Every so often, I wonder if I will ever learn from my experiences. I quickly fall in love with camera gear, and just as quickly fall out of love with it. As the song goes, “Sometimes I fall in love too easily.” Maybe instead I should simply be asking, “Why do I fall in love so easily with camera gear?”
Is it too easy to fall in love with camera gear?
Let me start with a confession. I need to accept that playing with gear is as much part of my enjoyment of photography as it is taking photos. But not when my appetite for gear overshadows producing great photographs with the gear I do own.
Infatuation with medium format
My recent infatuation began in 2023, when I shot with a Pentax K-1, a hefty full frame digital SLR camera. Shooting something that large piqued my curiosity about what a digital medium format sensor camera might deliver in terms of output. For example, how would that compare to full-frame or APS-C sensor? In the film world, medium format is a massive jump in quality. Would the same be true for the digital world?
Satisfying my curiosity — at a cost
Despite understanding the futility of chasing after the attributes of gear I do not own, it still did not stop me going through yet another change of gear.
As always, answering such a question comes with a financial cost. Moreover, size, weight, and speed are challenging when shooting medium format. That is certainly the case when using film. I am not sure why I didn’t realize these issues would apply equally to the digital medium format. At some point, I am sure I will look back and smile at my naivety. But not quite yet.
New camera gear and the rush of endorphins
So it was that in 2024, I fell in love with digital medium format. But I was not convinced that a digital medium format body would be much of an increase in terms of weight and handling. Was I right?
I found a reasonably cheap Fujifilm GFX 50S ii, and before I realised it, I owned it. I bought a few lenses as well — the 30mm F/3.5 for wider landscape and the 110mm F/2 for a more telephoto perspective. This was a stretch on both sides of my usual focal length range, but it would work. If I only wanted to take one lens, I would take either the smallish 30mm F/3.5 or the outstanding but humongous 55mm F/1.7.
Filled with excitement and enthusiasm, I started to take photos with my new gear. Instantly, I was blown away. I won’t go over my early ravings, as I captured them in a separate blog post. And I still stand by those words.
Was it worth the weight?
In the end, the actual sensor size is not significantly different, when comparing medium format to full frame. But the image quality simply cannot be beaten. I loved looking at those images. The depth of detail, the soft bokeh; it is all gorgeous, and truly different from full-frame or APS-C.
The expensive risks of juggling
So while I was lugging my Fujifilm GFX system through Slovenia and Croatia last summer, the downsides started to manifest themselves. The post-honeymoon phase of falling out of love was kicking in. And that is when I am at my most vulnerable. The user experience wasn’t gelling with me so much, but that wasn’t a dealbreaker. The size and weight were.
I don’t like zooms, and I don’t like changing lenses, which means I usually work with two bodies. Given the size and weight of the GFX, that was unfortunately not a acceptable. Digital medium format bodies are simply too big and too expensive to carry around two of them.
I am not someone who takes a lot of time to shoot, and I move pretty quickly. That is where the lens changing becomes cumbersome, especially when they are as big as the Fujifilm GF lenses. They are challenging to change because of their size. And changing a lens introduces a significant risk of dropping an expensive piece of glass.
Other than the weight, though, I have to say that the Fujifilm GFX system is pretty impressive.
Paying the price of separation
Instead of seeking smarter options, I somehow managed to manoeuvre myself into an even deeper investment in digital medium format after I saw an opportunity to trade into the Hasselblad system.
The Hasselblad X2D would be a serious upgrade compared to my Fujifilm GFX 50S ii, while the weight would still be the same. The newer ‘V’ prime lenses are significantly smaller and lighter. Pre-honeymoon me didn’t take long to convince myself that this really was the best system for me. Portable, with lighter lenses, and even better image quality. What could possibly go wrong?
I emptied my pockets and traded in my Fujifilm GFX set. And there I was, the owner of a Hasselblad X2D with a 38mm f/2.5 V and a 90mm f/2.5 V lens to match. The customary cycle of falling in love with camera gear kicked in again. A rush of endorphins.
Starting a new affair
I loved the camera. Of course, I did. Who wouldn’t. It’s so much nicer to shoot with than the Fujifilm. The simplicity of the user experience is even better than Leica. And the output was glorious. The 38mm and 90mm lenses are phenomenal, and it is incredibly impressive how they kept them so small.
The in-body stabilization of the Hasselblad sensor is insanely good. I can handhold it with ridiculously long shutter speeds. I always thought that sensor size was a big reason why full frame camera manufacturers couldn’t match the Micro-Four-Thirds stabilization, but I was clearly wrong. So far, so good.
The leaf shutter is an advantage for people who need high flash sync, but for me, this was more of a downside because the maximum shutter speed on the 38mm is only 1/2000s.
After the love is gone
And then, it was time to pack my bags and come home from the Hasselblad Honeymoon and fall out of love again. AF is very slow. Even with all updates, I felt the much older GFX 50S ii had better AF. And then there was the issue of the missing joystick.
The Hasselblad designers went one step too far in my opinion here, choosing form over function. Having neither a joystick nor a wheel or pad for moving your focus point is wildly impractical. You can use your finger on the touch screen, but I did not enjoy this one bit.
The changing of lenses also irritated me. Even though the Hasselblad lenses are smaller, the thought of dropping one of them freaked me out because they are so much pricier. I also did not have a substitute for an everyday camera, since all my funds were now in the X2D and two lenses.
That bothered me more than I realised. I did not take the X2D with me as much. Maybe it was the size. But I had the feeling that digital medium format isn’t made for snapshots, although this is nonsense. Yes, the files are that big. But storage is cheap, so this wasn’t really a problem. I did have other issues with the files, though.
A wrinkle beyond my control
Due to some historic spat, Hasselblad files are not natively supported by Capture One Pro. The software is owned by Phase One, and they have a dispute with Hasselblad. Neither company is willing to place customers first, and so there is no native support.
There are workarounds, but I found them all super-cumbersome and much more of a dealbreaker than I expected. I even briefly went back to Lightroom, but there is clearly no going back to this, as I am delighted with Capture One Pro.
This turned out to the final straw that made my camel say, “enough already”. So, oops! I switched again. Goodbye, Hasselblad: it was great to get to experience shooting with a digital medium format system. Every so often, you just have to recognize and accept that what you fall in love with isn’t what you need.
Love is: Playing for keeps
So, what I have I learned on this journey? I have realised that medium format really isn’t for me. I have reached a point where I need to dial back this continuous falling in love with camera gear. Or I need to accept that this is where I get my enjoyment from and be at peace with it. Because otherwise it will continue to annoy the $^#% out of me.
I am not yet ready to talk about what I am shooting with now. I must be sure that what I have now is a keeper. That much I have learned, at least…
More
Articles by Erwin Hartenberg
Learn about the Fuji GFX
Discover more about Hasselblad
Finding out about Pentax K
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A Leica Q43 might be the logical choice for you if changing lenses irritates you and in you are afraid to drop lenses. I assume you probably already tried the Q28, GRIII and X100. Personally I love the Hasselblad system. I bought the X1Dii in 2020 and the X2D last year. No regrets whatsoever. The colors are fantastic, probably the best on the market. The design, user interface, simplicity and minimalism beat Leica in my opinion. The 1TB of internal memory is a godsend and the 7 stops of IBIS are a revelation. Yes, it is not a fast camera and yes, the AF is not up to the level of Canon/Nikon/Sony but I am OK with that. I actually enjoy using Phocus as well. I have 9 XCD lenses but mostly use the 38V. Take care!
In terms of image quality, you are 100% correct. Nothing beats digital medium format for a price that is more expensive than full frame but also kind of cheap in a way if you look at what you get. Just not for me, but happy it works for you!
“for a price that is more expensive than full frame”. True but it’s all relative. Not necessarily if you (as I was) are coming from Leica and if you are shooting Leica glass. If you are shooting Leica glass I would say the Leica SL system is about as expensive as the Hasselblad system and Leica M system is certainly more expensive than the Hasselblad system. And for the price of two Q’s you can easily build a two lens Hasselblad kit as well if you want.
Thank you for this genuinely useful article. As it happens, I’ve been contemplating a move into digital MF, and—despite the beautiful images—you’ve dissuaded me, probably saving me thousands in the process!
For me, the digital M system really is the ideal combination of size, weight, image quality, and fun. But I’ve built out my M system to the point where it’s essentially complete, and it’s hard to accept that the gear-acquisition part of my hobby may be essentially over. Maybe you’ve seen the rumors about an upcoming Fuji GFX100RF—a sort of medium-format X100-style camera. I think that might be a way to play with digital MF without building out an entirely separate system that’s too big and heavy to use every day . . . .
That sounds smart. I am curious what the GFX RF rumors will materialize into but I am hoping I will resist the temptation…
I am curious as well. I might purchase it with a single prime lens – but that could be a very slippery slope.
I bet he has discovered the brilliant Micro Four Thirds joy!
Both M43 and MF did remind me of my love for the 4:3 format instead of 3:2…..
The Hasselblad X system is second to none for rendering and haptics. I owned the X1D and a number of lenses and some were clearly the best glass I have ever owned and all were perfectly centred in image quality. Hasselblad calibrates each camera for colour accuracy and it is obvious. Their colour science and accuracy is by far second to none. Skin tones are amazing. You can push the processing to extremes and see no posterized banding in black and white images similar to Leica monochrom sensors but plus colour. However, it was heavy as I love to carry a range of focal lengths ranging from 24mm to 300mm. Also there was the capture one problem but I used the Hasselblad program for raw conversion and other software for polishing. If you want perfection this has no comparison. However, I had to get realistic for general use for my photography interests and purchased a Leica SL system. Since then, I am now cheerfully in the MFT system due to the progress in AI in MFT cameras, the dramatically smaller glass, and advances in processing software. Anyway, if you want ultimate image quality and only need a limited focal length system, there is no better system in general in my opinion and experience
Hi Brian.. not relevant to this article but may I know what mft lenses you have settled with? I’m sort of tempted with the om3 after handling it once. Might get the kit 12-45 lens and something else for bokelisiousness
Reality bites hard doesn’t it. I’d love to have a digital Hasselblad but know I’d get fed up with the size and weight. Thanks for reinforcing that impression and saving me lots of money.
Anyhow I guess you’re shooting with a Leica Q3 of some sort now? Or maybe you’ve got two of them, one at 28mm and one at 43mm. Beats changing lenses!
You are on to something 🙂
To paraphrase: once warned, twice shy, and I shall take your warning seriously.
Though the absolutely luscious photos you took make it very hard to resist a Hasselblad…
Great for studio work but I agree with Erwin about being out and about. Sold my X1D some time ago
Confessions of a serial gear changer. Guilty as charged. Everything i have used has been fun and engaging and made beautiful files. Honestly gun to head I could live with any of it forever if forced. However in 2025 i lost my fear of going meterless and bought a rejuvenated Leica M2. Holy smokes I have never had so much fun shooting a camera. Every aspect of operating that thing shoots volts of dopamine through my brain. Im currently sending the first 14 rolls off for development and it’s like a lifetime of Christmas anticipation. I imagine there will probably be more disappointments than hosannas but I’m prepared for that. In film photography it’s the hosannas that keep one coming back.
James Popsys, a well known YouTuber, once opinionated that when we call ourselves “photographers”, we often mix up two separate, but related, hobbies. The first hobby is taking photos – exactly what we believe photographers to do. The second, “commingled” hobby is the buying of cameras and related photographic gear. Obviously the second hobby is related to the first but, I suspect that, more often than we would wish to confess, researching, anticipating, buying and learning to live with new camera gear is, all too often, as important as getting out and actually taking photos. In evidence I submit that, on YouTube, videos about “gear” have far higher views in general than videos about photographic technique. I hereby rest my case.
I am not ashamed to admit that gear is absolutely part of why I enjoy the hobby. I just need to keep that repetitive itch somewhat in check and it is all good fun.
Great story. I had a Pentax medium format for a bit. Gorgeous but too much for hiking.
What did you move on to after your medium format honeymoon?
I’ll write more on that soon. I want to be sure I keep what I have, at least for a little while….
I am happy to read that there are equally pathological cases as mine 😉
I too have long had an irrational attraction to digital MF, and the Hasselblad X1D/X2D looked the closest to an elusive digital Mamiya 6 (a camera that I should never have sold – still kicking myself).
A bit over a year ago invested in a used X1D with 28P, 45P and 90 and, while I also love the IQ and camera UI, I quickly accepted what I already suspected, that this was too slow and still too bulky to become my main travel camera. I was tempted to upgrade to an X2D to make a bigger difference in IQ and benefit from its impressive IBIS, but it probably still would not be much more practical to me. I really should sell it and concentrate on my Leica M and Sony E systems…
Takes one to know one 😉