There may be many photographers with very limited needs but it seems factual that compared to a Nikon Z9 or Sony a1 the scope of scenarios adressable by an X1DII is extremely narrow.
And yes Hassy may release a 100mp X2D this year, but they’ll still be 3 years behind Fuji and assuming that those interested customers would need this resolution it will have been 3 years during which Hassy will not have been able to address their need.
Which why I see the X system as a bad investment for photographers having various needs, which means it’s only suitable for photographers with narrow needs.
It doesn’t mean the X1DII doesn’t handle well the narrow scope it covers nor that it cannot produce beautiful images within this scope.
It’s just a niche tool like a Leica M.
Cheers,
Bernard
If you are calling the Hasselblad X1D a niche product compared to a Nikon Z9, you've hit the nail on the head. I'm just not sure what meaning that has for anyone considering a Hasselblad.
Hmm ... "only suitable for photographers with
narrow needs" .... ? Do you mean like focusing, exposing and capturing wonderful images?
My Hasselblad clients buy because of what Hasselblad is known for - a wonderful color palette, beautiful design and aesthetics, and a modern, intuitive user interface. My Fuji clients buy Fuji for the feature set, which includes the most advanced auto focus (for medium format camera), IBIS, Capture One support. Among other things, in both cases.
If Hasselblad produced a 100mp X2D tomorrow, then the fact they did this 3 years after Fuji doesn't mean much to those who like the idea of owning a Hasselblad. Will they have lost some buyers who got tired of waiting? Sure. But Hasselblad enjoys a very large traditional user base, and that user base is pretty forgiving, and has sincere lust for Hasselblad products.
I'm not really trying to stick up for Hasselblad (well, I am, a little) - and they do deserve their share of criticism - so much as I am taking the position that not being first to market or being behind the curve has not been a guaranteed harbinger of doom, especially for a company with a large and passionate user base. Nikon themselves have proven this. We just love to count companies out.
I'm not trying to be so confrontational Bernard, but the points you're presenting sound very biased.
Steve Hendrix/CI
