Medium Format — Picture Soup

Hasselblad Announces New Gear at photokina

The 31MP H4D-31 will come bundled with an 80mm lens.

Hasselblad added a new camera and lenses to its line of medium format digital cameras, announcing the new products at photokina, in Cologne, Germany this week.

31MP H4D Series Camera

The H4D-31 joins H4D series models with 50 and 60 megapixel sensors as well as Hasselblad’s multi-shot H4D-50MS. The new model is available in two configurations.

The first is bundled with an 80mm lens and Hasselblad’s Phocus 2.6 software. the other bundle includes the H4D-31, a CF-lens adapter and Phocus 2.6 software. The H4D-31 offers 31MP of resolution, and compatibility with Hasselblad HC/HCD lenses. The CD-lens adapter allows photographers who already own Hasselblad’s V-system camera equipment with a solution for them to utilize their current lenses with the new digital camera.

CFV-50 is a 50MP digital back for Hasselblad V-system cameras.

Digital Back for Hasse V-System Cameras

The CFV-50 is a new 50MP digital back for Hasselblad V-system cameras. Earlier models included the CFV-16 and CFV-39. The new digital back is compatible with virtually all V-cameras including the 202FA, 203FE and 205GCC models.

Lenses

The company also added to its line of HC lenses, with the new HC 50-II, that offers a 35mm-equivalent focal length of 31.4mm; minimum focusing distance of .6 meters; rear focusing mechanism; and aperture range of f/3.5 – f/32.

Also new is the HC Macro 120mm-II, with a 35mm focal length equivalent of 73.5mm; maximum image scale of 1:1; and aperture range of f/4 – f/45.

The HC 50-II Lens.

The HC Macro 120mm-II lens.

Firmware Upgrade for the H4D

Hasselblad also announced a firmware update that will be made available to H4D camera system owners by the end of the year. The update provides new functionality including: a 3D virtual electronic spirit level that will be displayed on the rear LCD for ease in composition; preview capability when shooting tethered; information display on the rear LCD with the push of a button (featuring a new graphic interface); and full support for the Hasselblad Global Image Positioning GPS device to the H4D-60. The GPS device functionality is supported on all other H4D, H3D and H2D cameras.

For more information, go to www.hasselblad.com.

— Diane Berkenfeld

Mamiya expands line with 40MP DM40/DM40 Digital Back

Mamiya today expanded its line of large-sensor DSLRs with the addition of the new 40-megapixel Mamiya DM40, featuring a 44mm x 33mm image sensor offering a pixel count of 7360 x 5562. The camera offers a peak capture rate of .8 seconds per frame and a sustained capture rate of 60 frames per minute. ISO range is 80-800 and the largest file size that can be attained is a 240MB 16 Bit Tiff. A 6×7cm LCD touchscreen allows for ease of use. At the heart of the DM40 is the “DF” camera-core technology, which utilizes both a leaf and focal plane shutter. Because the camera uses a focal plane shutter and lenses that feature a leaf shutter, photographers will be able to use flash sync speeds up to 1/1600 of a second. For portable use, the camera/digital back uses CompactFlash cards; tethered use is via FireWire 800.

Mamiya also announced the Mamiya DM40 Digital Back, which can be used with the Mamiya 645AFD series, 645DF, Mamiya RZ series (via optional adapter), Mamiya RB series (via optional adapter) or 4×5 view cameras via an optional adapter.

The new 40MP camera/digital back joins other Mamiya large sensor DSLRs/digital backs, featuring resolutions of 22MP, 28MP, 33MP, and 56MP.

Three new leaf shutter lenses designed by Schneider-Kreuznach and manufactured by Mamiya are compatible with the camera, in focal lengths of 55mm, 80mm, and 110mm. These lenses join 15 other lenses from 28mm to 300mm APO, designed for use with the cameras’ focal plane shutter system.

The file type captured by the DM40 camera/digital back is the 16 Bit Leaf Mosaic HDR-type file with a dynamic range of 12 f/stops. The files from the DM40 DSLR/DM40 digital back can be processed with a number of programs including Phase One’s Capture One, Leaf Capture, Adobe Lightroom 2 (or newer) or Photoshop CS4 (or newer). Tethered use is possible with Capture One or Leaf Capture. For those who choose to use Leaf Capture, you’ll have the ability of using the new Leaf Remote Capture app for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch.

The Mamiya DM40 DSLR kit, which includes the Mamiya 80mm f/2.8 D lens will be available for $21,990. The Mamiya DM40 Digital Back has a price of $19,990. Both are expected to ship this month and include Phase One’s Capture One and Leaf Capture software programs.

For more information, go to www.mamiya.com.

— Diane Berkenfeld