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Hasselblad X1D

Quentin_Bargate

Well-known member
The predicted Sony A9 using the E-Mount, is likely to spoil Hasselblad's party. It's all rumour, but well founded and probably accurate rumour, that the A9 will sit above the current A7RII, with a host of new developments and improvements. Expect yet more MP, better focussing, etc.

I am a huge fan of the Pentax K1. It has not got a mention yet in this thread, but it deserves one.
 

bab

Active member
One thing I will say about using EVF... Manual focusing is extremely easy and quick to do with one. I have no doubts that the camera will be fast enough to use outdoors from dawn to dusk but when it gets to lower light environments I suspect that people would zoom into an image to manually nail the focus. After a little practice I found myself doing this more than auto focusing.
I agree it depends on the subject also portrait shooters claim all auto focus systems focus on the eyelashes not the pupil so even after auto focus a slight adjustment by hand is needed. It takes many hours of practice to be proficient with any camera even a rolliflex they all have limitations which require work a rounds.
 

Quentin_Bargate

Well-known member
It must be difficult for a certain strata of customer to find cameras that cost enough and are stylish enough and useable enough to be viable.
This new thing certainly fills another niche, I think you are right on the money.

I like the layout and buttons and size : it must be good for the digitally-challenged older gent, I just hope they add stabilisation to the MkII.
I'm serious about Hasselblad and Monaco Yacht Show. It sits well with luxury assets. High end cars, yachts, clothing, art. They have a watch auction that raises money for charity. Why not Hasselblad featured large?

They should get in touch. I'd be happy to have them as co sponsors at our event at Before Bar

Experts in Superyachts at the Monaco Yacht Show 2015 - Bargate Murray Solicitors
 

hcubell

Well-known member
I'm serious about Hasselblad and Monaco Yacht Show. It sits well with luxury assets. High end cars, yachts, clothing, art. They have a watch auction that raises money for charity. Why not Hasselblad featured large?

They should get in touch. I'd be happy to have them as co sponsors at our event at Before Bar

Experts in Superyachts at the Monaco Yacht Show 2015 - Bargate Murray Solicitors
Quentin:
I think Hasselblad is trying to recover from its crass efforts to appeal to that crowd. They very much want to position the X1D as a serious camera for serious photographers, not bling.
 

synn

New member
Some big pluses very long exposure times can be done which is a limitation today with out 42mpx Sonys.

A huge line of lenses we can tap into from the H glass upon release with adapter of course which should be fully automatic.


True leaf shutter . I see as a advantage not a downside as some here think.

It's just damn cool looking


True leaf shutter is definitely an advantage and I won't dispute that for a second.
What I was hoping for was aleaf AND FP shutter platform (Like the Mamiyas and Leicas) which will allow the use of great native lenses and third party lenses.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
True leaf shutter is definitely an advantage and I won't dispute that for a second.
What I was hoping for was aleaf AND FP shutter platform (Like the Mamiyas and Leicas) which will allow the use of great native lenses and third party lenses.
Perhaps that is where a competitor would make headway.
 

Stefan Steib

Active member
It was a product launch. Of course it will be marketing centric. Do you see Apple launching an Iphone with a launch video that shows only benchmark scores?

It has not even been 24 hours since the camera was unveiled. Hold your horses. Thereal world reviews will come.

I admire all that you and your company has done for photography, but it seems like with every MF launch related thread, you're here to play the role of debbie Downer.
That´s utter nonsense, you may remember that I have built and still do sell a MF camera myself.
 

epforever

Member
Without IBIS or VR/OSS/IS, casual "travel" use is crippled. Not impossible, but certainly less enabled.
With all due respect to Joe Colson, sometimes I think expectations have in recent years just gone absurdly out into the stratosphere. I haven't read to the end of this thread -- been out on a job / shooting since the X1D announcement -- but to say that travel use is crippled seems almost nonsensical to me. The camera goes up to ISO 25,600 and has f/3.5 lenses, and travel use is crippled? Yes, it lacks VR, but it also lacks mirror slap. Before digital I traveled with f/2.8 lenses and pushed my B&W negs to 1600 or 3200, and was very happy with the results. What makes an image strong is content.

This is the MF digital that so many people have been waiting for, and once it comes out, it seems like a big bashing party. How many times have I seen people claiming that they are dying for something like a digital Mamiya 7? (Which was limited to leaf shutters, f/4 lenses, film ISOs, RF focusing, requirement to close film gate before changing lenses, etc.) I think this seems like a terrific camera. Sure, it's not everything, but no camera is. For pete's sake, try to find a little happiness, people.

I'm sure I'll get bashed for some reason for posting this.
 

PeterA

Well-known member
What the hell are you folks smoking?:loco:

Anyway, back to reality.

As I see this new camera as applied to what and how I now shoot photos:

PROS:

I do not recall any AF issues with the H4D I used, so I doubt this new camera has worse AF than that … and it may be better/faster with the smaller lenses made for it. I do wonder why H did not implement True Focus on this camera which I found to be a tremendous proprietary advantage over all other MF type cameras, and many smaller formats. Actual AF performance TBD.

The balance between size and handling seem to have been well integrated, which is being confirmed by those who've actually handled the camera.

Dual SDs is a key advantage for anyone shooting fleeting subjects. Losing a wedding card is a lot different from losing a vacation card. Both are horrible, but you aren't getting sued by your family for lost vacation snaps. BTW, SD cards are much harder to recover than CFs, so a SD failure is more likely to stay a failure. I worry a bit about this every time I shoot a wedding with the Sony A7R-II. I'm working without a net.

Uses HC and HCD lenses. Recent updates to many Hasselblad lenses have made them more than competitive; the HC-50/3.5-II is second to none IMHO. I hope the HC adapter allows use of the HC extension tubes … even better, the HTS unit for DOF control with the 100/2.2 for table-top product photography.

LS to 1/2000. I know from experience that I can live with this because the H4D I used topped out at 1/800 and I only occasionally had an issue with it. The lack of mirror slap, and of Sony type shutter shock, is a nice benefit of LS only. I'd hazard a guess that this camera is quiet. I could easily see Hasselblad implementing an e-shutter in future when technology allows it. IMO, no focal plane shutter was the right decision for the longer term future of the system because of that.

Higher ISO capability compared to my S-006. Not that big of a deal based on how I shoot, but this new camera could take over S duties AND Sony A7R-II duties with one system.


CONS:

If I understand correctly, this camera does NOT have a PC port. As insignificant as this seems, no PC port conjures up some issues for me. 1) How does one implement 1/2000 sync without the ability to hard-wire from camera to strobe? The Profoto AIR Transmitter tops out at 1/1000 when set to speed mode. (I'm not talking about Hyper-Sync at 1/2000). 2) If I am using a Nikon speed-light in the hot-shoe for TTL fill, how do I trigger my Profoto and Hensel (w.AIR) off-camera strobes?

BTW, no PC port is second only to the cluster-fukc menu when it comes to things I hate about my Sony A7R-II.

NO IS. Actually, with LS lenses this is less of an issue … but a moveable sensor could mean auto sensor cleaning which is a bigger deal with these MF sized cameras.


UNKNOWNS:

For me, the biggest unknown about this new camera is the color rendering and sense of depth in the files. The H cameras I once shot with were great for this using Hasselblad's color engine and profiles … especially when processed in Phocus. That is another thing I subjectively do not like about my Sony A7R-II, and the main reason I haven't really aesthetically connected with anything Sony since the much loved A900.

- Marc


Hi Marc - nice summary, but you forgot to mention the Billingham bag disaster is being a deal breaker for you ...

I haven't got my hands on one of the to try (obviously) but I've been looking for a replacement for my walk around Alpa / digiback combo and I think this camera may just be the one that makes me open my dusty wallet.
I think you will like the colour files - I've tested quite a few CMOS files from Hasselblad 50megapixel CMOS and they don't hurt my eyes like most of the 35mm CMOS files do - in good to ok light - you can get the pop and sparkle factor pretty easy..
I'm a bit disappointed that they haven't got an electronic shutter going ( yet) but thats firmware - and if they ever do - it will allow for all sorts of adaptors to work for all sorts of glass.
Your point regarding PC connection is well made - the camera shoots leaf shutter lenses at 2000th - better than any other MF camera maker can muster - and the triggering strategy is?
In camera square and XPan(almost) panorama cropping is a big deal for me and a very welcome feature - the backs and files these days are so good I think I use photoshop to make pretty frames and thats about it...Phocus I always liked over anything else anyway - but LR is good too.
As for lenses I think I will go with the 100H/50 in H and the 30 combo when it comes out and pick up the HTS device for movements.

For those thinking that Sony versions of this type of camera will be coming out - I think you will be disappointed. Fuji has been cut out of this story so I don't expect them to be playing in this game either.

A real kit isnt cheap though a camera and three lenses will set a person back 15k or more - peanuts compared to what we used to pay for digibacks with (only) 30-40 megapixels a decade ago though.

I suspect tripod work will see it shine of course but Hasselblad have to be congratulated coming out with such a small light kick arse package - such a relief for me these days. I'll be buying one for sure - and ditching Alpa/Rodenstock/Schneider and the issues I've been having with the copal shutters - and all the fussing around I have to do to calibrate a damn back to the Alpa properly - I'm over futzing around.

This camera for my style of shooting and minimalist needs these days is a great way to have access to 50 megapixels - suspect it will work really well in studio as well because of sync speeds - so much more useful in real world than puny 35mm crapola and 125/250 limits.

Good to read everyone's first reactions!

Cheers
Pete
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
a pocket wizard/elinchrom sky port or whatever other wireless trigger you normally use?
Yeah I believe even the PCB Cyber Commander is rated to sync up to 1/2500 of a second. I've never tested it but that's what the tech people advertise.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Not sure anyone caught it in the video above he did say Nikon SB units. Anything Nikon is going to work with this cam. So you just need Nikon triggers and on camera flash Nikon TTL.
 

Charles Wood

New member
The predicted Sony A9 using the E-Mount, is likely to spoil Hasselblad's party. It's all rumour, but well founded and probably accurate rumour, that the A9 will sit above the current A7RII, with a host of new developments and improvements. Expect yet more MP, better focussing, etc.

I am a huge fan of the Pentax K1. It has not got a mention yet in this thread, but it deserves one.
Agreed. The K1 is a game changer in its own right and is more than a match IQ wise for any available FF. It is certainly the perfect backup for my 645z. The reality is that when used in controlled situations where pixel shift is possible, the K1 will deliver images superior in perceived detail and color gamut than any of the 50 meg MF bodies. And a mod is now available to use some Nikon lenses with the K1.

Go to DPR studio comparison screen, compare the K1 with pixel shift against ANY of the other systems including the Phase. Check the detail of the engraving of the currency note. Compare noise performance at high ISO against any other system. It's a pretty amazing body for $1800.00, nothing else comes close judged on IQ. There is certainly something to be said for eliminating the Bayer filter.
 

Chris Giles

New member
On the subject of flash solutions I've 12 x Canon 600EX-RT's which can be triggered wirelessly across 4 channels by a Yongnuo YN-E3-RT on any camera with a normal hotshoe (Canon / Nikon etc)

Manually of course, but I rarely use TTL - heck I can use this setup on my lowly Pentax GR2.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
Not sure anyone caught it in the video above he did say Nikon SB units. Anything Nikon is going to work with this cam. So you just need Nikon triggers and on camera flash Nikon TTL.
Post #5. The best feature.
 

med

Active member
Not sure anyone caught it in the video above he did say Nikon SB units. Anything Nikon is going to work with this cam. So you just need Nikon triggers and on camera flash Nikon TTL.
I wish Fuji would have done this instead of their half-baked TTL system! Being able to use all my old SBs and having access to all of the great 3rd party TTL gear that has Nikon support (Phottix, Profoto, etc) is awesome. I wonder if Hasselblad could release an HVX/HVD viewfinder for the H system with a Nikon shoe? Unlikely, I know, but a man can dream, right?

Also in the video when he was going through the ports he mentioned "tethering" in regards to the USB port. I'm not sure if that feature has been confirmed elsewhere yet, but I know some were concerned that the XD1 would lack it.
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
Not sure anyone caught it in the video above he did say Nikon SB units. Anything Nikon is going to work with this cam. So you just need Nikon triggers and on camera flash Nikon TTL.
Selfishly, I was hoping for a Sony compatible MIS hotshoe which would make this camera harder to resist. I could always get a Nikon controller for my strobes and the X1D SHOULD work but I don't know if wireless controllers would require a firmware update to be able to sync the timing properly.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I wish Fuji would have done this instead of their half-baked TTL system! Being able to use all my old SBs and having access to all of the great 3rd party TTL gear that has Nikon support (Phottix, Profoto, etc) is awesome. I wonder if Hasselblad could release an HVX/HVD viewfinder for the H system with a Nikon shoe? Unlikely, I know, but a man can dream, right?

Also in the video when he was going through the ports he mentioned "tethering" in regards to the USB port. I'm not sure if that feature has been confirmed elsewhere yet, but I know some were concerned that the XD1 would lack it.
I totally believe your going to able to tether it. It's not a Hassy if you can't
 
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