[kamion]

I've just been given the task to buy a high end digital camera for work (no budget!).

Is this one out yet?
http://www.mamiya.com/cameras.asp?id=1&id2=2107

What other suggestions can you give?

[IanC_UK]

What sort of photography is it to be used for ?

[Liberalis]

No budget ??? I'd be going for:

http://www.fotografovani.cz/images/h...ina2004_01.jpg

[fingerz]

Oooh yeah. Hasselblad. Mmm.

[Steve]

No good for street photography or astro stuff. Its a very leading question with photography covering many areas and being so specialised.

[kamion]

rrp of $26,995.

Ok, I lied, maybe there's a limit to the budget.

But it's interesting to see what's out there. Never heard of Hasselblad before this.

Actually, we'll just be using it as a reference to characterise other new image sensors.

[IanC_UK]

Originally Posted by kamion

rrp of $26,995.

Ok, I lied, maybe there's a limit to the budget. :P

But it's interesting to see what's out there. Never heard of Hasselblad before this.

LOL We really need to know what sort of photography this is going to be used for, sometimes the BEST digital camera will not do everything very well !

Hasselblad are one of the biggest and oldest names in high level photography

[fingerz]

Originally Posted by Steve

It's a very leading question with photography covering many areas and being so specialised.

That's what I was going to say but then I got distracted by the picture of the Hasselblad.

I realise the size/weight thing is a hinderance for street stuff (along with the liklihood of someone stealing it) but if you didn't mind lugging it around, is there any technical downside to using it on the street?

[Steve]

Originally Posted by kamion

Actually, we'll just be using it as a reference to characterise other new image sensors.

This link might be of interest to you then.

[Dave]

How about Fermilab’s 500 megapixel digital camera here ....but you'll need the telescope also

[dazzajl]

is there any technical downside to using it on the street?

Nope, it's probably the fastest responding meduim format camera available. Not sure you'd like it though. You've mentioned the idea of going over to a rangefinder before and that elusive little bit extra you get over a 35mm (style) slr. Well as good as the H1 is it's kind of going the other way.

Also, going a bit further off topic some people have said the images lack that classic "blad look" as the lenses are all made by Fuji... IIRC.

[fingerz]

I assume you mean DOF, do you?

I think I read the same thing, that DOF shrinks on medium format.

[dazzajl]

Actually, I was thinking more about how street photographers/ grab shot artists like range finders as they tend to be smaller, quieter and generally more discreet. Also without a mirror having to move out of the way for each shot you gain (sometimes) very valuable tiny fractions of a second on each exposure.

If you go to a medium format camera then it's bigger, far more obvious and you have an even bigger mirror to shift every time you shoot.

... But you're right about the DoF bit too. Well if I had my nerdy hat on, the DoF doesn't actually change but if you count a 50mm lens as standard on a 35mm camera then that would equate to an 80mm lens on a 645 body. That shift obviously gets even more exagerated if you're going from a 1.6 crop.