Phase One XF 100MP

Phase One Introduces The XF 100MP

At the beginning of the year, Phase One of Denmark broke a glass ceiling by introducing a 100 megapixel medium format camera, the XF 100MP. The introductory price has been set at an eye watering $48,990, which includes a Schneider Kreuznach 80mm LS lens. It is billed as the ultimate camera, and may well be the finest imaging device ever offered this side of the Defense Department. The specs read like a photographer’s wish list, including a Sony designed 100MP CMOS sensor with 15 stops of dynamic range, full 16 bit color depth, clean images to ISO 12,800, electronic first curtain shutter, 60 minute exposures, output via USB, HDMI and WiFi for untethered shooting… But at such a stratospheric price, who is it for? Cameras at this level are directly targeted at working pros for whom high volume, flawless workflow, and image quality requirements can justify the price. A few well healed amateurs might also enjoy charms of owning the finest. For the rest of us mortals, the mere existence of the technology portends good things.

It was not that many years ago that Phase One introduced the H25 medium format camera back. With 22 megapixels, 12 stops of dynamic range and ISO400, the camera back was revolutionary in 2003. The cost was $30,000 for the back alone, camera and lens not included. Today for a little north of $1,200 you can get a 24 megapixel full frame DSLR with 14 stops of dynamic range and ISO 51200. Technology is one place where the trickle down theory truly holds. Canon now offers a 50 megapixel monster in the 5DS for a fraction of the price of earlier medium format backs. Sony recently introduced it 42 megapixel A7RII in a compact and lightweight body, and there are rumblings of higher megapixel versions in the not too distant future. So while the XF 100MP may be out of reach for most of us, the R&D that went into its creation will find its way into more affordable options before too long. These are good times to be a photographer.

Phase One Press Release

Phase One Expands the XF Camera System to 100MP

The Ultimate Camera System has arrived

COPENHAGEN, January 4, 2016 — Phase One today announced that in collaboration with Sony it has designed a new 100MP CMOS full-frame sensor for the Phase One XF 100MP Camera System. Engineered to perform well beyond 100MP imaging, the modular Phase One XF Camera System platform was designed for expansion – offering hard-working professional photographers tangible investment value.

The XF 100MP Camera System with this new full-frame, medium format 100MP CMOS sensor combines high resolution with high dynamic range and exceptional wide angular response. The Phase One XF 100MP offers photographers unprecedented power to realize their visions. It delivers true 16-bit color, 15 f-stops of dynamic range, live view capturing with HDMI output, ISO flexibility from 50 to 12800 and exposure times of up to 60 minutes.

“For more than 20 years, we at Phase One have been pushing the limits of digital image quality to help top photographers stand out,” said Niels Knudsen, Vice President of Innovation and Phase One’s ‘Image Quality Professor.’ “With the XF 100MP Camera System, everything we have been working toward for our customers comes together in one system: ultimate image quality and ultimate creative freedom.”

“The XF 100MP Camera System delivers unparalleled dynamic range, retaining unmatched detail in both highlights and shadows, packing 101,082,464 active high quality pixels,” said Henrik Håkonsson, Phase One’s CEO. “This is the highest performing system that we have ever created, benefitting from a multitude of Phase One exclusive innovations developed to support our amazing customers in creating the ultimate images.”

Introduced in June, 2015, the Phase One XF Camera System has been built with optimal 100MP performance in mind. As such, features like the Honeybee Auto Focus, Vibration Tracking, Electronic First Curtain Shutter, and Vibration Detection technology have all been developed to ensure the ultimate 100MP performance. The Phase One XF Camera System was also designed for future growth with regular feature upgrades, incorporating new features and unique customizations. Coupled with new Schneider Kreuznach Leaf Shutter lenses, interchangeable Prism Viewfinder and Waist Level Finder, the Phase One XF 100MP Camera System is sure to set the standard for professional photography for many years to come.

High-resolution files produced by the new Phase One XF 100MP Camera System, when processed with Capture One 9, benefit from the software’s advanced algorithms that have been fine-tuned over decades of engineering investment, rendering superior image quality and superior results.

Availability and Pricing
Shipping immediately, the XF 100MP Camera System is available through Phase One photography partners worldwide: www.phaseone.com/partners.

The XF 100MP Camera System comes with Phase One’s unique 5-year warranty and uptime guarantee including personalized 24/7 support and assistance.

The price of the Phase One XF 100MP Camera System (with Schneider Kreuznach 80mm LS lens) is 48,990 USD.