Is 200 Megapixels Too Many? Hasselblad Doesn’t Think So

Hasselblad has just announced a brand new camera that they are calling “The Ultimate in Studio Photography” with a “200 megapixel” CMOS sensor (6200 x 8272 pixels). The Hasselblad H5D-50c sounds lovely, but there are plenty of downsides.

ISO and Battery Life

The H5D-50c Multi-Shot camera, for all of its advanced technology and giant price tag (more on this later), packs a pretty light ISO option. That’s the same as the Canon’s entry level model T3i from February 2011. When talking new technology, the Sony A7s has an ISO of up to ISO 409,600. It’s a good thing they call this a Studio Camera.

Is ISO 6400 really a bad thing? Not really. That’s actually pretty good. You can absolutely get away with that in low light situations, but it certainly isn’t magical.

I wasn’t able to find any information on battery life, but I can imagine with a 3-inch TFT screen on the back and a huge sensor, it won’t be that long. It does have a rechargeable Li-ion battery (7.2 VDC / 2900 mAh), which seems pretty standard.

How Large Are These Files?

Using the Multi-Shot technology, you are looking at 8 bit TIFF files that are 600MB in size. That is just insane. Essentially how it works is the 50 megapixel sensor will take 4 or 6 shots, moving the sensor 1 and 0.5 pixels at a time. It will take photos at 1.5 frames per second.

What Else Do We Know About the Camera? 

Well, we know the Hasselblad H5D-50c weighs a lot: 2500 grams (with 80mm lens, battery and CF card). That’s going to be almost twice a full frame DSLR, for those of you keeping score at home.

Take a deep breath, because the H5D-50c is going to cost $54,423 Canadian ($49,688 US) and that is without a lens.

Visit hasselbladusa.com for more information.