What do you guys think? Are the H4Ds/H3Ds still viable for certain applications, or are they simply too old?

Quote from: supahmac on June 28, 2016, 01:32:27 AM
H4Ds/H3Ds still viable for certain applications, or are they simply too old?

Yes, they still are viable - depending on one's requirements? - I'm sure many will chime in. For myself I use mine for artwork reproduction and am very happy with the quality of the sensors. Stability-wise, they are pretty rock solid. Hasselblad stopped support on the pre H3DII sensors, however B23 has taken it up (see Hasselblad website).

A

Absolutely! I'm using my H4D 50 and H3D 39 regularly! Especially with food they have amazing colour! Saying that....I'm looking to upgrade so they're open for offers!

Go here http://hasselbladbron.com/cpo.pdf for Certified Pre-Owned equipment from Hasselblad.  Sale going on right now.  20% off.  Good luck.

Greg

Yes I still use an H4d40 almost every day, rock solid and great results.

Personally, trading my H4-40 for the H6 was a "little" disappointing. Apart from the enhancement of the USB connection instead of Firewire, we seem to have lost quite a few features, features that I found to be very useful. I have spoken to the Hasselblad rep here who said that some of these features are being added back in future firmware updates, but to date, nothing; I hope it wasn't just sales-speak and customer passification. I'm a bit miffed that I paid the equivalent of family car, and the camera I got is not really much of an advancement on what I already had. But, don't get me wrong, I love my H6...just wish they had not got rid of the features that I found really useful.

Can you let us know which features you mean?

I feel the same way a little - I understand it takes time to get things working in a completely new camera, but why are they often released with just the bare bones working and then features we have enjoyed for years are only gradually added back in? Some things definitely go backwards - for example tether speed, and with the H4D you could use the spirit level while tethered, but this was never added back in to the H5 (only untethered), and the H6 doesn't even have a spirit level yet. It must be a different philosophy compared to Japanese camera manufacturers, who have their equipment 99% perfect when it is released, with all intended features present and enabled. I suppose we would have to wait longer to get our hands on the new stuff if we had to wait until everything was perfect, and perhaps they rely on user feedback to identify and fix problems and add features.

Ben

Sorry for the delay..been away working.

"Can you let us know which features you mean?"

1: The green/yellow/red "traffic light" indicator..simple but a good guide...missing
2: White balance measure. It's OK to say shoot a grey card when you change lighting, but I shoot under loads of different lighting settings..I want to measure my light temperature at the time of shooting..not try and remember when I get back to my computer when I changed my lighting, and which batch it affected. We don't all shoot to laptops. Feature now Missing. Interestingly even cheaper cameras have this facility.
3: Spirit level...missing. I found that quite a useful feature.
4:Profiles/User created profiles..completely gone.
5: Although not a "missing item", Some menu items not even listed in the item menu..for example the AE-L should be able to be set to Zone...where is this option in the AE-L menu?

I'm sure that there are more, but these are the major ones that spring to mind immediately, and that I really miss.

"I feel the same way a little - I understand it takes time to get things working in a completely new camera, but why are they often released with just the bare bones working and then features we have enjoyed for years are only gradually added back in? Some things definitely go backwards - for example tether speed, and with the H4D you could use the spirit level while tethered, but this was never added back in to the H5 (only untethered), and the H6 doesn't even have a spirit level yet. It must be a different philosophy compared to Japanese camera manufacturers, who have their equipment 99% perfect when it is released, with all intended features present and enabled. I suppose we would have to wait longer to get our hands on the new stuff if we had to wait until everything was perfect, and perhaps they rely on user feedback to identify and fix problems and add features."

Good points: When I buy a family car, I don't expect to keep returning to the dealer to add the catalyst converter that was missed off, or the suspension, that was initially missed off, or the odometer or rev counter. I don't buy a car on the premise that everything that I originally got with my previous (same make) car, would be added back in stages whenever the maker decided to  add them back.  I would like IMPROVEMENTS to be added to the car in stages if that were an option, but certainly not the nuts and bolts of the original tried and tested car.

I didn't invest a lot of money in my Hasselblad system to be told later that some features are missing in the latest model, but may be added back later.
And don't even get me started on the new range of lenses to utilise the 1/2000th shutter speed.

I think it is a question of "Manpower" - Hasselblad is not a big Company like Nikon, Canon or whatever.
But the Pictures, that I get from a H., are great. So I can live with some little "Mistakes"

The H4's are a workhorse that should last a while, I'm still burning away with my H4-50 and while I'll add a X1D, what I have works fine.  Tech changes, photos don't, and the tricks you'll learn shooting without the latest greatest will still apply when you move to a new camera.  If anything the low H4 price point is worth more as a either a step into MF or a backup for existing gear.

The H4D cameras were the first with True Focus, that's as far back as I would go.
The H4D is a slow camera to use compared to the new cameras.
Otherwise the images are very nice.