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Monday, September 29, 2008

New-For-Fall D-SLRs Reimagined

In the lead-up to the huge Photokina 2008 trade show, there were a number of big new camera announcements—more megapixels and better image quality, and in the spirit of convergence, HD video makes the leap to still cameras!

Hasselblad H3DII-50

Versatile Storage Options. You can store the H3DII-50 images on CompactFlash cards, on the 100 GB ImageBank-II external storage unit or on a computer hard drive. The camera can be operated from a computer using Hasselblad Phocus software.
Wide Range Of Lenses. Hasselblad offers 10 HC and HCD autofocus lenses for the H3DII-50, from 28mm to 300mm, including a 50-110mm zoom, along with a 1.7x converter. The H3DII-50 also can use all C-type lenses from the Hasselblad V-system via an optional CF adapter. Central shutters provide flash sync up to 1⁄800 sec.
New 50-Megapixel Image Sensor. The “full-frame” Kodak CCD sensor actually measures 36.8x49.1mm—a little over twice the size of a “full-frame,” 35mm-based D-SLR sensor, but not quite the size of a 645-format film frame. It produces images measuring 6132x8176 pixels, resulting in lossless-compressed, 16-bit RAW files of 65 MB or 8-bit TIFF files of 150 MB. Pixel size is 6.0 microns, about the same as the pixels on a typical 10-megapixel APS-C sensor.
Big, Bright Viewfinders. The H3DII-50 comes with the HVD 90x eye-level viewfinder and accepts the optional HVM waist-level finder. Both provide extra-large and bright images for easy viewing and focusing. The eye-level finder includes a built-in fill-flash and a hot-shoe for SCA3002-system Metz flash units.

Tilt/Shift Adapter. Add the optional HTS 1.5 tilt/shift adapter, and you can shift the 28mm through 80mm lenses +/- 18mm or tilt them +/- 10 degrees. You can remove the digital-capture unit from the H3DII-50 (via optional H adapter) and attach it to a view camera for full tilt/shift flexibility.

Specifications
Image Sensor: 50-megapixel CCD
Resolution: 8176x6132 pixels
Sensor Size: 49.1x36.8mm
AF System: 1-point
Shutter Speeds: 1/800 to 32 sec., X-sync at all speeds
ISO Settings: 50-400
Continuous Firing Mode: 33 shots per minute
Recording Format: RAW, TIFF
Metering: Spot, CW, center spot
Storage Media: CompactFlash
Dimensions: 6.0x5.2x8.4 inches with 80mm lens
Weight: 80.7 ounces (with 80mm lens, battery and CF card)
Power Source: Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Estimated Street Price: $39,999
Contact: Hasselblad, (425) 861-6434, www.hasselbladusa.com

The H3DII-50 is the top-of-the-line model in Hasselblad’s medium-format D-SLR family, featuring a 50-megapixel “full-frame” (36x48mm) CCD that’s twice the size of a 35mm-based, full-frame D-SLR sensor. It joins the H3DII-39 and H3DII-31 (39 and 31 megapixels, respectively) in Hasselblad’s digital-only (can’t use film backs) camera line.