Leica lenses on a Hasselblad X2D should look different...right?

[@Scoober222]

Just an fyi to anyone that doesn't know this. The X2D does not have a mechanical shutter. The lenses themselves have leaf shutter and the body only does electronic shutter. Because adapted lenses won't have a leaf shutter, it means you're relying on electronic shutter which is ok for what Dave did here which is very still shots, but not great for most moving shots etc. This is why the Fuji GFX is better for adapting because it has a mechanical shutter.

[@MarcAdesso]

agree

[@davidherring]

Yeah, you can’t have any motion with an e-shutter.

[@TypewriterChicago]

Its not as bad in practice, especially if you lower the bit depth.

[@aglefpueschel1828]

I've made the same experience. The reason could be, that the Noctilux wasn't designed for those massive sensors. It's from around 2009 or something and at this time Leicas M9 sensor had 16MP.

[@davidherring]

Thanks for sharing!

[@JohnPDixonRealEstate]

I was talking to Shawn at Camera West just last week about you and how you and I met up in L.G., and how much I like your channel. We both had good things to share about you. I’d like to get an adapter to shoot Leica Lenses on my X2D. Thanks for the video Dave!

[@davidherring]

Thanks man!

[@CrnaInBela]

This comparison is pointless if you crop in. The whole point of that 3D pop on medium format is the wider field of view you get at the same f stop. The sensor area is what matters.

[@davidherring]

Right, but if you don’t crop in on a 35mm lens, then you have serious vignetting.

[@CrnaInBela]

@@davidherring Yes I know, but it doesn't change the fact that it is pointless to compare it for the "3D pop". You get the 3D pop with wider field of view 🙂

[@randyp7072]

The reason that you get the 3d pop with med. format is that compared to 35mm format you will be shooting on a longer lens to get a similar field of view. For example a 45mm on a X2D will give a pretty similar field of view to a 35mm lens on a Nikon Z8 (ignoring that the Hassy has a 1.33:1 aspect ratio and the Nikon 1.5:1) . With the longer lens on the med format camera you get less depth of field so more 3d pop. How much vignetting you get with a 35mm format lens on a medium format camera is dependent upon the size of the image circle for that specific lens at a given f stop.

[@peterfritzphoto]

Hey, Dave. I use two Leica R lenses (80-200 f/4 & 180 f2.8) and two Voigtlander VM lenses (21 f/1.4 & 50 APO f/2) on my X2D, and they’re fabulous! Loved the shots, BTW. 👍

[@blaine5524]

the leica r was a really cool camera. those are awesome lenses.

[@peterfritzphoto]

@@blaine5524 And not very expensive, either. Each of them was under AUD$1k.

[@davidherring]

Thanks for sharing! Appreciate it!

[@noenken]

If you want a combo that gives you crazy amounts of separation you need fast lenses that can actually cover the 44x33mm sensor. One option for that is the Sigma 105mm f/1.4. If you use the Fringer adapter on the GFX it even includes profile corrections.

[@davidherring]

Thanks for sharing!

[@sanfordlavine1760]

Using both the Hasselblad and Leica systems I was anxious to try the same test. I found used adapters to allow me to use both R and M lenses on the X2D. Same results as you found. I just prefer the Hasselblad lenses, especially the V and new 20-35. I did have fun with the 28mm 2.8 PC R lens. Thanks again for a good video. I’m in the Napa valley, we should hookup sometime.

[@davidherring]

Thanks! Hit me up in a DM and let’s connect!

[@Monochromatic77]

You must try the Mitakon 65 1.4 on the Hasselblad. It’s the closest I have to shooting film on my Pentax 67.

[@davidherring]

I will!

[@donald5378]

Try cropping to square on medium format, and that bit getting closer - then it will look different. For example the 7A 35mm T1.05 APS-C lens looks amazing on the SL2-S FF cropped 1:1

[@davidherring]

Thanks for sharing!

[@john3Lee]

What would be cool Dave if you still want to try a further test - To get rid, or should I say nullify the vignette effect of the Hasselblad Leica lens combination... Photograph an evenly lit blank wall at similar apertures to those frames throwing up the vignette..... In photoshop - process this blank image, and turn into mask by reversing the image (cmand+i ).... Now use the mask in combination with final image so it is mopping up the vignette, and adjust the density or effect by altering the percentage in the layer stack....

[@davidherring]

Thanks for the tip!

[@MarcAdesso]

Glad to see someone doing this kind of test right, shooting from the same spot with both cameras and then cropping the Hassy to match aspect ratio. What you missed is that if you put old school MF lenses on these digital cameras, you will get a look that is very similar to MF film. Your test got this correct, you just need to extrapolate it in your mind now haha- it's the lens that drives so much of the look...that said, where the digital ‘MF’ cameras really have a big advantage is in editing- you can push and pull those files, esp. with their 16 bit color, all over the place.

[@davidherring]

Yeah the color and range is pretty nuts.

[@KristianSalo]

Did you shoot any frames on the native Hasselblad lenses like the 55V? If you did, was there a difference?

[@davidherring]

I did! Didn’t include them in this video, but I shot with the 55. It’s pretty incredible but isn’t a fair comparison being that it’s native and has autofocus. Photos were clear and sharp but not as much depth being that it’s not as low of an f stop.

[@gottanikoncamera]

I’m glad you admitted failure because as your video progressed, I was getting more and more confused. In fact, it could be my eyes, my brain or YT compression but on a few shots, it looked like your M11 had shallower DoF. As a GFX shooter, I’ve given up on Leica lenses because the ones I’ve tried vignette do badly, once I crop them out, the sensor real estate I’m left with is not a lot bigger than 35mm. But my 85/1.4 and 60/2.8 Nikkors don’t vignette at all, so…

[@davidherring]

Thanks for the comment!

[@fatphoca5009]

I am selling my Leica M10-P and looking for a body with good EVF to use my M lenses. Should I go for Leica SL3, Hasselblad X2D or Fuji GFX?

[@davidherring]

SL3 is the best option. M lenses adapt perfectly. The other two will vignette like crazy.

[@edwardlong189]

how did you configure the x2d to allow the adapter to work

[@davidherring]

Not sure, my friend has this setup and it’s his camera.

[@LensForgotten]

I got similar results as well when I used my Leica M lenses on a Fuji GFX camera. When I cropped to take out the soft and vignetted areas you were close to full frame size anyway. Net gain…minimal. Medium format needs medium format glass.

[@davidherring]

Agreed! MF needs MF glass.

[@vadimka4]

Well, of course MF film is better, since image area (or image circle) is 70% larger compared to FF sensor. Most digital MF sensors like X2D are only 25% larger than FF. Image circle of X2D is only 55mm, while image circle of FF sensor is about 44mm, so not huge difference. You do need to get closer to your object to get slightly more visible results. Also try more telecentric lenses for more familiar MF look, instead of double-gauss 50s that you used. Not that those 50s are bad, but simply because you want to get more compression, try at least 60mm to 90mm lenses, that should help a little.

[@davidherring]

Thanks for sharing!

[@TCMx3]

if you just take a 35mm full frame crop out of the center at that point the sensor is probably more or less identical. the same Sony dies with the same pixel density. you need to keep output size constant, not enlargement ratio.

[@davidherring]

Thanks for sharing!

[@brandonlabbe3577]

If you're cropping it really is just barely bigger than full frame. If you're not gonna use the whole sensor, digital medium format is definitely not for you. I would actually like to use the full sensor. I greatly prefer the taller aspect ratio, and the sensor is 68% bigger. If you print the images at the same size as 35mm images you'll absolutely see a difference. Unfortunately Hasselblad has terrible rolling shutter for adapted lenses and personally I don't like Fuji's colors, but if those aren't issues for you, there are 35mm lenses that cover the full sensor.

[@davidherring]

Thanks for sharing!

[@zoltankaparthy9095]

Sonnars cover the entire X2D sensor. Good reason to shoot Zeiss and Zeiss clones, eh?

[@davidherring]

Interesting!

[@zoltankaparthy9095]

@@davidherring It works for me. J8's, Skyllaney Bertele work. A '43 CZJ f/1.5 5cm does not cover. But all 50's have so far. There are some nice J8's out there. I have a great '57 KMZ. Happy hunting.

[@guacOfShame]

Hey Dave - love your videos and your work! I really like this test, it's a great way to show that depth of field and compression is always because of the lens, not the sensor. The conversion you used in the beginning of this video is to guestimate what depth of field will look likle when you use a different focal length on a different size sensor to match the effective focal length of a lens on another sensor. For example using a 25mm lens on a micro 4/3 camera to match a 50mm lens on a full frame. The depth of field and compression on a 25mm lens is much different than a 50mm lens, regardless of sensor size. But don't take my word for it Simon d'Entremont has a great video on this! kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6HYnmZ7r9aiZrc Looking forward to more videos like this and on your new projects in the future!

[@davidherring]

Thank you! And thanks for the link!

[@dmystify1381]

it hasn't looked Like medium format for at least a decade now...simply because of the size of the pixel pitch.All the sensors are made by sony now & over the past decade the pixel pitch sizing has been decreased.I get better value, and a more so medium format look with a Hass CFV39 than the current set up of a CFV50cii.Brands....heavily rely on megapixels because...thats...what the consumer wants.Plain n simple.

[@davidherring]

I can’t argue with that!

[@Funktrainer]

Nothing to rave about. M glass sits just right on a M body.

[@davidherring]

Well said.

[@Funktrainer]

@@davidherring The threedimensional look comes from the Zeiss lenses mounted in front of that Hasselblad V body. Put classic Zeiss glass in front of a 35mm body and there is the 3D look. There's only more tonality and fidelity left in the larger formats.

[@JonathanCWard]

Perception is good.

[@davidherring]

Perception is good.