Photography News Issue 38

Photography News | Issue 38 | absolutephoto.com

Most Wanted

Hasselblad gomirrorless

The HasselbladX1Dwas announced last summer and Photokina in September was its first public outing. This compact, mirrorless camera makes medium-format photography on the move a real possibility. The weather- and dust- sealed camera body weighs in at 725g and a range of XCD lenses with integral shutters fitted will be available. The XCD 45mm f/3.5 and XCD 90mm f/3.2 were launched with the camera and since then the XCD 30mm f/3.5 lens has also been announced. With an adapter, all 12 lenses and lens accessories from the Hasselblad H system can be fitted too. The 50-megapixel CMOS sensor measures 43.8x32.9mm with Hasselblad saying it can deliver 14EV of dynamic range. Multiple image format options will be available in-camera and shooting HD video is on offer too. The ISO range starts at 100 and tops out at 25,600 and you can shoot in Hasselblad 3FR Raw or JPEG recording to dual SD card slots. Hasselblad offers Phocus, a free image editing software. A typical Raw file is around 65MB opening to 8272x6200pixels. Autofocus is by a contrast detect system with instant

manual override possible and the advanced exposure system features spot, centre-weighted and centre spot measurement options. The XCD lenses offer shutter speeds from 60mins to 1/2000sec. The XCD45mm f/3.5 is equivalent to a 35mm lens in the 35mm format and this weighs 417g so combines with the X1D to give a portable package. If you prefer a slightly longer lens, the XCD90mm f/3.2 gives an equivalent 71mm focal length. Photography News got to try pre- production samples of the X1D a short while ago at a pre-Photokina exclusive press event and we can report that the X1D feels great on the hand with a body and contoured handgrip that is a delight is use. The same applies to the large rear touchscreen and setting the camera up and accessingmenu items proved intuitive and fast. The X1D costs £7788 with the XCD 45mm f/3.5 priced at £1908 and the 90mm f/3.2 at £2268. To celebrate Hasselblad’s 75th anniversary an all black X1D-50c 4116 Edition camera is available too. This comes with an XCD 45mm f/3.5 in a special celebration box.

hasselblad.co.uk

Full-frame joy from Sony

The Sony camera collection got a boost with the launch of the a99 II. Speed is very much a feature of this new translucent mirror technology camera with continuous shooting and AF prime beneficiaries of Sony’s hard work, but resolution hasn’t been skimped on either and even here it all happens very rapidly. Resolution from the back- illuminated full-frame CMOS sensor is 42.4 megapixels and the gapless on-chip design allows for fast readout of the large amounts of data gathered from the sensor and aids maximise light gathering ability. The benefit of all this is the capture of low noise, wide dynamic range images within the native ISO 100 to 25,600 range – this can be expanded to ISO 50 to 102,400. No optical low pass filter helps to record the finest detail. The files are of course large which makes the a99 II’s fastest continuous shooting speed all the

more impressive. You can shoot at 12 frames-per-second with autoexposure and AF tracking. The camera’s AF speed has been improved with Sony’s 4D focusing technology and a Hybrid Phase Detection AF. This features a combination of 79-point phase detection AF with 399 focal plane phase detection AF points to produce a 79 hybrid cross AF point array. This, according to Sony, is what gives the camera the ability to track fast-moving subjects. Use live view and you get 8fps with AF and AE tracking. Other notable features include Wi-Fi and NFC, 4K recording and dust- andmoisture-resistant build. The Sony a99 II is priced at £2999 body only. Sony has also added the 50mm f/2.8 Macro lens to its E-mount system. This lens is available now at £499.

sony.co.uk