Phase One System

Like many photographers, I aspire to make better images and an important part of that process is the camera and

lens equipment. I have always been interested in Medium Format photography but to date the cost of the camera/lens digital systems remains very steep and out with my budget.

I have always admired the work of the British landscape photographer, Joe Cornish who uses Phase One medium format kit, so I decided to explore the ongoing development of Phase One.

Phase One is pretty much one of the the market leaders in Medium Format camera and digital backs and I guess the ideal company to use as a 'barometer' in setting a MF standard to relate to.

Coming from a DSLR background and trying to understand Medium Format camera and the lens technology was difficult but rewarding. As usual, I write everything down for future reference and ongoing development, hence this article.

It is interesting that camera manufacturers and those review sites who favour particular manufacturers always seem to avoid highlighting the 'wrinkles' with the technology which makes an analysis of the equipment in relation to it's actual use in the 'field' quite difficult.

The first section is my 'Quick Summary and Costs' followed by a System Breakdown Section and then some YouTube Phase One Videos which can help broaden your knowledge base!

Quick Summary + Costs

The Phase One System in 'organic terms' is a medium format camera with the film back technology replaced by a box shaped digital back complete with digital sensor, screen and menu controls clipped onto the rear of the camera. The camera and back uses interchangeable manual/autofocus medium format lenses. The latest Phase One digital backs, the IQ range, have touch screen and live view technology and are designed to operate in 645 medium format.

Medium format FILM is shot in a variety of aspect ratios, which differ depending on the camera or frame insert used. The most common aspect ratios are 6×6 (square/1:0 - 56mm x 56mm) and 6×4.5 (rectangular/4:3 - 56mm x 45mm). Although 6x7 (56mm x 69mm) is also available as shown in the following video below.

The 6x6 or 6x7 names originate from film where the film is actually 6cm x 6cm and 6cm x 7cm respectively but loses millimeters due to the film sprockets at the top and bottom and the gaps in-between the frames on the film.

The 6×4.5 format is usually referred to as "645", with many cameras that use this ratio bearing "645" in their product name. Cameras that can switch to different aspect ratios do so by either switching camera backs, by using a frame insert, or by use of special multi-format backs.

I did check out one of the latest Medium Format FILM cameras to emerge, the Voigtlander Bessa III Wide and its counter part the Fuji 670W (same camera) and this short video provides a good idea of what a Medium Format FILM camera is delivering -

The Voigtlander Bessa III Wide uses the Film format: 6 x 7 and 6 x 6 by selector switch, 6 x 7 size: 56 x 69mm, 6 x 6 size: 56 x 56mm. The Film used: 120 or 220 roll film with Frames: 6 x 7 size: 120 – 10 shots, 220 – 20 shots. 6 x 6 size: 120 – 12 shots 220 – 24 shots. It has a fixed lens: HELIAR 3,5/80mm, 6 elements in 4 groups, Angle of view: 6 x 7 size = 57°, Angle of view: 6 x 6 size = 53°.

The 645 DIGITAL format "full frame" is now recognised as 56mm x 41.5mm in size. The latest Phase One 645DF camera body with the clip on IQ180 digital back with 16bit 80MPixel sensor is actually 53.7 x 40.4mm in size, not quite the 645 digital format.

For a comparison, the 35mm DSLR 'Full Frame' digital sensor is 36 x 24mm in size.

Phase P 30+ Digital Back Sensor	31 Mega Pixels	1.3	CCD Sensor Size - 44.2 x 33.1mm
Phase P 45+ Digital Back Sensor	39 Mega Pixels	1.1	CCD Sensor Size - 49.1 x 36.8mm
Phase P 65+ Digital Back Sensor	60 Mega Pixels	1.0	CCD Sensor Size - 53.9 x 40.4mm
Phase IQ 140 Digital Back Sensor	40 Mega Pixels	1.3	CCD Sensor Size - 43.9 x 32.9mm
Phase IQ 160 Digital Back Sensor	60 Mega Pixels	1.0	CCD Sensor Size - 53.9 x 40.4mm
Phase IQ 180 Digital Back Sensor	80 Mega Pixels	1.0	CCD Sensor Size - 53.7 x 40.4mm

Phase One - The IQ180 Sensor in Relation to 35mm Format (also see my diagram)
I am not a technical person but it appears that when a camera lens takes in a scene, the image of light travels right through the centre of it and is projected as a cone of light (circular) back towards the film or sensor plane. The manufacturer places his film or sensor plane at a set distance behind that lens in the light cones diameter which if the 4 edges touch the diameter of the circle it makes the film/sensor plane a square and not a rectangle. At that point the film or sensor plane sees the image as square but a manufacturer then crops, during manufacture/or by using a camera frame inset, the vertical sides of the film or sensor plane and moves the plane up into the middle of the (square) circle cone of light. This has the effect of creating a rectangular image, usually in an aspect ratio of 4:3 (nearly square) or 3:2 more rectangular. However, the lens angle of view is not cropped on the horizontal view as the horizontal top and bottom sides of the film/sensor plane remain the original size and still touch the diameter of the circle.

The Phase One sensor is 53.7 x 40.4mm in size which is cropped on the vertical 53.7mm sides down to 40.4mm within the 53.7mm x 53.7mm square but maintains the same horizontal angle of view due to the 53.7mm horizontal sides. Phase maintain that this is a Full Frame sensor although the IQ180 sensor's horizontal sides are only 53.7mm. Phase crop the vertical sides to create an almost square 4:3 aspect ratio image.

The 35mm 'Full Frame' sensor is 36mm x 24mm in size which is cropped on the vertical 36mm sides down to 24mm within the 36mm x 36mm square but maintains the same horizontal angle of view due to the 36mm horizontal sides. 35mm usually have the vertical sides cropped to create a rectangular 3:2 aspect ratio image.

The focal size of a lens is measured by the diagonal axis size measured across a film or sensor (square) plane so a 56mm x 56mm plane for Medium Format would measure 80mm and deliver an angle of view of approximately 46-53 degrees on a 80mm lens. In the case of a 35mm 'Full Frame' Format film or sensor plane measuring 36mm x 36mm square would measure 50mm and deliver an angle of view of 46-53 degrees approximately on a 50mm lens but the depth of field would be shallower on the medium format 80mm lens due to it's larger sensor size.

Side Note: A 35mm 'Full Frame' sensor is deemed to be cropped (APS-C) on the horizontal angle of view when the 36mm horizontal side is shortened to 23.6mm, typically a 1.5x sensor crop. A 50mm lens will then produce a 75mm horizontal 'field of view'.

I have put together a basic diagram to help me understand the relationship between Medium Format + 35mm Full Frame lenses.

Phase One 645DF Camera Body + Digital Backs - Specifications

Please click on a link to open up a PDF file -

The Phase One digital backs are designed to work with a range of medium format cameras and lenses that conform to the 'Open Platform' principal for medium format technology. These include Mamiya, Hasselblad, Contax, Alpa, Arca Swiss, Sinar, Linhof, Horseman, Cambo and Silvestri. There are some older camera models that will not work with the Phase digital backs.

Like other medium format systems that use a high pixel count with smaller pixel pitch on their digital sensors,

Phase One, do not use AA filters which assists resolving power but encourages moiré which can be an issue for some photographers and depends a great deal on the type of images they capture. Most photographers are aware that as pixel pitch decreases, so does the chance for moiré and usually pertaining to patterned materials, even facings on buildings. However from the reviews I have read, Phase One handles the moiré problem and keeps it under control.

All landscape photographers learn that stability is their friend for crisp images captured at low ISO ratings. This new generation of sensors with their larger number of pixels with reduced pixel pitch are the main cause of why camera and lens vibration are your main problem especially on a windy day. The answer of course is a sturdy and reasonably heavy tripod and very often weighted down by tying a heavy backpack to its underside to pull it downwards and make it firmer on the ground.

With it's ISO:35 'native setting' the IQ180 sensor captures images of extra high quality with minimum processing. Just like in the old film days, delivering stunning and beautifully coloured images.

At lower ISO ratings like ISO:35, the IQ180 sensor will certainly deliver the image quality, especially for landscapes but I wonder if overall and at higher ISO ratings will the camera perform as good? Phase have Sensor+ technology which should address this and to a certain extent provides the 'best of both worlds' the higher pixel count for the low ISO:35 and the lower pixel count for the high ISO speed ratings. Sensor+ pixel colour binning is revolutionary and the video below is well worth viewing.

Long Exposures
The reviews cover 'long exposures, with the smaller P+ sensors delivering noise free images shot with exposures as long as one hour but there are no such claims as regards the sensors of the P +65 and IQ140/160/180 digital backs. It has been reported that having ultra-long exposure and Sensor+ technology in the same device was not possible at this time? I guess the P 45+ digital back is the best of the Phase 'herd' for long exposure times of up to 1 hour but realistically how many landscape photographers require that exposure time, unless you are an Astro photographer.

IQ180 - Live View
Because the IQ backs use CCD sensors, as do the current P+ series, they are not capable of fast-refresh Live View.

This quote from the Luminous Landscape Web site - "Finally, let's talk about the ugly: Because all Medium Format backs use CCD sensors, when keeping the shutter open with light falling on the sensor for a long period of time during Live View it is quite easy to saturate the sensor. As a consequence, the use of a strong neutral density filter will be required when using Live View in bright light conditions. I call this ugly because none of us wants to have to take any additional steps or carry any additional equipment, but unfortunately, there is no way out of this. Claus recommends the use of a variable neutral density filter in the range of about 3-9 F/stops. I intend to carry just one filter of a diameter large enough to cover all my lenses (either hand held in front of the lens, or screwed on with an adapter ring)"

From the little on the Internet that I have read about IQ140/160/180 digital back live view, it does look as if there is room for improvement but you know that viewfinder and mirror is more than adequate for those very bright days.

It is apparent that Phase One, is moving forward with the Phase One 645DF camera, the IQ160 60Mp and the IQ180 80Mp digital backs with their 'full frame' sensors, the new Sensor+ technology and the bundled Capture One 'RAW' converter software. There is the possibility that new camera bodies will be released in 2012.

For landscape photography the IQ 180 digital back with it's 16bit 80Mpixel digital sensor and it's ISO:35 capability is my choice although the IQ 160 is also 'Full Frame' and an excellent second choice.

The Phase One P 65+ digital back was also a consideration with it's 'full frame' sensor, especially as it is the only P + model that has the new Sensor+ technology but it lacks 'Live View' and the touch controlled LCD screen. It also has a smaller 2.2" QVGA TFT screen with 230,000 pixels with high brightness and contrast, both indoor and outdoors.

I like the the Schneider Lenses because of their incredible build and they offer faster flash sync with their leaf shutters but I also like the Phase One AF150 IF lens.

My logical lens choices, for landscapes from the Phase One web site would be in this purchase order -

I am not really into wide landscapes, a Schneider LS55 f2.8 'Leaf Shutter' AF/Manual Lens would be more than adequate for me. The Phase One AF150 IF f2.8 AF/Manual Lens would be nice to bite into the landscape scene whilst the the Schneider LS80 f2.8 'Leaf Shutter' AF/Manual Lens would be great for general use. Moving away from Phase and Schneider, there are many other excellent medium format lenses, new and second hand.

The Phase One AF150 IF (93mm FOV) f2.8 AF/Manual Lens would also be excellent for portraits and 'wide open' f2.8 shots requiring a shallow depth of field.

Most suppliers in the UK offer a new Phase One System at reasonable discount and also offer re-furbished 'factory re-built' digital backs.

These 'Brand New' and Re-furbished units are invariably offered as packages -

The package prices vary from around £6,795.00 re-furbished all the way up to £34,000 Retail for a range topping IQ180 80Mp digital back package. I have provided links to two UK Phase One Suppliers at the foot of this section.

There is no doubt that Phase One have some awesome Medium Format technology for capturing top quality and high resolution images, especially landscapes and that is where it counts, due to the invariably distant horizons requiring the best resolving digital sensors and lenses.

I have always said that the Medium Format camera and lens marketplace is up for grabs. It is inevitable that as photographers, even non-professionals like myself, desire larger digital sensors above the 35mm 'Full Frame' of the Nikon and Canon DSLRs that Medium Format prices will gradually fall to meet demand.

Pentax has already released a 645D DSLR 'Medium Format' 40Mpixel sensor variant at a very reasonable price, what other camera manufacturers will follow.............time will tell!

I broke the Phase One System down into these component parts and each of these areas is also demonstrated in video examples at the foot of this page -

The Phase One 645DF Digital Camera
The focus system has TTL phase-difference AF with 3 focus points, Infrared AF assists for unfailing focus, Focus confirmation in manual mode and Auto focus lock for swift AF/ M shift. The light metering system has TTL metering (average, spot and auto), Exposure compensation: +/- 5EV and a programmable AEL button. The flash system uses the focal plane shutter up to 1/125sec and leaf shutter lenses up to 1/1600sec with 1st and 2nd curtain flash synchronisation with an X sync terminal and support for TTL flash.

The shutter is relatively fast for medium format at 1/4000secs to 60 minutes and up to 120 frames per minute. The viewfinder is a fixed prism type with an exchangeable diopter from -5 to +3 and a LCD panel with full exposure information and interchangeable focus screens with a laser engraved mask for digital back.

The remote is a screw-in cable release on shutter button and a terminal for electronic triggering devices. There are 3 custom dial modes for capture settings, 36 custom settings and customizable dials and buttons. The camera body uses 6 x AA batteries or a re-chargeable battery, it is 153x128x184mm in size and weighs 1,030g.

The camera body uses Phase One Digital focal plane lenses, Schneider Kreuznach leaf shutter lenses, Mamiya 645 AFD lenses and is compatible with Hasselblad V and Pentacon 6 lenses via a multimount adaptor. The body is able to accept the open platform digital backs and the final image resolution is determined by the digital back that is used!

Sensor + Technology
The IQ180 digital back features the patented Sensor+ technology, which is a highly versatile tool that helps you capture beautiful images in a variety of working conditions. You can choose to shoot in full resolution – up to 80 megapixel - or you can use the Sensor+ technology and go for a faster workflow, capturing images with up to 20 megapixel resolution at 4 times higher ISO speeds, up to ISO 3200.

The Sensor+ pixel colour binning is revolutionary and the video below is well worth viewing.

Capturing in Sensor+ mode is especially well suited for shooting in low light conditions and the technology enables you to capture sharper images with less moiré. With Sensor+ there are no crop or lens factors; you get the maximum wide angle performance with your lenses.

The P+ Digital Backs
The P 65+ digital back features Sensor+ technology, a breakthrough innovation for unprecedented versatility in photography.

The P 65+ has a 2.2" QVGA TFT screen with 230,000 pixels with high brightness and contrast, both indoor and outdoors.

Choose 15 / 10 megapixel captures for faster workflow and higher sensitivity or 60.5 / 40 megapixel captures for extreme details. By adding pixels together on the CCD chip, larger pixels are created for increased sensitivity and smaller files. Sensor+ is unique by maintaining full sensor area and image quality while scaling.

P 45+ and P 30+ feature exclusive Phase One XPose+ technology. XPose+ enables noise free exposures up to one hour, unlocking a world of creative options. The P 65+ does not have that option.

The P 65+ digital back delivers a 34mm 'field of view' with a 55mm lens

Capture One software package is a professional RAW converter and is included with a digital back

The IQ Digital Backs
The Phase One IQ180/160/140 series digital backs offers 80, 60.5 and 40 megapixels resolution respectively. IQ180 and IQ160 both capture in full-frame 645 format. With these backs you can capture images of stunning quality with extreme detail reproduction. The high resolution gives you maximum versatility with your images, ensuring high quality and usage, even when you work with cropped images. The full-frame capture format ensures the best wide angle performance with your lenses.

Links - IQ Technical Specifications Phase One 645DF Camera and IQ Digital Backs Datasheet

IQ 180 key benefits include

Capture One Software
Capture One has been optimized for shooting with Phase One digital backs. Together with the digital back this professional RAW converter and image editing software deliver the world’s highest image quality with excellent color and detail. It contains all the essential tools and high-end performance in one package to enable you to capture, organize, edit, share and print images in a fast, flexible and efficient workflow.

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