Hasselblad A6D User manual

for A6D Aerial
USER MANUAL

2
INTRODUCTION

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A6D User Manual
Medium format photography is about professionalism. Camera
systems, their handling and captures have to be professional in
quality.
Hasselblad understands this and always strives to deliver it; professionals
know that too. The Hasselblad series of cameras consists of building new
developments on the shoulders of the previous generation. In this way all
the previous work-experience based and segment-demanding features are
automatically included. So, just when you think things can’t get much better,
they do. And the A6D is that model - all the good things from before and then
some!
The A6D heralds a step up that is noticeably greater than before. There are
changes and many are ‘from the ground up’. The A6D provides a reliable
connection to the eeting environment of digital imaging technology so when
the wind changes direction, the A6D remains as the safeguarding companion
to provide support.
Today’s aerial photography is more demanding than ever and Hasselblad
continues to rise to the occasion, introducing more and more advanced
products and applications for this exciting segment. This is especially true
of the Hasselblad A6D, the latest evolution of Hasselblad aerial cameras
designed for these specialist applications.
The new camera has been developed to deliver the image quality and
reliability required by our surveying and mapping customers. Listening to their
feedback we have developed a camera to encompass these needs and much
more.
Hasselblad’s best kept secret is knowing that every link in the chain that
leads to the clients nished image has to reach a certain standard; it is that
simple. That’s why Hasselblad puts so much time and energy into checking
those almost endless behind-the-scenes details and standards because we
understand this simple concept.
There is no magical formula to Hasselblad’s success other than an
understanding of what is required to produce the best results available in the
world today, and an acceptance that there are no short cuts in this process.
Hasselblad does its best to produce the best; there is no other way to
achieve the Hasselblad star quality.
The A6D has been designed to corporate the latest technology available.
The heart of the system is the 53.4 x 40.0 mm 100MP CMOS sensor
delivering up to a staggering 15stops dynamic range and 16bit colour data.
The system boasts an ISO range from 64 to 12800 and coupled with the top
shutter speed of 1/4000th second allows the A6D huge exibility to adapt to
changing conditions whilst still delivering the image quality required.
Designed from the outset to be used in exible congurations the A6D can
be used as a stand alone single capture device or in grouped congurations
for pod based survey needs. Up to 8 cameras can be triggered within 20
microseconds of each other to allow accurate image alignment with minimal
overlap required.
Completing the impressive specication, media storage is to CFast 2.0 or
SDXC cards. Tethered capture is available via the USB 3.0 Type C port. To
complete the family, the A6D is also available in NIR version, allowing both
NIR and CIR photography.

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A6D User Manual
CAMERA USER INTERFACE
For general operation of the user interface using the touch screen, please
refer to the full H6D user manual which can be downloaded from www.
Hasselblad.com
FIRMWARE UPDATES
If you have registered your camera you should automatically receive e-mail
informing you of the latest developments. Otherwise you are advised to make
regular checks regarding rmware updates to the camera.
The aim is to ensure you have the latest rmware updates for camera, which
naturally ensures the optimum in performance. When updating you should
also study the accompanying ‘Release Notes’ or ‘Read Me’ les where you
will nd details about improvements, developments and changes.
DISPOSAL
This product must be put in municipal waste. Check local regulations for
disposal.
Register your camera for regular news about the latest
developments, updates, news, tips, and much else!
– www.hasselblad.com –

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A6D User Manual
RESTRICTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Caution!
Be careful when you use the camera. The camera is a precision instrument.
This will help prevent damage to the camera.
Caution!
Use protective covers as much as possible. The protective covers will help
prevent damage to the equipment.
Caution!
Use a protective case or camera bag when you transport the equipment. This
will help prevent damage to the equipment.
Caution!
Protect the equipment from oil fumes, steam, humid conditions and dust.
This will help prevent damage to the equipment.
Caution!
Seal all equipment in a plastic bag or similar if you enter damp and humid
condition from dry and cold condition. Wait until the equipment has
acclimatized to the new temperature before you remove the equipment from
bag. This will help prevent damage to the equipment.
Caution!
Avoid frequent and high temperature changes. This can cause damage to the
equipment.
Caution!
Keep camera and equipment away from moisture. If your camera becomes
wet, disconnect from electric power and let camera dry before further use.
This will help prevent damage to the equipment.
Caution!
Store the equipment in a dry environment. This will help prevent damage to
the equipment.
Caution!
Be careful when you attach/detach the components to/from the camera. This
will help prevent damage to the data bus connections.
Caution!
Do not insert ngers into the camera body. This can cause damage to the
equipment
Caution!
Do not touch the CMOS Sensor with your ngers. The protective lter is very
sensitive. This can cause damage to the equipment.
Caution!
Keep all equipment out of reach of small children. This will prevent damage
to the equipment.
Caution!
Do not open the sensor unit. This can cause damage to the sensor unit.
Caution!
Do not try to remove the glass IR lter from the front of the CMOS (due to
dust or similar). This can cause damage to the equipment. Always contact
your local Hasselblad Authorized Service Centre.
Caution!
If you use canned compressed air to clean the glass of IR lter, be very
carefully before use. This will help prevent damage to the lter.

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A6D User Manual
CONTENTS
■ INTRODUCTION ...................................................................2
Camera User Interface........................................................ 4
Firmware Updates .............................................................. 4
Disposal ............................................................................ 4
Restrictions and Recommendations..................................... 5
■ GENERAL OVERVIEW...........................................................7
Parts and Components – overview ....................................... 8
A6D Lens Range................................................................. 9
■ GETTING STARTED ............................................................10
Mounting the lens ............................................................ 11
Attaching the lens shield................................................... 11
Attaching the adapter plate ............................................... 12
Power Connection............................................................. 12
Synchronous connections ................................................. 12
USB & link to Phocus or SDK based application .................. 12
Saving images to a memory card ....................................... 12
Attaching the USB cable Lock............................................ 13
■ CAMERA MAINTENANCE ...................................................14
Cleaning Sensor Unit & IR Glass........................................ 15
■ TECHNICAL APPENDIX ......................................................16
A6D-100c Technical Specications .................................... 17
Lemo connector Signal Information.................................... 18
Electrical Timings ............................................................. 20
Coverage ......................................................................... 22
Coverage vs altitude ......................................................... 22
GSD vs altitude ................................................................ 22
Physical Dimensions......................................................... 23
Accessories ..................................................................... 27
FCC Class A Notice for A6D-100 ........................................ 28
Battery Warning................................................................ 28
Index............................................................................... 29

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GENERAL OVERVIEW

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A6D User Manual
PARTS AND COMPONENTS – OVERVIEW
Lens mount locking boltStorage Media cover
Mounting pointLens shield USB3 socket
Digital capture unit
Cover for External
Connections
Lens release button
Menu button
Soft button
Select button
Display button
Browse button
Control connector B
Control connector A
DC Power connector

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A6D User Manual
A6D LENS RANGE
Lenses Angle of View
(Diagonal) Angle of View
long side
Angle of View
short side
Equivalent 35mm
focal length
Dimensions
Length x Diameter
Weight Filter Thread Item Number
HCD 4,8/24mm 104 Degrees 96 Degrees 80 Degrees 16mm 99mm x 100mm 810g 95mm 3014601
HCD 4/28mm 95 Degrees 87 Degrees 71 Degrees 19mm 102mm x 100mm 850g 95mm 3014602
HC 3,5/35mm 89 Degrees 75 Degrees 60 Degrees 24mm 124mm x 100mm 975g 95mm 3014603
HC 3,5/50mm-II 70 Degrees 56 Degrees 44 Degrees 34mm 116mm x 85mm 975g 77mm 3014604
HC 2,8/80mm 46 Degrees 37 Degrees 28 Degrees 55mm 70mm x 84mm 475g 67mm 3014605
HC 2,2/100mm 38 Degrees 30 Degrees 23 Degrees 67mm 80.5mm x 87.5mm 780g 77mm 3014606
HC 3,2/150N mm 26 Degrees 20 Degrees 15 Degrees 101mm 124mm x 86mm 970g 77mm 3014607
HC 4/210mm 19 Degrees 14 Degrees 11 Degrees 142mm 165mm x 85mm 1320g 77mm 3014608
HC 4,5/300mm 13 Degrees 10 Degrees 8 Degrees 196mm 198mm x 100mm 2120g 95mm 3014609
All 9 focal lengths below are available in aerial versions with secure locking mounts to minimise vibration, exing and ensuring the image plane
and sensor stay parallel at all times. These units ship with focus xed at innity and rmware to close the shutter and aperture to their working
positions when power is applied to the camera.
HCD24 HCD28 HC35 HC50-II HC80 HC100 HC150N HC210 HC300

10
GETTING STARTED

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A6D User Manual
GETTING STARTED
MOUNTING THE LENS
The A6D lens mount contains a locking mechanism that securely holds
the lens in place with an even pressure all around the barrel.
Locate the lens mount locking bolt.
Before mounting a lens
ensure the metal collar
is in position and the
joint is aligned with the
location lug.
To mount a lens, locate the red dot on the rear lens mount and ensure
it is facing upwards. Offer up the lens into the camera body and rotate
clockwise until a click is heard.
1
3
2
To detach the lens,
press the lens release
button on the side of
the camera and turn the
lens anti-clockwise.
Insert the supplied 2.5mm Allen key into the bolt and rotate
clockwise half a turn to engage the lens mount lock.
4
ATTACHING THE LENS SHIELD
There are three lens shields
available depending on the lens in
use. To mount the shield for the
50, 80 or 100mm lens, simply
offer up the shield to the outer
lens mount and rotate the shield
clockwise until the shield locks.
NB: Do not overtighten as damage
to the lens mount may occur
To mount the shield for the 35mm
lens it is rst necessary to mount
the adaptor ring to the existing outer
lens mount. This adaptor ring is held
in place with 4 screws.
Once this has been mounted, you
can attach the lens and then mount
the shield and secure it with a turn
in the clockwise direction.

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A6D User Manual
ATTACHING THE ADAPTER PLATE
To attach the A6D camera unit to an existing OEM camera mount
point you will need the adapter plate (P1). This plate is attached
to the camera body with 4 bolts. You must ensure that the plate is
correctly oriented – please see the image below and align the plate
correctly.
Secure the plate with the 4 supplied bolts, ensuring that you tighten
them one turn at a time to provide even pressure. Once the plate is
secure you can mount the lens. Attach the lens shield and the unit is
now ready to mount in the camera pod using the existing P1 bolt layout.
POWER CONNECTION
The A6D camera unit is equipped with three LEMO connectors. The grey
connector is the DC power connector. The unit requires a power source of
12-24 VDC to operate. This will normally be supplied via the aircraft power
system.
SYNCHRONOUS CONNECTIONS
The remaining two connectors are used to synchronise additional
daisy chained camera units so that all exposures take place within 20
microseconds of each other. The centre connector is the signal input and
the right hand connector is the signal output for the next unit.
SAVING IMAGES TO A MEMORY CARD
If you do not wish to transfer the captured images to a remote computer, the
CFast or SD card slots are available to allow in camera storage.
USB & LINK TO PHOCUS OR SDK BASED APPLICATION
Located on the left hand side of the camera you will nd the USB socket.
Using the supplied cable and the cable lock ensures the connection will be
securely locked. Once the connector is locked in place and the other end
of the cable attached to your computer system, the camera should show
as connected and camera controls should be congurable via Hasselblad
Phocus software or your own application designed from the SDK.
1
2
DC power connector
Control
connector B
Control
connector A
NB: Correct voltage AND polarity must be
applied to the power connection or
damage to the camera will occur
MOUNTING THE LENS

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A6D User Manual
ATTACHING THE USB CABLE LOCK
Insert the cable through the lock part and insert the cable into to the
USB port.
1
Attach the lock part and tighten the screws using the supplied 1.5mm
Allen key. Note that it needs to be oriented correctly to t.
2

14
CAMERA MAINTENANCE

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A6D User Manual
CAMERA MAINTENANCE
CLEANING SENSOR UNIT & IR GLASS
If you see dark or colored spots or lines in your images, then you may need
to clean the outer surface of the sensor unit’s infrared (IR) lter. In most
cases, the careful use of compressed air will be adequate though if you use
canned compressed air, read the instructions very carefully before use to
avoid spraying impurities or even ice on the lter! Sometimes, however, small
particles will get stuck to the surface of the IR lter, requiring for a more
thorough cleaning, involving either uid or swab wipes.
If compressed air did not remove all the problems on the lter,
then use a long-handled swab style wipe (swab style wipes are
recommended due to the distance from the lens mount to the sensor
surface).
Ensure that the swab matches the width of the IR lter (if possible).
Apply rm pressure at the edge of the swab to ensure an even, rm
contact with lter surface. Wipe the surface in one unbroken motion.
Finally check if the IR lter has been properly cleaned either by visual
inspection by making a test capture. If further cleaning is needed,
repeat cleaning procedure.
1
2
3
4

16
TECHNICAL APPENDIX

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A6D User Manual
TECHNICAL APPENDIX
A6D-100C TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Sensor Type CMOS, 100 mega pixels (11600 × 8700 pixels, 4.6 × 4.6 µm)
Sensor Dimensions 53.4 × 40.0mm
Image Size Stills: RAW 3FR capture 211MB on average. TIFF 8 bit: 289MB; Video: HD (1920 x 1080p), UHD (3840 x 2160p)
File Format Stills: Hasselblad 3FR, JPEG (12.5 MPixel)
Video: Hasselblad RAW (UHD, 25 fps), H.264 Compressed (HD, 25 fps)
Shooting Mode Single shot stills, Video
Colour Denition 16 bit. Dynamic range up to 15 stops
ISO Speed Range ISO: 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12800
Colour Management Hasselblad Natural Colour Solution, HNCS
Lenses Any H System lens. Focus locked at innity on request.
Focusing Manual or Focus locked at innity
Storage Options CFast 2.0 card, SD card (UHS-I) or tethered to Mac or PC
Capture Rate (Based on
SanDisk Extreme PRO CFAST
2.0 Memory Card)
60 Captures per minute.
Storage Capacity 128GB card holds 576 images on average
IR Filter Mounted in front of sensor. NIR Option on request, CIR prepared.
Software Phocus for Mac and Windows. Phocus SDK for Windows available on request.
Platform Support Macintosh: maxOS version 10.11 or later; PC: Windows 7 / 8 / 10 or later (64 bit)
Host Connection Type USB 3.0 (5 Gbit/s) Type-C connector
Additional Connections LEMO type connectors for power and camera control. Mini HDMI, Audio In/Out, Flash sync In/Out
Tethered Operation Supported in Phocus and Phocus SDK
Shutter Speed Range 0.5 sec to 1/4000 sec
Exposure Metering None
Power Supply 12-24 VDC required via LEMO connector
Operating Temperature -10 - 45 ˚C / 14 - 113 ˚F
Dimensions 100 x 100 x 151mm [W x H x D] Complete camera with HC80mm lens
Weight
(Body and sensor unit only) 1360g
Approval FCC (Class A), CE, RoHS

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A6D User Manual
Characteristics Symbol Value Unit (DC)
Maximum input voltage VSOH 24 V
Minimum input voltage VSOH 12 V
Connect
or pin no.
Control
cable Signal name Signal description Direction Type
1White CL Reserved for future use InOut I/O
2Brown CH Reserved for future use InOut I/O
3Green Vsys - 0 VDC Logic Supply -POWER
4Yellow Vsys + + 5 VDC Logic Supply -POWER
5Grey RX Serial channel, RX signal Input CMOS
6Pink TRIG Trig Camera Input CMOS
7Blue - BUSY Camera Busy Output OC
8Red INTERNAL Reserved InOut -
9Black - EXPOSE Shutter Open Output OC
10 Purple TX Serial channel, TX signal Output CMOS
Shield GROUND GROUND Chassis ground Camera↔External flash -
Characteristics Symbol Value Unit (DC)
Typically average current consumption for Power + ICCA 1000 mA
Typically peak current consumption for Power + ICCP 2500 mA
Typically peak power consumption for Power + ICCP 25 Watt
POWER CONNECTOR
Voltage Limit
CONTROL CONNECTOR A & B
The below table shows the connectors pin numbers, signal names and signal
direction in the control connector.
MALE PLUG PIN-OUT
The below illustration shows the connectors pin-out seen from the solder
side of the male plug.
It is recommended to use a Class II double insulated power supply, or a power limited external
battery. The source should always be limited to a output power of no more than 100 watts in
total.
CURRENT LIMIT
The Power + signal will conform to the following current requirements:
Characteristics Symbol Value Unit (AC)
Maximum +VSYS voltage rise time TRVS 40 ms
Signal Name Power cable wire colour Signal description
1 GND White Power GND (-)
2 VCC Brown Main power (+)
Characteristics Symbol Value Unit
Maximum capacitive load on VSYS CLVS 150 µf
SYSTEM LOGIC SUPPLY SIGNALS
The VSYS+ power is always supplied to the control connector from the
Camera housing.
SYSTEM STARTUP
During system startup (when the main power is applied into the Camera
housing) the following requirements will apply for the System Logic supply
signal +VSYS:
CONNECT OR PIN NVO.
The total capacitive load between +VSYS and -VSYS should not exceed the
following limit:
LEMO CONNECTOR SIGNAL INFORMATION
1
2
Power Connector Control Connector A & B
1
2
3
45
6
7
8
9
10
= Index Marker

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A6D User Manual
Characteristics Symbol Value Unit (DC)
H level output voltage (min) VOH 4.0 V
L level output voltage (max @ IOL) VOL 0.4 V
L level output current IOL 4.0 mA
H level input voltage (min) VIH 3.5 V
L level input voltage (max) VIH 1.5 V
Characteristics Symbol Value Unit (DC)
H level output voltage (max) VOH VSYS + V
Pull-up impedance R10 Kohm
L level output voltage (max @ IOL) VOL 0.4 V
L level output current IOL 20.0 mA
Characteristics Symbol Value Unit (AC)
Rise time (max) tR 1.0 µs
Fall time (max) tF 1.0 µs
TRIG pulse width (min) tTRIG 1.0 ms
Expose start (min) tSTART 100 µs
Expose start (max) tSTART 1 ms
BUSY start (min) tBUSY 0 ms
BUSY start (max) tBUSY 200 ms
ACTIVE time (min) tACT 1000 ms
ACTIVE time (max) tACT ∞ s
Mid expose pulse width (typ) tMID 100 us
VOLTAGE LIMIT
The electrical denition of signal type “CMOS” will be according to the limits
specied below:
The electrical denition of signal type “OC” will be according to the limits
specied below:
TRIG, -EXP and -BUSY timing relationship
Characteristics Symbol Value Unit (AC)
Maximum output voltage VSOH 5.25 V
Minimum output voltage VSOL 4.75 V
Characteristics Symbol Value Unit (AC)
Peak current consumption for VSYS+ ICC 40 mA
VOLTAGE LIMIT
The VSYS+ signal will conform to the following voltage requirements:
CURRENT LIMIT
The VSYS+ signal will conform to the following current requirements:

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A6D User Manual
ELECTRICAL TIMINGS
The electrical timing when using EXPOSE signal as mid exposure indicator:
tTRIG
CENTRE OF
EXPOSURE
tMID
tACT
tBUSY
tRtF
EXPOSE
BUSY
TRIG
tEXP