digital backs for medium format cameras

see also:

• medium format digital camera systems
• Mamiya / Phase One 645 medium format camera system
• Hasselblad V 6x6 manual focus medium format camera system
• Hasselblad H series medium format cameras
• chronology of medium format digital backs

• many digital backs for medium format cameras can be used on a number of medium format cameras either as dedicated camera backs or via adapters - usually based on the Hasselblad V 6x6 manual focus medium format camera system - see chronology for older digital backs for medium format cameras
• see Leaf Aptus II compatibility (pdf)
• Note that ONLY the H1D and H2D of the Hasselblad H series can be used with 3rd party backs as Hasselblad has now created a closed system with its later digital only models which can only used the Hasselblad back.
• the main manufacturers of current digital backs are:
  • Phase One / Leaf (uses Dalsa sensors)
    • wikipedia
  • Hasselblad Imacon dedicated backs for Hasselblad H models only
• note: depending on the sensor size, they usually have a crop factor for 6×4.5 camera lenses which have a film area of 56mm x 41.5mm:
  • 37x37mm sensor = 1.5x crop thus a 40mm wide angle becomes 60mm effective medium format lens
  • 43x32mm sensor = 1.3x crop
  • 48x36mm sensor = 1.17x crop (ie. twice the area of 35mm full frame)

• see chronology of medium format digital backs

• see Mamiya / Phase One 645 medium format camera system and Mamiya 6x7 medium format SLR camera system

• introduced in 2012
• 1.1mp touch screen, Live View for accurate manual focus without requiring it to be tethered to a laptop, bidirectional electronic levels and Firewire/USB3.0 interfaces
• 40mp 32.9 x 43.9mm 6 micron sensor, 1.2fps = $20,000
• 50mp 40.4 x 53.0mm 6 micron sensr, 1fps = $32,000
• 80mp 40.4 x 53.0mm 5.2 micron sensor, 0.7fps = $39,000

• introduced in 2011?
• 16bit 12 stop dynamic range
• 3.5“ touch screen live view
• 1/10,000th sec to 30sec shutter
• max. ISO 800 (400 on the 22mp model)
• 22mp to 80mp models with varying sensor dimensions, ISO range and burst rates
• CF cards or tethered via Firewire but no USB?
• see MamiyaLeaf Aptus II

• IQ series
• much better screen and user interface than the P+ backs, and dynamic range has been increased to 12.5 stops
• 3.2” touch screen (with Live View in firmware upgrade BUT in bright daylight one will have to attach a variable ND filter when setting up with Live View, as Full Frame CCD sensors overload on too bright light when run continuously)
• FireWire800 and USB3
• tethered live view
• the first Phase One backs that can be updated directly by the user
• 2011 range
• IQ140:
  • 32.9 x 43.9mm (1.3x 645 crop factor), 6 micron, 40mp 16 bit Opticolor, 12.5 stops dynamic range, dynamic and lens technology
  • 1/10,000th - 60sec shutter, 1.2fps, 50-800ISO, 1Gb buffer
  • 3.2“ 1.15mp touch screen
• IQ160:
  • 40.4 x 53.7mm (1.0x 645 crop factor), 6 micron, 60.5mp 16 bit Opticolor, 12.5 stops dynamic range, dynamic and lens technology
  • 1/10,000th - 60sec shutter, 1fps, 50-800ISO, 1Gb buffer
  • 3.2” 1.15mp touch screen
• IQ180:
  • 40.4 x 53.9mm (1.0x 645 crop factor), 5.2 micron, 80mp 16 bit Opticolor, 12.5 stops dynamic range, dynamic and lens technology
  • 1/10,000th - 120sec shutter, 0.7fps, 35-800ISO, 1Gb buffer
  • 60mp 1:1 square aspect ratio mode
  • 3.2“ 1.15mp touch screen

• P+ series
• series introduced in 2007 except P65+ in 2008 and P40+ in 2009
• Firewire400
• no live view, no touch screen
• P40+:
  • 32.9 x 43.9mm (1.3x 645 crop factor), 6 micron, 40mp 16 bit Opticolor
  • 1/10,000th - 60sec shutter, 1.2fps, 50-800ISO, 1.3Gb buffer
  • 2.2” 230K pixel LCD no live view, no touch screen
• P45+:
  • 36.8 x 49.1mm (1.1x 645 crop factor), 6.8 micron, 39mp 16 bit Opticolor, 12 f-stops, dynamic and lens technology
  • 1/10,000th - 60sec shutter, 0.67fps, 50-800 ISO, 640Mb buffer
  • 2.2“ 230K pixel LCD no live view, no touch screen
• P65+:
  • 40.4 x 53.9mm (1.0x 645 crop factor), 6 micron, 60mp 16 bit Opticolor
  • 1/10,000th - 60sec shutter, 1.2fps, 50-800ISO, 1.3Gb buffer
  • 2.2” 230K pixel LCD no live view, no touch screen

• dedicated B&W digital back without a Bayer colour filter in the sensor design
• 39mp (2012)
• 2 versions - with or without IR cutoff filter

• 16 (P20) -39mp (P45) backs introduced in 2004/2005
• 116,000px 2.2“ screens
• CF and Firewire400

• use adapters which easily allow these backs to be mounted on almost any desired camera platform
• eVolution 86H:
  • 48 x 36mm Dalsa 48.8mp 16 bit sensor
  • 1/10,000th - 32sec shutter; ISO 50-800; 13 shots /minute
  • Firewire800 to Mac tethered shooting
  • no display, no storage
  • active cooling
  • CHF 24.800,00

• see also Hasselblad V 6x6 manual focus medium format camera system

• announced June 2019
• 50mp digital back with tilting touch screen control and USB-C
• designed for most Hblad V system cameras plus their new 907X “camera” which allows access to most Hblad series lenses via lens adapters
• see https://www.hasselblad.com/cfv-ii-50c-907x/

• 2010 model
• 50mp almost double 35mm full frame sensor size
• cable-free operation and optimized integration between back, body and lens
• Hasselblad's DAC lens correction technology for most of the V-System Carl Zeiss lenses - DAC completely corrects for distortion, lateral chromatic aberration and vignetting in exactly the same way as it does for the H-System lenses
• Hasselblad Natural Color Solution
• square and horizontal format options
• CF card or tethered
• 11,990 Euro (+tax)

• 2009 model
• 39mp 36.7×49.0 mm sensor, 6.8micron, 16bit, 0.7fps
• ISO 50-800; CF or tethered;
• 2.5” TFT display;
• datasheet (pdf)

• 16mp