Hasselblad H3DII-50 (2007–)
The Hasselblad H3DII-50 was announced on November 26, 2007, and released that same month. It was a medium format SLR built around Kodak's 50-megapixel sensor, the first camera to use it. The sensor measures 36 x 48mm, roughly twice the physical size of the largest 35mm DSLR sensors at the time. It was the fifth-generation H-system body, and Hasselblad aimed it at high-end commercial, studio, and fine-art photographers.
The camera itself was an evolution of the H3D line. Luminous Landscape put it this way at the time: the H3DII-50 was "the same camera as before, it's really the back that's new." The improvements were mostly in integration: better sensor cooling, a more intuitive menu system, a bright 3-inch display, and faster autofocus. It used Hasselblad's H-system lenses, all with central shutters, ranging from 28mm to 300mm, plus a 50-110mm zoom and a 1.7X converter. The HVD90X viewfinder was designed for full performance across the large sensor. It was interchangeable with the HV90X and a waist-level finder.
A few specs worth knowing. The body weighed 2,290g (about 5 lbs) and measured 153 x 131 x 213mm. It shot to a CompactFlash Type II card. Hasselblad rated the battery for 250 shots per charge, which CameraReview noted falls short of modern cameras. ISO ran from 50 to 400 natively, with an 800 setting available through Hasselblad's Phocus software. The launch price was $20,000.
At photokina 2008, Hasselblad announced a new pricing strategy and showed the H3DII-50 alongside the higher-resolution H3DII-60. The 50 was described as the "ultimate in H System cameras" at the time of its release. A current listing on CameraReview shows a "from" price of $25,995, though that's a resale figure with no date attached.
Surviving documentation is thin on a few fronts: no production end year is recorded, and details on the bundled HCD 4/28 and HC 50-110 zoom lenses are scarce. What's clear is that the H3DII-50 was Hasselblad's statement at the top of the medium format market in late 2007 — a refined body built around a landmark sensor.
- 50 Mpixel Kodak CCD, 36 x 48mm
- ISO 50–400 (800 via Phocus software)
- CompactFlash Type II storage
- 153 x 131 x 213mm, 2,290g
- Launch price: $20,000 (November 2007)
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