Hasselblad Makes World’s First Medium-Format Mirrorless

If there’s one word you wouldn’t associate with medium format, it’s “compact.” Until today.

Hasselblad has announced the world’s first mirrorless medium-format camera that manages to wedge a mammoth 50-megapixel medium-format image sensor into a genuinely compact camera body.

The X1D sports a 50-megapixel CMOS image sensor (43.8mm x 32.9mm ) with 14 stops of dynamic range, 14-bit color and an ISO range of 100-12,800 (expandable to 25,600). It’s housed in a compact, lightweight body that promises to handle more like an advanced compact camera than a bulky medium-format body.

It will sell for $8,995 and is due to ship by the end of August.

Shutter speeds will range from 60 minutes to 1/2000 sec. with flash sync throughout the range. The camera won’t be nearly as fast as a DSLR or traditional mirrorless camera however. Frame rates clock in at between 1.7 and 2.3 fps in continuous shooting.

You’ll compose your image through a 3-inch touch display with a 30 fps refresh rate or through a 2.3-million dot EVF.

Other key features of the X1D include:

• contrast-detect AF system
• Wi-Fi
• GPS
• HD video recording at 30 fps
• dust and weatherproof build
• dual SD card slots
• USB 3 Type-C port
• mini HDMI out

The camera will work with a new line of XCD autofocus lenses with full flash sync up to 1/2000th second. Two lenses will be available at launch: a 45mm f/3.5 ($2,295) and a 90mm f/4.5 ($2,695). Hasselblad will also sell an adapter for use with H system lenses.