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Hasselblad X1D anyone?

steveash

steveash

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 7, 2008
527
245
UK
So Hasselblad has a new camera that is almost affordable, at least if you take pictures for a living. I couldn't help noticing that they have taken a long look at Apple design and marketing before creating this camera, even using a MacBook Air within the keynote presentation.

I for one am rather excited by the new camera. It could potentially replace or live alongside my aging H3DII-39 for studio and location shoots. I'm still not 100% taken with the rendering of the Sony sensor but the idea of something light and compact, yet not tiny and fiddly, would mean it could potentially replace both my MF and DSLR cameras.

Most importantly, I may once again be able to admit in public that I'm a Hasselblad user and not get sniggers and sneering looks.
 
steveash said:
So Hasselblad has a new camera that is almost affordable, at least if you take pictures for a living. I couldn't help noticing that they have taken a long look at Apple design and marketing before creating this camera, even using a MacBook Air within the keynote presentation.

I for one am rather excited by the new camera. It could potentially replace or live alongside my aging H3DII-39 for studio and location shoots. I'm still not 100% taken with the rendering of the Sony sensor but the idea of something light and compact, yet not tiny and fiddly, would mean it could potentially replace both my MF and DSLR cameras.

Most importantly, I may once again be able to admit in public that I'm a Hasselblad user and not get sniggers and sneering looks.
Click to expand...
A bit out of my price bracket. It looks nice, but I prefer a few more physical buttons than that touch screen from what I saw on DPREVIEW.
 
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It looks interesting but a tad past my gadget budget for me too. Medium format is of interest but I too do not like touch screens. The proximity sensors never quite work and I tend to have to contort myself so my nose doesn't select stuff accidentally. Drove me mad on the last camera fitted with it.

I am happy that we are starting in this territory as it means that maybe in a few years I can pick one up cheap and experience larger format. Until then, there's nothing lika Leica
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steveash said:
So Hasselblad has a new camera that is almost affordable, at least if you take pictures for a living. I couldn't help noticing that they have taken a long look at Apple design and marketing before creating this camera, even using a MacBook Air within the keynote presentation.

I for one am rather excited by the new camera. It could potentially replace or live alongside my aging H3DII-39 for studio and location shoots. I'm still not 100% taken with the rendering of the Sony sensor but the idea of something light and compact, yet not tiny and fiddly, would mean it could potentially replace both my MF and DSLR cameras.

Most importantly, I may once again be able to admit in public that I'm a Hasselblad user and not get sniggers and sneering looks.
Click to expand...


You sure the sniggers aren't because they thought you said Hasselhoff fan?
 
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Apple fanboy said:
A bit out of my price bracket. It looks nice, but I prefer a few more physical buttons than that touch screen from what I saw on DPREVIEW.
Click to expand...

kenoh said:
It looks interesting but a tad past my gadget budget for me too. Medium format is of interest but I too do not like touch screens. The proximity sensors never quite work and I tend to have to contort myself so my nose doesn't select stuff accidentally. Drove me mad on the last camera fitted with it.

I am happy that we are starting in this territory as it means that maybe in a few years I can pick one up cheap and experience larger format. Until then, there's nothing lika Leica
Click to expand...

Yes, there's an awful lot to be said for a camera you've had for years with controls that sit under your fingers like they've always been there. The thing I like about this camera is its portability. The low weight and few moving parts would make it much easier to chuck in a backpack. Trouble is, it's hard to make a business case for convenience and even harder to make one for whizzy...

kenoh said:
You sure the sniggers aren't because they thought you said Hasselhoff fan?
Click to expand...

Now it all makes sense!
 
steveash said:
Yes, there's an awful lot to be said for a camera you've had for years with controls that sit under your fingers like they've always been there. The thing I like about this camera is its portability. The low weight and few moving parts would make it much easier to chuck in a backpack. Trouble is, it's hard to make a business case for convenience and even harder to make one for whizzy...



Now it all makes sense!
Click to expand...


Business case for a camera purchase? Huh? Only criteria I need is that my wife cant tell it apart from the other ones... so it passes the "that better not be another new camera!?!?" Test... :)
 
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The Bad Guy said:
It's sensor is small comparatively speaking and the lens selection is smaller. Not that exciting to be honest.
Click to expand...

Really? of everyone on here I thought you would be the most into this... hmm... yeah another lens system is not something I am hoping for right now but I assume this opens up access to the Schneider optics right? I havent got one of them... :)
 
The Bad Guy said:
It's sensor is small comparatively speaking and the lens selection is smaller. Not that exciting to be honest.
Click to expand...
Still an awesome camera.

Wait until prices come down and we have an affordable, compact smallish-medium format mirrorless system.
That's quite exciting.

For now however you can get a mamiya 67rb (proper mf) with lens for $400.
 
Meister said:
Still an awesome camera.

Wait until prices come down and we have an affordable, compact smallish-medium format mirrorless system.
That's quite exciting.

For now however you can get a mamiya 67rb (proper mf) with lens for $400.
Click to expand...
I bet it will be beautiful IQ but UK price is £7,198 on WeX. ... Ouch!
 
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I like the simple design of the camera but like others, not going to happen with the cost involved. There are other medium format cameras out there now that are excellent and some worth a look for cost advantage and excellent output.

For me, I am keeping an eye on Fuji that is suppose to release a medium format camera possibly later this year. Fuji has made in film days some truly outstanding medium format cameras (I have owned two back when) so we'll see if they make a counterpart to the Hasselblad and for less money. Let's recall that Fuji not only has made its own fine optics for the X series but made lenses for other companies (including Hasselblad).
 
Apple fanboy said:
Small change for you! Best order two so you have a back up!
Click to expand...


Very flattering but alas not quite... there are a bathroom, garden, carport and new imac ahead of this if it were in the queue...

Also, resolution and sensor size are not the limiting factors to my photography. It is the sack of bones, fat and water holding it that is my issue still..
 
The camera is pretty cool, but I'm more interested in what the future holds for Hasselblad. I like them innovating with new (original) products.
 
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I just picked up a very lightly used (under 1300 actuations) 645z and an HD 28-45mm lens. Haven't really had a chance to use it yet but it's an absolute MONSTER...I'm already looking forward to a mirrorless medium format future.
 
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I was happy to see this camera come from Hassy. I began to feel a bit better about the company after the H6D-100c and this enhances those positive vibes. They seemed to have lost their way for a good while, making ridiculous Sony Alpha rip-off cameras and generally trailing Phase One at the high end, but they seem serious about progression now. I wouldn’t recommend jumping in on this camera model, I’d say wait till v2, but I’m eager to try it.

Ended up writing about this camera the other day: https://medium.com/@RomanMF/hasselblad-shakes-up-the-medium-format-arena-finally-f6091bb4ad65#
 
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TH3D4RKKN1GH7 said:
I was happy to see this camera come from Hassy. I began to feel a bit better about the company after the H6D-100c and this enhances those positive vibes. They seemed to have lost their way for a good while, making ridiculous Sony Alpha rip-off cameras and generally trailing Phase One at the high end, but they seem serious about progression now. I wouldn’t recommend jumping in on this camera model, I’d say wait till v2, but I’m eager to try it.

Ended up writing about this camera the other day: https://medium.com/@RomanMF/hasselblad-shakes-up-the-medium-format-arena-finally-f6091bb4ad65#
Click to expand...

Interesting article . Nicely written.
 
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kenoh said:
Interesting article . Nicely written.
Click to expand...

Thank you for reading it. I appreciate it.

Hearing the AF performance on this thing is slow (shocker) that's definitely something I hope improves on v2. For something so nimble—it really is a genius bit of engineering—you want the AF performance to suit the shooting style.
 
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TH3D4RKKN1GH7 said:
Thank you for reading it. I appreciate it.

Hearing the AF performance on this thing is slow (shocker) that's definitely something I hope improves on v2. For something so nimble—it really is a genius bit of engineering—you want the AF performance to suit the shooting style.
Click to expand...

That's the achilles heel of mirrorless though right? Remember the x100.. it will improve soon.
 
TH3D4RKKN1GH7 said:
Hearing the AF performance on this thing is slow (shocker) that's definitely something I hope improves on v2. For something so nimble—it really is a genius bit of engineering—you want the AF performance to suit the shooting style.
Click to expand...

I think this is going to be Hasselblad's biggest challenge. Their traditional users have generally worked slowly and methodically, where focus accuracy is more important than speed. But this camera is pushing them out into the mainstream and their new customers are going to be expecting performance on par with a high end 35mm DSLR. The lenses have big heavy chunks of glass and leaf shutters inside them which will need a lot of power to move at the speeds people are used to.
 
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