Fun with the Hasselblad 907x

I received an email from Hasselblad this morning: There is updated firmware (v 1.4.0) available for the 907x/CFVII 50c available now, as well as for the XCD 45P and all other XCD lenses. Several new features are included as well as a couple of bug releases. (I believe it also applies to the X1D II.)

The firmware update summary from the information file is as follows...

—
FIRMWARE 1.4.0 FOR HASSELBLAD 907X CAMERA

The 1.4.0 firmware is a feature and stability release for the 907X Special Edition and the 907X 50C cameras. We recommend all users to update.

The update file can be found in the “My Hasselblad” section at https://www.hasselblad.com/ my-hasselblad/#/home

NEW FEATURES AND IMPROVEMENTS COMPARED TO V 1.3.0:

● Distance scale in live view

A new distance scale overlay is added to live view. This function requires firmware version 0.6.0 for XCD lenses (0.1.26 for the XCD 45P).

● New setting

The language setting has been changed to include a unit of distance.

● New function in Interval Timer

It is now possible to select exposure metering for each frame or for first frame only. Metering for each frame improves Time Lapse photography in changing lighting conditions.

● New option for Interval Timer

The number of frames setting has been changed.
Before: 2, 3, 4, ..., 97, 98, 99, No Limit
Now: 2, 3, 4, ..., 23, 24, 25, 30, 35, ..., 95, 100, 150, 200, ..., 900, 950, 1000, No Limit.

● New features with Phocus Mobile 2

- Increased Live View quality.
- A change in White Balance setting in Phocus Mobile 2 will be syncronized to the camera.

BUG FIXES

● A bug that prevented the menu button to enter the settings menu when live view was running in the EVF has been solved.

● A bug where DOF preview didn’t work when a Control Grip button was programmed for this function has been solved.

● General stability has been improved.
 
That's a delightful photo, Vince!

I like the new distance scale feature, and the fact that DoF Preview now works with the control grip customization. Both are handy things to have available, even if I don't use them frequently. What I'm most delighted with is the amount of effort Hasselblad is putting into updates, adding features and fixing issues that actually matter to many people. Of course, they won't get everything, but it looks like their thoughts are in the right places.

If I get even a minute free tomorrow to play, I'll go for a walk with mine. 🙂

G
 
Many thanks - I actually went back up there yesterday but it was literally a wash. It poured rain continuously (remnants of the hurricane from down south) and I didn't feel too confident about using the camera in those conditions. I managed a few shots in addition to some shots from my RB Graflex 2x3, but I bagged it after only two hours. If it's cloudy (but not rainy) over the weekend I may try again.

I've decided to sell off all my film Hasselblad equipment!
 
Vince Lupo said:
Many thanks - I actually went back up there yesterday but it was literally a wash. It poured rain continuously (remnants of the hurricane from down south) and I didn't feel too confident about using the camera in those conditions. I managed a few shots in addition to some shots from my RB Graflex 2x3, but I bagged it after only two hours. If it's cloudy (but not rainy) over the weekend I may try again.

I've decided to sell off all my film Hasselblad equipment!
Click to expand...

One thing I'm considering is a CF generation Sonnar 150/4 or 180/4... My *ancient* Sonnar 150/4 is pre-T* and has some pretty horrendous mechanical issues that really aren't worth the cost of repair. Luckily, they don't really impact the function of the lens by much, but I know it will fail at some point...

The other thing I'd like to find is an A16H back, for 15 6x4.5 exposures per roll. This would be a natural fit when using the 500CM with film AND the CFVII 50c back in the same session ... You lose just a little more FoV when swapping to digital but maintain the same format dynamics in use.

Fun stuff. I'm not really looking to expand the V system specific gear by much, but it is so nice to be able to use modularity to good effect!

G
 
Really great review of the 907x: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30y1Ivo3BfA

Only thing I think she got wrong was when she said that you had to go into the menu to change ISO and you couldn’t do it in Live View, which isn’t correct. As well, she didn’t demonstrate that you could change all your basic settings with the touch screen while in Live View. Other than that, a great review - I think of all the people on YouTube doing camera reviews, I like the SnapChick the best.
 
Vince Lupo said:
Really great review of the 907x: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30y1Ivo3BfA

Only thing I think she got wrong was when she said that you had to go into the menu to change ISO and you couldn’t do it in Live View, which isn’t correct. As well, she didn’t demonstrate that you could change all your basic settings with the touch screen while in Live View. Other than that, a great review - I think of all the people on YouTube doing camera reviews, I like the SnapChick the best.
Click to expand...

I don't think I'd really call it "great" but it's a decent review. Too much "then there's this thing, but we'll get back to that later" forward references that are unsatisfied. Yes, she did miss the ISO setting in Live View. That's a little better than one reviewer who missed the Shift Button completely. LOL! 🙂

But as usual, the whole 'review' seems kinda light. She does a better than average job of showing the camera in her hands, in use, and that's useful, but like most of the online reviews there's a bit too much opinion and not quite enough substance to satisfy my inner geek.

G
 
One thing I cannot definitively figure out is if the camera has ‘weather sealing’. Some online reviewers say yes, others say no. There are a number of thin rubber gaskets throughout as well as a thick foam block that covers the SD card slots and the battery (though admittedly nothing on the main access door itself, but I’m not sure if those gaskets qualify as ‘weather sealing’.
 
Vince Lupo said:
One thing I cannot definitively figure out is if the camera has ‘weather sealing’. Some online reviewers say yes, others say no. There are a number of thin rubber gaskets throughout as well as a thick foam block that covers the SD card slots and the battery (though admittedly nothing on the main access door itself, but I’m not sure if those gaskets qualify as ‘weather sealing’.
Click to expand...

Hasselblad does not list weather sealing (and the relevant spec that it would meet) in their specification list, and certainly a modular camera like this is FAR more difficult to properly weather seal vs a unitized body and lens design.

However, the seals on the back, plug orifices, XCD lens mounts, and card door do constitute good barriers to water and dust intrusion. So while I'd not classify it as a weather-sealed or water-proof camera, I'd certainly consider the 907x to be weather resistant. Much more so than my 500CM, certainly, and I've never had any problems if I went out into a light rain with that as long as I took normal care to keep heavy amounts of water off the camera.

I think much of the weather/water-sealed claims are a bit over the top, given that to keep water-sealing up to date *always* requires maintenance of seals (lubrication and replacement as they age) and I hardly recall even a mention of that in any of the instruction manuals for all the cameras I've owned that do tout that sealing as a major feature. For instance, while my Olympus E-1 was certainly one of the most weather-sealed DSLRs of its day, I'm sure that by now whatever its sealing might have been in 2003 is pretty heavily degraded ... I wouldn't go leaving it on a tripod in a downpour unprotected at this point. It's probably at least as likely to see some ingress of water and dust as the 907x is now. 🙂

I generally don't worry about these sorts of things much. I just take care of my equipment as seems reasonable for the circumstances, and fix whatever gets mucked up.

G

--- Okay, so you made me curious and I sent Hasselblad USA Customer Service a query about it. 🙂
 
My 907X arrived last Friday and I left the body in the box and attached the back to my Alpa 12 SWA. My primary Alpa lens has been a 48mm rebadged Super Angulon. I was a little concerned about how the lens would perform with this back. Since the weather has been pretty sloppy the past few days in my part of New England, I did some resolution and blank wall tests. Everything looks good but there is obvious purple fringing (is that the word?) when I use more than 7mm of shift. Since I'm a BW photographer, I can pretty easily fix this in Lightroom. Overall, I'm very happy with the results and see the setup as a perfect "tripod" complement to my "handheld" Leica CL. I've been slow to convert to digital because I like film cameras (M4, Linhof, Ebony, Rolleiflex, Alpa) and haven't liked digital cameras (too many buttons). I think I'm a convert now.
 
tifat said:
My 907X arrived last Friday and I left the body in the box and attached the back to my Alpa 12 SWA. My primary Alpa lens has been a 48mm rebadged Super Angulon. I was a little concerned about how the lens would perform with this back. Since the weather has been pretty sloppy the past few days in my part of New England, I did some resolution and blank wall tests. Everything looks good but there is obvious purple fringing (is that the word?) when I use more than 7mm of shift. Since I'm a BW photographer, I can pretty easily fix this in Lightroom. Overall, I'm very happy with the results and see the setup as a perfect "tripod" complement to my "handheld" Leica CL. I've been slow to convert to digital because I like film cameras (M4, Linhof, Ebony, Rolleiflex, Alpa) and haven't liked digital cameras (too many buttons). I think I'm a convert now.
Click to expand...

Congratulations on your 907x! I'll be interested to see some of your results.

I had thought about getting the Cambo XCD setup, but I'm not sure what wide lens I could reasonably use on it that would cover the full sensor. I do a lot of architectural interiors for work, so ideally I'd love a 30mm but I don't know if that's possible.

If you have a chance to get a lens for your 907x (like the 45P or something else), you won't regret it. This camera is great handheld, with or without the accessory grip. Personally I love the 65mm lens - if you were to have one lens that could do it all, I'd think this would be the one. The 45P is a good one as well - I'm saving up for the 30 🙂
 
tifat:

Congrats on your 907x/CFVII 50c! I'll be following your experiences with it ...

Personally, I've considered a Flexbody so I can play with my existing V system lenses and some movements easily (and at relatively low cost). But I'm more likely to just buy another XCD lens for the 907x—I think an 80 or 120 would complement my 45P and 21 mm lenses best, for my purposes.

(65mm is also interesting ... the FF equivalents on 33x44 format make a 65 equal to about an FF 50, and 80 equal to about an FF 60. I know both focal lengths work well for me, but think the slightly longer focal length would complement the others better.)

Best to move slowly and buy carefully, for the long haul.

G
 
As usual, Hasselblad Customer Support responded promptly to my query as to the sealing on the 907x.

Q:
Just a small question about the 907x: I don't see any mention in the specs, instruction manual, or website on the 907x that suggests what its weather sealing/water resistance might be. I see the nice seals over the electrical ports, on the card door, on the back and the lens mount… but just how good is the weather sealing? It's not a huge thing to me, but I'm curious.

What does Hasselblad say with respect to the 907x weather sealing? Does it meet any particular classification in this regard?
Click to expand...

A:
The camera and lenses are sealed to prevent dust from entering the system. However, it isn't weather sealed, so we do not recommend using the camera in rain.

Hasselblad Technical Support Representative
Click to expand...

I'd append to that statement: "... so we do not recommend using the camera in rain unprotected." A simple bit of plastic covering over the camera when used in the rain would go a long, long way, IMO. 😉

So we now know the intent of the sealing is dust control rather than water/weather control. That's good ... dust is harder to protect against than water.

G
 
Vince and Godfrey:

I guess I'll need to figure out how to post images. I've had the Alpa for 20ish years and have a weird attachment to it. That said, I expect to get at least one XCD lens even though that wasn't part of the original plan. I have a long term tree project/obsession (it's better than it sounds) and like perspective control for anything wider than normal. Maybe the 65? The big question is whether I'll ever shoot film again. Carl
 
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