ADVENTURES WITH HASSELBLAD
[This is a long one folks, so its not for everyone, but rather for those interested in photography and my trajectory in that field. Not my latest Hasselblad X2D image, but my very first one! It got my attention.]
Of course I have been aware of Hasselblad cameras for many decades, if only in passing, on occasion seeing them in the hands of fashion photographers and the like.
However, my introduction to Hasselblad and medium format started more as an inquiry than a certainty. I had previously tried out the medium-format Mamiya RZ67 and a series of Mamiya lenses, and while intrigued by some of its qualities, it failed to deflect me from my Nikon systems of many years. I saw little beauty in the RZ67 compared to the Nikons.
I did want to know, once and for all, what (if anything) I was missing by my not entering the medium format arena with full engagement. After a long time, I had to find out and took the plunge. I purchased the first mirrorless Hasselblad, the X1D, when it came out and a couple lenses. I didn’t like it. It was just not ready for prime time, at least in my eyes. I did not keep it long. To me, it was half-baked.
Monetarily Hasselblad is a steep learning curve, and aside from the cost of the camera itself, the lenses are almost as costly as the camera, each one of them. When the X2D came out, I didn’t jump on it, but put off by the hassle of my X1D experience, I waited about a year. I was watching it out of the corner of my eye.
When I finally understood through glowing reviews that Hasselblad with the X2D had really made some changes, I cleared the decks, gathered what funds I could, and jumped in.
I started out with just a lens or two, the XCD 120mm Macro (for my closeup work), followed by the XCD 45P and eventually, at the suggestion of Lloyd Chambers, the XCD 65mm lens. This was more lenses than I could afford.
Then, true to form, these three lenses were incrementally followed by my trying to figure out ways to get more XCD lenses that I felt I needed to support my particular kind of photography. I had done the same with the Nikon Z lenses when I went mirrorless, told myself I would NOT buy any of the new Z lenses, but use all the old Nikon F-mount lenses I had around. And then went right ahead and bought most of the new Z lenses, at least the ‘S’ series because they are so darned good.
I did the same with the Hasselblad XCD lenses, found myself getting one after the other. Most were used copies, picked up at a bargain, at least relative to the cost of brand-new copies. Lucky for me there were not that many XCD lenses available that I wanted and even then, I had to sell a lot of lenses that I loved (but seldom used) to make my entry to the Hasselblad system. I did sell many Nikon lenses and am still doing that.
Of course, knowing that I am a bit of a worrier, my introduction was laced with checking, checking, checking to see if I was getting anything that I could not get with my Nikon system (currently, D850, Z7 II, and Z8), plus many lenses, and in recent years, moving aggressively to gather the newer Z lenses with an “S” on them. I also have both the 135mm Nikon Plena and the Nikon 58mm f/0.95 NOCT, etc.
Well, as it turned out, the Hasselblad, with its 100 megapixel sensor was clearly bringing me superior images, especially thanks to the Hasselblad Natural Color System, which is the most like how my eyes actually see color, but also in the degree of granularity, sharpness, and richness of microtones that Hasselblad lenses can have.
I have gone through a lengthy study of the XCD lenses, rather quickly finding which of these lenses work for me and which I would not pick up. I couldn’t afford the new V series lenses and that turned out to be a good thing since it did not take lens expert Lloyd Chambers long to determine that the whole V series was, how to put it, of little value, and probably a big mistake by Hasselblad.
I have settled on keeping and using the 21mm, 30mm, 45Pmm, 45mm 3.5, 65mm, 120mm, and 135mm+TC.
In my work, the most used of all these lenses is the 21mm f/3/5 wide-angle, an absolute gem for me and for reasons I do not understand recently discontinued by Hasselblad and replaced with the V 25mm, which according to Lloyd Chambers is a dud. If you can find an XCD 21 WA lens, get it!
In the beginning, the XCD 120mm Macro was very important in my work, with the other lenses used as needed, but all mentioned are worth having IMO.
I’ve yet to afford the 80mm f/1.9, but perhaps will add that lens when funds are there.
As mentioned, I don’t need or want the 28mm, 38mm, 55mm, and 90mm ‘V’ series’. I had the new 28mm Hasselblad but soon sold it.
Aside from the above comments, how do I like the Hasselblad X2D and XCD lenses?
I have also continued to work with and use my Nikon system. I cannot get the detail and richness of color with the Nikon system that I can with the Hasselblad X2D. Perhaps others can, yet I have been shooting 35mm cameras since 1956, so I have some experience.
I understand from detailed online reviews of the X2D camera and the XCD Hasselblad lenses that the X2D is not the Swiss Army Knife of cameras. It is by design somewhat of a minimalist camera. As a still photographer, I don’t miss much of what is not available through the X2D, and what I do miss I am at peace with. Why is that?
That is because the richness of color and resolution, sharpness in detail, and microtones is more than worth doing without all the bells & whistles I am used to on my Nikon system. I don’t miss all that because what I can’t do without is just what the Hasselblad X2D provides in quantity – the natural color and granularity.
The Hasselblad XCD 135mm+teleconverter makes for a long and heavy lens. With the teleconverter attached, it is best used on a tripod. Without the teleconverter, it can be handheld, but I’m more comfortable with it on the tripod. There are plenty of lighter lenses for handheld work.
Since the XCD 135mm and the XCD 120mm are about the same length and both are very sharp lenses, I tend to use the 120mm (which also does closeup) for most work at that range, and keep the 1.7 teleconverter on the XCD 135mm for that extra reach. The XCD 135mm is also weather sealed, so for outdoor music concerts which I do a number of, the 135mm+1.7 tele works best.
I have read and re-read online, many dozens, and perhaps hundreds of reviews, comments, etc., on the Hasselblad X2D and its XCD lenses -- good, bad, and indifferent.
Finally, I’ve had to, as I should, just make up my own mind. I find that much easier than balancing all the opinions of others. So, here is my personal conclusion and quick look at of this Hasselblad X2D-system.
As mentioned, I have read the most granular, critical, and thoughtful analyses of the Hasselblad system. The lens expert who has most thoroughly looked at the Hasselblad system (XD1, XD2) and all the XCD lenses is Lloyd Chambers at Diglloyd.com. Very little escapes Chambers and he plays no favorites when it comes to critical examination.
That withstanding, as mentioned, it comes down to me, myself, and I. What do I feel about this Hasselblad X-system? I’m paying dearly for it.
I like it. I even love it and see no reason why I would need any other system for most of my work, especially since I have a pretty complete Nikon system to use when I need it, with all the good lenses. And the Hasselblad X2D has popped me out of my groove of focus-stacked nature photos, and turned me more on to photographing people and things. With the X2D it seems that anything is worth photographing. LOL. It’s like a new set of eyes.
And I find that I’m not reaching for my Nikons lately, except if I want sports or speed-related tasks. The Hasselblad is slow, which my whole photo history has been, still-life and tripod work.
However, I must say that as long as I have enough light, the Hasselblad X2D does not need a tripod, but works almost perfectly hand-held and its image stabilization system is as good as any I have seen. It took me a while to believe and more to trust, but as far as I can tell, this is true.
When I first tried to use the X2D, I dragged a tripod around with me as I always have and snapped away. I soon found how heavy that was and there came a point where I removed the tripod and tried increasing the shutter speed and took photos the standard way.
To my surprise the photos came out perfect. Even at very low shutter speeds, the image stabilization is just that good. And so, unless I am balancing a very heavy (or telephoto) lens on a tripod, I don’t use tripods with the Hasselblad.
I’m into landscape photos, but not as much as I am getting into people photos, and mood or vibe shots in general. I never did this with the Nikon system.
My background is in close-up photos of plants and flowers, in particular with focus stacking, but as mentioned the Hasselblad has pushed me beyond that, if only because it is so much fun to use on just about anything and view the results.
No camera that I have ever had is as inspiring as what the Hasselblad X2D brings out in me. It does the most for me. I have spent many years studying the best of the lenses that can be put on the Nikon system, F-mount and then Z-mount. I have or have previously had almost any lens you could name, aside from the large telephotos, which I have not done much with, other than a couple telephotos like the Nikon Z 70-200 f.2.8 S and the Nikon Z 100-400 S lens. And of course, I had to find out about the Nikon 135mm Plena and the Nikon Noct 58mm f/0.95, and others.
What’s the point of it all? For me, it is just bringing to life photographically the world as I see it in my mind.
Apparently, it takes a special sort of camera to get me to venture beyond my habit of flower, nature photos, and still-life in general. And although I first purchased the X1D and the X2D to hopefully perfect my history of closeup nature photography, it took almost zero time with the X2D to find me wanting to photograph, well, just about anything. I marveled at the results the X2D shows me.
For one, physically the X2D is beautifully sculptured and very minimalistic. I can see that. And the Hasselblad operating system is minimal, simple, easy-to-use, and intuitive. While many (or at least some) of the reviewers of the X2D cursed it for how little it had in terms of bells & whistles and how difficult it was to use, I do not find that true or at least was not bothered by what was missing in this camera.
Instead, I was knocked out by what the X2D did have that my other camera systems lacked, which was, in a word, that huge 100 megapixel sensor, the natural Hasselblad sense of color, and the detailed sharpness and microtones of many of the XCD lenses.
I was grateful for the 16-bit color (281 trillion colors), 15-stop dynamic range, and in particular the 5-Axis 7-stop stabilization. After years (and decades) of trying to make Nikon color look like reality (almost every image), the Hasselblad Natural Color Solution system was the closest to how my eyes naturally see color. What a useful surprise!
The X2D has a low natural ISO of 64, something I am used to (and demand) with my Nikon systems, a fast CFexpress Type B Card Slot, and a huge internal 1 TB of SSD memory. I hesitated to use the internal 1 TB of memory for fear of the difficulty of hooking it up, but when I finally did try it, it was as simple as a single USB 3.0 cable. It was easy.
The Electronic Viewfinder is fine and the rear touchscreen good enough as well.
I should say more about the 5-Axis 7-stop stabilization system, something I at first did not trust because to me it was ‘unbelievable’. I assumed that this was some kind of advertising hype that would disappoint. It did not.
Once I tried the in-camera stabilization and found it really worked, I left my tripod at home unless I needed more stabilization and before I knew it I was taking serious photos with no tripod, just walking around and taking great photos. I never saw myself as a ‘walk around’ photographer until the Hasselblad X2D.
[Not my latest Hasselblad X2D image, but my very first one.]
EMAIL Michael@Erlewine.net
