WHAT’S NEW
’BLAD BACK
AND BODY LINK
OLD AND NEW
WHILE THE UPDATED X1D II mirrorless
camera (below) is good news, perhaps even
more interesting are two other Hasselblad
digital medium format products announced at
the same time. One is the revival of the CFV 50C
capture back, which is designed to work with the
majority of V System camera bodies (such as the
iconic 500 series), and the other is the 907X, an
all-new super slim-line body which accepts the
current X System mirrorless lenses.
The 907x is a clever idea and leverages both
the upgrades to the CFV II 50C back – with
which it’s coupled – and the performance of the
XCD lenses, but in a more classical medium
format camera package than either the X1D or
X1D II. Despite its very compact dimensions,
the 907X retains the traditional chromed edges
of the V System bodies with the leather-look
inserts so it perfectly complements the new
CFV II 50C in styling. The existing X mount
adapters for the H System, V System and XPan
lenses can be used.
The new CFV II back incorporates many
of the X1D II’s features, including full touch
screen controls with a similarly-revised user
interface and menu. It employs the same 51.
megapixels CMOS sensor as the X1D II which
has an imaging area of 43.8x32.9 mm and
delivers a maximum image size of 8272x
pixels. The sensitivity range is equivalent to ISO
100 to 25,600, and it can record full-resolution
JPEGs as well as 16-bit RAW files. Of course,there’s no need for a shutter in the 907X body
as the X System and H System lenses plus
the majority of V System lenses incorporate
leaf shutters.
Unlike with the earlier back, the battery pack
is now fully integrated into the body and there’s
in-camera recharging via USB-C. The monitor
screen is now tilt-adjustable to mimic the effect
of a waistlevel viewfinder. An optical viewfinder
will be available as well as a handgrip which
provides a number of additional external controls
(otherwise the CFV II/907X combo is virtually
entirely operated by the touch screen).
Hasselblad says it expects to launch both
these products and the accessories by the end
of the year. It’s interesting to note that the 907X
looks quite similar to the V1D concept camera
shown at the 2018 Photokina, except with
capture back and camera body now separate
components (and the X mount rather than H).HASSELBLAD
LAUNCHES MARK II
X1D MIRRORLESS
CAMERA
WITH FUJIFILM’S GFX mirrorless medium
format digital cameras selling like hot cakes (and
the 50R very keenly priced), Hasselblad has
responded with the much-awaited upgrade of its
stylish X1D. The new X1D II 50C uses the same
51.3 megapixels ‘44x33’ format CMOS sensor as
the earlier model, but benefits from a long list of
upgrades, including a new processor to improve
the operating speed (i.e. start-up time, shutter
lag and the shutter black-out time). There’s a
small increase in the maximum continuous
shooting speed which is now 2.7 fps. The
sensitivity range is expanded to run from ISO
100 up to ISO 25,600, and the dynamic range is
quoted at 14 stops.
The new camera gets a bigger LCD TFT
monitor screen – which Hasselblad says is the
largest so far on a medium format camera – and
the resolution is significantly increased to 2.
megadots. As before, many of the camera’s
operations are exclusively controlled via the touch
screen, but there’s a new user interface and a
revised menu design. Better still, the menus are
now displayable (and operable) in the EVF and
touchpad AF operation is avai
OLED-type panel – also increasesin resolution
up to 3.69 megadots witha refreshrateof 60
fps, and the magnificationis 0.87x.A bigplus
for many potential buyers will be the availability
of JPEG capture at the full resolution – giving a
typical file size of around 25 MB – and separately
from RAW capture. RAW files are captured with
16-bit colour. As before, the X1D II has dual slots
for SD format memory cards, but now with UHS-
II speed support. The USB-C connection also
allows for tethered operation using an iPad Pro or
iPad Air tablet (latest generation versions only) via
the new Phocus Mobile 2 app, which is a first for
a digital medium format camera.
Externally, the machined aluminium bodyshell
has a new, darker graphite grey finish with a re-
shaped handgrip, but the control layout remainsreceiver(ratherthananaddondevice),WiFi
connectivity,anintervalometer,Nikoni-TTLauto
flashsupport,autoexposurebracketingand
117-zone contrast-detection autofocusing.
Launched along with the updated X1D is the
first XCD zoom, the ninth lens in the system.
The XCD 35-70mm f3.5-4.5 (equivalent to a 28-
58mm) will be released in October. Like all XCD
lenses, it incorporates a leaf shutter which has a
speed range of 68 minutes up to 1/2000 second
(and with flash sync at all speeds).
The X1D II 50C is available now and is priced
at just under $10,000. digiDirect is currently
listing it at $9499 body only. Hasselblad
products are distributed in Australia by C.R.
Kennedy & Co., and for more information
visit https://crkphotoimaging.com.auable.TheEVF– an
ases in resolutionases in resolutionunchanged.Otherfeaturesincludea built-inGPS
receiver (rather than an add-on device) WiFireceiver (rat