Phase One IQ250 medium-format camera offers 50MP CMOS sensor

Following Hasselblad's announcement yesterday, Phase One has launched its own 50-megapixel CMOS medium-format digital camera. Both claim the title of world's first, but Phase One beat Hasselblad to the punch, with the IQ250 digital camera now being available to photography professionals and those who want the high-quality resulting from a medium-format camera.

This is the latest entrant to the maker's IQ2 product lineup, and with it comes a sensor sized 44 x 33mm, giving 68-percent more than what you get from a 35mm DSLR. The ISO ranges from 100 to 6400, and the shutter speed ranges from 1/10,000th of a second to a solid hour, providing ample options for those fond of exposure-centric photography.

A couple professional photographers have already taken the Phase One IQ250 for a test drive, so to speak, putting it through the ropes in a variety of environments. You can see some samples and hear the commentary in the video above. As mentioned, the camera is available for purchase now, and is priced at $34,990 USD.

Phase One President and CEO Henrik O. Håkonsson said: "We are very proud to introduce the Phase One IQ250 which carries on the tradition of Phase One high-quality medium format gear. The wider ISO range in this new CMOS-based system, for example, illustrates our desire to continue pushing the envelope for our customers, to help them succeed in all of their unique imaging challenges."

SOURCE: DPReview