PhaseOne also claims first CMOS-based medium format camera with their new IQ250

As previously reported, today PhaseOne announced a new IQ250 digital back and just like Haseelblad claimed to be the world's first CMOS-based medium format camera. The difference is that PhaseOne actually had a working model to show where Hasselblad just had an "announcement for an announcement". I say PhaseOne wins. Additional information after the break.

PhaseOne IQ250 technical specifications (download full specs sheet):

• 50 megapixel CMOS Sensor
• ISO Sensitivity: ISO 100 - 6400
• 14 f-stops dynamic range
• Built in wireless technology
• 1.15 megapixel resolution 3.2” display
• Touch screen functionality with live view

Phase One Introduces First CMOS-based Medium Format Camera Opens New Frontiers for Photographers

COPENHAGEN, January 24, 2014 -- Phase One today introduced the world’s first CMOS-based medium format digital camera back. The new 50-megapixel IQ250 brings unprecedented image capture flexibility to the IQ2 family of wireless-enabled high-end camera systems. Whether photo sessions are held in the studio or on a mountainside, the IQ250 lets photographers capture stunning imagery in available light -- virtually anywhere and any time.

With a sensor size of 44x33mm, the IQ250 offers 68 percent more image-capture real estate than any full-frame 35mm DSLR camera and the widest usable ISO range of any medium format camera system. Its phenomenal dynamic range of 14 f-stops enables photographers to capture the most demanding scenes in one shot, while retaining details in highlights and shadows.

Flexibility in Action

The IQ250 is designed for capture versatility; it has an ISO range from 100 to 6400, delivering world class image quality at any ISO speed. And its range of exposure time is extreme -- from 1/10000s to one hour. Fluid and responsive Live View is another key feature of the IQ250. Live View on the IQ250 offers great composition and focus assistance -- whether it is used directly on the digital back, connected via USB3 to Capture One on the computer, or displayed wirelessly on iPads or iPhones running Capture Pilot.

Award-winning Australian wedding photographer Dan O'Day has found the IQ250’s abundant dynamic range to be a game changer. He said, “I shoot the majority of my work on location, and I prefer to shoot only using available light. With the IQ250, I can shoot portraits of couples any time of day, under just about any conditions Mother Nature offers me, and still retain all the details. Couples rely on me to capture one of the happiest moments in their life, and they expect the outcome to be perfect. With the IQ250 I can deliver on this expectation with greater confidence, quality and detail than ever before."

"My photography work spans several genres, so flexibility is extremely important to me, said California-based wedding and portrait photographer, Justine Ungaro. “The IQ250 has been absolutely life changing in allowing me to capture gorgeously clean and crisp medium format images on all of my shoots. This new back has transformed

my existing Phase One 645DF+ camera body and wonderful range of Schneider Kreuznach leaf shutter lenses into a workhorse kit which is quickly pushing my other camera gear to the background. Along with Capture One for image processing, I'm so pleased with the truly superior image quality with a dynamic range that is simply incredible.”

“We are very proud to introduce the Phase One IQ250 which carries on the tradition of Phase One high-quality medium format gear,” said Henrik O. Håkonsson, CEO & President, Phase One. “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.”