Hasselblad H4D-50MS
The H4D-50MS is a 50-megapixel medium format DSLR from Hasselblad's H4D line. The line also included the H4D-60, H4D-50, H4D-40, and H4D-31. Hasselblad was pushing the multi-shot concept hard when it came out. The "MS" suffix marks the multi-shot variant, aimed at fine art reproduction and studio work where resolution and color accuracy matter more than speed. A 2013 blog ranking of the world's most expensive cameras listed it at $37,995, just above the H3DII-50 on that list.
The headline feature was True Focus with APL (Absolute Position Lock). It keeps the focus point locked as you recompose, which helps in the studio, where the camera is often on a tripod and the subject barely moves. The camera offers ISO 100-800 and a flash sync of up to 1/800th of a second, handy for controlling ambient light in strobe work. The H4D series shared one user manual covering the H4D-60, H4D-50 MS, H4D-50, H4D-40, and H4D-31. The camera was sold as a body with the Hasselblad 80mm f/2.8 lens included. Hasselblad's Phocus software handled tethered capture and processing via FireWire 800.
Contemporary commentary leaned heavily on its studio credentials. A Russian-language review called it "the ideal camera for professional fine art photographers and for photo studios," and noted it would perform well with fast-moving subjects. The sentence cuts off mid-thought, so that claim is left hanging. B&H Photo Video highlighted the True Focus system as making autofocus "substantially easier and more accurate," and emphasized the complete digital workflow with Phocus. Forum chatter from users of the H4D50-ms (as one wrote it) mostly covered Phocus quirks, such as a keyboard shortcut for mirror-up that required the viewer window to be active.
Not well documented: production years, dimensions, weight, sensor size, and most of the usual spec sheet. No full specifications were found beyond the resolution, ISO range, and flash sync. The H4D-200MS, a later and different model, has a 50MP sensor in its documentation. The research does not explicitly confirm the H4D-50MS shares that sensor, so that detail is omitted here. Used bodies do appear on the market, and Clifton Cameras has listed one, but no current used prices were found in the research.
- 50-megapixel medium format DSLR (multi-shot variant)
- ISO 100–800
- Flash sync up to 1/800s
- True Focus with APL (Absolute Position Lock)
- Original price: $37,995 (2013 listing)
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