Steve Spencer
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 p.40 #14 · Official: Hasselblad X1D-50c Medium Format Mirrorless | |
adamdewilde wrote:
Hi Steve,
Shooting mainly portraits and weddings with the odd product or interior or editorial shoot.. I really have no experience with testing lenses for landscapes. Nor do I have interest in shooting anything further then I could toss the X1D. So my opinions may be bias and limited in what one would use the X1D for.
For what it's worth, I don't think it's the DOF. As strangely enough all the samples I took had sufficiently narrow DOF (narrower aperture was my initial concern). So I was pleasantly surprised, but not really surprised because it's medium format. I think it's a combination of a few things.
First, I'd like to say that the Leica 45S is the most medium format looking medium format lens I've ever used. I don't really know how to describe it, but it really pushes the idea of the medium format look. The 45XD lens seemed the opposite. It had a decent amount of 3D rendering, and despite the small aperture and wide FOV had good subject separation (sensor size has a lot to do with it). But it just felt really flat. Like FF flat. Nothing special from the 45XD that I couldn't get with a number of good 35 FOV lenses on 35mm. In fact, I find myself asking why I wouldn't just use a 35FLE or a 35/1.4ZM whereas with the Leica 45S, I knew why I was carrying around a big system.
The 90XD suffers from a similar feeling I get. It's fall off is very quick but not abrupt, which I would assume comes from the format. But overall nothing I couldn't get out of a good f/2 portrait lens. It's not mushy like most f/1.4s from FF cameras. And doesn't have the abruptness of the 85GM. It's more similar to the way a 75APO renders on FF, but the 90XD is lacking the contrast and color pop (contrast issues might be due to the sensors super wide DR). Also I feel as if the bokeh suffers somehow from the leaf shutter lenses. Fully open the bokeh balls are not round. They have a very strange shape to them. This could be a malfunction of sorts, but from multiple shots taken wide open and stopped down. I can see this asymmetrical bokeh that looks geometric and is very distracting. I actually don't mind the 90XD to much. I think I could get along with it just fine. But given all the other quirks and the fact that I don't really feel the medium-format-ness, I'm left wondering why I don't just stick with a number of great FF options. The leaf-shutter ability was a smart move, but lack of shutter was a terrible move. The Nikon TTL tie-in was super smart, and if it is fully compatible with Nikon flashes in every way, as well as third party options (Profoto) then SMART.
I was a big fan of the 100/2.2 the way it rendered was very clean, but with character. It felt medium format, especially the bokeh, it just looked medium format and the rendering again was clean and the colors the lens produces are vivid. I mention this lens because it's almost a direct comparison to the 90XD in FL.
I liked a lot of HC lenses, mostly older hassy/zeiss lenses though. The standouts of the HC line being the 50-110/100/150. Honestly the 100 could have satisfied me as far as a one lens kit was concern if I had a proper full frame MF camera rather then a variation of full frame MF. Strange though, as the zoom wasn't fast by any means, and not portable and gave me problems (resting it upside down made an element loose/fall out. I never had this problem, but I hear it was quite the issue). BUT it had a pretty neat rendering in backlit situations.
Nothing really BREAKS it for me. I've just been burnt by Leica lust to much.. So I'm quite hesitant to just jump on something blind and then figure it out later. Just to reiterate my earlier thoughts, I love the camera in hand. I find the size of both lenses and body to be perfect. The look is amazing (of the actual camera/lenses) and I find that in a style sense I'd take the X1D over the GFX any day. I also like the interface and want to stress that looking through the viewfinder and in actual use, I like the layout/setup of the X1D way better then the SL or A7 series. I just find the EVF to be subpar compared to the SL.
IF I decide to go back to MFD, I would want to do my due diligence before buying into a MFD system. I'll wait for the GFX to hit the market, and I'll compare both cameras on the basis of complete systems (as in, cameras w/various available lenses). And would most likely pick on that basis. Because as it stands now, I can just use an M if I want to be stylish and for the way I shoot, I won't be giving up much. That or of course just stick with my SL kit if it doesn't sell (I've reviewed the 50SL on my site, it's not what I was hoping for, but it's good enough to cause me to use the SL more)....Show more →
Thanks Adam this is very helpful. For my use I think I will probably be more happy with the system. I think for portraits I will be reasonably happy with the HC 100 and 150, and I will use the XCD 45 and 90 primarily for landscapes, so I think I may like them better. I still don't know what I will use for travel, but I will likely stick with the Sony A7r II and Leica M lenses. I really like the WATE, the 28 Lux, and the 90 cron AA, and I think I will add a 50 cron AA and that four lens kit will be quite versatile, but small and high quality for travel. I would love for someone to make an adapter for the Leica S lenses, for the X1D, but I won't hold my breath. It should be technically possible for the Leaf shutter lenses, but I doubt anyone will think it is worth it to make the adapter. The market would have to be quite small. Still, I think the HC lenses will fill out the system well enough for me to be happy, but I would love to add a Leica S lens or two.
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