The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

A landscape photographer's Hasselblad X1D review

vieri

Well-known member
Ladies and gentlemen, for a little Sunday read, and for those interested, I just published my Hasselblad X1D review, seen under a landscape photographer's perspective.

As a landscape photographer, my in-depth Hasselblad X1D review will mainly deal with the use of the camera for a pretty specific genre of photography. I am also well aware that I am late to the party, with the Hasselblad X1D now reaching its third year of existence and with many reviews already out there. However, I think that it is exactly due to my very specific approach to using the Hasselblad X1D, and to my own approach to photography, that adding one more review to the many already out there might still prove of interest. This Hasselblad X1D review is the result of more than six months of experience using the camera for my professional work day-in, day-out, not one based on resolution charts and the like.

Read on to find out what I thought about this amazingly small medium format camera!

https://www.vieribottazzini.com/2019/05/a-landscape-photographer-in-depth-hasselblad-x1d-review.html

Best regards,

Vieri
 

glenerrolrd

Workshop Member
Really a terrific report ..well done . I found the most important part of the report was a “clear , concise statement of purpose . The first step in any discussion of gear should be an understanding of the requirements . Your purpose should easily translate into the specific gear requirements e.g.

Do you print large ? If yes you may want a higher MP sensor for example .

Do you need to carry the gear for any distance ? If yes the weight and size would be important .

How important is best possible image quality (as you define it not just a test chart ) ? The more you need the more it costs and often the greater the sacrifice to higher weight and size .

Not an exhaustive list but some of the considerations beyond the typical image quality and cost discussion .

:clap:
 
Last edited:

vieri

Well-known member
Really a terrific report ..well done . I found the most important part of the report was a “clear , concise statement of purpose . The first step in any discussion of gear should be an understanding of the requirements . Your purpose should easily translate into the specific gear requirements e.g.

Do you print large ? If yes you may want a higher MP sensor for example .

Do you need to carry the gear for any distance ? If yes the weight and size would be important .

How important is best possible image quality (as you define it not just a test chart ) ? The more you need the more it costs and the often the greater the sacrifice to higher weight and size .

Not an exhaustive list but some of the considerations beyond the typical image quality and cost discussion .

:clap:
Hello Roger,

thank you for taking the time to read and comment, glad you found the article interesting and I am happy you agree with my purpose-oriented approach to gear :)

Best regards,

Vieri
 

hcubell

Well-known member
Very well done and thoughtful review, Vieri. Having used the X1D for 2 and 1/2 years, I believe you have perfectly captured the reasons why the X1D is such a compelling option for landscape photography.
 

vieri

Well-known member
Very well done and thoughtful review, Vieri. Having used the X1D for 2 and 1/2 years, I believe you have perfectly captured the reasons why the X1D is such a compelling option for landscape photography.
Thank you very much indeed for reading and commenting, I am glad your experience confirms my findings :) Best regards,

Vieri
 

drunkenspyder

Well-known member
Superb review Vieri. As you might know, I rented an X1D several times before purchasing mine last month in a deal that was too good to pass up, even with the looming question of “what comes next?”. I love shooting with it. And I am looking forward to trying the HTF 85mm system on it.
 

vieri

Well-known member
Superb review Vieri. As you might know, I rented an X1D several times before purchasing mine last month in a deal that was too good to pass up, even with the looming question of “what comes next?”. I love shooting with it. And I am looking forward to trying the HTF 85mm system on it.
Hello there! Than you very much indeed, I am glad you enjoyed the read :) Well, if we keep waiting for the next and best, we'll never buy & use anything... I am pretty sure there will be a new XsomethingD at some point, but until then the X1D will do just fine, and even when the successor will be announced I am pretty sure that the X1D will still keep working... :D I much prefer to use what I love today than keep running behind rumours or lack thereof!

Best regards,

Vieri
 

danlindberg

Well-known member
Great read Vieri! Thank you for posting.

I can relate to just about everything you write since I use my X1d in the same manner as you. Bottomline is that size/weight in combination with end result is amazing. I for one will think long and hard to upgrade anything if it is bulkier and heavier, I have learned to appreciate the smallness factor far too much.
 

vieri

Well-known member
Great read Vieri! Thank you for posting.

I can relate to just about everything you write since I use my X1d in the same manner as you. Bottomline is that size/weight in combination with end result is amazing. I for one will think long and hard to upgrade anything if it is bulkier and heavier, I have learned to appreciate the smallness factor far too much.
Thank you very much for reading & commenting Dan, glad you enjoyed it :) I definitely hear you, when the next iteration will come out I'll have to think long and hard - or, to put it better, they'll have to be pretty convincing in terms of improvements - to make me get one. Same form factor and same UI are a must, for one... if they come out with something like the Fuji GFX 100, I am afraid I'll pass :)

Best regards,

Vieri
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Hi Vieri,

I finally had enough time to read your review thoroughly. Very nicely done, sir! You push me to continue my back-and-forth contemplation of the X1D ... While my photography is of a rather different nature from yours, many of the things that work for you also work for me.

The bottom line and single most important criteria to me that I keep stumbling back and forth over is simply the size and weight of the camera and a three lens kit: since I retired, I find I simply won't carry large and heavy equipment very often anymore. The second most important criteria comes down to the overall cost vs how much use I'll make of its advantages, so that's related to the first. Both of these are very personal decisions, and I'm taking my time at it.

But I agree that the X1D is just a beautiful and well thought out piece of equipment. From a point of sheer equipment lust, it's about the only camera since the SL that I truly just want for itself, my gear enthusiast self (a different personality than my photographer self :)) surfaces whenever I think of it. None of its direct competitors affect me this way at all.

Great review, a delightful camera, and beautiful photographs. You did it all! :D

best,
G
 

vieri

Well-known member
Hi Vieri,

I finally had enough time to read your review thoroughly. Very nicely done, sir! You push me to continue my back-and-forth contemplation of the X1D ... While my photography is of a rather different nature from yours, many of the things that work for you also work for me.

The bottom line and single most important criteria to me that I keep stumbling back and forth over is simply the size and weight of the camera and a three lens kit: since I retired, I find I simply won't carry large and heavy equipment very often anymore. The second most important criteria comes down to the overall cost vs how much use I'll make of its advantages, so that's related to the first. Both of these are very personal decisions, and I'm taking my time at it.

But I agree that the X1D is just a beautiful and well thought out piece of equipment. From a point of sheer equipment lust, it's about the only camera since the SL that I truly just want for itself, my gear enthusiast self (a different personality than my photographer self :)) surfaces whenever I think of it. None of its direct competitors affect me this way at all.

Great review, a delightful camera, and beautiful photographs. You did it all! :D

best,
G
Hi Godfrey,

thank you for reading and commenting, I am glad you enjoyed the read! :) Good luck with your decision, and I hope to have helped more that the other way round! :D

Best regards,

Vieri
 

4*Paul

Member
Great review Vieri - in fact it resonated so much with my (far less competent) approach to landscape photography that I ordered one!
The coincidence of reading your review at the same time as getting an email from Hasselblad listing CPO X1D bodies was too much to resist. And I know that I will have put a smile on Dante’s face as well as my own. :eek:
My Nikon D850 has served its purpose and will now be sold. It is a highly competent camera but I’d have never loved it, and derived the same satisfaction in using it, in the way way I do my MF gear. And that’s one of the components in the chain that contributes to the pleasure of the process of (ultimately) making prints.
This leaves me with the ALPA STC + IQ3 100 + Rod & SK lenses and now (soon) the X1D which I can also use on the Tech Cam once I get the adapter - and until I can afford some XCD lenses.
I have owned a Hasselblad of one kind or another (C501, XPan, SWC and more) since the late sixties and still have my original silver C500 but have missed having one to use seriously for the last few years. It will be really nice to have one in my hands again.
So many thanks for inspiring me with a well crafted and informative review.
Paul.
 

4*Paul

Member
Great review Vieri - in fact it resonated so much with my (far less competent) approach to landscape photography that I ordered one!
The coincidence of reading your review at the same time as getting an email from Hasselblad listing CPO X1D bodies was too much to resist. And I know that I will have put a smile on Dante’s face as well as my own. :)
My Nikon D850 has served its purpose and is a highly competent camera but I have never loved it, and gained the same pleasure in using it, in the way way I do my MF gear. So that will now be sold.
Leaving me with the ALPA STC + IQ3 100 + Rod & SK lenses and now (soon) the X1D which I can also use on the Tech Cam once I get the adapter - and until I can afford some XCD lenses.
I have owned a Hasselblad of one kind or another (C501, XPan, SWC and more) since the late sixties (last century!) and still have my original silver C500 but have missed having one in use for the last few years. It will be really nice to have one in my hands again.
Many thanks for inspiring me with a well crafted and informative review.
Paul.
 

vieri

Well-known member
Great review Vieri - in fact it resonated so much with my (far less competent) approach to landscape photography that I ordered one!
The coincidence of reading your review at the same time as getting an email from Hasselblad listing CPO X1D bodies was too much to resist. And I know that I will have put a smile on Dante’s face as well as my own. :)
My Nikon D850 has served its purpose and is a highly competent camera but I have never loved it, and gained the same pleasure in using it, in the way way I do my MF gear. So that will now be sold.
Leaving me with the ALPA STC + IQ3 100 + Rod & SK lenses and now (soon) the X1D which I can also use on the Tech Cam once I get the adapter - and until I can afford some XCD lenses.
I have owned a Hasselblad of one kind or another (C501, XPan, SWC and more) since the late sixties (last century!) and still have my original silver C500 but have missed having one in use for the last few years. It will be really nice to have one in my hands again.
Many thanks for inspiring me with a well crafted and informative review.
Paul.
Hello Paul,

thank you for reading nd commenting, I am glad you enjoyed the review and that it resonated with your own approach to photography - enjoy your new X1D, a camera that I am really loving! :) (and yes, Dante is always smiling... :ROTFL: )

Best regards,

Vieri
 
Top