Hasselblad X1D II 50C Review
Summary
The second effort, the X1D II 50C ($5,750), offers a lot of improvement, but is still held back by an underpowered battery, slow autofocus, and, at press time, promised features that just arent there. Two round buttons sit between the rear wheel and EVF; AE-L locks in exposure, so you can recompose a shot without changing the way a scene is metered, and AF-D activates autofocus. Unfortunately, the sensor readout is very slow, so even if youre snapping a shot at a brisk shutter speed, youll have to hold the camera perfectly still for about a third of a second to prevent some rather gnarly distortion, as seen in the following image. It balances extremely well on the body, making the kit something Id feel comfortable using with a wrist strap—though I paired the X1D II with a Peak Design shoulder strap. You may find the form factor and imaging capabilities to be worth losing out on next-generation autofocus and all-day battery life, but when youre spending this much on a camera, you shouldnt have to compromise.