Hasselblad HD3 50 Megapixel Camera
A New Kodak Sensor Lifts Hasselblad to the Top of the Camera World
With pressure from the 35mm DSLR brigade pushing top end models featuring larger full frame sensors, and increased completion from the likes of the new Phase One – Mamiya alliance, Hasselblad saw the need for a new hero camera in the medium format digital camera scene.
“Professional photographers need to capture ever-increasing image detail with higher camera performance, and that drives us to develop new technologies and products to serve this important market,” said Michael Miller, manager of Kodak's CCD Image Sensor Business.
Some may be surprised the reply comes courtesy of Kodak, more widely known innovation in low cost popular photography. Kodak has a long history of providing a range of high quality professional film as well as their mass-market offerings. In line with their history of innovation, Kodak made an early commitment to digital technology and kept it s position as a leading supplier in the photography business as the sales of their film products dwindled.
“Kodak image sensors have been known as the professional imaging standard for years, and today's announcement reaffirms our dedication to provide industry-leading image sensors that give professional photographers a real competitive advantage,” said Miller.
The recent philosophy of medium format digital camera manufacturers has been the modular design where interchangeable modules hold the section that records the image, whether it is film or digital capture. Therefore, while much of the camera is the same there is a new detachable digital back equipped the Kodak sensor. With a high degree of modular design in the Hasselblad system, many of photographer’s exiting hardware should be compatible with the new HD3 II-50 making upgrading a simple task.
“Having huge amounts of megapixels does not help your photography much if you are not using a camera system that can reap the benefits of these resolutions,” said Christian Poulsen, Hasselblad Chief Executive Officer.
“The unique resolution and optical quality of our H-system lens line, combined with our digital lens correction and UltraFocus accuracy, has made it possible for Hasselblad to take our system even further with regards to the accurate capture and recording of image detail.”
The Hasselblad HD3II-50 is the first camera to use Kodak’s TRUESENSE 6.0 micron Full Frame CCD Technology Platform, which increases both the resolution and camera performance available to photographers. Based on a newly designed 6.0 micron pixel, the new Hasselblad features increased data throughput for a faster frame rate, a reduced "click to capture" time to improve camera response, lower power consumption for longer battery life, and true color rendition, while still retaining the performance advantages of the larger, 6.8 micron pixel used in current cameras. With an 8176 x 6132 pixel array, the 50 million pixel sensor provides the highest resolution available in the popular 48 mm x 36 mm optical format used in medium format photography.
