There are face shots with flash, but they are small. It is too bad they did not make the raw files available. That would have been wonderful.
If you watch the video (at the bottom), they are using Broncolor Scoro packs, along with various lighting modifiers, including three different Briese Focus's (44H, 77?, 140H).
Ideally they would have used a technical camera with the same lens (maybe a Rodenstock 90 HR, or SK 120 ASPH) to level the playing field, but that would have added a lot of cost in tech cam back mounts. I can understand them using the lenses from each brand, as that is what many people will do. But then, having more tests showing the lenses would have been nice. Although, they said they spent four days doing the tests, just focusing on the backs, so they had to draw the line somewhere.
Now that you said “jaundice, sunburn, close, and anaemic”, I cannot unthink this. All the files could be pushed around in post (to varying degrees), but it adds more work and cost (either time, or money if paying for retouching), plus some things are never quite the same. I find the closer the camera can get with the overall tone and balance, the better. I note they don't mention what camera profiles they used. Given their studio and equipment, I suspect they know what they're doing, but it's not mentioned.
In the end, I would vote for the Phase first, then Leica. I am still surprised the Hasselblad skin tones are so bad. I have never seen this with the newer X1D/X2D's. Maybe this is just with the CMOS H series? I do not know.
I was not familiar with the idea of looking at lips. That is a good one, and I will keep it in mind.
I still wish I could find other tests.
Thank you for your thoughts.
Jan 29, 2026 at 03:50 AM
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