Medium Format Camera News

Phase One announced it has joined forces with Sony to design a new 100MP CMOS sensor for the new Phase One XF 100MP Camera System. The Phase One XF 100MP Camera System is shipping now and is available through the company’s sales partners worldwide for a whopping $48,990 USD. (The system comes with a Schneider Kreuznach 80mm LS lens.)

Last year, we told you about Hasselblad’s new H5D-50c medium format camera with Wi-Fi, which seemed pretty awesome but was a tad, ahem, pricey. That 50-megapixel camera, which was loaded with new technology, has just come down in price. Drastically. But it will only be offered at the discounted rate for a short time!

Some photographers may think that every camera is only capable of making the exact same sound when the shutter is pressed (to capture a single shot or a rapid burst of images): that familiar soft metallic click. While that may seem to be true, in reality nearly every make and model of camera has a shutter sound that is quite unique.

The Goods is a new feature in Shutterbug that spotlights the hottest premium photo gear out there.

The Pentax 645D has just seen another major price drop. This 40-megapixel medium format digital camera, which retailed for around $10,000 when it launched in 2010, is now selling for $3999 from B&H Photo, Amazon, and other locations.

Phase One just unveiled a major overhaul of its medium format camera system. Called the Phase One XF Camera System, the new medium format platform features several key upgrades, revamps, and additions including “robust, aerial-grade mechanics, advanced electronics, a new autofocus platform, new modularity options, new software and customizable touch controls,” according to Phase One.

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.