Phocus 4.2 Fixes Both 4.1.2 Regressions

Hasselblad released Phocus 4.2 for Mac this week. The read-me is dated June 2, but the installer only landed on Hasselblad's download servers on June 3 (the dmg's last-modified timestamp). The notes lead with new features, but if you read this blog you already know the only question that mattered going in: are the two regressions that made 4.1.2 a version to avoid actually gone?

They are. I tested both on an X2D II 100C, and 4.2 clears the pair that had this blog telling Hasselblad shooters to stay on 4.1.1 since April.

Phocus 4.2 is available now: download Phocus_4.2_Mac.dmg directly (746 MB), or get it from Hasselblad's Phocus page.

Key finding: Phocus 4.2 fixes both 4.1.2 regressions: the default color preview now renders correctly and matches the export, and a full-size JPEG from an X2D II 100C exports at native 11656×8742, not the silent 7000×5250 downscale. New in 4.2: redesigned SDR/HDR export presets, a brush eraser, and bidirectional highlight and shadow sliders.

Are the two 4.1.2 regressions fixed?

Yes, both. I reopened the same X2D II 100C raw I used to document the color preview regression and ran the same checks.

The color preview path is fixed. In 4.1.2, every Hasselblad raw opened with a flat, desaturated default preview, and the correct rendering only appeared when you switched the hidden Reproduction tool's Working Space from Hasselblad RGB to Hasselblad L* RGB. In 4.2 the default preview is already correct. Toggling Working Space barely changes the image, and a 16-bit TIFF export matches what the viewer shows. The split between a wrong preview path and a correct export path is closed.

The export-size bug is fixed too. In 4.1.2, every export capped at 7000×5250 regardless of preset, a uniform 0.6005 downscale that hit JPEG, TIFF, and HEIF alike. In 4.2 a full-size JPEG of the same 100-megapixel raw comes out at 11656×8742, the body's native output resolution. I confirmed full size specifically and did not re-test every Restrict Pixels value, but the Dimensions code path is honoring the preset again.

For the record, Hasselblad engineering reproduced the color preview bug back in April and committed a fix for a later release. Phocus 4.2 is that release.

What's new in Phocus 4.2?

The biggest change is export.

Redesigned export presets. The Output Presets dialog has been rebuilt around SDR and HDR color profiles. New in 4.2, it splits presets into two labeled groups: a built-in Hasselblad Presets list and a separate Custom list. Each preset now carries its own SDR Output Profile and HDR Output Profile, so a built-in preset like JPEG Full Size ships with sRGB for SDR and Display P3 for HDR, and your custom presets hold their own pair. A mixed batch then exports predictably instead of forcing one profile onto everything. The original Ultra HDR JPEG preset is gone from the built-in list, so if you had a workflow pointed at that named preset, you will rebuild it around the new dialog.

Brush mask eraser and invert. The Brush Mask tool gains an eraser and one-tap selection inversion, the same two refinements that came to Phocus Mobile 2 in v4.3.0. Overpaint a mask, erase the excess. Brush the subject, invert to work the background.

Negative highlight recovery and shadow fill. Highlight Recovery and Shadow Fill now accept negative values, so each slider works in both directions for finer control at the bright and dark ends. I have not tested how far the negative range extends in practice, so treat that as documented behavior until I confirm it.

In-app update notifications. Phocus now tells you when a new version is available. Until now there was no signal inside the app, and you found out a release had shipped by checking Hasselblad's website. A built-in notification is small, but it is overdue for software that ships meaningful point releases.

Two more from the read-me: improved highlight rendering for exported HDR HEIF and Ultra HDR JPEG images, and improved EXIF data embedded in exported files.

Should you upgrade?

For most users, yes. The two regressions that made 4.1.2 a version to avoid are both fixed, which removes the reason this blog spent the last two months telling Hasselblad shooters to hold on 4.1.1. The export-profile work is a real improvement for anyone juggling SDR and HDR output, and the brush eraser is the kind of small change you feel every editing session.

One honest caveat. I have verified the two known regressions and exercised the headline features, not every code path in the release. A point update can introduce new issues as easily as it resolves old ones, and I will report anything I turn up. If you upgrade and run into trouble, Hasselblad keeps the 4.1.1 installer on their support site, so the fallback is still there.

References

1. Phocus 4.1.2 Has a Critical Color Preview Regression
2. Phocus 4.1.2 Exports Every JPEG at the Wrong Size
3. Phocus 4.x for Mac: Known Issues and Bug Reports
4. Hasselblad Phocus download page