Hasselblad H5D-40
The H5D-40 is the 40MP entry point of Hasselblad's H5D line of medium format DSLRs. It's a large-sensor CCD camera built around a 32.9 x 43.8mm sensor (7304 x 5478 pixels). It was introduced with a retail price of $18,500. By December 2014 Hasselblad had cut that nearly in half to $9,995, a discount PetaPixel (December 2014) noted at the time as a massive price cut that briefly left the camera back-ordered at B&H.
Owner accounts give a clear picture of what the H5D-40 is and isn't. The body is built like a tank and heavy. The CCD sensor means you shouldn't realistically push past ISO 400, even though the official ceiling is 1600. The True Focus system corrects focus when you recompose up/down or left/right, but it won't compensate if you move forward or backward. There's a single autofocus point in the center. Photographer Benjamin Von Wong compared the H5D-40 against a Nikon D800E in a shoot for PetaPixel and was blunt about his frustrations: "3 slow inaccurate focusing points" and sluggish handling. The mirror slap is loud. The camera will occasionally throw an error that requires a full battery pull to reset. It also "eats dust" - one owner reported needing to blow off the sensor two or three times during a shoot.
The output is what keeps people coming back. The same owner who complained about the dust and weight called the photos "amazing," particularly the color and skin tones. Files straight out of camera already looked finished, and the 40MP RAW files offered tremendous latitude for retouching. A3 and A2 test prints looked visibly better than 35mm shots. The bundled Phocus software handles tethered shooting and includes a free basic editor. A companion iPad app lets you walk around the studio, review and rate images, show the model the result, or fire the camera remotely.
The HC 80mm f/2.8 kit lens was a standout in the review, great for environmental portraits with no distortion. The HC 150mm f/3.2 was a fine portrait lens but often forced too much working distance. The HC 50-110mm f/3.5-4.5 zoom was the most versatile, but at 1650g it was too heavy for handheld all-day use. All three lenses delivered fantastic image quality.
Production years aren't documented in the archive record. Used prices have fallen considerably. One sale listed a body at €3,400, and another listed a package deal (body, HCD 28mm, HC 150mm N, extension tube, waist-level finder) at $11,000.
- Sensor: 32.9 x 43.8mm CCD, 40MP (7304 x 5478)
- ISO range: 100–1600 (practical ceiling ~400)
- Lens mount: Hasselblad H system, interchangeable
- Viewfinder: optical (with electronic viewfinder option noted in some listings)
- Display: 3 inches
- Storage: CompactFlash Type I
- Digital back: 96 x 84 x 69mm, 748g
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