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Hasselblad introduces H5D medium format camera series and 24mm F4.8 lens

Sep 11, 2012 at 19:18:32 GMT

CAMERA NEWS HASSELBLAD LENS

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Photokina 2012: Hasselblad is to update its full line up of H System medium format camera and lenses, promising better focus features and 'the largest, brightest viewfinder image on the market.' The H5D series is expected to start shipping by December, and will include 40, 50 and 60 megapixel models, as well as 50 and 200 megapixel multi-shot versions. The latest cameras feature an updated user interface and revised image processors for improved JPEG output. The Swedish company will also introduce a 24mm F4.8 lens, equivalent to a 17mm lens on a 135 format DSLR. An additional macro converter will work with wide angle lenses.

Press Release:

Hasselblad is set to launch a new flagship H5D medium format camera series.

Hasselblad's 'next generation' H System camera will be showcased at the Hasselblad press conference at photokina, Cologne, Germany (Tuesday Sep 18: 2pm-3pm). The H5D features a modernized design and a complete new electronic engine to pave the way for ultimate quality imaging, for print ready JPEG files, and for a smooth and intuitive user interface. The camera is billed by the Sweden-based company as 'the latest step in the evolution of the best high-end camera system in the world'.

Aimed at high-end professional users the H5D offers:

New H System lens: HCD 4.8/24 mm, equivalent to 17 mm on 35 mm DSLR format
New Macro Converter, for superb close-up performance with wide angle lenses
RAW + JPEG mode for quick preview and print
New True Focus II provides unique, accurate focus and Immediate Focus Confirm
Full access to camera information and image preview on rear in tethered mode
The largest, brightest viewfinder image on the market
New larger, more ergonomic buttons and an easier to read display style
New sealing for improved weather proofing plus new sensor unit safety lock
Optional battery adapter for standalone operation of digital capture unit
Ultimate image quality with Hasselblad Natural Color Solution
A choice of software: Hasselblad Phocus 2.7 and Adobe® Lightroom® 4 both included

Peter Stig-Nielsen, Hasselblad's Director of Professional Camera Products said: "Customers will immediately notice the new-look and improved ergonomics and this progressive system also brings upgraded performance on a number of levels. Hasselblad is a world-leader with an unmatched and comprehensive range of lenses. Now that line has been extended with the new wide angle HCD 4.8/24 mm lens, which offers the same performance as the HCD 28 mm and is the equivalent of a 17 mm on 35 mm DSLR format. Additionally, our new Macro Converter provides excellent close-up performance with the HC 50, HCD 28 and HC 35 lenses - negating the need for additional macro lens purchase."

The HCD 24 mm lens is equivalent to a 17 mm lens on a 35 mm DSLR format.

He added: "Our new True Focus II further advances focusing accuracy after re-compose, and an intuitive focus check has been added. The new hardware architecture allows for delivering print ready JPEG files in addition to the superb RAW files. And we have re-written the user interface to achieve a smooth and intuitive operation. All in all we believe the H5D Camera series will provide the ultimate high-end addition to any serious photographer's capture equipment."

The H5D Series will be available as models with 40, 50 and 60 megapixels as well as 50 and 200 megapixel Multi-Shot versions and will start shipping in December 2012.

Comments

Total comments: 146

As a loyal Hasselblad photographer for decades, I really wish the worst to those impostors who control this once prestigious name.
It mus be a company run by marketeers and financiers.
They products are awful, every six months they come up with another piece of junk and of course they have to tell you the the previous junk you bought is now obsolete and should be dumped in exchange of the new one.
Reality is their lens are beyond contempt, looks as if they are made of plastic in some Chinese sweetshop, the back is worth as much as any other for half the price and the body itself looks as if made in the slave factory next to the lens one.
If you look for true photography, medium format professional, look to the Leica and Mamiya side and let Hasselbald go where it deserves: the junkyard.

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 1 minute after posting

1 upvote

Hasselblad is like a Porsche. Its more expensive but f****** amazing if you print big. Forget anything over 12 mp if you DONT print bigger than a2. Then its a waste of money.

2 upvotes

the macro adapter seemed to be an excellent idea if it really works, saves a lot of weight in travel. H5D is welcom.

0 upvotes

Forget it. I'd rather get a Nikon D4 or D800.

0 upvotes

If you can afford an H5D with a few lenses, then you can get both of those AND the H5D with a couple of lenses.

0 upvotes

I use my Hasselblad H4D mainly in the field and therefore battery life and water sealing is important. Hope they improved both !

0 upvotes

HaBla is just LAZY.

We pros need much, repeat MUCH more tilt/shift solutions and not a constant "pseudo development" towards lenses and bodies.
Better TS adapters with better features, more precision and variety.Look at Alpa.
The current one is a PITA and creates challenges for all postproduction guys due to it´s affinity to chromatic aberrations due to a cheap lens inside.
It´s exactly this behavior which will cost the nypmphomanica owned HaBla sales and market share.

They do not listen.

1 upvote

You can't use this? http://www.hasselblad.com/products/h-system/hts-15.aspx

0 upvotes

During the analog era of Hasselblad I used (and still using) the other "flagships" 205 TCC and 205 FCC with nearly all FE lenses. These cameras had been built with pure sturdy metal and with very fine lenses from Zeiss/Oberkochen.
Today the company build cameras with plastic and no more Zeiss lenses, but the same incredible high price like of that analog time. Therefore i'm full of disappointment of the brand Hasselblad and their policy of merchandising: because I live nearly the Zeiss factory, Zeiss is not allowed to produce and sell the older FE-lenses, which wouldn't damaged the Hasselblad.
I believe the next 10 years you will see disappearing the Hasselblad Digital cameras: they are not better than a Pentax 450 D , the sensors from Phase One are more ready for use with different camera models and so on.
Hasselblad had oversleeped a lot!

1 upvote

Phase one body is not very good and no tilt and shift solution.. Hasselblad is a pretty good system overall,the Leica S2/S3 may be more of a threat in the long term..

Comment edited 17 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

Digital techniques in software can replace analogue tilt and shift requirements, take a look at close up watches and jewellery, usually 'stacked'.

Comment edited 9 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

We have to agree with this, our favourite lenses were the older C T* Lenses that were all heavy metal and robust. We later purchased the 503CW and the 50, 80 and 150 CFi lenses only to find that the sync socket broke off the 150 the first time it was used.

This was the turning point for us and it was perceived that Hasselblad had started to cut corners and loose it's way! We are very disappointed with the build quality of the newer plastic lenses and pointed this out to Zeiss. Colleagues also mention the plastic feel of the Fujiblad and it not being as robust as the older V system.

We also pointed out to Hasselblad that they should make available their body that takes any digital back to everyone and not just as an upgrade from older cameras.

The new body aesthetics look fine if that is a pearl white and black body and not grey, can not tell in a photograph.

I am not convinced that the Hasselblad name cuts it as it used too, as it fails to lead the industry anymore.

0 upvotes

ooops! it posted the above in error.

When we bought our first Hasselblad 501/cm in 76, there was no doubt in our mind about it being the best camera in the world, we do not share that same enthusiasm and excitement as we did then with these newer models. Must admit the HD5 does look cute though! : )

0 upvotes

I have been working with Hasselblad since 1993 and have now a H4D-50.
The new H5D for me looks very much like a cosmetic upgrade instead of a real technology update.

There are a number of issues that Hasselblad has to settle, other wise the competition will leave them behind forever. (Even the recognition of the brand Hasseblad cant save this)

I’m pleased with my H4D-50 even though things can be easier.

The digital industry is evolving fast and from time to time you have to make major changes to stay in line.

1 upvote

What competition? Who is the competition?

0 upvotes

Only 60 megapixels for the top of the line? you figure if a cell phone can do 40mp they should be easily over 100mp on a single chip.

I feel like the sensors in these medium format cameras are actually very under developed compared to dslr sensors. The sales volume must be so low that they can't sink anywhere near the money into R&D to really make these sensors comparable to 35mm full frame.

2 upvotes

Its quality vs quantity when it comes to pixels...

4 upvotes

`If 2.7micron pixels were used then the hasselblad sensor would be over 300MP... imagine the file sizes.. although internal downsampling would be a useful to deal with that...

0 upvotes

Honestly, do you think that 100MP is even necessary? You're looking at 500MB raw files for each shot. Somehow I doubt there is a very big market for that.

4 upvotes

There is not a very big market for 60 megapixels! Thus the 50 and 40 megapixel "options" that Hasselblad offers in the new H5D. 40 megapixels was enough, when they introduced the H2D 39, right? Walk through the mall and look at these 5' x 7' posters in the windows of the stores. Many of those were produced with 33 and 39 megapixel digital cameras. They look great. I've seen a 40x60 fine art print shot with 21 megapixel Canon 5 D Mk II using Nikon 14-24mm lens. It was incredible. The Nikon D800E is all that is necessary for super high quaity imaging.

But if you want the best, a 60 megapixel Hasselblad is almost it. Yes, there is the Mysterium Monstro, if you want to spend over $100,000 on your system, and that is capable of producing high quality prints that are measured in yards or meters, not inches or feet. But NO there is not a "very big market for that." lol

0 upvotes

Good to see the new release though perceived as cosmetic and viewed with slight disappointment in comparison with Nikon. We have been with Hasselblad for the past 35years, majestic cameras but loosing their way to the competition if they are not careful.

As we lack all forms of common sense and intelligence, it is likely that we will eventually be drawn into a confusion of derangement and purchase one, as we did blindly with the then CFV backs. Manufacturers just love fools like us, so laughably gullible!

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 7 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

If it works faster (both shooting and focusing) and is sealed better than the H4D, and if the review screen is better, why is it considered "cosmetic" instead of a real upgrade?

0 upvotes

I'm sure most football fans will agree with me - The H5D is a bit like Andy Carroll, too much hassle, too big and awkward, pretty inconsistent, and way, way, way overpriced. ;-)

1 upvote

Maybe they should call it Hasslebland.

0 upvotes

Have either of you guys ever used a hasselblad..??I have and its a great piece of equipment..

0 upvotes

That new H5d is outstanding camera. Problem of price? With 20 K $ or 15 K €, you can just buy an average car like VW Golf or an Used old Bmw. You can not buy a sportscar...like Porsche 911 that costs 90 K €. And a car gives no income money. If you have good customers in photography (advertising, fashion, industry...) your Hassy of 20 K $ will give you more money back...than a Porsche ! ;-) so long..
Harald
http://harald.bookfoto.com

1 upvote

It's just the H4D tarted up a bit mate... and that was far from outstanding!

0 upvotes

Hey, Harald. My cat doing better shots when playing with my phone.

2 upvotes

Just got back from Harald's site Superka if your cat is producing images like this - kill it! Yikes

2 upvotes

@Klaus,the H4D/H5D is the only camera around with focus shift compensation or true focus,its also very fast with autofocus... it's a great camera that has just been made better

0 upvotes

3 upvotes

We see that some stupid people or non-professionals on this forum; send us pictures have made your cat with low price phone, we will see if hel got an award for your pictures. I am photographer, using SINAR 4x5", Toyo View 5x7", Hassy 500 Electric, Nikon, Elinchrom & Broncolor since 1973, and you? Maybe a cheap Samsung with a candle? No place here for jokers, pranksters, liars or fakers. I have seen that the big critisicer from Russia-Ukraina "Superka" Pavel Suprun makes only still landscapes panos on a stable tripod..., always with same camera. Easy!

1 upvote

Fuji do a nice job making this body and the lenses look nice, but the changes are all cosmetic. :-( Battery life is still rubbish. Weighs a ton, Sensors are noisy even at lowish ISO's, costs a fortune... You'd need to be one wave short of a shipwreck to buy one of these, what with the advances Nikon and Sony are making with 35mm sensors. ;-)

0 upvotes

Curt,
The body, digital magazines and central shutter used in the HC/HCD lenses are in fact manufactured at the Hasselblad factory in Gothenburg, Sweden. The lenses are Hasselblad designed and manufactured by Fuji.

1 upvote

You are wrong on so many levels. Firstly the basic facts. The Hasselblad body is made in Sweden The digital back is made in Denmark and the prism and the lens optics and housing are made in Japan by Fuji with the leaf shutter and aperture units being made again in Sweden by Hasselblad. The next point is your lack of understanding on how sensors work. If you want the best dynamic range and the most accurate colour reprodustion then the best choice is the medium format CCD sensor with the 16bit colour information providing around 65,000 variations of colour instead of the 14bit nikon or sony providing only 16,000 variations.

4 upvotes

If you shoot the D800E and the Hasselblad next to each other as I have done you will see that although the Nikon performs well between f2.8 - f10 any smaller an aperture and the Nikon looses definition and sharpness due to the problem of airy disks caused by having such small pixels on the sensor The 35mm DSLR's have reached the limit of basic optical physics and as Canon found out with their G10 and G11 models, the more pixels does not mean better quality unless you start to increase the physical sensor size. In comparison the Hasselblad's, PhaseOne's and Leica S2 Medium format cameras perform consistently well throughout. Yes ISO range is not as good as the 35mm size DSLR's but its a trade off. Both formats have their benefits and most medium format owners will have a 35mm DSLR for hand held low light work.
For many pro's the ISO limit is not such a problem as its simply overcome by using either studio flash or a good tripod as we all did in the film days.

Comment edited 11 minutes after posting

3 upvotes

Interesting how you can draw those conclusions without even touching the camera.

0 upvotes

For many studio and landscape photographers, low ISO is what they use ALL the time. When I shoot landscapes, I don't think I shoot over ISO 400 ever. Yes, it weighs a ton, but so does an 8x10 or 12x20 (a la Clyde Butcher). In fact, it is likely that your tripod will weigh more than your camera and lenses, even if you carry an H5D with its heavy lenses (which are lighter than they would be, because of the plastic which is now used in them). Besides, that is what an assistant is for, isn't it? For a photographer making $5,000 or more on a print sale, these cameras are not expensive. When you consider that when a landscape photographer finances one of these over 3 or 5 years, their travel expenses cost more than this new camera. I have no doubt that a landscape photographer who started out in medium format digital with a 22 megapixel unit and has been using a 39 megapixel H2D for the past few years, would have no difficulty deciding to get one of these new weather-sealed H5D bodies.

0 upvotes

Will it be better then my 8x10 ?

1 upvote

not even close in terms of resolution.
not even better then film hassel. It won't work at -10 C, and it battery would exhaust very soon. And if it suddenly falls on the rocks, or water....

0 upvotes

the main problem is the battery...becoming flat very quick.. so you need several charged batteries.

0 upvotes

You guys aren't photographers but butchers of the english language.

4 upvotes

With just one memory card and a single battery, this camera can be used to shoot more than an 8x10. You recharge the battery (of course you would not be stupid enough to take only one battery and only one memory card anyway), when you go to sleep in the hotel, on your way to the next location. In the studio, you always have a spare battery charging, and you swap them out. Is it better than 8x10? You can't hand-hold an 8x10 and change composition from shot to shot, as the sun comes up or goes down. You can't move the 8x10 all around a set easily, to get the shot you are after. It takes hours to process and scan just one 8x10 negative, and more hours to scan the next (if you want that high resolution, which competes with the H5D). When you are shooting a lot, the 8x10 becomes many times more expensive than the H5D. If you only shoot 1,000 photos per year, you will pay for the H5D with savings in just one year. I shoot more than 1,000 photos in one month (not possible with an 8x10).

0 upvotes

This is for studio, only. Nobody will take it to the mountains.
Hasselblad X5 cost 20K $. And you can buy lots of cameras for saved money: from Xpan to 617 panoramic.
My 617camera is 160Mpx equivalent and I can take it everywhere.

1 upvote

Actually, landscape photographers (hobbiest to semi-pro) are a significant slice of the MF market. Generally, these are people who DON'T have to justify it by getting a good ROI - they just want the best camera. So weather proofing can be an important selling point - after all, who wants such expensive equipment to get ruined by the weather!

Comment edited 58 seconds after posting

2 upvotes

That weather proofing won't really matter when the batteries only last about 30 minutes. D800e - DSTE Grip - light, great resolution, really long battery life. The landscape shooter's dream combo. ;-)

0 upvotes

That new H5d is outstanding camera. Problemof price? With 20 K $ or 15 K €, you can just buy an average car like VW Golf or an Used old Bmw. You can not buy a sportscar...like Porsche 911 that costs 90 K €. And a car gives no income money. If you have good customers in photography (advertising, fashion, industry...) your Hassy of 20 K $ will give you more money back...than a Porsche ! ;-) so long..
Harald
http://harald.bookfoto.com

0 upvotes

People keep harping about the battery life, but just buy a couple of extra batteries, which weigh almost nothing, compared to just one lens, and your problem is solved. I can't understand this issue people have with battery life! As far as expenses go . . . some bicyclists spend $20,000 on a bicycle. Some Ferrari aficionados spend $300,000 on a car to race. Some doctors spend $500,000 on an airplane to play with. Some boat lovers spend $2 million on buying a nice Hatteras or Rybovich to go fishing 5 or 6 times each year for a few years. I think quality-minded hobbyists will have no problem spending $50,000 or even $100,000 to buy the best they can find, so when they go on that trip to Alaska or Africa, they will be able to shoot the best photos they can. Yes, they should invest in some instruction . . . but they often do that too. Remember . . . 60 megapixels is better than 36 megapixels, right? Oh, and maybe they have the Nikon D800E also!

0 upvotes

I took my H3DII deep into the Amazon jungle for several weeks, and on rough boat rides with salt water spraying everywhere up the Colombian Pacific coast. As long as you wrap it all up well and protect it when travelling I found it to be fine. Otherwise what is the point of having a camera if you're not going to use it. It's a lot less bulky and fragile that the cameras and film explorers had 50-100 years ago. I also took with me two spare rechargeable batteries which never left me short... even in the remotest parts of the amazon nowadays you can find a generator or solar power source or whatever to charge them up.

0 upvotes

Great, another digital back made by Hassey that works with Phocus. European's must be psyched over this, but when are Phase and Hasselblad going to get over it and realize that 'the best high-end' working photographers are using Capture One? Using Phocus onset is like telling a client to email you at your aol account.
I've never had a body die on me because of weather (and I've used these bodies in snow, rain, and volcanic ash (no joke)), but emphasizing a more weather resistant body is a welcomed addition.

0 upvotes

All the high end photographer's the agency I work for are using Adobe Lightroom. ;-)

0 upvotes

Hasselblad also works completely with Adobe Lightroom as well as Phocus.

3 upvotes

I hear supercomputers (for processing those... 200MB(?) RAW files are finally getting down below the 6 figure mark. Maybe I'll find a used one on eBay... :)

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 6 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

In ten years the pixel count of Hasselblad's digital cameras has increased threefold, or tenfold if you use the multi-shot version.

In that same period of time, CPU performance has increased by approximately an order of magnitude more than that.

0 upvotes

I frequently work with stitched D800 shots that exceed 200mb on an i5/6gb machine using Nikon Capture and Photo$hop CS4. The only problem that I have is due to Photo$hop's memory bug - Photo$hop fails to relinquish memory buffers correctly so you have to shut Photo$hop down periodically to enable Windows garbage collection. Other than that, my 500GBP machine is more than capable of dealing with huge files.

Comment edited 44 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

"Photo$hop", please stop trolling like a 12 year old.

1 upvote

200 MB? You think 200 MB is big? I used a 4x5 and scanned at 4,800 dpi. Do the math. That was years ago. With my little MacBook Air I can handle those files better now. 200 MB is nothing. With a new 15" MacBook Pro (2.7 GHz i7 quad-core with 16 GB of RAM and a 768 GB SS HD), a new NOTEBOOK computer can handle 200 MB files with no problems. In fact, it could easily handle much larger files than that, if you were to put one of those babies to the test. Attach a 12 TB RAID to it via Thunderbolt, and you will have a system that can handle many thousands of those photos, quickly and efficiently. Now, configure a Mac Pro with a pair of 3.06 GHz 6-core processors and 64 GB of RAM, and the sky's the limit. Remember that such a computer with that humongous RAID is only the cost of two lens.

0 upvotes

That's it!! I'm selling my house and empty my kids college fund.
This is the toy to die for!!

8 upvotes

Having used a 31, 40, 50 and 60, in a professional capacity, I can assure you, that would be the worst decision you ever made! ;-)

2 upvotes

Just out of curiosity, what does this cost? I cannot afford one but would like to know.

0 upvotes

The H4D-200 sells for $35,995.00 at B&H currently. So $40k for the H5D-200?

1 upvote

You don't buy a medium format camera like you would buy a dSLR. The price advertised is not the price you buy the cameras for. Speak with reps directly is the best place to start, either with Hasselblad or larger retail companies will have their own rep that deals with medium format cameras. First you'll find they will offer them at a massive reduced price to that advertised, prices change almost weekly, they also usually have some trade in programme too. Example, recently offered that if I was to trade in a Leaf Valeo 11 back (lucky if you get £200 for that old back) for H4D-40 with 80mm for £9k down from £14k. This practice is the same with high-end hi-fi/AV products and sports cars.

2 upvotes

Did you buy a 40?

0 upvotes

Awesome. I'd love to have a Hasselblad H-series to replace my V-series, but the $$$$$ for just the body always get in the way.

The weather sealing on the H5D, I feel, is the best update on this camera.

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

The weather sealing is only *improved*. I bet Scafell on a typical Summer's day would have a good chance of seeing on off.

1 upvote

I think it would take less time,, and IT WOULD COST ALOT LESS , if I would buy a new Pentax Q10 , and shoot panoramic shots on on every thing in the studio,, than to get one of these, 5D Hassey's for shooting . I bet the Pentax Q 10 Pano's would have a larger file,and have a better look !!! With the money saved I could buy a new Rolls ,drive to Vegas and put any money I had left over, drop it on oo on the Roulette table . Win or loose on the table ,, I still win !!!

2 upvotes

don't be ridiculous, Pentax Q10 is a little aps hybrid, you can not make high resolution panoramic views (enlarged on paper to 80x120 cm) with that 10 Mpix on top of Everest mountain!

1 upvote

In the list of all other things Swedish, Meatballs, Ikea,Saab....This is not a bad thing. OK maybe a bit archaic. Looks like a diving torch light. Not the best for street photography. You point this thing at anyone, they think you are Satan himself about to suck their soul into your camera.

1 upvote

And SAAB's dead too.

0 upvotes

Apart from its not Swedish is it ... Its Japanese a FUJi with Fuji crossed off and Hassleblad written on in crayon ................
and then a few Noughts put on the end of the price tag

0 upvotes

SAAB's dead... but there's one BIG difference with SAAB: the owner of Hasselblad is not an American company... ;)

0 upvotes

they will not think about Satan, but they will think it is Karl Lagerfeld or another miljonair in €, who has always the best update camera

0 upvotes

You don't have to be American to run a mature company in to the ground through sheer ignorance.

0 upvotes

@DickyUK... the back and viewfinder are made in Denmark.. the lenses are designed by Per Nordlund,a swedish optical designer ...

0 upvotes

Do they still make film for this ?? HaHa ,, I will wait for Version 6 or 7 when they work out all the BUGS !

0 upvotes

Go on... buy a Samsung then...

0 upvotes

It would be fun to just gaze around in a gallery, and compare side-by-side poster size prints from one of these newfangled 'lectric Hassies, and one of the legacy film burnin' 'Blads. Wish I could afford to play around with either! Fun to dream ...

3 upvotes

its that time of year when I need to re-mortgage the house.

4 upvotes

looks like an outdated camcorder

1 upvote

Awwwww...they didn't tell us the price!
Or did DPR consider it an obscenity and remove it?

3 upvotes

If you have to ask...

6 upvotes

What, no art filters?

8 upvotes

When I saw this non event, only one thing crossed my mind :

http://hahgay.com/

1 upvote

They've come a long way from my first Hasselblad that had directions in the manual that read "if the camera is accidently dropped into salt water, rinse it a few times in a bucket of fresh water, then place in an oven on low heat temperature for several hours until completely dry before returning the camera to regular use" It never mentioned what to do with the lens, but my first thought was "wow rugged camera" I wonder what Victor would say about this one!

5 upvotes

A friend dropped my 50 mm Zeiss "blad lens into the Atlantic. Took about three months to get back from being repaired.

Comment edited 3 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Had a photographer drop his 80mm while rushing around. He picked it up and threw it 30m in to a nearby field.

0 upvotes

Why is there no Hasselblad forum here at DPR?

2 upvotes

It's considered "Pro Digital" and part of those forums.

1 upvote

Because Hasselblad users are busy earning some money. Not sitting in their PCs (oh sorry, maybe Macs?)

12 upvotes

Hasselblad owners have no choice but to work to bring in the bucks so they can pay off the camera before the next model is released.

4 upvotes

It's good to see that the Multi-Shot versions are continuing - the ultimate camera for applications that need it, such as art reproduction. The 200 megapixel Multi-Shot is the absolute best camera you can buy for static subjects in normal lighting.

It's also interesting to see that the free Phocus software is continuing on to v2.7.

I don't see any mention of the model that takes third-party backs - that will probably come later, just as it did with the H4D. Hassy is known to have the best bodies, especially with the True Focus (a feature DSLRs really should have) and many people prefer their lenses. But Phase One is widely understood to have the best digital backs, so unless you need Multi-Shot, combining them is the optimal solution.

Comment edited 14 minutes after posting

1 upvote

DEAR SANTA ...

22 upvotes

LOL!!!!

0 upvotes

For some reason, I always thought Hassy was a German company.

1 upvote

Use to use German (Zeiss) lenses ... now it uses Fujinon lenses

3 upvotes

And Fuji cameras too
these modern hassleblads are rebadged FUJI's

0 upvotes

To be fair, these days, many German lenses are made by Cosina in Japan.

0 upvotes

For several decades, the lenses were from Zeiss with a few from Schneider. But the funny story is the original 1940s and early 50s Hasselblads used Kodak lenses. But the Kodaks were too expensive and hard to obtain, so Hasselblad turned to a reviving post-war German industry for its lenses.

4 upvotes

I visited the Zeiss Manufacturer back in the late 80's. Since I owned two Contax RTS equipped with Zeiss lenses I was as exited as a kid in a chocolate factory. My enchantment wore off when I noticed that the lenses were a secondary part of their interests. Zeiss is more oriented in developing precision instruments than lenses.

0 upvotes

rebadged FUJI's? Oh, then would you please be so kind as to tell us which FUJI models?

0 upvotes

Not just a rebadged Fuji,, back is made in Denmark,lenses are Fujinon designed by Per Nordlund....

0 upvotes

For a treat, you can rent one. But, beware. Once I used the H4D with a 60 meg back ... 180 meg tiffs ... everything else looked very coarse! Some of the things on these 'Blads are very primitive. LiveView is B&W with 1 second updates ... hardly Live!?

0 upvotes

The 1 second B&W LiveView is a technical limitation - I believe it comes from using a CCD sensor. But that same CCD sensor is what gives it the high image quality it has. The superior auto focus system largely negates the need for a faster LiveView.

2 upvotes

Fuji did it almost 10 years ago on a medium format CCD.

The "technical limitation" comes from using a 15 year-old application note as your reference design with zero additional R&D.

7 upvotes

I wanted the LiveView because the camera was in an inaccessible position for me to use the finder. I had it tethered ... but needed to make a lot of fine adjustments ... so the slow live view was a pain

0 upvotes

Dstudio is correct about it being a limitation of the CCD sensor.

0 upvotes

It looks a lot like an Old Sony Mavica.

3 upvotes

And the old Sony Mavica looks like... ?

0 upvotes

That looks like a terrific camera for the very controlled environments it is meant to be used in.

You wouldn't take this as a walk around camera just as you wouldn't choose a point and shoot for studio shots. It is a purpose built camera and when used correctly for that purpose it would be exceptional.

I wonder how long it will be before we have 500 megapixel cameras with ultra wide lenses and we just crop the image down instead of zooming.

1 upvote

We will have gigapixel cameras soon~

1 upvote

Is 1.6 Gigapixel enough?
http://www.dgcam.org/dgCam/Home.html
Only $25,000 with lens

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

It would work as a walk around camera and some point and shoot cameras would be excellent in the studio, especially if you want great depth of field. Depends on A) how keen you are to carry a big camera - many people do - and B) how much of a snob you are!

We're so spoiled these days.

0 upvotes

Even Moti can't miss this Viewfinder! You couldn't ask for a more ergonomic Hasselblad. This looks like the best Blad ever made! And JPEGS too!

1 upvote

Typo, 135 format

0 upvotes

135 format is not really a typo. The typo is dLSR after that. Since 135 format was for aSLRs, in dSLR it's referred to as full frame.

135 is a type of roll-film which was 24 mm in height. Just as there where 120 and 220 film for the medium format camera's.

2 upvotes

In fact the 135 film was 35 mm in height (or width, if you will), hence the name "35 mm film".

3 upvotes

Now wait a minute, what is that? ITs not pocketable, look at sony´s up coming R-X1

Definately joking, and joking bad...

0 upvotes

Actually there's a Sony RX-100 inside. Remember Ansel Adams? There was a Kodak Instamatic inside that 8x10 box.

0 upvotes

OMG, they mentioned jpeg's! That's like a swear word in the dpr forums. I am surprised JPEG isn't a blocked word in here.

4 upvotes

They left the most important information out.
How many Mega Pixels?

0 upvotes

Reading really helps.

"The H5D series is expected to start shipping by December, and will include 40, 50 and 60 megapixel models, as well as 50 and 200 megapixel multi-shot versions."

6 upvotes

Maybe an edit after you posted this, but it was in the blurb on the DPR home page and it's at the bottom of the release.

0 upvotes

Reckon they are releasing this so it is ready for when NASA go to Mars. They will probably be the only people who will be able to afford it.

1 upvote

Guess you have not been to enough photo studios to see medium format cameras being used.

1 upvote

Guess you have not been to enough photo studios to see medium format cameras being used.

1 upvote

Kapanak, write out a hundred lines!

"I must not repeat myself"
"I must not repeat myself"...

10 upvotes

LOL - no sir, a Hasselblad is far from "just a camera". It's just like watching a Rolls Royce when you only imagine a bicycle. In the old film days I hired a couple of prof. photographers who used Hasselblad. Just handling the camera is like handling an object from another world. The price - who cares? - it's likely to be insane by standards not only set by amateurs.

0 upvotes

Flawed car analogy.
A Rolls Royce can be used as a general purpose car.
A medium format camera - is useless everywhere except for heavily controlled environments (hint: ISO, AF, speed, workflow etc)
Or did I miss something ?

3 upvotes

You missed something. Some people carry tripods, and only shoot during the day. Other people are just really patient.

You gotta' pay an awful lot more to get a just little bit more back ... that's just how things work, whether it's cameras, cars, or bicycles. A top-spec Specialized may only be 1 1/2 pounds lighter than an otherwise identical model for half the price.

If you need the lightest bike there is, that's what it costs. If you don't, then you're wasting your money. Offhand, clothing and jewelry are the only high-end products I can think of where the pricing structure does not work this way.

5 upvotes

wlad, continuing your car analogy, e.g. a Formula 1 car is very very expensive and only works in a "highly controlled environment" of a racetrack (and not just any racetrack for that matter). But when it is in its environment no other car can get close. Similarly, if you wanna race on a dirt road, you take a rally car. And if you need to move those cars between tracks you get a truck.

Same thing with professional cameras -- you choose the best tool for the job. At my workplace, we use less than 1MP cameras that cost over $10K simply because no other camera gets close in sensitivity.

0 upvotes

It doesn't matter how much you shoot. It's about how much you get.

0 upvotes

I've shot my Hasselblad on trips without a tripod on the street. It's just a camera, not a car. The shots I took were great. Love most of what I took (can't love everything since some of them were boring as heck and I wondered "why did I take that again?").

1 upvote

I used to use my Hasselblad as a walkaround camera. Also used my Rollei and Mamiya TLRs. Tweren't no big thing.

1 upvote

Hasselblads have always been expensive and when I was shooting professionally I owned four of them! I am older and sold an almost complete Hasselblad system, with two bodies, to move completely to 4/3 (Olympus E-5) and now sold all that to move to Micro 4/3! I would love to try out that new body and 24mm lens, but it is wiser for me to steer clear! :)

2 upvotes

Hi James, what Micro 4/3 did you move to? I would appreciate knowing since I am looking to go that direction as well. Many are saying to wait for the Panasonic GH3 which is supposed to be amazing. What would you recommend? Thanks.

Comment edited 1 minute after posting

3 upvotes

nah, I'll get a new car instead..

0 upvotes

Clearly, you are not the target market. No loss to Hasselbald, I'm sure.

1 upvote

Kapanak, take a pill. Or spend the money this gizmos would cost on a sense of humor.

4 upvotes

Yes, lighten up, do not be that serious. ha,ha.

0 upvotes

1 upvote

c'mon, it's just a camera ;)... why nobody is saying something...pricing??

0 upvotes

Where's the price info?

0 upvotes

If you have to ask......

1 upvote

...you know what they say? If you have to ask...

0 upvotes

The new cameras are plastic? Glocks are plastic, they are the most significant advance in gun manufacturing in the last 2 decades, now, "Taurus" also makes plastic guns and those are junk.

Don't sell Fuji lenses short, besides Oriental Seagull paper, the "secret" of great photographers like Ansel Adms, Edward Weston and Irving Penn was FUJI GLASS.

Been a pro for over 25 years, halfway into it I had all Schneider glass for large format and when I saw an ad in a Japanese photo magazine where Irving Penn said he only used Fuji glass I got a basic Fuji 210 and tested side by side with my Schneider 210mm f/5.6 Super-Symmar XL. Sold all the Schneiders and got all Fuji glass!

I like all metal cameras, I like all metal 1911 guns as well but this days the metal guns are for collecting, the new plastic guns are more reliable.

There is no way to stop manufacturers from giving us what we want unless we in mass demand it when we reach the cash registers, or this days, the "place order" icon!

Comment edited 1 minute after posting

0 upvotes

Now, which one do I get for fashion, lifestyles, portraiture and fine art?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/893196-REG/Hasselblad_3013666_H5D_200_MS_DIGITAL_CAMERA.htm

lhttp://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/893195-REG/Hasselblad_H5D_60_DSLR_Camera_With.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/585106-REG/Leica_10801_S2_SLR_Digital_Camera.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/823189-REG/Mamiya_020_00980B_DM_Series_80Mp_DSLR_Camera.html

0 upvotes

Total comments: 146


Behind the scenes of the Hasselblad H5D advertising campaign Mar 20, 2013	Hasselblad responds to Lunar criticisms Sep 19, 2012	Sony and Hasselblad announce partnership with DSLR on the horizon Sep 18, 2012	Hasselblad announces 24MP Lunar - an 'ultimate luxury' mirrorless camera Sep 18, 2012

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