Hasselblad H5D Review (vs Pentax 645Z)

[@845a]

05:05 I suck at trying to freestyle. Mistake was left here 😜

[@nguyentung-rq5ki]

147

[@nguyentung-rq5ki]

ice

[@johnger850305]

Thank you for the very clear review of these two cameras, I've never used a digital medium format camera before but got really interested in 645Z recently.

[@845a]

Very welcome! Hope you got a chance to watch my 645Z review here

[@calebchan314]

I am going to buy a used one for 2300 US this week. Look forward to it and thanks for the review video! Helps a lot.

[@vannoz66]

Hi. You should check if you have the correct focusing screen in the HB viewfinder. The H5D was sold with three differently sized digital backs. The 40 is the smallest, so you have a “crop factor” to consider. If you have the focusing screen for a bigger sensor, then it happens what you are describing. It’s a similar difference as between FF and APS-C. If you download the manual for the H5D you will see the different sensor sizes listed. I for example have two backs: 60 (54x40 mm) and a 50c (44x33, same size as your 40). Since I am using both with the body originally foreseen for the 60, I had to build a mask to put on the focusing screen when using the 50c corresponding to the crop.

[@nineoneten]

Time moves on - these cameras are now lovely classic icons of the way photography has developed. The appeal of film cameras like the Hasselblad was enhanced by the square format and a waist level finder - no need for prisms or turning the camera for portrait/landscape. Mamiya RB/RZ used 6x7 format but still no need to turn the camera, just turn the rotating back and the camera adjusts a mask in the viewfinder. Most, if not all, digital versions of classic film medium format cameras had cropped sensors which screws with the viewing angles of your expensive lenses. Good to see you with these lovely cameras.

[@845a]

I would love a digital medium format that just shot in square format. Leica SL can do it and it's nice to have that 1:1 jpeg natively. While digital medium is nice in terms of IQ, I still feel like the more recent ones from Fuji and Hasselblad are definitely more computers. I'm not a film purist but I can see why some folks don't want to switch to the more tech advanced cameras especially if it just doesn't "feel" right.

[@TickTock-jo4to]

I love my H5D and H4D. CCD censor is great for portrait!!

[@845a]

Can you confirm for me though that the viewfinder doesn’t match the captured image on sensor 100%? Am still new to it.

[@TickTock-jo4to]

@@845a I've never had that problem. That's weird.

[@845a]

@@TickTock-jo4to Hmm.. maybe that's why I was able to get it for cheap haha

[@TickTock-jo4to]

@@845a The price you paid is appropriate for used H5D.

[@845a]

@@TickTock-jo4to I posted on Reddit and also got a quick reply from Jimmy of hasselbladrepair.com and everyone is asking to double check my focus screen/matte which I think will solve my "issue". Will be checking that real soon to confirm once I head back to studio.

[@cr_images]

That Hasselblad is beautiful!!! Excellent video. I hope to one day shoot with a Hasselblad or PhaseOne. But until then I'll keep enjoying shooting with my GFX 50S ii. :)

[@845a]

Thanks for watching! And yea, beautiful camera, dated tech. Prices for these used cameras are definitely attainable -- it's just the "problem" is buying something this old when you can buy something brand new and more fully featured today lol So it's definitely a desire to have the look and feel as opposed to the actual specs of it.

[@juliussternfeld428]

You might need a mask(black plastic frame) for the viewfinder to frame accurately. I guess your viewfinder shows you the accurate framing for the bigger sensor size.

[@845a]

Thanks for watching and yup! I'm a Hassy noob and after $267, my HD-31/40 focusing screen arrived and "fixed" my problem. Appreicate everyone here helping!

[@jean-claudemuller3199]

Having live view on a Hasselblad is only a question of back choise, CCD technology has no live view, Cmos has. Hasselblad also made a Cmos back for the H5

[@stefanbeek6249]

i like the Hasselblad more. I think have te dow with the 16 bit read out of the Hasselblad

[@graflexrepair2937]

Curious why you made the switch to hasselblad? Surprisingly, it seems like the pentax has alot of advantages, more accurate viewfinder framing, user-friendly menus and operation, weather sealed, articulating screen, more auto focus points, more megapixels, etc. Hasselblad lenses and accessories are also way more expensive and pricey, while there's a huge list of film Era pentax 645 and 67 lenses to choose from for cheap cheap cheap. I've had a pentax 645z for a year now, and I feel this video made me even more convinced I made the right decision buying it, than a Hasselblad 🤔 Hasselblad definitely has higher flash sync, but there are film area leaf shutter lenses for the pentax too.

[@845a]

I didn’t make a switch as my workhorse is and still is with Pentax 645Z - I mentioned it in video (and I also made a 5 year review video of it too linked in this video) :) Getting this camera was for fun.

[@tinashesibanda1170]

Thank you for making this Video

[@845a]

Welcome! Are you about to dip your toes in Hasselblad?

[@noizephoto]

That is because the 40mpx back is a cropped sensor of what you see on the viewfinder

[@raajjann]

H6D is 'obsolete' i.e., Hasselblad discontinued H series in favor of X. So, X2D is the 100 MP top model for Hasselblad.

[@845a]

Yup I did see that. I don't think any manufacturer is gonna go back to the optical viewfinder (which is my preference).

[@jean-claudemuller3199]

H6 has the exactly the same touchscreen UI as the X cameras like X2D !

[@futurebrandmediamarketingb7667]

Hello! Were you able to try tethering the hassy with all the adaptors you just mentioned? Did it work?

[@evtimstefanov8377]

Nice video... Thank you!

[@zhouheng6740]

Dude the reason why model's head is cut off is because its a 44x33 back, but the viewfinder is of course for 6x4.5

[@845a]

Yup, check description :)

[@johnzhengphotographychannel]

You don’t seem to care much about the advantages of CCD sensors. For situations where there is insufficient light, more reasonable responses should be adopted, such as changes to the lighting system and exposure mode. Of course, the high sensitivity of COMS is better than that of CCD, but I just like to use it. CCD does most of the photography of still images.

[@dct124]

High sensitivity is overrated. I shoot a Nikon D200 and can shoot clean jpegs at 1600 ISO at night as well as 3200 ISO with HIGH NR that looks as good as 1600 ISO. If you need higher ISO beyond those, it's only b/c you need a higher shutter speed. CCD jpegs have a significant advantage over CMOS. CMOS files including 2024 cameras fall apart several stops prior to my 20yr old Nikon. As for these medium formats, they're studio cameras that need additional lighting. Flash strobes are the only way to pull the most out of a Hasselblad.

[@jean-claudemuller3199]

CCD sensors begin to deteriore at 400 ISO where Cmos beginn at 1600 ! There are many uses, for example with continuous studio light, where we have to work today at 800 ISO, Cmos images remain perfect and CCD ones are no more usable. CCD is perfect at basis ISO with strong studio flashes.

[@dct124]

@@jean-claudemuller3199 Dude no camera since 2005 really suffers from poor noise with new post production ai software. I've been regularly shooting at 1600 ISO on my D200 with only showing chroma grain. Mainly b/c I use the in body NR and shoot jpeg which is cleaner than the Raw files even when processed. A light NR from Topaz or DXO nullifies any sign of noise. With a small downsample for online use there's literally zero noise or grain. When I've printed, I've needed to add back grain. Only when I shoot at ISO 3200 do I run into problems. Even then the images are usable. I work part-time at a movie theater and the posters have way more noise than my old D200. The problem people have with cameras is not understanding exposure and light intuitively. I don't even need to use Nikon software that allows you to clean the noise, so you can save it and use it automatically for all future imported images. If you can't get clean images at high ISO from these old bodies, it's not the camera, I can tell you that.

[@63MacGuy]

It was kind of hard to tell the difference between the 2 images because of the exposure difference

[@845a]

Yea I did notice that even with the same setting, H5D exposes a bit hotter for some reason

[@MichaelMann1]

@@845a why didn’t you shoot them at the same frame rate and f-stop?

[@845a]

@@MichaelMann1 Might have been a mistake on my end not noticing it wasn't the same settings. But also, I felt that from my initial shots with the H5D, I felt it was a bit too hot when I looked at the LCD so ended up having to stop down more a bit more to visually match what I felt I got from the 645Z.

[@jessmale971]

With A Godox you now have HS flash sync.

[@xmeda]

The sad thing is, that Pentax 645 line was basically killed by Ricoh.

[@845a]

True. It not even being discounted to keep up with today’s cameras is a bit absurd lol makes me curious how many units are being sold each year.

[@pictiger]

How do you tether with the 645Z?

[@845a]

Yo! So you'll need Pentax's software called Image Transmitter (bhpho.to/46gnMic). Lightroom workflow: Create a destination folder for images saved from camera on your computer via Image Transmitter. In Lightroom, you'll "watch" a folder so it'll import those images automatically. It's not the best or fastest but it works if you need it. The 645Z isn't natively recognized in CaptureOne (C1) but there is a hack I've seen where you change the EXIF data so it can be recognized [more work that I don't want to do..]

[@Ben-ok2xm]

I have the H5D-50c. I previously owned the H1, H2 and H4X. I have been shooting with mine since early 2011. I shot with nikon dslr's, Sony a7s/a7r mirrorless and Leica M. IMO Hasselblad H series cameras are the best stills cameras ever made, bar none. They offer a unique modular system: the ability to switch between a digital and film back, between a prism finder and waist level finder, and the ability to use tilt and shift with any lens using the HTS adapter. You can switch between various focus exposure modes and change any setting without taking your eye off the viewfinder. Second, handheld ergonomics. Nothing feels as good in the hands and they're beautiful. And that shutter sound... I recommend the H5D-50c or H6D-50c (or 100c) over the CCD sensors due to the flexibility of being able to shoot handheld at night and under limited lighting conditions (Hassy lenses are slow).

[@845a]

Love to hear this! I'm a total noob [as you can tell with the focusing screen mishap]. I 100% agree that now that having one, ergonomics and the sound of this machine is the BEST of any camera I've used. Re: me growing into the system, other than recently getting a 50mm HC [I not II], I really don't foresee myself getting into it more especially with my line of work of "just" headshots/portraits. For me, getting a taste of Hasselblad and than also comparing it to my 645Z has been satisfy my curiosity... ...for now. haha Thanks again for dropping some knowledge!

[@Juventinos]

40mp back. waste of money! get the friking big boy backs for the Hasselblad! the H4d 50 or 60 or the H5d 50 or 60! not the H5D-50C!! mind you that has the shitty 1.3 crop as well

[@845a]

Got it for a good deal. I’m already shooting with a 645Z which has been my workhorse so this camera is for fun :) What Hasselblad are you shooting with?

[@johnzhengphotographychannel]

Absolute! I really love CCD!