Top Digital Alternatives to the Hasselblad XPan

Among film photographers, the Hasselblad XPan is legendary for its unique style of cinematic and panoramic images—as well as its heavy price tag. But are there any digital cameras capable of creating similar imagery to the Hasselblad XPan? 

To find out, videographer Jakub Golis and photographer Ian Howorth from MPB Brighton ventured out to the Sussex countryside with the Hasselblad XPan film camera, as well as the Sigma DP0 Quattro, Fujifilm GFX 50R and Hasselblad X1D-50c digital cameras—but can they compete? 

Watch the video below. Or, keep reading to take a closer look at the imagery.

Hasselblad XPan II

In 1998, Hasselblad and Fujifilm collaborated to create a camera, which was released under two names—the Fujifilm TX-1 and the Hasselblad XPan. The unique feature of this camera is its panoramic aspect ratio. 

The Hasselblad XPan can take regular 35mm photos, but it can also take wide, panoramic images—without masking the film, and without sacrificing the image quality. It is a medium-format camera that uses 35mm film.

Even when the Hasselblad XPan was released, it was a pricey camera. And today, it’s even more unaffordable for many photographers. To make matters worse, once it breaks, it’s really hard to get it repaired. And that’s why many people are looking for ways of re-creating the XPan experience with other modern alternatives.

Let’s look at three digital cameras that are capable of creating comparable imagery to the Hasselblad XPan II.

Sigma DP0 Quattro

The Sigma DP0 Quattro is a compact fixed-lens camera, which allows you to take pictures close to the aspect ratio of the Hasselblad XPan. The Sigma DP Quattro line consists of four models with different focal lengths.

The Sigma DP0 Quattro has the widest lens, which is equivalent to 21mm on a full-frame sensor. There is also: the Sigma DP1 Quattro, with its 28mm-equivalent lens; the DP2 Quattro, with its 45mm-equivalent lens; and the DP3 Quattro, with its 75mm-equivalent lens.

They all share the unique APS-C sized Foveon sensor, which is built a bit differently than the most popular CMOS sensor. Some claim that when it comes to resolution and colour reproduction, nothing beats a Foveon sensor. Some photographers claim that it can rival some medium-format cameras. 

Fujifilm GFX 50R

The Fujifilm GFX 50R has a 50-megapixel medium-format sensor, which—even when using the XPan 65x24 crop—gives you healthy 25-megapixel resolution files. It’s enough to print a decent-sized photo or enough to use for an online presentation. In terms of lenses, we used the Fujifilm GF 45mm f/2.8 R WR.

And as the original Hasselblad XPan was made in collaboration with Fujifilm, the retro-inspired design of the modern Fujifilm GFX 50R doesn’t look miles away from the original XPan.

The 65x24 panoramic crop mode is available in each camera within the Fujifilm GFX series. Alternatively, the Fujifilm GFX 100 can also give you a stunning 50-megapixel panoramic image in 65x24 crop mode. You can read more about it in our Fujifilm GFX 100 review.

Fujifilm cameras are equipped with Fujifilm’s famous film simulation modes. So, you can shoot in JPEG only and have both the XPan aspect ratio and a specific look—and even grain—already ‘baked into’ the image. Shooting in JPEG means your photos are ready to be published straight away.

The Fujifilm camera also lets you use a third-party adapter to mount the original XPan lenses on it. And the original Hasselblad XPan was made in collaboration with Fujifilm, the retro-inspired design of the modern Fujifilm GFX 50R doesn’t look miles away from the original XPan. 

Panasonic S5

The Panasonic DC-S5 strikes the perfect balance between cost and usability and has the XPan’s 65:24 crop mode. It is an amazing all-rounder camera, perfect for both taking photos and filming videos—if you need all that functionality. 

The Panasonic S5 has a 24-megapixel full-frame sensor, which will give you roughly 13-megapixel images in panoramic mode. For most cases, this will be enough. If it is not enough for you, and you don’t mind using a tripod, you can use the ‘high resolution’ feature and crop the 65:24 panorama out of a 96-megapixel file. Or, you could go for its bigger sibling, the Panasonic DC-S1R, which has a 47-megapixel sensor and gives you roughly 25 megapixels in 65:24 crop mode.

Even if the Panasonic S5 isn’t quite as awe-inspiring as the Fujifilm GFX 50R or the Hasselblad X1D-50c, it is a great all-around choice for photographers looking for a great digital XPan alternative without breaking the bank.

Hasselblad X1D-50c

The Hasselblad X1D-50c has a 50-megapixel medium-format sensor and a unique body that is really small for a camera with such a big sensor. Hasselblad achieved it by pushing the shutter mechanism out into the lenses. This is called a leaf shutter system, which enables this camera to achieve flash sync speeds not otherwise achievable by cameras with conventional plane shutter mechanisms.

The leaf shutter system also greatly reduces any shake when shooting long exposures. We used the Hasselblad XCD 45mm f/3.5 prime lens. 

The Hasselblad X1D-50c has a similar sensor to the Fujifilm GFX 50R, so the performance in terms of dynamic range, noise, and so on are quite similar on both cameras. The differences lie in the handling, lenses, and image processing. You could say that it’s a studio camera in a portable body. 

There are no built-in colour profiles with the X1D 50c. The idea behind Hasselblad image processing is that it captures images that are as natural and close to reality as possible—and you can adjust them to your preference in post, not in-camera. Also, as it is a Hasselblad, you can buy a genuine Hasselblad adapter, allowing you to mount the original XPpan lenses on it.

In the images below, spot the differences between the imagery captured by the Hasselblad XPan II, Sigma DP0 Quattro, Fujifilm GFX 50R and Hasselblad X1D-50c.

Discover more camera gear guides on the MPB content hub.