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Analysis / Union

Soumare trade gives Union a clean slate

Photo: Paul Rudderow

Philadelphia Union can finally start looking ahead and stop looking behind.

The last of Peter Nowak’s mistakes is gone. The slate is clean. You can now begin to forget that the 2012 abortion of a season ever happened.

First Diego Gutierrez’s ill-advised Latin American signings had to go, and they did.

Then Sebastien Le Toux had to return. And he did.

Freddy Adu had to leave. He’s gone.

And finally, Bakary Soumare has been traded.

Now if only Danny Califf returns at a cut-rate deal, the Union’s scales can balance again.

No, the Union didn’t get back as much as they traded last year to acquire Soumare in the first place. They gave up a first round draft pick and allocation money. They got back a second round draft pick and allocation money. Whatever. It’s done with. MLS draft picks are crapshoots anyway.

And yes, they’re still on the hook for part of Soumare’s salary. Not good.

But the Union can finally move ahead and be a normal professional soccer team. The Nowak albatross no longer hangs around the Union’s neck.

Soumare and the Union: Doomed from day 1

Soumare’s tenure with the Union was doomed from the beginning. Let’s recount, for those with short memories:

• The Union traded assets for an injured player and made him their second highest paid player before he recovered.

• He didn’t recover properly and missed almost the whole season.

• Soumare was brought in by Nowak and Gutierrez, who knew him from their shared ties to the Chicago Fire and planned to make him their defensive centerpiece.

• Nowak and Gutierrez got fired in the worst scandal in recent MLS history before Soumare played a single game.

• On top of all this, Nowak had forced out the Union’s popular captain, Califf, to make room for Soumare and lied about Califf wanting to return to Los Angeles after previously lying about some nonexistent injury, which only worsened the club’s reputation.

Soumare walked into just about the worst situation a player could enter, one so bad that it still leaves a bad taste in the mouths of Union fans. He then put his head down, worked hard, and competed to return to the starting lineup, to his credit.

If you watched his first two games starting for the Union this month, you saw why Union manager John Hackworth determined two and a half months ago that Soumare wasn’t one of his two best center backs on opening day. Hackworth was right: Amobi Okugo and Jeff Parke were both better players that day.

If only Soumare had been more patient, maybe things would have worked out in Philadelphia. Judging by his excellent performance in his third start, he is gradually regaining the fitness and form that made him an MLS all-star with Chicago. Given time, maybe he would have forced his way back into Philadelphia’s starting lineup next to Parke and nudged Okugo back to defensive midfield.

But Soumare didn’t give it time. He’s 27 years old. He had just missed almost an entire season. He didn’t feel that he had time. Right or wrong, it was his call.

Would the Union be a better team with Soumare? Maybe. And maybe a Parke-Soumare pairing would have been too slow to keep up with quick forward pairings.

Either way, Soumare didn’t want to stay with Philadelphia. Not when he was the third of three center backs. Not after his patrons Nowak and Gutierrez had left. Not when he knew Chicago needed a center back. Not when he knew Chicago was home.

Hackworth: Making the best of a bad situation

Hackworth has continuously tried to make the best* of an extraordinarily bad situation. His Union have a winning record and, if the season ended today, would make the playoffs. His coaching decisions turned two benchwarmers into two rising young American soccer stars. His locker room isn’t a poison factory. He isn’t a classless disgrace to his club like his predecessor. In fact, he’s even a nice guy. These are legitimate accomplishments for a club that had been on an unprecedented downward spiral on and off the field one year ago.

Are the Union a good team yet? No. They have won all their games against weak teams and typically done it by parking the team bus in front of goal. A fit Jose Kleberson could have a domino effect that transforms the team’s prospects. Brian Carroll and Michael Farfan look better with him. But Hackworth still lacks a single quality left-footed wide player at his disposal, and his team faces a murderous schedule starting in late June.

Many fans are frustrated because once again the Union have traded away a player and gotten nothing immediately tangible in return. A draft pick is a promise that doesn’t become a person till next year. Allocation money is a secret, the value of which is rarely revealed. Their frustration is perfectly understandable.

But there’s no point in going overboard and fulfilling every outsider’s lowest denominator stereotype of Negadelphia. In MLS, this is often how trades work. Trading someone for allocation money is the equivalent of selling a player in Europe. Now Hackworth can use the money to acquire a left-sided player.

It should not be overlooked that Hackworth accommodated players who wanted to depart or looked unlikely to get the playing time they felt they deserved. In a league with no free agency, that’s a big deal. Soumare, Gabriel Farfan and Chandler Hoffman all left in trades that brought them home, to places they would probably choose to go if they could.

That they were in those situations to begin with was due to different factors in each case.

Farfan wanted more playing time in midfield. He probably should have gotten it over Danny Cruz or Keon Daniel, but he didn’t. He’s gone, which isn’t a good thing, but the Union got decent value for him.

Hoffman was the Union’s fifth striker – deservedly so on a deep depth chart – with a contract that is currently paid by the league but, once he graduates Generation adidas, would leave the Union paying a bloated paycheck. He went to Los Angeles, where he also played in college.

And then there was Soumare.

Now there isn’t. The drama is over. Take a deep breath, and enjoy the soccer.

  1. Andrew 'Calm' Down says:

    Also makes the bench ‘clean’

  2. Earl Gardner says:

    You forgot about one Nowak piece to the puzzle… Roger Torres. How soon til he gets sold for a Pizza and a six pack?

    • Dan Walsh says:

      Nah, I didn’t forget him. Torres wasn’t a mistake. He was a great find. He deserves playing time. Gutierrez and Nowak didn’t do everything wrong.

      • I think his sample size is too small to make an honest assessment either way.

      • Bleed Blue and Gold sopped up with Bimbo Bread says:

        I don’t see Torres fitting into this team, good player or TBD. Kleberson will be selected over him. You also can’t play Torres with Danny Cruz on the field. Cruz’s deep runs mean someone has to back off for defense. Torres can’t do it(on account he can’t defend and is 5’5″), that means the LM has to thus a one sided attack.

      • kevinsetbingo says:

        I think slotting in Torres (who is also left-footed!) on the left mid and bringing Farfan back to his preferred side could be an interesting choice, You still have Mike’s work tracking back.

        My only problem is now you have Torres on Gaddis’ side, and that could be disastrous. Unless we use some of this cash to bring in a true left back.

  3. So much to criticize in this article… so much.

    But putting all of that aside… how was the firing of Peter Nowak the biggest scandal in the history if the MLS?

    • Didnt you read all the rumors about him taking money under the table, subjecting his players to cruel tactics during practice and not even watching his new signings before signing them?

      • Was any of it proven? Any of it?
        Nowak was a prick, but so is the Union front office. They gleefully threw Peter under the bus for PR, so who can say.

        The only reason I know that Peter got fired was applying to the Hearts job while still at the Union. If Peter did all those things you mentioned the front office had no problem with it til then.

      • Dan Walsh says:

        Fair point on the front office, Sieve. They empowered Nowak. And very good point about the Hearts job.

        The scandal? All the things James wrote, the very sketchy trades of Califf and more significantly Le Toux. What did the Le Toux deal represent? When you consider Michael Orozco’s account of how Nowak tried to profit off his deal, there’s one very obvious scenario regarding Le Toux to Europe that should be considered. And when Le Toux wouldn’t play ball, the team’s best player was run out of town.

      • I didn’t deny Nowak was a prick. Hell I didn’t deny allegations, though my tone sure made it seems like I did. Clarification: I think Nowak did a lot of things they said he did.

        As much as I believe Orozco’s account of what happened it hasn’t been proven and I I recall Nick S. denying that was an condition of his firing when questioned directly. (I seem to recall it being mentioned in the court filings tho) It leads me to believe 1.)That the Union can’t prove it. 2.) it is a widespread practice in international soccer and nobody wanted to open that can of worms.

        BUT the trades of Califf and LeToux had a logic to them. You may disagree wit the logic but there was a logic. Letoux’s value was as high ass it would ever be, you have a bunch of promising strikers in the pipeline and you are bringing in a bunch of (admittedly sucky except for Gomez who I will argue mitigating circumstance) players getting added to the team. Califf well you had Baky coming in who, on paper, was better and younger than Danny(with the possible exception of drinking contests) with a comparable salary should he have traded these players? debatable. Should he have handled it the way he did? No.

        But I don’t see how being an autocratic Aspergers megalomaniacal prick makes it the worst scandal in MLS. Considering the macho culture of sports his crime was being a losing autocratic Aspergers megalomaniacal prick. If he was a winning autocratic Aspergers megalomaniacal prick he would have self help books and speaking engagements.

  4. Not that anything you wrote is wrong, I just disagree. Hackworth did NOT make the best of a bad situation. Making these best of this situation would be realizing Soumare has the #1 upside of any CB on this roster and finding a way to start him (which, as we’ve all complained 100 times was tailor made with Okugo being a natural Dmid and Carrol struggling).
    Also, I just know I am going to repeat this hundreds of times before the trade inevitably happens but please NO Califf. We already have the “no where near MLS quality even as an emergency player but hey hes a great locker room presence!” roster spot locked up by Albright.
    Bring back Shoele (?).

    • Dan Walsh says:

      Well, maybe not the BEST of a bad situation, but pretty good. Bad on me for falling to a cliche in my writing. Edited accordingly.

      As for Califf … I haven’t seen him play this season, but I know Toronto went 1-2-1 with him starting. They haven’t won a game since.

    • Eli Pearlman-Storch says:

      I believe the player you’re thinking of is Eric Schoenle from West Virginia.

      • Oh yes. A player who couldn’t make the starting 11 for Harrisburg is the bench answer for the Union. How’s that grass on the other side of the fence? Give me a proven veteran any day.

      • Eric has basically stopped playing soccer after Union release.

      • Dan Walsh says:

        Any idea why? Was surprised to see him not on Harrisburg’s roster.

    • I work in management, usually the best way to get the most out of the team is to do what is best for the whole team, not individual parts that you piece together. It seems like soumare was not pleased that he had to compete for his spot. Then he asked to be traded. Hackworth for all of his faults has made it clear from day one that players must earn their spot by competing in practice for it. If he gives in to soumare, he loses the respect of the whole team. Once Someone asks to be traded you cant have them around, brings down the whole team. If Soumare didn’t fit into the culture that Hackworth was trying to create then he had to go. I don’t agree with everything Hack does and in particular I detest the style of soccer that they play, but he is getting results. The results may not be what we want them to be but the team has made strides up the table compared to last year’s postion.

      • frankswild says:

        I think you make a pretty good point here. We will never know all the ins and outs but this seems to cleanly fit what happened

    • Kenso Josh says:

      Soumare was the number three. No question.

  5. So how is it Saomare’s fault that Hackworth never gave Baky time and starts in training camp for Baky to work off the rust? By Hackworth’s own admission if Williams hadn’t gotten red carded he never would have started. Hell he never would have gotten a chance to showcase what he could do to even get traded. Being patient with the Union will get you nowhere. Chandler Hoffman recognized that, Garfan recognized that, Baky Recognized that. All they have to do is to look over at Roger Torres and realize that if they don’t make moves for themselves they could end up like Roger… spending his entire career warming up in the 18 never gettingin the game.

    • Dan Walsh says:

      Soumare DID get playing time games in training camp.

      I didn’t — and don’t — criticize any of Soumare’s choices. I didn’t say anything was Soumare’s fault. He made choices, and his choices weren’t unreasonable at all. I might have done the same if I was him.

      One thing to remember: Hackworth said early in the season that Soumare’s trade request changed how he viewed Soumare’s lineup status. Soumare would have been in the 18 every match had he not asked for a trade. When would he have started? I I don’t know, but it eventually happened for an extended stretch and he impressed.

      • To the best of my knowledge he started in 1 game. And besides one slip of the ball he played pretty well. That is way different than the commitment shown to players like Cruz and Daniel.

        I think it is pretty well established that Hack won’t start players who aren’t his favorites unless there is a gun to his head. They had a returning All star caliber player I think he deserved the same commitment and resolved afforded to players like Cruz and Daniel.

      • so much for that “putting the best 11 on the field” line. regardless of if one believes soumare was one of the best 11, if that’s reason for not getting minutes you lose the right to use that line in seriousness. seems to me i saw soumare act the pure professional in the games he got.

      • Dan Walsh says:

        Yes, it is way different from Cruz and Daniel. Note my comments on that, re: Garfan’s trade.

        I do hear a lot about the favorites thing. And yeah, you have to wonder. By season’s end, it should be pretty clear.

        And re: Soumare … I’m not saying he didn’t play well in preseason. I’m saying Okugo and Parke were better. In the long run, Soumare may be better, so I agree with you about the flaw in all this. We’ll see.

      • I will say this Saoumare was probably overpaid and that is what more than likely doomed him to the sidelines. But if you play him you get the rust off and he gets into a form where he can get traded where we get an actual return for him as opposed to giving him away for essentially nothing like we did.
        With 50/50 hindsight I don’t see how he could have made team play much worse in those opening couple of games.

      • Dan Walsh says:

        Good points again, Sieve. One thing I didn’t mention in the column is something we batted around among the PSP crew not long ago, and that’s the fact that Hackworth manages the Union on game day like he’s holding on with a death grip to grab any points he can get. That probably contributed to Soumare not starting on opening day.

  6. Andy Muenz says:

    The real litmus test of the extra cap space is whether it is enough to be able to keep Jack and Amobi when their contracts are up and they need a hefty raise to stay in MLS rather than test the waters overseas.

  7. Philly Cheese says:

    Highly respect your point of view, Dan, but I think you are throwing a lot of rope to Hackworth. Clean slate sounds nice, but Union are a few injuries from being a cellar dweller in 2013. All of those “future” draft choices won’t mean much if the Union doesn’t make playoffs in 2013.

    • Dan Walsh says:

      True. You’re spot on right. I might be throwing him too much rope. Time will tell.

      (Although coming into the season, I didn’t think playoffs in 2013 were required for him to keep his job. He had an absolute mess to start with. I thought tangible, visible, and significant progress was enough. How do you measure that? Obviously playoffs are the best way, but an entertaining team that just misses the playoffs and is set up well for 2014 would be good too.)

      • Nah,

        If he misses the playoffs he has to go. Its not like the team is playing well anyway. If he has nothing to show for the ugliness that he puts forward then he has to be sacked.

  8. Nice piece Dan. I agree. I think Hack deserves credit for keeping his locker room in good spirits with multiple players wanting out. I think some people might blame him for them wanting to leave but it is pretty obvious Parke and Okugo are better CBs and that if Gabe was unwilling to play LB then he probably isnt the type of player you want. No team in MLS can have a bench player making >300,000 and still compete. Also, the Kleberson move is looking pretty shrewd. Adu is forgotten, his contract gone and they got value in return. Hack made good moves this offseason bringing in Casey, LeToux and Parke and now next offseason will have >1,000,000 to upgrade contracts and sign new players. They also have two 1st round picks and two second round picks.

  9. Great One says:

    I don’t know (and I could be wrong) that anyone just gives an overall commentary that Hackworth stinks. And I think EVERYONE would argue he is better than Nowak, which is basically what you are saying here. It is clear, Hackworth is doing better than Nowak last year.
    However, it’s really frustrating to be told I’m acting like a Negadelphian bc I don’t like something the manager did. He has done some good things, like finding a place for Amobi, unleashing Jack, and bringing in Casey and Letoux. But he has also done some bad things, like insisting that Keon and Cruz must touch the field or start every game, not even attempting a Soumare/Park back line even once, not bringing in a single quality left footed player, and of course banishing Torres to the Phantom Zone. All of those things he has a direct say in. I don’t even think he would have tried starting Kleberson if Keon wasn’t completely embarrassing lately, and that basically is looking like it’s saving Carroll’s career.
    Bottom line is, I feel like people can acknowledge the good things Hackworth has done, AND have commentary on the bad he has done. While he is a significant upgrade over Nowak, his stubbornness with certain things is all too reminding of his predecessor.

    • Since I am on a devil’s advocating roll here I will argue that right now it is a wash between Hackworth and Nowak with no coach clearly better than another. Before Nowak lost his mind I would have given it to him. But he lost his mind and now here we are. I am not ready to give it to Hack yet as I have not seen a purpose, direction or an actual human Left Back for the current Union squad.

      • EllisCarver says:

        But you have seen the best goalscorer the Union have ever had. A guy that Nowak refused to even put in his gameday 18. Not to mention a young centerback with great potential.

      • True.
        But my only reply to that is. Is the team better? Is there any evidence that the team will be better in the near future? it just seems like a revolving door of young players, allocation money and draft picks. Too soon to tell.

      • EllisCarver says:

        Yes, the team is clearly better. We had 3 road wins all of last season and we’ve already matched that total. Considering that most of the stars of the team are young and we’ll have a lot of cap space next offseason, I’d say the future is looking up.

      • I am comparing to the teams 2011 Peak. 2012 is a wash for both coaches.

      • Sieve in the devils advocate role, I would say Novak had a year to get them to that 2011 high so maybe we should give Hack a year and grade him next year. I’m not saying I agree with everything he has done (the draft was a mess, and I still think Garfan was out best LM and should be here unless we got offered a crazy package for him) but if we are playing devils advocate then he shouldn’t be graded till the end of next year.

  10. Bleed Blue and Gold sopped up with Bimbo Bread says:

    If the Union and Hackworth finally have a clean slate I want to see what type of player Hackworth targets in the summer transfer window. What type of player or talent is he going to bring in when it’s his decision?

    • I would say I’m gun shy about people the Union get in the summer, they always seem to be scrambled choices to solve a problem, and then end up being the next high payed problem we have to deal with.

  11. I’m not sure how anyone can think that Nowak’s behavior was anything but scandalous. His moves were so illogical as to defy common sense. One soccer-savvy friend of mine literally wondered if Nowak had a major drug or alcohol problem since that was the only way his moves could be explained.

    In my 30+ years as an American professional sports fan, I have never seen any coach behave in such an outrageous manner. It is as though he were deliberately trying to terrorize and dismantle a team (that he had built himself!).

    I would call that quite a scandal.

  12. Southside Johnny says:

    Good article, Dan. I need a little perspective to pull me back from the edge at times. As much as I have lamented a number of Hack’s decisions, I am still giving him credit for dealing pretty well with a nightmarish set of circumstances for a rookie head coach. There is always a steep learning curve when you move into upper management in any field under the best of circumstances. Inheriting a Philly fan base with unreasonably high expectations for a young franchise added to a challenge which already rivaled rebuilding a plane in flight. I am hoping that, as you suggest, we have survived the worst of it and are well positioned to move forward…finally. With all that said, if Keon freaking Daniel…

  13. Kenso Josh says:

    Yeah. It’s going to be okay. We can bring it more reasonable, affordable choices. BTW is Valdes back after this season?

    • Dan Walsh says:

      Theoretically, he could be, but I doubt he’s ever coming back. Probably not before the World Cup, at least.

  14. scottymac says:

    So, what’s the direction? What are our reasonable expectations? Playoffs? Challenge in two years? What’s the plan? Is it being negative to ask that? We made an improbable second year run, and were even in first for a little while in 2011. 2012 hit like a bus. 2013, and thanks to the wonders of medioparity, we find ourselves once again challenging for playoffs in a league where 53% make them.So if we are the 53%, let’s shove our chips in and go for it. If we’re supposed to be happy with a one and done 5th seed flame out, say so. And if we should go for it, that means not trading away starting talent for magic beans just because they ask to be elsewhere. They ask to be elsewhere because the actions of the manager state to all and sundry they will never see the pitch. Not because they aren’t professionals or hate driving to Chester (though I’m sure they do), but because they want to play, somewhere.

    The criticisms of Hackworth are valid. The positives he’s brought to the locker room are to his credit. If the goal is playoffs and we make moves that do not help the team this year, then he deserves criticisms.

    • EllisCarver says:

      Soumare doesn’t see the pitch because there are two centerbacks better than him. It’s that simple. Unless you want a 5 man back line I don’t see the controversy there.

      And Dan kinda mentioned why a Parke/Soumare pairing doesn’t work: two slow centerbacks starting together would be a nightmare.

      • I don’t necessarily see Parke as better. More cost effective/better PR but we don’t have the sample size to say better

      • EllisCarver says:

        Oh don’t give me that cost effective nonsense. Parke’s been a quality player here. Soumare had one good game. Plus, if Soumare was better he would’ve started earlier in the season.

      • Okugo is no longer a better CB (if he ever was). We ALL drank the Okugo for NT CB kool aide when during his honeymoon. He is far from that discussion now and has been at fault plenty of times this season.
        He loses track of his man too easily and doesn’t have the strength or size to be a dominate CB. He is great in possession. But you know where ELSE he would be great in possession? As a Dmid, cleaning up in front of the back line.

      • He has been quality. Don’t have a problem with him. But I saw qualities in Baky that Parke simply doesn’t have. Like organizing the back line. An d I believe the second Park made himself available Saomare was put onto the back burner for someone who was cheaper and could be marketed to the fanbase. Are you going to tell me crucial roster decisions on the team haven’t been motivated by PR and local ties? Are you gonna tell me this team hasn’t become moneyball oriented since Nowaks departure? Once we got Parke the writing was on the wall.

      • And the speed argument is weak. Plenty of world class CBs aren’t known for their speed. Soumare and Parke both have top positioning and awareness and soccer sense.
        If speed is such a deal breaker how was Soumare able to wipe out Nyarko in this second game?
        Hell, if speed is so dangerous why was Le Toux sniffed out for so many games over the past 3 years against CBs much slower than he was?
        It would be a slow pairing, and they would be beat sometimes, but they are both top CBs regardless.

      • Scottymac says:

        I think Soumare had two and a half good games. He got turned a couple of times in the first Fire game, but as I recall we had a clean sheet. He also cleared out Keane a few times in the LAG “we don’t get any respect” game. I hang more of that loss on how bad the left side was. How is it helping the team to have no depth with an older CB returning from hamstring issues?

  15. Ivor Driver says:

    I agree with much of the article but a few points:

    1. Soumare’s performance in the last Chicago game was as good as any one that Parke has had this season – unfortunately for him, he was a Nowak/Gutierrez player on a higher salary and Parke is a local guy. Winner in Hack’s world – Parke

    2. Nowak may have been a prick but he often did trade players to their preferred areas like Hack (Califf – Chivas, Mwanga – Portland, Nakazawa – LA, Le Toux – Vancouver [at least close to Seattle])

  16. Dan, I’m a huge fan of your website, but there are lots of wrong facts in this article.

    First, Hackworth is a inexperienced coach who has been given too much power in being able to trade guys in and out. Most clubs that have young/inexperience coaches have a technical director/president who deals with all the transactions. Philly has not only granted trades to players who wanted out, they have accommodated them in going places they wanted to go to. If I am a manager and a players tells me he doesn’t want to be there, I would shop him around the league and see where I can get the most value for him. Bad management all around by the club.

    I think you have the whole Soumare fiasco twisted. First of all, I have been following the league for a long time and let me assure you that Parke is not better than Soumare. I have actually ask a couple of the guys on the team who live in my area and they all seem to rate Soumare a lot higher than Parke. That’s coming from guys who train with them everyday. Yes, Soumare was coming off an injury but as we saw in his last game, he just needed a few games to get his strides. Had he started right off the bat, he would have used the first couple of games to get the rust off, by now he would have been 100%. Parke came in and was handed the job and had Baky and Amobi fight for the starting spot, what did Parke do in this league or career to be handed a spot on the team.. Is it better value-wise because he makes close to half of soumare’s salary and is from here, yes… But is he a better player? NO

    How can anyone have hard feelings towards a player who asked to leave because he felt he was getting paid too much to sit on the bench? At the end of the day, Soumare has gained lots of respect in my book because despite the whole thing, he still went out there and played his heart out when the team needed him.

    Also, the Baky deal to Philly came months after the Califf trade. How can you assume that Peter was making room for Soumare? As a writer, you are obviously entitled to your opinion, but you can’t assume things.

    Hackworth simply plays favorites in playing his crop of former national team players and refuses to have them compete for the guys who were already here or were signed from other places.

    This team has no chance in making it to the playoffs!

    My two cents

    • Dan Walsh says:

      I don’t have any facts wrong. The word you meant to use instead of “facts” was “opinions.”

    • Califf was traded in mid May 2012, and the Soumare deal was announced June 25 2012, and the international deal and trade with Vancouver for the top allocation spot (ouch, it still burns!) clearly didn’t transpire in just a day or two. It was reported at the time that the Union, previously still under Peter Nowak, were pursuing Baky for months before the deal actually happened, which makes sense given the complexity of a three-party international acquisition and needle-threading needed to meet the regulations of transfer windows.
      The Baky deal was announced just before a transfer window opened (June 27th I think) and he wouldn’t have been eligible until that time, so I think (don’t know for sure) it could have been agreed upon even sooner, just not formally announced. Annnnnd on top of all that, this was the June of Doom in Chester, the month the Nowak firing/controversy was happening.
      All those things considered, it might as well have been the day after Califf was traded it happened so [relatively] fast. I’m no expert and I have no inside knowledge, but at least to me, it appeared Califf was traded *after* the Baky pickup was all but literally inked, which was a small comfort to me as a Califf fan.

  17. Jaap Stam says:

    Can we trade our Front Office to Montreal for their Front Office? Montreal does not seem to need a 3 year plan to compete for a playoff spot. Build the best possible team each year with the assets you have. Go for it! Allocation money and draft picks are for losers in MLS.

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Posts Tagged ‘Matthew 5:13-16’

Of Gospel and Heresies: Hmm…. Needs More Salt

July 14, 2018

Of Gospel and Heresies: Hmm…. Needs More Salt

22 So the men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before the Lord.[f] 23 Then Abraham came near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 26 And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.” 27 Abraham answered, “Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 Again he spoke to him, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” 30 Then he said, “Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” 31 He said, “Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” 33 And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.

—Genesis 18:22-33

Before anyone asks, no, this is not going to lead into a silly comment about Lot’s wife.

There is a popular theology these days. I say “popular” because it dominates many of the largest churches in the United States, the most prominent Christian colleges, politicians travel to seek its blessing and, when they are elected, they bring its preachers to their offices to pray with them, so that the preachers in turn receive the blessing politicians have to give—-prestige, visibility, pride, and worldly influence. In this popular theology, the United States does not have to be a particularly just nation. It does not have to be a particularly good nation. In this popular theology, it does not have to be a particularly wise or smart nation. It does not have to be a particularly hard-working nation. No, in this popular theology, the only thing that the United States has to do is put “Christians” in charge—but not just any Christians, no: only a special kind of Christians. Christians who pay attention to the 92 times the Bible tells us to show kindness to immigrants—we don’t need those. Christians who pay attention to the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus says “blessed are the peacemakers”—- away with them! Only Christians who know that even though Jesus never mentioned abortion or homosexuality, these are the sum and substance of the Gospel—-those are the sort of Christians who need to run the nation and make its laws. If we make laws that require the rich to pay taxes to provide food for the hungry, we rob charity of its moral worth; but if we make laws requiring people to be straight or to never have sex without risking disease or pregnancy, then we not only support the moral worth of those things but we deserve an extra reward—for forcing others to be good. And the extra reward for those who force those others to obey and be good, while not forcing the rich and powerful to do anything at all, is that God will reward them by making them rich and powerful themselves, giving the crowns of the world to the saints. This popular theology is called “Christian Reconstructionism,” or more broadly, “Christian Dominionism.” It’s no wonder it’s so popular. In the Middle Ages you had to pay money to buy indulgences to get out of living according to the Gospel; now, you don’t even have to do that. Simply by seeking to rule over other people, you get the blessing of God, who gives you the power you seek, so long as you agree to never use it against those who already have wealth and power or use it to make others do anything Jesus actually asked them to do. And not only will the individual Dominionist be rewarded, but the nation itself will be magically blessed. God will give the nation military power, without scientists to design weapons; God will give them wealth, without economists to understand how tax policies affect the nation; God will give the nation influence in the world, without the hard work of diplomats trying to listen to and understand other nations to find common ground. Close some abortion clinics, round up some immigrants, throw the gays on an island and watch them die out, and Jesus will fly up on a magic sleigh drawn by Peter, Paul, and the other reindeer, to give everyone toys—I’m sorry, I got a little confused there for a moment.

The Reconstructionist theology names itself for its claim that Christians must reconstruct society. Democracy, they say, is flawed because it doesn’t put Christians in charge; we need to get rid of democracy, get rid of the social safety net, get rid of public schools and public hospitals and rely solely on Jesus and the churches—but of course, we also need to close all those “progressive” churches, so only the right sort of churches, the ones that don’t think society should help the poor, are available help the poor? I think I got confused again. Let me back up and start over.

Reconstructionist theology reconstructs the Gospel in its own image. According to Reconstructionist theology, Sodom was destroyed because godly men like Lot weren’t in charge. Only if Lot and Abraham had conquered the city and imposed laws banning homosexuality could Sodom and Gomorrah been saved. And unless conservatives can overthrow the pluralistic, democratic society that weakens us now and impose their views on the majority, God will destroy the U.S. the same way; but if conservatives do take over, and impose strict laws controlling everyone’s sex lives, every other problem will be solved without effort.

That’s one vision of how Christians can save the world: by taking over and making everyone else live like them. That is NOT the vision presented by Abraham. Abraham prays for Sodom. He does not say, “Spare them, and I’ll take over and run things right.” He says, “LORD, will you destroy the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? What if there are only ten? Will you spare the whole wicked, wretched city for ten people?” And God says, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” We don’t have to run the world to save it. We don’t have to outnumber the wicked or to dominate them. We can’t. There will always be more wicked; being wicked is just too damned easy. And they will always have political power. Satan said to Jesus that he had the ability to give thrones and kingdoms to whomever he wanted, and Jesus did not dispute that; he simply rejected that sort of power. But as long as there are a righteous few, judgment will be delayed, and more will have time to hear the good news and repent.

How can so few people do any good, if they aren’t rich or powerful leaders but just ten righteous people out of thousands? Abraham’s prayer appeals to God’s justice. God, it seems, doesn’t accept “collateral damage;” God practices collateral healing. Rather than destroy a few good people in order to punish the wicked, God would spare the wicked to save the few good ones.

Jesus echoes this idea. He tells the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds to say that God will not root out the wicked from the world immediately, lest this injure some of the righteous as well; rather, the wheat and the weeds grow together until the end of things. That is one way to say that Christians should participate in society; just by being in society, they help it since God will preserve the society for the sake of the faithful. But that doesn’t suggest much in the way of a positive contribution. It doesn’t suggest that the society is improved or helped. Sodom would still have been Sodom even if ten righteous persons had been found in it.

Jesus uses other models to suggest how we should live in the world and participate in society. You are the light of the world, he says. It isn’t enough to just be in the world, hiding your goodness away like a precious gem, afraid to risk losing or tarnishing it. You have to let it shine like a lamp in the darkness that everyone can see and use to guide their own steps as well            You are like salt. Salt was so precious in the days of Jesus that people were paid in salt; our word “salary” comes from the Latin word for “salt.” Salt is necessary for human life. It also preserves food, which is one of its most valuable characteristics in the warm Mediterranean climate without a nice cold fridge around. And even a little can flavor a whole lot of food. It lends its nature to what is around it. It doesn’t, as they say, dominate the taste of the food; it enhances and preserves it, bringing out what is best and perhaps covering up what is not.

Jesus even says we should be holy like God is holy. In the Books of Moses, God’s holiness is a separation. God is so holy and powerful that when God gave the Law to Moses, it was forbidden for anyone else to approach the mountain; even animals that wandered onto the holy mountain were to be killed. But Jesus says we should be perfect as God is perfect, who allows the sun to shine on good and bad alike, and sends rain to the just and the unjust. God’s holiness is his omnipresence, not withdrawing from those in need but providing even for those who do not acknowledge their need for God.

God doesn’t demand that Christians should strive to dominate human politics. God also doesn’t ask us to withdraw from the world. We are told to teach the world, to help the world, to do good and show kindness and love mercy and walk humbly with God. It is a narrow road for sure, neither going too far into politics or not enough. Jesus says we are to be salt; and if the salt has lost its distinctive nature, lost its saltiness, then what good is it? It is fit only to be cast out. As Christians in the world but not of the world, we are forced daily to be involved with things and people that do not follow our ways. We are told we cannot serve God and Money, but we must have money to survive. We are told to serve the world, but often that means working with politicians who have the power to help or stop us, and who have little regard for God or people. No doubt we would be safer to live as monastic communities, apart from the world. Many days I think the Amish are on to something. But that is not, I think, what Jesus intends for us, his disciples. We need the church as a place of rest where we can renew our faith and energy from time to time, but we then need to go out and continue being salt. One day Christ will return. We pray every week, Lord, thy kingdom come. But God has told us that in the meantime, we are not kings yet. We are salt. We are servants. We are preachers and teachers. We are the ten righteous people in the city who can save the whole from destruction for another day. That is our call, and that is the Gospel.

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Mark Dubovoy

As many readers know, I am constantly on a quest for the best possible image quality. This often carries with it the pleasure of looking for the best camera gear available.

Every now and then, a new system comes along that is a true discontinuity in terms of capabilities and/or ultimate image quality. Such is the case with the PhaseOne XF body, PhaseOne/Schneider Blue Line lenses, IQ 3 100 back and CaptureOne 10 software. I will refer to this combination of hardware and software as “The PhaseOne XF System”

As usual, the equipment reviewed in this article is my personal gear, purchased with my own hard earned dollars. And yes, it is quite expensive. This is the equipment I use for most of my photography and therefore the review is based on my personal experience using my equipment for an extended period of time. If this review is biased, so be it. We are all biased and all I am doing is telling it as I see it. There is a reasonable chance that someone will disagree with one or more of my points. That is fine, each one of us is entitled to our own opinion.

I encourage anyone who has interest in the system reviewed in this article to contact a dealer to arrange for a test drive or attend a workshop, such as the ones we offer at PhotoAesthetics, where they can try the system out and draw their own conclusions.

I would like to remind the readers of PhotoAesthetics that we operate independently and under rules of strict neutrality. We are not beholden to anyone. We adhere to the highest standards of neutrality, integrity and transparency (see the ABOUT section in this website and in particular the Ethics statement).

I have been working with an XF Camera System since last March.

After more than 10 months of working with the system, when I think of it, the first words that come to my mind are: This is easily the best SLR camera system in existence today.

Let me qualify and temper this reaction a little bit:

  • First of all, there isn’t a camera system that can do it all. There are things that can be done with a view camera or other cameras that cannot be done with the XF System. However, overall, I find the XF System to be the most capable, most technically advanced, highest quality, most ergonomic, best designed and best built SLR system I have ever experienced.
  • Second, the PhaseOne camera system consists of 4 major components: The camera body, the lenses, the digital back and the CaptureOne software to edit and process the RAW files. I will address each one of these 4 major components individually.
  • Third, the IQ 3 100 digital back can be used with technical and view cameras and SLR camera bodies other than the XF (even including some from other manufacturers). This adds further capabilities and flexibility to the system. Personally, I find that the combination of an XF body plus a technical camera covers everything I need for the type of photography I do.

Fiordlands, New Zealand. PhaseOne XF with 240 mm Blue Line lens and IQ 3 100 back.

Fiordlands, New Zealand.
PhaseOne XF with 240 mm Blue Line lens and IQ 3 100 back.

I Shudder At The Thought….

I shudder at the thought of trying to do an in-depth review of such a sophisticated system in an article of reasonable length. The system has so many tools and so many features and functions that it would make the article unacceptably long just to describe the tools and functions available to the user. And this would leave me no room to describe what the system is like in real world use or the image quality.

Therefore, I have chosen to focus only on part of the main system functionality and some of the tools and features I appreciate the most. This leaves me room to also address some of the key new technologies used in the system, as well as the image quality produced by the XF System.

I would encourage those of you that are interested in finding out more about the system to go to the PhaseOne website to obtain further information and to download the user manual.

From Front To Back

Let’s look at the system from front to back. This means that we will start with the lenses, continue with the camera body, then the digital back and finally the CaptureOne software.

There are currently 11 leaf shutter Blue Ring PhaseOne/Schneider lenses available. The focal lengths go from 35 mm to 240 mm, plus a 2X teleconverter (ideal for the 240 mm lens). In addition, there is a PhaseOne/Schneider 28 mm leaf shutter lens and 9 focal plane lenses including a tilt/shift lens. This is a total of 21 lenses plus a 2X converter. Certainly more than enough for just about any user!

The blue Ring lenses boast the highest resolution and best optical quality of the group. Having said that, I have been using PhaseOne lenses for a number of years and the more economical non-Blue Ring lenses are still excellent lenses.

For my personal system, I purchased 6 leaf shutter Blue Ring lenses in the following focal lengths:

  • 35 mm
  • 55 mm
  • 80 mm
  • 120 mm Macro
  • 150 mm F/2.8
  • 240 mm

I first tested the camera with the 80 mm normal lens. I was very surprised, because I was used to the quality of technical camera lenses (with usually superior image quality to SLR lenses) and the 80 mm lens seemed to be as good as a top quality technical camera lens.

This got my curiosity going, so I tested the 35 mm lens next.

Technical camera lenses usually have a significant advantage in the wide angle range because designers do not have to worry about leaving enough space for the mirror to clear behind a short focal length lens.

Let me explain this in more detail: Because of the short focal length of a wide angle lens, the focal plane is very close to the rear of the lens. Therefore, the lens needs to be very close to the sensor in order to be able to focus on it. Technical camera wide angles place the lens elements very close to the sensor. Unfortunately, this cannot be done with an SLR lens, because one needs space for the mirror to move up and down behind the lens.

In order to move the lens elements farther away from the sensor, the design of an SLR wide angle lens is more complicated, usually requires more lens elements, and some design compromises away from the optimal design have to be made. This is why in general technical camera wide angle lenses are better than their SLR counterparts.

My expectation was that the Blue Line 35 mm. lens was going to be good, but not nearly as good as a technical camera wide angle lens.

I was proven wrong when I compared the PhaseOne/Schneider Blue Line 35mm lens to the venerable 32 mm Rodagon HR lens which is a superb technical camera lens that I had used extensively. The Blue Line 35 mm lens was better! It was noticeably better near the corners. Throughout the entire image it had higher resolution, better color, better contrast, and less linear distortion. Looking at images side by side, the instant reaction by my eye/brain system was that the 35 mm Blue Line lens had higher resolution, and a more accurate and more pleasing image rendition.

The main image at the beginning of this article, “Yuba River”, was shot using the 35 mm Blue Line lens.

At this point, I decided to test the 120 mm. Macro. This lens is truly impressive. It is the best Macro lens I have ever used and a contender for the best MF lens in terms of image quality.

The 55mm and the 240 are fabulous lenses too. Of all the lenses I have tried in or near these focal lengths, they are probably the best.

More recently, I purchased the new 150mm. F/2.8. This lens is a mindblower with its gorgeous Bokeh and amazing resolution of the finest details. It also delivers beautiful color and contrast. Like a macro lens, it boasts a flat plane of focus, which is very unusual for a lens of this type and focal length. I can only say that there has never been anything quite like this lens before. This is a very special lens. If someone pushed me to pick one lens as the best MF lens ever, this one would be my pick.

I have not mentioned this yet, but the prize for the best quality of construction, tight tolerances, fit, finish and smoothness of operation of any SLR lenses goes to the Blue Line lenses. They are a cut above anything else I have used or tested to date.

After shooting thousands of images for over 10 months in all kinds of situations, including extreme weather conditions, I still marvel at the flawless performance of my lenses and the image quality they deliver.

While I have not tested all the lenses in the blue Line range, I would be very surprised if the other lenses in the line are not also world class.

In conclusion, the 6 Blue Line lenses I use, are world class and as far as I can tell, best in class.

Willow In The Water. Wanaka, New Zealand. PhaseOne XF with 150 mm F/2 Blue Line lens and IQ 3 100 back.

Willow In The Water. Wanaka, New Zealand.
PhaseOne XF with 150 mm F/2 Blue Line lens and IQ 3 100 back.

The XF Body

The XF camera body is a completely new design. One could say that it started with a blank sheet of paper and the only restriction was compatibility with the PhaseOne lens mount.

Completely new body designs in the Medium Format SLR world are few and far between. Medium Format SLR bodies are usually designed to last for decades. We have not seen anything this new and exciting for a long time.

It took many years to design and finally produce the XF. It is quite evident that a lot of thought went into the system and it is also quite evident that PhaseOne spared no effort and no expense in making it the highest quality body of this type.

PhaseOne spent a lot of time and effort soliciting input from photographers (including yours truly) and this really shows in the final result.

To say that the XF body is built like the proverbial tank seems like an understatement. It feels like the most solid photographic machine I have ever used, but it exudes a level of finesse and quality that does not fit the word “tank”.

The level of precision of the controls, and the precision and fit of the lens mount and the back mount feel a cut above anything I have experienced in the past. The body simply oozes quality. So does the rest of the system hardware: The lenses and the IQ 3 100 back. The fit and finish and the tight tolerances of these devices seem to be in a class by themselves.

A Fundamental Difference

In my opinion, there is a fundamental difference between the XF body and all other SLR bodies. All other SLR bodies are just that: A camera body. However, the XF is not just a camera body; it is a flexible platform that can easily be changed and enhanced.

PhaseOne clearly understands that in the world of digital photography, this body needed to become a platform that is easy to re-program and easy to enhance without having to change the hardware to do so. It is not easy to design or manufacture such a platform.

In order to achieve this goal, PhaseOne included a number of devices in the body, such as accelerometers and a second CMOS sensor that can be used for various purposes like extremely precise focusing or extremely precise exposure readings among other things. PhaseOne also had to design the electronics and the mechanics in the body so that it is extremely flexible and easily software configurable.

I consider the final result to be quite impressive. I am told that it is possible to make changes to the body from initial idea to actual implementation overnight (!).

Milford Sound Fog. Milford Sound, New Zealand. PhaseOne XF with 80 mm Blue Line lens and IQ 3 100 back.

Milford Sound Fog. Milford Sound, New Zealand.
PhaseOne XF with 80 mm Blue Line lens and IQ 3 100 back.

Basic Operation

The camera body has a power button, a lens release button, 5 function buttons and 3 dials. It feels simple and just right.

The two buttons at the top of the body are elongated and silver in color. This tells you that they are different. They are used for special functions such as navigating menus (instead of using the top touch sensitive display), or to enter information such as the near and far focus points when using the focus stack function (more on all this coming up).

The other 3 buttons are round and black.

Neither the three dials nor any of the buttons in the body are labeled. This is because they can be programmed to perform different functions. It is up to the photographer to decide what is most practical and ergonomic on an individual basis.

For instance, the factory default is to have the three dials set to control lens aperture, shutter speed and ISO and the shutter release button is in the usual position for the index finger on the top right side of the body.

(Side note: One of my pet peeves for years has been that camera manufacturers do not seem to understand that ISO, aperture and shutter speed are the three parameters that determine exposure. As such, they should be directly accessible without having to push multiple buttons or go through menus. I do not recall a single other digital SLR camera body properly designed in this regard. It is great to see that PhaseOne has finally done this right!)

Now, suppose that you would like the shutter release to be the back button instead. No problem. Suppose that you want the usual shutter release button to perform a different function, such as auto focus. No problem. Suppose that you want one of the dials to control exposure compensation or something else like exposure bracketing. No problem. You can program the buttons and dials to operate in this manner.

It is worth mentioning that the options available for each button and dial are the result of extensive testing and requests by photographers. While some of them may seem strange at first, they have all received careful consideration. Here is one example: The traditional position for the shutter release button is not necessarily the optimal position. In my personal tests, using the rear button with the thumb to release the shutter produces sharper hand held images because there is less of a tendency for the camera to jerk and rotate.

The flexibility of the body goes way beyond just the dials and buttons, because the digital display on the right top side of the camera is a touch sensitive display.

Tap any function on the display panel, the function is highlighted and then the value can be changed by rotating the “main” (largest) dial.

Tap and hold any function and all the options for that function are displayed. You can then tap the option you wish to modify and you can modify it either by touch or using the dial.

If you do not see the function you are looking for on the display, for example if you wish to change the time interval in the intervalometer and it is not displayed on the screen, just swipe the display sideways (as we all do with our smart phones) and you get a new screen. Keep swiping (if needed) until the intervalometer screen appears and then tap the time interval and change it by rotating the dial.

This means that even if you forget which dial or button was programmed to control a function, you can always use the touch display and the main dial.

(Note: You can also use the touch display screen on the IQ back to control many of the functions of the XF camera body. More on this later).

While this way of operating the camera may seem only kind of nice or “cool” in the beginning, it is way beyond nice or cool. It is exceptionally good. The reason I say this is that operating the XF is totally intuitive and it completely eliminates the need for the typical (usually badly designed) highly convoluted function menus of other digital cameras.

Each and every function and each and every option is clearly and directly accessible almost instantaneously without having to remember anything.

There is no need to memorize or consult one of those dreadful multi hundred page manuals that are so pervasive for other digital SLR’s.

More On The Touch Sensitive Display

The touch sensitive display is a beautiful thing. For example, in the default mode it has an icon for the mirror. Touch the icon and the mirror immediately goes up. Simultaneously, the icon changes to show the mirror in the mirror-up position. Touch the icon again and the mirror returns to its normal position and the icon changes back to show that the mirror is in the normal position. Compare this to all the kludgy ways in which mirror up works (or doesn’t really work…) in other digital SLR’s. Once you get used to working with the XF, other SLR camera bodies seem antiquated and poorly designed.

But there is more: The touch sensitive display can also be programmed. So each photographer can choose precisely which functions are shown and in which positions. The user can also choose to have functions hidden. This is a good thing if there are functions you never use. But just in case, there is an icon available that when tapped will display all basic functions, whether hidden or not, so one more tap allows access to any function, including the hidden functions.

After the values of key parameters have been determined, all the parameter values can be temporarily locked so that there are no accidental changes by touching the panel or inadvertently pushing a button or turning a dial while shooting.

To add to all this, three individual camera setups can be named and saved not just in the camera, but also to a CF card.

This allows photographers to instantly have a body configured the way they like it: I could walk into a studio or call a fellow photographer and borrow any XF body. I can insert my CF card into the digital back and load my camera setups into the borrowed body in a matter of seconds. The body is then configured exactly the way my own body is configured to work.

I could go on further on this topic, but I believe you get the idea of how powerful and thoughtfully designed the system is.

This image was captured after a helicopter landing and short hike with gas masks inside the caldera of the active volcano in White Island, New Zealand. PhaseOne XF with 55 mm Blue Line lens and IQ 3 100 back.

This image was captured after a helicopter landing and short hike with gas masks inside the caldera of the active volcano in White Island, New Zealand.
PhaseOne XF with 55 mm Blue Line lens and IQ 3 100 back.

Amazing Capabilities

The capabilities of the XF body are amazing. The XF sports capabilities we only dreamed about just a short time ago and there are functions and capabilities I am sure many of us never thought about previously or did not consider possible in our lifetimes.

Here are a few examples:

Do you want a seismometer in your camera body? Check. It has one. Do you want the seismometer to read the camera vibration and wait until it has subsided below a designated threshold and only then release the shutter? Check. It can do that. Do you want a seismometer graph? Check; you can see the graph.

Do you want an electronic version of a bubble level to make sure your camera is perfectly level? Of course it has that.

Do you want to do time lapse photography with a smart intervalometer that will shoot the ideal sequence? Check; the camera can do it.

Do you want to shoot a series of images focused at different distances and then process them in Helicon Focus (or other software) for more depth of field? Check. Set the XF to Focus Stack mode, choose the number of images you want to shoot and enter the nearest and farthest points you want in focus (this is done by focusing on each of the two points followed by a top silver button push). Press the rear button and the camera shoots the ideal focus stack automatically.

Do you want full lighting control of your strobes? Check. The Pro Foto Air Tool is built into the body allowing full lighting control directly from the XF body. There is also a flash analysis tool that can be used to see exactly what the timing, shape of the flash burst, intensity and duration are.

Do you want to use a waist level finder and not lose the light meter? Check. The XF can do that.

Are you a Zone System user? The XF system can show you (on the IQ 3 100 screen) the zone in which each element of the image falls for a given exposure.

And the list goes on with a myriad of capabilities including functions for hyper focal focusing, HDR stacks, controlling the camera from a distance using WiFi and a smartphone or an iPad (requires the appropriate back) and many more.

It is worth mentioning that the camera can be set to use only the focal plane shutter, only the leaf shutter (obviously requires leaf shutter lenses) or to use other modes such as leaf shutter preferred.

There is something totally new however, which I consider to be a big deal when using the XF body and the IQ 3 100 back:

The back and the body can be set to full electronic shutter. The basic concept here is that there are no moving parts during the exposure. The sensor turns on and off in such a way that the image is captured without the use of any type of mechanical shutter. No other camera system available today can do this.

(Note: The electronic shutter mode in cameras like the Nikon D 810 can start the exposure electronically, but requires a mechanical shutter to end the exposure).

I consider the PhaseOne electronic shutter to be a huge deal. Think about it: If you can mount an IQ 3 100 back in a camera body, using the electronic shutter the camera can be used with any lens as long as it can be focused. Any lens that you can mount and focus on an XF can be used and any lens that can be mounted on a view camera or technical camera with an IQ 3 100 back can be used. This opens up a whole new world where mechanical shutters are starting to become obsolete and one can interchange lens brands, or use enlarging lenses and process lenses for shooting, or try many other creative possibilities.

I also believe that this is a harbinger for the future, as I expect that at some point in the not too distant future we will have camera bodies with no mechanical components at all. The cameras will consist of a lens, a sensor and a body with electronics. We can also envision cameras where the body is little more that a carrier for a lens in the front and a digital back in the rear. These kinds of cameras will dramatically increase the reliability and accuracy of the exposure system while at the same time decreasing the weight and the cost of the camera system.

The IQ 3 100 Back

Let’s see: 100 Megapixels, CMOS sensor, close to 15 F/stops of dynamic range with full 16 bit color per channel…..

Sounds just like my impossible dream of yore, but here it is: It is real and it’s fantastic.

The IQ 3 100 is the most capable and most flexible digital back from PhaseOne. In terms of image quality, it is also the best yet from PhaseOne and it establishes a new benchmark in digital photography.

Just like the XF body, this back is strong like a tank, but it exudes quality and finesse at a level we have not seen before.

Initially the back looks completely familiar to a PhaseOne user. The form factor looks almost the same as prior backs and the usual 4 buttons and display in the back feel totally natural. Sort of like comfort food… But once one starts to dig a little deeper, the new back begins to show that it is a far more sophisticated device versus prior backs.

There are several salient features that become immediately noticeable:

  • Live View- We finally have a full frame MF digital back with good Live View. The difference between the new IQ 1 and IQ 3 CMOS backs versus the CCD backs is huge in this regard. The new CMOS backs Live View is immensely useful for precise operation in the studio or in the field and for use with view cameras and technical cameras.
  • Power sharing. The battery of the XF body and the battery of the IQ 3 100 back are identical. The body and the back share power, so if one battery goes down, the other one powers both devices. Power sharing also allows the photographer to replace a battery in the middle of a shoot without the system turning off.
  • Electronic shutter (ES)- I have described this above, but a few things remain to be said. First, when the electronic shutter is used in a technical or a view camera, no cables are required between the back and the lens. Furthermore, the shutter can be triggered by the rear touch screen and if using a 2 or 3 second exposure delay is OK, no cable release is needed. It is worth noting that with the current ES technology the exposure takes place on a line by line basis. As such, while extremely short exposures are possible, there is a time lag between the exposure at the beginning of the first line and other areas of the image, in particular the end of the last line. This could cause an anomaly in certain kinds of images with very fast moving objects, but for the vast majority of images no anomalies are discernible. I find that for landscapes even in high winds with lots of branches and leaves moving, the captured images still look perfectly fine. I am confident that as technology continues to advance, either the time lag will become negligible, or new designs will come to market that will allow us to use ES for all subjects at very fast shutter speeds with no restrictions.
  • XF Menu- One of the 4 functions linked to one of the 4 buttons in the rear of the IQ 3 100 back is labeled “XF Menu”. When this function is selected, many of the functions in the XF body can be accessed directly from the back. These include things such as shutter speed, Aperture, Mirror up, Live View, Exposure Compensation, etc. There is also a shutter release for the XF that can be operated by touch in the back screen.
  • WiFi- The IQ 3 100 has built in WiFi. When activated, one can connect an iPad or an iPhone using the Capture Pilot application. This allows one to control the XF camera wirelessly. One can access and change the same functions as when using the touch screen on the back and wirelessly release the shutter. One can also evaluate a shot immediately after it is taken, by viewing it, as well as using the usual analysis tools like the histogram, focus confirmation, highlight and shadow warnings and others on the smart phone or iPad screen.
  • When using a technical or a View camera with the electronic shutter, one can use an iPhone or an iPad to wirelessly release the shutter. Therefore, there is no cable release needed even for images where a shutter delay cannot be tolerated.

Image Quality

The image quality delivered by the IQ 3 100 is the best image quality I have seen from a commercially available digital device.

Compared to prior generation backs, the increase in resolution and dynamic range is immediately apparent. The reduction in noise at higher ISO’s versus CCD backs is also quite apparent.

On closer inspection, when compared to files from my prior 80 Megapixel CCD back, it appears to me that the IQ 3 100 back also has less noise at the lower ISO values. In other words, one can expect reduced noise levels at all ISO settings.

I find the 16 bit per channel color to make a significant difference versus other lower bit per channel devices. It is not just about a larger number of colors that can be reproduced, but also about color accuracy and the reproduction of subtle color nuances and color transitions. The images simply have a different and much better look to them.

Speaking of the look of the images, the color rendition of the IQ 3 100 is extremely accurate. It is the most accurate color reproduction I have experienced to date. Having said that, there are some photographers that prefer the color reproduction of CCD backs. Some even engage in passionate discussions about how CCD backs are better than CMOS backs in terms of color.

My personal opinion is that the IQ 3 100 is unmatched in color accuracy. Photographers that prefer the color rendition of a different back with a CCD sensor can use the IQ 3 100 to capture the images and create a style in CaptureOne that will deliver the color rendition they prefer with a single click. To me this makes the discussion of CCD color versus CMOS color a mute point.

(Side note: I am not a fan of the color rendition of the (smaller than full size MF) 50 Megapixel CMOS backs from PhaseOne and Hasselblad or the 50 Megapixel Pentax camera. When I tested those devices, I thought the color reproduction was not acceptable for a high end or a professional device. Images shot with those devices require unacceptable amounts of editing just to bring things to a level that is at best barely acceptable. The IQ 3 100 is a huge improvement over the older, smaller sensor 50 Megapixel devices).

Contemplation. Near Te Anau, New Zealand. PhaseOne XF with 240 mm Blue Line lens and IQ 3 100 back.

Contemplation. Near Te Anau, New Zealand.
PhaseOne XF with 240 mm Blue Line lens and IQ 3 100 back.

In The Field

As mentioned above, I have been using the XF system for over 10 months, and the system is a joy to work with.

Everything seems just right. Everything I need is right where I want it whenever I need it, and the quality and precision of the system makes it a pleasure to work with.

In terms of reliability, the XF system has worked essentially flawlessly for me. Whether shooting out of a helicopter, or in the snow in freezing weather, or inside the hot caldera of a volcano, the system seems unflappable.

During the entire time I have owned the system, I have had only one small glitch where the system froze briefly and then turned itself off. I believe this might have been caused by the fact that I was pressing the shutter release very quickly, which probably caused the back to go beyond its buffering capacity. My batteries were also running low at the time, so this could have been a contributing factor. All was normal when I turned the system back on, at which point I replaced the batteries.

Other than this slight glitch (which might have been caused by user error), the system has been 100% reliable.

 Is There Anything I Do Not Like?

Yes. Nothing is perfect, so there are some things I don’t like and some things I believe can be improved.

Here are three examples:

The first one is the weight of the system. In an ideal world, I wish the system was lighter, but I guess high quality glass and high quality construction at this level cannot be practically done at lower weight.

A good example of this is the prism finder which is quite heavy due to the choice of very high quality optical glass and a very sturdy metal housing. The tradeoff with this glass is weight and cost versus image quality. The tradeoff with the housing is weight and cost versus protection of the internal glass and electronics. PhaseOne chose image quality and protection as the primary considerations, so the prism finder is heavy and costly, but it delivers the highest quality viewfinder image in the business and the internal parts are extremely well protected.

The second thing I do not like is the reversible lens hoods. With the exception of the 240mm lens, all the other lenses use traditional reversible lens hoods. I have always found reversible lens hoods to be an awkward and very, very, very (3 times “very”) bad design.

These types of lens hoods are a royal pain in the butt to put on and take off and they represent just one more loose thing that can be dropped or cause something more valuable to be dropped and damaged in the field. I have missed a number of priceless images while futzing with reversible hoods, and trust me, I am not the only one.

I have heard every justification and every excuse in the book defending this type of lens hood and I do not buy any of them. They tell me that the industry is suffering from an endemic lack of thought and complete apathy regarding lens hoods. The industry simply does not care about hoods and does not want to listen to photographers who use them.

In my opinion, all lens hoods should be either sliding hoods or permanent lens hoods built into the body of the lens. The best sliding hood I have seen to date is the one in the Leica M APO Summicron 50 mm/F 2 lens, which deploys fully and retracts fully with a small rotation. It also stays automatically locked in any position until it is rotated again.

I wish everyone in the industry came to reason and stopped using reversible lens hoods!

In terms of an improvement, I wish that the prism finder had better sealing against dust and moisture in the areas where it mates with the camera body. I am hoping that PhaseOne will address this and make an improvement in the future.

CaptureOne Software

I have been using CaptureOne software for over a decade. I have used it for PhaseOne cameras as well as other brands of cameras such as Nikon, Canon, Panasonic and Sony.

Version 10 of CaptureOne, which was recently introduced, is a significant improvement over previous versions. It introduces new tools such as Halo Suppression, Diffraction Suppression, new Output Proofing tools and new Sharpening tools. It also sports improved hardware acceleration, support for very sophisticated input devices a new processing engine with much better performance and other improvements.

But to me, the crux of the matter is, as usual, image quality.

The Image Quality Champion

There is only one way to express this:

Of all the RAW processing engines on the market, CaptureOne is hands down the image quality champion. As far as I can tell, there is a very significant difference between images processed in CaptureOne and then converted from RAW to TIFF versus any other editing software/RAW converter.

I have obviously not tried every single camera on the market, but the above certainly applies to PhaseOne files as well as files from the higher end models from Canon, Nikon and Sony.

To me, this is the number one reason to use CaptureOne. The number two reason has to do with its unique tools.

Unique Tools

Besides the unmatched image quality, CaptureOne has some unique tools that cannot be found in any other editing software. These include, just to mention a few, a very unique and highly useful Color Editor, a Focus Confirmation tool, extensive Tethered Capture tools and unique Output Sharpening tools such as the capability to input the diagonal size of a desired print as well as the viewing distance and letting the software automatically apply optimum sharpening for printing to the original file.

Waterfalls In The Rain. Fiordlands Area, New Zealand. PhaseOne XF with 80 mm Blue Line lens and IQ 3 100 back.

Waterfalls In The Rain.
Fiordlands Area, New Zealand.
PhaseOne XF with 80 mm Blue Line lens and IQ 3 100 back.

My Personal Workflow

Just a few years ago, I used to always import my files into CaptureOne first, perform only very basic adjustments such as white balance and then immediately convert from RAW to TIFF. This would give me the benefit of CaptureOne’s superior RAW conversion before further editing using Adobe products.

After the RAW conversion, I would import the TIFF file into Lightroom to perform a number of edits and finally export the file to Photoshop for final fine editing.

As time has gone by, I keep finding the Adobe products less and less compelling. I do not know what is happening at Adobe, but it seems to me that their products have been at a standstill, with little innovation or improvement and they are getting stale.

In the meantime, CaptureOne continues to move ahead with higher quality and better tools.

As a result, I no longer use Lightroom. It does not seem to offer anything that I cannot do at least as well, and most of the time better using CaptureOne.

Photoshop still offers some tools and functions that are either not available in CaptureOne, or are better in Photoshop.

For instance, Photoshop is better at certain types of fine selections. I also find Photoshop better for tasks like retouching dust or deleting unwanted objects in an image.

Therefore, my current workflow is to use CaptureOne for most of my editing, then convert from RAW to TIFF at which point, if needed, I perform final edits to the TIFF file with the tools that are better in Photoshop.

I know this has been a long article, but I believe the subject matter deserves it.

At the beginning of this article, we asked the question: Is the PhaseOne XF System the best camera system in the world?

I believe, with the caveats expressed in the first paragraph of the article, that the answer to this question is a resounding yes. There is nothing on the market and nothing that I know of on the horizon that will change this answer anytime soon.

For those interested in the highest quality tools and the highest image quality available today, there is nothing that can match the PhaseOne XF system.

Final Words

I mentioned above that for those that are interested in the system, it may make sense to try and find a workshop or an event that allows them to try the system out for themselves and make up their own minds.

We, at PhotoAesthetics, organize a select small number of workshops where it is possible to do this. We keep the number of students small so that everyone gets a lot of attention from the instructors. We believe our workshops deliver benefits that other workshops fail to deliver.

If you are interested in one of our workshops, please send an email to me or to Jim Taskett at one of the email addresses in the Contact section of this website.

I will finish this article with a short video of one of our workshops, which I think is particularly relevant to this article. I hope you will enjoy it.

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Posted in: Islam, Gender

Published on Feb 11, 2015 by Phyllis Chesler

Published by Breitbart

Indonesia Does Away With 'Virginity Tests' For High School Girls After Public Outcry

Sanity has just prevailed in Muslim-majority Indonesia. An attempt to impose virginity tests on female high school students in the city of Jember has failed. A public outcry, led by human rights groups, as well as by Indonesia's Muslim clerics, has led to the rescinding of a virginity requirement for girls-only in high school. Non-virgins would not have been entitled to their diplomas.

This victory is important and might establish a precedent for an interesting coalition of human rights activists and knowledgeable and humane Muslim clerics.

People tend to think of Indonesia as Hawaii-like: carefree, indolent, basking in perpetually pleasant weather. President Obama lived there with his mother, adoptive Muslim father, and sister, from the time he was six until he was ten. His mother returned to study and work in Indonesia on and off for two decades after her son decided to stay in Hawaii for high school. Indonesia is no longer the Big Easy, at least not for women.

For example, last year, the relatively small Indonesian province of Aceh mandated thatSharia law must be followed by both Muslims and non-Muslims. Violations include not wearing a headscarf, drinking liquor, unmarried couples having "affectionate contact," and women wearing pants. Female genital mutilation (FGM), although banned, is widely practiced as is polygamy among Hindus in Bali.

Aceh province also passed another law last year which proclaimed that "homosexual sex was punishable with 100 lashes even for non-Muslims."

We live at a time when Muslim men and women are attacking Muslim women with acid for failing to "wear niqab" and stoning them to death for alleged adultery. We are gradually and dangerously getting accustomed to the most surreal forms of Islamic barbarism and misogyny.

The obsession with female virginity among tribal people, especially Muslims, cannot be overstated.

According to Arab gynecologists, anxious girls wanting to check whether their hymens are intact or hysterical girls who need hymen repair before marriage constitute a large part of their practice. Girls who are discovered to be non-virgins at the time of their marriage have dishonored their families and are the potential targets of an honor killing. This is also true among Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, and Christians in India, especially in the Punjab.

According to Shereen El Feki, in Sex and the Citadel: Intimate life in a Changing Arab World, Arab physicians are increasingly being asked to issue "virginity certificates—a physician-signed testimonial that the virgin bride is the genuine article." El Feki also notes that "virginity testing is considered by some to be un-Islamic, yet another violation of the principle of satr-al-'ird." (This is precisely the conclusion reached by the Indonesian Muslim clerics.)

Dr. David Ghanim, author of Gender and Violence in the Middle East, will publish a new work later this year: The Virginity Trap in the Middle East. His book is a scholarly yet passionate call for a genuine Arab Spring, one that will free both men and women from an obsessive, unnatural, and destructive definition of family and male honor that is rooted in a cult of female virginity and fidelity. Girls and women are jealously guarded, monitored, stalked by relatives—and if judged "impure," they are killed to preserve the family honor. This is hardly the most productive use of a society's time.

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