Just a month after teasing its latest collaboration with drone manufacturer DJI, Hasselblad has released a new 100-megapixel medium format camera designed specifically for drone photography.
The A6D–100c, deemed “the latest evolution of Hasselblad aerial cameras,” brings a slew of new features, a smaller footprint, and improved specs meant specifically to increase image capabilities from the sky.
The standout feature of the A6D–100c is the ability to sync up to eight of these cameras together through a dedicated bus-type cable connection on the camera. When properly synced, the connected cameras are capable of accuracy down to 20 μs, effectively eliminating any problems of unsynced exposures.
To better fit the commercial requirements of aerial cameras, Hasselblad offers the A6D–100c both with and without an Infra-Red filter. This optional filter enables capture of more information than a standard imaging sensor is capable of seeing. The resulting information can then be parsed through using third-party software to pull out detailed data.
Aside from Infra-Red capabilities, the sensor offers up to 15 stops of dynamic range and 500Mb read-out speeds when used with CFast 2.0 cards. If the 512GB limit of the CFast 2.0 slot isn’t enough, external storage can be attached via locked USB 3.0 type C connection.
All nine of Hasselblad’s H-System aerial lenses are compatible with the A6D–100c, with focal lengths ranging between 24–300mm.
What makes these lenses aerial-specific is the dedicated secure locking mounts, which are designed to reduce vibrations and flexing when used alongside drones. Hasselblad uses leaf shutters within the lenses, which now have a maximum shutter speed of 1/4000th of a second.
To fit the needs of professional and commercial users, Hasselblad has also created a software developers kit (SDK) called Phocus SDK. This kit offers full control of the camera and makes it easy to integrate into customized applications.
The A6D–100c doesn’t have a definitive release date or price point, but it’s safe to say it’ll be a five-digit purchase. Despite the high cost, Hasselblad will let you play around with sample images captured by the camera, which you can download here.
