Phase One | IQ160 Product Review
Phase One and Capture Integration @ Salvatore Cincotta Photography Part 2
As you may already know from part 1 of the Phase One IQ160 Product Review , we recently had the Phase One and Capture Integration team join us here in st louis for a trial run of their Phase One 645DF+, IQ160 digital back – a full frame 60megapixel camera with 12.5 stops of dynamic range.
The results were nothing less than AMAZING!
You might be wondering, why would a wedding and outdoor senior portrait photographer want to move to a medium format camera? A camera that is not known in these two circles. Well, in short, we want to take our business to the next level, we want to stand out from the crowd. This is the perfect way to do it. This camera is the Ferrari of cameras. Not everyone will be able to add this to their tool pack and thats ok. Not every mom, weekend warrior, etc will be able to afford this or more importantly, operate it. Now, I dont want to scare you off, its not an overly complicated piece of machinery, but its not a slap it into P and you are a pro either. 😉
So, the big part of the test for me was to ensure this would work within our shooting workflow. Photographing in studio is one thing, its a controlled environment, but how would the Phase One IQ160 perform out in the field? That was the big question. Once again, I was blown away by the results. Obviously, the medium format will not lend itself to just a spray and pray workflow. Each shot is measured. You have to think about what you are doing and it forced me to slow down, which honestly, was not a bad thing. It really forced me to think about what I wanted from the shot and what I wanted to do with it when I was done.
Here is what to expect outdoors. This is not a 35mm camera and will not perform like one.
1) Slow down
2) Measure your shots
3) Nail your focus – very important
The results? Breathtaking!
My plan is to incorporate this into our wedding and senior portrait shoots! Immediately. Will I shoot an entire wedding with this? Not sure yet. There are definitely some things that my Canon 1dx does better. Low light performance is guaranteed to perform better. I want to be able to focus some time on each part of the day – bridal prep, groom prep, ceremony, and creatives. Then use the images off the IQ160 for fine art print production. This is my goal, so be sure to follow our journey with this new tool in our business… I will share pictures and thoughts as we go.
For now, we have a Phase One IQ160 on its way to us. Once I get that in my hands, I will post a side by side shot comparison and performance test with my Canon 1dx…
This Post Has One Comment
I’m so glad you’re incorporating Medium Format, Sal! I have all of your Creative Live seminars and I can’t count how many times I’ve told you (through my computer screen) that you should be rockin’ a Medium Format rig! I still have all my Canon gear and L lenses, but 90% of my portraits are Medium Format (Mamiya 645AFD & RZ67). It definitely sets my look apart from everyone in my area. I’m addicted to the look! Plus, clients feel a little more special standing in front of that giant camera!
I can’t wait to see how much of your workflow stays the same and how much you adapt for Medium Format!