Hasselblad CFV
The CFV name doesn't refer to one product. Hasselblad has used it across a whole line of V-system digital backs - the original CFV, the CFV-50c, the CFV II 50C, and the CFV 100C - and the record is uneven across all of them. If you're trying to pin down a single "Hasselblad CFV," you're looking at a family, and which one you have changes almost everything.
The concept ties them together. Each is a digital back that mounts to the Hasselblad V system, the modular medium-format platform whose bodies date back to the 1950s. The original CFV was custom-built to match the design and functionality of the V system. It also fits view cameras using the V system interface plate for mechanical attachment and flash sync to trigger capture. The CFV-50c kept that compatibility, and Hasselblad noted it works with most V system cameras, even those dating to the 1950s. The CFV 100C continues the line and can be mounted to a 500C-style body or others, including, per period coverage, the 503CW film body.
The original CFV shipped with a protective cover, adapter cables, an EL camera battery adapter, a FireWire cable, and a CF card. The documentation conflicts here: one source lists an 8 GB card, another a 1 GB card. Both are given because the conflict can't be resolved cleanly. A focusing screen with split-image/micro-prism and dual format markings was also part of the package.
The CFV-50c, announced in 2014, is the best-documented of the earlier backs. It has a 50-megapixel CMOS sensor with ISO up to 6400 and was priced around $15,000. Gear Patrol covered it in the field, testing it while heli-skiing and drifting, which is an unusual workout for a medium-format digital back. The CFV II 50C followed in June 2019, built around a 50-megapixel CMOS sensor individually calibrated for performance, with 14 stops of dynamic range and full-size in-camera JPEG capture. The CFV 100C shares the BSI CMOS sensor of the X2D 100C, with on-sensor phase detection and face-detection autofocus. PCMag Australia noted the sensor actually resolves closer to 101.9MP than the advertised 100MP, and supports 16-bit Raw. In the 907X/CFV 100C combination it weighs about 700 g with battery, offers ISO 64-25,600, a 3.2-inch tilting touchscreen, and no built-in viewfinder (an optional OVF).
Beyond these, the record thins out fast. Production years for the original CFV and the CFV-50c aren't documented here, nor are original prices for the original CFV, CFV II 50C, or CFV 100C. Sensor dimensions for most variants are incomplete in the sources. No common failure modes, repair procedures, or spare-parts availability turned up in the research. On the used market, the model number matters more than the CFV badge. The differences between a 16MP original and a 100C are enormous.
- Type: Digital camera back for Hasselblad V system (and view cameras via V interface plate)
- Original CFV: FireWire; CF card storage; ships with adapter cables, EL battery adapter, protective cover
- CFV-50c: 50MP CMOS; ISO up to 6400; ~$15,000 at launch (2014)
- CFV II 50C: 50MP CMOS; 14 stops dynamic range; in-camera JPEG; released June 2019
- CFV 100C: ~101.9MP BSI CMOS (advertised as 100MP); 16-bit Raw; on-sensor PDAF with face detection; 15 stops claimed dynamic range
- 907X + CFV 100C: ~700 g with battery; ISO 64–25,600; 3.2-inch tilting touchscreen; no built-in viewfinder
eBay Listings
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.