Is This the Best Camera Released in 2020? Hands On With the New Hasselblad 907X 50C

After more than a year of waiting, Hasselblad recently started shipping its new 907X 50C. Educator and photographer Ted Forbes reckons it might be the best camera released so far this year. Check out this short video to see if you agree.

The Hasselblad 907X 50C is an innovative modular system that gives you the option to attach its 50-megapixel medium format sensor to a variety of older Hasselblad cameras dating back to 1957. The 44 x 33mm sensor captures 14 stops of dynamic range and offers 16-bit color depth while weighing a mere 1.63 lb (740 g).

The compact body also has the option of attaching a control grip and optical viewfinder.

Forbes is particularly impressed by the touchscreen functionality, and you can see why. For most users, it’s far less intuitive than having physical dials and buttons, but it does show how user-friendly interfaces can be, and many entry-level cameras would benefit from a similar approach. With its icons, the experience is similar to that of a smartphone, and the likes of Canon, Nikon, and Sony might want to take note. Convoluted menu systems and fiddly UI are doing the industry no favors in its fight to save itself against the phones that are in everyone’s pockets.

The 907X retails at $6,399. Will you be placing an order?

Andy Day's picture

Andy Day is a British photographer and writer living in France. He began photographing parkour in 2003 and has been doing weird things in the city and elsewhere ever since. He's addicted to climbing and owns a fairly useless dog. He has an MA in Sociology & Photography which often makes him ponder what all of this really means.

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7 Comments

Thank you for this info. I needed it. One thing that wasn't talked about was mirror lock up. I have the 500 CM. When using live view, how can you see anything with the mirror down? He didn't say anything about locking up the mirror, so how can the sensor see when the mirror is down? Am I missing something here? Anyway, thank you again. Would love to have one. Now I have to beg, I mean talk to my wife.

Hi Timothy, he fired the shutter and held it open with the T switch. This leaves the mirror in the up position until he releases the T switch and winds on the camera.

If this lady’s experience is any indication of how you’d be treated once they got your money I’d be inclined to spend my hypothetical digital medium format dollars on Fuji or PhaseOne:

https://petapixel.com/2020/09/17/user-report-brand-new-hasselblad-907x-s...

I phoned Hasselblad (UK) about this camera during the lockdown and the lady I was onto could not have been more helpful. OK, I have not bought the camera but I just might as I have a pile of Hasselblad kit sitting there. It would be a cheap(ish) way for me to get into digital medium format.

Like all Hasselblad cameras the 907x have been built with introspective thinking and the image quality is outstanding. Just out of my price range.

How do you even hold that box?

Hmmm, looks like the same way he does in the video.