General Overview - Hasselblad 503CW User Manual

General overview

In very simple terms, the digital capture unit holds a light sen-
sitive sensor in place at the film plane. The electronic signals
from the sensor are then processed and stored as a digital file.
As an electronic color image is made up of three components
− red, green and blue which combine to form a so-called RGB
image − the sensor's task is to convert a multi spectrum light
image into three digital files (red, green and blue) for combi-
nation later on.
The digital capture unit uses a CCD (Charged Couple Device)
type sensor that has a 16 or 39 million light sensitive areas on
its surface each of which creates a pixel.
Each pixel in the sensor is filtered to create the three sepa-
rate red, green and blue files. Software then processes these
electronic files as a package to produce the various formats
− RAW, TIFF, JPEG etc.
The three components of the image file are later recombined
on the computer screen to produce the familiar full color
image.
The image file can be temporarily stored either in the digital
capture unit with a CF card, on a Hasselblad ImageBank-II or
the hard disk on a computer. Processing of these images is car-
ried out in conjunction with the included Phocus software. See
the separate Phocus manual for further details
The CFV is also designed to also fit most Hasselblad V model
cameras. Please check the connectivity diagram in this man-
ual for further details, including the possibility of connectivity
to large format cameras.
Bear in mind, when working with V series cameras, that the
sensor is 37mm x 37mm in size. This results in a smaller im-
age (compared to the approx. 60mm x 60mm format pro-
duced with a film magazine) and the markings on the focus-
ing screen should be used as the guide for composition. This
smaller format also in effect 'lengthens' the focal length of the
lens in use with a lens factor of x1.5. So, for example, a 50mm
lens together with the digital capture unit will produce a simi-
lar apparent perspective that a 75 mm lens would produce if
the full 60mm x 60mm format was used. The CFV-39, however
has a larger sensor and therefore exploits the focal length of
lenses more. The lens factor in this case is x1.1.
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The 503CWD and CFV are electronic devices and consequently
attention to power access is vital. When working untethered it
is therefore important to plan either battery charging or bat-
tery replacement to ensure continued workflow.
Likewise, image storage is limited, particularly when using
flash cards and appropriate steps should also be taken when
planning a shoot.
External storage is accomplished by FireWire connection to a
separate hard disk or a computer.
When attaching and removing the back, pay particular at-
tention to the image sensor area. The sensor itself is covered
and therefore protected by the glass IR filter but take great care
when handling. If you need to clean the filter, see later section
for specific details. When storing separated from the camera,
always ensure you have replaced the protective cover.
If you scratch or mark the filter in any way, it will show up on
every shot. Replacements are expensive so treat the glass sur-
face with at least as much care as you would a lens.
The sensor itself is not accessible for any kind of cleaning or
maintainence by a user. Do not attempt any such action as
you will almost certainly damage it irreparably.
As is the case with all electronic devices pay extra care when
working in damp environments and avoid damp conditions
for storage.
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