Launched in September 2009, the H4D System not only marked a new line of cameras but it introduced new advanced technology to the world of photography with its unique True Focus and Absolute Position Lock features. With access to the renowned HC/HCD lens family, it’s no wonder that the H4D has been so well received. The H4D camera line now offers several different models, including the H4D-40, which was designed to meet the needs of 35mm DSLR users who want to add medium format to their creative tools. The remaining H4D series includes models with 50 and 60 megapixel sensors as well as Hasselblad’s unique multi-shot H4D-50MS.
Always striving to deliver the best camera system in the world to photographers, Hasselblad has introduced two new HC lenses, strengthening the H-System lens family with the new HC 50mm-II and the HC Macro 120mm-II. Both lenses have a new optical design delivering significantly improved
performance. The new lenses are available now.
HC 50mm-II
The HC 50-II, with its moderately wide 35mm-equivalent focal length of 31.4mm, is a versatile, allpurpose lens that can be used for many different applications. The updated optical design provides higher resolution and more even performance over the image area. Close range performance has also
been improved to deliver better performance while maintaining its minimum object-to-image plane distance of 0.6m. The lens features 11 elements in 7 groups, a rear focusing mechanism and a broad aperture range of f/3.5-f/32.
HC Macro 120mm-II
The HC Macro 120-II lens is also a very versatile lens, combining excellent macro capture capabilities (a minimum object-to-image plane distance of 0.39 m and a maximum image scale of 1:1) along with its slightly longer focal length making it ideal for product and portrait photography (35mm equivalent focal length of 73.5mm). Thanks to its updated optical design, the lens offers a number of improvements including higher resolution and better close range performance. Importantly – especially for macro work – the new lens offers improved color correction, with cleaner unsharp areas that are free from color cast. The front focusing lens utilizes 9 element in 9 groups, with an aperture range of f/4-f/45 that, when closed down, provides excellent depth-of-field.
In addition to the introduction of the two new lenses, Hasselblad will soon issue a free firmware update for the H4D system cameras in response to customer feedback and requests.
New H4D functionality extensions
Electronic spirit level:
With this new feature, a 3-dimensional virtual level is displayed on the rear LCD providing users with a guide to easily align the camera in both horizontal (landscape) and vertical (portrait) positions using two different graphical interfaces that automatically change according to the camera’s orientation. Direct feed-back on the levelling is also present in the viewfinder. This is all accomplished via H4D’s precision yaw rate sensors using either the factory-calibrated mode or a user-calibrated setting. HTS 1.5 tilt-and-shift converter users will get a straightforward and accurate starting point for composing for tilt photography.
Preview in tethered mode:
When shooting in tethered mode, users can select to have the preview displayed on the camera’s rear panel LCD for remote viewing directly on the camera.
Information display:
With a simple press of a button, relevant camera information will be displayed on the rear LCD. A new graphical interface gives priority to settings such as aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and the number of remaining frames with other data available as well.
GIL support for H4D-60:
The firmware update adds full support for the Hasselblad Global Image Positioning GPS device to the H4D-60. With this new functionality, the GIL is now supported on all H2D/H3D/H4D cameras.
The firmware update, to be released by the end of this year, can be downloaded free of charge from: www.hasselblad.com.
