My Hasselblad Studio Day session and the H4D-40

Last  Wednesday I caught a 9 am train, and am glad I did, arriving just a little after 11.00 am, I was probably the second photographer through the doors.  

Walking through reception into the Studio you can not help by being impressed at how well laid out it all is, with it’s wonderful 15’ x 15’ cove and all broncolor and Profoto kit. 

I was warmly greeted by the Studio manager, who without any fuss, introduced me to Michael Jones, one of two Hasselbuddy’s and Technicians there. 

Michael wasted no time in leading me over to a bench where they had several bodies in the H4D range  with an array of H System lenses.

He ably fielded all of my many questions about the H4D range and we discussed my needs as a photographer to which he proposed the H4D-40 as the one which best match my anticipated requirements.  

Unique features I liked about the camera intuitively designed controls and the battery grip.    

I have tried and used a range of medium format cameras over my career and can confidently claim the feel was much like that of a DSLR, the operation and action was unlike film medium formats and I still feel there is something to be said for slowing down the whole process in the studio, but it wasn't that sort of event.

The difference comes with the output and I found that the H4D-40 more than matched my expectations, it exceeded them.

We then looked at a few of the many fixed and variable focul length lenses available and I chose to try the HCD 4-5,6/35-90 mm lens as I felt it would likely be the focul length I would use, the other being the HC 3,2/150 mm.

Although the lens weighed just over 1400g and the body at around 1800g  with back and Prism, the 3200g felt very comfortable and balanced in the hand. 

The icing on the cake was the opportunity to photograph Zoe, an absolutely stunning Pro Model who certainly worked hard, was very giving and produced seemless transitions from one pose on into the next.  Though the lighting was simple with just a single Profoto head mounted into a Giant 300 cm Reflector positioned left of the cove, it was all that was necessary working with a setting of 250 sec at f11.


I could have very easily gotten lost in the moment and managed over 40 shots, before reluctantly handing back the camera to Michael who was always close by, yet never intrusively so.

Michael then went on to show me the tethered set ups on the far side of the studio, where a still life demo had been created, and it was clear that it would take an extremely demanding brief to surpass the possibilities the studio has to offer.

I was then passed over to David Slater, another Hasselbuddy, who was demonstrating the capabilities of ‘Phocus’ the image management software for the H system.  Though tuned to Hasselblads fff RAW file format it is capable of processing other RAW formats as well. That there are similarities  in layout and look to other such software is evident, so it feels familiar on the screen, and as David pointed out, Hasselblad has taken a lot of trouble to ensure that it processes the dynamic range of the H4D sytems to the hilt.

Everyone was given a free copy of the complete program with all the bells and whistles to access the fff files and manage and save them into a wide range of formats.


I am glad I took this opportunity, as I met some very able and professional and unassuming people whose open approach is refreshing.  
Not once was there a mention of sales unless I broached it first, and that was not suggested to me with any line or pitch. 


The images here are just a selection of the many I captured on the H4D-40 and are displayed with permission of Hasselblad UK.

Sadly that was all I had time for and the Studio was beginning to grow queues for everything, so after two and half hours I thanked Michael and David, and the other staff who all made me feel so welcome and left to go on to another pre-arranged meeting in town before wending my way back home to West Sussex.