The 907x Has Landed ...

[LCSmith]

What an interesting camera. I can see why you are so thrilled at its arrival. Yes -- do enjoy!

 

[keytarjunkie]

I tried to google photo samples made with this 907x - no success. Reviews also give pictures of the camera, description (how it feels, what it does), but where are the photos??? No cats, no walls or bricks, nothing! And surely no Moon pictures.

The 907X is just a frame with electronic contacts to connect the digital back to the lens. The digital back is the CFV II 50C. It can be attached to the back of a 500-series camera, or it can use XCD lenses via the 907X.

 

[Godfrey]

When I saw the title 907 I thought G bought a classic Ducati!

Classic? Really?
I bought a Ducati 907IE new in 1992 and rode it for 60,000+ miles. 😀

Here's my old bike:

​

G

 

[valdas]

The 907X is just a frame with electronic contacts to connect the digital back to the lens. The digital back is the CFV II 50C. It can be attached to the back of a 500-series camera, or it can use XCD lenses via the 907X.

Sure, I realize that, but only a few photos of (older?) CFV 50, could not find CFV II...

 

[Godfrey]

I dunno, the short flange distance on the 907x makes me think that the CFVII is better at handling oblique rays compared to the first version, so the SWC might finally be useable.

The short flange distance on the 907x body is because it supports the XCD lens series, designed for the mirrorless X1D and X1D II bodies, for use on the CFV II 50c digital back. That has nothing to do with the SWC and the Biogon 38mm.

I tried to google photo samples made with this 907x - no success. Reviews also give pictures of the camera, description (how it feels, what it does), but where are the photos??? No cats, no walls or bricks, nothing! And surely no Moon pictures.

The 907x and CFV II 50c has only been released to customers in the last week or two. I know of two, maybe three delivered 907x/CFV II 50c Special Edition units (including mine) within the circles of my online photo forum friends, so far. The CFV II 50c back and its sensor is essentially the same imaging electronics as the Hasselblad X1D II, only incrementally different from the X1D and CFV 50c back, if you want to look for photographic examples of the sensor's output.

The Moon reference is that the Special Edition commemorative model is finished in the same dark color as the one that rode in the Command Module of the Apollo 11 Mission which first landed a man on the Moon in 1969.

The 907X is just a frame with electronic contacts to connect the digital back to the lens. The digital back is the CFV II 50C. It can be attached to the back of a 500-series camera, or it can use XCD lenses via the 907X.

Right. The 907x body is just a very light bit about the thickness of an SWC "body" section, it carries the operating user interface (shutter release, control dial, and option switch), the lens mount and release, and the top has a removable panel to carry a mount and an optical viewfinder (accessories). Remember that the Hasselblad SWC was actually listed as a lens option in Hasselblad's brochures because they couldn't put that lens on an SLR body due to the lens's infinity register requirements. The CFV II 50c back is essentially the sensor and the rest of the imaging guts of the camera which can be used on both the 907x and the Hasselblad V system bodies.

The XCD lenses are designed and optimized for digital capture on this mount register.

G

 

[lcpr]

The short flange distance on the 907x body is because it supports the XCD lens series, designed for the mirrorless X1D and X1D II bodies, for use on the CFV II 50c digital back. That has nothing to do with the SWC and the Biogon 38mm.

The XCD lenses are designed and optimized for digital capture on this mount register.

G

I know, just wondering aloud that since the back was designed to work with the short register of the XCD mount in mind, it could be possible that the CFV II works better with the Biogon compared to older digi backs. I'll demo one when they become readily available here.

Anyway, enjoy the 907! Depending on the price of the regular version I may end up downsizing my camera collection by a fair amount to fund one.

 

[Godfrey]

I know, just wondering aloud that since the back was designed to work with the short register of the XCD mount in mind, it could be possible that the CFV II works better with the Biogon compared to older digi backs. I'll demo one when they become readily available here.

Anyway, enjoy the 907! Depending on the price of the regular version I may end up downsizing my camera collection by a fair amount to fund one.

Thanks.

It's an interesting design question, but I suspect it's the lenses that are usually designed to work with the digital sensor, not the other way around. The backs are designed to work with the V system SLR lenses primarily; they can be used with the SWC as well but I've heard variously that some people like how they perform, others do not.

Regardless, the 907x with its back, used with the XCD 21mm, performs brilliantly. I've made about twenty test shots around the condo today*with the camera on a tripod, and transferred them to the computer for examination. They look nothing short of awesome for technical quality.

Now to get to work and make some photographs. 😀

G

 

[Huss]

Classic? Really?
I bought a Ducati 907IE new in 1992 and rode it for 60,000+ miles. 😀

Here's my old bike:

​

G

Nice! My Ducati bikes were an 800SS (many problems but gorgeous) and an St4s (best bike I've ever owned - faultless).

 

[Godfrey]

Nice! My Ducati bikes were an 800SS (many problems but gorgeous) and an St4s (best bike I've ever owned - faultless).

Ah! Another Ducatisti!

My list is longer than that ... 🙂

• 1966 Ducati 250 Mark III - found in pieces in the trash and along the highway. I built it up, rode it on the track once, stored it for years, brought it west when I moved, sold it to a friend who has subsequently re-built it from the ground up again and brings it to the local Italian car and motorcycle show every couple of years.
• 1975 Ducati 860GT - A left over, bought from a dealer friend at half price and ridden for a year.
• 1975 Ducati 750GT - named "Bruno the Magical", rode all over North America on that bike. Owned it for four years and 90,000 miles riding.
• 1975 Ducati 750GT - a second one, bought from a friend when I lived in Santa Cruz. I sold it after a year or two to another friend, who later sold it back to me. I tore it apart and built it into a special named "Thunder", took it on one long trip, and sold it to the friend I was visiting on that trip. It has since passed through the hands of a half dozen other friends who occasionally send me a note to ask if it's all right if they sell it to someone else again... 🙂
• 1992 Ducati 907IE - A most marvelous missile of a bike! I went everywhere on this machine, had my worst wreck on it and rebuilt it again when a deer leapt into me, rode it for another couple of years after that.
• 1992 Ducati 900SS - My "recovery" bike, bought when I was recuperating from the wreck on the 907IE and before I'd rebuilt it. It was sweet and fun, light and playful.
• 1993 Ducati E900 "Elefant" - My sole foray into the "adventure touring" motorcycle category. Fun, but not my kind of bike. I am a solo road racer, can't get away from it.
• 2017 Ducati Scrambler - My last Ducati. A decent bike but it didn't suit me and its design had so far departed from what I found in the '70s and '90s Ducatis that I realized I simply wasn't in that camp any more.

The 907IE was the last Ducati I rode and loved. During the time I had the 907IE, I also returned to Moto Guzzis and had the extraordinary 1989 Moto Guzzi LeMans Mark V and a couple of 1975 Moto Guzzi 850T bikes, one of which I built up into a special that remains, to this day, my all time favorite motorcycle. The 907IE was sold in preference to those two about 2001 or 2002.

I stopped riding entirely in 2005 due to illness and growing incapacity due to a bad hip. In 2017, having been through six years of hell and reconstruction, and forcing myself back to health, I returned to motorcycling first with the Ducati Scrambler, which didn't work out, and then with a 2017 Moto Guzzi V7III Racer ... This latter is the reincarnation of my beloved old Guzzi 850T special, and is as perfect a motorcycle for me as any that will ever exist.

​

Sorry for the digression: Your comments brought me down the lanes of my past with motorcycles. I had Racer out for a nice putt the other day; it is such a darn sweet machine to ride. I have come to accept that I'm no longer the long haul rider I once was, that riding in cold weather is too hard for me now, that riding at night is too dangerous for me now because my night vision is gone, and I don't have the motivation to get on the bike every day like I once did—that's transferred to riding a bicycle now. But every time I get on Racer and go for a little ride, hear its beautiful exhaust note through those Agostini mufflers, and wack the throttle open to feel it sing and fly ... I remember, oh I remember! ... and I smile.

Back to Hasselblad now. 😀

G

"No matter where you go, go there on two wheels."

 

[Godfrey]

A few first snaps with the Hasselblad 907x and XCD 21mm lens. None of these are "great photos", rather they're me figuring out how to hold and use the controls on this machine. I've finished reading the instruction manual: The controls are all cleanly laid out and sensible, both for use on a tripod, use as a hand-held quick shooter, or use as the back on a 500CM. All three of these were made before I'd read a word of the manual and the camera was very easy to figure out even without reading...


Me, Taken with Hasselblad 907x
Hasselblad 907x + XCD 21mm f/4
ISO 800 @ f/4 @ 1/100
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49634553888_6fb81030fd_o.jpg

I handed the camera to my partner (not a photographer). He aimed and pressed the button. It did pretty darn well as a snapshooter's camera!


Hasselblad 907x + XCD 21mm f/4
ISO 3200 @ f/4 @ 1/800 + 3EV in processing
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49635075731_c0789355e4_o.jpg

In this exposure, I wanted to see how underexposure would affect the quality of the image. Seems to handle +3EV @ ISO 3200 nicely.


Hasselblad 907x + XCD 21mm f/4
ISO 3200 @ f/4 @ 1/100
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49635350532_e07760d6de_o.jpg

I adjusted the exposure in-camera before capturing this frame.

All three of these were made at f/4 as I was experimenting with focus zone. I'm very happy to see that at f/4, I can get a nice little bit of OOF in the background, the advantage of working with a larger format and an ultra wide lens without need for ultra fast speed.

Lightroom Classic sucked all of these in without any complaint and did very nice adjustments. Hasselblad raw files from this sensor are very malleable and easy to correct. Next download, I'll play with Hasselblad's own software, Phocus.

The image presented here in the forum is based on a 1600x1600 pixel, quarter resolution image. Click on the photo to get to the Flickr page or on the URL below it to look at the half-resolution image (3000x3000) stored on Flickr.com.

enjoy!
G

 

[nlubis]

Congrats. I'll be following your adventure on this. Hasselblad is coming to town, Baltimore MD, on the 18th (Vince, if you've not heard). For a long demo event or something.

 

[sepiareverb]

Nice! The 21 XCD is a really wonderful lens on the X1D, the 907 seems like a match made in heaven. Is there a dedicated optical VF or is there an EVF?

The 45P has been in my hands for about a month now, and I really love it (as does my bad disc neck) and while I’ve not yet gotten anything worth printing large i can’t see any downsides so far compared to the 3.5 version. I’ve been shooting a bunch last week with the P and the 21, looking forward to some time with the files this week.

Having been a long time PS/Camera Raw user I still struggle with Phocus, I really only use it for the lens profiles and its ability to embed the crops from the X1D, which Camera Raw still can’t do. Worst part of Phocus IMHO is the inability to inspect a file without first importing it.

I look forward to seeing what you post from this gem of a camera.

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

How exciting!

 

[Godfrey]

Thanks! I'm looking forward to getting out and shooting with it too! And for the 45P to arrive as well (hopefully by the end of the month).

Nice! The 21 XCD is a really wonderful lens on the X1D, the 907 seems like a match made in heaven. Is there a dedicated optical VF or is there an EVF? ...

When it was announced, Hasselblad showed a preview of a dedicated control grip fitted along with a mount (connecting to the camera where the nameplate is) and and optical viewfinder on that. I expect these accessories to surface about when the standard version of the 907x body is released, in a month or three. Right now, the accessory list is limited to the dual battery charger, lens adapters for the various Hasselblad lens lines, and the remote release.

Of course, for more static work, you can also tether the camera to an iPad Pro 11" and have a wonderful, huge live view and complete control experience with that. That's on my list to experiment with soon as well. 🙂

G

 

[sepiareverb]

The dual battery charger is an excellent addition if you travel much. Way more compact than the single chargers, with the added bonuses of a means of checking the amount of charge in a battery, and USBC connection.

The Hasselblad timeline has been a challenge for them, with delays on many of the announced lenses. But the quality is there once they do arrive.

 

[Godfrey]

Yes, I will most likely order one of the dual battery chargers. It's nice that I can charge batteries in the camera too.

The more I play with it, the happier I become. That's a good sign. 🙂

G

 

[Huss]

Ah! Another Ducatisti!

My list is longer than that ... 🙂

• 1966 Ducati 250 Mark III - found in pieces in the trash and along the highway. I built it up, rode it on the track once, stored it for years, brought it west when I moved, sold it to a friend who has subsequently re-built it from the ground up again and brings it to the local Italian car and motorcycle show every couple of years.
• 1975 Ducati 860GT - A left over, bought from a dealer friend at half price and ridden for a year.
• 1975 Ducati 750GT - named "Bruno the Magical", rode all over North America on that bike. Owned it for four years and 90,000 miles riding.
• 1975 Ducati 750GT - a second one, bought from a friend when I lived in Santa Cruz. I sold it after a year or two to another friend, who later sold it back to me. I tore it apart and built it into a special named "Thunder", took it on one long trip, and sold it to the friend I was visiting on that trip. It has since passed through the hands of a half dozen other friends who occasionally send me a note to ask if it's all right if they sell it to someone else again... 🙂
• 1992 Ducati 907IE - A most marvelous missile of a bike! I went everywhere on this machine, had my worst wreck on it and rebuilt it again when a deer leapt into me, rode it for another couple of years after that.
• 1992 Ducati 900SS - My "recovery" bike, bought when I was recuperating from the wreck on the 907IE and before I'd rebuilt it. It was sweet and fun, light and playful.
• 1993 Ducati E900 "Elefant" - My sole foray into the "adventure touring" motorcycle category. Fun, but not my kind of bike. I am a solo road racer, can't get away from it.
• 2017 Ducati Scrambler - My last Ducati. A decent bike but it didn't suit me and its design had so far departed from what I found in the '70s and '90s Ducatis that I realized I simply wasn't in that camp any more.

The 907IE was the last Ducati I rode and loved. During the time I had the 907IE, I also returned to Moto Guzzis and had the extraordinary 1989 Moto Guzzi LeMans Mark V and a couple of 1975 Moto Guzzi 850T bikes, one of which I built up into a special that remains, to this day, my all time favorite motorcycle. The 907IE was sold in preference to those two about 2001 or 2002.

I stopped riding entirely in 2005 due to illness and growing incapacity due to a bad hip. In 2017, having been through six years of hell and reconstruction, and forcing myself back to health, I returned to motorcycling first with the Ducati Scrambler, which didn't work out, and then with a 2017 Moto Guzzi V7III Racer ... This latter is the reincarnation of my beloved old Guzzi 850T special, and is as perfect a motorcycle for me as any that will ever exist.

​

Sorry for the digression: Your comments brought me down the lanes of my past with motorcycles. I had Racer out for a nice putt the other day; it is such a darn sweet machine to ride. I have come to accept that I'm no longer the long haul rider I once was, that riding in cold weather is too hard for me now, that riding at night is too dangerous for me now because my night vision is gone, and I don't have the motivation to get on the bike every day like I once did—that's transferred to riding a bicycle now. But every time I get on Racer and go for a little ride, hear its beautiful exhaust note through those Agostini mufflers, and wack the throttle open to feel it sing and fly ... I remember, oh I remember! ... and I smile.

Back to Hasselblad now. 😀

G

"No matter where you go, go there on two wheels."

A few first snaps with the Hasselblad 907x and XCD 21mm lens. None of these are "great photos", rather they're me figuring out how to hold and use the controls on this machine. I've finished reading the instruction manual: The controls are all cleanly laid out and sensible, both for use on a tripod, use as a hand-held quick shooter, or use as the back on a 500CM. All three of these were made before I'd read a word of the manual and the camera was very easy to figure out even without reading...


Me, Taken with Hasselblad 907x
Hasselblad 907x + XCD 21mm f/4
ISO 800 @ f/4 @ 1/100
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49634553888_6fb81030fd_o.jpg

I handed the camera to my partner (not a photographer). He aimed and pressed the button. It did pretty darn well as a snapshooter's camera!


Hasselblad 907x + XCD 21mm f/4
ISO 3200 @ f/4 @ 1/800 + 3EV in processing
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49635075731_c0789355e4_o.jpg

In this exposure, I wanted to see how underexposure would affect the quality of the image. Seems to handle +3EV @ ISO 3200 nicely.


Hasselblad 907x + XCD 21mm f/4
ISO 3200 @ f/4 @ 1/100
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49635350532_e07760d6de_o.jpg

I adjusted the exposure in-camera before capturing this frame.

All three of these were made at f/4 as I was experimenting with focus zone. I'm very happy to see that at f/4, I can get a nice little bit of OOF in the background, the advantage of working with a larger format and an ultra wide lens without need for ultra fast speed.

Lightroom Classic sucked all of these in without any complaint and did very nice adjustments. Hasselblad raw files from this sensor are very malleable and easy to correct. Next download, I'll play with Hasselblad's own software, Phocus.

The image presented here in the forum is based on a 1600x1600 pixel, quarter resolution image. Click on the photo to get to the Flickr page or on the URL below it to look at the half-resolution image (3000x3000) stored on Flickr.com.

enjoy!
G

Fantastic ride history G!

Moto Guzzi and Vespa were my other Italian rides. I had a Lemans Mk III which I bought with 'only' 4k miles on it but it was ridden hard and parked wet.. It blew an oil line on Mulholland Hwy just before a sweeper when I was doing about 60-70mph. I felt a hot sensation on my left leg and was wondering why my left foot was suddenly slipping off my peg! By some miracle I made it round the bend, parked the bike and waited for a tow truck.
Next and last Guzzi was a Griso 8V SE. Metallic olive green. Should never have sold it, it was a thing of beauty and rode superbly. Another story..

Anyway, the colour you are getting out of your Hasselblad looks very very good.
Happy shooting!

 

[sepiareverb]

My one time on (and spectacularly then off) a Vespa is the root cause of my neck problems which seem to be approaching surgery time some thirty years on.

 

[Godfrey]

Today I took the back off the 907x body and fitted it onto my black 500CM body. At first, I had the Distagon 50mm f/3.5 lens fitted ... The body had a microprism screen fitted and, wow, was that hard to focus! I switched the screen to a plain matte fresnel type screen and that was a lot easier. Then I switched that for a split image screen and with that, all focusing issues with the Distagon 50mm disappeared.

The CFVII 50c is superb to fit onto a classic Hasselblad 500CM. It automatically recognizes the camera and just works, no fuss and no funky setup or cable triggering to deal with. I made a couple of dozen exposures with the Distagon 50 and several are quite nice.

Then I decided to go for a longer lens test and fitted the Makro-Planar 120mm f/4 to the body, and switched the plain ground glass screen back into place. WOW! Totally different feel to this lens ... The image snaps in and out of focus on the focusing screen with alacrity, the test exposures are instantly beautiful. This particular matte fresnel focusing screen has guidelines for SuperSlide format on it, which turns out to be just about an exact match to what the sensor when cropped square will see.

I made several really nice test shots with this setup, but I have to say this abstract of my Brompton bicycle just hits the numbers for me.

Brompton – Santa Clara 2020
Hasselblad 500CM + CFVII 50c + Makro-Planar 120mm f/4​

The 907x/CFVII 50c is such a great kit, and the back is similarly a great kit if you have a 500CM as well!

Oh yes: Nearly forgot, this is the shooting configuration of the camera.

enjoy, G

 

[Moto-Uno]

Absolutely loved your motorcycle stories 🙂,🙂,🙂 . Peter