WHY IS A HASSELBLAD SO EXPENSIVE?

Hasselblad's are some of the most expensive stills cameras you can get, but what justifies their exorbitant price?

Hasselblad? Never heard of them? Well, you're not alone. But, you'll recognise some of the world's most iconic images that were taken with them. Think of the first images captured of Earth from the moon in 1969, and most portraits of the presidents of the United States.

The latest Hasselblad you can get your hands on is the Hasselblad H6D with a price tag of around $40,000.

If you compare that with the top of the line DSLR cameras from Canon or Nikon, it's around seven times more expensive!

Well, first of all, digital Hasselblad's are at a different level, and even category, to professional DSLR's. Canon and Nikon both produce full-frame sensors for their flagship models, with a sensor size of 35mm from corner to corner. The Hasselblad H6D, however, features a digital medium format size sensor, about 53.4 x 40mm, and totals an impressive 100MP.

Furthermore, the sensor is rated to have a dynamic range of 15 stops along with vivid 16-bit colour depth interpretation, whereas your flagship DSLR averages out at 12-bit colour depth.

Furthermore, DSLR cameras usually have a minimum ISO capability of 100, whereas the Hasselblad H6D will start you off at an impressive 64 ISO.

So, is a Hasselblad H6D worth $40,000? Well, no, it isn't. But it depends on what you need from your camera. You'll most likely find a Hasselblad frustrating to work with if you're a street photographer, wedding photographer, events photographer and even lifestyle photographer. But, for high-end studio work where you might reap the benefits of 100MP, plus having an extremely low ISO and creating 16-bit images to aid you in post-production, then yes, the H6D is without a doubt a fantastic tool.

Take a look at the video below by YouTube channel, Tyler Stalman, on Why A Camera Is Worth $40,000 - Hasselblad H6D.