Hasselblad launch four new products

Building on the success of the H1 range of products, Hasselblad have developed the H2 cross-platform camera and the H2D fully-integrated digital camera. Both cameras incorporate a series of brand new features, as well as being fully compatible with Hasselblads existing H system lenses.

New products in the Ixpress digital back line include the Ixpress CF and Ixpress CFH. These are designed to bring new levels of flexibility to specialist professional photographers, enabling them to take full advantage of everything that leading-edge digital photography has to offer.

All four new Hasselblad products offer photographic professionals the quality of medium-format image capture, combined with ease of use, portability and flexibility more often associated with smaller format DSLR technology.

The H2 and H2D cameras offer improved mobility, quality and workflow, and brand new features include a highly advanced image approval and selection tool, called Instant Approval Architecture (TM and patent pending) providing a swift and easy way to select and classify images.

Additionally, Hasselblad have built into the H2 cross-platform camera a new single-battery operation of the camera with the new Ixpress CFH digital back, offering one on/off switch and one operating system for streamlined and integrated operation. With existing digital backs already in the market, the H2 delivers the exact functionality of the H1.

Christian Poulsen, CEO of Hasselblad explains: In the year since Hasselblad and Imacon joined forces, we have been inundated with constructive feedback from professional photographers worldwide, eager to see Hasselblads legendary quality evolve with developments in digital technology. When we reviewed their wishes, we were able to distil them into five key areas: format, storage, open standards, image approval and selection, and image colour refinement. This gave us a clear blueprint for the next phase of our product development.

He added: The result is a new range of technologically advanced products that will change the working habits of general and specialist professional photographers, providing them with the tools they need to capture magical images, while growing a profitable, customer-focused business.

Professional photographers now demand higher resolution, less noise and improved composition, all of which are addressed with Hasselblads new camera platform.

The H2 and H2D use an optical format much larger than 35mm, with a large format, high quality 22 Megapixel CCD sensor measuring 37mm x 49mm. Coupled with an ultra bright, extra large H-size viewfinder enabling better image composition, the final result is an image quality that exceeds normal expectations of medium format photography.

Portability and image storage are also critical for the professional photographer, and Hasselblads new products now offer the choice of the portable CF card storage, the flexible FireWire drive or the tethered operation with extended, special capture controls. With these three operating and storage options, the photographer is able to select a mode to suit the nature of the work at hand, whether in the studio or on location.

Hasselblad have worked closely with Adobe to make its new products fully compatible with Adobes raw image format DNG (Digital NeGative), bringing this new technology standard to the professional photographer for the first time. The DNG file format enables raw, compressed image files to be opened directly in Adobe Photoshop CS, allowing photographers to operate quickly and efficiently, reducing the time taken to process image data and enabling final images to reach the customer more quickly. Hasselblad image files now carry a full set of metadata, including capture conditions, keywords and copyright, facilitating work with image asset management solutions. For specialist commercial photographers the full productivity and creative freedom offered by Hasselblads FlexColor workflow software is also available via importing the DNG file. The new FlexColor now allows the photographer to manipulate colour temperature and compare image details across multiple images for precise image selection.

Building on the success of its Audio Exposure Feedback technology, Hasselblad have created Instant Approval Architecture (IAA), an enhanced set of feedback tools designed to liberate the photographer to focus on the shoot rather than the selection process. IAA triggers audible and visible signals for each image captured, telling the photographer immediately whether the image has a red, amber or green light 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 either in the studio or on location. An enhanced LED display in the new Hasselblad products provides a realistic, high quality and perfect contrast image view, even in bright sunlight, allowing instant on-site image approval.

Colour management solutions have in the past imposed limitations on professional photographers, particularly when capturing various skin tones, metals, fabrics or flowers. To combat this, Hasselblad have developed a new, powerful colour engine in its FlexColor workflow software. With a one camera set-up, the new optimised colour engine produces reliable out-of-the-box colour with smooth gradations, with skin tones and other difficult colours reproduced effectively.

Concluding, Christian Poulsen said: Less than nine months since the launch of the integrated H System digital product line, Hasselblad is meeting professional photographers changing demands with a revolutionary set of fully-featured cross-platform and integrated digital products. Hasselblad has always set new standards in analogue photography, and by doubling our R&D resource, we are fully committed to being at the leading edge where professional digital photography is concerned. With these new products, we are underlining our mission to work hand in hand with loyal Hasselblad users and new customers to help them take full advantage of the potential that digital technology holds for them, creatively and commercially.