Shooting with the Phase One IQ280

This past week was an interesting one. I shot with Phase One's IQ280 for the first time and the experience was quite good. I haven't shot with medium format digital in quite a while (the last time I did it was with the now-aged P45) and I remember now while so many photographers have moved on from the format.

Let me be clear though: There is plenty reason to shoot medium format digital -- quality being at the top of that list (versatility probably being the 2nd) -- but the cost vs quality argument here is becoming harder to justify in an age where DSLR's are quickly catching up to not just the quality but the size of files as well. And for companies hiring photographers to do a job, I can see why medium format is hard to justify -- a digital back and medium format camera setup is significantly more than a DSLR setup. It just increases the budget that much more from a production point.

With that said though, I really liked shooting with this Hasselblad + IQ280 setup. There's nothing quite like the solid, heavy feel of a medium format digital camera in your hands. That huge shutter sound and vibration, the build quality, the amazing touchscreen back -- it's everything I love about digital photography. All the nerdy bits plus all the image quality I want. Obviously, I'm not a client, so if I could, I would always opt for this camera. But alas, sometimes speed and budget trump all else. So until next time...!