This year marks Hasselblad's 75th as a camera maker, and the company is celebrating by expanding its product lineup. The 50- and 100-megapixel versions of its flagship H6D were the first to drop in April. Now, just a couple months later, it's bringing an entire new system to market.
The X1D uses the same Sony-made 50MP sensor found in the H6D-50c and some other medium-format cameras, including the Pentax 645Z and Phase One IQ250. It's not a full-frame 645 design, but at 33 by 44mm it has about 1.7 times the surface area of a full-frame (24 by 36mm) image sensor.
It doesn't enjoy a size advantage over full-frame mirrorless models—at 3.9 by 5.9 by 2.8 inches (HWD) the X1D is larger than a Sony Alpha 7R II and roughly the same size as a Leica SL, but at 1.6 pounds the body is noticeably lighter than competing SLRs like the Nikon D810 (2 pounds) and Pentax 645Z (3.4 pounds).
It doesn't sacrifice build quality to get enter its weight class either. The body is handmade in Sweden, and can be used in inclement weather without concern thanks to a sealed design that protects from dust and weather. The design is slim, but there is a handgrip as well as front- and rear-control dials, a top-mounted mode dial and buttons that deliver quick access to ISO, white balance, focus, and exposure settings. An electronic viewfinder is built-in, but unlike the H6D there isn't an in-body flash. Instead you'll need to use a external strobe or a wireless trigger for studio lights.
An LCD dominates the rear. It's 3 inches in size with a 920k-dot resolution, 24-bit output, and support for touch input. If you've used a modern digital back, its squarish shape and interface will feel familiar. From there you can access the in-camera 802.11ac Wi-Fi, set the ISO (from 100-25600) and change other settings. There is also a built-in GPS, but Hasselblad states that a firmware update will be required to enable it after the camera launches.
The built-in EVF allows you to shoot at eye level, just as you would with an SLR. It's sharp at 2.4 million dots. One of the advantages of the EVF design is the ability to easily preview images in different aspect ratios. Even though its sensor is a 4:3 design, you can set the X1D to shoot in a square format like an old V-series Hasselblad or to crop down to a wide panoramic format. You'll lose image resolution in doing so, of course, but with 50MP to start you've got some room to do so.
The X1D isn't a speed demon, capturing images at a 1.7 to 2.3fps rate at its best. It does feature dual SD card slots, which will prevent images being lost in the event of a single memory card failure. It doesn't have a flash sync socket, but it does include USB 3.0 for image transfer and tethered shooting, mini HDMI, and standard audio input and output connectors. Hasseblad isn't the first name you think of when it comes to video, but 1080p capture, with autofocus, is supported.
Two lenses are launching along with the camera. Both the XCD 3,5/45mm ($2,295) and XCD 4,5/90mm ($2,695) enjoy designs more compact that typical medium-format glass. They incorporate internal shutters for flash sync at up to 1/2,000-second, and can also be used for long exposures up to 60 minutes in length. More lenses are coming, as is an adapter, so that you can use your current Hasselblad H medium format lenses with the X1D.
The X1D-50c body is priced at $8,995. That's more expensive than full-frame cameras, but in line with the least expensive medium format models. Hasselblad has not offered up a shipping date as of yet.