Hasselblad, a name synonymous with medium-format cameras, has announced it will produce a mirrorless, interchangeable lens camera as part of a new long-term partnership with Sony that will see it chasing new market segments. But don’t expect to see the Swedish manufacturer churning out any budget compacts. The first model to come out of the partnership is the Lunar, which is described as a “state-of-the-art, Italian-designed ‘ultimate luxury’ mirrorless, interchangeable lens camera.”
Unveiled at a photokina press conference this week in Germany, the Lunar will pack a 24.3 megapixel APS-C size image sensor like that found in Sony's NEX-7. The company displayed a number of “work-in-progress” designs and wooden models of the Lunar to the media, and will offer the camera in different finishes at release, including carbon fiber, wood, and leather, with an aluminum body and titanium controls.
It will be powered by Sony's BIONZ processor with the ability to shoot at 10 frames per second and with 25-point autofocus. It also features a 3-inch rear display, a 2,359k-dot OLED electronic viewfinder and boasts an ISO range of 100 – 16,000. In addition to shooting stills with a 0.02 second shutter lag, the Lunar will also capture full HD video and features a sweep panorama mode that will automatically stitch together a series of shots to produce a high-resolution panoramic photo. The camera is compatible with E-mount or, with an adaptor, A-mount lenses.
“Luxury” obviously equates to expensive, with the Lunar to be priced from €5,000 (approx. US$6,500) when it hits the market next year. But Hasselblad won't be stopping there with plans to leverage the “new-dawn” technology collaboration agreement with Sony to enter other market segments next year. Can we expect a “luxury” Hasselblad GoPro-style actioncam in the future? Maybe not.
Source: Hasselblad
