadmap for a medium format sensor in the future? More and more pixels can not be the answer because diffraction becomes more important. With 150 MP on a 54x40mm sensor the maximal aperture is f/5,6, where diffraction begins. No advantage for landscape photography.

 

[bab]

I agree to this message, the H6D-100c delivers great image quality and superb colors. With some features like focus bracketing implemented in a new firmware this would be great.

To improve the H6D with a newer model H7D there is the question what part of the H-system can Hasselblad make better? The back was modernized 4 years ago. The handgrip can be updated with a better display, but not the excellent form.

It remains the autofocus, which is not state of the art - with exception of the True focus, which generally is very helpful.

On the other hand the sensor is a major part of a digital camera beside the very good Hasselblad demosaicing process. How is the roadmap for a medium format sensor in the future? More and more pixels can not be the answer because diffraction becomes more important. With 150 MP on a 54x40mm sensor the maximal aperture is f/5,6, where diffraction begins. No advantage for landscape photography.

No medium format AF is great, and that’s why shooting landscapes for an example would benefit and does from stacking. Camera vibrations is the limiting factor and more so with longer lenses. We need a solution to use the micro motors build into the existing lenses.

Having resorted to using an external monitor Atmos in the field has been a major improvement for me achieving better tack sharp focus. Some will say three stacks are enough but I find that using longer lenses in the field seven to nine stacks are just right because the depth of field is so shallow. Some times the infinity focus is off a bit and sometimes it’s the focus 5 meters out, you really see it
Though when everything is tack sharp except for one part of the image.

As for the H 7 not sure it will ever happen? The company is pretty much build to order at this point from what I hear. Many people using the H6D in many different ways but firmware updates are the cheapest route Hasselblad could take it would seem to me.

When you look at the new cameras they offer what is the main complaint you hear keeping you from buying the 1Dxii?

 

[hcubell]

When you look at the new cameras they offer what is the main complaint you hear keeping you from buying the 1Dxii?

Hmmm, what's the answer?

 

[PSS]

Not sure releasing a H7 makes much sense...there is a reason phase came out with the XT system....I would assume people who need those highest end backs AR more likely to use them on tech cameras anyway....
I also think that at this point it makes more sense to use an ipad to view and control the back/camera if you are on tripod anyway....no matter how great the LCD is, a 100mpix file is hard to judge....
Phase now pretty much builds C1 into their backs but for whatever reason refuses to bring C1 onto the ipad....hasselblad does the opposite....which is smart IMO...i would prefer a fast and stable connection to an ipad which in turn handles files and preview....hasselblad is working on that and Phocus mobile 2 is great, not perfect yet but really, really promising (and i hear an update is coming soon)....
I Think it makes much more sense to expand on the X line, and maybe come out with a high end (larger sensor) CV back for tech cameras....that with a great ipad app would make more sense then a crazy expensive H7....

 

[Steve Hendrix]

Not sure releasing a H7 makes much sense...there is a reason phase came out with the XT system....I would assume people who need those highest end backs AR more likely to use them on tech cameras anyway....
I also think that at this point it makes more sense to use an ipad to view and control the back/camera if you are on tripod anyway....no matter how great the LCD is, a 100mpix file is hard to judge....
Phase now pretty much builds C1 into their backs but for whatever reason refuses to bring C1 onto the ipad....hasselblad does the opposite....which is smart IMO...i would prefer a fast and stable connection to an ipad which in turn handles files and preview....hasselblad is working on that and Phocus mobile 2 is great, not perfect yet but really, really promising (and i hear an update is coming soon)....
I Think it makes much more sense to expand on the X line, and maybe come out with a high end (larger sensor) CV back for tech cameras....that with a great ipad app would make more sense then a crazy expensive H7....

Phase One is not refusing to bring C1 to the iPad. They are working on a much more comprehensive mobile platform for iPad. Nope, it's not here yet.

As far as Hasselblad offering an H7D at some point, I don't know if they should, I don't know if they will, I hope that they do.

Given that the H6D remains their flagship full frame 645 option, it would make sense to continue to enhance it. But - to be fair, this model is going on 5 years old from time of announcement, and perhaps if they do come out with an H7D, it will offer some feature enhacements like focus stacking, and once they have that implemented, they will then offer a backwards firmware to H6 cameras.

After all, the Phase One XF is not restricted to an IQ4 in order to perform a focus stack, any IQI/IQ2/IQ3 back will work, the camera is doing all the leg work. Phase One Focus Stacking feature was implemented in Firmware Update #2 in March 2016, just 3 months after the launch of the IQ3 100. And with the IQ digital backs still being a separate module from the XF, there is perhaps less pressure to tie a feature to a complete system, like an H6D or H7D feature might be. This IQ family compatibility might be different if an IQ4 or IQ5 was also putting together a focus stacked sequence in camera, that would be dependent on enhanced digital back processing, and an IQ1/IQ2/IQ3 is probably not ever going to be capable of that. If an H7D is indeed going to appear, I would be surprised to see a feature firmware update appear on an H6D platform before an H7D would be released. Then again, by doing so, that perhaps would buy them time to produce an H7D, if they actually intend to.

Hasselblad has some interesting decisions ahead of them.


Steve Hendrix/CI

 

[Godfrey]

From the Hasselblad 907x 1.2.0 firmware update (from about a month and some back) release notes:

2. Focus Bracketing ​
Expanding the feature set of the X1D II 50C and 907X Special Edition even further, Focus Bracketing allows a photographer trying to capture a subject with very limited depth of field, such as in macro or product photography, to capture a series of exposures of their chosen subject at a fractionally different focus point in each and then stack these captures in their chosen stacking software. The photographer will have full control over the number of frames in the sequence, the step size between each capture and an initial delay to allow any support system vibration to diminish. ...

I'm sure they're aware of the desirability of focus stacking, and will get there at some point.

A firmware update, however, is a huge amount of development time and resources for a small company like Hasselblad. Given the age of the H6D, I'd say they are possibly investing in the next model to incorporate this and other notions from your feature list into first. There is most likely a much much bigger audience of users in the X system space (due to its much lower cost of entry) to obtain profits from, and consequent funding for these development efforts; so putting their efforts there first and then extending them to be used in the reflex camera line makes good sense.

G

 

[drevil]

Phase One is not refusing to bring C1 to the iPad. They are working on a much more comprehensive mobile platform for iPad. Nope, it's not here yet.

you are 'leaking'more info out than anything that any P1 supporter was willing to tell me, all i ever got was 'we are not commenting on possible future products'

C1 for the Ipad needs to come, and hope fully it will support also the Fuji cameras. including live view, wifi or USB-C

my 2 cents

 

[Steve Hendrix]

you are 'leaking'more info out than anything that any P1 supporter was willing to tell me, all i ever got was 'we are not commenting on possible future products'

C1 for the Ipad needs to come, and hope fully it will support also the Fuji cameras. including live view, wifi or USB-C

my 2 cents

I'm not sure how much credit I can take for leaking - it has been mentioned in this forum on numerous occasions. My only disagreement was the assumption that no news from Phase One/Capture One meant they were refusing to bring C1 onto the iPad.


Steve Hendrix/CI

 

[PSS]

I'm not sure how much credit I can take for leaking - it has been mentioned in this forum on numerous occasions. My only disagreement was the assumption that no news from Phase One/Capture One meant they were refusing to bring C1 onto the iPad.


Steve Hendrix/CI

I guess “refusing” is the wrong word, apple is moving to ARM and phase will have to adjust anyway sooner or later....but even the latest version of C1 just seems patched together on old code...I am not a programmer and really generally don’t like adobe much, but LR On desktop (and on the ipad) is just a different world....i do understand why people still prefer C1 but it’s funny to me that hasselblad can come up with a tethering solution on the ipad that blows C1 away in terms of speed and is rock solid...far from a complete solution of course but people would love to have at least that from phase....

 

[bab]

From the Hasselblad 907x 1.2.0 firmware update (from about a month and some back) release notes:



I'm sure they're aware of the desirability of focus stacking, and will get there at some point.

A firmware update, however, is a huge amount of development time and resources for a small company like Hasselblad. Given the age of the H6D, I'd say they are possibly investing in the next model to incorporate this and other notions from your feature list into first. There is most likely a much much bigger audience of users in the X system space (due to its much lower cost of entry) to obtain profits from, and consequent funding for these development efforts; so putting their efforts there first and then extending them to be used in the reflex camera line makes good sense.

G

This is where I’m confused both X1D’s are not up to industry standards except for the design of the outer shell. Why?

 

[Godfrey]

This is where I’m confused both X1D’s are not up to industry standards except for the design of the outer shell. Why?

What "industry standards" are you referring to? Are you referring to the ongoing spec sheet race in the marketing world? Features, megapixels, etc? Who is more likely to buy it? Et cetera?

I don't care one wit about that stuff. I care about what I see in the photos I make with a piece of equipment, how it feels in the hand, how it works for my photography. So far, what I'm seeing out of my Hasselblad 907x/CFVII 50c (and the X1D II) is truly excellent.

G

 

[tcdeveau]

The only two real things I'd like to see from Hasselblad are: (1) adoption and use of the 33x44mm 100mp BSI Sony IMX461 sensor in an X camera; and (2) an XCD equivalent of the Fuji GF 100-200mm.

Should only be a matter of time for (1). For (2), not sure if this would ever happen but a slow telephoto zoom would be nice for landscapes.

I'd also love to see a monochrom X camera since Sony makes a monochrom/achromatic version of the IMX461 sensor, but we could be here all day imagining things that are more likely to happen. Dear Hasselblad, I know I'm not the only one that would like to see this....just sayin'

I'd also love to see an H7 but I'm not sure if they will or if it makes sense. At the very least some additional H6D firmware updates for things like focus stacking would be highly appreciated by H6D users I imagine, and perhaps some sort of official statement to let current users know where the system is going. I've seen some comments from HB spread around the internet saying they haven't forgot about the H series but I think H6D users probably deserve a little more.

It would also be nice if HB could get better on the communication and shipping front. Currently they announce things and end users have no idea if they'll ship the following month, quarter, or year. Japanese earthquakes and pandemics aside, they've been doing this long enough you'd think they could deliver accurate shipping/delivery estimates after product launches. It took three years from the initial announcement of the 35-75mm XCD in Feb 2017 to when they actually started shipping in spring of 2020 which left a bad taste in my mouth personally. That might come off as privileged whining, but that initial Feb. 2017 announcement was a reason I kept investing in the X system....had I known it would take 3 years I would've gone a different direction. They've announced the non-special edition CFVII over a year ago but people still have no idea what the price and availability details are. It can be inferred from the latest CFVII50c SE firmware that the "normal" edition is around the corner, but some communication would be nice.

I've said before my biggest issue with HB is they aren't living up to their potential. They've got a great platform and great products, with a few tweaks and additions they could really be kicking a**.

 

[Curtis Hight]

The other suggestions would be to offer lens upgrades to the new shutters a service that give a huge revenue to Hasselblad. And if possible to also offer an upgrade to the rear LCD enabling better resolution much needed for live view critical focusing among many other uses. You need not be afraid to offer these upgrades as they can only bring in revenue and maybe more sales expanding the life of the product.

Someone with Hasselblad once asked me what I thought about them moving their focal plane shutter cameras from 1/4 EV to 1/3 EV. I supported the idea and suggested that if they did so, then they should offer an upgrade for the lens aperture hardware, using the same rationale as you have, that it could be a source of profit.

As for the H6. I thought the H system was a strategy disaster and it has held little interest for me. With that being said, I would love to see Hasselblad bring their V1D camera to market and leverage this development work into an upgraded back for H system, allowing for an H7, that is if they plan to continue the H system. I wouldn’t mind them creating a V1D so delightful that H system users preferred it and in lieu of an H7 they offered an attractive upgrade path to the new system.

 

[PabloR]

I would like, in the next X1D firmware, the possibility of shot cropped images tethered.

As many pictures will shown on Instagram, and I love 4x5 ratio for portraits, it would be very easy and GREAT to keep the crop function available when shot tethered on studio. PLEASE.

Most of people I shot in my studio post the 4:3 in Instagram and cut the picture giving me a very bad feed back on Instagram.

We cannot be cropping in Ps every image to 4:5, I shot many many pictures every weeks, its easier to crop in capture and get a beautiful 4x5 body of work.

Im sorry for 3:2 portraits photographers, hahaha. they are totally out of the game.

 

[Godfrey]

Hm. If the X1D behaves like the 907x in this respect, the JPEG images captured with a crop setting other than full frame are formatted to that size. It's the 3FR image files that are always output full frame, regardless of what crop is being applied.

This isn't much of an issue for me if I use Lightroom Classic. I just import the raw files, select all, set the crop to what I want, and export the JPEGs from there, presuming that my capture and the default raw settings work well for a set. I'm pretty sure I could do the same with Phocus.

It would be nice and convenient if the 3FR or FFF files reflected the crop in their dimensioning metadata, I agree. But it isn't too much additional work to have it that way ... just another setup in the output through the tethered capture workflow.

 

[SrMphoto]

Phocus recognizes the crop mode of the camera. While it imports the whole image, it pre-crops to the crop mode adjusted in the camera.
Unfortunately, LrC does not.

 

[rdeloe]

Phocus recognizes the crop mode of the camera. While it imports the whole image, it pre-crops to the crop mode adjusted in the camera.
Unfortunately, LrC does not.

Is this a Hasselblad-specific point, or a general one. Because as a general point it's incorrect. If I tell my Fuji cameras to shoot in a different aspect ratio, Lightroom pre-crops the RAF to that aspect ratio on import.