Hasselblad H4X
The H4X is an odd and somewhat elusive entry in the Hasselblad lineup. It is a medium format film camera body released after most of the world had gone digital. It was first teased around October 2011 as an upgrade path for photographers still shooting on the H1, H2, and H2F bodies, and it effectively replaced those older bodies. The pitch was simple: keep your existing H System lenses and backs, and put them on a modernized body.
The H4X was designed for film and the 40.2 x 53.7 mm format. It supports CF/CFH backs and lenses, plus numerous third-party film and digital backs. The body has a built-in flash with Guide Number 12 at ISO 100, an integrated hot shoe, and a HV 90x-II eye-level viewfinder with 2.7x magnification and diopter adjustment from -4 to +2.5D. Metering covers spot, center spot, and center-weighted modes. Exposure modes are manual, aperture priority, shutter speed priority, and programmable. Manual focus override and an optional focus indicator in the viewfinder are supported. Autofocus works in single-shot and continuous modes, with focus lock and AF-assist lighting for dark environments.
Documentation on the H4X is thin. There is no official Hasselblad product page preserved, and no production years or original pricing are recorded. What survives comes mostly from rental listings and a few contemporary news items. Photo Rumors (October 2011) noted that the H4X was positioned as a successor or upgrade to the H1 and H2/H2F bodies. It supported all H System lenses and most third-party backs, with a film back option available. The Verge also reported on the body around the same time, describing it as a replacement for older shooters' worn-out bodies.
Known specifications from rental and sales listings:
- Body: Hasselblad H4X (serial 69.505 in one listing)
- Format: optimized for film, 40.2 x 53.7 mm
- Viewfinder: HV 90x-II, 2.7x magnification, diopter -4 to +2.5D
- Built-in flash: GN 12 at ISO 100; integrated hot shoe
- Metering: spot, center spot, center-weighted
- Exposure modes: manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, programmable
- Autofocus: single-shot and continuous with focus lock; AF-assist light
- Compatibility: H System lenses, CF/CFH backs, third-party backs, film backs
- Typical rental kit: H4X body with HC 80mm f/2.8 and HC 150mm f/3.5 lenses
Surviving listings show the H4X rented with 80mm f/2.8 and 150mm f/3.5 lenses, often with rechargeable battery grips. One craigslist sale asked $4,500 for the body with two grips, without a film back. A Russian rental listing described it as a "top-tier medium format film camera" and offered it for 10,000 ₽ per session - with the owner present to show how to operate it. That same listing noted the renter had been shooting medium format film for over eight years.
eBay Listings
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.