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CAMERA BUYING GUIDES
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The Hasselblad X1D II 50C was introduced in June of 2019 and succeeded the X1D, which had been on the market for three years. It is a tiny digital camera with a medium format resolution of 51.2 megapixels, shoots raw files with 16 bits of depth, and has a dynamic range of up to 14 exposure values. The Hasselblad X1D II provides a more comprehensive experience than its predecessor and significantly boasts faster handling and better displays. Although the changes and enhancements in round two appear slight, the Hasselblad X1D II is available now.
In addition to a speedier start-up time and better shooting rates, you also receive a rear touchscreen that is bigger and has more excellent quality, as well as an electronic viewfinder. The X1D II is available in a more wallet-friendly pricing range as well. Since Hasselblad is considered to be the Leica of the medium format world, their products are not inexpensive; nonetheless, the current street price of £5,400 is more competitive.
A critical firmware upgrade was released not too long ago for the X1D II, and it was this update made it possible to capture video at 2.7k resolution. The inclusion of this camera, even though it is not primarily designed for recording video, is very much appreciated.
Hasselblad X1D II 50C 50MP Medium Format Mirrorless Camera Body
- X1D II 50C 50MP Medium Format Mirrorless Camera Body - Battery - USB Power Adapter - USB 3 Cable - Camera Front Protective Cover - Shoulder Strap - Quick Start Guide - Hasselblad 1 Year Limited Warranty
- X1D II 50C 50MP Medium Format Mirrorless Camera Body - Battery - USB Power Adapter - USB 3 Cable - Camera Front Protective Cover - Shoulder Strap - Quick Start Guide - Hasselblad 1 Year Limited Warranty
- 50 MP Medium Format Sensor
- Lightweight and Portable
- 3.6" Rear Touch Screen
- 3.69MD OLED Electronic Viewfinder
See: Best Flash for Hasselblad X1D II 50C | Best Lenses for Hasselblad X1D II 50C | Best Memory Cards for Hasselblad X1D II 50C
Currently, the Fujifilm X-system comprises 10 (XCD) lenses, each of which may span a focal length range from 21mm to 230mm. To conduct this test, we had access to a total of four of those lenses. Please visit www.hasselblad.com to obtain further details on the camera.
Hasselblad X1D II 50C Build Quality
The sculpted gun metal grey body of the X1D II and the carved Hasselblad marks that read “handmade in Sweden” shout excellence. Its graceful contours make you want to brush your fingertips along them. When you include the enormous touchscreen, you have a stunningly innovative twist on a tried-and-true format.
After staring at the camera, you’ll find it’s about as easy on the hands as you wish. A prominent front handgrip and a full-height angled thumb grip, coated in a high-quality grippable faux leather, work together to create a device that fits the hand like a glove.
Even with the battery and SD card inserted, the X1D II weighs only 766 grams, making it lighter than professional DSLR cameras. The 45mm f/4 P lens weighs just 3, the most lightweight and most portable of the four lenses we tried20 grams, which means that the total weight of the camera plus lenses is only a hair over one thousand—impressive stuff for medium format.
There will be a lot for you to get accustomed to here, from the design to how it is handled, if you have experience with a DSLR or a popular mirrorless camera.
Even while the front and back dials are conveniently located where your fingers (and thumb) can reach them, other camera aspects have been designed to be as uncomplicated as possible.
On the back of the device, there is neither a control dial nor programmable function buttons. Instead, you can access a few specialized buttons on the top plate and directly above the LCD screen. These buttons allow you to adjust the focus mode, automatic exposure lock, ISO/white balance, and autofocus button.
Hasselblad X1D II 50C Image Quality
The Hasselblad X1D II 50C is a digital medium format camera capable of packing many huge pixels; it has 51.2 megapixels (8272×6200), and each pixel measures 5.3 x 5.3 micrometers. The dimension of the sensor is 43.8 by 32.9 millimeters, which results in a crop factor comparable to 0.79x the focal length multiplier when compared to full-frame and an aspect ratio equivalent to 4:3.
It comes with some excellent glass to accent it. There are ten different native XCD lenses available to choose from, and none of them are inexpensive. The four prime lenses we have used—again, 21mm, 45mm P, 65mm, and 80mm—have allowed for exceptionally high levels of clarity and detail in our photographs.
Because the shutter is housed within the XCD lenses rather than within the camera, far less audible noise and vibrations are produced during the image capture process. (And synchronization of the flash may be achieved at any shutter speed.) So yes, the remarkable image quality of the Hasselblad X1D II 50C may be attributed to the camera’s ability to seize the moment, as well as its capacity to achieve pinpoint focus.
The most impressive aspect is perhaps the depth of color and the precision of the colors. You don’t need to do anything post-capture to color correct the photographs if you have the white balance setting in place that you want it to be; the pictures will appear precisely how your eyes view them, which is to say that they will be rich in depth and tone. In addition, post-capture editing allows for the use of creative styles, such as monochromatic.
There are three different types of evaluative metering: spot, center-weighted spot, and center-weighted; however, there is no multi-area evaluative metering option. As a result, we discovered that we were utilizing the Auto Exposure Lock feature more frequently than is typical. This feature allows the user to lock an exposure from a specific frame region and then recompose the picture. Using the thumb dial on the back of the camera, you may make simple adjustments to the exposure compensation setting, which varies depending on the shooting mode.
Hasselblad X1D II 50C Specs
| Body type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
|---|---|
| Max resolution | 8272 x 6200 |
| Image ratio w h | 1:1, 4:3 |
| Effective pixels | 50 megapixels |
| Sensor size | Medium format (44 x 33 mm) |
| Sensor type | CMOS |
| Custom white balance | Yes |
| Image stabilization | No |
| Uncompressed format | RAW + TIFF |
| Autofocus | Contrast Detect (sensor)Multi-areaCenterSelective single-pointTrackingSingleContinuousTouchFace DetectionLive View. |
| Manual focus | Yes |
| Number of focus points | 117 |
| Lens mount | Hasselblad X |
| Focal length multiplier | 0.79× |
| Articulated LCD | Fixed |
| Screen size | 3.6″ |
| Screen dots | 2,360,000 |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| Screen type | TFT LCD |
| Live view | Yes |
| Viewfinder type | Electronic |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.87× (1.1× 35mm equiv.) |
| Viewfinder resolution | 3,690,000 |
| Minimum shutter speed | 4080 sec |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/2000 sec |
| Maximum shutter speed (electronic) | 1/10000 sec |
| Aperture priority | Yes |
| Shutter priority | Yes |
| Manual exposure mode | Yes |
| Subject/scene modes | No |
| Built-in flash | No |
| External flash | Yes (Nikon compatible) |
| Continuous drive | 2.7 fps |
| Self-timer | Yes |
| Metering modes | MultiCenter-weighted spot |
| Resolutions | to be added later |
| Microphone | Stereo |
| Speaker | Mono |
| Storage types | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots |
| USB | USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) |
| HDMI | Yes (mini-HDMI) |
| Microphone port | Yes |
| Headphone port | Yes |
| Wireless | Built-In |
| Wireless notes | 802.11ac |
| Remote control | Yes |
| Environmentally sealed | Yes |
| Battery | Battery Pack |
| Battery description | 3400 mAh li-ion battery |
| Weight (inc. batteries) | 766 g (1.69 lb / 27.02 oz) |
| Dimensions | 148 x 97 x 70 mm (5.83 x 3.82 x 2.76″) |
| Orientation sensor | Yes |
| Timelapse recording | No |
| GPS | Built-in |
Hasselblad X1D II 50C Conclusion
Hasselblad X1D II 50C 50MP Medium Format Mirrorless Camera Body
- X1D II 50C 50MP Medium Format Mirrorless Camera Body - Battery - USB Power Adapter - USB 3 Cable - Camera Front Protective Cover - Shoulder Strap - Quick Start Guide - Hasselblad 1 Year Limited Warranty
- X1D II 50C 50MP Medium Format Mirrorless Camera Body - Battery - USB Power Adapter - USB 3 Cable - Camera Front Protective Cover - Shoulder Strap - Quick Start Guide - Hasselblad 1 Year Limited Warranty
- 50 MP Medium Format Sensor
- Lightweight and Portable
- 3.6" Rear Touch Screen
- 3.69MD OLED Electronic Viewfinder
The Hasselblad X1D II 50C is a gorgeous camera to look at and hold in one’s hands. In particular, considering the sensor’s shape, it is both lightweight and small. In addition, it has an extraordinarily high level of craftsmanship, and the hand grip is about as comfy as you can get; the whole form factor is just right.
Unfortunately, the experience is let down by the handling, which is still sluggish. Thankfully, the start-up and blackout times have been cut down in this second edition. Still, you shouldn’t anticipate performance that meets or even comes close to today’s similar DSLRs and mirrorless cameras in other formats.
The most critical challenge is maintaining focus. Autofocus is highly sluggish with heavier lenses (for example, the 80mm f/1.9 is slower than the 45mm f/4 P). Additionally, autofocus is limited to single-point selection, and even the lowest feasible point size is too large for crucial focusing. In addition, the manual focusing experience with the camera and XCD lens combo is not something we particularly enjoy.
