Hasselblad H4D-40

[WillOPhotos]

Hmm this could be interesting.

http://www.hasselblad.com/promotions/h4d-40.aspx

[Depth]

Hasselblad Medium Format DSLRs start at 11,995 EUR
(with 80mm HC lens)

The price is really dropping on these with each release, that's awesome to see.

[WillOPhotos]

yeah I think they can see the MP rising with the DSLRs and need something that will appeal to us who cant afford 20-30k camera body!

[savoirferret]

Price-wise, Hasselblad needs to move a decimal point to the left.

[jdizzle]

Oh Wow! What's the price? Any where near a 1Ds MK IV? :);)

[KenjiS]

Oh Wow! What's the price? Any where near a 1Ds MK IV? :);)

11,995 euros...not sure how much a 1Ds Mk III is in euros..but..that doesnt sound TOO bad..

Hey, Medium format digital has to come down, a lot of folks are either using medium format film and a good scanner or have gone to 35mm Digital now because of it..Also the Leica S-system is REALLY hurting id imagine..

[jdizzle]

11,995 euros...not sure how much a 1Ds Mk III is in euros..but..that doesnt sound TOO bad..

Hey, Medium format digital has to come down, a lot of folks are either using medium format film and a good scanner or have gone to 35mm Digital now because of it..Also the Leica S-system is REALLY hurting id imagine..
I converted it to US and it came out to $16751.00 USD. Definitely a bargain compared to the Leics S2. :)

[KenjiS]

I converted it to US and it came out to $16751.00 USD. Definitely a bargain compared to the Leics S2. :)

Yeh, and id say this is Hasselblad's DIRECT "%^$# you" to leica

Actually thinking about it, doesnt that put it in line with the Mamiya Digital price-wise? Thats not good for Mamiya...they only sell because they're cheap.. (Their stuff is good..but build quality is from what i understand rediculously bad)

That said, this means Mamiya could shoot back with a sub 10k medium format digital..

[wem]

I'm testing one of these next week. Looking forward to it!

[jdizzle]

If you can get pics, please post them. :);)

[wem]

If you can get pics, please post them. :);)

I'll try, but not sure if that's allowed. :-)

[Tareq]

I played with H4D-50, not bad camera, but i am waiting my H4D-60, can't wait really.

[KenjiS]

apparently the US Price is $20,000 including an 80mm lens and a viewfinder

http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/03/hasselblad-creates-40-megapixel-h4d-40-medium-format-camera-wan/

I admit id love to try one, i've always wanted to see what medium format was like...

I dont think they'd let me handle it though

[toxic]

yeah I think they can see the MP rising with the DSLRs and need something that will appeal to us who cant afford 20-30k camera body!

Resolution is much more than simply how many pixels. A 20MP MF back is still far superior to a 20MP 24x36mm sensor in terms of sheer resolution.

[jdizzle]

apparently the US Price is $20,000 including an 80mm lens and a viewfinder

http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/03/hasselblad-creates-40-megapixel-h4d-40-medium-format-camera-wan/

I admit id love to try one, i've always wanted to see what medium format was like...

I dont think they'd let me handle it though
Still not bad for the price. I'd rather use that money for a Mercedes or a Lexus. :)

[KenjiS]

Still not bad for the price. I'd rather use that money for a Mercedes or a Lexus. :)

BMW here ;) You can get a nice M3, M5, M6 or 8-series for that kind of cash...

Anyways I got a real kick out of this bit on their press release

http://photorumors.com/2010/02/04/hasselblad-h4d-40-released-prematurely/#more-3319

“Most high-end photographers understand the advantages that a Medium Format system has over smaller formats,” explains Hasselblad CEO Larry Hansen, “but many younger photographers have never been exposed to larger format photography. Most everyone in the photographic world is aware, for example, of the dramatic developments that have taken place in the 35mm in recent years,” he continues, “but there many of the younger generation of shooters are not aware of the fact that Medium Format DSLRs have evolved equally dramatically, maintaining – and even in some cases increasing – the quality gap that has historically existed between small format and larger format systems.”

Gee...I wonder why when you price your cheapest camera at about $20k that most "young photographers" have never experienced it :/ I mean hell even a film Hasselblad is expensive as sin, Especially their glass! You could go with a Mamiya AF645, Pentax 645, Pentax 67, Bronica ETR or one of about 30 other different medium format cameras for a lot less than a Hasselblad..

And if you go film, theres the issue that depending on where you live you might not have a lab that will process 120 or 220 film, then theres scanning it, and i doubt theres many affordable scanners that do 120 or 220 anymore (Ok I have one..) Getting film is hard some places too...and a lot of emulsions have been discontinued

Yes they're fantastic, but they're bloody expensive...I'd love to experience the quality but for $20k you know how much stuff i could get? I could get one of those BMWs AND a big white Canon lens and likely still have some cash left over

Oh and in my case? What I would want? an H4D-40 + 80mm f/2.8, 120mm f/4 Macro, and 35mm f/3.5...This is not a bad setup...Roughly a 28/50/85mm setup from the olden film days...and it would suit exactly what id use it on

Not sure what it is in dollars, but in euros it'd be..roughly...well 17,900 euros? (35mm f/3.5 is $2900, 120mm f/4 is $3000, H4D-40 + 80mm f/2.8 is 12,000 euros)

[Depth]

He's actually right. Schools can purchase them thus the students can use them. With the price dropping schools are more likely to purchase them.

[KenjiS]

He's actually right. Schools can purchase them thus the students can use them. With the price dropping schools are more likely to purchase them.

Maybe..that is a good point that went over my head...

[jdizzle]

Wait a little longer and Medium Format will be in the same price range as a high end DSLR. :) The only other system I would consider is to go the Leica M route. I would start with the M9 and buy wide angle prime glass only. Even though it's not MF it's the inbetween with high quality.

[KenjiS]

Wait a little longer and Medium Format will be in the same price range as a high end DSLR. :) The only other system I would consider is to go the Leica M route. I would start with the M9 and buy wide angle prime glass only. Even though it's not MF it's the inbetween with high quality.

Well a leica m has some great advantages..namely size and discretion...you're toting around the capabilities of a 1Ds Mark III in a body a bit smaller than a Rebel i think (Or somewhere about there)

Also the wide angle lenses are supposed to be VERY superb in corner to corner sharpness..

[Mark1]

Still not bad for the price. I'd rather use that money for a Mercedes or a Lexus. :)


But a Mercedes or Lexus wont make back the money.

[J_TULLAR]

Well a leica m has some great advantages..namely size and discretion...you're toting around the capabilities of a 1Ds Mark III in a body a bit smaller than a Rebel i think (Or somewhere about there)

Also the wide angle lenses are supposed to be VERY superb in corner to corner sharpness..

Not to mention the advantages of low light shooting! I am saving for one, sucks I fell in love with one at the leica store :(

[J_TULLAR]

BMW here ;) You can get a nice M3, M5, M6 or 8-series for that kind of cash...

Anyways I got a real kick out of this bit on their press release

http://photorumors.com/2010/02/04/hasselblad-h4d-40-released-prematurely/#more-3319



Gee...I wonder why when you price your cheapest camera at about $20k that most "young photographers" have never experienced it :/ I mean hell even a film Hasselblad is expensive as sin, Especially their glass! You could go with a Mamiya AF645, Pentax 645, Pentax 67, Bronica ETR or one of about 30 other different medium format cameras for a lot less than a Hasselblad..

And if you go film, theres the issue that depending on where you live you might not have a lab that will process 120 or 220 film, then theres scanning it, and i doubt theres many affordable scanners that do 120 or 220 anymore (Ok I have one..) Getting film is hard some places too...and a lot of emulsions have been discontinued

Yes they're fantastic, but they're bloody expensive...I'd love to experience the quality but for $20k you know how much stuff i could get? I could get one of those BMWs AND a big white Canon lens and likely still have some cash left over

Oh and in my case? What I would want? an H4D-40 + 80mm f/2.8, 120mm f/4 Macro, and 35mm f/3.5...This is not a bad setup...Roughly a 28/50/85mm setup from the olden film days...and it would suit exactly what id use it on

Not sure what it is in dollars, but in euros it'd be..roughly...well 17,900 euros? (35mm f/3.5 is $2900, 120mm f/4 is $3000, H4D-40 + 80mm f/2.8 is 12,000 euros)

very true, but if you want a cheap MF camera buy a holga lol.

[jdizzle]

But a Mercedes or Lexus wont make back the money.
I don't care about making back the money. There are things in life that I love other than cameras. And that's cars and watches. :)

[cccc]

He's actually right. Schools can purchase them thus the students can use them. With the price dropping schools are more likely to purchase them.
With school funding continuing to plummet, i doubt medium format will show up in anything but arts based schools.

I would love for high schools to have this kind of stuff.

[Tareq]

Then i will open a school of photography and art here and everyone is welcome to join and use my gear ;-) :D

[jetcode]

Resolution is much more than simply how many pixels. A 20MP MF back is still far superior to a 20MP 24x36mm sensor in terms of sheer resolution.

how so? ... Resolution is a function of the number of pixels not pixel spacing (relative to functional sensors) or pixel size. Image quality is a function of pixel spacing and pixel size and electronics. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I would like to see a 1:1 comparison with the 5DII and a 20MP MF back knowing full well both have different sensors and electronics and vastly different pricing structures.

[jetcode]

At the local high school which still has a photography department the teacher is forced to film and silver gelatin prints. The school cannot afford ink for printers. Personally I think that's a great way to get started but it disturbs me when I offer the school a pair of Epson 2200 printers and the teacher claims he can't use them no money for ink.

I also appreciate that the Canon 5DII blew the doors wide open on low cost high resolution imaging.

[Tareq]

At the local high school which still has a photography department the teacher is forced to film and silver gelatin prints. The school cannot afford ink for printers. Personally I think that's a great way to get started but it disturbs me when I offer the school a pair of Epson 2200 printers and the teacher claims he can't use them no money for ink.

hhehehe, some students are richer than the schools these days
hahahaha

[jetcode]

hhehehe, some students are richer than the schools these days
hahahaha

What's strange is this school is in the middle of one of the wealthiest counties in California. Surrounded by homes worth $1M and up. But the high school can't afford ink for prints.

[AxxisPhoto]

Is the rear looking veiwfinder the only option? I like how old Hasselblad's have a top-down viewfinder.

[KenjiS]

What's strange is this school is in the middle of one of the wealthiest counties in California. Surrounded by homes worth $1M and up. But the high school can't afford ink for prints.

Of course, The money is likely all going to sports teams, proms and other various "necessities of teenage life" :rolleyes:

And dont forget teaching to completely arbitary tests instead of maybe teaching them skills and such that will actually help most of them in the real world...Like you know, Burger flipping 101 :) (Or more realistically, Hey heres how not to get ripped off and ****ed over by banks when you get a mortgage or a car..)


(and no this isnt meant to offend people...my impression of "normal teenage life" is that most of it is incredibly stupid and the schools serve to perpetuate the stupidity...)

-edit- ok i removed my "offensive" bit because it was badly worded...

[Depth]

What's strange is this school is in the middle of one of the wealthiest counties in California. Surrounded by homes worth $1M and up. But the high school can't afford ink for prints.

Which HS are you talking about?

[korrektor]

actually the cam is not that expensive. they used to be 40K for the dig back alone. 20 grand for a pro is 7 decent gigs or you can just rent it. im going to the presentation in a few days and i hope ill be able to post some pics here

[Tigawoods]

20 is a surprise to me but im not complaining!
not like i will be able to afford that anytime soon anyways

[Vascilli]

I'm surprised it's that affordable. By the time I manage to scrounge up the cash for one they'll be half that or less.

[korrektor]

http://i46.tinypic.com/23vetdg.jpg


just for fun :)
a great cam by the way, highly recommended :))

[WillOPhotos]

you lucky bugger! they do cost more then I expected 20k american is still gonna be nearly 30k once it arrives in Aus I think :(

[korrektor]

it was it's presentaion here in Moscow. It's not for sale yet :)
great cam but I think unless you do some suoer demanding work for super demanding clients - you don't need it. I think the best photos in this world were taken with much cheaper cameras.

[WillOPhotos]

that's very true!! :)

[KenjiS]

it was it's presentaion here in Moscow. It's not for sale yet :)
great cam but I think unless you do some suoer demanding work for super demanding clients - you don't need it. I think the best photos in this world were taken with much cheaper cameras.

you could likely get the same quality from the Pentax 645D thats coming

Thats going to be under $10k....actually its going to be $6500, Cheaper than even a 1DsIII :D

and it will be 39mp....

[KenjiS]

In other news, Leaf launches this

http://www.dpreview.com/news/1002/10021203leafaptusii8.asp

Why would i buy that when i could have the H4D-40 for the same cost again?

Ok i guess because you might already have an investment into say, the Contax 645AF system or something but still..Seems a little high for just a back

[Tareq]

Digital medium format going crazy these days, 31, 39mp, 40, 50, 60,... I dunno where they want to go
I am really happy with my H3DII-39, even my trade-in to 60 is not necessary at all but just i don't want to be behind those pros who are using 60 or larger [if they really need that large MP].

[WillOPhotos]

Hey Tareq you can always sell me your Hassy cheap, come on you know you want too :lol:

[Tareq]

Hey Tareq you can always sell me your Hassy cheap, come on you know you want too :lol:

Too late, i just traded-in for H4D-60 :D
Next time if i will sell H4D-60 for newer, i may consider you ;)

[WillOPhotos]

haha maybe ill have the money by then :D btw added u to facebook.

[CAL Imagery]

He's actually right. Schools can purchase them thus the students can use them. With the price dropping schools are more likely to purchase them.
Assuming schools move towards digital. I'm not sure how OSU's Art Department compares to others, but there were only a few digital classes offered and non talked really about the digital specific craft of a digital camera; they talked just about the art of making a picture (which is fine and dandy, but when you're taking an upper-level course and have the class has no idea of how to use there camera, curriculum needs to be revamped).

Perhaps now that we're a generation or two away from "affordable" MF digital cameras, we'll see more and more schools move away from film MF and go to digital MF.
With school funding continuing to plummet, i doubt medium format will show up in anything but arts based schools.

I would love for high schools to have this kind of stuff.
So, art schools won't have it, but HSs will for the kids to wear and tear out the gear? I'm sure in this economy the money could be spent wiser, such as starting an accounting and finance department.

[Depth]

Most art schools are offering both digital and film.

[KenjiS]

Most art schools are offering both digital and film.

They'd have to..Digital is the standard now, Film is a niche product...

Film has very few advantages these days...

Not meaning to sound "harsh" but its the truth, for someone learning, Digital is probubly a better option from a cost perspective given that despite the initial investment, you have no recurring investments..

For example, when i shot films, I shot slide stuff, Velvia 50 mostly, a roll of which was between $4-10 depending on where i got it, so average about...$8

That $8 roll of film held 36 exposures, And then it cost me $10 to develop at a decent lab here

Thats $18 for 36 exposures....I'd develop say, 2-3 rolls at a time too...So $54 each trip and id make at least one if not 2 trips a month...so say $108 a month

Consider now adays you can buy an EOS-30D which can produce very excellent results for about $400 used..or about 4 months of shooting film and well..the argument of film is very..weak unless you shoot say, black and white and develop yourself...

[Karl Johnston]

Been thinking on a hassy lately...especially at the price they are now.