8/24/2005
Four new products address needs of
both general and specialist professional photographers
A
year from the launch of the new Hasselblad, the company is setting
a new benchmark for digital professional photography with the
announcement of new flagship digital cameras and camera backs
based on a new digital platform, satisfying the needs of both
the general and specialist professional photographer.
Building on the success of the H1 range of products, Hasselblad
has developed the H2 cross-platform camera and the H2D fully-integrated
digital camera.
Both the cameras include a series of brand new features, and are fully
compatible with Hasselblad’s existing H system lenses.
New products in the Ixpress digital back line include the Ixpress CF and Ixpress
CFH, bringing new levels of flexibility to specialist professional photographers,
enabling them to take full advantage of everything that leading-edge digital
photography can offer.
All
four new Hasselblad products offer photographic professionals
the quality of medium-format image capture, combined with the ‘point-and-shoot’ ease
of use, portability and flexibility more often associated with
smaller format DSLR technology.
The
H2 and H2D cameras deliver improved mobility, quality, and workflow.
Brand new camera features include a highly advanced image approval
and selection tool, called Instant Approval Architecture (TM
+ patent pending) providing a swift and easy way to select and
classify images.
Additionally,
Hasselblad has built into the H2 cross-platform camera a new
single-battery operation of the camera with the new Ixpress CFH
digital back, offering one on/off switch and one operating system,
facilitating streamlined, integrated operation. With existing
digital backs already in the market, the H2 delivers the exact
functionality of the H1.
Christian
Poulsen, CEO of Hasselblad explains: “In the year since
Hasselblad and Imacon joined forces, we have been inundated with
constructive feedback from professional photographers worldwide,
eager to see Hasselblad’s legendary quality evolve with
developments in digital technology. When we reviewed their wishes,
we were able to distil them into five key areas: format, storage,
open standards, image approval and selection, and image colour
refinement. This gave us a clear blueprint for the next phase
of our product development.”
"The
result is a new range of technologically advanced products that
will change the working habits of general and specialist professional
photographers, providing them with the tools they need to capture
magical images, while growing a profitable, customer-focused
business."
Format – a
new digital camera platform
Today’s professional photographers demand higher resolution, less noise,
and improved composition, all of which are addressed with Hasselblad’s
new camera platform.
The H2 and H2D use an optical format much larger than 35mm, with a large format,
high quality 22 Mpix CCD sensor measuring 37mm x 49mm. Coupled with an
ultra bright, extra large ‘H-size’ viewfinder enabling better
image composition, the final result is an image quality that exceeds normal
expectations of medium format photography.
Storage – three
storage modes for ultimate choice and flexibility
Optimum portability and image storage are critical for the professional photographer,
but have historically been compromised in the digital medium format environment.
Hasselblad’s new products now offer the choice of the portable CF card
storage, the flexible FireWire drive, or the tethered operation with extended,
special capture controls. With these three operating and storage options, the
photographer is able to select a mode to suit the nature of the work at hand,
whether in the studio or on location.
Open
standards – redefining the way professional photographers
work
Hasselblad has partnered closely with Adobe to make its new products fully
compatible with Adobe’s raw image format DNG (‘Digital NeGative’),
bringing this new technology standard to the professional photographer for
the first time. The DNG file format enables raw, compressed image files to
be opened directly in Adobe Photoshop CS. This allows photographers to operate
quickly and efficiently, reducing the “downtime” taken to process
image data and enabling final images to reach the customer more quickly. Hasselblad
image files now carry a full set of metadata, including capture conditions,
keywords and copyright, facilitating work with image asset management solutions.
For specialist commercial photographers the full productivity and creative
freedom offered by Hasselblad’s FlexColor workflow software is also available
via importing the DNG file. The new FlexColor now allows the photographer to
manipulate colour temperature and compare image details across multiple images
for precise image selection.
Image
approval and selection – ultimate creative control
Limitless digital image capture loses some of its potential if the photographer
cannot quickly review and select the best images to present to the client.
Building on the success of its Audio Exposure Feedback technology, Hasselblad
has created Instant Approval Architecture (IAA), an enhanced set of feedback
tools, designed to liberate the photographer to focus on the shoot rather than
the selection process. IAA triggers audible and visible signals for each image
captured, telling the photographer immediately whether the image has a red,
amber or green light status. The information is recorded both in the file and
in the file name, providing a quick and easy way to classify and select images,
in the field or in the lab. In addition, a larger, enhanced OLED display in
the new Hasselblad products provides a realistic, high quality and perfect
contrast image view, even in bright sunlight, to allow instant on-site image
approval.
Colour refinement – new colour handling concept
Colour management solutions have in the past imposed limitations on professional
photographers, particularly when capturing various skin tones, metals, fabrics,
flowers etc. To combat this, Hasselblad has developed a new, powerful colour
engine in its FlexColor workflow software. With a one camera set-up, the new
optimised colour engine produces reliable out-of-the-box colour with smooth
gradations, with skin tones and other difficult colours reproduced effectively.
Christian Poulsen concludes: "Less than nine months since the launch
of the integrated H System digital product line, Hasselblad is meeting professional
photographers’ changing demands with a revolutionary set of fully-featured
cross-platform and integrated digital products. Hasselblad has always set new
standards in analogue photography, and by doubling our R&D resource, we
are fully committed to being at the leading edge where professional digital
photography is concerned. With these new products, we are underlining our mission
to work hand in hand with loyal Hasselblad users and new customers to help
them take full advantage of the potential that digital technology holds for
them, creatively and commercially."
The
new Hasselblad products will be rolled out worldwide through
Hasselblad’s national subsidiaries and channel partners
in Q3 of 2005.
An
extensive upgrade programme is available to pave a route for
existing Hasselblad customers to enter the new product generation.
