Hasselblad has announced its first ever compact mirrorless digital medium format camera, the X1D-50c, which boasts a 43.8 x 32.9 mm, 50-megapixel CMOS sensor.

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Angled front view of the Hasselblad X1D-50c camera with the 45mm f/3.5 lens. (Source: Hasselblad.)
With a camera body measuring 150 x 98 x 71 mm and weighing 725 grams (battery included), Hasselblad claims it is ‘no larger than a small format rangefinder’ and has ‘a footprint smaller than most full frame 35mm cameras’.  It is constructed from milled aluminium to provide a strong and durable build. The large sensor in the X1D can capture up to 14 stops of dynamic range, allowing detail to be recorded from the deepest shadows to the brightest highlights. The new camera will be supplied with Phocus, the company’s free image processing software for raw files, which has been updated and expanded with new features that work seamlessly with the X1D. It is also compatible with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.

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Rear and top views of the Hasselblad X1D-50c camera. (Source: Hasselblad.)
Key features of the X1D include:
– a deep and comfortable handgrip;
– a 3-inch TFT LCD monitor with 920,000 dots, 24-bit colour and support for live view shooting;
– an icon-based user interface with touch control for all camera functions, along with customisation options and playback functions such as swipe and pinch to zoom;
– an XGA electronic viewfinder with 2,360,000 dots;
– dual SD card slots that allow images to be saved to both cards simultaneously, sent to the second card when the first is full, or RAW images can be saved on one card while JPEGs are saved to the other;
– contrast detection autofocusing with instant manual focus override;
– automatic TTL centre weighted flash control plus a Nikon compatible hot-shoe;
– shutter speeds ranging from 60 minutes to 1/2000th second with flash synchronisation at all speeds;
– an ISO range from ISO 100 up to ISO 25,600;
– Full HD video recording with H.264 compression (25 fps)
– USB 3.0 Type-C connectivity plus built-in high speed Wi-Fi;
– a new range of autofocus lenses specifically engineered to match the high resolution capability of the X1D, starting with 45mm f/3.5 and 90mm f/4.5 XCD lenses.  (An optional adapter is available for H System lenses.)

The new camera is scheduled for release in North America in  late August or early September, with demos starting in late July. The camera body is expected to sell for just under US$9,000, while the 45mm XCD lens will be around US$2,300 and the 90mm lens around US$2,700.  

Visit http://www.hasselblad.com/x1d for more information.