Hasselblad H3D-II
Hasselblad’s H3D line of products today achieve a new level of digital maturity and integration with the launch of the H3D-II, the fourth iteration of the camera system and one that can now justifiably lay claim to be the world’s finest digital SLR camera. Offering unsurpassed image quality delivered through an outstanding combination of hardware, software and lenses, the H3D-II is the clear leader in the high-end DSLR category, now a recognized segment of the photographic market.
A complete DSLR that is much more than the sum of its parts, the H3D-II is peerless in terms of its combined image quality and flexibility. While retaining its full digital lens line and the choice of 22, 31 or 39 megapixel capture units using CCD image sensors up to 48x36 mm – the largest currently available and more than twice the size of even the largest 35mm camera sensors – the H3D-II now has a large, bright 3” display, which affords both improved viewing of captured images and lower power consumption.
Reflecting the higher level of integration in the system, all the key functions of the camera are adjusted via digital menus, which can now be controlled via an intuitive thumbwheel control on the handle of the H3D-II, making the operation of the camera easier and more efficient. A new separate button for direct control of ISO settings and white balance has also been added to the camera controls.
To optimize the digital image quality of a DSLR, Hasselblad has identified the following key system components: an excellent optical system, comprising the best lenses twinned with the largest possible sensor format; full integration to enable lens correction and Hasselblad’s own Ultra-Focus; and the best possible RAW converter. With all these components in place, the result is Hasselblad’s STAR Quality images, photographic flexibility and a truly professional appearance.
In the H3D-II, Hasselblad has addressed each of the system components above to provide an unprecedented level of image quality that outperforms any professional digital camera system on the market today, delivering outstanding pixel resolution, better colors, and improved detail rendering. When used with Hasselblad HC and HCD lenses, the camera system offers full digital lens correction through its DAC-Digital Auto Correction, which, in addition to chromatic aberration and distortion, can now correct for vignetting phenomena.
Image noise in the H3D-II has been significantly reduced by improving the cooling of the sensor, achieved by attaching to the CCD a physical heatsink, which dissipates the heat generated to the entire camera body and considerably lowers the temperature of the system. As a component of Hasselblad’s revolutionary forthcoming image processing software, Phocus, the Hasselblad RAW Converter (HRC)also has an amazing anti-moiré capability which will eliminate moiré from any 3FR files, including even reprocessed images shot in 3FR on previous generations of Hasselblad cameras.
Demonstrating Hasselblad’s drive for continuous technical innovation, the H3D-II also features Hasselblad’s Global Image Locator (GIL), a unique integrated GPS product that automatically recordsthe camera‘s exact geographic co-ordinates at the precise moment of image capture. This data is integrated into the metadata of a specific image file and used together with the Hasselblad‘s newimaging software, Phocus, to allow images to be located on a map or found in a computer file system using the GPS coordinates as a search term. All the image files shot or stored in a specific location can be easily identified and found. As a direct link to Google Earth has also been built into Hasselblad’s Phocus software, it is also possible to establish via the internet what image files were captured at any particular location. With Google’s functionality, the user can also view their GPS tagged images, “fly” between them and even into them.
Christian Poulsen, CEO of Hasselblad, comments: “With the introduction of the Hasselblad H3D-II, we believe that the world’s best high-end DSLR camera has just got better. By further raising the level of integration by improving the controls, functionality and sensor cooling, and adding a new and more intuitive user interface, and a bright, 3” display, we continue to address the needs of professional photographers and to reassure them that, by investing in Hasselblad, they’ve made the right choice. The H3D-II continues the evolution of the world’s most advanced DSLR camera system and, will set a new standard for digital photographic quality.”
The new H3D-II is available immediately worldwide through Hasselblad’s national subsidiaries and channel partners with a retail price in Europe of 26.500€ for the H3DII-39, 21.500€ for the H3DII-31, and 17.900€ for the H3DII-22, excluding tax. In the USA, respective pricing is $33,995 for the H3DII-39, $26,995 for the H3DII-31, and $24,995 for the H3DII-22; and in the UK, £18,300 for the H3DII-39, £14,900 for the H3DII-31 and £12,500 for the H3DII-22, excluding VAT.
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