14 DAY TRIAL // Phase One is a very well-known manufacturer of digital backs for professional camera systems, and now, the company's back with the IQ Series of medium format digital camera backs, that manage to combine high-end imaging and data transfer capabilities. The new IQ Series includes the IQ180, IQ160 and IQ140 models, delivering maximum resolutions of 80, 60.5 and 40 megapixels respectively, but the most interesting of the three is, without a doubt, the flagship IQ180, that also sports an USB 3.0 interface, plus a dynamic range of 12.5 f-stops.
The IQ180 also sports a FireWire 800 connection, a CF card slot for untethered shooting, as well as a 3.2-inch retina type, multi touch screen that features 1.15 megapixel resolution and context-sensitive controls, such as the instant zoom function.
Moreover, the display's wide format display allows for a full 4:3 aspect ratio VGA resolution image next to histogram, highlight warning, focus mask, EXIF data, and touch controls, the latter complimenting the digital back's physical controls.
Furthermore, the new IQ180 also sports Phase One’s patent-pending Sensor+ technology, meaning that users can instantly adapt for changing shooting conditions, increasing sensitivity at the expense of resolution, for example.
Phase One also informs us that the level of compatibility between the IQ digital backs and their 645DF camera body has also been improved, since the power state of the digital back can now be controlled directly from the 645DF camera.
Since we're talking about high-end imaging products targeting specifically professional users, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise the fact that these things are extremely expensive.
So, the Phase One IQ180 is expected to be available towards the end of April 2011, while the Phase One IQ160 and IQ140 are expected to be available at the end of May 2011, with prices for the new digital backs starting somewhere in the vicinity of 16.990 EUR / 21.990 USD.