Victor Hasselblad AB is a Swedish manufacturer of medium format cameras, photographic equipment and image scanners based in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Karl Erik wanted his son, Victor Hasselblad, to have a wide understanding of the camera business, and sent him to Dresden, Germany, then the world center of the optics industry, at age 18 (c. 1924).

The Swedish government realised the strategic advantage of developing an aerial camera for their own use, and in the spring of 1940 approached Victor Hasselblad to help create one.

By late 1941, the operation had over 20 employees and the Swedish Air Force asked for another camera, one which would have a larger negative and could be permanently mounted to an aircraft.

After the war, watch and clock production continued, and other machine work was also carried out, including producing a slide projector and supplying parts for Saab automobiles.

This camera was produced in over 1500+ units over a span of a few years, and quickly became the preferred all-around workhorse of the majority of professional Scandinavian photographers.

The Series Two versions of the 1600 F, perhaps as many as 3300 made from 1950 to 1953, were more reliable but still subject to frequent repairs, with many units having been cannibalized or modified by the factory.

Though a specialty product not intended to sell in large numbers, the SWA was an impressive achievement, and derivatives were sold for decades.

The 1000 F was replaced by the 500 C. The landmark 500 C design formed the basis for Hasselblad's product line for the next sixty years, with variants being produced until 2006.

[6] It was not until 1960, though, that Hasselblad's cameras became profitable; prior to this point, the company was still being entirely supported by sales of imported photographic supplies, including their distribution of Kodak products.

The then owners had no confidence in Hasselblad's already advanced digital project returning a profit, and, seeing the relative success in the market of the modern (i.e. fully automated) 645 cameras made by manufacturers like Pentax and Mamiya, closed down Hasselblad's digital department and directed all effort towards making this 645 film camera.

Christian Poulsen, chief executive of Hasselblad after the merger (previously founder and CEO of Imacon), said, "They finally realized there was no future.

[15][16] In August 2018, DJI announced Mavic 2 PRO, the first drone to carry a camera featuring the Hasselblad branding.

Modifications were made to permit ease of use in cramped conditions while wearing spacesuits, such as the replacement of the reflex mirror with an eye-level finder.

An even more extensively modified Hasselblad EL data camera (HDC), equipped with a special Zeiss 5.6/60 mm Biogon lens and film magazines for 150–200 exposures, was used on the Moon surface on the Apollo 11 mission.

Towards the end of the 1000 F production period a Dallmeyer 5.6/508 mm lens made by Cook and Perkins, England, was also available, but did not fully cover the full film format.

Hasselblad 1000F and especially 1600F cameras are very rare on the secondhand market and usually not in working condition because of age, neglect, and a lack of spare parts and qualified repairmen.

The Rolleiflex's 6 × 6 format was deemed ideal: large enough to provide high image quality, but small enough to fit inside a compact camera.

These considerations led to the 1600 F and a flexible camera system that includes interchangeable bodies, lenses, viewfinders, winders, film magazines and holders, and other accessories.

Apart from the housing that incorporates the motor drive and the NiCd batteries, this camera is similar in appearance and operation to the Hasselblad 500 C and uses the same magazines, lenses and viewfinders.

The 503CWD was the very last iteration of the V-series line and was a limited edition variant produced in 2006 to commemorate the centenary of the birth of Victor Hasselblad (born 1906).

Built with a rubber-covered titanium and aluminium body, they were designed as a coupled rangefinder camera with interchangeable, compact lenses.

The XPan II has every feature of the original, but grants the user the ability to record thirty-minute exposures compared to the old limit of three minutes.

This camera is a variant of the H6D-100c with the ability to shift the sensor by a sequence of full and half pixel movements in sync with multiple captures to improve both colour rendition and to extrapolate a higher resolution.

[57] Hasselblad announced the X1D II 50C in June 2019, an upgraded variant of the original camera with the exact same sensor[58] but faster electronics and a lower price point.

The latest version of Phocus is available on Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X, and by taking advantage of the operating system's raw image format library, the Mac OS X version of Phocus supports raw image formats from other DSLR manufacturers.

[63] In June 2019, Hasselblad announced the new Phocus Mobile 2, enabling a more portable workflow via USB-C and Wi-Fi connection for the traveling photographer.

In addition, Phocus Mobile 2 supports full quality image export, tethered shooting and direct camera control.

At the 2012 photokina trade show in Germany, Hasselblad announced it would release a new mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera (MILC) using the Sony E-mount.

The camera, called the Lunar, is based on the Sony NEX-7, including its 24.3 MP APS-C sensor, processing engine and user interface.