Love Hasselblad and have $15,100? The new, stylish limited edition 907X Anniversary Edition Kit is for you

Hasselblad released its first camera, the HK-7, 80 years ago. To celebrate the anniversary, Hasselblad has unveiled the 907X Anniversary Edition Kit. The 907X Anniversary Edition Kit will be limited to 800 units worldwide and draws inspiration from the iconic SWC camera. The 907X Anniversary Edition (AE) features an anodized Lunar Grey trim and lens and a black leatherette cover. Hasselblad writes, 'By casting this classic in a new light, Hasselblad celebrates a remarkable journey and a continued spirit of innovation.'

Looking back at the SWC camera that inspires the design of the 907X, the SWC came out in the 1950s. The SWC eschewed a traditional mirror and utilized a rangefinder design, which allowed the rear element of a wide-angle lens to be placed closer to the focal plane, in turn reducing optical aberrations and distortions. At the time, aspherical lenses weren't used in lens design, so correcting issues with wide-angle lenses was very challenging. Hasselblad writes, 'These developments not only produced clear, uncompromised images, they also allowed for a significantly slimmer camera body. Decades later, the SWC camera continues to be critically acclaimed for its outstanding design and renowned image quality.'

Although inspired by the SWC, the 907X features numerous key differences. Beyond the obvious inclusion of a digital back, the 907X is an interchangeable lens camera, whereas the SWC had a fixed wide-angle lens. Nearly 70 years of technological advancement hasn't disrupted the timeless look of the 907X, though.

The Hasselblad 907X AE Kit includes a CFV II 50C digital back, 907X camera body, control grip, optical viewfinder, and XCD 30mm f/3.5 lens. Each component features a special edition design with detailing custom to the anniversary kit. The 30mm lens was selected to 'echo the Biogon 38mm wide-angle lens used in the SWC.' The camera and grip feature black grain leatherette and anodized edges. On one side of the camera, 'Since 1941' is engraved. 'Hasselblad' is written in handwritten style on the camera body itself plus the optical viewfinder. The lens has special detailing, too, including a focus ring with Hasselblad logo print etching.

While adorned with special details, the 907X AE is still a 907X camera body. This means it works with XCD, HC, HCD, V and XPAN lenses natively or via adapters.

The kit comes with Hasselblad's CFV II 50C digital back, which features a 50-megapixel medium format (43.8 x 32.9mm) CMOS image sensor. The sensor records 16-bit color images with dynamic range of up to 14 stops, and the back uses Hasselblad's Natural Color Solution. The native ISO range is 100-25,600. The digital back includes a 3.2" tilting touchscreen with 2.36M dots. The back has dual SD card slots and features USB-C charging.

The shutter mechanism is contained within Hasselblad lenses, and the shutter speed ranges from 68 minutes to 1/2000s with XCD lenses. An electronic shutter is available at up to 1/10,000s. Flash can be used at all shutter speeds using the mechanical leaf shutter. Autofocus is achieved using up to 117 selectable focus points. The AF system is contrast-detect.

Hasselblad cameras are expensive as it is. The standard 907X and CFV II 50C kit, which doesn't include a lens, grip or an optical viewfinder, retails for $6,400. The Hasselblad 907X Anniversary Edition is available through authorized Hasselblad retailers for $15,100 (€15,500 / £13,900 / CNY¥ 117,000 / JPY¥1,958,000). The camera comes in special edition packaging, as well. For more information, visit Hasselblad.