Hasselblad H4D-40 Medium Format DSLR Camera

The Hasselblad H4D-40 Medium Format DSLR delivers unsurpassed image quality via an outstanding set of powerful features and precision optics.The H4D-40 features a 40 megapixel medium format sensor and True Focus with APL (Absolute Position Lock), refining the auto-focus system for accurate composing at close range with shallow depth-of-field.

The features of this camera meet the needs of professional photographers while on location or in the studio. The low noise color filter of the H4D-40’s sensor provides for increased clarity and increased depth of field. The Natural Color Solution (HNCS) achieves consistent color reproduction using a single color profile, and digital lens correction perfects each image captured through HC/HCD lenses by removing any trace of distortion, vignetting, or chromatic aberrations.

The Hasselblad HC 80mm f/2.8 is the standard lens for the H system. The high-performance design ensures great color correction, a flat image plane, and low distortion. The wide aperture facilitates photography in poor light and provides a bright viewfinder image. A lens suited for almost any task in general photography.

The H4D also comes bundled with Hasselblad’s Phocus 2.0 imaging software, featuring a dramatically reduced learning curve, enabling the average photographer to be up to speed in less than 30 minutes, and a feature set that matches the industry standards defined by Adobe and Apple.

The H4D-40 takes full benefit from all the flexibility of the impressive H camera system. Photographers get a camera that is as easy to use and delivers the image quality professionals expect from Hasselblad.

Features

Digital Lens Correction and Ultra-Focus
The H4D-40 camera allows information from the lens and exact capture conditions to be fed to the camera processor for ultra-fine 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/HCD 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 automatic 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.

True Focus & Absolute Position Lock (APL)
True Focus helps solve one of the most lingering challenges that face serious photographers today: true, accurate focusing throughout the image field. 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.

Instant Approval Architecture
Building on the success of the Audio Exposure Feedback technology, Hasselblad has created Instant Approval Architecture (IA), an enhanced set of feedback tools, designed to enable the photographer to focus on the shoot rather than the selection process. IA triggers audible and visual signals for each image captured, notifying the photographer immediately of its classification status. The information is recorded both in the file and in the file name, providing a quick and easy way to classify and select images, in the field or back at the studio. IA is a Hasselblad trademark and Hasselblad has a patent pending on the invention.

Tethered or Un-tethered Operation
The H4D-40 provides the ability to combine working tethered and un-tethered to get the most of your camera system both on location and in the studio.

Processing Options
This Hasselblad allows 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.

Meeting Commercial Challenges
Using the H4D-40 gives you the choice of combining point-and-shoot and tilt/shift to solve creative commercial challenges. Two basic options are available for tilt/shift work with H4D-40. A simple-to-use, portable adapter solution and the classic view camera solution. The HTS tilt/shift adapter for H4D-40 allows for portable tilt/shift with the HC/HCD lens range from 28mm to 100mm.

Two Modes of Operation & Storage
The H4D-40 offers a choice of storage devices: 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.

Other New Features
Expanding on the great feature set of the H3D camera line, a set of new camera features are introduced with the H4D-40:

* Camera electronics delivering the basis for True Focus and ultra fast Auto Focus
* Extra large 3″ display on the H4D-40 provides a realistic, high quality and perfect contrast image view, even in bright sunlight
* Extended exposure time up to 4 min (256 sec) exposure
* AF assist lights for working in dark environments
* 80 MB/sec read-write performance on Extreme Pro cards from SanDisk

True Focus: Delivering accurate composing at close distance with shallow depth-of-field
True Focus helps solve one of the most lingering challenges in professional photography, true, accurate focusing throughout the image field when working with shallow depth-of-field at closer range. Without multi-point auto-focus a typical auto-focus 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 to lock focus on the subject and then re-compose the image.

In short distances, this re-composing causes focus error, as the plane of focus sharpness follows the camera’s movement, 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, but such multi-point AF solutions are often tedious and inflexible to work with and do not really solve the problem.

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 page 3/3 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. The True Focus technology and APL (both patent pending) mark a significant milestone for Hasselblad’s high-end DSLR strategy and represent the result of many years of development work.

Phocus 2.0 Software

Special Extended Camera Controls
Special extended camera controls with which to operate your H4D-40 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
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 exporting a number of file formats, pre-setting of options for upcoming shoots, and more.

New Metadata
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.

100% 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.

Specifications

Camera Type
Large sensor medium format DSLR

Imaging

Resolution
40MP (7304 x 5478 pixels)

Sensor
33.1 x 44.2mm

Bit Depth
16-bit

File Formats
Lossless compressed Hasselblad RAW 3FR

File Size
RAW 3FR capture 50MB on average
TIFF 8-bit: 120MB

Color Management System
Hasselblad Natural Color Solution

Storage Type
CF card type U-DMA (e.g. SanDisk extreme IV) or tethered to Mac or PC

Storage Capacity
4GB CF card: 75 images on average

Capture Rate
1.1 sec per capture
50 captures per minute

Histogram
Yes

Filter
IR filter mounted on CCD sensor

Audible Alarm
Yes

Optics

Lens
HC 80mm f/2.8

Zoom
No

Focus Type
Autofocus

Angle of View @ Infinity
46°/38°/29° (diag/hor/vert)

Focus Range
2.3′ (0.7 m) – infinity

Aperture Range
f/2.8 – 32

Elements/Groups
6/6

Filter Size
67mm

Shutter
Electronic lens shutter

Focusing
Autofocus metering with passive central cross-type sensor
Ultra focus digital feedback
Instant manual focus override
Metering range: EV1 – 19 at ISO 100.

Exposure Control

Shutter Speeds
256 – 1/800 sec

Metering Options
Spot
Center Weighted
CenterSpot
Metering range:
Spot: EV2 – 21
Center weighted: EV1 – 21
CenterSpot: EV1 – 21

Remote Control
Yes

Flash

External Flash Connection
Yes

Max Sync Speed
Flash can be used at all shutter speeds.

Flash Control
Automatic TTL center weighted system
Uses built-in flash or flashes compatible with SCA3002 (Metz)
Output can be adjusted from -3 to +3EV
For manual flashes a built-in metering system is available

Viewfinder/Display

Display
3″ TFT type, 24-bit color, 230,400 pixels

Histogram
Yes

Connectivity/System Requirements

Connectivity
FireWire 800 (IEEE 1394b)

System & Software Requirements
Macintosh: OSX
Windows: XP (32 and 64 bit), Vista (32 and 64 bit), Windows 7 (32 and 64 bit).

Software
Phocus for Mac and Windows

Power

Battery Type
Rechargeable Li-ion battery (7.2VDC, 1850mAh).

Physical

Operating Temperature
32 – 113°F (0 – 45°C)

Dimensions (WxHxD)
6.02 x 5.16 x 8.39″ (153 x 131 x 213mm)

Weight
5.05 lb (2.29 kg)

Includes

* Hasselblad H4D-40 Medium Format DSLR Camera
* HC 80mm f/2.8 Lens
* Front & Rear Lens Caps
* Lens Hood
* HVD-90X Viewfinder
* Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery (integrated into Grip)
* Battery Charger
* FireWire 800 Cable
* Phocus 2.0 Software CD-ROM
* User’s Guide on CD-ROM

Thanks to shashinki,dpreview

This Post Has One Comment

  1. shutterbug

    OMG, hand me a smoke….This is beautiful.

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