Phase One is the absolute top of digital medium format — cameras that carry the price tag of a car when new, and used suddenly come within reach of studios and fine-art photographers. Our range holds around 140 Phase One products: XF bodies, IQ digital backs and Schneider Kreuznach glass.
Why a used Phase One?
The depreciation on new Phase One gear is the used market's opportunity: an IQ back that cost a mid-range car when new becomes available for a fraction after a few years — with exactly the same sensor and the same dynamic range. Studios renewing their system thus supply the entry point for the next generation of fine-art photographers. And because the whole workflow revolves around Capture One, older hardware stays fully supported in modern software too. For anyone who already has a Hasselblad H or an older Phase system, a loose IQ back is also the cheapest upgrade route: body and glass simply stay. Reuse does not get more professional than this.
How do you put a system together?
- IQ digital backs — the crown jewels: IQ4 in 60, 100 and 150 megapixels, available for the brand's own XF system and for Hasselblad H bodies.
- XF bodies — complete sets with prism and lens form the fastest route to a professional medium-format workflow.
- Schneider Kreuznach glass — the leaf-shutter lenses that make flash work possible at every shutter speed. Because the shutter sits in the lens and not in the back, wear also stays local and affordable to fix.
What we look for in used Phase One
With equipment of this calibre we inspect extra strictly: a sensor test at pixel level (dead pixels and banding are immediately visible at 150 megapixels), the leaf shutters in the lenses, flash synchronisation, firmware versions and the physical condition of mounts and connectors — the mechanical coupling between back and body is critical. We also test every back tethered, exactly as it is used in the studio. The findings are listed in full with the product, and our 12-month warranty applies here too.
Need advice?
A Phase One system is put together — back, body, glass. Drop by in Geldermalsen or ask your question online; we are happy to think along, also about trading in your current medium-format kit.
