@@nicolask.3825 not like they lost anything. Who realistically is buying this over its price competitors, talk less of people who buy in this category in the first place
I don't think I could blame anyone for saying yes to a free Hasselblad. While I can't speak for all of your viewers, I really appreciate your integrity in worrying about review bias. But the images are still, very distinctly, your style - it really makes it clear that it's the photographer, not the camera, that gets the results. You probably could have taken all of those shots with any modern camera, with more than enough detail. But some cameras help and make the experience more enjoyable. I picked up an X2D some months back. It's outrageously expensive, as are the lenses, and I don't think anyone sane could honestly suggest that it's good value. However, it's an absolute joy to use, in a way that few cameras are in my experience. And I hate putting time into extensive editing, so getting great colour straight out of camera every time is awesome. I'd been telling myself that I was happy with the 28P and 45P, but watching this has not helped my temptation to pick up the 55.
@@cristibaluta Gavin (fototripper) has had the X2D for some time now, but I'm not sure if he paid for it. He was sent an X2D a year ago, it's not clear to me whether that was a loaner or a keeper. The recent lenses he's shown in videos were likewise sent to him, including the 20-35 from that gear video. It wouldn't surprise me either way, as Hasselblad have sent both loaners/review units and keepers in the past. But they've recently been giving a lot of gear to RU-vidrs to keep. I expect that's their strategy now: it alleviates some of the concerns over integrity and biased reviews if it's pitched as "here, have a camera and just make a video where you use it", and it's more likely that the person they give it to will continue to use it in future content if it's theirs to keep, and not a loaner for review.
Good things happen to good people. Of course, the Internet’s most humble RU-vidr is given a Hasselblad X2D. Makes perfect sense to me. Can’t wait to see what beautiful images you create with it. Cheers.
Lovely looking camera, hilarious price. A limited edition camera that costs a fortune is a bit counterintuitive for "exploring", in my opinion 😅 I've fallen over on my S5IIX twice whilst hiking mountains and I think I'd have a heart attack if it cost £12k. I'd certainly take one if I was given it though, so I hope you enjoy it 😸
WHAT?! A $14K USD camera system for free? You hesitated? Kudos to you and your hard work! This camera is perfect for your landscape images! Sounds like you need a Benno Etility™Bike for exploring. Maybe they will send you one of those for free too!
I have the same setup in the basic camera. I am thrilled with the IQ. And I try to find a way to express that IQ. Color? Detail? Gradation? Yes, all of that. It will make a detailed portrait without making a harsh portrait. Magic. All I can think if is that this camera captures what your mind sees rather than what you eye sees. It turns the image up to 11. Good on you for getting one free. Shoot it like crazy. The images you took are great. Thanks.
NICE! I've been waiting for this one. And I'm glad you're keeping it, hopefully for a long time. The Sony may be the best tool for the job, but the Hasselblad seems like the nicer instrument for the art. This is basically my dream camera. Leicas are cool, but this one really speaks to me, from the insane image and build quality to the colors and design of the camera, I just love it. So my favorite photographer now has my dream camera. This is a good day. Thanks for sharing!
Very cool. I had to pay for mine, but it was money well spent. After 40 years of shooting with around 20 cameras, the X2D is my favourite. That, and my original F3.
The F3 is really growing on me. Bought one on a whim last year and didn't immediately gel with it, but damn - what a camera. Except for the film rewinder, which collapses on me constantly 😅
@@robert_may I have to get one again. I re-bought my first semi-pro camera last year - the FE2 with the drive, but the F3 was the GOAT back in the photojournalism and motorsport film era. I’d love to buy a NIB one, but that’s a very expensive souvenir.
@@peterfritzphoto Ooh FE2 is a nice choice too. There's always a part of me tempted by the FM3a too but that's holding its value annoyingly well. I went with a near-mint black F3/T from Japan as that variant never really appears much in the UK, although the HP viewfinder isn't quite the same finish anyway so that was probably an unnecessary extravagence 😆 I'm always tempted by a nice NIB older camera but I _know_ I'll just drop the damn thing anyway so I can't bring myself to do it 🙈
@@robert_may Haha! Me too! It’s amazing how many NIB or otherwise mint vintage cameras are available in Japan. I’d love to rebuild my entire lifetime camera collection, but I could probably buy a ver nice car for that.
Jealous doesn't even start to cover it! But when you've worked so hard building a camera channel like this you definitely deserve it! I'd love to know, especially with 100mp, how much difference it would make if you used a tripod.
RU-vidrs shouldn’t feel bad about accepting products to review. If I don’t like something, I just won’t post-I’m not into trashing products. Most RU-vidrs can’t afford to keep buying the latest models, and companies want their products showcased. As long as there's full transparency, it’s a necessary part of the process. Let’s be real-none of us are going to be buying Hasselblads just to make videos with, but I'm happy this video exists nonetheless 😅 Cheers!
Plus you always get the ones when starting p say things like you don’t need a top of the range camera, Leica is over rated then two years later they produce a Leica !!
Yea, but see... if you call yourself a reviewer (not the case here, just saying) you should post the stuff you don't like as well. People who are looking to buy that product, need to see/know about the negative stuff too. You're not doing anyone, except yourself and the manufacturer, a favour by only posting the good stuff...
@@houserhythm I think there was a misunderstanding. I always make it a point to inform viewers about things I dislike or areas that need improvement. However, I personally don't enjoy reviewing things that are terrible, and you'll often see this trait among RU-vidrs.
Well, thanks again James for letting us know Hasselblad make fantastic cameras. Maybe if I ever tire of having two kidneys I may pop down to their shop. Back down to earth next week?
One of the best in the biz! Well earned, and stoked to watch you use the new kit. Faroes are as good a spot to show it off as anywhere on earth! Cheers
Back in the day I used to work with materials that were stored and high temps and humidities and we had to see how they degraded. Colour change was a factor to record and that Hasselblad reminded me of a greenish brown which was called ‘goose turd’ in the official colour book 🤣
Lovely to have - congrats. Enjoyed the Faroe footage and resultant images. End of the day, we see you make great images on a Point & Shoot, and your personal style is evident in whatever format or sensor size. Just stating the obvs ;) I found myself thinking, ooh ..that would be a bit of a lump, until I clocked that it is actually lighter than my trusty ol' Nikon D700 ..🤭
I bet Federer will be round now you’ve got a Hasselblad! E bikes are ok for going up hills. Not much fun if you forget to plug them in occasionally though.
Lucky lad! Hope that you enjoy the camera, and look forward to seeing some more images from that system. Watching you move from micro 4/3 to Full Frame and now Medium Format. Our boy is all grown up. Enjoy James.
Congrats on the very excellent new camera! I'm glad you ended up not overthinking it, take those gifts when life offers them to you! You don't owe us any explanation! Cheers!
It's really why you don't have to do a review, James. One, you're quite trusted (says a guy who co-wrote a book about trust). Two, you're showing the experience of it, not having to talk us through every stat (which lots of folks google anyway). Good on Hasselblad for knowing a valuable person to put that camera in front of. Cheers for taking us around.
Fabulous video, wonderful photos, extraordinary camera! Only those trousers disappoint! Well done too to Hasselblad for choosing you to showcase their camera.
I’m 30 seconds in, but from reading the comments I’m guessing ahead on the themes! These images that are right in front of me are speaking for themselves, very you, very awesome!
Is it weird that while I loved everything about this video, the only thing I'm stuck on is the notion that the pants looked ridiculous? I couldn't even tell that they were wet 😂
What an incredible video, camera and shots, James. Me as usual looking at things that I will never afford. If I ever win the lottery, I won't tell anybody but there will be signs.
How long do you believe this genre of "go somewhere obviously photogenic with a camera to get obviously photogenic photos" will last before people get bored?
Oh I have seen so many Hasselblad videos last 2-3 months I knew they were up to something....maybe this 1000 pieces limited edition is the end of X2D and they will soon throw at us something new.... Nice catch btw
As always, these photos are stunning. I think what that goes to show is that gear matters very little once you reach a certain level of quality. And it helps if the photographer is awesome too haha
I love the colors this camera makes and can’t wait to see more. And as usual with every new video I ask myself how did he see that image. They inspire me work harder, keep those sheep coming.
What an amazing email to get indeed! Great shots as always, really loved that third one of the football pitch and the man with his hands behind his head.
My daughter has just come back from a cruise from New York, up the Canadian coast to Greenland and Iceland. Unfortunately there was a storm on the East coast of Iceland so some stops were cancelled and instead of sailing back to Stockholm they flew back to Manchester from Reicjavick. missing out on the Faroes. Better safe than sorry and considering that a sister ship lost all four engines in a storm a couple of years ago and was nearly shipwrecked off Norway.
Nice to have luxuries are great, because we only have one life and we should appreciate every pleasurable aspect of it. I have a Leica Q2 007 edition which is very nice to have, although sparsely used compared to my more workaday cameras and even, dare I say it, my rather good iPhone 15 Pro-Max cameras and lenses. I’m no camera snob and appreciate what my cameras do for me, not what I do for them.
I have never seen the draw for medium format. Bigger, heavier, more expensive, lack of long telephoto options, and usually less responsive… it certainly is a nice looking camera though. I think most of these explorer editions are mainly going to sit on a shelf…
Are you sure they don't want it back? And if it turns out that it is actually yours now ... get the tiny 28p as a wide to have in the pocket. It matches perfectly with the 55mm. ;)
I just bought a NOS Fuji X-E1 for $390, and because it is a 12 year old camera in pristine condition, I am afraid to use it 😂. Tje first time it gets a ding is gonna be painful! I cannot imagine having that camera. It would give me night terrors. My old Sony A7R2 is my comfort blanket haha. It takes my abuse without stressing me out. Looking forward to more from the Hasselblad. Great score, James. You deserve it. Congrats.
X-E1 is a great choice. Card write speeds and buffer are a poblem, because certain features are locked while it writes. But, for that one con, I could write an essay on the things I love about that camera. But one that stands out is the sound of the shutter and the way it sends haptic feedback through the body.
I stayed in one of the boat huts in the image you took in Hosvik! Awesome seeing how you view the Faroes. PS I think anybody in the world would be off their NUT to not agree to that email 😂
Cheers James, it’s Sean in Atlanta! Boy, I never get any emails about anything remotely like that! I have had several thousand on my car warranty if you’d like to have some of those… That is a magnificent gift from an incredibly magnificent company! I love the colour, also! Sean P.S. Let me know about those extended car warranty emails… hahaha!
I have different people I listen to in order to get perspectives on camera/lens/equipment stuff... Some of it is people trying to get objective reviews (like christopher frost) Some of it is people trying to get the mid range between usage and tech (Jason Vong/Tony+Chelsea/Chris+Jordan) And others like you are very much about the experience of photography, and what helps and hurts...and I think its very valid that a camera you might dislike at the beginning, might become more loved, or vice-versa...I don't think your perspectives are any less insightful than the technical ones I think also that hasslblad wanted to give you a trip and a camera is both a signifier of your skill/ability both in photography and gab, and a reason I'm green with envy...
The photo of the woman (?) sitting with hands folded behind her head (8:48) is amazing, the mood the colors, the mist in the background, a real masterpiece, love it!
Most people go to the Faroes and shoot landscapes from death defying cliffs. James stands in the road and shoots bus stops. Other people seem to be getting that same email from Hasselblad. They must have lost my address. 🤣🤣 Enjoy the gift. 🎁 Carry on. 👍🥂
The photo of the football stand… I absolutely LOVE the first one, with all that lack of symmetry. I think it’s the complete lack of symmetry that makes it work. The fact nothing at all is symmetrical, especially in the way you framed it is just perfectly imperfect, almost like it was meant that way. It’s a little ‘Accidentally Wes Anderson’
Having been a medium format using myself for awhile the hyper focal method will vary a fair bit depending on how low you are to the ground. The low you are to the ground. The focal point will change. It is quite tricky using medium format cameras. They're not easy to use. They are so rewarding when you get it rightBut they can be terrible. If you don't know where to focus you can have beautiful soft fall off in the foreground or background as well so there are some advantages with medium format. The one thing that stands out is the actual image quality oh my gosh. The GFX 100s II is snappy focus ..... If you are interested in medium format have a look at Fuji. I think they are a better all round camera than this one. This probably has that beautiful premium feel but in terms of usability the Fuji GFX cameras are more usable friendly. They are pretty much the same as a full frame cameras
For £12k the only way its seeing the light of day is by being a freebie. Show me the photographer with a RU-vid channel that could afford it! Not jealous at all. Honest.
I have been watching you for a few years now and while I don’t think your photos are anything special I really enjoy your personality and sense of humor. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for disclosing (at the end) that the camera was free. Mind blowing how it works, isn’t it? Free camera to a bunch of RU-vidrs, and plebs pay 14 grand. Amazing times we live in.
