A Breakthrough in Cultural Heritage Imaging
Today Digital Transitions is introducing the DT iXH 250MP, the new flagship of our preservation-grade digitization camera line and — by a wide margin — the highest-resolution single-shot camera ever built for cultural heritage work. Powered by the brand-new Sony iMX811 247-megapixel CMOS sensor, the iXH 250MP delivers a native 19,236 × 12,836 image from a single capture, raising the ceiling for what an instant-capture system can resolve in one frame.
This is not an incremental update. The iMX811 represents a generational jump in sensor design, and the iXH 250MP is the first cultural heritage camera built around it. For practitioners, it means a larger working footprint at higher PPI, finer subject detail at the same field of view, and — for the first time — true 400ppi capture of A0-sized material from a single shot.
What the Sensor Actually Changes
The iXH 150MP set the previous quality standard with a 14,204 × 10,652 image off a 53.7 × 40.4 mm full-frame 645 sensor and a 3.76 µm pixel. The iXH 250MP keeps the same purpose-built iXH body, mount, lens compatibility, and integration, with a new-from-the-ground-up sensor underneath.
The iMX811 packs 2.81 µm pixels into a 54 × 36 mm imaging area, yielding roughly 65% more pixels per capture than the 150MP. Where previous instant-capture systems topped out at A0 at 300ppi, the iXH 250MP captures nearly that same document size at 400ppi in one frame, a meaningful PPI upgrade across your entire flat-art and oversized-material workflow, with no change in handling, lighting, or station configuration.
The ISO range has also expanded dramatically, from 50–800 on the 150MP to 50–25,600 on the 250MP, giving operators significantly more latitude in lower-light situations and with reflective or fragile materials where flash power must be kept modest.
Built on the iXH Platform You Already Know
The iXH 250MP is mechanically and operationally interchangeable with the rest of the iXH platform. It uses the same Phase One iXH lens mount, so the Phase One RS 72mm Mk II and Schneider Kreuznach 120mm lenses your team already owns carry forward. The body retains the same 227 × 130 × 130 mm dimensions and 3,450 g weight (with the 72mm Mk II and L-bracket), the same Arca-Swiss / VHQ L-bracket mounting, and the same 24V AC-powered, no-battery, no-LCD design that has made the iXH the most widely deployed preservation-grade camera in the world.
That means the 250MP drops onto your existing DT Atom, DT Element, DT Versa, DT Titan, DT BC100, or DT V-Cradle without rebuilding the station. Capture One CH, DT Nexus, AutoColumn, AutoPPI, the DT Photon SmartController pre-trigger, foot-pedal triggering, ISA, BatchStitch, and the rest of the DT software ecosystem all work the way you expect them to. The fully integrated L-dovetail still rotates between left-right and fore-aft orientation without removing the camera from the stand. USB-C and SFP+ (1G/10G) connectivity carry the larger raw files quickly using Phase One’s existing IIQ raw compression.
For institutions running mixed fleets, lenses, extension tubes, calibration targets, and operator training all carry over directly, meaning you can introduce a 250MP station alongside existing 150MP and 100MP systems without retraining the team or revalidating workflows.
What This Unlocks for Practitioners
For day-to-day digitization work, the 250MP changes the math on a number of common problems:
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- iXH 250MP + Nexus with groundbreaking multi-crop allows you to capture multiple objects in one image and crop them to their own individual files.
- Oversized flat material that previously required stitching at 400ppi can now be captured in a single exposure, eliminating an entire post-processing step and the associated QC overhead.
- Large works of art, jumbo folio, textile arts, large format films, and maps can be digitized at higher native PPI without changing camera position, lighting, or station — meaningful for FADGI 4-star and METAMORFOZE programs targeting the highest deliverable tiers.
- Small objects, philatelic material, glass plates, and film gain finer per-pixel sampling from the same 72mm Mk II working distances, pushing achievable PPI well past previous limits without resorting to extension tubes for moderate magnifications.
- Mixed-material workflows — where one station has to handle everything from an A0 map to an A8 stamp — benefit from the wider single-capture range, reducing the number of position changes per object.
Capture rate is 1 FPS — appropriate for the substantially larger file size. In practice, with typical heritage cycle times measured in seconds of material handling rather than fractions of a second of capture, the camera is essentially never the rate-limiting step.
Technical Specifications: iXH 250MP vs. iXH 150MP
| iXH 250MP | iXH 150MP | |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor | Sony iMX811 CMOS | Full-frame 645 |
| Resolution | 247 MP / 19,236 × 12,836 | 150 MP / 14,204 × 10,652 |
| Effective Sensor Size | 54 × 36 mm | 53.7 × 40.4 mm |
| Pixel Size | 2.81 µm | 3.76 µm |
| Color Depth | 16 bit / 14 bit | 16 bit / 14 bit |
| ISO Range | 50 – 25,600 | 50 – 800 |
| Dynamic Range | 14.5 f-stops | 15 f-stops |
| Capture Rate | 1.0 FPS | Instant capture (typical exposure ~1/30s) |
| Shutter | Electronic (sensor) / Leaf (iXH lens) | Leaf, electronic |
| Shutter Speed | 1/2000 – 30 sec | Leaf 1/250 – 30 sec; Electronic 1/4000 – 1 hr |
| Lens Mount | Phase One iXH | Phase One iXH |
| Interface | USB-C / SFP+ (1G/10G) | USB-C / 10G Ethernet |
| Focus Control | Software (Capture One CH) | Software (Capture One CH) |
| Mechanical Mounts | Arca-Swiss / VHQ L-Bracket | Arca-Swiss / VHQ L-Bracket |
| Triggering | Hand release, host capture, foot pedal | Hand release, host capture, foot pedal |
| Live View / HDMI | 1920 × 1080 | 1920 × 1080 |
| Dimensions (w/ 72mm Mk II) | 227 × 130 × 130 mm | 227 × 130 × 130 mm |
| Weight (w/ 72mm Mk II) | 3,450 g | 3,450 g |
| Cooling | Passive Cooling | Passive Cooling |
| Approvals | FCC Class A, CE, RoHS | FCC Class A, CE, RoHS |
| Operating Temp | -10 to 32 °C | 10 to 35 °C |
| Humidity | 15 – 80% (non-condensing) | 15 – 80% (non-condensing) |
| Power | 24V, 5m cable | 24V, 5m cable |
| Compatible Lenses | Phase One RS 72mm Mk II, Schneider Kreuznach 120mm | Phase One RS 72mm Mk II, Schneider Kreuznach 120mm |
| Software | Capture One CH | Capture One CH |
Pre-Orders Now Open
The DT iXH 250MP is now available for pre-orders and upgrades. As with every Phase One camera DT delivers, the 250MP ships with a full warranty (including a loaner during any service event), and is supported by DT’s expert technical staff for installation, training, calibration, and ongoing program support.
For institutions evaluating the 250MP for an upcoming acquisition cycle, refresh of an existing 150MP station, or an all new digitization program, we’re happy to walk through specifications, run sample captures of your material, and quote complete solutions for your needs.
For additional information contact us at info@digitaltransitions.com or HERE.