Cameras are like paintbrushes — they're just creative tools with no inherent magical powers. No amount of megapixels or sexy German lenses will make you a better photographer.
But you can certainly make some pretty badass pictures with a $50,000 paintbrush.
Meet the IQ180, the new digital back from Phase One, a Danish company known for making high-end medium format camera systems for professional photographers. This most recent addition to the Phase One fleet boasts an 80-megapixel sensor, the highest resolution sensor the company has ever offered.
We got the chance to test it for a week. It's remarkably easy to use, and it's capable of capturing more image detail than you'll likely ever need. Quite simply, it's one of the sickest camera systems you can buy for any money — and we're talking about some serious coin here. For $47,990, you get the back, the body and a Schneider Kreuznach 80 mm LS f/2.8 lens.
What you're left holding is the photographic equivalent of a Bentley-Ferrari pickup truck — it's sexy and elegant and expensive and you're kind of afraid you're going to run it into a tree, but its virtually limitless utility makes it capable of handling almost any job.
The images produced by the 80-megapixel digital back are massive — upwards of 500MB each. If you were to pull a file straight out of the camera and print it out at full print resolution, your image would be about 34 inches wide. That amount of depth adds a level of clarity and definition to your images that's truly stunning.
Like most camera systems in this price range, the Phase One IQ180 is made for professional commercial photographers, or any other lucky souls who can afford to buy one. But it's not just some precious totem of exclusivity. It is most definitely a workhorse meant for long hours in the studio and on location.
To pull the images off this camera, you have to use Phase One's software — either Capture One DB, which comes with the camera, or Capture One Pro. If you've already got the software, the company is issuing updates to support the new IQ series hardware. The MacBook Pro I used during testing has a 2.53GHz Core i5 processor and 4GB of RAM, and it could manage the files just fine. I wouldn't want to open up more than four images simultaneously without more RAM, though.
The Phase One IQ180 uses a 645 format body, and if you've ever used a medium format 645 body, you'll know your way around this camera. For our testing, Phase One also sent a couple of Schneider Kreuznach prime lenses (a 55mm and a 110mm) in addition to the 80mm that comes with the camera.
But the IQ180 digital back is the real star here. It's one of the easiest-to-use pieces of photographic capture equipment that I've ever laid my hands on. It powers on quickly, and the 3.2-inch touch screen comes to life. Four giant buttons come up on the display: one to play back your images, one for your ISO adjustment, one to adjust white balance, and one for a menu screen, which leads you to other custom settings.
