Digital Imaging with Hasselblad
DIGITAL OR FILM
Some photographers, especially professionals, still need to decide whether to work digitally
or with fi lm at least for certain jobs. The decision may be based on personal preference per-
haps the way colors and contrast are recorded in either media, on a clients preference, the
use of the image, the size of the enlargements, or other reasons. If a digital image is desired
or necessary just for the purpose of having the fi nal image in digital form for storage or for
image manipulations, you want to keep in mind that such an image does not necessarily have
to be recorded in the camera in digital form. Any image, black and white or color, on negative
or transparency fi lm, can be scanned and changed into a digital image. Hasselblad produces a
line of professional Flextight scanners for this purpose. A scanned image can be retouched or
manipulated in the computer just like a digital original.
DIGITAL IMAGING IN THE MEDIUM FORMAT
When digital imaging became a new photographic media, medium-format fi lm cameras
became digital imaging tools by attaching a digital back to existing camera bodies rather
than completely new cameras designed specifi cally for digital imaging. Since most medium-
format cameras were designed with interchangeable camera backs, this was a logical and
simple solution and was also used by Hasselblad in combination with digital backs made by
various manufacturers. This approach worked well since Hasselblad cameras were recognized
as good tools for any type of studio or location fi lm photography and produced superb
image quality in combination with the Carl Zeiss lenses. It was also an economical solution
as Hasselblad photographers did not need to invest in a completely new camera and lens
system, and because one and the same digital back could be attached to different Hasselblad
camera models including cameras with shift and tilt control.
Digital technology, however, has also changed drastically over the last 15 years, and
Hasselblad realized the importance of keeping up with the trend toward digital photography.
The company sped up the development of new digital recording devices and digital cam-
eras through the merger with Imacon, a recognized manufacturer of high quality digital backs
and scanners. The work within this new Hasselblad company resulted in a rapid development
of completely updated and integrated packages of lenses, cameras, viewfi nders, digital cap-
ture units, and software. The fi rst product from this new design approach is the H3D camera,
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