The first question that makes the most sense when reviewing the Hasselblad X1D is why? Why did I decide to purchase it? Why did I decide to save up and spend nearly $5000 (that’s the price for a good condition used one on eBay) on a camera and lens? As most of you know who are reading this buying a camera is just as much about the irrational mind as it is the rational mind. To answer the why in more detail I want to break it down to the following factors:
1. Brand obviously features highly and already owning a Hasselblad prior to purchasing the X1D was a heavy influencing factor.
2. Next is the design of the camera, or the three F’s as I refer to it; form, function and feel.
3. And finally, other aspects of the camera. One of which I always look for is quality.
Let’s look at these three factors in a little more detail and let me explain more about why it is worth buying this camera.
1. Brand
When it comes to camera brands there are many out there, but not that many as iconic as Hasselblad. Victor Hasselblad truly created a thing of beauty and magnificence when he created the Hasselblad company. Not only is it an icon for photographers the world over, but it is also a promise of quality and precision. These cameras and the Hasselblad brand is a promise of excellence and quality that will last well beyond the owner of the camera. I purchased my Hasselblad 500CM secondhand and it operates just as beautifully now, as it did when it was made back in the ’70s. How many products can you say that about today? The Hasselblad brand is much more than this though, it delivers value, not just the value you get from other products on the market today, but the meaningful value that keeps delivering as long as you own the camera. Over time this ongoing value turns into trust and it is this trust that makes the Hasselblad brand what it is today, and also what inspired NASA to use it as their camera of choice for their Luna expeditions and the first man on the moon.
2. Design
Next, let’s talk about design. For most people design is how something looks aesthetically and there is no question that Hasselblad scores highly in this department. But as designer and behavioural psychologist, design to me is so much more. Design to me is more about how something functions, the thought that goes into the user experience and how it makes you feel; not just aesthetically, but from a deeper level of satisfaction. Design is about predicting the things you as a human will do with the camera and then making sure the camera knows this and delivers on them and supports you in those tasks versus trying to dictate certain ways of using the camera and forcing you into unnatural behaviours.
Form
The Hasselblad X1D’s form is beautiful, visually it is stunning, yet there is an intelligence to its form that transcends aesthetics. An intelligence that speaks to you silently and intuitively; in the industry, we call this design language. Before you even hold it, you already know how to operate it, its form is almost an extension of our hands and it intuitively fits and becomes part of who we are when we are taking photographs.
Every aspect of its form has been considered from the attention to detail found in the chamfers that eliminate all the sharp edges, right down to the placement of the controls in such a way that allows them to be placed exactly where they need to be. The contrast and choice of materials also signify quality and clearly communicates its sophistication and status as an industry leader. The choice of materials is interesting and again speak about the intelligence of the aesthetic as well as its function, which I will discuss later. The body is machined from a solid block of aluminium and each camera is hand made in Sweden, with all the love and attention you’d expect from Swedish design. Hasselblad did make a departure from the original leatherette found on the earlier Hasselblad models like the 500CM. Instead of the leatherette material is uses some form of a thermoplastic elastomer or silicone material. On the surface and initially, I don’t mind this but when I think about the point I made about the longevity and quality of the Hasselblad brand I wonder how well this will fair. I only say that as on some of my older cameras the rubber grips have started to deteriorate over time and in some cases even become sticky to the touch, which renders them useless. I sincerely hope this is not the case here, but I suppose only time will tell if the Hasselblad promise will stay true.
Functionality
Let’s continue now to talk a little about the function of this camera. I have owned mine now for nearly six months and wanted to wait until I have had a chance to use it before writing this review so as to truly be objective and as equitable as I could be. The first functional component is the buttons. There are a total of 13 buttons and three dials on the camera, which already speaks to the minimalist nature and good design found in this camera. The shutter button is perhaps the most prominent, highlighted in its powder-coated burnt orange colour. From a functional perspective, the shutter button at first takes a little getting used to as the half-pressing and full pressing as not like other cameras, which does sometimes leave you having to pay more attention to that functionality than it does the photograph. However, once you become accustomed to its idiosyncratic nature. Next, let’s discuss the front scroll wheel. This has been designed in such a way that it sits flush to the surface of the body so as not to get accidentally nudged into an incorrect position. To operate it you push it down once and it pops up, allowing you to rotate it to the desired setting and then push it back down to lock it in place. This may not seem like a big deal, but I say that from experience I have found that many of my other cameras can accidentally get nudged into an incorrect mode and this can cause issues. The power button is also on the top of the camera and is easy to use, though the camera does take its time to turn on. The majority of the other buttons are the LCD display buttons or the DOP and lens release buttons. They all work well and all have lovely chamfers and attention to detail that reaffirms Hasselblad’s commitment to quality.
The other two dials are used for the aperture and shutter controls, and are again, placed where you’d expect them to be in reach of your thumb and index finger. It did, however, take me some time to realise they work best when you use the mid-section of your thumb and index finger versus your tips as this eliminates the need to bend them and then have to reposition your grip. For someone with smaller hands than me, the experience may be different so please bear this in mind.
The viewfinder is brilliant literally and metaphorically. It is well illuminated and allows you to view the image after you have taken your photograph without having to remove your eyes to look at the LCD display, which does help save battery life. Unlike the Hasselblad 500CM, the lens controls are now to be found in the viewfinder. So, you can set the f-stop and aperture within this environment and adjust on the fly as you frame your shot. It has a built-in light meter too, which makes exposure control great and again, this can be found within the viewfinder. Also, if you wear glasses like me, you’ll be pleased to know it has a built-in diopter too, allowing you to adjust the viewfinder focusing functionality.
The LCD display is intuitive, bright and big. It is very self-explanatory, and I won’t go into too much detail about it. It works and the font is larger enough for someone with poor vision like me to see in bright sunlight. Oh, and it is touch screen too, though it is not quite up to the standards of the iPhone functionality, it does work and is relatively reliable. I have found at times though like most things on the camera there is a little learning curve.
Feel
Finally, let’s talk about how it feels. The camera is light, being constructed from aluminium it is very light, yet very strong. It feels beautifully engineered and like a thing of quality. The weight is just right, and the balance is perfect. It does come with a standard strap, but I would recommend buying a better one as it is a little skinny for my liking and a nice wide leather one like the 4V straps or a webbing one from Peak Design would be much better. I opted to go for a 45mm lens, and its construction is also beautiful. The only thing you need to operate, if you choose to is the manual focus, which will save battery life but slow down your photography.
The grip feels good and does provide a feeling of confidence when you hold it; mostly due to the rubberized material use in the design. The aluminium feels cold, which is nice on summer days, but not sure how that will play out in colder climates. I have not tried operating the camera with gloves, but due to its simplicity feel that it will be much better than my Leica’s.
3. Other aspects of the camera
While we are talking about slowing down, I do want to point out that this camera will slow your photography down. Not in a bad way, but in a purposeful way. I don’t tend to shoot fast-action photography and I do take my time to think about what I want to shoot and will go back several times before I get the final shot right.
If you shoot fast action subjects or street and moving things, this camera is not for you and I would suggest you look elsewhere. It is also a camera with lots of personality; you really have to get to know it first before it starts to give up its magic.
Battery life is not great too, you’ll need to buy three batteries and have them on a full charge. So if you are working remotely, make sure you take power backups. The batteries are well designed though and the need for a heavy transformer/charge has been eliminated and all you need is a small cord that plugs directly into the battery. This does cut down on the weight and helps the environment too, which is another great feature.
The camera takes two memory cards, and this is good too, as each photograph can be in the region of 50mb. The camera is equipped with a cropped 645, 50MP sensor that delivers extremely detailed shots and allows you to crop and zoom a lot. The image quality is beautiful and the colours are very natural and if you are someone like me who does not like to mess around in Photoshop, all you need to do is adjust the brightness, contrast and perhaps sharpen tool and you are good to go.
In Summary
I could go on and talk much more about other aspects, but I won’t, as I am sure you may have read them somewhere else. I did buy mine second hand, which to me makes more sense than splashing out on a new one. Obviously the X1D mkII is out now, which is why the price of the X1D dropped to a point that I could afford one. If you have some cash to invest and want probably the best medium format digital camera out there, then take the leap. Remember, this camera is built to last, and I think will be something you enjoy for a long time. Over the last six months, I have really enjoyed getting to know it and it has made me a better photographer by slowing me down. At first, I was worried because I thought I would be snap happy and shoot all sorts of rubbish in the pursuit of the one great shot, but I have not, and that is because the X1D makes you stop and think more. The following are just a few of the shots I have taken with it. I chose them as they show a range of different types and they are really shots taken in experimental phases to test subjects and scenarios. I do plan on starting a project soon with this camera so I will post a follow up for you all to see. Thanks for following On Roads & Cameras and I hope this post was of some help to those thinking about taking the leap, as well as those who already did.
Thanks for reading and perhaps we’ll see you on the road somewhere soon…
Gary
