Hasselblad Joins 100 MP Club With Next-Gen H6D
The start of what the company says is a return to core values has begun with the launch of Hasselblad’s sixth-generation medium format D-SLR system. The H6D, says Hasselblad, retains “…iconic design elements and Swedish handmade quality”, no doubt an oblique reference to the now quietly-shelved (and largely unsuccessful) program of rebadging selected Sony cameras.
However, unlike the last couple of H System camera upgrades, the H6D is pretty much an all-new design and offers a number of new features which will keep it competitive with Phase One’s XF platform. The H6D will be available with a new 100 megapixels capture back which uses the same Sonymade CMOS sensor as the XF 100MP (albeit optimised for Hasselblad), or a 50 MP model, again using a Sony-sourced imager. While mildly restyled on the outside, H6D is more extensive revised on the inside, moving away from the more mechanical platform of the original H1 (which dates back to 2002) to a largely all-electronic design to enable, among other things, much greater integration between the camera body, the capture backs and an upgraded series of HC lenses, along with faster data transfer. An immediate benefit of the latter is increase in the top shutter speed to 1/2000 second also made possible by a revised leaf-shutter design. Incidentally, Hasselblad states that this new shutter assembly is durable enough for a million cycles.
The H6D capture backs deliver a long list of new features, including a 7.62 cm monitor screen with touch controls, dual memory card slots (for the CFast and SD formats), 4K video shooting with the 100 MP version (direct to the CFast card or via an HDMI ter- minal to an external recorder), customisable operating menus, a USB 3.0 Type C connector and built-in WiFi. The 50 MP back shoots Full HD video. For video recording, there are also a stereo audio input for connecting an external microphone (actually essential as there are no built-in mics) and a stereo audio output for monitoring headphones. The H6D camera body retains a similar control layout to its predecessor, but has a larger info readout panel and a number of ergonomic revisions. It retains compatibility with the HVM 90x prism finders which incorporate a pop-up flash (as well as a hotshoe) and can be interchanged with an optional waistlevel finder.
The sensor in the 100 MP back has a dynamic range of 15 stops and a sensitivity range equivalent to ISO 64 to 12,800. The imaging area is 53.4x40.0 mm (so virtually ‘full-645’) and stills are captured in the Hasselblad 3FR RAW format at around 120 MB in file size. 4K video is recorded at the UHD resolution of 3840x2160 pixels.
In Australia the H6D-100c is priced at $49,995 (including GST, but which doesn’t include a lens) while the H6D-50c costs $38,995 (again without a lens). Hasselblad products are distributed in Australia by C.R. Kennedy & Company.
For more information visit www.hasselblad.com.au