Phase One IQ3 100mp. Shipping now.

[Doug Peterson]

Channeling Steve Jobs here for a minute…

Today Phase One announces that it is shipping the world’s first 100mp camera, the first full-frame 645 CMOS camera, the first 16-bit CMOS sensor, and the first HDMI enabled digital back. These are not separate products; it’s the Phase One IQ3 100mp.

This is not an announcement-of-an-announcement. This is not a preview or a prototype. The IQ3 100mp is shipping*. In fact we have the tracking number of our demo units and appointments available.

- Full Frame 645
- 15 stops dynamic range
- CMOS Sensor
- ISO 50 to ISO 12,800
- Electronic First Curtain Shutter
- HDMI Output (e.g. live view with a 7” battery-powered display untethered)

Read more at our Phase One IQ3 100mp page. We'll also have two articles up later today with more details!

As always, if you have any questions don't hesitate to email me or put them on this thread. Some answers I suspect I won't be able to provide until our units arrive early this week. But some I should be able to get by speaking with the R+D team.

Also, this will be our most tested back ever. You may remember our several tests of the IQ250 including ISO ramps, long exposure tests, and a massive Tech Camera Lens test in which we tested nearly every popular tech cam lens with five different Phase One digital back models. We'll be doing even more testing of the IQ3 100mp. So if you have testing requests, please feel free to email me or put them on this thread.

*I'd expect this back to be quite popular and go into back-order within days

[JoeKitchen]

I would to know how this back responds to lens cast with Rodenstock lens, especially the HR 40mm and HR 32mm. 

Long exposures capability is defiantly of interest to me. 

How does the color look compared to the CCD counterparts? 

Is the base ISO 50, or is it 100 with the option to pull the ISO down to 50?   

What is the noise structure at higher ISOs like?  I always found the noise on Canon sensors to look quite ugly once you got to ISO 250 ~ 320. 

PS. With the HDMI Output, is the end goal to also offer video (or does it already)?

[landscapephoto]

So, there is a new full-frame CMOS sensor. Interesting. Is Sony the source of that sensor?

[william]

Price?

[eronald]

This is good news.
Full 645 and HDMI will be appreciated by the customers.
HDMI makes tech cam use much easier.
And of course prices of existing MF gear will go down.

Edmund

So, there is a new full-frame CMOS sensor. Interesting. Is Sony the source of that sensor?

[Ken R]

Damn, talk about dropping the Hammer. This will be the undisputed king of sensors. No if and or buts. Geezus. The guys at Phase must have been LoL while reading all the speculative posts on this and other forums. I am certainly quite surprised by the news of this new back. Much sooner than I expected.

[Doug Peterson]

Damn, talk about dropping the Hammer. This will be the undisputed king of sensors. No if and or buts. Geezus. The guys at Phase must have been LoL while reading all the speculative posts on this and other forums. I am certainly quite surprised by the news of this new back. Much sooner than I expected.

Speaking of surprises:

9 Surprises about the Phase One IQ3 100mp

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

Congratulations with what most likely is a very nice camera solution for those who need the high resolution. I'm a bit weary about the '16-bit color' claim, but we'll see once the Raw files become available if that really means a (as advertised) 15-bit ADC pipeline converted to 16-bit/channel output. The new higher MP resolution IQ3 backs are advertised as 13-bit, and the CMOS 50MP as 14-bit ...

I'm also interested in learning about the sensor array's physical size, and resulting photo-site pitch. That will determine several aspects of lens suitability and postprocessing (Capture sharpening) needs.

The current documentation only mentions an IQ3 50MP, IQ3 60MP, and IQ3 80MP back. So does this mean that the 100MP comes only as a complete XF camera solution, or will there be an IQ3 100MP back as well?

Cheers,
Bart

[Doug Peterson]

PS. With the HDMI Output, is the end goal to also offer video (or does it already)?

I can't speak to "end goal" as that sounds very open ended. But today the goal is to provide a fourth* way to view Live View. It is possible to record the HDMI signal; however, most of the accoutrements of a true motion/video/cinema system are not there. For instance the white balance and exposure of the live view are both full-auto and not adjustable.

If you have a strong interest in adding such features to turn this into a more fully featured motion system I suggest making your voice heard. That said, my gut feeling is that it's best for Phase One to stick with doing stills exceptionally well, rather than spend time doing motion pretty well.

*1) directly on the retina LCD of the digital back 2) on an iOS device via native built-in WiFi 3) in C1 on a computer via USB3

[gagemanning]

Interesting.  This is probably my dream sensor.  100MP, CMOS for live view and ability to shoot high ISO's.  I'm also a little upset.  I just moved to Phase One in June when I ordered the XF and IQ380.  Well I did not receive the IQ380 until first week of November (almost 5 months after I had paid for the system) and now they come out with this.  I wonder if I could make a good argument to allow me to trade it in.

gage

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

So, there is a new full-frame CMOS sensor. Interesting. Is Sony the source of that sensor?

As mentioned on the page that Doug linked to, it's a Sony.

Cheers,
Bart

[Doug Peterson]

Interesting.  This is probably my dream sensor.  100MP, CMOS for live view and ability to shoot high ISO's.  I'm also a little upset.  I just moved to Phase One in June when I ordered the XF and IQ380.  Well I did not receive the IQ380 until first week of November (almost 5 months after I had paid for the system) and now they come out with this.  I wonder if I could make a good argument to allow me to trade it in.

Contact your dealer for options!

[Doug Peterson]

I'm also interested in learning about the sensor array's physical size, and resulting photo-site pitch. That will determine several aspects of lens suitability and postprocessing (Capture sharpening) needs.

Phase One IQ3 100mp Technical Specifications

[Doug Peterson]

The current documentation only mentions an IQ3 50MP, IQ3 60MP, and IQ3 80MP back. So does this mean that the 100MP comes only as a complete XF camera solution, or will there be an IQ3 100MP back as well?

An H platform IQ3 100mp is planned for Q2 of 2015.

At this time no V or C version is planned. Not that the Hassy 500 series lenses could handle 100mp anyway.

I suspect the vast majority we sell will be on an XF platform. The modern design and features of the body, integration with the IQ platform, 5 year warranty (when purchased with an IQ3), and lens lineup are very appealing.

[Doug Peterson]

What is the noise structure at higher ISOs like?  I always found the noise on Canon sensors to look quite ugly once you got to ISO 250 ~ 320. 

Definitely interested in your opinion on this. You can download a full ISO ramp here:
Phase One IQ3 100mp Raw File Download

They require Capture One 9.0.2 to open, which is available as of today (only new feature is IQ3 100mp support).

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

Phase One IQ3 100mp Technical Specifications

Hi Doug,

I already clicked that link, but maybe I need to clean my glasses, because I see no mention of the 100MP details.

Cheers,
Bart

[Doug Peterson]

I would to know how this back responds to lens cast with Rodenstock lens, especially the HR 40mm and HR 32mm. 

Us too! One of our top priorities is a full suite of tech camera tests.

Long exposures capability is defiantly of interest to me. 

It looks like this one will be very very strong for long exposures. Tests forthcoming.

How does the color look compared to the CCD counterparts? 

I don't think that's something anyone can ever really answer for anyone else. But we're glad for you to come make your own color evaluation.
See the Phase One IQ3 100mp in New York
See the Phase One IQ3 100mp in LA

Is the base ISO 50, or is it 100 with the option to pull the ISO down to 50?   

This is a normal ISO, not an "extended" ISO.

[Doug Peterson]

I already clicked that link, but maybe I need to clean my glasses, because I see no mention of the 100MP

You may need to clear your cache or switch browsers? Or maybe there is an issue on our end!

Anyway, to avoid confusion

IQ3 100mp
40.4 x 53.7mm
 11608 x 8708 pixel dimensions
4.6 micron sensor size

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

You may need to clear your cache or switch browsers? Or maybe there is an issue on our end!

Anyway, to avoid confusion

IQ3 100mp
40.4 x 53.7mm
 11608 x 8708 pixel dimensions
4.6 micron sensor size

Thanks, I'm sure the link and PDF will eventually update to show this as well, but no luck so far.

A 4.6 micron pitch will mean that at f/5.0 or narrower, diffraction will start to function as an OLPF of sorts, to reduce aliasing effects even further than the dense sampling already does, and apertures of f/16 or narrower will lose effective resolution due to diffraction (MTF falls to below zero at the highest possible resolution).

It becomes even more important for Capture One Pro to add deconvolution Capture sharpening to its feature set, despite the sensors not having OLP filters.

Cheers,
Bart

[william]

Two people have now asked the price, with nary a response....

This has long been one of the things that annoys me about the medium format digital distributorship model.  Questions regarding prices or upgrades seem to often be treated as irrelevant ("if you have to ask, you can't afford it") or contingent ("contact your dealer's uncle's cousin Joe, and he'll get you the best price.")

This isn't the Hope Diamond, or heroin. 

What is the price?