If you've never heard of the Phase One XF medium format camera, you're about to be introduced...
To say that this thing is incredible is the understatement of the century.
Not only can you change the lenses on this camera, but you can also change the back of the camera.
That means that it's a truly modular camera system that allows you to completely change how the camera works.
In the video above, for example, The Art of Photography shows off the Phase One camera with the IQ3 Monochrome back.
He's so impressed with the monochrome back that he says that it has "redefined" photography for him. That's a big statement!
Here's a short description of this camera from The Art of Photography:
This camera setup is a game changer. The Phase One IQ3 Monochrome back is one of the most exciting things to happen in camera design in the age of digital photography. The sensor weighs in at a cool 101 Megapixels and its designed to capture light past the visual spectrum. When you understand how to shape this using filters you have one of the most advanced, digital monochrome cameras ever made. The results are stunning.
The statement that the results are stunning is no joke - you should check out the full video above to see the photos if nothing else.
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Phase One XF Camera Specs
The images you can take with the Phase One XF have the potential to be game-changers in part because of the spectacular set of features this camera boasts. This includes:
- Medium format camera
- 100-megapixel full frame CMOS sensor
- 16-bit color
- 15-stop dynamic range
- ISO range of 50-12,800
- Long exposures up to 60 minutes
Yeah, not bad, right?
It's hard to go wrong with a 100-megapixel sensor and 16-bit color, but it gets even better from there.
The Phase One system processes full color depth throughout the entire imaging pipeline. That means that this system can deliver colors that are optimized in-house using Capture One software.
The result is absolutely breathtaking color that is unmatched among camera systems today.
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The 15-stops of dynamic range is worthy of mentioning, too.
With such an incredible ability to capture a wide-range of light, the images you take with the Phase One camera have breathtaking detail in the highlights and shadows - and without using filters to do so.
Another feature that should be noted is the quickness of the sensor read-out speed.
Because the XF has lightning-fast read-out speed, you benefit from fast and fluid Live View shooting.
That, in turn, gives you clean, precise focusing in real-time as well as an immediate reference for dynamic compositions.
Editor's Tip: If you're a fan of taking portraits, learn why an 85mm lens is the perfect choice for portraiture.
There's even a huge range of lenses (20 in total at the time of writing), so you have tons of flexibility in terms of how you shoot photos.
Of course, the problem with the Phase One is its price - currently a cool $63,000.
So while most of us won't ever have the opportunity to own one, it's still fun to imagine what it would be like!