On Location with the Phase One XC40
Let’s face it. None of us are getting any younger. The older I get the more gorgeous locations I am able to punch off my bucket list, but at the same time, the less gear that I can carry on my back. In fact, I won’t even buy a large backpack anymore because the larger the bag, the more I want to put in it! I treat it like it’s a grandma’s big purse full of everything you could possibly need and then I complain the whole trip about how heavy it is.
No, not for me anymore. The last European trip confirmed it. My aching back told me it’s time to make a change. It is time to simplify. So when I received the chance to be the first person in the United States to try out Phase One’s new XC40 digital camera I decided to leave everything else behind and pack light! And off to the Grand Teton’s to see a couple of my clients.
Weight and Size
Let’s just put it in these terms. The Phase One XC40 is 15% lighter than a Fujifilm GFX 100 II with a 23mm lens. It is the same frame and format as the IQ4 digital back and is just a continuation of the form. But more importantly, It is the highest quality capture system made in our photographic marketplace today while also being the most portable. That really says it all. And for this trip, it is all that I needed and wanted…. And it was glorious!
X-Shutter Simplicity
You really don’t know that you will fall in love with an X Shutter system until you try one. The whole process is streamlined and automatic. You forget about the need to open or close the shutter manually. You just don’t think about it anymore. You no longer make the mistake of focusing wide open and taking that first shot without closing and stopping back down. The normal technical camera mistakes disappear. I just can’t explain what an enjoyable shooting experience it becomes when you can just focus on the composition rather than the technical camera process. On top of that, X-Shutters have never once failed any of our systems or our customer’s systems. Not a single problem. And while the manufacturer states that the shutter should last more than 500,000 shots, we still thought we would see an issue or two. But not one. It is a rock solid system.
Rodenstock 40mm HR
This has always been my favorite lens. It’s small, light, and compact. It has very little distortion or chromatic aberration. And I have many customers who feel this same exact way. They use the 40mm for 90% of their work. It creates a quality and consistency in their portfolio that is absolutely noticeable. When Phase released the XC 23mm I literally asked them why they didn’t choose the 40mm HR instead. The 23mm HR is a beautiful lens but it is far too wide for a single lens system for my personality. And they listened……
To back this up, the focal length of human vision is about 24mm in a 35mm format. The 40mm HR on the XC equates to a 26mm in 35mm format. This means the images have a natural feel to them as the system matches the focal length of our eyes. So as you can see, I truly think that the 40mm HR is the right lens to match with the Phase One XC body.
IQ4 Integration
There are features of the IQ4 that are incredibly valuable and under appreciated. First and foremost the large 3.2” lcd screen is so easy to see and use. When I move to other systems I am reminded of what I am missing by not shooting the Phase One. The simplified layout that allows me to control all features and functions of the lens from the back is the way it should be for a system. ISO, aperture, f/stop, shutter speed, electronic shutter, live view, capture, style, format, etc… they are all on the same simplified screen. And it makes it easy because the LCD is so large.
And on this trip I utilized frame averaging on every single landscape image. This feature allows you to take multiple exposures and then average them together in one composite image automatically. While this reduces noise, my favorite effect is that it gives you a ND filter feel without needing to use one. Moving subjects become silky smooth like water and clouds. And you can just choose more images to average if I want a more silky smooth feel. The Achromatic image below is a perfect example of its capabilities.
The perfect system companion
Phase One has released the XC 40 as a stand alone system so you can purchase it by itself to add to your current system. Carry it with you as a companion to your current system or just use as your travel camera. I think that the Achromatic will be permanently affixed to mine as a travel B&W system after these amazing results in the Tetons.
Importantly, we already have the Phase One XC40 in our demonstration / Rental stock. So if you want to have a great shooting experience and see if this is right for you just call us and rent it for the weekend to find out!
Get One for Yourself at CI
