The medium-format X1D II 50C is a refinement of Hasselblad’s original X1D-50C, known for its great image quality and frustrating user experience. Far from a revolutionary update, it is built on the same sensor and uses the same design (albeit with a new, and quite attractive, graphite gray color), but brings numerous small improvements. There is one headline update, however. The price. At $5,750, it’s thousands less than the original, pitting it against flagship full-frame DSLRs from Nikon and Canon, not to mention competing medium format models from Fujifilm. This dramatic reduction in price is exciting for high-end enthusiasts and professionals, and signals that Hasselblad might see medium format — at least this particular 44mm x 33mm variety — as the next full frame. As full frame continues to grow more affordable, photographers may start looking toward a new aspirational format for the next step up in image quality. The 50MP sensor in the X1D II is several years old, but because it...
Excellent 50MP images; Large 3.6-inch LCD; 60FPS refresh rate; Significantly cheaper than X1D-50C; Beautiful design and craftsmanship;
Still relatively slow; Contrast-detection autofocus; Low light AF basically unusable;