A Revolutionary Design
The Hasselblad H1 System offers a state of-the-art auto-focus system for fast and convenient handheld photography under rapidly changing conditions. The H System was designed, more than any other camera on the market today, to match the way that today's photographers work - and the speed and demands of the world they work in.
The flagship of the H System, the H1, is a truly cross-platform camera, using both film and digital backs with equal ease. The H1 combines a range of convenient features comparable to high-end 35mm cameras with the quality of the Hasselblad medium format. This modular 645-format camera is a feature-packed camera with rapid auto-focus and advanced metering and exposure control. Detachable film magazines allow the photographer to exchange exposed film for unexposed in seconds, or change between film types, lengths, and formats without losing a single frame. Carrying extra, pre-loaded film magazines effectively increases your readiness and efficiency, in the studio or in the field.
The H System lends itself to handheld photographic applications or any situations where both speed and image quality are of primary importance. The system accepts an interchangeable film back that contains a film insert for 120 or 220 film. The backs have automatic film length setting and built-in curtain type, dark slide. Film is automatically wound on and off and film barcode recognition is standard. Multi-mode exposure metering using the 90 degree viewfinder makes shooting a breeze. Metering options include Center-weighted, Average and Spot (7.5 mm).
Superior Auto Focus
The advanced auto functions of the H1 take the guesswork out of your photography, allowing even the most spontaneous of shots to be perfectly focused and exposed. In addition, the H1 can be customized to suit your individual needs. The H1 allows you to save specific setting groups as so called "profiles" so you can instantly access a whole range of pre-determined options at a press of a button. This extremely useful feature enables the H1 to adapt to your specific work method or style, not the other way around. But even when changing settings manually, the H1's ergonomic design and intuitive user interface enable you to make fast, easy adjustments without removing your eye from the viewfinder or your hand from the grip.
The H1's super-fast, advanced auto-focus system focuses rapidly and reliably time after time, allowing you to concentrate on the image at hand, with no need to fiddle with detailed control. Unless of course, control is what you're after. On the H1, a simple touch of the lens allows manual override at any time you choose without leaving the auto-focus mode. No need to take your eye from the viewfinder or your hands from the camera. And, while the H1 incorporates a great number of easy to use features found only on sophisticated 35mm or consumer digital cameras, it still offers all the advantages of the medium format and time honored Hasselblad quality, reliability, and system flexibility.
Outstanding Optics
The H1's central lens shutter allows flash sync at all shutter speeds (up to 1/800 sec), which enables use of flash in all lighting conditions. The H1's contemporary design, intuitive operation, and built-in flash provide simple and convenient handling and the H1's programmable interface allows the user to customize the camera according to their particular desires or working styles.
All HC lenses have electronic shutter mechanisms and feature Multi-Coating for efficient stray light elimination, an integral focus drive motor, and instant access to manual focus without switching between manual and auto focus modes. The HC lenses use metal, not plastic, wherever possible, in order to ensure their reliability and durability year after year. In addition, the special optical design of the lenses provides a uniquely soft, smooth quality to the blurred or out-of-focus areas of the image. All lenses use threaded filters and include lens shade and bayonet mount and can be reverse mounted for transport.
The precision crafted Hasselblad lenses, the efficient internal stray-light protection and the rigid magazine mount provide the perfect conditions for image production with digital backs. Vibration-free operation is essential for such detailed work, especially when using three-shot, multi-shot, and scanning digital backs, where even the slightest movement of the camera will result in a loss of image sharpness. In addition, information from the H1's digital back can be presented on the camera displays and if supported by the specific back, a histogram can be presented on the camera display after each exposure if desired.
Lens Options
HC 2.8/80mm, HC 3.2/150mm, HC 3.5/35mm, HC 3.5-4.5 50-110mm, HC 4/210mm, HC 4/120mm, HC 3.5/50mm, Converter H1.7x
Digital Compatibility
There are few that have missed the fact that the digital revolution is upon us. Information in all its forms is being broken into ones and zeros, being transmitted through the air, over wires and computers, and being manipulated and edited in ways previously impossible. The H1 enables true cross-platform versatility and is without a doubt the most digital-ready medium format camera on the market today. For those needing or desiring a digital solution, but who are not willing to sacrifice quality, reliability, or flexibility, this is indeed a marriage made in heaven.
By simply switching from the interchangeable film magazines (for 120/220 or instant film) to a digital back, you move freely from the analogue to the digital world at will. All without having to replace your entire camera system. Combining standard film with digital imaging, studio sharpness with location reliability, and the ease of auto-focus and auto-exposure with hands-on, detailed control, the H1 doesn't just offer the best of both worlds - it offers the best of all worlds.
While Hasselblad does not manufacture digital backs, there are more digital backs available for Hasselblad cameras than for any other manufacturer. In fact, over 70% of all digital backs are designed to fit Hasselblad cameras. These manufacturers recognize the quality and craftsmanship that is inherent in every Hasselblad product. Hasselblad is committed to staying at the forefront of technological advances, to keeping pace with innovations in the digital field, and to ensuring that Hasselblad cameras provide the ideal platform for digital backs - both now and in the future.
Cutting Edge Technology
One of the most common disadvantages to having the most cutting edge technology is the speed at which it becomes outdated. It seems that you can no more than get the latest and greatest technological marvel home and out of the box before it is yesterday's news. Investments in technology these days are, by the nature of the beast, extremely short-term. Combining the Hasselblad H System with its superior quality camera, lenses, and accessories with digital backs provides a way around this pitfall. Digital components can be replaced or upgraded as technology demands, while the rest of your kit can serve you for many years to come. You can have the best of both worlds; digital control and convenience and Hasselblad quality and flexibility.
In the past, many professional photographers have shied away from auto-focus cameras, complaining that the slow speed of the auto-focus let valuable shots slip away. Quite often it was simply quicker, not to mention more reliable, to focus manually. The H1, however, offers lightning fast, super-accurate focusing under almost any conditions, guaranteeing that even the most fleeting of instants can be frozen accurately and clearly. The auto-focus features an instant override function, enabling easy access to manual focusing without leaving the auto-focus mode. Under the sleek outer casing of the H1 lies a lightweight, high-strength aluminum core surrounded by a solid stainless steel housing ensuring reliable and durable performance under even the toughest of conditions and for many years to come. In addition, the H1's central lens shutter design enables virtually vibration-free exposures at even the longest shutter speeds and makes the H1 capable of flash-synchronization at all shutter speeds up to 1/800 of a second.
Multi-Featured Camera
The H1 is designed to make your photography as effortless as possible, letting you decide which aspects of your work you choose to concentrate on. Loading, winding, and exposure are all simple and convenient with automatic pre-wind to the first frame. When using Barcode System film, the camera automatically detects the film speed. Exposure is single frame or continuous and can be triggered by button, cable, IR remote, the built in self-timer, or interval timer from 1s to 24hrs. The user-friendly LCD display provides you with all the information you need to make the right shot decision at the right time. The H1 features advanced auto-bracketing using a predetermined number of exposures (2, 3 or 5) in 1/3, 1/2 or 1 stop intervals. The camera also has a built-in TTL center-weighted flash system that syncs up to 1/800th sec. The small, internal fill-in flash has a guide number of 12 and can be very handy when you need to open a shadow on a face. External TTL flashes can be used if they are compatible with the Metz SCA 3002 system. The H1 also has a built-in measurement system that measures flash light from non-TTL flashes such as studio flashes.
The H1 also features a customizable data-imprinting feature that can generate a record of exposure data factors and other information - all outside the image area. This allows easier record keeping and management when shooting large numbers of images. The user can specify which generic text data is to be imprinted, including the photographer's name, copyright symbol, etc., and can also include exposure data or date and time. The H1 also boasts a host of other features and details all designed to make your photography just that much easier, including built-in fill flash, removable battery grip, built-in dark slide and much more.
Note! This item contains a Hasselblad H1 camera body. It DOES NOT include a viewfinder, film back or lens.
