First time implementing UAV technology for inspection of this historic landmark
New York, N.Y. (October 11, 2018) – Hasselblad, the leader in high-quality professional medium format cameras, and DJI, the world leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, announced a special collaboration with The Metropolitan Museum of Art that has resulted in the high-resolution photographic documentation of the exterior of the Fuentidueña Apse, a 12th-century limestone structure at The Met Cloisters. This collaboration utilized the Hasselblad A6D-100c camera and DJI’s M600 Pro drone to capture photographs that will support a condition survey of the apse, which came to The Met Cloisters from a church in Fuentidueña, Spain, in 1958. This is the first time The Met has employed drone technology for this purpose.
Surveys of the exterior of the apse have occurred previously, most recently in the late 1990s. Even with the best technology available at that time, these earlier surveys required an extensive commitment of time and resources, with photography of each stone, section by section. This collaboration allowed The Met to more efficiently capture higher resolution 100-megapixel images of the exterior elevations that can then be compared to the previous images, enabling the mapping and assessment of any condition changes. The images may also be used to create a 3D model of the apse, which would allow conservators to visualize the varying conditions of the stone in correlation with the building’s surroundings.
“We here at The Met are pleased to collaborate with Hasselblad and DJI on this unique advanced imaging project, and look forward to working with the high resolution images of the Fuentidueña Apse that will result from this project,” commented Scott Geffert, General Manager for Advanced Imaging at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Hasselblad A6D-100c camera and DJI M600 Pro UAV combine each company’s unparalleled technological expertise to create an extraordinary tool for precise, detailed and accurate aerial imaging.
The Hasselblad A6D-100c camera is a triumph of aerial camera technology, with a large 53.4 mm x 40.0 mm sensor that offers outstanding detail, color reproduction and tonal range even in challenging lighting conditions using any H System lens. The camera attaches to the drone via the Ronin-MX, a three-axis stabilized gimbal, which uses powerful motors and inertial measurement units to resist high G-forces, maintain stability and hold the horizon.
Professional drone operators can seamlessly control camera functionality in flight using the DJI GO 4 app, providing rich imagery for landscape and fine art photography, robust data for surveying and mapmaking, and endless possibilities for future professional endeavors.
The flight platform for the combination is the DJI M600 Pro drone, an advanced and adaptable six-rotor flight platform equipped with the powerful Lightbridge 2 HD transmission system, a dustproof propulsion system and six Intelligent Flight Batteries. The M600 Pro provides an open platform that suits a wide variety of endeavors from artistic to industrial.
Hasselblad remains the only medium format camera company collaborating with DJI directly to combine unprecedented levels of quality for drone imaging with ease of use and operation.
About Hasselblad
Founded in 1941, Hasselblad is the leading manufacturer of medium format cameras and lenses. Made in Sweden, Hasselblad cameras are renowned for their iconic ergonomic design, uncompromising image quality and Swedish craftsmanship. For over half a century Hasselblad cameras have captured some of the world’s most iconic images – including the first landing on the moon – and helped shape the way we look at the world through genuine photographic artistry. Trusted by NASA and used by the greatest photographers in the world, Hasselblad continues to create products with uncompromising image quality that inspire.
The Hasselblad H Camera System with its professional lens family and unique advancements is widely acknowledged as the most comprehensive digital camera system of its kind available today. Hasselblad was the first to launch the fully integrated medium format camera system incorporating the latest in CMOS sensor technology. In 2016 Hasselblad launched the H6D, a technological feat with an all new electronic platform, delivering superior craftsmanship and image quality. Later the same year, Hasselblad introduced the world’s first compact mirrorless digital medium format camera – the X1D. Hasselblad’s X1D sensor benchmarked the highest score in the history of DxO Mark’s independent testing.
Headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, Hasselblad is a global brand with offices in New York, London, Tokyo, Paris, Copenhagen, Hamburg and Shenzhen with distributors throughout the world.
For more information, visit Hasselblad online: www.hasselblad.com
About The Met
The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in three iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online. Since it was founded in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum’s galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures.
Opened in 1938 as a branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Met Cloisters is America’s only museum dedicated exclusively to the art and architecture of the Middle Ages. Including a museum and gardens within a single complex, it picturesquely overlooks the Hudson River in Fort Tryon Park in northern Manhattan and derives its name from the portions of five medieval cloisters incorporated into a modern museum structure.
