The allure of Medium format is ever present, and more so today than ever before, given the more affordable cost, more manageable sizes, and the more attractive styles. There is probably no medium format camera that embodies this quite as completely as the Hasselblad X1D. It’s under $9k, is smaller than a D850, and infinitely cooler looking. But is it for you? Well, our review is en route (probably the toughest camera I’ve reviewed in recent memory) but there’s no substitute for actually using one, and now you can rent it.

Hasselblad has just launched their ‘Rent A Hasselblad’ program in countries across the globe (Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Spain, Switzerland, UK, USA), providing the best opportunity to ‘try before you buy’.

It’s a global online service that you can get through in a matter of a few minutes, and the only hiccup to be found thus far, is that seeing what availability is in a particular location for a particular time isn’t really fleshed out, so it’s a bit of trial and error. That said, it’s worth the effort, and Hasselblad’s are not as plentiful as your run-of-the-mill Nikon, so quantity affecting availability is to be a little more expected. Perhaps more so that the prices aren’t really exorbitant, and the money you spend goes toward the purchase of the camera if you buy within 2 weeks of a rental.

Considering the X1D is a $9k camera the rental price of $90 USD a day (in the US) isn’t bad. In fact, it’s 1% of the camera’s sticker price – a little more in other parts of the world.

The lenses are also reasonably priced at $26 for the XCD 90mm 3.2 and $22 for the XCD 45mm 3.5, so you could have a nicely fleshed out kit for $148 a day.

Check out the full press release below, and of course check out the camera. It’s been on the receiving end of mixed reviews, and understandable given the new foray in which it lives, and the iterative software approach the company has taken, but it’s really come into its own and a wonderful camera in its own right.

2017-11-16

HASSELBLAD LAUNCHES ‘RENT A HASSELBLAD’

– A NEW WAY TO EXPERIENCE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HASSELBLAD MEDIUM FORMAT TECHNOLOGY

‘Rent a Hasselblad’ enables easier and on-demand access to Hasselblad medium format cameras and lenses for photography enthusiasts and professionals.

Hasselblad, the leading manufacturer of medium format cameras and lenses, is introducing the ‘Rent a Hasselblad’ service. The service has been created to allow photography enthusiasts and professionals to benefit from the advantages of medium format technology.

“Owning a Hasselblad medium format camera system is a significant investment even for a successful high-paid photographer,” said Bronius Rudnickas, Hasselblad Marketing Manager.

“Consequently, many professional photographers and enthusiasts haven’t had the opportunity to see what they’re able to create with Hasselblad’s medium format technology. The ‘Rent a Hasselblad’ program is designed to change that and we’re looking forward to seeing what photographers are able to produce having easier access to our photographic tools.”

‘Rent a Hasselblad’ is a global online service to book Hasselblad cameras and lenses for a selected period of time based on a photographer’s need to use the camera. Whether renting a Hasselblad system for a specific photoshoot, booking a camera to try it out before making up their mind to purchase, or reserving gear to pick up and use at their next travel destination, the rental service will give photographers more freedom and higher accessibility to Hasselblad systems.

At its launch, customers can book the world’s first mirrorless medium format camera, the X1D-50c, and choose from a selection of XCD lenses at around 40 rental pick-up locations across the globe. Plans are already underway to grow the ‘Rent a Hasselblad’ service by increasing both the number of rental locations and expanding the selection of Hasselblad camera models at certain locations.

Furthermore, as a convenient online service with global coverage and reasonable rental fees, ‘Rent a Hasselblad’ offers photographers the possibility to offset rental cost against the purchase price if they then decide to make an investment in the Hasselblad camera system afterwards.

The ‘Rent a Hasselblad’ booking system with pricing and additional information can be found at: www.hasselblad.com/rental