Phase One IQ260 IQ280

March 4, 2013 ·

Michael Reichmann

4 March, 2013

We don’t normally publish new product announcements. I will in this instance because news about Medium Format products is a rarity and not covered in any depth by most gear-oriented web sites. Since I will have a chance to do some hands-on testing of the IQ260 within the coming week I figured that announcing these two new products now would not be found remiss.

The IQ260 and IQ280 build on most of the features and capabilities of the existing IQ160 and IQ180 backs. The big news is that both backs feature Wi-Fi  (finally – after being promised for years). This enables them to tether to an iPad running Phase One’s Capture Pilot App. Until next week when I can test this capability I can only comment that it’s there, but not yet on how fast or effective it is. Stay tuned.

The other big news is that the IQ260 features very long exposure time capability; up to an hour, supposedly. This was a capability lost when the P45 was discontinued, and has been sorely missed by architectural photographers. My understanding at the time is that this was incompatible with Phase’s Sensor Plus capability. Given how few photographers I know use Sensor Plus and how many miss long exposure times, this may have been a marketing error on Phase One’s part at the time. In any event, it’s nice to see it back, and I look forward to evaluating how well it works.

I should mention that the Achromatic back is back, this time in the form of the IQ260 Achromatic, without an IR filter or Bayer array. Of course, like other IQ backs there is also no AA filter.

All three backs will become available in June through authorized Phase One dealers world-wide. As usual, trade-up programs for existing Phase One back owners will be available.

More info can be foundhere.

March, 2013

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Michael Reichmann is the founder of the Luminous Landscape. Michael passed away in May 2016. Since its inception in 1999 LuLa has become the world's largest site devoted to the art, craft, and technology of photography. Each month more than one million people from every country on the globe visit LuLa.

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