Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time
Thanks to cameras like the Hasselblad X1D and Fujifilm GFX 50s, there’s been a lot of fuss over medium format the last couple of years. And while those two cameras have helped to drive down the cost of getting into medium format, it’s still not cheap. So, is it worth getting into?
This video from LensProToGo looks at some of the advantages of medium format, and how they might be able to help you as a photographer and a business.
Jordan had the brilliant idea to mount his action camera on the back of the Hasselblad Xpan so we could show you what it’s like to shoot with this unique camera. It took us a while to figure out a proper way to make this work but we eventually found out a decent solution, which I hope will give you a taste of why I love this camera so much.
Nothing better than a video to show you the result of our little experiment!
It probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise that Hasselblad have updated their aerial camera system. Replacing the previous A5D 50 and 80 megapixel cameras, the new A6D 100C kicks things up one more notch.
Hasselblad do currently have a complete aerial drone platform in collaboration with DJI which contains the H6D-100C. This, more dedicated, aerial camera, though should help to extend flight time, though, due to being around 2/3rds of the weight.
Phase One have today introduced a new variant of their IQ3 100MP digital back. The IQ3 100MP Trichromatic. Featuring a new Bayer filter CMOS sensor design, developed in partnership with Sony, the IQ3 100MP Trichromatic attempts to replicate how the human eye sees colour.
The technology, Phase One say, promises that the Trichromatic back will bring “unsurpassed colour quality to the hands of the finest photographers across the globe”. A pretty bold claim to make, but knowing Phase One, they wouldn’t make it if they didn’t feel they could back it up.
There’s only a hundred Pagani Huayra BC in the world, and each one costs a cool $2.5mil. The “BC” in its designation stands for Benny Caiola, the first person to ever buy a Pagani automobile. With a Mercedes AMG designed V12 bi-turbo engine built exclusively for Pagani and pulling more than 750bhp, it’s a beast of a car.
When it comes time to photograph it, one also needs a beast of a camera. So, LA based automotive photographer Richard Thompson chose the Phase One XF 100MP for this Huayra BC advertising shoot. They also shot a behind the scenes video, so we can see what goes into a shoot like this.
I decided to write this, because the topic seems to be pretty popular these days. People ask “What camera?” and sadly, the answers are boiling down to “Get this one, because I use it and what’s good for me is definitely gonna be good for you”, which, I think we can agree, is bullshit.
Disclaimer: You don’t have to agree with anything I put down here.
Paul Kohlhaussen, a student from Richmond in London has created a fully functioning 3D printed camera. Paul took the best features from an array of costly high-end cameras and reverse engineered them into the camera of his dreams. Without the funds to afford the camera he needed to get the perfect shot he wanted and no knowledge of CAD, Paul taught himself everything from scratch when designing and building the eight components that make up the camera’s modular design.
Phase One has announced IQ3 100MP Achromatic, their new achromatic medium format digital back. It’s produced without Bayer color filter, which means it captures no color information. It produces monochromatic images in high resolution and details, without the distraction of colors. It provides 101 MP resolution and ISO range from 200 to 51,200, which makes it the most light-sensitive camera of its kind. It’s
Recently, Charbax at ArmDevices visited the Sony stand at CeBIT when he noticed a couple of large sensors on display. Also on the wall behind them he spotted Sony’s medium format sensor roadmap. This roadmap shows two very promising sensors on the way for 2018.
The first is the IMX461, a 100MP upgrade to the current 50MP IMX161 sensor which resides inside the Hasselblad X1D-50c and Fuji GFX 50S cameras. It would have the same physical size with double the resolution. This could hint at a pretty substantial upgrade in the next X1D and GFX models from Hasselblad and Fuji, respectively. The second is a new 150MP sensor to replace the IMX 211, as used inside the Phase One XF 100MP.
This year marks the point at which I have been using Hasselblad cameras for over a decade. My first was a 201F in 2007, before moving to a 203FE in 2011 and adding a 202FA in 2015. They’re the classic 6×6 V series models, although have some additions on the more familiar 500 series that I will get into later. Over the years I’ve put several hundred rolls of film through the various cameras, not a great deal but enough to appreciate the idiosyncrasies inherent in shooting with medium format.
You can find out more about John on his website or follow him on Facebook and YouTube.
can change a lens mid-rappel, swap a memory card while treading water, or use a camel as a light stand.
To see more of his work please visit his studio website blurMEDIAphotography, or follow him on Twitter, 500px, Google Plus or YouTube.
JP’s photography is available for licensing at Stocksy United.
Find my work on My website or follow me on Facebook or My page
