OnePlus has entered into a new three-year partnership with Hasselblad, the renowned Swedish camera maker. We hope that a three-year deal with Hasselblad will improve the camera experience on OnePlus’ next-generation smartphones, including the upcoming OnePlus 9 series.
Based in Gothenburg, Sweden, Hasselblad has been known for medium format cameras since World War II. In fact, the company is behind some of the most expensive cameras on the market, joining the elite camera manufacturing club that also includes the likes of Leica.
Here are some facts you need to know about Hasselblad:
# Did you know that a Hasselblad camera was used to capture a man ‘s first steps on the Moon? That iconic photo was taken at the Apollo 11 mission, the first moon with a crew landing. Astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong had made two Hasselblad cameras in particular. Hasselblad (HDC) data camera with 60mm f / 5.6 Zeiss Biogon lens and 70mm film magazine, and Hasselblad Electric Camera (HEC) with 80mm f / 2.8 Zeiss Planar lens. NASA and Hasselblad began working together in 1962 during the Mercury program, seven years before the Apollo 11 mission, to ensure that the cameras would not heat up or freeze in the intense cold temperatures.
The DJI Mavic 2 Pro uses a 20MP one-inch Hasselblad CMOS sensor. (Image Credit: Hasselblad Website)
Most of Hasselblad owns #DJI, the successful Chinese drone manufacturer. Back in 2017, DJI became a major stakeholder in the iconic Swedish camera company. While we may not see DJI make a mid-format camera anytime soon, the company’s Mavic 2 Pro drone features a Hasselblad-branded camera. DJI clearly needs Hasselbland’s experience in optics and design in the manufacture of high-end drones for enthusiasts and the cinematography market.
Hasselblad’s $ 48,000 H6D-400c is a 400MP medium format camera. (Image Credit: Hasselblad Website)
Swedish-based #Hasselblad is famous for its luxury cameras, but in 2018 it made headlines when it introduced the H6D-400c digital camera for $ 48,000. You might be wondering why a camera would cost so much. Well, the Hasselblad H6D-400C application was famous for its ability to combine six 100 megapixel images into one 400 megapixel still. Its surprisingly high price created a lot of excitement in the camera world, with many wondering who would buy a camera for the price and the $ 48,000-plus resolution. But Hasselblad was clear on who would be interested in the camera. In an interview with CNBC, a Hasselblad representative told the announcement that the H6D-400c was aimed at a “niche” market with cultural institutions such as museums and libraries looking to capture high-quality images into archival manuscripts and priceless jewelry pieces.
Beatles’ Abbey Road album cover. (Image credit: Beatles website)
The cover of the #The Beatles’ Abbey Road album was shot with a Hasselblad camera. The cover of the plaque, in which Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr walk across a path across the Abbey Road zebra, will be remembered as one of the most iconic images ever taken. Scottish photographer John Stuart MacMillan used a Hasselblad 500C camera, with a 50mm f / 4 lens at the Zeiss Distagon, to capture the cover image for The Beatles album, Abbey Road, in 1969. MacMillan only took six beats of the Beatles who walked across the zebra crossing just outside EMI Studios at 3 Abbey Road, St John’s Wood, London. Apparently, the visionary idea for the hunt came from Paul McCartney. In a 1989 interview with The Keeper, MacMillan revealed that the shooting took just over 10 minutes. Abbey Road, however, was the Beatles’ 11th album, the last to be recorded together Let it be their last 12th studio album was recorded before Abbey Road.
Hasselblad cameras are made in Sweden. (Image Credit: Hasselblad Website)
#Hasselblad cameras are expensive and sought after, and there’s a reason to spend so much. Hasselblad makes only about 10,000 cameras a year out of a small three-story building in Gothenburg, Sweden. Many Leica cameras, including X1D II, are made in Sweden where labor costs are much higher than in many countries where other digital cameras are made. Not to mention Hasselblad, like Leica, will not really serve the masses. They are made of advanced materials, and the mission is to make the cameras with a classic design that will stay timeless for generations to come.