Hasselblad A6D body

Looking to harness the burgeoning (and very lucrative) industry of aerial photography, prominent Swedish manufacturer Hasselblad has unveiled their latest aerial camera.

Weighing in at 1,350g without a lens, the  Hasselblad A6D-100c wields a 100MP sensor and the brand new ability to synchronise up to 8 cameras to within 20μs of each other. According to their statement, a simple bus-type cable connection is required between all cameras in the set-up – but the hope is that it completely eliminates any issues in post-production caused by un-synchronized exposures.

Hasselblad A6D – advanced controls

Hasselblad A6D front view

Writing about the new camera, Bjarne Hjörlund (Hasselblad product manager) said, “Available in 100 megapixel resolutions, the Hasselblad A6D camera combines the world’s best optics and sensors with a modern, compact design, resulting in a system that will ensure you attain the highest possible image quality. Hasselblad aerial cameras provide a range of important features that help deliver your imaging requirements”.

Aside from its impressive resolving power, other key features of the A6D include a full software developer kit (SDK) so that users have complete control over the camera and image processing when in use, and the ability shoot in near infra-red. Both of these features are built in primarily with industrial use in mind (such as surveying work), but they should prove equally useful for creative photography.

Hasselblad A6D - sample image

Resized from a much larger image

Nine H System lenses are available in aerial versions with secure locking mounts to minimize vibration while airborne, at focal lengths ranging from 24mm to 300mm. Plus, the exposure time for the aerial lenses has been improved up to 1/4000 of a second, which should lead to some sharper images.

There doesn’t seem to be any official pricing at the moment, but interested parties can apparently request a demo now.

It was rumoured earlier this year that leading drone manufacturer DJI had bought a large stake in Hasselblad – and last month they together announced an aerial photography platform that boasted a DJI M600 Pro drone and Hasselblad H6D-100c 100MP aerial camera.