Medium Format

Olympus has extended its digital SLR range with the unveiling of the E-620. The new addition will sit in the middle of the company's SLR line-up led by the flagship E-3 and extending through to the compact E-420. The E-620 is pitched as an "all-in-one" model that combines some of the best elements of the higher end units - like the flip-out rotating screen - with a high-degree of portability. Read More

September 9, 2008 Leaf has announced an entirely new family of medium format cameras and camera backs for professional photographers. In addition to offering remarkable image quality with up to 56 megapixel resolution, the new line-up delivers many new features. These include a 56 millimeter wide ‘True Wide Frame’ sensor, Leaf Verto internal sensor rotation for easily changing orientation and Leaf SensorFlex technology which lets photographers pre-select image size and capture speed. One interesting feature of the new range is the Leaf Capture Remote for iPhone app which turns wireless devices, such as the iPhone or iPod Touch, into remote image viewers. While you are shooting tethered using Leaf Capture software, a client or creative director can view images from any Wi-Fi network. Read More

August 1, 2008 We brought news of Hasselblad's 50-megapixel H3DII-50 earlier in the month - now Leaf has announced the 56-megapixel AFi 10 medium-format digital camera. The AFi 10's True Wide Frame (TWF) 56x36 mm sensor delivers 56 megapixel resolution across the entire width of the 6x6 sensor area. This technology, found in the AFi 10 imaging module and Aptus 10 camera back, is also compatible with over 80 large-format cameras. Read More

July 15, 2008 The latest addition to high-end camera specialist Hasselblad’s H-Series is the H3DII-50, and yes, the 50 in the camera’s model number does refer to 50 megapixels thanks to Kodak’s 50 megapixel 36×48mm sensor. This sensor is twice the physical size of the largest 35mm DSLR sensors with Kodak stating that, "at 50 [megapixels] the sensor captures digital images with unprecedented resolution and detail. For instance, with a 50 megapixel camera, in an aerial photo of a field 1-½ miles across, you could detect an object about the size of a small notebook computer (1 foot by 1 foot)." In addition to the increased resolution, the new sensor also provides the foundation for the development of advanced lens performance and optical corrections. Read More

October 11, 2006 Swiss company Seitz Phototechnik is pushing the boundaries of digital photography with its new D3 scan technology, making it possible to create a digital 360° panorama in only two seconds and with very high image quality. The new rotating Roundshot D3 digital camera with its D3 digital back is equipped with a high-speed scanning sensor developed specifically for photography. The D3 scan back reads at 300 MB per second, more than 100x faster than existing scan backs. This results in a very broad ISO/ASA range (equivalent) of 500 to 10,000, which makes this camera the perfect instrument for virtually all light situations. Combined with the vertical resolution of 7,500 pixels, an 80mm medium format lens creates, for example, a total image resolution of 470 million pixels – uncompressed, each such image would be 2.7GB. Or you can go even further by shifting the scan back by a total of 50mm and achieve a vertical resolution of 13,500 pixels (110mm) using distortion-free stitching. Combining the resolution, speed and sensitivity, it is possible, for the first time, to create lively digital images that are a pleasure for the eye of the professional. No limits for high definition photography! Medium or large format lenses from Schneider, Rodenstock, Hasselblad and Pentax 67 can be used with the new camera and in keeping with the bigger-is-better theme, the colour screen is the biggest known to photography at 640x480 pixels and allows perfect preview, editing, zooming and image control. Read More

May 9, 2006 The photographic industry’s version of the 'Oscars', are the European Photo & Imaging Awards of the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA), and they’ve come earlier this year, having last been awarded in August 2005 at Photokina. Every year, TIPA editors vote for the best photo & imaging products introduced in Europe during the previous 12 months, taking into account innovation, the use of leading-edge technology, design and ergonomics of the products and, naturally, their ease of use and price/performance ratio. The main winners in the digital camera categories this year were the Canon EOS-5D (D-SLR Professional), Nikon D200 (D-SLR Expert), Nikon D50 (D-SLR Entry), Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1 (D-Superzoom), Fujifilm Finepix F30 (D-Compact), Canon Digital Ixus 65 (Ultra Compact), the Hasselblad H2D-39 (Medium Format D-system) and the remarkable Sinar M system (High end professional camera system – PICTURED.) Read More

February 26, 2006 Pentax Imaging Company will announced two new digital SLR cameras at the upcoming PMA 2006 which will open tomorrow(February 26 to March 1) in Orlando, Florida. Pentax has confirmed that the company will unveil a yet-to-be-named 10 megapixel digital SLR camera body, tentatively scheduled for a formal launch in Autumn 2006. Pentax also will preview the Pentax 645 medium format digital SLR camera for the first time in the United States. Offering professional-quality digital image reproduction with 18 effective megapixels, a Kodak-developed extra-large CCD image sensor with 18.6 total megapixels (tentative), a Pentax -original 645AF lens mount, the 645 Digital will maintain compatibility with existing smc Pentax 645 interchangeable lenses. Read More

August 30, 2005 Hasselblad’s large format cameras have been synonymous with the highest calibre of professional photography for many decades in the silver halide world of photography, but has set a firm course towards excellence in the digital world. A year after the launch of the Hasselblad H1, the Swedish company is building on the success of the H1 with the newly developed H2 cross platform camera and the H2D fully-integrated digital camera. Both the cameras include a series of brand new features, and are fully compatible with Hasselblad’s existing H system lenses. New products in the Ixpress digital back line include the Ixpress CF and Ixpress CFH, bringing new levels of flexibility to specialist professional photographers. All four new Hasselblad products offer photographic professionals the quality of medium format image capture, combined with the ‘point-and-shoot’ ease of use, portability and flexibility more often associated with smaller format DSLR technology. The H2 and H2D cameras deliver improved mobility, quality, and workflow. Brand new camera features include a highly advanced image approval and selection tool, called Instant Approval Architecture providing a swift and easy way to select and classify images. Read More