Library

The Tech Behind the Frame is a single-author practitioner blog about the Phocus RAW processor for Mac and digital Hasselblad medium-format cameras. Posts are written by Konrad Michels, an engineer who shoots: 30 years in software, with the X2D II as his primary camera.

The coverage concentrates on areas Hasselblad's own documentation does not cover: HNCS and HNNR color pipelines, 3FR and FFF file format behavior, Phocus 4.x bug investigations, X2D II firmware quirks, HDR output workflows, and Phocus-vs-Lightroom tradeoffs. Every post is based on first-hand testing with specific version numbers, hardware context, and reproduction steps that ExifTool or empirical measurement can verify.

This page is a directory of every post on the site, grouped by topic cluster. Use it as an entry point if you are new here, as a reference when you need to find a specific investigation, or as a reading list if you want to work through the full body of work.

The site also publishes a machine-readable manifest at /llms.txt for AI crawlers, and an RSS feed for your reader of choice. For the fully indexed, tested, and structured version of everything below, see the Essential Phocus 4.x User Guide - a 85-topic paid book that collects and expands on the reference material here.

If you need personalized help with your Phocus workflow, HDR pipeline, or want a bug report reviewed before submitting to Hasselblad, see the Work With Me page.

Topic clusters

Phocus bug investigations

When Hasselblad ships a Phocus 4.x for Mac release with bugs, this is where they get logged. Every post in this cluster is based on reproduction of the bug on my own hardware, log analysis or binary investigation to understand what is happening, and - where possible - a workaround or confirmed fix. Posts cite the specific Phocus version, the macOS version, and the hardware (Mac Mini Pro, MacBook Pro M4 Pro and M5 Pro) on which the bug was reproduced. Community-reported issues I could not reproduce are noted as such, and credit goes to original discoverers where I know them.

This cluster is the most-linked part of the site because Phocus bugs tend to interact - a fix in 4.1.2 often turns out to create a new regression in the same subsystem. The color preview bug in 4.1.2, for example, is best read alongside the 4.1.1 investigation to see the pattern.

Phocus guides and reference

The reference material. These posts explain how Phocus 4.x for Mac actually works - the HNCS color pipeline, HNNR denoising, the HDR tools chain, file format internals - based on testing and measurement, not marketing. Where Hasselblad's official documentation is silent or vague, these posts fill in the mechanics.

The centerpiece is the Essential Phocus 4.x User Guide, a 85-topic paid book covering everything from color science to tethered capture. The blog posts in this section are the public versions of reference topics that expand beyond what fits in the guide, plus comparisons (Phocus vs Lightroom, Phocus vs Capture One) and investigations (telemetry analysis, memory requirements) that do not belong in a user manual.

If you are new to Hasselblad or Phocus, the HNCS explainer and the Phocus vs Lightroom comparison are the two posts to start with.

Hasselblad X2D II and camera hardware

First-hand X2D II testing plus a running firmware changelog. Covers metering modes, flash and TTL compatibility, continuous-shooting bit depth tradeoffs, and everything added or changed in firmware since launch. Reproduced on my own X2D II body with named hardware and tested accessories.

The flash and TTL post includes a compatibility table that Hasselblad does not publish. The 14-bit continuous-mode post documents a behavior that is in the manual but buried, with visual tests showing when the bit-depth drop matters and when it does not.

  • Hasselblad X2D II RAWs Record Focus Distance. Now Your Editor Reads It: Every X2D II 3FR since firmware 1.2.7.11 carries data from which real focus distance can be recovered, in private fields no editor could read. Since firmware 1.3.16.1 the camera also writes the standard EXIF field, and Capture One and Lightroom Classic both read it and use it for distance-dependent lens corrections. Includes the controlled test ladder and the render tests.
  • Add Focus Distance to Older X2D II RAW Files: A free open-source tool that computes focus distance from data the camera has recorded since firmware 1.2.7.11 and writes it into the standard EXIF field, so Lightroom and Capture One apply the right lens correction to files shot before firmware 1.3.16.1. Works on copies; originals are never modified.
  • Highlight-Weighted Metering on the Hasselblad X2D II: How the X2D II's highlight-weighted metering mode behaves, when it helps, and when it produces underexposure. Includes metering bias tests.
  • X2D II Flash & TTL Guide: What Works in 2026: Flash sync speed, leaf shutter behavior, and TTL compatibility tables for the X2D II. What works, what does not, and why electronic shutter precludes flash firing.
  • Hasselblad X2D II 14-Bit in Continuous Mode Explained: Documented but buried: continuous shooting drops raw bit depth from 16-bit to 14-bit. Visual tests show when the difference is visible and when it is not.
  • Hasselblad X2D 100C: RAW Bit Depth, Buffer, and Continuous Shooting Specs: What Hasselblad's official datasheet, FAQ, and product page actually say about the X2D 100C's RAW bit depth (16-bit baseline), continuous shooting speed (3.3 fps, tied to 14-bit), and buffer depth (not published anywhere). Unlike the X2D II, the 100C doesn't force 14-bit the moment you switch to Continuous drive mode - Hasselblad's own FAQ and product page describe 16-bit as available there too, just not confirmed at the peak rate.
  • Hasselblad X2D II: Three Firmware Quirks Worth Knowing: Three early-firmware behaviors on the X2D II. What to expect, what to work around, and which are likely to be fixed in firmware updates.
  • Hasselblad X2D II Firmware Updates Since Launch: The running reference for every X2D II firmware release, the new features and behaviour changes that are not in the v1.0 manual, and the complete version-by-version changelog. Updated as Hasselblad ships firmware.
  • Hasselblad Firmware Tracker: a live, daily-checked reference for the current firmware version of every X System body, XCD lens, and adapter.
  • Triggering a Hasselblad X2D II With a MIOPS Smart Trigger: A passive 2.5-to-3.5mm adapter will not fire the X2D II, because the shutter control port triggers on the ring while generic triggers (MIOPS, Pluto, intervalometers) put the signal on the tip. Includes the Release Cord X pinout measured on a multimeter, the two-wire MIOPS cable that works, the build gotchas, and a lightning-safety note.
  • Hasselblad X2D II vs X2D 100C: Is the Upgrade Worth It?: The X2D II 100C launched at $7,399, undercutting the now discontinued X2D 100C by $800. What actually changed between the two bodies, and who the upgrade is worth it for.
  • The Hasselblad X2D II Autofocus System: How the 425-zone PDAF array, LiDAR assist, and AF-C subject detection work on the first Hasselblad that can follow a subject across the frame, plus the constraints that do not show up on the spec sheet.
  • Earth Rotation Compensation on the X2D II: The 4-Hour Location Window: The X2D II's Earth rotation compensation depends on location data that only reaches the camera when you connect Phocus Mobile 2, and that data goes stale after 4 hours.

Hasselblad lenses and optics

The XCD lineup spans three generations (V, P, E) with overlapping specs, leaf-shutter behavior, and pricing that confuses anyone building a kit. This cluster covers what each lens actually is, how the generations differ, and the operational consequences of shooting medium format through them: diffraction, equivalence, sync speeds, and which lenses pair with which X-System body.

HDR output workflow

End-to-end HDR workflow for Hasselblad files. Covers format selection (the trilemma between JPEG gain maps, HEIF, and TIFF), display requirements for correct playback, print-side ICC round-trip behavior, and the Phocus adjustment workflow including the hidden Histogram Levels tool.

Read the format trilemma post first. The rest of the cluster assumes you have made that decision. The display requirements post is worth reading before buying a monitor for HDR work; most commodity HDR displays are insufficient for Hasselblad's output.

  • Hasselblad HDR: The Complete Guide to HNCS HDR in Phocus: Hub page for the HDR series. Covers the architecture of HNCS HDR (decide HDR vs SDR in post, not at capture, unlike Canon or Sony), output formats, display requirements, and archival considerations end to end.
  • Hasselblad HDR Output Formats & the HNCS Trilemma: The three competing HDR output formats (JPEG gain maps, HEIF, and TIFF) and why you cannot pick one that works everywhere. Format selection guidance based on target platform.
  • Which Displays Actually Show Hasselblad HDR? A Guide: What your monitor actually needs to display Hasselblad HDR output correctly. Includes tested monitor models and SDR fallback behavior.
  • Hasselblad HDR: Print, Archival Strategy, and When to Use It: Print-side HDR constraints: what survives ICC round-trip, what does not, and what to archive for future reprinting.
  • Phocus 4.x HDR Workflow: The Hidden Histogram Levels Tool: End-to-end HDR adjustment workflow in Phocus 4, including the hidden Histogram Levels tool that most users miss.
  • Do You Need RAW+JPG Capture Mode for HDR on the Hasselblad X2D II?: The in-camera HDR toggle confuses most X2D II shooters into running RAW+JPG when RAW-only would do. The toggle only controls in-camera JPEG output; the RAW captures full dynamic range regardless and Phocus can render HDR from any 3FR or FFF. Includes the full grayed-out toggle table and the three real reasons to keep the toggle on.
  • Why your X2D II files look better on iPad than iPhone: X2D II files look meaningfully better on iPad than iPhone, despite the iPhone’s higher pixel density (460 PPI vs 264 PPI). The cause is angular extent and the human contrast sensitivity function, which peaks at 3 to 5 cycles per degree of visual angle. Display tech (Reference Mode, XDR brightness) is a smaller secondary effect. Practical takeaways for review and culling included.
  • Where the Ultra HDR JPEG Preset Went in Phocus 4.2: Phocus 4.2 removed the two dedicated UltraHDR JPEG presets, but the format is now automatic: any JPEG export of an HDR-mode image embeds the gain map. ExifTool evidence (Display P3 base, full resolution, four stops of gain-map headroom), the new SDR/HDR profile model, and the explanation Hasselblad buried in a tooltip.

Backup and data integrity

Photographer-facing backup guidance based on actually testing restores, not just backups. Includes the plain-language three-part 'Back Up Like One' guide, the philosophy post, and reference material on external-drive failure modes. Also covers ImageIntact (a free Mac App Store utility I built to make verified photo copying painless) with links to the origin story and current App Store listing.

This cluster exists because photographer backup advice on the public internet is mostly gear-focused and rarely tests the restore path. The posts here are written for Hasselblad owners whose RAW files are irreplaceable.

Release announcements

Short-form posts noting new Phocus, Phocus Mobile, XCD lens, and X2D II camera firmware releases as they happen, with early observations. These posts are time-sensitive and intentionally lightweight. They exist to surface the release to search engines and to provide a starting point for the deeper investigation posts that sometimes follow. If you want the full analysis of a release, start with the corresponding bug investigation or guide post instead.

About this library

This library page is maintained by hand and updated when new posts are published. If you are looking for a specific topic and cannot find it here, subscribe to the RSS feed for new releases, or reach out via the About page. I am open to guest-post collaborations on Hasselblad and Phocus topics.