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Rumor re New Sony Hasselblad Sensor

hcubell

Well-known member
There is a very interesting rumor about a new, state of the art MFD sensor that Hasselblad is working on with Sony. sonyalpharumors. This site has proven to have good sources in recent years, but it's still at the rumor stage.
A "select" group of posters here in the Medium format Digital Forum has been obsessed and incessant about the first products of the collaboration between Hasselblad and Sony, the Lunar and the Stellar, that are irrelevant to medium format digital. What they have completely missed (and probably really don't care about) is that the collaboration between Hasselblad and Sony extends to Hasselblad's medium format products. It just so happens that the leading designer of digital camera sensors in the world is Sony, and no company is better positioned to develop a revolutionary sensor for an H5 or some altogether new body.
Let's hope this is even somewhat true. Medium format digital has been at a plateau for quite some time.
 

Shashin

Well-known member
Actually, we have seen the result of the Hasselblad Sony collaboration. None of it has to do with Hasselblad's tradition line of medium-format cameras and simply cosmetic changes to existing Sony consumer cameras.

The medium-format market is so small, it will most likely not interest Sony. Naturally Sony is not doing well, but the MFD market is not something that is going keep a large company afloat. The time and money to invest in large sensors for specialized cameras will probably be a deal killer for Sony that needs volume to make it work for them.

BTW, while Kodak is out of business, I believe the company that made their sensor is still in business:

TrueSense Photography
 

Ken_R

New member
Although the disappointing and downright embarrassing release of the Lunar and Stellar suggest otherwise I think the rumor you mentioned is plausible.

Hasselblad has continuously been refining their H line of cameras and lenses and their focus has been on their quasi integrated digital cameras, the H5D being the latest. They just need a new sensor or sensors to completely update the cameras and introduce best in class functionality and IQ. A MF size Sony cmos sensor would do just that.

Phase One is releasing a new camera in the spring I believe and their current backs are the best in the business. So 2014 will be quite interesting indeed.
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
I truly hope you folks are right. It's very disheartening watching hasselblad at the moment and to be honest the likes of phase one/leaf need credible competition.
 

satybhat

Member
I suspect it will have surround sound !!:talk028:
My suspicion is that sony will derive all the marketing advantages from the deal but the final product might not be something that would enrapture the masses especially if both canon and nikon come up with their own versions.

The difference in price (leave aside the glass issue) may become the deal-breaker.

IMO, the only thing that will resuscitate hasselblad at this stage is pure genuine in-house genius that can wow the world in its own right.
Collaborations inflate prices.
 

ondebanks

Member
Sony may well develop sensors for Hasselblad... or not, but the constraints on developing electronic components make it unlikely that Sony would use a revolutionary technology in a large sized sensor first.
IOW: a cmos sensor with individual pixel shutters may be developed (or not, we don't know), but in a small sensor first.
I don't think that any revolutionary technology is being proposed or rumoured here - the only 'revolution' would be taking a standard commercial CMOS CFA'ed imager design, scaling it up a bit, and producing it in a size larger than 35mm format.

I'd love to see that happen, and don't care who does it. Once it's done, it will spread to the whole MFD market (or what remains of it).

The only customization of the design that would be desirable is a modification of the CFA spectral bandpasses, bringing them more into line with the type of colour response that MFD is noted for.

Ray
 

jduncan

Active member
I don't think that any revolutionary technology is being proposed or rumoured here - the only 'revolution' would be taking a standard commercial CMOS CFA'ed imager design, scaling it up a bit, and producing it in a size larger than 35mm format.

I'd love to see that happen, and don't care who does it. Once it's done, it will spread to the whole MFD market (or what remains of it).

The only customization of the design that would be desirable is a modification of the CFA spectral bandpasses, bringing them more into line with the type of colour response that MFD is noted for.

Ray
Agree, scaling a bit it's an understatement :).
I am a little concern about the transition in one sense: Medium format cameras are tuned to highlight recovery, cmos sensors (in particular the Nikon ones) are excellent at shadow recovery. I am not sure if this is a exposure program election or a CMOS vs CCD effect. For professionals that normally control the light the medium format tuning is arguably better. For the ones that can't (like landscape photographers) I am not so sure.

Best regards,

J. Duncan
 

stngoldberg

Well-known member
This thread is really interesting to me, as I am heavily invested in Hasselblad lenses.
To me the future of medium format is not in more megapixels, but in allowing the camera to perform many of the commonplace SLR functions such as true live view.
I think I am correct that the Nikon D800 employs a Sony sensor. The Sony sensor has allowed Nikon to leap frog the industry.
If Hasselblad has a true technical relationship with Sony, the results could be a real game changer
Of course if the sensor is too advanced my Hasselblad lenses may not be good enough
INTERESTING SUBJECT
Stanley
 

hcubell

Well-known member
I don't think that any revolutionary technology is being proposed or rumoured here - the only 'revolution' would be taking a standard commercial CMOS CFA'ed imager design, scaling it up a bit, and producing it in a size larger than 35mm format.

I'd love to see that happen, and don't care who does it. Once it's done, it will spread to the whole MFD market (or what remains of it).



Ray
Did we read the same "article"?
 

Januarys_LP

New member
:) hm... was there a very interesting comment by dougpeterson regarding who's gonna release a revolutionary sensor (and that is not H or S!), but then mysteriously disappeared, or was I dreaming again?....
 

wryphotography

New member
:) hm... was there a very interesting comment by dougpeterson regarding who's gonna release a revolutionary sensor (and that is not H or S!), but then mysteriously disappeared, or was I dreaming again?....
no, it was there, it was the first post.

Personally, I would like to see more competition in the medium format space, i think the products that are there are wonderful and amazing, but a little too pricey. Also, i'm of the belief that Nikon/Sony full frame 36mpx sensor can't get much higher mpx without increasing the sensor size. It's diffraction limited very early on.
 

ondebanks

Member
Did we read the same "article"?
I confess that I didn't read it until now! :eek: I thought it was the usual recurrent rumour about making standard CMOS sensors larger for MFD.

Well, individual pixel exposure times WOULD be revolutionary...and it's even more unexpected that they would be first released in MFD...why didn't you mention it at the top of this thread? I'd have yelled it out! ;)

Ray
 

hcubell

Well-known member
I am really agnostic as to whether it's Hasselblad or Phase that is the first to bring out a groundbreaking new sensor. I use both. I have no brand loyalty. However, there is a significant group that use Phase One backs and cameras and/or just hate Hasselblad, and they would be apoplectic if it were hasselblad that pulled it off. That would be amusing to watch!
 

tjv

Active member
Hey, what happened to the dougpeterson post?

Did he say more than he should have?

;)
In essence, what did it suggest? Just out of interest, of course. I can't afford to even dream about buying into MFD this year!
 

EH21

Member
> You didn't see nothing.

Rats! I'm always late to the party after the good food is gone!
I guess I'll have to wait until next year then, but how when? PMA or Photokina?

And how does Leica buying Sinar fit into this musical chairs thing?
 
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