The smallest, and lightest, digital medium‑format camera ever made is about to take flight.
By Tim Barribeau | Published Mar 25, 2014 7:42 PM EDT
Phase One recently broke new ground by releasing its first CMOS medium‑format camera—just days after Hasselblad did the same. Now the company is expanding that innovation into the skies with the Phase One iXU 150, a compact, lightweight camera engineered explicitly for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The iXU 150 boasts a 50‑megapixel CMOS sensor with 8,280‑pixel cross‑track coverage, delivering sharp, high‑resolution imagery. It records at 0.8 frames per second from ISO 100 to ISO 6,400, and its magnesium chassis makes it 30 % lighter than a comparable aluminum version. Phase One describes it as “the world’s smallest and lightest integrated digital medium‑format aerial camera,” highlighting its suitability for drone‑based workflows.
When it launches in July, the iXU 150 will retail for $40,000. While Phase One has not yet disclosed the full specification set—particularly the lens options and power requirements—industry analysts predict that it will demand a more robust UAV platform than a standard DJI Phantom can lift.
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