chad_johnson

I just used my new X2D in a tethered studio situation and had a lot of issues with the cable coming loose or just falling out. It even resulted in losing some images which was pretty embarrassing since the client was on set and we were smashing cakes so there wasn't any way to redo the shots. I 3d printed a tethering solution; it snaps on to the shoulder strap lug and then screws into a block that holds the usb cable. The cable is held in place with a set screw and it's strong enough that I can lift the camera by the cable. I've decided to offer it for sale to the community on ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/266051560930

<p>Well, you might be surprised what a modern lens is capable of, Nathan :-)</p> <p>I just took possession of the CFE version of the lens and I'm happy to report that the contrast is good though not excellent. With a paper tube lens shade, the contrast is comparable to my Canon 100mm f/2.8L macro (which is the highest contrast lens that I own), without a lens shade the Hasselblad is not quite as good but still perfectly usable and represents a substantial improvement over the CF version of the same lens. The compendium shade is surprisingly useless. A simple roll of black paper is quite a bit better though obviously not as robust.</p> <p>I did a quick and dirty comparison of the Canon to the CFE Hasselblad which you can see below. It is a purposefully badly lit scene in the sense that is is only lit from the side and back and about one stop over exposed.<br /> <img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3910/15246363816_2de2541e51_b.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="524" /><br /> Original photo can be found here:

<p>A little back light should not produce such a radical change in contrast -- when there is no backlighting, the contrast of this lens is perfect.</p>

<p>Here's an example. I know this is hardly a precise test, but it's a quick snapshot I made before I returned the lens. The scene is certainly back-lit, but nothing crazy (the sun is mostly overhead and the bright areas are coming from the sky and some pavement behind the subject). I'm using a compendium lens shade. <br> <img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5559/15052730040_28c27232b1_b.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="769" /></p>

<p>Thanks, Douglas and Ken. It could be an issue with this copy although I've read of other people having similar issues in other forums. Either way, I decided to exchange it for the CFE version and KEH very kindly did the exchange despite it being beyond the 14 day return period. I will report back my findings with the new lens when it arrives. If it has the same problem I will be rather upset since it costs more than twice as much!</p> <p>Chad</p>

<p>Thanks, John. I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one having issues with it. I think it may be time to upgrade.</p>

<p>Thanks for your answers. I'm using a compendium hood at full extension. I may try to upgrade to the CFi or CFE version at some point, though for now maybe I'll try to make a mask out of black paper. I noticed that a tube out of black paper worked fairly well.</p>

<p>I recently purchased a Hasselblad Makro Planar T* 120MM F4 CF and I've noticed that the contrast suffers in harsh lighting conditions -- such as strong back-lighting on the subject. Even using a lens hood I see a loss of contrast that I don't see with my stock 80mm lens. I thought the 120mm would have better performance as it is a T* (I take this to mean that it is multi-coated) while the 80mm is not. Is this a known problem with this lens? Would the CFi or CFE perform any better? Are there are other telephoto lenses that perform better?<br> By the way, the loss of contrast shows up as a black point that isn't truly black -- easily corrected by setting levels in post-processing, but still undesirable. The sharpness of this lens is wonderful and I would like to be able to use it.</p> <p>Thanks in advance for your comments,<br> Chad</p>