Hasselblad X1D II review

[mristuccia]

What's hard to follow? Some people like external controls. Some don't. There are lots of arguments for both sides, but it comes down to preference. If my camera does not "spark joy", as Marie Kando would say, it doesn't get used. Even if you use the "it's just a tool and get's the job done, who cares what it looks like" argument, that's still a reflection of your own values. And they are yours. And that's fine.

My own experience handling the Fujis is that I liked the 100 much more in the hand than either of the 50's. It doesn't satisfy some of my other personal requirements (size and weight), so I didn't get it. But it satisfies many others. The X1D is a better match for Vieri than it is for me, but it's still the best compromise for me right now.

Matt

I don't follow the idea that "a simplistic interface and relatively few buttons and dials" could be an evaluation criteria.
For example, I like simplistic interfaces and few buttons as well, nonetheless I've chosen a Fujifilm X-T2 as my APS-C "reportage" camera, because of its weight, form-factor and output quality. I've navigated its hugely complex menu only one or two times, I've set up all the stuff that I need and now I use the camera almost as a point-and-shot one, by only changing ISO and aperture on a normal reportage or street-photography shooting.
On the MF side I have a CFV-50c back which I use with my 503CW camera for "slow" art/conceptual photography. Again, I've chosen it because of its versatility and output quality, despite it has a very poor user interface and very few buttons and customisation options.
In the end I operate both cameras in the same simplistic "zen" way. It's up to me how I use a system, however complex it may be.
On the contrary, a simple system cannot be turned into a complex and fully featured one in case our future photography career would need it.

 

[Paratom]

I don't follow this very well.
I think it's good to have more buttons, menu options and levers than having less. But having more does not mean that we have to use them all. In a fully featured machinery we can always pre-set most of the parameters to a good default and operate only the two or three we need. This turns the complex device into a simple one. Doing the opposite is not possible.

Yes, but first yo uhave to take much more time to understand all those buttons and menues and configure them. For my part I am allways impressed by products with an intuitive user interface.
If I could choose I would have something with more buttons than Leica but with much less than Pana/Oly etc.
I have not missed any buttons from the x1d, except a joystick for moving AF point.

 

[Ikarus]

My “ugly stick” comment seems to have struck a nerve!

The starting point has to be one of function. Form must follow function, to my mind. For others, not so much. What is the function I want in a camera? Aperture control, focus, shutter and ISO, roughly in that order. In that sense, the Leica M is the best iteration.

With the addition of electronics - AF, aperture priority, white balance and everything else - that clarity of purpose gets confused. Lenses with multitudes of switches, bodies littered with buttons scattered all over the place ... my first digital camera had no obvious way of adjusting aperture.

For the cost of these cameras, good design is relevant. Is the SL pretty? No. But it is the best camera I have used so far. Every button and user control is well considered and the menus nicely shallow. After years of use, I still haven’t used the manual.

From what I’ve seen, the X1D will serve the same purpose.

The Fuji? Having held one in my hand, I found it huge, poorly conceived (for what I want), massively expensive and not for my needs; and no not an object which meets my aesthetic requirements.

 

[tjv]

For the record, I never used the words 'beautiful' or 'ugly'. I simply find the ergonomics of the Fuji GFX100 horribly for my hands. It's a great camera however and will no doubt fit perfectly in the mits of others. Each to their own and variety is the spice of life.

I find the X1D ii camera to be perfect in the hand, but I've never used one in the field. It might annoy the crap out of me in some other way. Who knows.

If I had to choose a camera that I think was perfect ergonomically and functionally, I'd choose the Mamiya 7ii. I loved that camera and regret selling it (to pay for a ton of C41 processing of 4x5" and 8x10" film... I'm a sick, sick puppy...)

Anyway, check back in a year I might have bought the Fuji, but most likely a new CFV back (hopefully with the 100mpx chip, as that'll play betting on my Linhof.)

 

[mristuccia]

Yes, but first yo uhave to take much more time to understand all those buttons and menues and configure them. For my part I am allways impressed by products with an intuitive user interface.
If I could choose I would have something with more buttons than Leica but with much less than Pana/Oly etc.
I have not missed any buttons from the x1d, except a joystick for moving AF point.

No you don't have to, like you will never do on simpler devices. You could just ignore them and leave them configured from fabric as if they have never been there. Here you are, you'll automagically have the simple brick. The fact that you feel pressed to learn & play all the options is a psychological self-trap.

 

[Ikarus]

No you don't have to, like you will never do on simpler devices. You could just ignore them and leave them configured from fabric as if they have never been there. Here you are, you'll automagically have the simple brick. The fact that you feel pressed to learn & play all the options is a psychological self-trap.

I guess you could. JPG files, P function, auto white balance ... I'm sure the output would be good enough, but it rather misses the point, don't you think?

When the Monochrom was first released, some users complained that the files were all too flat, but when you played with the raw files, they were amazing! My approach, for what it's worth, is I want to know what is going to affect the way I use the camera and the output. That generally means direct access to the four main controls and then easy adjustment of secondary settings in a way I find second nature. The menu is not something I access a lot, but when I do I like the architecture to be as flat as possible.

That said, when I'm new to a camera I do like to explore as much as I can to see what the camera can do, and the way it works.

 

[Godfrey]

You know, the Leica M-D typ 262 was nearly perfect. Options? There are none. Raw files only. Just set focus, exposure, and release the shutter. Chimp? No LCD. Just take pictures.

Life is (was) beautiful. (I sold it to fund the 907x... )

G

 

[ron787]

No you don't have to, like you will never do on simpler devices. You could just ignore them and leave them configured from fabric as if they have never been there. Here you are, you'll automagically have the simple brick. The fact that you feel pressed to learn & play all the options is a psychological self-trap.

I agree.
Life is all about options, and cameras that offer more options are bound to appear more complicated but, as you've indicated, they do not have to be. Just use the functions that you need, and as time goes by explore the functions that you've overlooked. As one poster has already said, a complicated camera can be simplified, but a simple camera is just that ... simple, without the potentially useful options that you may benefit from down the road.

Frankly, I'd hated the simple Leica SL. Sure, it offered some useful functions but some, such as the histogram, could only be employed on its own. If you'd wanted the histogram and grid on the EVF at the same time, for example, you were SOL. I've owned many different Leica iterations, but their current KISS (keep it simple...) philosophy does not suit me, and I've found it just as difficult to recall how many button presses were required for a particular function as some apparently do with multiple, well labeled buttons and levers.
But everyone has their own requirements, fears and willingness to absorb new information. I recall when BMW first introduced their iDrive. People were confused, outraged and so on, but it was and is a great feature, so much so that other manufacturers have copied it in one form or another and I've find it very intuitive, and had I been one of the iDrive naysayers I would have been embarrassed to admit that it was too complicated for me. But was it complicated? No, it was just something new and different and those purchasers were apparently intimidated by the many potential functions that they did not want to take the time to learn.

 

[Ikarus]

I agree.
Life is all about options, and cameras that offer more options are bound to appear more complicated but, as you've indicated, they do not have to be. Just use the functions that you need, and as time goes by explore the functions that you've overlooked. As one poster has already said, a complicated camera can be simplified, but a simple camera is just that ... simple, without the potentially useful options that you may benefit from down the road.

Frankly, I'd hated the simple Leica SL. Sure, it offered some useful functions but some, such as the histogram, could only be employed on its own. If you'd wanted the histogram and grid on the EVF at the same time, for example, you were SOL. I've owned many different Leica iterations, but their current KISS (keep it simple...) philosophy does not suit me, and I've found it just as difficult to recall how many button presses were required for a particular function as some apparently do with multiple, well labeled buttons and levers.
But everyone has their own requirements, fears and willingness to absorb new information. I recall when BMW first introduced their iDrive. People were confused, outraged and so on, but it was and is a great feature, so much so that other manufacturers have copied it in one form or another and I've find it very intuitive, and had I been one of the iDrive naysayers I would have been embarrassed to admit that it was too complicated for me. But was it complicated? No, it was just something new and different and those purchasers were apparently intimidated by the many potential functions that they did not want to take the time to learn.

We all have different tastes and needs, and we're the better for it. With your preferences, may I ask what you see in the X1D? It seems to be the antithesis of what you need ...

Interesting you mention the BMW iDrive. I rented a 3 series a few years ago in NSW. Couldn't set the radio to work, the screen could only do one thing at once, so if I was doing something (navigation?) and my partner wanted to change the aircon, whatever I was doing disappeared! I hated that car in the brief time I used it more than any other car. I'm not intimidated by technology at all - I just loathe it when it is more complicated than it needs to be. Technology is there to serve, not to retrain you.

SL? just push the bottom right button once to get the additional information screens. Once you've got your head around that, it's relatively intuitive ... for me, anyway.

Each to their own, I guess.

 

[ron787]

We all have different tastes and needs, and we're the better for it. With your preferences, may I ask what you see in the X1D? It seems to be the antithesis of what you need ...

Interesting you mention the BMW iDrive. I rented a 3 series a few years ago in NSW. Couldn't set the radio to work, the screen could only do one thing at once, so if I was doing something (navigation?) and my partner wanted to change the aircon, whatever I was doing disappeared! I hated that car in the brief time I used it more than any other car. I'm not intimidated by technology at all - I just loathe it when it is more complicated than it needs to be. Technology is there to serve, not to retrain you.

SL? just push the bottom right button once to get the additional information screens. Once you've got your head around that, it's relatively intuitive ... for me, anyway.

Each to their own, I guess.

Antithesis indeed.

But it had required ownership of an X1D to arrive at that conclusion. And yes, you can press the bottom right button of the SL to change screens, but they cannot be combined, as per my prior histogram example.

As for BMW, I have never owned or driven a model 3, but I have owned multiple series 7's, a RR Ghost with iDrive and, currently, a brand new BMW M850i. On these iDrive vehicles there is absolutely no problem operating the radio from the steering wheel, the main screen or with hand gestures, while calling up other vehicular functions. Perhaps your model 3 was among the earliest to feature iDrive, or perhaps iDrive is somehow hobbled on the less costly models.

BTW, I'd sold my X1D when it had become apparent that it did not suit my needs. To wit, how many current day digital cameras, other than the X1d/II, do you know of, regardless of cost, that do not have a live histogram?

 

[Godfrey]

Antithesis indeed.

But it had required ownership of an X1D to arrive at that conclusion. And yes, you can press the bottom right button of the SL to change screens, but they cannot be combined, as per my prior histogram example.

As for BMW, I have never owned or driven a model 3, but I have owned multiple series 7's, a RR Ghost with iDrive and, currently, a brand new BMW M850i. On these iDrive vehicles there is absolutely no problem operating the radio from the steering wheel, the main screen or with hand gestures, while calling up other vehicular functions. Perhaps your model 3 was among the earliest to feature iDrive, or perhaps iDrive is somehow hobbled on the less costly models.

BTW, I'd sold my X1D when it had become apparent that it did not suit my needs. To wit, how many current day digital cameras, other than the X1d/II, do you know of, regardless of cost, that do not have a live histogram?

Well, the truth to that last point is that I simply don't care at all.

When I got my 2006 Mercedes, first thing I did (after taking care of all the stuff that had been neglected...) was rip out the overly heavily button/dial/wheel driven multifunction entertainment system by the roots and fit a really nice, simple main amp, great speakers, with an Alpine iL7 head that essentially has two buttons, is only an AM/FM radio until you attach your iPhone ... at which point, CarPlay takes over and it does everything using voice controls. Simple, complete, always up to date, and spectacular sound.

I like my cameras simple, with minimal buttons, knobs, and geegaws. But if you like other things (and you obviously do), what's it to me? If the XID didn't make you happy, why do you bother to troll this thread and dis it? I had the SL also: I loved its controls, so simple and elegant, and it did everything I wanted, every time.

Each to their own.

G

 

[Ikarus]

I drive a Singer 911 - no stereo at all ...

... To wit, how many current day digital cameras, other than the X1d/II, do you know of, regardless of cost, that do not have a live histogram?

No idea. I tend not to use a live histogram as my EVF based cameras are set up with exposure simulation, so I see the exposure in real time. My non-EVF cameras (Monochrom, M10-D, M-A and SWC/M) don’t have histograms, obviously ...

Actually, I don’thave a Singer, but I wish I did.

 

[Paratom]

Antithesis indeed.

But it had required ownership of an X1D to arrive at that conclusion. And yes, you can press the bottom right button of the SL to change screens, but they cannot be combined, as per my prior histogram example.

As for BMW, I have never owned or driven a model 3, but I have owned multiple series 7's, a RR Ghost with iDrive and, currently, a brand new BMW M850i. On these iDrive vehicles there is absolutely no problem operating the radio from the steering wheel, the main screen or with hand gestures, while calling up other vehicular functions. Perhaps your model 3 was among the earliest to feature iDrive, or perhaps iDrive is somehow hobbled on the less costly models.

BTW, I'd sold my X1D when it had become apparent that it did not suit my needs. To wit, how many current day digital cameras, other than the X1d/II, do you know of, regardless of cost, that do not have a live histogram?

INteresting, now that you mention it I realize that I never missed it and didnt even realize that it is not possible. But if thats an important criteria, than it certainly doesnt work for you.
For me its more the question: How many today digital cameras other than the x1d you know of, which deliever such IQ, and are as portable to carry and as intuitive to use?

 

[vieri]

Long Exposure Counter Update

UPDATE AUG 20, 2019. There is a workaround for the disappearing of the long exposure counter, which was the only serious thing I didn't like in the update and a thing I really stressed in my review, so to be fair to Hasselblad I though it correct to share it.

During a long exposure, when the screen goes off, to wake it up again just wave your hand in front of the EVF’s proximity sensor, and the counter will pop up again (for three more seconds only, alas) without having to touch either the shutter release button, or the camera in general.

Not only this is a viable workaround for now, but it is a solution that might make sense as an alternative to having the counter always visible as a battery saving option, and I most definitely would welcome to have it as a menu option if and when Hasselblad will bring the counters visibility back.

I updated my review with this and other news: https://www.vieribottazzini.com/2019/08/a-first-impression-hasselblad-x1d-ii-review.html

Best regards,

Vieri

 

[ron787]

Well, the truth to that last point is that I simply don't care at all.

When I got my 2006 Mercedes, first thing I did (after taking care of all the stuff that had been neglected...) was rip out the overly heavily button/dial/wheel driven multifunction entertainment system by the roots and fit a really nice, simple main amp, great speakers, with an Alpine iL7 head that essentially has two buttons, is only an AM/FM radio until you attach your iPhone ... at which point, CarPlay takes over and it does everything using voice controls. Simple, complete, always up to date, and spectacular sound.

I like my cameras simple, with minimal buttons, knobs, and geegaws. But if you like other things (and you obviously do), what's it to me? If the XID didn't make you happy, why do you bother to troll this thread and dis it? I had the SL also: I loved its controls, so simple and elegant, and it did everything I wanted, every time.

Each to their own.

G

Many months have passed since this discussion had taken place, and its review has been cause for laughter. Surely, the 2006 Mercedes that you'd spoken of must have been a used car, because I cannot imagine a sane indivual dismantling a brand new car. And 2006? From a technological perspective that almost qualifies as antiquity. And I appreciate your desire for simplicity—an outlook you apparently apply to all things technical—and while others might disagree, I respect your right to an opinion, likes and dislikes.

But forums are about discussion, requests for assistance, a tossing about of ideas, likes and dislikes. What they are not and should not be, is a gathering place for cultists that disregard the opinions of others with whom they may not agree.
Best regards.

 

[D&A]

I just noticed that dpReview (TV) just posted its Hands On Hasselblad X1D II 50C review today. I have not watched it yet so I'm unable to contribute comments regarding this review at this time. Simply thought I'd mention it since it's pertinent to this thread.

Here is the link:

https://www.dpreview.com/videos/2449124160/dpreview-tv-hasselblad-x1d-ii-50c-review

Dave (D&A)

 

[DougDolde]

I just watched Chris Nicholl's DP Review of same he's not all that happy with it

https://www.dpreview.com/videos/2449124160/dpreview-tv-hasselblad-x1d-ii-50c-review

 

[PeterA]

Thanks for posting your review Vieri - the best proof of purpose re this X series camera is in your own work ( obviously) !

I didn't use the XID for more than a few months and enjoyed both its form factor and the IQ it and its excellent lenses delivered. It is obvious that IQ and lens quality is there - probably not so obvious to typical shooters is that this combination makes for a compelling tripod use but still light and easy to carry around landscape shooter. For studio lighting or outdoor location work it is an excellent choice of camera - leaf shutters allow for much more lighting choice and better use of it.

Its primary weaknesses may be irrelevant to people whose use is mainly exactly that slow deliberate work that doesn't require anything to be particularly fast.

that type of shooting isn't my typical style and I have need for more than just excellent IQ - so I shoot with Leicas SL/SL2 AND FUJI GFX100.

 

[bab]

I drive a Singer 911 - no stereo at all ...



No idea. I tend not to use a live histogram as my EVF based cameras are set up with exposure simulation, so I see the exposure in real time. My non-EVF cameras (Monochrom, M10-D, M-A and SWC/M) don’t have histograms, obviously ...

Actually, I don’thave a Singer, but I wish I did.

You can’t depend on jpg simulation in many situations!

 

[bab]

I just watched Chris Nicholl's DP Review of same he's not all that happy with it

https://www.dpreview.com/videos/2449124160/dpreview-tv-hasselblad-x1d-ii-50c-review

Funny he’s really happy with Sony