For example, I was doing some lay-down clothing testing yesterday with a local clothing stylist for his portfolio. He wanted punchy, directional lighting with pretty defined shadows. 

After he styled the lay-down, I went about the task of lighting and lining up the camera. I have a ten foot camera stand in the studio, so getting above a lay-down is not a big deal. 

Here is one of the final shots.....

For this image, I used a Mola Euro (with no diffusion) as a single light source. The Mola was above and camera right angled to skim across the frame. I also used a V-Flat positioned on the lower left side of the frame to open up the shadows on the left side of the frame. 

I love using the Molas on product shots. The quality of light is absolutely beautiful. 

The stylist I was working with on this project is Mack Richards. Mack is based here in southern California, but works all around the world. You can see Macks clothing and home styling websites at the following links. 

Clothing - http://mackrichards.com/

Home - http://mackrichardshomestylist.com/

Using the Phocus software from Hasselblad, the system is very easy to use. It's as easy as changing a drop down selection to multi. You can also adjust the duration of capture if you have a lighting system that may not have a quick recycle time. 

I decided to grab an old bicycle I had at the studio and shoot the rear gear assembly. It had lots of parts and even more dirt. 

At this level, you can definitely see a difference between the shots in color and tonality. The multi shot held the highlights better and gave more accurate color in the dirt and grime. 

At 100% the amount of detail and clarity in the dirt is pretty astounding. You can clearly see each grain of dirt and sand. 

I am looking forward to using this system on this project that is coming up. I will need absolute color accuracy and detail. I am confident that the system will deliver exactly what I need. 

I have an upcoming project that I will need the detail of a multishot camera. I was able to borrow a H4D-50MS from a friend for testing purposes. The raw files coming off of this thing are HUGE....314mb! 

Not to mention the output size at 300dpi is 27.3"x20.4".

The detail is absolutely insane! I will be posting some comparisons of a single shot versus a multi shot. I am impressed, but more importantly, my clients are impressed. 

Keep an eye out for more coming soon. 

The Hasselblad H4D-40 image is the top and the Nikon D800 is on the bottom. 

Couple things to note. 

• There is a fairly substantial difference in the color and tone of the biscuits. The Hasselblad produced a richer and more accurate feel. Whereas the Nikon image is slightly washed out. 
• The spray of flour in the upper right hand side of the image. The H4D-40 held the detail better. 
• The white color of the egg was also more accurate with the Hasselblad. 

I could go on with more, but in this example, the H4D clearly reproduced the scene better and more accurately. 

I gave the files generic filenames and Kim promised not to look into the metadata. 

imageA.tif = Hasselblad H4D-40

imageB.tif = Nikon D800

Here are Kim's findings:

In my line of work I get asked to evaluate image quality a lot by photographers. Sometimes they are checking out new digital backs, sometimes it's a lens and sometimes it's software programs for processing RAW data. 

So when my friend, photographer Rob Busch asked me to do a quality comparison on a copy shot of original canvas I agreed. I love looking at art.

To begin with, I believe the best analyzation of information can be ascertained by converting the image to CMYK using standard US Swopv2 ICC color profiles in Adobe Photoshop CS 5. Most photographers live in an RGB color space and that's where they should be. My job however, requires me to get images ready for CMYK press. That means the information on Image A and Image B as given to me by Rob will convert to 4 alpha channels (CMYK) from 3 (RGB). 

I opened both images in their native Adobe 98 color space on my color calibrated monitor. It is primarily a sepia toned image. Side by side I notice a couple things at 16.67% zoom, Image A has a lot more red in the midtones and the shadows and is darker in these areas. Image B has more warmth in the highlights and midtones as shown on the subject's forehead but it makes it kind of dull.

I converted the images from 3 to 4 colors and view "Actual Pixels" as my first zoom option.

Immediately, I see what I expect to see and something I don't. I don't see any of the usual brush strokes or raised details from paint, acrylics or pastels or mix.... I know this is not a reprint because Rob told me it was original art that he shot. Hmmm. Something to ask him about later. The task at hand is still waiting... 

These images are so sharp I can clearly see the canvas' teeth easily on all the alpha channels in both images.  Let's have a look at the Black Channels and compare information. 

**Image A is on the left and Image B is on the right. The markers on the image are color samplers in Photoshop to read the color measurements of the image. 

Side by side I can see that Image A on the left has more contrast but rather than relying on sight alone, I place some Photoshop samplers equally on both images and there are measured differences in the midtones. It also shows more contrast and detail in Image A than in Image B. If I were converting these for print I would immediately know that I need to apply a contrast curve or adjustment to Image B.

Looking at the Yellow Channel, I see a huge difference in the the tonality of the images. 

**Image A on is on the Left, Image B is on the right. 

Do you see the smoother transition on Image A from dark to mid to highlight? Yet it remains sharp enough to show the scratches of the canvas and the canvas' teeth are still visible. Image B is typical of what I am used to seeing at work, Image A is what I try to achieve in my work. Image A has detail in the Yellow Channel, and is still definitive in tonal transition. 

The Magenta Channel typically mimics the Yellow Channel as you can see.

**Image A is on the left, Image B is on the right. 

Here it just reinforces the fact that Image A is has more contrast from the shadows to the highlights and Image B has a flatter less noticeable transition overall. Though both images clearly show the details of dust and scratches on the canvas. 

Last we take a look at the Cyan Channel.

**Image A is on the Left and Image B is on the Right

The Cyan and the Black channels are mainly important for making up the shadows or contrast in an image. You don't always need both of these channels to get detail but you definitely need at least one. In Rob's images both A and B we do have details in both the Cyan and Black channels. But how each image has that information registers very differently. To further prove my point take a look at the histogram for the Cyan Channel and not just an Information sampler. You can see the difference in the histogram illustration (these histograms are showing the entire tonal range for the Cyan Channel). Image B visually has lighter shadows as the red arrows point out. The histogram information on the right shows also that Image B has more information in the highlights, where I would want less information. 

So Rob, I am telling you that if you gave me these two images to choose from, I would rather work with Image A. 

It translates smoothly in all the right places, has more detailed shadows and highlights and less contrast adjustments needed. What's the scoop on these images Rob? Where are the brush strokes?

Kim C. Herrera

Adobe Certified Expert Photoshop CS

CompTIA CTT+ Technical Trainer

Back to me....

Thanks Kim! We appreciate your time in providing this great analysis. The reason you do not see brushstrokes is because this painting by Franco Vescovi was done with a Tattoo machine :)

Here is the 100% view. 

Notice the information available in the details of the bridge on the upper photo from the H4D. Also, look at the row of houses on the left side of the frame beyond the bridge. The Hasselblad did a better job on the detail and lines of the roof. This is a personal thing, but I love the starburst from the lights in the upper photo too. 

I have received all sorts of emails saying this and that about my comparisons. Remember, I set out to compare the two cameras after reading all of the reviews about how the Nikon was the new king of the camera world. Is it a good camera? Yes, of course it is. Does the D800 beat out a Hasselblad ? In my opinion, no.

I will be posting my last comparison in a couple days of a food shoot we did in the studio. 

More to come .... 

The first set of images is the San Diego street scene.

The top image is the Hasselblad H4D and the bottom the Nikon D800. I know I have brought up color in all of my comparisons, but once again, I notice the H4D does a better job of reproducing the colors out of the camera. The Hasselblad also picked up more of the clouds in the upper right hand corner of the frame. From a functionality stand-point, I love how the Hasselblad gives you a countdown on the display. It is great to be able to see how many seconds are left on the exposure. 

Here is a 100% crop of the same image. 

As before, the H4D-40 is on top and the D800 is the lower image. The H4D held together on the detail of the bricks. And notice the reflection on the glass building in the upper middle of the frame. It is a pure white, whereas the Nikon image introduced a slight warm tone. 

I am going to post the lake scenes in a Part 2 posting...since this post is getting a little long. 

As with the art reproduction comparison we blogged last week, nothing changed between the Hasselblad and Nikon images (lighting, etc). I once again processed everything in Lightroom 4 and each camera used a custom white balance as read from a color checker shot. 

The first image is a side by side comparison of the full image. 

The image on the left is from the H4D and the right is from the D800. Right out of the gate, we see a noticable difference in color. The Hasselblad reproduced the skin tones perfectly, whereas the D800 added warmth to the picture. Also, the Hasselblad was spot on with the color of the shorts and shirt. Notice the darker hue to the shorts and shirt on the D800 (right image). 

The second comparison is a 100% crop of the images above. Showing the shirt and shorts. 

In this comparison, the H4D is on the top and the Nikon is on the bottom. This view reinforces our observations of the full size image. There is a clear color shift in the skin, shorts and shirt. 

As with the 1st round of comparisons, I have to give the nod to the Hasselblad once again. I understand that these things can be adjusted in post. But as a working photographer, time is money! And the more time I can spend behind the camera the more money I make.

In the next couple posts, I will show a long exposure example of a city scape and also a food shoot. 

More coming soon....

I wanted to test the reproduction capabilities of the two cameras. To get the shot, I set everything up and locked in all the settings of my camera stand, lights, modifiers, etc. The goal was to only replace the camera on the mount and keep everything else identical. The images where processed in Lightroom with no adjustments other than cropping and white balance. Each camera shot a color checker and I pulled the specific camera white balance reading and applied to the respective image. I chose to process the images in Lightroom to further level the playing field. I didn't want the manufacturers software to come in to play at all, especially since Hasselblad Phocus actually has a reproduction setting.  

The first image is a side by side of the full painting. 

The Hasselblad H4D-40 image is on the left and the Nikon D800 is on the right. I know it is a little hard to tell on images that have been scaled down to fit on the web, however, there is much more depth and detail on the Hasselblad image. Having the original painting in my studio for comparison the Hasselblad also reproduced the colors more accurately. 

The second image is a 100% crop of the above images. 

Once again, the H4D is on the left and the D800 is on the right. At this level, you can definitely see more detail and depth to the shadow areas of the painting on the H4D capture and once again a better overall reproduction. 

While both cameras did a good job reproducing the painting, I have to give this round to the Hasselblad. 

More coming soon....

If you have been following my blog you may remember that on January 25th I wrote about taking a look at Medium Format. Well, it's been a couple months and I have been a little quiet on the subject......

Time to no longer be quiet. I have a Hasselblad H4D-40....and just got my hands on the Nikon D800.

I have seen all of the reviews, lab tests, etc. about how the D800 is the "new king" of the photographic world. Reviews are great, numbers are great....but how does it really stack up in the real world to a Hasselblad? 

I am about to find out and will bring you all along with me. Over the next couple weeks, I plan to run both camera's through a series of my personal tests.....side by side, click by click....posting my findings along the way. 

Sit back and enjoy the ride.