H4D -31 First Impressions

[joburger]

Hi Guys,

I picked up my H4D-31 four days ago. In that time I've been reading the manual (which I printed out) and waiting for the battery to charge!
I took eight frames of my daughter (then the battery ran out) under a single soft box the day the camera arrived and I could see as soon as I put them up into P.S. that I would probably never use a D3X in the studio ever again. Hard to put into words but I get it. There is an unmistakable quality that you just don't get using a DSLR. You can either see that or you can't. Hasselblad meduim format digital is in a league of it's own. I suggest DSLR either invest in one or stop whining.

Then I tested the camera under natural light in shutter speed priority. I used speeds from 250th to 400th and took 14 frames, eight of which were pin sharp, the remainder soft. The softness looks like camera movement so I need to get used to using a tripod/monopod or hold this camera more carefully.
The majority of work which I sell is taken in Southern Africa. I have always wanted to use a camera like this in the field. Previously I was using 6 x 7 film which is problematic as well.
I may be able to get speed up to 500th at f8 over there for portraiture. It's pretty bright. Failing that, I may have to use a tripod which will be a hassle. I'm also concerned about the lack of weather sealing. There's a lot of dust.
Is anyone getting sharp results when hand holding under 250th?
In terms of it's application for wildlife, I'm thinking of using the 300mm with a converter. I hate converters but I need a 170 to 300mm reach (35mm eqiv) generally to do the work I do. I can support the camera on a magic arm as I do the 6 x 7's and the D3x's. I can't wait to see an elephant's skin taken with this amazing camera.
I've bought a Markin L plate for this camera but I only have light tripods and ball heads. What do you guys recommend regarding camera support?
Anyone interested in seeing the work I do can see my latest work at www.christopherrimmer.comI've attached one of the frames of my daughter I took with the soft box also.

[Dustbak]

Congrats! Nice image of your daughter.

You can put the mirror delay a bit higher in the menu of your camera. Default I believe it is set to 50ms. I have put it to 100ms which greatly reduced the impact of mirror slap. The part of camera movement is also a matter of getting used to using the camera and finding ways to minimize movement during exposure. Having said that I try not to go below 1/125th, I most of the time use the 80mm or the 100mm (or one of the zooms in that area).

AS for support. I have worked with a burzynski head for years. There is no better ballhead than this one but it is really heavy. I now use an Arca Cube which is lighter and allows for easier fine adjustment (I also use a tripod without center colom, Gitzo 3541XLS).

[joburger]

Thanks for posting this info. I'm checking out your recommendations for support right away. Cheers

[Giorgio]

Hi Christopher,

I use a monopod with a LLH https://www.google.com/search?q=acratech+long+lens+head&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=o4WWUanJI_b64APUiIGYAg&ved=0CF4QsAQ&biw=1494&bih=800

It really makes a difference and it still allows a lot of mobility.

Good luck.

[Douglas Fairbank @ Classic V]

Fabulous pictures on your website and a lovely study of your daughter. Regarding the battery charging please see the attached guide to see if your experience can be improved.
I second the advice from Dustbak re the mirror delay.