Hasselblad has announced the launch of the new Hasselblad H3D, the world's first 48mm full-frame DSLR camera system.


According to the press release issued by the company, the H3D is the result of Hasselblad's strategy of taking photographic flexibility and image quality to new levels.

The H3D is currently available in two models, the Hasselblad H3D-22 and the Hasselblad H3D-39, offering image capture with a resolution of either 22 or an unsurpassed 39 megapixels on the largest image sensor currently available in digital photography; more than twice the size of a high-end 35mm camera sensor.

The H3D is built around a brand new digital camera engine, providing a new standard of image sharpness, 'Ultra-Focus'. In the H3D camera, information about lens and exact capture conditions are fed into the digital camera engine for ultra-fine-tuning of the auto-focus mechanism, taking into account the design of the lens and the optical specification of the sensor.

The camera then adds Digital APO Correction (DAC), APO-chromatic correction of the color aberration and distortion in the images, which raises the performance of the full HC lens range.

Aside from the new H3D, Hasselblad also announced the world's first 28mm wide angle lens for 48mm DSLR camera systems and a new waist-level viewfinder.

"To achieve the necessary optical performance, the Hasselblad lens designers have taken full advantage of the Ultra-Focus and DAC functionality to ensure that outstanding images are produced by this extraordinary lens. Photographers who work with the H3D and the HCD 28mm lens will be amazed by the full-frame composition and unmatched wide angle image quality," the press release says.

"Taking the V System's lead, Hasselblad is launching an interchangeable, waist-level viewfinder for the H system cameras. The new waist-level viewfinder is a superb composition tool that allows the photographer to maintain direct eye contact with the model throughout the shoot, particularly important for fashion and people shoots. The H3D thus offers a choice of viewfinders - eye- or waist-level - an important flexibility for the professional photographer," the Swedish company said.

To allow the photographer to shoot the most creative and best composed images, the H3D has also been developed for maximum flexibility:

Viewfinder flexibility: - The system offers a choice of viewfinders for image composition and is compatible with Hasselblad's standard H System lenses and the new 28mm digital HCD lens.

Tilt and Shift flexibility: - The digital capture unit can be used on a view camera with tilt and shift functionality.

Storage flexibility: - The H3D also gives the professional photographer three options for image storage: on a CF card, to a Hasselblad Image Bank (a 100GB drive with a write speed of up to 60MB/sec) via FireWire, or the tethered operation with extended, special capture controls.

Film flexibility: - In exceptional circumstances, such as extreme heat or cold or extremely long or short exposure times, it is also possible to switch to film.


With these operating and storage options, the photographer is able to select a mode to suit their work, whatever the nature and whether in the studio or on location.

The new H3D is available immediately worldwide through Hasselblad's national subsidiaries and channel partners at retail prices to be announced at Photokina.

An H3D upgrade program is available for current H1D and H2D users. According to the Imaging Resource, the 39MP version will be priced at €24,900 (roughly equivalent to US$31,500) and the 22 megapixel variant of the same camera will be €19,900 (US$25,000). The Hasselblad HCD 4,0/28mm WA-lens announced alongside the H3D DSLRs will be priced at €3,100 (US$4,000), and the HVM waist level viewfinder will retail at €230 (US$300)