I just purchased a Phase XF camera with a 100 MP IQ3 digital back, along with 3
new Schneider blue line lenses. I make my living with cameras like this, and I
don't expect the wedding pro or hobby enthusiast to comprehend the purchase. It
shoots in true 16 bit with a 15 stop dynamic range. It is without doubt the
most spectacular camera I've ever owned.
I spent 25 years shooting large format table top product, and the last 15 years
shooting portraits and lifestyle. I can't think of one situation I've
encountered in 40 years of shooting images for ad agencies that this camera
couldn't handle as well, or better than, any camera I've ever used.
Sent from Robert Randall's iPhone
On Sep 17, 2016, at 7:15 PM, Tim Daneliuk <tundra@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:============================================================================================================To
I have - and continue to - shoot 99.999999% film in formats from 35mm - 4x5.
That said, I also do shoot some digital - partly because I want to track
the evolution of the technology and partly because I take vacation snapshots
like everyone else.
Recently, frustrated by the dynamic range limitations of my Nikon D-80, I
acquired a Nikon D750 full frame body and shiny new 28-300mm zoom. I wanted
the FX body because I have a bagful of Nikon AI lenses that I used with the
older F/Nikkormat/F3 film bodies.
After a month of use, here are my observations:
- If all you shoot is snapshots, the bigger sensor and so forth are not worth
the money.
- If what you mostly shoot are people/portraits/weddings, from an image
rendering POV, the more modern body doesn't really do that much you
will ever use. However, the much, much, much faster autofocus and
noise performance may well be worth it.
- The D750 basically has no noise. You can shoot this thing up to
at least ASA 3200 - and probably beyond - and see no/little noise even when
you magnify to the point of pixelation.
- The sensor is phenomenal. Every time I think I underexposed things, there
is a ton of detail even 2-3 stops down. Color is excellent and dynamic
range is pretty decent, at least at the lower ASAs.
- Nobody needs 24 Megapixels - or so I thought. Boy does it come in handly
when you have nice image in view, but you cannot fill the frame
optically and have to resort to digital magnification. My
back-of-the-envelope
measurements tell me that a full frame enlargement here is probably good
out to about 3 feet wide (or more).
- You have to learn to shoot a whole new way. Instead of exposing for the
shadows and developing for the highlights, digital makes you expose
for the highlights and post process the shadows. You get away with this
because of the incredible underexposure latitude of that big FX sensor.
In fact, the camera has a "Highlight Weighted" metering mode to encourage
this.
- The camera loves those old Nikon prime AI and AI-S lenses.
- It's a spectacular camera ... for a digital. It's still not film. Is it
better
than previous generation digitals? Yep. But, as good as it is, it still not
there, particularly with regard to high dynamic range stuff. It's getting a
lot
closer though. My old D-80 was good - maybe - for a 10 stop SBR. The
measurement
experts say to expect close to 14 stops with the D750.
- The one thing that is absolutely better today are the modern zooms.
The combination of better computers and manufacturing materials puts
these zooms leagues better than the old manual zooms.
- This camera is forcing me to - for the first time - take digital very
seriously. I still prefer monochrome film for most things, but there is
a very good future for this digital stuff ... finally.
Examples here (they've been reduced in size so you don't have to spend 10
minutes downloading when you click on one):
https://www.tundraware.com/Photography/MyPhotographs/DigiPix/Catskills-2016
P.S. Every time I post process and manipulate the H/D curve, it has this funny
"S" shape to it. Can anyone explain? Please help me ...
--
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Tim Daneliuk tundra@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
PGP Key: http://www.tundraware.com/PGP/
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