In the Lakes with Gareth Hacon.
After meeting Chris Ireland several years ago I looked at the P25+ system, eventually I decided to continue with 35mm DSLR. Fast forward to the present day and thousands of frames later I met with Chris Ireland on location in the Lake District testing Phase One's P65+ digital back, camera system and a selection of lenses.
A brief history of myself. I run a commercial gallery in North Norfolk, I have works in a gallery in Cambridge and I have a large selection of products in shops the length and breadth of the East Anglian coastline.
After talking with Chris I was pleased to know that Phase One were offering an incredible offer on a Refurbished P65+ with New camera and lens system, this coincided with my desire to move up from the 35mm DSLR system. I was shooting on Nikon's D3X and had a wide range of lenses, Nikon like Canon produces a very capable system but I knew that I could get more, better and Phase One was the logical step. After an initial run through of the camera operations Chris (designated driver) was on hand over a few days wherever the weather and location permitted. My first reactions was a more simplified and straight forward approach, the clean four button layout and camera dials were a breath of fresh air from the 35mm DSLR system. A few things felt a step back but in no way impeded the final results, these have been changed with the newer IQ backs such as a higher resolution screen and a Live View function to help with focus confirmation. That said I had a blast testing a new piece of hardware in a stunning area of England. Chris was always there to go through any questions that arose. In the evening we sat down and previewed the files that I shot on the day.
The files that the P65+ produces are simply amazing when captured correctly, the system tests you as a photographer to push all the boundaries that you previously felt comfortable with on previous 35mm DSLR systems. It is unforgiving but I was successful in getting some really decent shots early on and the quality is unequalled. The difference is night and day, clearer files, sharper files and greater dynamic range. As I specialise in landscape photography my shooting style is tripod, mirror lock-up and cable release, this hasn't changed from my 35mm DSLR days. All digital backs ship with a 'free for life' Capture One Pro imaging software. Like any new software introduction, time and effort are needed to get the most out of the camera and software.
Chris at Direct Digital Imaging is first class in dealing with any request that you have with Phase One and combined with the fact he will travel to anywhere in the UK, anyone who has a genuine interest in a Phase One system will be rewarded.
Now I have purchased the Phase One system. There is a lot for me to learn whilst purchasing new lenses to build a similar selection to my previous system but I know from the results that I have achieved, things can only get better. In a nutshell the Phase One system captures incredible amounts of detail and if you put the effort and hours in you will be rewarded. I will be sending Chris some of my images that I have shot in Norfolk and will continue the review.
