Medium Cool: The Hottest Medium-Format Cameras

Hasselblad CFV-50c
Hasselblad breathed new life into the V-System with the CFV-50c, a 50-megapixel CMOS digital camera back. Sure, there are other digital backs for this now-retired workhorse, but the CFV-50c is compatible with all lens shutter and focal-plane shutter-based V-System cameras from as early as 1957. Unlike other backs, you don’t need external cables to make the CFV-50c work. There’s even a special crop mode to get that signature Hasselblad square format.
Price: $15,500

Hasselblad H5D-50c
Fifty seems to be the lucky number for medium format this year, thanks to Sony’s 50-megapixel CMOS sensor, which is at the heart of Hasselblad’s latest model, the H5D-50c. Featuring Hasselblad’s True Focus system and Natural Color Solution, the H5D-50c is compatible with multiple eye-level viewfinders and offers shutter speeds from 12 minutes to 1/800 of a second. Tethering is supported by the company’s Phocus software.
Price: $27,500

Phase One IQ250
Phase One was one of the first to have a CMOS-sensor-equipped medium-format camera with the 50-megapixel IQ250 digital back. Boasting up to 2fps and 14 steps of dynamic range, the IQ250 offers exposures of one hour to 1/10,000 of a second and a 3.2-inch touchscreen LCD. It has built-in Wi-Fi and a couple of apps (Capture Pilot and Camera Control) for tethering. Pricey, yes, but impressive.
Price: $35,000

EDITOR’S PICK: Pentax 645Z
Ricoh Imaging’s Pentax 645Z is the first medium-format camera that can capture video, and it’s equipped with a 3.2-inch tilting LCD, dual SDXC card slots, shoots up to 3fps (about twice as fast as others in its class) and beats the competition’s 100-6400 ISO range by a long shot. Sitting down? Light sensitivity starts at 100 and skyrockets to 204,800. Trust us, it’s a really sweet piece of gear.
Price: $8,500

Mamiya Leaf Credo 50
Mamiya Leaf just introduced the Leaf Credo 50-megapixel CMOS digital back with Mamiya, Contax, H and V mount compatibility. The digital back, which offers full-resolution image captures at up to ISO 6400, is ready to ship, and upgrade pricing is available for current Mamiya Leaf customers.
Prices: $26,995 (back only); $30,995 (system)

Related Links:

Should You Shoot Medium Format For Weddings?

A New Generation of 4K Cameras Debut at Affordable Prices

Roberto Valenzuela’s Medium Format Photography