Hasselblad was uncharacteristically busy this year releasing a “new” camera and three new XCD lenses. The premium Swedish camera maker is focusing heavily on still photography and celebrating the experience of taking pictures, and we’re here for it.
The Hasselblad 907X CFV 100C is a vintage-inspired camera with incredible image quality
Now, let’s focus on one thing first, that Hasselblad 907X CFV 100C what is not technically A new camera in itself. However, the complete package Is New in 2024.
907X camera body was Initially released in 2019 CFV II 50C with digital back, which has the same 50-megapixel sensor Hasselblad X1D 50C And X1D II 50C Interchangeable lens medium-format cameras released in 2017 and 2017 respectively. So, that part of the 907X CFV 100C kit is not new or even changed for 2024.
What’s new is the CFV 100C Digital Back, and it’s a radical change to Hasselblad’s vintage-inspired camera system. The new digital back also has the same 100 megapixel sensor Hasselblad’s excellent X2D 100C cameraAnd for that matter, the same basic sensor as Fujifilm uses in its GFX100-series cameras. However, it’s worth noting that Hasselblad does its own engineering and fine-tuning on the sensor, which affects the overall look of the images. Unlike Fujifilm, Hasselblad also focuses exclusively on still photography – there’s no video mode here.
Speaking of the X2D 100C, Hasselblad also launched a tundra-inspired brown-green version of the camera this year. “Earth Explorer” version Doesn’t impact the company’s grade for the year, but is worth mentioning.
The 907X and CFV 100C together deliver a retro-inspired photography experience. With additional add-ons, photographers can use a waist-level viewfinder or even a technical field camera array. Heck, photographers can even put new digital back on Hasselblad 500 and 200 series film camera bodies from decades ago. In many ways, the 907X CFV 100C system celebrates photography’s past, long before digital photography was even a twinkle in an engineer’s eye. This nostalgic feeling and well-thought-out workflow are the primary reasons I chose Camera One of my favorite devices of 2024The camera is slow and not ideal for any specific type of photography, but it’s a lot of fun to use because Hasselblad respects photography as an art and understands that taking pictures should be tactile and fun.
Three New Lenses, and They’re All Great
Hasselblad XCD 25mm f/2.5 VThe first of three lenses from the company, slated for launch in 2024, arrived in May and adds a faster option to the fairly crowded wide-end of Hasselblad’s X system. The widest V-series XCD lens, Hasselblad has created its new 20mm-equivalent lens for city scenes, landscapes and night sky photography.
Given its $3,700 price, the lens Needed Be nice, and thankfully, it’s actually excellent. Chris Nicholls writes, “Versatility and bright aperture make it an excellent choice for a Hasselblad system.” For fans of wide-angle photography, this is one of the best Hasselblad lenses available, even if it’s not one of the best on a large-scale medium-format.
The wide-angle love didn’t stop there. A few months later, Hasselblad announced XCD 20-35mm f/3.2-4.5 EIts first ultra-wide-angle zoom lens. Providing a 35mm-equivalent focal length range of 16-27mm, the lens also introduced a new series for Hasselblad, the “E” series. The “E” stands for “Exclusive,” promising the best optical quality ever. It can also be expensive, as the eye-watering lens is priced at $5,929. That is extremely expensive.
As Chris Nicholls writes petapixelreview ofThe lens is almost perfect. It could stand to house a range of wide-angle prime lenses, which would make it a little easier to build a value proposition, but nearly $6,000 is a hefty price to pay.
However, Hasselblad was not finished yet. The company had announced this in November XCD 75mm f/3.4PSurprisingly light standard prime lens. With an equivalent focal length of under 60mm and a reasonably fast f/3.4 aperture, the lens can do a lot: portraits, street shots and documentary work.
this is a Great lens for portrait photographyAnd pleasantly compact and easy to use. Hasselblad has faster options in its lineup, but many photographers are happy to compromise a bit on aperture if it means getting a more affordable and lighter lens.
Hasselblad grading in 2024
By normal standards, a semi-new camera and three new lenses won’t make for a busy year. However, for Hasselblad, 2024 was relatively prolific. Last year, Hasselblad released only one new product, the XCD 28mm f/4 P lens. The 2022 looked a lot like the 2024: three lenses and one camera. In 2021? Nothing. In 2020 there was only the X1D II 50C.
Hasselblad had a relatively prosperous and very good 2024, easily earning high marks.
grade A-
Image Credit: Exclusive image created using assets licensed through gathering photo,
