Well, it is definitely worth a mention that there are 737's that operate from unpaved runways. See the 737 Gravel Kit: http://www.b737.org.uk/unpavedstripkit.htm .
Neat stuff!

Looks somewhat similar to the BMW Isetta (Steve Urkel car) from over 50 years ago - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_Isetta . That car didn't fare too well in crashes either...

You will see tears shed from professional photographers who shoot with the H1/H2 system and Phase One or Leaf backs... as the H3D and H3DII are not compatible with any digital back except those made by Hasselblad themselves. So, for those H1/H2 photographers out there (and there are MANY), don't let your cameras get destroyed or stolen... or you might be ponying up big bucks for a "new" used camera or a new $35,000 H3DII with Hass digital back.

Contrary to Temple's comments, the Hasselblad H3D and new II do NOT use Phase One backs. Hasselblad purchased Imacon a few years back, and has based their backs on the Imacon line of products. As far as "But the market is owned by Mamiya; which actually has better optics and a larger selection of digital backs (including the 39MP Phase One back that this Hasselblad uses).".... Mamiya's optics on their 645AF and ZD line are definitely subpar to those on the Hasselblad H-System. The only Mamiya lenses that surpass those of Hasselblad are on the Mamiya 7 rangefinder system.

As far as a larger selection of digital backs... Hasselblad produces complete systems. They aren't designed to (nor are they able to, in the case of the H3D) be interchanged with those of other brands.

Regarding comparing the output from a Canon 1DsMKIII to the H3D, that's not possible since the 1DsMKIII isn't shipping. However, I've shot the 1DsMKII alongside the Hasselblad H3D-39, and it's a clear difference. Not only in raw resolution, but in overall and perceived sharpness, as well as dynamic range. Pixel pitch is larger on the H3D, dynamic range is significantly greater. Shadow detail on the H3D is unbelievable. Colors are reproduced richer and deeper.

There is also the different apparent depth of field reproduction from medium format lenses versus those of 35mm.

Regarding billboards... you do NOT need 39MP for a billboard. You don't really even need more than 6MP. I've seen a billboard shot with the original Nikon D1 (2.7MP) that looked quite good. Keep in mind the viewing distance is hundreds of feet, and they are printed between 15-40dpi. The extra resolution is useful for gallery prints, work where there may be extensive retouching, or shooting for a large output (two-page spreads or larger).

These cameras are owned by many high-end working professionals... but they're also rented very frequently. A typical Hasselblad H3D system will rent for $600 or so a day, and just under $2k a week. These rental fees are passed on to the client. When one is budgeting out a production where expenses may be $10,000+, it's just a small part of the production. So many people react to the $37,000 sticker price and wonder who would buy them... those people are clearly not the target market.

Wired Mag indicates $127,000 for a "base model", which sounds more in line: http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/04/sony_4k_cinema_.html

Nuguns101:

14-bit color. Large photosites, low noise, huge dynamic range. Simple, raw, DETAIL. Leaf (a digital back maker) makes a 17MP back that will absolutely blow the 16.7MP Canon 1DsMK2 files out of the water.

There's a reason people spend so much on these camera backs. I've shot with most of them. I don't own any but rather rent them on a job-by-job basis, around $600/day. Even for magazine doubletruck size, the quality of these MF digital backs is superior to all DSLRs. The lack of noise in the shadow areas of images...fine detail in hair and faces... quality of out of focus areas, as a result of a larger imaging area. Simply comparing the output file size is a small part of the overall quality... like comparing just processor clock speed when looking at PCs, Macs, Suns, SGI machines, etc.

Hah... "Backwards compatibility"? "Modular nature"?? The Hasselblad H3D hardly qualifies. The predecessors, the H1 and H2, worked with any manufacturer's digital back. Hasselblad, in its infinite wisdom, intentionally crippled the H3 so that it can ONLY work with Hasselblad's own digital backs. This came shortly after Hasselblad acquired Imacon, previously one of the large digital back (and scanner) manufacturers.

Source: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/photokina/H3-concerns.shtml


In addition, Hasselblad released a 28mm wide angle lens for the H-system recently. While the lens mount on the H3 is no different from the H1 or H2, the 28mm lens has been crippled in software to NOT WORK with the previous generation cameras, H1 or H2. This is to force anyone who wants the 28mm to upgrade to the H3D, and to purchase the entire system.

This camera is hardly revolutionary, as Phase One has had a 39MP back available (The PhaseOne P45) for this camera for some time now.