Were the Hasselblad cameras used on Space Shuttle missions in the early 1990s film or digital?
Asked 4/7/2022
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NASA captions for STS-46 (1992) and STS-62 (1994) show Marsha Ivins using multiple Hasselblad 70mm cameras. One 1994 caption says the cameras recorded the same imagery on different types of “file,” while another version says different types of “film.” Were these Shuttle Hasselblads analog film cameras or digital systems?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
4y ago
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The cameras used in 1992 and 1994 are all 70mm analog film cameras. 70mm refers to the film size, not the focal length of the lens.
Hasselblad did not make digital backs or digital cameras until much later.
When they say “file”, it is either a misprint, or they are referring to different types of film capture images.
Originally by user39427. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user39427
4y ago
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They were analog film cameras.
The key clue is the caption calling them “70mm Hasselblad cameras.” In this context, 70mm refers to the film format, not the lens focal length. The backs visible in the photos are also consistent with film magazines rather than digital backs.
The “different types of file” wording is almost certainly a typo or transcription error. NASA’s other version says “different types of film,” which fits the described comparison tests much better.
While some medium-format digital backs from third parties did begin to appear in the 1990s, Hasselblad did not have its own digital camera/back system in common Shuttle use at that time, and these specific photos/captions point to film-based image capture. So for the 1992 and 1994 Shuttle examples, the Hasselblads were being used as 70mm analog film cameras.
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