Resolution adrenaline: Flying the 100MP Phase One XF over a waterfall in Iceland
posted Wednesday, January 20, 2016 at 1:12 PM EDT
We recently covered Phase One's announcement of the 100-megapixel XF 100MP camera system, but now we have some more hands-on information about the new medium-format camera from professional photographer Tim Kemple.
Mike Wilkinson over at Fstoppers had the chance to speak with Kemple and hear his thoughts on the XF 100MP. It all started with Kemple being hired for a commercial job that involved photographing Amtrak trains from a helicopter. He hoped to get his hands on a high-resolution full frame camera system to try out for the project, but he soon found himself signing NDAs and testing out a prototype XF 100MP.
After using it for the Amtrak job, Tim wanted to do more. You may have seen our story in November about Tim travelling to Iceland and making a video for Smugmug Films. As it happens, he took the XF 100MP with him on that trip, which you can see in the video below.
While trying to use a remote trigger with the XF100 MP on an RC heli, Tim found that it wasn't working. Turns out, the prototype body wasn't fitted with functional remote release ports. While sitting on the lip of a waterfall in Iceland, Tim called up the Phase One team in Copenhagen and was told to download the Capture Pilot App, which he did, and was able to capture the image below.
After extensive testing, Kemple said that there were four reasons why a medium-format camera system is much better than a DSLR. Firstly, the dynamic range of a medium-format sensor is incomparable. Secondly, clients know you're the real deal once you unpack the medium-format camera system. Thirdly, high speed flash sync of 1/1600s at all power levels. Finally, medium format look, "…the look you get from the lenses. The bokeh. It's hard to explain…but man is it nice." Tim called the XF100 MP "like a Nikon D810 on steroids."
To read more of Tim's thoughts on the XF 100MP, including his workflow and its high ISO capabilities, as well as to see more images that he captured, make sure to check out the full article on Fstoppers.
You can also head over to Phase One's website to download full-resolution image samples from Tim Kemple.
(Seen via Fstoppers)