Hi,
The A9 has no global shutter, it has a fast electronic shutter of electronic curtain type. How does such as shutter work?
- The first curtain is a sweeping reset of the sensor. One row of the sensor is reset, after say 500 ns the row is reset. Reset starts exposure. This sweeping reset can be very fast.
- The second curtain is the readout. Exposure stops when data is read out from a row. To be correct exposure continues, but the rest is thrown away. This readout is limited by Analogue to Digital Conversion (ADC) times.
The second electronic curtain speed is limited by ADC-conversion. On the A7rII I think it is about 1/14s (measured by Jim Kasson), while on the IQ3100MP it is more than on second.
What the A9 has done was to stack much of the signal processing behind the photodiodes. That was they could probably add more ADC units and have a wider connection to other processing units. So, the sweeping readout is much faster. Making the fully electronic shutter usable for many shooting situations.
So, I don't think the A9 shutter is a replacement for leaf shutters.
Whether Phase One need to consider an EVF option or not is another question and a hard one at that. EVF in medium format means CDAF (Contrast Detection based AF) and that needs a focus by wire lens system. Going EVF means a new lens line. Hasselblad has done it, Fuji has done it. It can be done.
Next question is what sensor size? Both Hasselblad and Fuji went with 44x33 mm. Both Hasselblad and Fuji designed their lenses for that format. Fuji says their lenses are optimised for 100MP, and that also applies to Hasselblad with all probability. It seems that Sony will deliver 100 MP in the 44x33mm format in 2018.
Now, will Phase go into competition with sub 10 k$US small medium format? Or will they aim to be masters of 56x40 mm "full frame 645"? The 56x40 mm format will also have a new 150 MP sensor from Sony.
Here in Sweden
Hasselblad X1D body | 87 300 SEK |
Hasselblad H6D-50C body | 223 296 SEK |
Hasselblad H5X body | 45 950 |
The Hasselblad H5X body combined the X1D 50c body would cost 124 250 SEK, that is 99 000 SEK less than the H6D-50c, although both systems use the same sensor, electronics and firmware. So, those 99 kSEK are pure mark up. In practice you can divided those prices by 10 to get into $US.
My hunch is that Phase One is more interested in high end medium format than low end medium format.
Best regards
Erik