It's been years since Hasseblad sold a new V system camera—the company stopped making 500 series bodies back nearly a decade ago. The 907X-50C, a body-only digital camera for system enthusiasts, costs $6,399 and is available now. The retro design matches a V series camera. It can also be used with vintage lenses or its removable digital back to mount on a film camera. Although it's not the best medium format option, V cameras remain a popular choice.
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V System Heritage
It walks a fine line. On one hand, it's a clear lifestyle product—the type of camera that turns heads as a prop for a model or Hollywood action star. It's also an excellent photographic tool. Although its form factor may not be as conventional as that of the X1D 50C II II, it has an equally competent imaging engine.
They diverge sharply in terms of design. The X1D 50C II marries sensor and lens mount together—you can change lenses to your heart's content, but its sensor can't be swapped out, a hallmark of high-end medium format equipment. With the 907X, the back, body, and lens are all different pieces.
This opens many possibilities. This approach opens up many options if you have a V camera.
You'll be able to use your V film camera as a digital model, complete with support for in-lens shutters and flash sync. There is one big change: The image sensor is smaller and shaped differently than the 60-by-60cm film format. A viewfinder mask is included to match the 33-by-44mm sensor.
You can view live video, however you will need to secure your mirror to access it. This allows you to focus more precisely, particularly for large aperture work. You also have the option of an electronic shutter mode, but it is best for handheld or tripod work.
The shutter readout speed is the issue here. It takes the sensor some time to scan across its entire surface. It's not a big deal for still-life subjects, staged candids, or the like, but it won't freeze action, and if you get jostled during a handheld exposure, you can expect to see some wavy, skewed distortion.
You can attach V lenses to your work with the XV Lens Adapter (249) if you don't mind this restriction. Hasselblad did not include a viewfinder mask to fit my 500 EL/M, so framing the viewfinder was a bit difficult. I instead used the 907X body and lens adapter.
The mask is included with kits sold at retail, so you won't be left in the same boat if you decide to buy one.
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907X and 9CD Lenses
This 907X body was designed for Hasselblad’s XCD lenses series. The made-for-mirrorless optics are small in price and size. It measures 3.7 inches by 4.0 inches by 3.3 inches (HWD), and weighs 1.6 pounds with no lens attached. This puts it in the category of small cameras.
For autofocus work, I paired it with the smallest native lens, the XCD 45P ($1,099). It protrudes about two inches from the body and weighs just 11.3 ounces. If you're looking at the 907X as a lifestyle camera—one that matches haute couture as well as a Leica M10-R, but without the pesky need to focus manually, the 45P is the lens to get.
It's an interesting kit to use in the field—the digital back's tilting touch display is the de facto viewfinder, a configuration that lends itself to waist-level photography.
There's only a single control button on the body, though, for shutter release and focus. It's collared by a control wheel, used for shutter or aperture control. It's not a bad way to go if you're using the camera for automatic or semi-automatic exposure. The 907X supports automatic ISO control, a plus for on-the-go and candid work, and can be set in program, aperture, or shutter priority.
Although full manual exposure can be achieved, I think the 907X has a single control wheel that is not ideal. For studios, landscapes, or other areas where it's possible to adjust settings quickly, the touch screen interface can be a great alternative.
For reportage, documentary, fashion, and other types of work where you want more control at your fingertips, the Control Grip ($729) is a definitely a worthwhile add-on. I found the 907X to be much more comfortable to handhold using the grip, and enjoyed its dual control wheels, focus joystick, and shutter release.
The $499 optical seefinder is not what I am most excited about. Its design is clever enough—the Hasselblad nameplate slides out and it takes its place atop the 907X body. Bright frame lines are included in the finder to complement the view from the XCD 21mm and XCD 30mm lenses.
The optical finder does its job turning the 907X into an eye-level camera, at least with those lenses. You'll need to put some trust in the camera's focus system, and your ability to put the focus point on your subject.
The 907X remains a low-cost camera, with its tilting LCD. The screen's 3.2 inch size offers clarity of 2.4 million dots. Frame magnification can be used to help you focus on manual lenses. As composition tools, a digital spirit level as well as a framing map are also available.
Hasselblad does a good job using the large display—exposure controls and menus use big tap areas, so it's hard to hit the wrong one. The main menu is customizable, just like a smartphone's home screen. It's easy to remove seldom-used options from the quick-access screen and to add ones that you find useful.
Connection and power
The CFV II-50C digital back has USB-C to allow for both in-camera charging or tethered recording. Dual UHS-II SDXC card slots allow for remote work. It has three 2.5mm connectors that work with flash sync cables. There are also 3.5mm mic and headphones connections.
Battery life is a weak point. Hasselblad tells customers to expect between 250 and 350 exposures per charge, but I found that figure to be a bit ambitious. It's easy to watch the battery gauge dwindle, even when snapping a few dozen photos over the course of a couple of hours. If you're thinking about this as a chic travel camera, budget for some spare batteries, which cost $99 each.
Wi-Fi connectivity is available. This camera can be used with Phocus Mobile 2 to control your iPhone remotely and transfer images. Android is not supported. Hasselblad offers an iPad version that supports USB-C transfers and raw processing. The video below shows the Raw processing.
Image, Video, and Autofocus
Autofocus is simple and intuitive on the 907X50C. It's a contrast system, with three sizes of interest available—small, medium, and large. The optional Control Grip allows you to move the objects around the frame using either the touch screen at the rear or the joystick.
It's accurate enough, and the small setting provides a decent level of precision. Don't expect advanced assists like face detection and subject tracking—this isn't that type of camera. You can expect to work slow, and that goes for start-up times too. You'll have to wait a few second between pressing the power button and making an image.
Image quality and the image sensor are identical to the X1D 50C II. You can set the ISO 100 to 25600 settings for your 50MP CMOS chips. It can also capture images in either 16-bit Raw and 8-bit JPG formats.
Photos show excellent detail and little visible grain through ISO 3200 when working in Raw format. There's some visible noise at ISO 6400 and 12800, but it's not until you push the camera all the way to 25600 where I'd call the images rough. JPGs hold up throughout the range too, showing a little less rough grain, but also a little less detail.
This sensor is not the most recent medium format sensor. The Fujifilm GFX100S's 100MP sensor, which costs $6,000, has a faster readout speed and better resolution. If you want to adapt V lenses or other lenses, the readout speed may be a problem. For handheld photography, you'll need to be careful to keep the camera still or use a tripod. An electronic shutter that is faster would solve this problem.
Video is included as well, but the toolkit is limited. The frame rate is locked at 30fps and resolution is limited to 1080p and 2.7K. Autofocus isn't available at all in video mode, and the lack of optical stabilization coupled with the slow shutter readout leads to ugly handheld footage. This is not a video camera.
Style and substance
The Hasselblad 907X is difficult to compare with other cameras. It's an expensive lifestyle product. Some people consider it a V-system camera, with its industrial design and superior material quality. This camera can be used as an accessory for the Met Gala.
For others it's a professional tool. The digital back can attach to late-generation V camera and lenses, many of which are used in the studio today. The CFV 50C II is a worthwhile update, especially for tethered workflows. The USB-C connection makes it easy to connect to the newest computer systems and tablets.
My situation is different. My Hasselblad 500EL/M, a family heirloom and my 80mm Zeiss chrome lens are both antiques. Medium format equipment is now an option for those who love vintage equipment. It doesn't take $50,000 to achieve this goal, with cameras such as the Pentax 645Z or the Fujifilm GFX 50S leading the way for the sub-$10,000 market.
That said, there are better options out there if you simply want to capture medium format on a budget. The Fujifilm GFX100S costs $6,000 and sports a stabilized 100MP sensor. We haven't tested it, but it shares most of its tech with the GFX100 ($9,999), a model that earned our Editors' Choice award.
The 907X camera is unique, regardless of your origin. While you may pay a little more for the X1D II-50C than the 907X, you still get the same image engine and the same lens system. The X1D II 50C has some similar problems. It lacks an impressive battery life, and it uses a basic autofocus system. Consider adding a spare or two of the batteries. The grip really enhances handling. You pay more for high-end designs, though it adds up.