Shooting The Hasselblad 907x + CFV 100C in Unique Ways!

calebknueven
3 days ago
4 min read

Hassy Vintage Meets 100 Megapixels: My Nevada Adventure 🌵

A few months ago, I got my hands on one of the most unique cameras in the market: the Hasselblad 907x paired with the CFV 100C digital back. This little beast traveled with me across London, handling every situation I threw at it. Small, lightweight, and stupidly sharp, it quickly became my road-trip companion.

But as much as I loved the 907x’s portability, I suspected it could transform in ways beyond what meets the eye. And Nevada’s wide-open desert would be the perfect playground to test that theory.

A wide-angle view of the Amargosa Opera House, a two-story, stucco‑finished white building with a textured, weathered exterior. The building sits on the right side of a paved road that runs from the foreground left into the distance. The façade has three small square windows on the front and a centered teal‑blue door with the words “AMARGOSA OPERA HOUSE” painted in black lettering above it. A short fence of green posts runs along the front of the building. In the background, sparse trees line the road, a yellow diamond-shaped road sign is visible on the left, and distant mountains are seen under a clear blue sky with soft golden light suggesting late afternoon or early evening. The image was shot with a Hasselblad 100CFV on a Hasselblad 501c

Hitting the Open Road: California to Nevada 🛣️

Before reaching the empty expanses of Nevada, we made our way through California, stopping in familiar towns to capture a few hidden gems. The CFV 100C’s 100-megapixel sensor ensured every shot, whether it was trashy roadside art or sprawling desert landscapes, came out crisp and detailed.

The Hasselblad 501C Throwback

I couldn’t resist revisiting a vintage Hasselblad body—the 501C, released in the mid-'90s. There’s something magical about looking through that waist-level viewfinder; every image feels destined to be a banger.

With vintage bodies, Hasselblad makes shooting plug-and-play simple. Attach a film back—or digital CFV 100C—and you’re ready to slay. Keep in mind, though:

Use a handheld light meter or external meter.
Adjust your framing for the smaller sensor.
Consider focal length carefully.

Even with these minor considerations, the combination of Hasselblad craftsmanship + 100 megapixels yields images that sing.

Desert Gold: Capturing California and Nevada Landscapes 🌄

From trash-strewn gas stations to iconic roadside landmarks, every stop offered an opportunity to explore the 907x’s versatility. Those 16-bit RAW files retained incredible shadow detail, making even mundane subjects pop.

The California desert, both literally and figuratively, is a goldmine for photographers. Chasing light across abandoned mines and rusty machinery, I found that patience often pays off—the right light transforms a failed location into a photographic dream.

Transforming the 907x with Vintage Lenses 🎯

One of the most fun aspects of the 907x is its adaptability. Thanks to its small form factor, I could mount everything from Leica M lenses to Pentax 67 optics. Each lens transformed the camera into a different tool:

Leica M lenses: Tiny, dreamy, perfect for artful, soft-focus shots.
Pentax 67 lenses: Full-frame monsters with creamy bokeh and jaw-dropping depth of field.
Vintage Hasselblad glass: Rich, sharp, and packed with character.

Adapting lenses does come with some quirks, like “hello jello” from the electronic shutter, but it’s all part of the adventure for someone used to the rhythm of film photography.

Pentax 67 Magic on the 907x 💥

The 105mm Pentax 67 lens on the 907x sensor created dreamy, pastel tones with bokeh so smooth it deserves its own warning label. Even telephoto shots from afar had incredible separation and image quality. This adaptability proves the 907x isn’t just a camera—it’s a medium format playground.

A moody, twilight photograph of a white, rectangular convention center building with a red horizontal stripe running along its mid‑section. The building has several evenly spaced windows on its front façade and a large illuminated marquee on the left side that reads “CONVENTION CENTER” in blue letters above smaller black text stating “WEDDINGS, BANQUETS & PARTIES – CALL 9 5 1 3 2 2 6 EXT 5306,” lit by orange and red neon outlining the sign. The structure sits in an empty, cracked parking lot with yellow painted lines, adjacent to a brick building on the left where a white car is parked in front. In the background, distant mountains are silhouetted against a dark, overcast sky with a small flock of birds visible near the top left and a lone bird near the top center. The image was shot with a Hasselblad 907x 100CFV.

Night Photography and the Flexibility of ISO 🌌

The 907x’s flexible ISO settings blew my mind—especially coming from a film background. Night shots, twilight landscapes, and moody interiors all came alive thanks to Hasselblad’s clean 100-megapixel digital sensor.

Even in challenging lighting, focus peaking and critical focus tools ensured every frame hit the mark. From neon signs to abandoned roadside buildings, the images had depth, clarity, and that unmistakable Hasselblad quality.

Back to the Basics: Native XCD Lenses 📐

For a grounding experience, I slapped on the 38mm XCD native lens. Clinical sharpness, crisp textures, and a baseline for comparison reminded me why Hasselblad lenses paired with the CFV 100C are so coveted. While I love experimenting with adapted lenses, there’s nothing quite like shooting natively for that clean, iconic look.

The 907x Isn’t Just a Camera—it’s a Transformer 🔄

Over the course of this Nevada trip, the 907x became:

A vintage Hasselblad with the 501C body for classic medium format vibes.
A tiny Leica M art camera with soft, dreamy lenses.
A Pentax 67 monster, delivering creamy bokeh and pastel tones.

Through every transformation, the 100-megapixel CFV 100C files remained unmistakably Hasselblad: rich, flexible, clean, and jaw-droppingly gorgeous.

This little cube transforms harder than my mood after coffee, and rewards curiosity at every turn. After adapting it, breaking it down, and Frankensteining it back together, I can confidently say:

The Hasselblad 907x + CFV 100C is absolutely more than meets the eye.

An abandoned, weathered gas station on the side of an asphalt road, with a white and red “MINERS GAS” kiosk featuring broken windows and peeling paint, positioned next to two rusted white gas pump islands that display red “MINERS GAS” signage. The setting includes a corrugated metal building to the left, utility poles with multiple power lines crossing the sky, sparse dry vegetation, and distant mountains under a dramatic overcast sky with layered gray clouds. The image was shot with a Hasselblad 907x 100CFV medium format camera.

Bonus Fun: Disposable Lenses on a Medium Format Monster 🎉

Even the quirky Dispo L-mount lens held up surprisingly well on the 907x. Sure, I forgot to test it fully in Nevada, but it’s proof that this system welcomes experimentation—perfect for adventurous photographers who like to push boundaries.

Final Thoughts: Why the 907x + CFV 100C is a Must-Have for Film and Digital Lovers

Whether you’re a film purist, a medium format enthusiast, or just someone obsessed with stupidly sharp 100-megapixel files, the 907x adapts to your style.

Experiment with vintage lenses.
Play with modern XCD glass.
Explore the flexibility of digital ISO.
Capture landscapes, neon-lit nights, and abstract textures.

Every lens, every adaptation, every transformation proves one thing: the Hasselblad 907x + CFV 100C isn’t just a camera—it’s a creative playground. And Nevada? Well, Nevada just made it shine. 🌞