Phase One XF 100MP Field Test: A test-drive with the highest-resolution camera we’ve ever used
posted Monday, October 3, 2016 at 6:16 PM EDT
Well, here's something you don't get to use every day, or at least we here at IR don't: a nearly $50,000 camera with a 100-megapixel Medium Format sensor. While we normally review cameras ranging from pocketable point-and-shoots all the way to flagship, professional-grade DSLRs, the medium format universe is something we rarely tackle. In the past, we've reviewed both the Pentax 645D and its successor, the 645Z, and both times we were completed floored by the detail and resolving power their massive sensors could capture. So, consider us very excited when Phase One came knocking asking us if we wanted to test their XF camera system and 100-megapixel digital back.
Yes, please!
Getting hands-on with the Phase One XF 100MP on day one, we were sort of wondering if we'd bitten off more than we could chew. The Phase One was a tricky camera to get set up and running, especially with our stringent lab testing parameters. The camera uses a proprietary RAW file (and only shoots RAW, no RAW+JPEGs here), so we had to install Capture One Pro on our lab PC. Then we had to overcome issues like dialing in the proper exposure and dealing with super shallow depths of field that medium format can present. The entire workflow, as well as the usability of the camera in general, was just something all new to most of us here at IR.
In our just-published Field Test, we explore the camera's amazing image quality, as well as the camera's design and ergonomics. We also discuss some of the quirks and issues that cropped up during our three-week testing period. None of these were be considered deal-breakers, but certainly issues to be aware of. Head on over to our Phase One XF 100MP Field Test for all the details, including a batch of real-world gallery images in both RAW format and converted JPEGs from Capture One Pro. We also have a select number of professionally-shot full-resolution sample images provided to us from Phase One, which are also available for download.
And don't forget to pixel-peep our lab sample images to really get a sense of this camera's resolving power. It's stunning!
