Medium Format Camera News

Some photo assignments require you to bring out the big guns. And when it comes to digital photography, there are few bigger guns than medium format systems. More digital SLR users have been making the jump to medium format now that several new models are equipped with CMOS sensors that can capture relatively low-noise images at high ISOs, shoot photos more quickly, and capture HD and even 4K video. Combine these handy features with the massive amount of resolution and extremely high image quality you get from the huge imaging chips in medium format camera systems, and there’s no better time to go big. Here’s a look at the latest cameras and lenses from five major medium format brands.

Ricoh Imaging’s Pentax 645Z is a “medium format” digital camera with a 43.8x32.8mm CMOS sensor, 1.66 times the size of a standard full-frame sensor. The sensor features a very high resolution of 51.4MP (8265x6192 pixels) and can record in JPEG and in Pentax’s own Raw (PEF) or Adobe DNG format.

I’m hardly what you’d call a Film Dinosaur. Over 98% of the images I shoot are captured digitally. But, after I recently ran a dozen rolls of Kodak Tri-X 120 through some ancient medium-format roll film cameras, and had it developed, scanned, and printed on Fuji Crystal Archive photographic paper, I’m a much better digital photographer because of it.

In case you’ve seen some of the afternoon hubbub about how vaunted medium format manufacturer Phase One has gotten into mirrorless camera game with something called the A-Series, take a deep breath.

The Hasselblad H5D-50c has been revamped, offering a new built-in Wi-Fi module that allows users to connect Hasselblad’s Phocus Mobile software (via an iPhone or iPad) directly to the camera, enabling photographers to browse their images and control the camera without the need for a computer. Designed for flexibility and ultimate image quality, the updated model offers all of the functionality of its sibling including a 50-megapixel CMOS sensor and high ISO performance (ISO 100 - 6400).

Hasselblad has just announced a brand new medium format camera body: the Hasselblad H5X. The new H5X has been introduced, primarily, as an upgrade for photographers who use the older H1, H2, H2F and H4X but may now want the H5’s upgraded capability, Hasselblad said in making the announcement. The company also forsees the H5X being used as a backup body for photographers who already own the H5D.

The Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) member magazines recently convened for their General Assembly to vote for the best photo and imaging products launched by the industry in the last 12 months. The voting took place during the General Assembly that was held in spring, 2014, in Vancouver, Canada.