Medium format digital photography is an expensive endeavor. Even entry-level models, like our Editors' Choice Pentax 645Z ($4,996.90 at B&H Photo Video) , cost thousands of dollars. The Phase One XF 100MP ($48,990 with 80mm lens) is a full-on studio camera, with a modern, rugged body, a huge image sensor, and robust support for tethered shooting and high-power lighting. You pay a lot for the entire package, but are rewarded with incredible image quality, the versatility that a removable digital back provides, and a body that offers significant upgrades over the older Phase One 645 DF+. And while I'll continue to happily recommend the Pentax 645Z to photographers who want to shoot in medium format on a budget, the Phase One XF 100MP easily earns our Editors' Choice in the high-end realm.
Design and Controls
The XF 100MP kit includes the camera body, an 80mm leaf-shutter lens, a removable eye-level viewfinder, the IQ3 100MP digital back, a rolling carry-on-friendly Pelican hard case with a removable soft insert, four batteries, a CF memory card and reader, and the cables required for tethered shooting. A license for Capture One Pro 9 and a five-year warranty are are also included.
Similar Products
Pentax 645Z
Hasselblad H6D-50c
Leica S-E (Typ 006)
Pentax 645D
Phase One IQ250
The body itself is bulky, but built tough with a rugged metal exterior. It measures 5.3 by 6.0 by 6.3 inches (HWD) and weighs 3.1 pounds with the eye-level viewfinder attached. The digital back is 3.5 by 3.9 by 2.5 inches and 1.5 pounds, and the 80mm lens is 2.5 by 3.4 inches (HD) and 1.1 pounds. That's a heavy kit when you put it all together, about 5.7 pounds, but one that can still be used effectively as a handheld camera thanks to a large, comfortable handgrip.
The eye-level viewfinder bundled with the XF can be removed and replaced with a waist-level finder ($790). You'll lose the hot shoe, but end up with a lighter, more compact kit that's ideal for capturing images from a tripod that's close to the ground, or handheld from your waist. The finder is a simple one, basically a set of barn doors to surround the viewscreen and a magnifier to make it appear larger to your eye. When not in use it folds flat and sits flush with the XF's top plate. As with any waist-level viewfinder, the left and right direction is reversed, which can take some getting used to, but up and down are as you'd expect.
The digital back is also removable, so it can be used with large format and technical cameras. That's a level of versatility you don't get with medium format cameras that aren't modular, like the Pentax 645D ( at Amazon) and Leica S-E (Typ 006) ( at Amazon) . In addition to being able to use the back with other bodies, its modular design means that you'll be able to upgrade your camera in the future without having to invest in a new XF body ($6,490).
On-body controls aren't extensive. There is a single programmable button on the front, recessed into the handgrip, that you can use to stop down the lens and preview depth of field—its function can be reassigned if desired. To the right of the lens mount there's a shutter release, ideally placed for waist-level photography, with the lens release button on the other side of the mount. Another reprogrammable control button is on the rear; by default it locks in exposure, but many photographers will likely set it as a dedicated focus button.
There are three control dials, one more than we're used to seeing on a digital camera. The front dial controls the shutter speed, the side dial adjusts aperture, and the rear dial is a dedicated ISO control. You have the option of assigning any of the three dials to act as an Exposure Value Compensation (EV) control when shutter, aperture, or ISO is set to automatic.
The physical control buttons are supplemented by both top (on-body) and rear (on-back) touch screens. The top display is a square color LED that shows all current shooting settings. You can tap on any part of it to adjust the current value, including ISO, shutter speed, aperture, EV, the drive mode, the metering pattern, the focus area, and mirror lock-up. Two silver buttons flank the screen and are used to navigate through the more extensive text-based menu that it houses. The power button also sits on the top plate.
Swiping left or right on the top LED allows you to access some of the XF's more specialized features. It's here you'll see the options for focus stacking (which captures a sequence of images at slightly different focal lengths to increase depth of field in macro photography), HDR, and time lapse capture, as well as a seismograph that can ensure an image is taken when the camera is steady, a virtual bubble level, and a histogram. The XF is a serious upgrade from the 645DF+ that came before it—when I reviewed the IQ250 a couple of years ago, I found the older body was the weak link in an otherwise strong system.
The digital back's 3.2-inch display is both touch sensitive and crisp at 1,150k dots. The high-resolution design is a plus for reviewing images—you can zoom in to check focus after you've captured a shot, or while setting one up when the camera is set to Live View. With the IQ3 and XF you're not only able to set focus when composing shots using the LCD, you can also capture an image—that's something the XF's closest competition, the Hasselblad H6D-50c ($36,494.00 at Amazon) , can't do. If you're shooting with an H6D you have to exit Live View in order to shoot.
In addition to the touch interface, which gives you full access to menus, playback controls, and shooting controls, the back has four physical buttons. Their functions change based on what is displayed on the screen, but in general the two buttons on the left are used to confirm or back out of a menu, and the two on the right are used to navigate through options. The most useful feature of the back's touch interface is the XF menu, which allows you to adjust exposure settings, engage autofocus, toggle Live View, and fire the shutter, all from the rear display. It's very useful when working on a tripod, as you can easily change settings without moving your hand around the XF's body and potentially jostling the camera.
The XF body has an internal focal plane shutter, which allows you to opt for less expensive lenses that lack leaf shutters if desired, but does limit the quickest flash sync speed to 1/125-second. If you use a lens with a leaf shutter you can sync as quickly as 1/1,600-sec. On the opposite end of the exposure spectrum, the XF and IQ3 are capable of 60-minute exposures, useful for astrophotographers who want to capture photos with star trails, and landscape shooters who wish to smooth the appearance of moving water. Leaf shutter designs also appeal to photographers who make long exposures using a tripod—with the mirror locked up before a shot, vibration from the shutter opening and closing is minimal, and won't add the blur you can get from the movement of a focal plane shutter to an image.
The XF body sports a PC sync port for external flashes and a 12-pin multi-connector port that can accept different accessories. The back has its own 8-port connector, which is used to communicate with a technical camera, as well as USB 3.0 and FireWire-800 ports to connect to a computer for tethered control, and a mini HDMI port to output a Live View feed to an external monitor. If you use Profoto lights, the XF can even trigger them wirelessly, without the need for any additional accessories.
Both the XF and IQ3 backs have a battery compartment, and while you can use the system with a single battery installed, the best practice is to keep a battery in each. The included charger can replenish two batteries simultaneously, and a total of four are included. I wasn't able to track down a CIPA rating for the XF, but during my review I managed to rattle off 200 shots on a single set of batteries, with power to spare, primarily using the viewfinder to frame. The IQ3 back has a single CompactFlash memory slot.
The XF system isn't billed as weather sealed like the Pentax 645Z, but it is ruggedly built. You should feel comfortable shooting in light precipitation, but avoid using it in heavy rain or in dry conditions with heavy particulates—dust or sand—flying through the air. If you do need to shoot in bad weather, you can protect the camera with an underwater housing or a rain cover to protect it from the elements.
Tethered Workflow
The Capture One Pro 9 software suite, included with the camera, is not just a Raw image converter. It's also a powerful tool for studio photographers, and not just those who work in an actual studio. It's easy enough to take a laptop with you for an on-location portrait or fashion session. I set up a pair of Elinchrom D-Lite RX4 lights and connected the XF 100MP to my MacBook Pro via USB to shoot some portraits at a small bakery.
Once I had framing and focus set, I just had to click a button in Capture One to fire off a photo, which appeared almost immediately on the MacBook's screen. The loupe tool confirmed that I was focused perfectly on my subject's eyes, and I was able to quickly capture shots with different poses and lighting. I can't think of a better way to shoot portraits in a controlled environment.
It's not always practical to take a laptop with you, especially if you're working in the field. You can also use the back's built-in Wi-Fi to connect to an iPad or iPhone and control the camera using the Capture Pilot app. The app is free if you just want to review images, view a live feed from the camera, and add location metadata to images. But if you want to use your phone or tablet to control the camera you'll need to spend $14.99 on an in-app purchase to unlock that functionality.
Performance and Image Quality
Medium format cameras aren't typically speed demons like high-end 35mm models. If that's your preference, you're better off with a Nikon D5 ($4,354.95 at Amazon) or a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II ($4,499.00 at Amazon) . The XF requires about 19.2 seconds to start—that's in line with the 16.2 seconds notched by the Hasselblad H6D.
Its autofocus system is basic, with a single center focus area and an assist beam to help it lock onto a target in dim conditions. It isn't as fast as the Pentax 645Z, which locks on in less than 0.1-second. The XF requires about 0.3-second to confirm focus and fire—which is quicker than the H6D (0.6-second). Continuous shooting is limited to one shot every 1.9 seconds, significantly slower than the 1.5fps that the H6D-50c delivers.
But even at that rate, you'll fill up your memory card (or hard drive, if you're shooting tethered) quickly. Raw file sizes vary based on the content of the scene, but expect them to range from 100MB to 160MB each. I was able to store about 100 shots on a 16GB CF card.
The kit we reviewed is bundled with the Schneider Kreuznach 80mm LS f/2.8 lens, a compact, standard-angle prime with an in-lens leaf shutter. You can peruse our review of the lens to get an idea as to how it performs with the IQ3 100MP back.
See How We Test Digital Cameras
I used Imatest to measure the amount of noise in the IQ3 100MP's image output. Normally we test out-of-camera JPGs at default settings, but the Phase One doesn't capture JPGs, and its Raw format isn't supported by our standard conversion software, Lightroom ($9.99/Month at Adobe) , at this time.
I did my best to match Capture One Pro 9's output develop settings with Lightroom—retaining color noise reduction, but eliminating luminance reduction (which can wash away detail). By default, Capture One does apply luminance reduction to high ISO shots. Imatest tells us that noise is only kept under 1.5 percent at ISO 50 and 100, with ISO 200 hitting 1.6 percent. If I was shooting with a 20MP camera, these results would be shockingly disappointing. But a high-resolution beast is a different matter entirely. To get an idea of the resolving power, take a look at the image of the chicken above, and pixel-level crop from the same photo below.
A visual check of our ISO test scene shows that yes, you can see a fine-grain pattern of noise starting around ISO 800. It's more apparent as you push the ISO higher, but doesn't cross the threshold into the category of being rough in appearance until you get to ISO 6400, and even at the top ISO 12800 it's in line with what you'd get from say, the Kodak Portra 400.
A look at the detail section of our scene shows just how well the camera captures the finest lines, even when pushed to its limits. Pixel-level crops from this section are included in the slideshow that accompanies this review. There's no noticeable drop in clarity through ISO 800. At ISO 1600 the slightest smudging is visible. It gets a little worse at ISO 6400. At ISO 12800 I see some loss of color and details. But remember we're looking at a very small segment (0.3MP) of an image that's technically 101MP (11,608 by 8,708 pixels) with these crops. Even if you're in a situation in the field where you need to shoot at ISO 12800, you'll still be able to make big, detailed prints and have room to crop. When shooting in the studio with lights and closer to the base ISO, it's simply shocking how much information you can see in a photograph.
The XF 100MP is a stills-only camera. Video recording is not supported. The Hasselblad H6D-50c and Pentax 645Z both shoot 1080p video, but it's pretty underwhelming in quality. Stick to 35mm (or smaller) sensors for serious video work.
Conclusions
It's difficult to explain just how much detail you can see in a 100-megapixel photo. On paper, I knew it was going to be a lot. But it wasn't until I started working with the Raw files produced by the Phase One XF 100MP that I really understood it. I can clearly see the shapes of individual crystals of sugar on an apple cider donut, recognize silhouettes in the reflection of the outside world in a chicken's eye, and count eyelashes in a portrait of a sheep. Shooting with 50MP models like the competing Hasselblad H6D-50c and Pentax 645Z didn't prepare me for that. Results like this are why photographers pay a premium for a medium format system.
The XF is considered by many to be a dedicated studio camera, but it's more than capable of being used in the field. It's on the heavy side for extended handheld shooting (especially if you pair it with a heavy lens like the Schneider Kreuznach 120mm LS f/4.0 Macro ), but I had success with handheld use when covering the annual NJ State Fair, and many Phase One owners utilize the system for landscape work. A lack of full-on weather sealing can be an issue in some cases, but if you're working from a tripod it's not difficult to protect the camera in all but the heaviest rain using an umbrella or rain cover.
In the studio, when connected to a computer for tethered control, the XF is a pleasure to use. You can choose to use the optical viewfinder, rear LCD, or your computer screen to preview the frame, and images appear in Capture One almost immediately after they've been shot. This makes it possible to instantly review shots to confirm that your focus and lighting are spot-on. It's a slightly better tethering experience than you get with Hasselblad and its Phocus software, as you can capture an image with the XF directly from Live View mode—something the H6D can't do.
Price is a huge hurdle for many photographers in want of a medium format system. If you don't have Annie Leibovitz's budget, but have aspirations to shoot with a huge, high-resolution image sensor, there are options. The Pentax 645D and 645Z are solid budget options, with the 645Z retaining Editors' Choice honors for budget medium systems. But the back can't be removed, so you lose the ability to pair the camera with a technical camera, and upgrades are out of the question.
Hasselblad plans to compete on price with its mirrorless X1D-50c ($8,995), but if you haven't ordered one already, expect to wait until next year to get it. Leica also has a series of medium format cameras, more similar in design to a 35mm SLR, with the S-E (Typ 006) ($9,995) and S (Typ 007) ($16,900) both coming in at prices less than Hasselblad and Phase One, but more than Pentax.
At $48,900, the XF 100MP is the highest of the high end. You can certainly opt for a lower-priced back for a Phase One system—a similar kit with a 40MP IQ140 back can be had for under $18,000—and once you have the camera and lenses, you can upgrade to a higher-resolution back if your needs call for it. But we're naming the XF 100MP as our Editors' Choice in the high-end medium format class. We've yet to review the less expensive 100MP alternative, the $32,995 Hasselblad H6D-100c, but based on my time with the H6D-50c, it's clear that the Phase One XF body is more refined and feature-rich.
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