With an initial focus on aerial photography, this new Department represents a new initiative by Hasselblad to go further in developing products and solutions to meet the needs of photographers working in special fields.

From its very first camera in 1941, an aerial model designed for the Swedish Air Force during World War II to its collaborations with NASA, Hasselblad has demonstrated the ability to develop products that overcome the unique challenges posed by aerial photography—within the earth's atmosphere and beyond, to outer space. Over the past 70 years, aerial photography has evolved in scope, encompassing a wider-than-ever mix of subjects and uses. Always attuned to the needs of its customers and their changing demands, Hasselblad has continuously developed its aerial system and now offers a range of aerial solutions based on its flagship line of H4D cameras.

Whether aerial photography is being used to capture artistic images for commercial purposes, construction site surveys, documentary evidence of environmental changes, or even highly complex, multi-camera photogrammetric mapping, Hasselblad's H4D Aerial system provides the tools needed to accomplish the task at hand. Special locking mechanisms provide secure mounting of all system components to counteract aircraft vibration while specialized production methods ensure an extreme level of sensor and image plane positioning accuracy, to name just a few of the Aerial system's targeted strengths. With these benefits, Hasselblad is in a unique position to offer products and solutions that address the requirements of the full spectrum of aerial disciplines.

Hasselblad lens quality and DAC lens corrections are key factors in critical aerial photography, particularly for maintaining maximum detail and sharpness, even when small sections of an aerial image need to be magnified.

In addition to the versatility of being able to capture images directly to a CompactFlash card or, when tethered, to external storage media, Hasselblad offers a Software Development Kit [SDK] for photographers who may need to build their own specialized applications for controlling the camera from the user's own software. Furthermore, the Continuum, a sample application for operators who need easy access to camera control via a computer without running Hasselblad's Phocus software or having to build their own application, will also be available.

As Benny Buchtrup, Global Special Applications Manager, explains, "We at Hasselblad take pride in manufacturing solutions for our customer's needs and with the Special Applications Department, we are counting on ideas from Hasselblad users to move beyond our current product line-up into specialized photographic fields." Buchtrup goes on to say that, "With Hasselblad's heritage in airborne photography, we're starting with the H4D Aerial system but this is only the beginning. We will continue to look at opportunities in specialized photographic fields and are excited by the prospect of further evolving this new department."

For more information about Hasselblad's H4D Aerial system solutions, please visit: www.hasselbladaerial.com