Victor Hasselblad AB is a
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
manufacturer of
medium format
Medium format has traditionally referred to a film format in photography and the related cameras and equipment that use film. Nowadays, the term applies to film and digital cameras that record images on media larger than the used in 35&nbs ...
camera
A camera is an Optics, optical instrument that can capture an image. Most cameras can capture 2D images, with some more advanced models being able to capture 3D images. At a basic level, most cameras consist of sealed boxes (the camera body), ...
s, photographic equipment and
image scanner
An image scanner—often abbreviated to just scanner—is a device that optically scans images, printed text, handwriting or an object and converts it to a digital image. Commonly used in offices are variations of the desktop ''flatbed scanner'' ...
s based in
Gothenburg
Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...
, Sweden. The company originally became known for its classic analog medium-format cameras that used a waist-level viewfinder. Perhaps the most famous use of the Hasselblad camera was during the
Apollo program missions when the first humans
landed on the Moon. Almost all of the still photographs taken during these missions used modified Hasselblad cameras. In 2016, Hasselblad introduced the world's first digital compact mirrorless medium-format camera, the X1D-50c, changing the portability of medium-format photography. Hasselblad produces about 10,000 cameras a year from a small three-storey building.
Company history
The company was established in 1841 in Gothenburg, Sweden, by Fritz Wiktor Hasselblad, as a trading company, F. W. Hasselblad and Co. The founder's son, Arvid Viktor Hasselblad, was interested in photography and started the photographic division of the company. Hasselblad's corporate website quotes him as saying, "I certainly don't think that we will earn much money on this, but at least it will allow us to take pictures for free."
In 1877, Arvid Hasselblad commissioned the construction of Hasselblad's long-time headquarters building, in use until 2002. While on honeymoon, Arvid Hasselblad met
George Eastman
George Eastman (July 12, 1854March 14, 1932) was an American entrepreneur who founded the Kodak, Eastman Kodak Company and helped to bring the photographic use of roll film into the mainstream. He was a major philanthropist, establishing the ...
, founder of
Eastman Kodak
The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...
. In 1888, Hasselblad became the sole Swedish distributor of Eastman's products. The business was so successful that in 1908, the photographic operations were spun off into their own corporation, Fotografiska AB. Operations included a nationwide network of shops and photo labs. Management of the company eventually passed to Karl Erik Hasselblad, Arvid's son (grandson of founder F. W.). Karl Erik wanted his son,
Victor Hasselblad
Victor Hasselblad (8 March 1906 – 5 August 1978) was a Swedish inventor and photographer, known for inventing the Hasselblad 6x6 cm medium format camera.
Life and work
Hasselblad was born in Gothenburg. In 1940 Swedish Air Force officers re ...
, to have a wide understanding of the camera business, and sent him to
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...
, Germany, then the world center of the optics industry, at age 18 (c. 1924).
Victor spent the next several years studying and working in various photography related endeavors in Europe and the US, including
Rochester, New York
Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...
, with George Eastman, before returning to work at the family business. Due to disputes within the family, particularly with his father, Victor left the business and in 1937 started his own photo store and lab in Gothenburg, Victor Foto.
World War II
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the Swedish military captured a fully functioning German aerial surveillance camera from a downed German plane. This was probably
Handkammer HK 12.5 cm/7x9 which bore the codename GXN and the military account number Fl.38510.
The Swedish government realised the strategic advantage of developing an aerial camera for their own use, and in the spring of 1940 approached Victor Hasselblad to help create one. In April 1940, Victor Hasselblad established a camera workshop in Gothenburg called Ross AB in a shed at an automobile shop, working in the evenings in cooperation with a mechanic from the shop and his brother, and began designing the HK7 camera.
By late 1941, the operation had over 20 employees and the Swedish Air Force asked for another camera, one which would have a larger negative and could be permanently mounted to an aircraft. This model was the SKa4. Between 1941 and 1945, Hasselblad delivered 342 cameras to the Swedish military.
In 1942, Karl Erik Hasselblad died and Victor took control of the family business. During the war, in addition to the military cameras, Hasselblad produced watch and clock parts, over 95,000 by the war's end.
Post-war
After the war, watch and clock production continued, and other machine work was also carried out, including producing a
slide projector
A slide projector is an opto-mechanical device for showing photographic slides.
35 mm slide projectors, direct descendants of the larger-format magic lantern, first came into widespread use during the 1950s as a form of occasional home ...
and supplying parts for
Saab
Saab or SAAB may refer to:
Brands and enterprises
* Saab Group, a Swedish aerospace and defence company, formerly known as SAAB, and later as Saab AB
** Datasaab, a former computer company, started as spin off from Saab AB
* Saab Automobile, a fo ...
automobiles.
Victor Hasselblad's real ambition was to make high-quality civilian cameras. In 1945–1946, the first design drawings and wooden models were made for a camera to be called the Rossex. An internal design competition was held for elements of the camera; one of the winners was
Sixten Sason
Sixten Sason (born Sixten Andersson; 1912–1967) was a Swedish industrial designer, noted for his work in designing several generations of Saab automobiles.
Biographical
Sason was born in 1912, the son of a Swedish sculptor. He trained in Par ...
, the designer of the original
Saab bodywork.
In 1948, the camera later known as the 1600 F was released. The new design was complex, and many small improvements were needed to create a reliable product; the watchmaking background of many of the designers produced a design which was sophisticated, but more delicate than what was permissible for a camera. Only around 50 units were produced in 1949, and perhaps 220 in 1950, of what collectors have now designated the Series One camera. The Series Two versions of the 1600 F, perhaps as many as 3300 made from 1950 to 1953, were more reliable but still subject to frequent repairs, with many units having been cannibalized or modified by the factory. The biggest problem was its shutter, a focal-plane shutter that was hard to keep accurate. Using 120 size film it was formatted to a square cm or × inches, which meant there was no more need to turn the camera on its side.
In 1954, they mated the groundbreaking new 38 mm
Biogon
Biogon is the brand name of Carl Zeiss for a series of photographic camera lenses, first introduced in 1934. Biogons are typically wide-angle lenses.
History
The first lens branded Biogon (2.8 / 3.5 cm, unbalanced) was designed in 1934 by Lu ...
lens designed by
Ludwig Bertele
Ludwig Jakob Bertele (25 December 1900 – 16 November 1985) was a German optics constructor. His developments received universal recognition and serve as a basis for considerable part of the optical designs used today.
Biography
Ludwig Jakob Be ...
of
Zeiss Zeiss or Zeiß may refer to:
People
*Carl Zeiss (1816–1888), German optician and entrepreneur
*Emil Zeiß (1833–1910), German Protestant minister and painter
Companies
*Carl Zeiss AG, German manufacturer of optics, industrial measurem ...
to a shallow non-reflex body to produce the SWA (supreme wide angle, later changed to super wide angle). Though a specialty product not intended to sell in large numbers, the SWA was an impressive achievement, and derivatives were sold for decades. Hasselblad took their two products to the
1954 photokina trade show in Germany, and word began to spread.
In 1953, a much-improved camera, the 1000 F was released. It too had a focal-plane shutter which led to its final replacement by the 500 C but nonetheless provided a big leg up in the medium format. It had a very fine 250 mm f4 Sonnar sport lens that made it a great wildlife camera. Lenses ranged from a 60 mm Distagon, standard 80 mm Planar, and on up to the 250 mm.
In December 1954, the 1000 F camera received a rave review from the influential American photography magazine, ''
Modern Photography
''Modern Photography'' was a popular American photo magazine published and internationally distributed for 52 years from New York City. An unrelated ''Modern Photography'' magazine was published in Taiwan from 1976.
History ''Minicam''
The ori ...
''. They put over 500 rolls of film through their test unit, and intentionally dropped it twice, and it continued to function. But the 1000 F also had shutter problems and finally gave way to the lens-mounted, tried-and-true Compur shutter, retaining its focal-plane shutter/curtain only to mask the film until the Compur shutter closed, then opened to expose the film. This was a far more dependable system, even though it meant having a shutter in each lens.
Hasselblad camera comes into its own
The real turning point for the company occurred in 1957. The 1000 F was replaced by the 500 C. The landmark 500 C design formed the basis for Hasselblad's product line for the next sixty years, with variants being produced until 2013. It was not until 1960, though, that Hasselblad's cameras became profitable; prior to this point, the company was still being entirely supported by sales of imported photographic supplies, including their distribution of Kodak products.
In 1962,
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
began to use Hasselblad cameras on space flights, and to request design modifications. The first motor-driven camera, the 500 EL, appeared in 1965 as a result of NASA requests. While Hasselblad had enjoyed a slowly but steadily growing reputation among professional photographers through the 1950s, the publicity created by NASA's use of Hasselblad products dramatically increased name recognition for the brand.
In 1966, with the increasing success of the camera division, Hasselblad exited the photographic supply and retailing industry, selling Hasselblad Fotografiska AB to Kodak.
1970s onward
![Hasselblad 2000 FC M with Zeiss Planar 80mm f2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Hasselblad_2000_FC_M_with_Zeiss_Planar_80mm_f2.8_T%2A_lens.jpg)
In 1976, Victor Hasselblad sold Hasselblad AB to a Swedish investment company, Säfveån AB. When he died in 1978, he left much of his fortune to the
Hasselblad Foundation
The Hasselblad Foundation (in full: Erna and Victor Hasselblad Foundation), established in 1979 at the will of Victor Hasselblad, is a fully independent, not-for-profit foundation based at Götaplatsen in Gothenburg, Sweden. The main aim of the F ...
.
In 1977, the 2000 series of
focal plane shutter
In camera design, a focal-plane shutter (FPS) is a type of photographic shutter that is positioned immediately in front of the focal plane of the camera, that is, right in front of the photographic film or image sensor.
Two-curtain shutters ...
equipped models was introduced. The 2000-series cameras had been intended to provide full exposure automation. The 2000 FC however was rushed and introduced without the automated features, partly because of a rethink about the way the automation should be accomplished (electronic vs. electro-mechanical). It was the last new camera produced during Victor Hasselblad's lifetime.
In 1984, Victor Hasselblad AB went public, with 42.5% of the company being sold on the Swedish stock exchange. The next year, Swedish corporation Incentive AB bought 58.1% of Hasselblad, and in 1991, they acquired the remainder of the shares, taking VHAB back to being a private corporation.
In 1985 Hasselblad established the subsidiary, Hasselblad Electronic Imaging AB, to focus on digital imaging and transmission systems.
In 1991, the 200 series of automated
focal plane shutter
In camera design, a focal-plane shutter (FPS) is a type of photographic shutter that is positioned immediately in front of the focal plane of the camera, that is, right in front of the photographic film or image sensor.
Two-curtain shutters ...
equipped models was introduced. This was the last major technical development in the course of the classic (now known as "V-System", after Victor) Hasselblad camera.
In 1996, Hasselblad was sold, with the new owners being
UBS
UBS Group AG is a multinational Investment banking, investment bank and financial services company founded and based in Switzerland. Co-headquartered in the cities of Zürich and Basel, it maintains a presence in all major financial centres ...
,
Cinven
Cinven is a global private equity firm founded in 1977, with offices in nine international locations in Guernsey, London, New York, Paris, Frankfurt, Milan, Luxembourg, Madrid, and Hong Kong that acquires Europe and United States based corporat ...
, and the Hasselblad management.
Fuji, Shriro, Imacon, and the digital age
In 1998, Hasselblad began selling the XPan, a camera designed and made in Japan by
Fujifilm
, trading as Fujifilm, or simply Fuji, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, operating in the realms of photography, optics, office and medical electronics, biotechnology, and chemicals.
The offerings from th ...
.
In 2002, they introduced the H-System, retroactively renaming their original camera line the V-System. The H-System marked an essential transition for the company. It dropped the traditional Hasselblad square negative format, instead using cm film and a new series of lenses. The then owners had no confidence in Hasselblad's already advanced digital project returning a profit, and, seeing the relative success in the market of the modern (i.e. fully automated) 645 cameras made by manufacturers like Pentax and Mamiya, closed down Hasselblad's digital department and directed all effort towards making this 645 film camera. The H-System is largely designed and manufactured by Hasselblad, with Fuji's involvement being limited to finalizing Hasselblad's lens designs and producing the glass for the lenses and viewfinders. Fuji was allowed under the agreement to sell the H1 under their name in Japan only.
In January 2003, the
Shriro Group acquired a majority shareholding in Hasselblad. The group had been the distributors for Hasselblad in Japan, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan ROC, Singapore, and Malaysia for over 45 years.
The following year, in August 2004, Shriro Sweden, the holding company of Victor Hasselblad AB, and Swedish subsidiary of Shriro Group, announced the acquisition of high-end scanner and digital cameraback manufacturer, Imacon. The intent of the move was to correct the mistake the previous owners made when they thought there was no money to be made selling digital products and put a stop to Hasselblad's own advanced digital project, and to renew Hasselblad's ambitions in the professional digital photographic sector.
The move was perceived as part of an industry-wide move to respond to the trend away from film to digital. Christian Poulsen, chief executive of Hasselblad after the merger, said, "They finally realized there was no future. It was impossible to keep Hasselblad alive without digital".
This has secured their market position, with nearly all of their previous medium format camera competition going through sale (
Mamiya
is a Japanese company that manufactures high-end cameras and other related photographic and optical equipment. With headquarters in Tokyo, it has two manufacturing plants and a workforce of over 200 people. The company was founded in May 1940 b ...
), closure (
Contax
Contax (stylised as CONTAX in the Kyocera era) began as a German camera model in the Zeiss Ikon line in 1932, and later became a brand name. The early cameras were among the finest in the world, typically featuring high quality Zeiss intercha ...
,
Bronica
Bronica also Zenza Bronica (in Japanese: ) was a Japanese manufacturer of classic medium-format roll film cameras and photographic equipment based in Tokyo, Japan. Their single-lens reflex (SLR) system-cameras competed with Pentax, Hasselblad, Ma ...
,
Exakta
The Exakta (sometimes Exacta) was a camera produced by the ''Ihagee Kamerawerk'' in Dresden, Germany, founded as the Industrie und Handels-Gesellschaft mbH, in 1912. The inspiration and design of both the VP Exakta and the Kine Exakta are the wo ...
66,
Kiev
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
), or greatly reduced market presence (
Rollei
Rollei () was a German manufacturer of optical instruments founded in 1920 by and in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, and maker of the Rolleiflex and Rolleicord series of cameras. Later products included specialty and nostalgic type films for the ...
,
Pentax
is a brand name used primarily by the Japanese multinational imaging and electronics company Ricoh for DSLR cameras, lenses, sport optics (including binoculars and rifle scopes), and CCTV optics. The Pentax brand is also used by Hoya Corporation ...
—which was also sold to
Hoya), and other medium format digital back makers being faced with accordingly restricted markets. Despite this Hasselblad has struggled to turn a profit relative to the market share leader
Phase One.
On 30 June 2011, A German private equity firm Ventizz announced it had acquired a 100% stake in Hasselblad.
In late 2015, Chinese aerial photography and drone manufacturer
DJI
SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. or Shenzhen DJI Sciences and Technologies Ltd. ( zh, c=深圳大疆创新科技有限公司, p=Shēnzhèn Dà Jiāng Chuàngxīn Kējì Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī) in full, more popularly known as its trade name DJI, which s ...
acquired a minority interest in Hasselblad. In early January 2017 DJI acquired the majority stake.
In July 2018, DJI's Mavic 2 PRO drone was advertised by UK based retail shopping company Argos. This drone was the first to carry a camera featuring the Hasselblad branding.
In space
![HasselbladUllism](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/HasselbladUllism.jpg)
Several different models of Hasselblad cameras were taken into space, all specially modified for the task.
The Hasselblad cameras were selected by NASA because of their interchangeable lenses and magazines. Modifications were made to permit ease of use in cramped conditions while wearing spacesuits, such as the replacement of the reflex mirror with an eye-level finder.
Modifications by NASA technicians were further refined and incorporated into new models by Hasselblad. For example, development of a 70 mm magazine was accelerated to meet the space program.
The first modified (in fact simplified) Hasselblad 500 C cameras were used on the last two
Project Mercury
Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States, running from 1958 through 1963. An early highlight of the Space Race, its goal was to put a man into Earth orbit and return him safely, ideally before the Soviet Un ...
missions in 1962 and 1963. They continued to be used throughout the
Gemini
Gemini may refer to:
Space
* Gemini (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac
** Gemini in Chinese astronomy
* Project Gemini, the second U.S. crewed spaceflight program
* Gemini Observatory, consisting of telescopes in the Northern ...
spaceflights in 1965 and 1966.
Apollo program
A general program of reliability and safety was implemented following the
Apollo 1
Apollo 1, initially designated AS-204, was intended to be the first crewed mission of the Apollo program, the American undertaking to land the first man on the Moon. It was planned to launch on February 21, 1967, as the first low Earth orbita ...
fire in 1967, addressing such issues as reliability and safe operation of electrical equipment in a high-oxygen environment.
EL electric cameras were used for the first time on
Apollo 8
Apollo 8 (December 21–27, 1968) was the first crewed spacecraft to leave low Earth orbit and the first human spaceflight to reach the Moon. The crew orbited the Moon ten times without landing, and then departed safely back to Earth. These ...
. A heavily modified 500 EL, the so-called Hasselblad Electric Camera (HEC) was used from Apollo 8 on board the spacecraft. Three 500 EL cameras were carried on
Apollo 11
Apollo 11 (July 16–24, 1969) was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module ''Eagle'' on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, an ...
. An even more extensively modified Hasselblad EL data camera (HDC), equipped with a special Zeiss 5.6/60 mm Biogon lens and film magazines for 150–200 exposures, was used on the Moon surface on the Apollo 11 mission. This command module camera, carried on Apollo 11, was a simplified version of the commercial Hasselblad 500 EL motorized film advance camera. Used for color still photography, it could operate in the command module or in the vacuum of space.
All following NASA missions also had Hasselblad cameras on board. The photographic equipment and films used on the five subsequent flights were similar to that taken on Apollo 11. On
Apollo 15
Apollo 15 (July 26August 7, 1971) was the ninth crewed mission in the United States' Apollo program and the fourth to Moon landing, land on the Moon. It was the first List of Apollo missions#Alphabetical mission types, J mission, with a ...
, the 500 mm telelens was added. During the Space Shuttle period cameras based on the 500 EL/M, 553 ELX, 205 TCC and 203 FE have been used.
There are 11 Hasselblad cameras currently sitting on the lunar surface, where only the film magazines were brought back to Earth.
Products
Cameras
* HK-7 (1941–1945)
* SKa4 (1941–1945)
* 1600F (1948–1953)
* 1000F (1953–1957)
* V System 500 (1957–2013)
* V System 2000 and 200 (1977–2004)
* V System Superwide (1954–2006)
* V System Flexbody (1995–2003)
* XPan (1998–2006) (designed and manufactured by
Fujifilm
, trading as Fujifilm, or simply Fuji, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, operating in the realms of photography, optics, office and medical electronics, biotechnology, and chemicals.
The offerings from th ...
)
* H System (2002–present)
* Lunar (announced September 2012, shipped early 2013)
* X1D-50c (June 2016–June 2019) – the world's first digital compact medium format
mirrorless camera
A mirrorless camera is a photo camera featuring a single, removable lens and a digital display.
The camera does not have a reflex mirror or optical viewfinder like a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera, but may have an electronic v ...
*H6D-400c MS (2018–present) – Multi-Shot technology camera capturing 400-megapixel images by combining four 100-megapixel photos.
*X1D II 50C (announced June 2019) – second-generation of the above
*907X (announced June 2019) – smallest Hasselblad camera body
*CFV II 50 (announced June 2019) – digital back
*X2D 100C (announced September 2022) – the third camera annouced in the X system with a 100MP medium format BSI CMOS sensor.
HK-7 and SKa4 military cameras
The HK-7 put a 7 cm tall by 9 cm wide image on 80 mm film. It has interchangeable lenses, generally a 135 mm Zeiss Biotessar, with the second being either a 240 mm f/4 Meyer Tele-Megor or a 250 mm f/5 Schneider Tele-Xenar.
The SKa4 has interchangeable film magazines, a key feature of later Hasselblad cameras.
1600F and 1000F
![Hasselblad 500 c camera](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Hasselblad_500_c_camera.jpg)
Hasselblad's first civilian camera was launched in 1948. Born from the idea of Victor Hasselblad to create the "ideal camera", it was a 6 × 6 cm format focal-plane shutter SLR camera that was six inches long.
First simply known as the "Hasselblad Camera" it was later named "1600F" after its highest shutter speed of 1/1600 s and "F" for "focal plane".
The camera was revolutionary for the time with its modular design that allowed exchanging lenses, viewfinders and film magazines. The shutter was made of thin stainless steel which was light and durable enough to withstand the high acceleration forces of this fast shutter.
The 1600F cameras did show a couple of problems (especially the first series) so a number of changes were introduced during the production period that lasted from 1949 to 1953. The 1600F was initially released with the
Kodak
The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...
Ektar
Kodak Ektar is a professional color negative film introduced in 2008, designed for nature, outdoors, fashion, and product photography. The film offers ultra-fine grains, ultra-vivid colors, and high saturation, and is available in Film speed, ISO ...
2.8/80 mm and the Ektar 3.5/135 mm lenses. Only prototypes were made of the Ektar 6.3/55 mm and the 5.6/254 mm lenses.
The successor of the 1600F was the 1000F (1953–1957). The 1000F was named after its reduced shortest shutter speed of 1/1000 s. The 1000F has a different shutter mechanism and proved to be more reliable and robust than its predecessor. During production of the 1600F, Carl Zeiss in
Oberkochen
Oberkochen is a municipality (officially a town, despite its size) in the Ostalbkreis, in Baden-Württemberg, in Germany, central Europe.
Name
The name "Oberkochen" consists of the two German words "ober", meaning "above" or "upper", and "Koch ...
had become a supplier of lenses for the 1600F/1000F cameras. Zeiss supplied the lenses
Distagon 5.6/60 mm,
Tessar
The Tessar is a photographic lens design conceived by the German physicist Paul Rudolph in 1902 while he worked at the Zeiss optical company and patented by Zeiss in Germany; the lens type is usually known as the Zeiss Tessar.
A Tessar com ...
2.8/80 mm,
Sonnar
The Zeiss Sonnar is a photographic lens originally designed by Dr. Ludwig Bertele in 1929 and patented by Zeiss Ikon.Deutsche Patent 530843, 1929-08-14 It was notable for its relatively light weight, simple design and fast aperture.
The name ...
3.5/135, Sonnar 4.0/250 and Sonnar 5.6/250 mm. Towards the end of the 1000 F production period a
Dallmeyer 5.6/508 mm lens made by
Cook and Perkins
Cook or The Cook may refer to:
Food preparation
* Cooking, the preparation of food
* Cook (domestic worker), a household staff member who prepares food
* Cook (professional), an individual who prepares food for consumption in the food industry
* ...
, England, was also available, but did not fully cover the full film format.
Hasselblad 1000F and especially 1600F cameras are very rare on the secondhand market and usually not in working condition because of age, neglect, and a lack of spare parts and qualified repairmen. Many cameras suffer from corrosion of the chrome rims. A lot of lenses suffer from scratches, fungus, discoloration and separation. Cameras in good condition can therefore fetch fairly high prices.
The 500C was produced to replace the F-series cameras. It changed the troublesome focal plane shutter for a leaf shutter in each C lens. The camera has continued for over 40 years with only minor improvements. A variation of the 500C was used by
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
for all their
Gemini
Gemini may refer to:
Space
* Gemini (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac
** Gemini in Chinese astronomy
* Project Gemini, the second U.S. crewed spaceflight program
* Gemini Observatory, consisting of telescopes in the Northern ...
and
Apollo
Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
missions. Most lenses were made by
Zeiss Zeiss or Zeiß may refer to:
People
*Carl Zeiss (1816–1888), German optician and entrepreneur
*Emil Zeiß (1833–1910), German Protestant minister and painter
Companies
*Carl Zeiss AG, German manufacturer of optics, industrial measurem ...
in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
but the very early 1600F lenses were made by
Kodak
The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...
.
* 1600F (1948/1949–1953, 1/1600 s shutter speed)
* 1000F (1953–1957, 1/1000 s shutter speed)
V System
![Hasselblad 500 CM](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Hasselblad_500_CM.jpg)
The name "V System" was not created until the development of the "H System"; with a new system premiering, Hasselblad needed a designation to differentiate the older product line.
The Hasselblad V-System evolved out of Victor Hasselblad's desire to develop a small camera with fast lenses and shutters, that was as easily hand-holdable as a
Leica, but with a larger film format. The
Rolleiflex
Rolleiflex is the name of a long-running and diverse line of high-end cameras originally made by the German company Franke & Heidecke, and later Rollei, Rollei-Werke.
History
The "Rolleiflex" name is most commonly used to refer to Rollei's pr ...
's format was deemed ideal: large enough to provide high image quality, but small enough to fit inside a compact camera. The Rolleiflex's leaf shutter lacked the fast shutter speeds focal plane shutters could provide, and neither Leica rangefinder nor Rolleiflex TLR provided the(TTL) through the (taking) lens viewing that the slow to use, big Graflex SLR provided.
These considerations led to the 1600 F and a flexible camera system that includes interchangeable bodies, lenses, viewfinders, winders, film magazines and holders, and other accessories. Problems with the focal plane shutters in the 1600 F and 1000 F cameras and especially the increasing importance of electronic flash led to the development of the manual leaf shutter-based medium-format ( cm or inches) 500 C SLR camera in 1957 which offered flash synchronization at all shutter speeds. The 500 C was joined by the motor-driven 500 EL SLR camera in 1964. Apart from the housing that incorporates the motor drive and the NiCd batteries, this camera is similar in appearance and operation to the Hasselblad 500 C and uses the same magazines, lenses and viewfinders. These two cameras, together with the Superwide Camera (SWC) which was introduced in 1954 as a wide angle camera using the Carl Zeiss Biogon 38 mm f/4.5 lens and built-in levels for exacting architecture photography, formed the core of the V-system and shared most accessories (with a few exceptions).
Throughout the life of the V Series, Hasselblad incrementally updated the cameras. The 500C gave way to the 500C/M, the 503CX and 503CXi, the 501C and 501CM, and finally the 503CW as the basic manual. The SWC was replaced by the SWC/M, the 903 SWC, and finally by the 905 SWC. The 500 EL's replacements included the 500EL/M, 500ELX, 553 ELX, and the 555ELD. First introduced in the 500ELX, TTL/OTF (through the lens/off the film) flash metering was also a feature of the 503CX, which was replaced by the 503CXi and finally the 503CW. The 503CWD was the very last iteration of the V-series line and was a limited edition variant produced in 2006 to commemorate the centenary of the birth of
Victor Hasselblad
Victor Hasselblad (8 March 1906 – 5 August 1978) was a Swedish inventor and photographer, known for inventing the Hasselblad 6x6 cm medium format camera.
Life and work
Hasselblad was born in Gothenburg. In 1940 Swedish Air Force officers re ...
(born 1906). The 503CWD was supplied with a match-numbered CFV-16 digital back. The entire production run was limited to only 500 units, all numbered.
Alongside the 500-series cameras, a series of focal plane shutter cameras was introduced. This 2000-series started with the 2000 FC, and progressed to the 2000 FC/M, 2000 FCW and 2003 FCW. Though much of the 20 years between the discontinuation of the 1000F and the introduction of the 2000 FC was spent designing an improved focal plane shutter, the 2000-series again used corrugated metal foil as material for the shutter curtains, though now titanium replaced the original stainless steel. As before, the metal shutter curtains proved to be quite easily damaged by clumsy fingers, which is why all 2000-series cameras except the 2000FC have a safety feature that retracts the shutter curtains as soon as the magazine is taken off. The 2000-series cameras were replaced by the 200-series cameras (with rubberized cloth shutter curtains), which included the 201 F, 202 FA, 203 FE, and 205 TCC/205 FCC. While the 201 F was a manual control camera, the other three 200-series models added a level of metering and exposure automation to the V series.
There were also two series of medium format view cameras developed related to the V series: the FlexBody and the ArcBody.
The last V System camera, the 503CW, was officially discontinued on April 29, 2013.
''500 Series''
* 500C (1957–1970, Leaf Shutter)
* 500C/M (1970–1994, Leaf Shutter)
* 500 Classic (1990–1992, Leaf Shutter)
* 501C (1994–1997, Leaf Shutter)
* 501CM (1997–2005, Leaf Shutter)
* 503CX (1988–1994, Leaf Shutter, TTL OTF flash system)
* 503CXi (1994–1996, Leaf Shutter, TTL OTF flash system)
* 503CW (1996–2013, Leaf Shutter, TTL OTF flash system)
* 503CWD (2006, limited edition centenary model; Leaf Shutter, TTL OTF flash system)
''2000 Series Cameras with Titanium Focal Plane Shutter''
* 2000 FC (1977–1982, Titanium Focal Plane Shutter)
* 2000 FC/M (1982–1984, Titanium Focal Plane Shutter)
* 2000 FCW (1984–1988, Titanium Focal Plane Shutter)
* 2003 FCW (1988–1991, Titanium Focal Plane Shutter)
''200 Series Cameras with Rubberized Cloth Focal Plane Shutter''
* 205 TCC (1991–1994, Rubberized Cloth Focal Plane Shutter)
* 201 F (1994–1998, Rubberized Cloth Focal Plane Shutter)
* 203 FE (1994–2004, Rubberized Cloth Focal Plane Shutter)
* 205 FCC (1995–2004, Rubberized Cloth Focal Plane Shutter)
* 202 FA (1998–2002, Rubberized Cloth Focal Plane Shutter)
''Super Wide-angle (SW) cameras with fixed lenses''
* SWA & SW (1954–1958, Leaf Shutter, fixed Carl Zeiss Biogon f/4.5 38 mm wide angle lens)
* SWC (1959–1979, Leaf Shutter)
* SWC/M (1980–1988, Leaf Shutter)
* 903 SWC (1988–2001, Leaf Shutter)
* 905 SWC (2001–2006, Leaf Shutter)
''View Cameras''
* FlexBody (1995–2003, Tilt and shift possible, Normal Hasselblad mount )
* ArcBody (1997–2001, Tilt and shift possible, Special mount with only 3 Rodenstock lenses with wider image circle)
''EL series''
* 500EL (1964–1970)
* 500EL/M (1971–1984, introduced user-interchangeable screen),
* 500ELX (1984–1988, introduced TTL-flash sensor and larger non-vignetting mirror),
* 553ELX (1988–1999, introduced new internal light-absorbing coating and use of AA-batteries), and
* 555ELD (1998–2006, introduced new mirror mechanics and electronic contacts for communication with digital backs)
500EL and its successors have been and still are used mainly as workhorses in photo studios. This camera's heavily modified version was used in the U.S. Apollo lunar exploration program. In 1968 it was used by astronaut
William Anders
William Alison Anders (born 17 October 1933) is a retired United States Air Force (USAF) major general, former electrical engineer, nuclear engineer, NASA astronaut, and businessman. In December 1968, he was a member of the crew of Apollo 8, ...
to take the image known as ''
Earthrise
''Earthrise'' is a photograph of Earth and some of the Moon's surface that was taken from lunar orbit by astronaut William Anders on December 24, 1968, during the Apollo 8 mission. Nature photographer Galen Rowell described it as "the most infl ...
''. As an outgrowth of the experience with NASA cameras, a photogrammetric version of the Hasselblad 500 EL/M, the Hasselblad MK 70, was constructed with specially calibrated components.
XPan
The dual-format XPan and XPan II were Hasselblad's first cameras to use 35mm film. Built with a rubber-covered titanium and aluminium body, they were designed as a coupled rangefinder camera with interchangeable, compact lenses.
The XPan cameras are
re-branded versions of the
Fuji Fuji may refer to:
Places China
* Fuji, Xiangcheng City (付集镇), town in Xiangcheng City, Henan
Japan
* Mount Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan
* Fuji River
* Fuji, Saga, town in Saga Prefecture
* Fuji, Shizuoka, city in Shizuoka Prefectur ...
TX-1 and TX-2. The XPan II has every feature of the original, but grants the user the ability to record thirty-minute exposures compared to the old limit of three minutes. Electronic exposure information in the viewfinder is another additional feature of the XPan II.
The XPan reverted to the focal plane shutter, offering 8–1/1000 s, and flash sync from B (max. 270 s) – 1/125 s.
The intent in releasing the XPan was to provide medium format image quality on 35mm film. The XPan utilised the entire area of the 35mm film for either panorama or 35mm format, providing a
panorama
A panorama (formed from Greek πᾶν "all" + ὅραμα "view") is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film, seismic images, or 3D modeling. The word was originally coined in ...
effect without
masking the film or reducing image quality. This technique produced a panorama negative almost three times larger than traditional masking and over five times larger than that of
APS cameras.
The XPan is now discontinued.
* XPan (1998, focal plane shutter, 35mm, Panoramic capability)
* XPan II (2003, focal plane shutter, 35mm, Panoramic capability)
H System
Hasselblad launched the H System at
photokina
Photokina (rendered in the promoters' branding as "photokina") is a trade fair held in Europe for the photographic and imaging industries. It is the world's largest such trade fair. The first Photokina was held in Cologne, Germany, in 1950, an ...
in September 2002.
=H1
=
The H1 departed from previous Hasselblad cameras in several respects. Hasselblad moved away from the traditional format to cm, and included autofocus lenses.
The camera used Fujinon manufactured lenses and prisms, thus departing from Hasselblad's long association with Carl Zeiss when it comes to lens manufacturing.
The shutter in the lenses was still manufactured by Hasselblad as well as the body. Hasselblad initially invited both PhaseOne and Kodak to develop digital backs for the H-System.
The H1 had a number of other innovations, including:
* replacement of the removable dark slide with a fold-out lever
* inserts and backs that could accept both 120 and 220 film
* automatic film advance
* digital back integration
* electronic leaf shutters with timing from 1/800 seconds down to 18 hours
As with the V-series, most H1- and H2-series components were compatible with one another.
=H1D
=
Identical to the H1, but sold bundled with a Hasselblad-branded Imacon 22Mp iXpress back which coupled with a 40GB Image Bank allowed shooting of up to 850 images in one session.
The camera could only be used with the included digital back. This was Hasselblad's first integrated DSLR.
=H2
=
Hasselblad has built into the H2 cross-platform camera a new single-battery operation of the camera with the new Ixpress CFH digital back, offering one on/off switch and one operating system, facilitating streamlined, integrated operation. With existing digital backs already in the market, the H2 delivers the exact functionality of the H1.
The H2 camera was discontinued in October 2007.
=H2D
=
2nd generation integrated DSLR. First Hasselblad camera to shoot to new Raw format called the 3FR. Conversions to 3F files could be done in Flexcolor or Phocus.
Can utilize a CF card. No longer necessary to shoot to an Image Bank via link cable. Firewire 800 capable.
New metering patterns to match the larger sensors. A new lithium ion 1,850 mAh battery was introduced that would power both the H2D body and digital back.
=H2F
=
The H2F can be used either as a film camera or as a digital camera when mated with a Hasselblad CF31, CF22, CF22 MS, CF39, or CF39 MS back. It is completely identical to the H2, but this camera was created to "lock out" other digital back providers from the H-series platform. The H2F is compatible with all of the H lenses, including the HCD 24mm, HCD 28mm, and the new HCD 35-90mm zoom lens.
=H3D
=
3rd generation integrated DSLR. The H3D offered software functionality that provided better integration between camera, viewfinder and back than the earlier H1 or H2 could provide. These two early H-System cameras, after all, were not primarily designed as digital cameras, with the H2 carrying the 'legacy' of the H1. Hasselblad's official position on the move was:
"In truth, he H1
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
was a great film camera to which a digital back could be fitted, and...Hasselblad started to look at ways that image quality and functionality could be enhanced even more through better integration...The H2 camera has not, in any way, been diminished by Hasselblad's separate development of functions specifically for the integrated H3D. However, lacking the necessary integration of the new camera engine and Hasselblad Flexcolor software, these functions cannot work on the H2."
=H3DII
=
4th generation integrated DSLR. Introduced in 2007, the H3DII systems have a higher level of integration between the camera and the
image sensor
An image sensor or imager is a sensor that detects and conveys information used to make an image. It does so by converting the variable attenuation of light waves (as they pass through or reflect off objects) into signals, small bursts of curr ...
than stand-alone
digital camera back
A digital camera back is a device that attaches to the back of a camera in place of the traditional negative film holder and contains an electronic image sensor. This lets cameras that were designed to use film take digital photographs. These ...
s, but a disadvantage is that film backs are not usable in the H3DII. Improvements of the HD3DII line were:
* larger and improved 3" TFT display
* new heat sink replaces the fan from the original H3D, making the digital back quieter
* drive button is now WB/ISO. Drive functions moved in the Menu
* new ability to use the GIL (Global Image Locator)
The current H3DII products include:
=H4D
=
5th generation integrated DSLR. Introduced in 2009, the current H4D products include H4D-31, H4D-40, H4D-50, H4D-50MS, H4D-60 and H4D-200MS.
=H4X
=
On October 27, 2011, Hasselblad introduced the H4X as a replacement H1, H2 and H2F.
=H5D
=
6th generation integrated DSLR. Introduced in 2012, the current H5D products include H5D-40, H5D-50, H5D-50MS, H5D-60 and H5D-200MS.
=H5D-50C
=
In January 2014, Hasselblad introduced the H5D-50C
=H5X
=
On September 9, 2014, Hasselblad introduced the H5X as a replacement H1, H2, H2F and H4X. Improvements of the H5X were:
* backup camera for H5D users
* True Focus
* full HC and HCD lens compatibility, including HCD-24, HCD-28 and the HCD 35-90 zoom lens
* HVD-90x viewfinder optimised for 36x48 mm format
* HV-90x-II viewfinder optimised for the film and format
* high power AF illumination
* eight memory banks (profiles) for easier access to previously saved camera settings
* new programmable button options available with an H5D sensor unit
=H5D-50C WiFi
=
On September 16, 2014, Hasselblad introduced the H5D-50C WiFi.
= H6D-50c, H6D-100c, and H6D-400c MS
=
In April 2016, Hasselblad introduced the H6D product line. The current H6D products include H6D-50c, H6D-100c,
and H6D-400c MS.
= H6D-400c MS
=
This camera is a variant of the H6D-100c with the ability to shift the sensor by a sequence of full and half pixel movements in sync with multiple captures to improve both colour rendition and to extrapolate a higher resolution. This method, designated by the suffix MS, i.e. "Multi-shot", is commonly known as "
pixel shifting
Pixel shifting refers to various technical methods, either to diminish damage to displays by preventing "burn in" of static images or to enhance resolution of displays, projectors, and digital imaging devices. The term is often used synonymously w ...
"). However it is not a true 400 megapixel camera as the name might suggest.
X System
The X System is a new line of relatively small
mirrorless cameras built around a 43.8 by 32.9 mm medium format sensor. It was announced in June 2016. Along with the cameras, Hasselblad released a new "XCD" lens mount which is specifically designed for a smaller
flange distance compared to the larger "HCD" lens mount. The company sells an additional adapter to mount HCD lenses onto XCD lens mounts while retaining autofocus capabilities. At the time of launch two lenses were available, a 45mm and a 90mm option. there are eight lenses available ranging from a 21mm
focal length
The focal length of an optical system is a measure of how strongly the system converges or diverges light; it is the inverse of the system's optical power. A positive focal length indicates that a system converges light, while a negative foca ...
wide angle lens to a 135mm focal length short telephoto lens. Hasselblad also announced a zoom lens with an focal length range of 35 to 75mm.
= X1D-50c
=
![Hasselblad X1D, preproduction model edit](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Hasselblad_X1D%2C_preproduction_model_edit.jpg)
In June 2016, Hasselblad announced the X1D-50c, the first of a new line of medium format
mirrorless cameras. The X1D is comparable in size to current
full-frame digital SLR
A full-frame DSLR is a digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR) with a 35 mm image sensor format (). Historically, 35 mm was one of the standard film formats, alongside larger ones, such as medium format and large format. The full-fra ...
s, but is equipped with a 43.8 x 32.9 mm CMOS sensor. The camera uses a new XCD mount, with two lenses initially available for sale. At the same time, an H Mount adapter was announced, allowing H System Lenses to be used with full autofocus.
Currently, there are nine XCD Lenses available. Hasselblad announced the X1D II 50c in June 2019, an upgraded variant of the original camera with the exact same sensor but faster electronics and a lower price point. Hasselblad launches the 100 megapixel X2D 100C in September 2022, with better AF, IBIS, a revised design and three new X system lense
Scanners
When Hasselblad merged with Imacon in 2004, it acquired Imacon's existing range of Flextight
Image scanner, scanners. In 2006, Hasselblad launched two additional Flextight models, the X1 and the X5.
* The X1 had the ability to scan positive/negative film at 6300
dpi
A Daytona Prototype International (DPi) was a type of sports prototype racing car developed specifically for the International Motor Sports Association's WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, as their top class of car, acting as a direct replacemen ...
optical resolution, and a 60 MB/minute scan speed.
* The X5 added A4 reflective scanning, a batch / slide feeder, active cooling to keep noise down, 8000 dpi optical resolution, and a 300 MB/minute scan speed.
Phocus (software)
Hasselblad also produces its own advanced image processing software called ''Phocus''. The latest version of Phocus is available on
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
and
Mac OS X
macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac (computer), Mac computers. Within the market of ...
, and by taking advantage of the
operating system
An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs.
Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also in ...
's
raw image format
A camera raw image file contains unprocessed or minimally processed data from the image sensor of either a digital camera, a motion picture film scanner, or other image scanner. Raw files are named so because they are not yet processed and the ...
library, the Mac OS X version of Phocus supports raw image formats from other
DSLR
A digital single-lens reflex camera (digital SLR or DSLR) is a digital camera that combines the optics and the mechanisms of a single-lens reflex camera with a digital imaging sensor.
The reflex design scheme is the primary difference between ...
manufacturers. Phocus is available as a free download from the Hasselblad homepage.
In 2010, Hasselblad announced that future Windows versions of Phocus will not provide raw file support for 3rd-party cameras.
Phocus Mobile 2
In June 2019, Hasselblad announced the new Phocus Mobile 2, enabling a more portable workflow via USB-C and Wi-Fi connection for the traveling photographer. With Phocus Mobile 2, users can import, edit and rate RAW images and import and rate full quality JPEG images directly on their iPad Pro or iPad Air 2019 model. In addition, Phocus Mobile 2 supports full quality image export, tethered shooting and direct camera control.
Collaboration with Sony
In 2012 Hasselblad began marketing redesigned versions of
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
digital cameras.
At the
2012 photokina trade show in Germany, Hasselblad announced it would release a new
mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera
A mirrorless camera is a photo camera featuring a single, removable lens and a digital display.
The camera does not have a reflex mirror or optical viewfinder like a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera, but may have an electronic v ...
(MILC) using the
Sony E-mount
The E-mount is a lens mount designed by Sony for their NEX ("New E-mount eXperience") and ILCE series of camcorders and mirrorless cameras. The E-mount supplements Sony's α mount, allowing the company to develop more compact imaging devices whi ...
. The camera, called the
Lunar
Lunar most commonly means "of or relating to the Moon".
Lunar may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Lunar'' (series), a series of video games
* "Lunar" (song), by David Guetta
* "Lunar", a song by Priestess from the 2009 album ''Prior t ...
, is based on the
Sony NEX-7
The Sony α NEX-7 is a digital camera announced 24 August 2011 by Sony. It is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera and as such inherits a smaller body form factor than a traditional digital single-lens reflex camera, while still retaining the ...
, including its 24.3 MP
APS-C
Advanced Photo System type-C (APS-C) is an image sensor format approximately equivalent in size to the Advanced Photo System film negative in its C ("Classic") format, of 25.1×16.7 mm, an aspect ratio of 3:2 and Ø 31.15 mm field d ...
sensor, processing engine and user interface. The Lunar, which is marketed as an "ultimate luxury" model, was released in summer 2013.
On 23 July 2013 Hasselblad announced the
Stellar, a "luxury" compact digital camera based on the
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 series is a high-end compact camera series. It started with the DSC-RX100, announced on 6 June 2012, and is part of the Cyber-shot RX line of digital cameras made by Sony. Seven annual generations have been released ...
.
On 3 February 2014, Hasselblad introduced a restyled
Sony α99
The Sony Alpha 99 was announced by Sony on September 12, 2012. It was the flagship Sony DSLR camera and of the Sony Alpha SLT line until late 2016 when it was replaced by the Sony α99 II.
It features the 24.3MP 35mm full-frame Exmor APS HD C ...
as the Hasselblad HV. According to the company's press-release, their version of the α99 is "tough as nails", featuring more robust construction than the original.
On 26 November 2014, Hasselblad announced the Stellar II based on the DSC-RX100M2. No further rebranded Sony products have been released by Hasselblad.
Unlike Leica in a similar partnership with Panasonic, Hasselblad did not make claims of reprogrammed image processing. The company, however, used the same marketing strategy, selling the
OEM
An original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is generally perceived as a company that produces non-aftermarket parts and equipment that may be marketed by another manufacturer. It is a common industry term recognized and used by many professional or ...
cameras under their brand at the prices two or three times higher than those of the original Sony cameras.
Partnership with OnePlus
![OnePlus 9 Pro Camera Module with Hasselblad logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/OnePlus_9_Pro_Camera_Module_with_Hasselblad_logo.jpg)
On 8 March 2021,
OnePlus announced a $150 million deal with Hasselblad to develop camera technology for OnePlus. The
OnePlus 9
The OnePlus 9 5G and 9 Pro 5G are Android-based smartphones manufactured by OnePlus, unveiled on March 23, 2021. The phones feature upgraded cameras developed in partnership with Hasselblad.
Specifications Hardware
Both the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro ...
series are the first
smartphones
A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, which ...
that included improved cameras made in partnership with Hasselblad.
Co-develop with OPPO
In February 2022,
OPPO announced a three-year partnership with Hasselblad, to co-develop industry-leading camera technologies for OPPO’s flagship Find X series. The triple-camera 5G handset
Oppo Find X5
Oppo Find X5 Series are Android-based smartphones manufactured by Oppo, succeeding the Find X3 Series. These phones were announced on 24 February 2022.
Design
The Find X5 and Find X5 Pro use aluminium for the frame, while the display is prot ...
uses Hasselblad technology for the first time on an Oppo phone.
Company publications
Hasselblad published the ''Hasselblad Forum'' until 2007, and it was replaced by the new large-format journal, ''Victor''. ''Victor'' is available online as
PDF
Portable Document Format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. ...
, but registration is required.
See also
*
Fujifilm Barcode System
DX (Digital indeX) encoding is an American National Standards Institute, ANSI and I3A standard, originally introduced by Kodak in March 1983, for marking 135 film, 135 and Advanced Photo System, APS photographic film and film cartridges. It consis ...
(supported by H1, H2, H2F, H3D)
*
Hasselblad Award
The Hasselblad Award (in full: Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography) is an award granted to "a photographer recognized for major achievements".
History
The award—and the Hasselblad Foundation—was set up from the estate ...
*
List of photographic equipment makers
This list of photographic equipment makers lists companies that manufacture (or license manufacture from other companies) equipment for photography.
Camera and lens manufacturers
Note that producers whose only presence in the photo industry a ...
*
List of Swedish companies
Sweden is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the third-largest country in the European Union by area. It is also a member of the United Nations, the Nordic Council, Council of Europe, the World Trade Organization and the Organisation f ...
*
Medium format
Medium format has traditionally referred to a film format in photography and the related cameras and equipment that use film. Nowadays, the term applies to film and digital cameras that record images on media larger than the used in 35&nbs ...
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
External links
*
*
Hasselblad Focal Plane Shutter Models
{{Authority control
120 film cameras
Digital camera backs
Manufacturing companies established in 1841
Personal cameras and photography in space
Swedish brands
Swedish companies established in 1841