A quick ‘snap’ of my main camera. After 15 years of shooting Nikon, I decided to move away from DSLRs and their gamut of lenses to a more simple but high end kit. I decided also that I wanted to get back into medium format photography. I still have my Hasselblad 500cm and that’s going to become a regular piece of kit in the future, but since I was thinking of my Hasselblad, I decided to stay with that brand and make it my mainstay for the next few years. The X1D is not a fast camera. It’s not super responsive and it doesn’t shoot high frames per second. But what it does do is produce 100 megapixel images that are crazy sharp, highly detailed and have gorgeous colour. It’s paired with a 45mm f3.5 prime lens.
This kind of camera gives up a lot of conveniences that are so easy to get with modern DSLRs. I can’t zoom. I can’t ‘spray and pray’ to ensure I get the exact shot. It takes time to boot up. The battery life is a bit rubbish. I can’t quickly change my focal point. I’m still figuring out the menus.
Why would I do this to myself?
… for the challenge!
That’s what I want. I want to push myself. I want a camera that feels like a film camera in that photos are slow, deliberate, thoughtful and well timed. I want to make sure that I’m mindful of my surroundings and the moment. I want to make sure I’m experiencing the photos I make as much in the action of making them as well as the resulting image that I get to share.
And that’s why I love this camera. It’s not perfect. It’s older. It’s a bit cantankerous at times. But I love having it in my hands. I love walking around with it. I love taking my time and composing photos. It’s how I used to shoot film and I feel like I’ve lost that vibe. The Hasselblad is helping me recapture it.
I’m having a lot of fun and I’m making some amazing photos.