 Hasselblad is a name that's synonymous with photography for the past 75 years. The cameras were behind some of the most iconic images taken of the 20th century. Yet even Hasselblad's enviable reputation wasn't enough to protect it from the onslaught of the digital revolution. I remember at the time thinking that maybe this company's better days were well and truly behind it. Most medium format camera manufacturers fell by the wayside, taken out by smaller, cheaper, lighter DSLRs. I sold all of my Hasselblads over 14 years ago. Hasselblad have just released their H6D, a brand new camera that offers some significant improvements over the previous models, including a new autofocus system that enables the photographer to lock onto a specific point, such as the subject's eye, and then recompose. The camera even offers a few features more commonly found on today's smartphones and compact cameras. Wi-Fi, a touchscreen, and even 4K video recording. But in truth, you're not going to be buying this camera for the gizmos. You're going to be buying it for the amazing quality of the lenses and of course, a very high-end digital back. When it comes to digital backs, big is most definitely better. The H6D comes with two options for the digital back. A 50 megapixel sensor, which comes in at around $27,000, or a huge 100 megapixel back, which comes in with an equally huge price of over $33,000. And remember, that doesn't include the price of a lens. My name is Barry Oosting, I'm the CEO of Hasselblad. It's 175 years since Hasselblad as a company existed. Victor was a passionate bird photographer, but his biggest frustration was that in those days, the cameras were very big. And he started to develop his own camera. It's a more kind of compact and easier to use in a modularity way. Moreover, there were some iconic moments that were captured on the Hasselblad. The Beatles, crossing Abbey Road. Steve Jobs, portrait shot with a CFV. Hasselblad was the first camera on the moon. Bas Aldrin, shooting Armstrong. Still, 12 cameras on the moon and one came back. At the end, Hasselblad has to deliver the platform where they can push the creativity. And we are just, at the end, the enabler. There are more pictures being shot and viewed than in any other time in human history. And most of those are being uploaded to social media. And most of those are a bit of size of 600 to 1,000 pixels. Apple are even running shot on iPhone ads on billboards and bus sides. Clearly printing high resolution images from 12 or even an 8 megapixel smartphone camera isn't a problem these days. There are plenty of DSLRs, mirrorless cameras out there. And most of them only cost two or three grand. There are in fact a few practical reasons why you need a camera like this. The food photographer can capture minute detail in the still life of raw vegetables. Or a fashion photographer can capture a resting image with tonal variation and texture in the clothing. That a lesser camera simply can't match. If you're a technical photographer, you can shoot macro shots with a level of clarity that means you can print them out the size of a house. And all of these pictures can be shot on a camera that's still small and light enough to be handheld. But small and light are still relative terms. There's no way a Blad is as practical as a DSLR, let alone a phone. They're still undeniably big, heavy and slow. Yet in many ways, I don't know that that's such a bad thing. We snap pictures with our phones, we take pictures with a Hasselblad. Cameras like this inspire a considered approach to photography. When I shoot with a Blad, I think more about the picture that I'm trying to take. I align the composition better. I don't just snap off a few frames quickly and then think that I'll find the best one later. The camera doesn't shoot more than a few frames a second. It's not a rapid-fire experience. It makes you slow down. Even if it's just by a few seconds, it almost asks you, do you want to take this picture? Is this just okay or is this really good? And when you finally do press that shutter, you're rewarded with images packed with incredible detail and a gorgeously wide dynamic range. But do professional photographers really need to buy this camera? My answer is most definitely no. Thinking back over the past couple of years, I can't even remember a time when shooting on a Hasselblad has even entered my head. I've always known that my DSLR workhorse would be more than enough for the job. The H60 truly does deliver on the promise. It's like the difference between a regular screen and a retina screen. It's not that you ever thought your standard screen was bad, it's just you never realized that it could be this good. And that really sums up the Hasselblad H60 for me. It's not that other digital cameras are bad, and the smartphone you have with you will always be better than the DSLR you don't. But that's not really the issue here. You don't buy an Aston Martin so you can go shopping at the mall. You buy it because you want to go for a drive. Buying a Hasselblad isn't a practical decision. It's an emotional one, or at least it always used to be. With the H6D, I think maybe it will be again. We've used plenty of handcrafted aluminium. And even though... Stop smiling. It's not that the... Oh Christ. Moron! Your bus is leaving! It just keeps going. Here we go.
 Hasselblad is a name that's synonymous with photography for the past 75 years.
 The cameras were behind some of the most iconic images taken of the 20th century.
 Yet even Hasselblad's enviable reputation wasn't enough to protect it from the onslaught of the digital revolution.
 I remember at the time thinking that maybe this company's better days were well and truly behind it.
 Most medium format camera manufacturers fell by the wayside, taken out by smaller, cheaper, lighter DSLRs.
 I sold all of my Hasselblads over 14 years ago.
 Hasselblad have just released their H6D, a brand new camera that offers some significant improvements over the previous models,
 including a new autofocus system that enables the photographer to lock onto a specific point, such as the subject's eye, and then recompose.
 The camera even offers a few features more commonly found on today's smartphones and compact cameras.
 Wi-Fi, a touchscreen, and even 4K video recording.
 But in truth, you're not going to be buying this camera for the gizmos.
 You're going to be buying it for the amazing quality of the lenses and of course, a very high-end digital back.
 When it comes to digital backs, big is most definitely better.
 The H6D comes with two options for the digital back.
 A 50 megapixel sensor, which comes in at around $27,000,
 or a huge 100 megapixel back, which comes in with an equally huge price of over $33,000.
 And remember, that doesn't include the price of a lens.
 My name is Barry Oosting, I'm the CEO of Hasselblad.
 It's 175 years since Hasselblad as a company existed.
 Victor was a passionate bird photographer, but his biggest frustration was that in those days, the cameras were very big.
 And he started to develop his own camera.
 It's a more kind of compact and easier to use in a modularity way.
 Moreover, there were some iconic moments that were captured on the Hasselblad.
 The Beatles, crossing Abbey Road.
 Steve Jobs, portrait shot with a CFV.
 Hasselblad was the first camera on the moon.
 Bas Aldrin, shooting Armstrong.
 Still, 12 cameras on the moon and one came back.
 At the end, Hasselblad has to deliver the platform where they can push the creativity.
 And we are just, at the end, the enabler.
 There are more pictures being shot and viewed than in any other time in human history.
 And most of those are being uploaded to social media.
 And most of those are a bit of size of 600 to 1,000 pixels.
 Apple are even running shot on iPhone ads on billboards and bus sides.
 Clearly printing high resolution images from 12 or even an 8 megapixel smartphone camera isn't a problem these days.
 There are plenty of DSLRs, mirrorless cameras out there.
 And most of them only cost two or three grand.
 There are in fact a few practical reasons why you need a camera like this.
 The food photographer can capture minute detail in the still life of raw vegetables.
 Or a fashion photographer can capture a resting image with tonal variation and texture in the clothing.
 That a lesser camera simply can't match.
 If you're a technical photographer, you can shoot macro shots with a level of clarity that means you can print them out the size of a house.
 And all of these pictures can be shot on a camera that's still small and light enough to be handheld.
 But small and light are still relative terms.
 There's no way a Blad is as practical as a DSLR, let alone a phone.
 They're still undeniably big, heavy and slow.
 Yet in many ways, I don't know that that's such a bad thing.
 We snap pictures with our phones, we take pictures with a Hasselblad.
 Cameras like this inspire a considered approach to photography.
 When I shoot with a Blad, I think more about the picture that I'm trying to take.
 I align the composition better.
 I don't just snap off a few frames quickly and then think that I'll find the best one later.
 The camera doesn't shoot more than a few frames a second.
 It's not a rapid-fire experience.
 It makes you slow down.
 Even if it's just by a few seconds, it almost asks you,
 do you want to take this picture?
 Is this just okay or is this really good?
 And when you finally do press that shutter,
 you're rewarded with images packed with incredible detail and a gorgeously wide dynamic range.
 But do professional photographers really need to buy this camera?
 My answer is most definitely no.
 Thinking back over the past couple of years,
 I can't even remember a time when shooting on a Hasselblad has even entered my head.
 I've always known that my DSLR workhorse would be more than enough for the job.
 The H60 truly does deliver on the promise.
 It's like the difference between a regular screen and a retina screen.
 It's not that you ever thought your standard screen was bad,
 it's just you never realized that it could be this good.
 And that really sums up the Hasselblad H60 for me.
 It's not that other digital cameras are bad,
 and the smartphone you have with you will always be better than the DSLR you don't.
 But that's not really the issue here.
 You don't buy an Aston Martin so you can go shopping at the mall.
 You buy it because you want to go for a drive.
 Buying a Hasselblad isn't a practical decision.
 It's an emotional one, or at least it always used to be.
 With the H6D, I think maybe it will be again.
 We've used plenty of handcrafted aluminium.
 And even though...
 Stop smiling.
 It's not that the...
 Oh Christ.
 Moron!
 Your bus is leaving!
 It just keeps going.
 Here we go.