dilbertdroid2's Full Review: Hasselblad H1 Medium Format Film Camera
Let's get a few things straight right at the start-- Like the Xpan, the H1 is primarily a Fuji product. Why do I say this when parts of the camera are made in Sweden? Because if you talk to Hasselblad owners, one central theme dominates---- Most Hasselblad owners consider Zeiss lenses to be the very heart of the camera. Another dominant theme that always seems to come up when discussing Hasselblad is the square 6X6 format.
This camera has neither.
One has to wonder (with the Xpan as well) if this camera is a Hasselblad concept that Fuji helped to build, or a Fuji concept that is marketed by Hasselblad?
As a modern, high-tech expression of the medium format genre, this camera rocks! It is well thought out, modular yet highly integrated, and stylish to boot. But does it have a Hasselblad soul?
A Japanese competitor, Kyocera, also has an automated, autofocus 645 but the Contax 645 sports Zeiss T* lenses. Fuji itself also has a line of automated 645 cameras, the GA series. The Fuji and Contax cameras occupy opposite ends of the marketing spectrum for 645s. The Contax is a high-end professional system camera, and the Fuji's GA645zi is a consumer or prosumer-oriented zoom point and shoot. Where does the H1 fall into the pack?
From a standpoint of price, the H1 is similar to the Contax 645. That means high-- higher than all the competition. (If Rolleiflex made a 645-only camera, though, it would be right up there at the top of the price pack too.) One of the mystiques of Hasselblad, though, and one that helps command the high prices, has always been Zeiss lenses. That's what is missing in the equation on the Hasselblad side, though not on the Contax side. As a professional user of both Fuji and Zeiss products, I honestly can't say that Fuji makes inferior lenses-- they don't. But also having used a fairly wide range of Fuji professional products, I can say that their lenses are not as consistent "high performers" as those from Zeiss. Without some objective comparisons between the lenses for the Contax and Hasselblad 645s, the jury is still out on who has the edge on glass.
The 6X6 vs. 645 comparison is an obvious one for any medium format camera bearing the Hasselblad name. There is one big reason why the Hasselblad 6X6 cameras are wedding photographer mainstays, and that is the fast handling of the 6X6 camera. Medium format cameras are not by nature easy to handle, and removing the requirement to turn a camera to choose between vertical and horizontal composition also makes the camera much easier to handle. The H1 can make no such claim for ease of handling-- It must be turned to switch between vertical and horizontal framing.
One also has to take reliablility into consideration. The H1 is totally dependent on batteries to operate, and is very complex mechanically and electrically. Such complexity means less dependibility. One feature touted for the H1 is the automated dark slide. In thirty years of photography, I've never had a manual dark slide "break down". Yes, I've forgotten to pull them out or put them back in sometimes, but I've never lost a single shot because the dark slide "system" suffered a break down. I suspect this feature could add a new wrinkle to the simple dark slide. But in all fairness to the H1, the camera is so new to the field that there is no concensus about reliability. However, I think I can safely make the prediction that the H1 will be much less reliable than the classic mechanical V-series Hasselblads.
So who will this camera appeal to? I can't see a big penetration into the group of diehard Hasselblad purists who doubtless see this camera as a Fuji with a Hasselblad logo. Ditto for the Zeiss purists, who are also mainstays of the Hasselblad camp. The studio crowd has very simple needs that don't coincide with the automated complexity of the H1, so they are probably out. Ditto for landscape photographers-- They worship film and like lots of it, and even 6X6 is on the small side for this group that tends to haul around 6X7 rangefinders or even huge 6X17 panoramic boxes. (Made by Fuji, coincidentally.) Candid shooters and street photographers aren't likely to take this heavy cruiser into war with them-- they prefer the stealth and low profile of the Leica or even a 6X6 folder. I'm running out of markets, aren't I? I did talk to my Hasselblad dealer when I looked over the H1 and asked who was buying them. I honestly expected him to say "no one." (Sorry for being so cynical.) He did report several sales to--- Ta da.... doctors. Yep, this appears to be a doctors/lawyers/dentist/executive camera. Is that good or bad? Honestly, I can't tell, but I'm going to ask my doctor what kind of camera he owns next time he raises his office fees.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 5200 This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts
BRAND NEW ORIGINAL HASSELBLAD H1 CAMERA PIN The size is around 3/8-1/2 inch by 3/8-1/2 inch. If you own a H1 camera, this will be a nice item to have!...More at eBay
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