If there is no difference between 35mm DSLRs and Medium Format DSLRs, then why do so many of the world’s leading photographers still choose to invest in a Hasselblad system? A New Approach to Close-Up Focusing - True Focus and Absolute Position LockTrue Focus helps solve one of the most lingering chal-
lenges in the photographic world: achieving tr ue, accu-
rate focusing throughout the image. With out multi-point
auto-focus a typical AF came ra can only correctly focus
on a subject that is in the center of the image. If you
want to focus on a subject outside the center, you must
first lock focus on the subject and then re-compose the
image. At short distances this re- composing causes focus
error, as the plane of focus follows the camera’s move-
ment, perpendicular to the axis of the lens.
The traditional solution for most DSLR cam eras has
been to equip the camera with a multi-point AF sensor which
allows the photographer to fix an off- center focus point.
Such multi-point AF solutions are often tedious and inflexible
to work with and due to the physics of SLR camer as, the off-
center focus points are all clustered relatively close to
the image center. To set focus outside of this center area,
you are still forced to focus first, then shif t the camera to
reframe, with resulting loss of focus as a result.
To overcome this problem, Hasselblad has used modern
yaw rate sensor technology to measure angular velocity in an
innovative way. The result is the new Absolute Position Lock
(APL) processor, which forms the foundation our new True Foc us
feature. The APL processor accurately lo gs camera movement
during any re-composing, then uses t hese exact measurements to
calculate the necessary focus adjus tment,
and issues the proper commands to the
lens’s focus motor so it can compensate.
The APL processor computes the advanced
positional algorithms and carries out the
required focus corrections at such rap id
speed that no shutter lag occurs. The H4D’s
firmware then further refine s the focus using
the precise data retrieval system found on
all HC/HCD lenses.
Even More Accurate Focusing for Photo Pros
The H4D-40 provides notice ably shallower
depth-of-field performance compared to
35mm DSLRs at same aperture. This pro -
vides for more accurate composing and
focusing, especially when combined with
the new True Focus technology. The H4D-4 0
also provides photographers with tw o basic
tilt and shift options - a classic view camera
solution and the simple-to- use, portable HTS
tilt/shift adapter.
Intelligent Tilt and Shift
As if the H4D’s ability to communicate with
all Hasselblad lenses and accessories was
not enough, when you add the Hasselblad
HTS 1.5 tilt/shift adaptor, your system’s IQ
goes up another few points. Precise sensors
on all the HTS’s moving parts conti nually
communicate with the camera
engine, ensuring that all shots are
tagged with the information nee ded
by the DAC function to refine your
Tilt and Shift images when they are
processed, ensuring maximum crea -
tive flexibility and uncompromising
image quality even at the very edge of
the image field when shifted, rotated
and tilted to maximum. The HTS 1.5
gives you a portable tilt/shift solutio n for
the HC/HCD lens range from 28mm to
100mm, in effect providing a tilt and shif t
lens solution at each focal length.
The large format of the H System c ameras provides consid erably
shallower depth of field than 35m m DSLR cameras, making it m uch
easier to utilize selective focus t o creative effect.
In addition, True Focus furth er refines close range Aut o-Focus
for extremely accurate re -composing at close d istance. You can
now feel safe when working crea tively with shallow depth -of-field.
SIzE STILL MATTERS #2:
TRUE FOCUS FOR ACCURATE
COMPOSING AT CLOSE DISTANCE
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Photo: Marcel Pabst Photo: Kevin Then