Equipment->News: August 2005 Archives

Hasselblad has announced the release of the H2D - the successor to the popular (if exorbitantly priced) H1 medium format camera:

Hasselblad launches the next generation of professional photography

8/24/2005
Four new products address needs of
both general and specialist professional photographers

A year from the launch of the new Hasselblad, the company is setting a new benchmark for digital professional photography with the announcement of new flagship digital cameras and camera backs based on a new digital platform, satisfying the needs of both the general and specialist professional photographer.

The 5D specs were posted on this site previously and appear to be accurate, except for the price which is estimated at US$3299. That's ground breaking for a full-frame camera. I'll be pre-ordering one as soon as I can. What's really great is that the 5D's focusing screens can be replaced, this was a major bugaboo for me with the 20D/10D since I like to have have grid focusing screens for alignment and composition.

The EOS 1D Mark IIN has the same 8.2 megapixel sensor as its predecessor, which was designed for photojournalists who needed fast frame rates more than they needed megapixels or full-frame sensors. The main difference is the larger LCD panel on the back and a larger and faster buffer performance. It'll be listed at US$3999.

There's a credible rumor going around that the Canon EOS 5D is due to be announced on August 22nd, with shipping to commence in October. According to the info sheet I saw, it features:

• 12.8 megapixel full-frame (24mmx36mm)
• 3 frames per second (60 frame burst JPEG; 17 frames RAW)
• 9 point autofocus (w/ 6 invisible points)
• Compatible with all EF lenses (but not EF-S)
• CF cards
• Batteries use same BP-511a as the 10D/20D (yeah!)
• New battery grip BG-E4
• 152mm x 113mm x 75mm; 810 grams