Featuring a 50 Mpixel MF sensor and the revolutionary True Focus technology, the H4D-50 camera system will change the way you think about high-end photography. The H4D series is built upon the successful H3D platform and comes bundled with Hasselblad's Phocus 2.0 imaging software.
Kodak’s 50 Mpixel 36×48mm sensor measures, twice the physical size of the largest 35mm DSLR sensors, this camera system has been specially designed to meet the most exacting demands of high-end commercial photographers who require the ultimate in both image quality and performance.
True Focus and Absolute Position Lock
True Focus helps solve one of the most lingering challenges that faces serious photographers today: true, accurate focusing throughout the image field. Without multi-point auto-focus a typical autofocus camera can only correctly measure focus on a subject that is in the center of the image. When a photographer wants to focus on a subject outside the center area, they have firstly aim the camera at the subject to lock focus and then re-compose the image. At close focusing distances especially, this re-composing causes a focus error, as the plane of sharpness follows the movement of the camera, perpendicular to the axis of the lens. The traditional solution for most DSLRs has been to equip the camera with a multi-point AF sensor. These sensors allow the photographer to fix an off-center focus point on an off-center subject, which is then focused correctly. Due to the physics of an SLR-camera, the off-center focus points that are offered are all clustered relatively close to the center of the image. This means that the photographer still has to frame the subject more or less centrally, focus and then reframe again. And perhaps more importantly, the problem is still not completely resolved because the incorrect distance setting remains after reframing, thereby causing focusing errors. In addition, focusing points must firstly be manually selected and then reselected if the camera is turned. This takes precious seconds, is distracting to workflow and is prone to error.
To overcome this problem, Hasselblad has used modern yaw rate sensor technology to measure angular velocity in an innovative way. The result is the new Absolute Position Lock (APL) processor, which forms the foundation of Hasselblad’s True Focus feature. The APL processor accurately logs camera movement during any re-composing, then uses these exact measurements to calculate the necessary focus adjustment, and issues the proper commands to the lens’s focus motor so it can compensate. The APL processor computes the advanced positional algorithms and carries out the required focus corrections at such rapid speed that no shutter lag occurs. The H4D’s firmware then further perfects the focus using the precise data retrieval system found on all HC/HCD lenses.
An impressive lens line outperforming the Carl Zeiss lenses
The highly renowned HC/HCD lens line includes 11 auto-focus lenses, all with central lens shutters. Range is from 28mm to 300mm, 35-90 mm zoom, 50-110mm zoom, and 1.7X converter. The HTS 1.5 tilt/shift adapter delivers an easy to use, portable tilt/shift solution for 5 HC/HCD lenses ranging from 28mm to 100mm.
The central lens shutter, with flash sync speed up to 1/800s, also improves image quality by reducing camera vibration. The CF lens adapter allows use of the classic CF-lenses from the Hasselblad V-camera, with full use of their central lens shutters,allowing flash to be employed at shutter speeds up to 1/500s. And thanks to the large format of the H System cameras, there is a considerably shallower depth of field range, making it much easier to utilize selective focus to creative effect.
A choice of large and bright viewfinders
One of the important traditional advantages of the medium format is the extra-large and bright viewfinder image, enabling extremely precise compositions and easy operation in dim lighting. The H4D-50 comes with the HV 90x-II viewfinder designed for full performance over the large sensor. Hasselblad has added an interchangeable waist-level viewfinder, the HVM, for the entire range of H system cameras. The bright and large viewfinder image is ideal for creative composing and the photographer is able to shoot in the fashion that suits them most; maintaining eye contact with the model, or gaining impact by shooting from a point lower than eye-level, for example.
Digital Lens Correction and Ultra-Focus for image perfection
The H4D-50 camera allows information from the lens and exact capture conditions to be fed to the camera processor for ultrafine-tuning of the auto-focus mechanism, taking into account the design specifications of the lens and the optical specifications of the sensor. In this way the full HC lens program is even further enhanced, bringing a new level of sharpness and resolution. Digital correction for color aberration and distortion is also added. Digital Lens Correction (DAC), is an APO-chromatic correction of the images based on a combination of the various parameters concerning each specific lens for each specific shot, ensuring that each image represents the best that your equipment can produce.
Hasselblad’s unique natural colors
Hasselblad’s Natural Color Solution (HNCS) enables you to produce outstanding and reliable out-of-the-box colors, with skin tones,specific product colors and other difficult tones reproduced easily and effectively. In order to incorporate our unique HNCS and DAC features we have developed a custom Hasselblad raw file format called 3F RAW (3FR). This file format includes lossless image compression,
which reduces the file size by 33%. The 3FR files can be opened directly in Apple or Adobe imaging environments. In order to utilize DAC and optimize the colors of the DNG file format, conversion
from 3FR must take place through Phocus.
Accessories including GPS Recording Flexibility
Hasselblad’s Global Image Locator (GIL) is an accessory for use with any Hasselblad H-System digital capture product. With the GIL device, all images captured outside are tagged with GPS coordinates, time and altitude. This data provides the key to a number of future applications involving image archiving and retrieval. One example is the direct mapping of images in Phocus software to the Google Earth application.
Options for working with tilt/shift
Two basic options are available for tilt/shift work with H4D-50. A simple, portable adapter solution and the classic view camera solution. The HTS tilt/shift adapter for H4D-60 allows for portable tilt/shift
with the HC/HCD lens range from 28mm to 100mm. Please refer to the separate datasheet on this product for details. To further increase usability, the H4D-60 has been designed to allow the digital capture unit to be detached and used on a view camera by way of an adapter.
Two modes of operation and storage
The H4D-60 offers a choice of storage devices: portable CF cards or a computer hard drive. With these operating and storage options, you are able to select a mode to suit the nature of the work in hand,
whether in the studio or on location.
Phocus software driving down the learning curve
Phocus provides an advanced software toolbox that has been especially designed to easily achieve optimum workflow and absolute image perfection from Hasselblad raw image files.
Phocus Features:
- Uncompromising image quality
- Special extended camera controls with which to operate your H4D-60 camera. These features, such as live video for easier shot set-up and workflow, or the ability to control the lens drive for focusing when the camera is in a remote position or when the digital capture unit is mounted on a view camera, bring an entirely new level of flexibility to the way you shoot.
- Moiré Removal Technology automatically applied directly on the raw data, leaving image quality intact and eliminating the need to carry out special masking selections or other manual procedures, saving hours of tedious post-production work.
- Flexible Workflow. The Phocus GUI features easy-to-use options that allow you to customize your set-up to suit a range of different workflow situations, such as choice of import source,browsing/comparison functions, file management, image export in a number of file formats, pre-setting of options for upcoming shoots, and much, much more.
- Metadata (GPS, etc). The extended metadata included in all Phocus images provides for accurate and detailed cataloguing and indexing, easy image management, and includes added GPS data functionality in order to allow a range of new functions. Phocus links GPS data directly to Google Earth, for example, making geographic reference a snap and image storage and retrieval much easier.
- Perfect Viewing Quality. The Phocus Viewer delivers image viewing quality that matches every detail of what you will see later in Photoshop. In addition, the Phocus Viewer allows you to customize layout and composition to suit your current or desired workflow, providing a wide range of options including full view, compare, browse, horizontal, or vertical view, and so on. You can have multiple folders open simultaneously for side-by-side viewing, comparison, and selection.
H4D Features:
- The freedom to choose between eye-level and waist-level viewfinders
- The choice of combining point-and-shoot and tilt/shift to solve creative commercial challenges
- The ability to choose between working tethered or untethered to get the most of your camera system both on location and in the studio
- The option of processing your raw images in Hasselblad’s Phocus imaging toolbox, or working with your raw images directly in Apple or Adobe imaging environments.
- Camera electronics providing the basis for True Focus and ultra fast Auto Focus
- True Focus auto-focus system with Absolute Position Lock and new camera controls
- Improved AF assist illumination for working in dark environments
- 90 MB/sec read-write performance on Extreme Pro cards from Sandisk
- Rear uni-body housing for improved local servicing
Includes:
- H4D-50 Camera Body
- HC f/2.8 80mm Lens
- HV 90x-II Full Frame Viewfinder
- Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery
- Battery Charger
- Phocus Software
- FireWire Cable
- Lens Hood
