Buy s/h H3D or H3D11 or stick with Phase One ?

<p>Hello all,<br>

I am in need of some sound advice from anyone who has/does use the H3D ( either Mk1 or/and Mk2 )</p>

<p>First some background, I am not a Pro but a dedicated amateur, I don't "need" any of the above but I love using the "H" system and within reason can afford it so I will be most grateful for any constructive help you can give.</p>

<p>Currently I use two H1 camera systems, one fitted with a Phase One P21 back ( not P+ ) the other mainly for backup but is often carried along with a film mag attached. The results I get from the P21 are wonderful and in all respects exceed "my" needs, however I do like the idea of the H3 component integration which bring benefits such as DAC, and the ability to get the most out of the new HTS1.5, not that I currently own it but I am considering its purchase in the near future ( I like to photograph castles and the shift function would be a godsend ) .</p>

<p>I have been considering the H3D 11 for a while, namely the 39 MP option but have not as yet taken up any of the options to have a "hands on demo" in case it became too compelling and I ended up with a financial dilemma as whilst its just about affordable to me justifying it is another thing. I have the opportunity to buy a 4 month old H3D11 39MP complete with 80mm which is like new with only 2.5k actuations for 11K GBP , but also have the opportunity to buy a very light used H3D1 39MP without lens for 6.2K GBP or even a very nice H3D1 22MP complete with 80mm for 5.5K GBP .... big savings to be made here, HOWEVER, is the Mk11 the better option? is it that much better than the Mk1 ? Apart from the obvious such as bigger screen, better menu navigation and heat sink does the Mk11 offer enough over the Mk1 to warrant the extra cash or would the Mk1 be the more sensible option given the difference in price ? If the Mk1 is the route to take will the 39 have "much" better image quality over the 22 ?<br>

All three cameras are available from reputable dealers and come with good warranties.</p>

<p>One initial obvious thing to me with the Mk1 is it is fan cooled, the Mk2 like my P21 has heat sinking and thus no moving parts. Does anyone know how much of an issue this really is, has anyone had one fail and if so how long did it work before failing? What is the likely cost of replacing the fan etc ?<br>

I believe that the Mk1 can have a firmware upgrade that gives much of the functionality of the Mk2 but not all, is this correct ?</p>

<p>The Mk2 screen and heat sink cooling are nice and its "just" within my reach but the two Mk1 I quote would leave a sizable amount of cash in my account and give me the option to get the HTS1.5 now if I so wished.</p>

<p>Ah, decisions, decisions, as I asked earlier any and all genuine help will be very gratefully received,</p>

<p>Thanks for taking the time to read this rather long post, Simon </p>

<p>Simon, I use an H3DII39 for my work and I'm very pleased with the quality. I think you would be too. I chose the H3DII39 over PhaseOne because of the integration, the single source system (wouldn't want finger pointing if there was a problem) and future expansion, such as new lenses and the HTS. I recommend that you go with the H3DII, not the H3D. The H3DII has a heat sink and no fan plus the LCD is much larger.</p>

<p>Kind regards,<br>

Derek Jecxz<br>

<p>Hello Derek,</p>

<p>Many thanks for your reply, I have to say I do prefer the H3D11 over the H3D it's just the fact that it is double the price of the Mk1 that is making me stop and think hard. BTW I took a look at your site and I must say there are some wonderful images on it, I particularly like the image of the weatherboard enclosed bridge reflected in the river.</p>

<p>Is there anyone else out there that would care to offer their opinion on my post ?</p>

<p>kind regards Simon</p>

<p>Hello Derek,</p>

<p>Well it's done, I have taken the leap, as while its a huge commitment on my behalf I have faith in Hasselblad and their system.</p>

<p>So , gone are the two H1 , Phase One P21, Leica M8 and four of Leica's finest lenses, on its way to me is a H3D11 39mp complete with 80mm which I will use with my 35mm, 1.7x convertor and the three extension tubes to start with, ideally I will add a 120 macro/portrait lens in time.</p>

<p>I have just set up a small ( head & shoulders ) home studio as its all the room I can spare for now, I will be using a three head Multiblitz Profilux 600 outfit ( triggered via RF wireless as the heads are 9volt ) and can't wait to get started.</p>

<p>This move really took some justifying as I currently do not earn money from my hobby, however I have always enjoyed shooting portraiture and is the direction in which I want to take my photography, this camera will give me the ability to really raise the bar in terms of quality. </p>

<p>My long term aim is to develop a portraiture business, part time to start with and then ideally full time, assuming I find a suitable person to manage my current retail business so that I can spend enough time developing the portraiture business.</p>

<p>Thanks again Simon </p>

<p>Simon,</p>

<p>Congrats! I believe you will be quite satisfied with the quality. I'm also pleased with their Phocus software too, email me if you have any questions, or join <a href="http://www.hasselbladdigitalforum.com">http://www.hasselbladdigitalforum.com</a> - a very helpful and friendly forum. By the way, both versions of the weathered covered bridge were done with the 1.7x and 210mm. Be well.</p>

<p>Kind regards,<br>

Derek Jecxz<br>

<a href="http://www.jecxz.com/">http://www.jecxz.com/</a></p>

<p>Hi Derek,</p>

<p>Thank you once again, I will be picking up the 'blad tomorrow and I truly am looking forward to getting to grips with it. Thank you also for directing me to the Hasselblad digital forum, hopefully it will be of great help and finally a big thank you for offering your help/assistance to me which is very kind and no doubt I will at some point in the near future need some pointers with regard to Focus as software is not my strongest point.<br>

bye for now Simon</p>