X2D Firmware 4.0 (What it missed)

Today, Hasselblad released firmware 4.0 for the X2D which included support for the new 75mm P lens, and added Multishot capability to the X2D.

At first I was enthusasitc as Multi-shot capability is a great asset for any digital camera. (see my notes below). What Hasselblad as added so far is a 4 shot mode which is supposed to allow for a better overall color capture since no colors should be interpolated due to the 4 different capture. HOWEVER, WHAT IS AMAZING, is that you can only use this feature when tethered to Phocus software. REALLY? All other cameras I know of (Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Fuji and now Canon) all offer a in camera version of their multi-shot capture mode.

You take the images in the field and then combine them later in post via the proprietary software provided by the camera company. Also you have more options that 4 shots (Fuji and Sony offer a 16 shot mode which allows for much greater overall resolution).

With Hasselblad you are tied to a laptop or desktop tethered via USB cable to the computer. This is great for studio work, but worthless for in the field. Please note, Multi-shot mode of any camera needs to have very little if any subject movement between the frames so working in the field can be limited if there is wind blowing or people walking by or cars moving by. However I have had plenty of opportunities to use Leica’s Multi-shot mode in the field and not have the images be effected by wind.

This is very short sighted by Hasselblad and instead they should have come out with a new version of Phocus that can combine in camera captures and not require the camera to be tethered at all times.

There are rumors that there is a “beta” version of Phocus in use by selected photographers, some of whom are already talking about it on YouTube, which allows for a 6 shot or more mode that gives 400MP output (similar to Fuji but they require 16 shots).

I can only hope that this “beta” version of Phocus is a vastly improved version of the software than the current 3.8.3 (for Mac) as this version basically is terrible due to performance issues. And maybe this beta version will allow you to take images in camera and import them into Phocus to be combined later on.

NOTES:

Leica has a in camera Mulit-shot mode (along with Panasonic) that takes 8 images and combines them in camera to give a 180MP output. No software is needed for the combination. The output is given both as a raw/DNG and jpg.

Nikon and Sony both now offer a Multi-shot mode, but require the photographer to take the images in camera and then combine them with proprietary software later on in post. Images can be raw.

Fuji offers a 4 and 16 Multi-shot mode. The 4 shot is designed similar I guess to what Hasselblad is offering (only effecting color) and the 16 shot mode creates a 400MP image. Camera stabilization is critical here and no movement is allowed with the subject, so the 16 shot mode is not very useable in the field.