Here’s what images from a $63,000 camera look like

What’s the most expensive camera you’ve ever had the chance to have in your hands? The Art of Photography’s Ted Forbes has tested the camera I think most of us will never have the chance to hold: a $63,000 Phase One XF medium format with the IQ3 monochrome back.

$63,000 is certainly quite a lot, but according to Ted, this camera setup is a game changer. With the 101 MP sensor and design to capture light past the visual spectrum, you’d expect a miracle from this setup. And judging from the video – the miracle is what you get.

Ted edits the photos in Capture One and notes that Lightroom won’t open these files. As you can see, with this sensor, a lot of detail is retained both in very dark shadows and very bright highlights. The dynamic range is incredibly high, so this camera is also “very forgiving.” Ted demonstrates this by recovering blown out highlights in one of the photos, and the result really is impressive.

Low-light performance is another issue Ted addresses in the video. He shows off the capabilities of this setup at very high ISO. He took a photo of his cat by the window (you can see it around 9:20 of the video) and used ISO 12,800. When he zooms in, you can see that even in the shadows there’s no noise, which is incredible. I can’t even pull off ISO 800 without obvious noise. But I guess this is why my camera costs $500.

In the video, Ted tests out the IQ3 monochrome back. But since the backs are interchangeable, you can easily swap that out for a color back. If you have thousands of dollars to spend, though.

In the video, Ted also talks about the design and the interface of the camera, so you can get to know more of its features. While the camera and the digital back are really expensive, they still have their purpose and there are people investing in them. If you consider this would be an investment in your photography business, I believe this video is a useful preview. And for us regular folks, I think the video at least demonstrates what a $63,000 camera can do and why it costs so much. If you want to check out the photos and more details, make sure to watch the full video.

[$63,000 CAMERA :: What do the images look like? |The Art of Photography]