Hasselblad V - full-frame digital?

[ron_jonson]

Simple question...maybe... I am a happy owner of a 501CM kit that

includes nice set of lenses (50/80/150mm). I don't want to give up

film, which I still shoot a lot of, but would like a nice digital

rig for certain types of shooting that I do (freelance commercial

gigs, for example). <br><br>

Money aside, is there a digital back for my camera that has a full

6x6cm sensor with no crop factor so that I can continue to use my

lenses the way I'm used to? I love shooting with the 'blad and have

a nice kit that I'm used to working with. <br><br>I'd rather not

invest a lot of cash in a new, fancy DSLR like the high-end Canon or

Nikon bodies plus a whole new complement of glass. Maybe I should

just get a lower-end body (like a 20D or similar) and nice zoom lens

or two...??? The quality will be inferior, but with the way tech is

changing, it seems that might be the most practical solution to get

into digital at this point for me ... until a decent digital back

comes around at a decent price point...? <br><br> It seems the V96C

is a small step in that direction, but I get the feeling it'll be a

while (if ever) before there's a back with a nice full-frame sensor

for say around $5k or less...

[dean_matsueda]

<p><em>Money aside, is there a digital back for my camera that has a full 6x6cm

sensor...</em></p>

<p>

I believe the answer is no.</p>

<p>

But, perhaps we should look at this from a financial point of view. If the amount of

commercial gigs you're getting can justify the cost of even getting one of the current crop

of MF digital backs, much less how much a full 6x6 sensor would run, wouldn't the money

on a full-frame 35mm digi, plus three lens make financial sense? What are the numbers...

$30K vs. $15K US? If the results from a 35mm digi is acceptable to you, kinda of a no-

brainer, eh?</p>

<p>

I understanding that parting with that much cash -- no what it is -- is hard. But, if you're

going to be doing paid gigs and you need to shoot digital, I dunno if a 20D or D70 is

really going to cut it, y'know?</p>

<p>

My take is that it's going to be a number of years before a new, full-frame sensor comes

down in price. Until that time, your Hassey, as you know, is a very fine choice to be using

for commercial gigs.</p>

[simonpg]

Ron, I don't know that there is a 6x6 full frame digi back available. I also certainly doubt that there is a digi back available for $5k - but I will stand corrected about these.

 

There are many digi backs available for Hassy 6x6 gear but I think they are still limited to less than full frame by quite a margin. On the other hand all recent reports indicate that the good ones available are very good.

 

But, I certainly would not expect that any 35mm full frame sensor will give you an image equal to an MF 6x6 image. While Canon's latest full frame sensor is a great performer it remains a "small format" sensor. It is however all relative to what you are going to do with the image - size of print etc.

 

I have a similar view to you with regard to MF digi backs. I would onle be in the market for one when it is full frame and an "affordable" option for me. I think there is a long way to go yet. I too don't want to mess about with my effective lens focal lengths etc.

 

Ultimately it's an issue of "horses for courses" just like the choice of format is - 135, MF or LF. Today digital does not offer enough to make me move (a mix of many issues including relative costs). But, for others there are compelling reasons to make the move now.

 

If you're enjoying film in MF, and given what you have said, I don't think there is anything available yet that will entice you.

[johnmarkpainter]

Ron,

 

You only have a 50/80/150....the 35mm equivalents aren't that expensive. As much as I

hope I am wrong, I think that the Digital Future is probably the "35mm" DSLR.

 

jmp

[robert_nancarrow]

There will never be an affordable full-frame sensor for your 6x6. There will probably never be a 6x6 sensor, if there ever is it will be very,very exclusive and expensive. The price will slowly drop for other sized MF backs but very slowly, you have a good idea about getting a d70 or 20d for learning digital and getting on board, the d70 with it's excellent kit lens pretty much covers your MF prime lens focal lengths, a 20d is a better feeling camera (mine) and you could get a nice 17-85 IS lens with it, good coverage and image stabilization, you will get a kick out of digital with either of these set-ups. Keep using film and scan if you must until the price of a MF digital back is within your reach. Bob.

[andre_napier]

There is none.

 

The estimated cost of production for one for July 2005 was $175,000.

However there are some excellent DB available to fit your Hassy - with

PhaseOne and Leaf being the leaders. The crop factor is very easy to

overcome and the results far exceeds any Canon products. Stay away from

Imacon as all pros are moving away from this product.

www.AndreNapier.com

[tarashnat]

Ron,

 

There is an interesting link

 

http://digitalphotography.weblogsinc.com/entry/1234000957064522/

 

that has the following statement attributed to the Hasselblad CEO

Poulsen.

 

"His final though was on sensor size: he doesn't think we'll ever see a "full frame" 645

camera, at least not from Hasselblad, because the expense of manufacturing a sensor that

large will probably never be justified by the minimal improvement in quality."

 

Taras

[q.g._de_bakker]

Which (what Poulsen said) is interesting, not because of what in his view the future might be (if he could actually predict the future, he wouldn't be where he was today), but because it expresses how far Imacon and Hasselblad are from being one.<br><br>The merger for him was no more than a take over, Hasselblad thrown into the hands of Imacon. For Imacon to take apart.<br>Quite forgetting that he and his company were doing so 'well' that they were easily taken over by powers greater than him, which put him where he is today. Quite forgetting that Imacon desperately needed the vehicle for their products the merger with hasselblad provided.<br>Note how Imacon (now officially no longer Imacon, but Hasselblad) continuous to present itself as Imacon (if and when they ever mention the merger, it is as an aside, a footnote). Mene, mene tekel...<br><br>What Poulsen is saying is that, in his opinion, the 6x4.5 H-series cameras (the only line he is now/still willing to continue) makes no sense. In his opinion, they should have been something else, something smaller.<br> So how long will it take before he gets tired with this Hasselblad bit he got lumbered with, because his company couldn't sustain itself without this 'help' from Shriro? How long before he wants his 'Imacon' to move on to something else?<br><br>Not long, i think. And then he will have made sure there will be no more Hasselblad. And Imacon will be struggling to survive again, but only briefly, and then nothing...

[desmond_kidman]

6 or 7 years ago I was hoping that by now there would be an affordable full frame 6 x 6 (hey, it's really only 5.4 x 5.4, even easiet to do, right?) by now, and I'd be all set.

 

Fast forward 6 or 7 years to the present: my back is not here, never mind at anywhere near $10k, but commercially film is a harder reality: no local E-6 for quick results to shoots, slower E-6 turnaround at the closest lab 45 minutes away due to smaller volume there dictating only a couple of runs a day.

 

I bit the bullet and put the money on a 1Ds Mark 2. The glass is so inexpensive compared to the best MF that building a system of primes, including a couple of tilt-shift lenses, feels like bargain store shopping compared to Zeiss or Fujiblad. The 35mm guys are saying, "boy those tilt shift lenses are expensive...boy those good primes are expensive", while I'm thinking "gee this is affordable buying small image circle lenses...."

 

How many will do exactly as I have if Hasselblad, Mamiya, et al (hmmm....the "et al" is getting smaller, gone is Contax, gone is Bronica, more sure to follow)if these guys don't come up with sensors that are at least full frame 645. They will have a mighty hard time competing with Canon (and Nikon when they get to full frame) if they think their future is in sensors not much bigger than 36 x 24mm.

[kornelius_j._fleischer]

Armando, you think "gee this is affordable buying small image circle lenses...."

I'like to rephrase it like this " ...buying lenses which are manufactured in large numbers" (politely avoiding the term "mass-produced").

 

But here is the main reason for me to contribute to this discussion:

 

Just back from a trade show in the machine vision industry, I have seen there a square CCD sensor with an image area of 45 mm x 45 mm. And there was not one chip maker showing this device. There were those large square chips from three different companies: Atmel, Dalsa, and Kodak.

 

One of them hinted at having a 55 x 55 in the thinking...

[wim_van_velzen]

That sounds very promising. A 40mm would still be quite wide! Any idea how long it could take to implement these chips into working backs?

<p>

<a href='http://www.fotografiewimvanvelzen.nl'>Wim</a>

[victor4]

I'm sure this has been posted here, somewhere, before but fyi...

 

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/digital/ccd/products/fullframe/KAF-4320E/specifications.jhtml?id=0.1.4.6.4.23.4&lc=en

 

But its just b&w.