Hasselblad X2D 100C Reviews
A Luxury Left Wanting
By Cody
Rated 3 out of 5
Date: 2023-03-07
The Hasselblad X2D body, as well as the support behind the brand (firmware updates, customer support) leaves much to be desired.
Pros
Build quality
-Perhaps one of the most impressive aspects of the camera, the quality and details are unlike any other. The materials are almost all metal, from the covers and caps to every button. It's a work of art.
Sensor & File Size
-100 megapixel files captured at 64ISO are incredible. I feel like they will last the test of time on many levels. However, my retouchers have complained how much more there is to retouch. Be prepared to pay more per file as, it makes sense, the files require more time to complete.
Cons
Focus
-If you're coming from a Canon (or Nikon/Sony) system that has focus tracking, you're going to really feel the lack thereof with this system. There isn't a commercial project I've been commissioned for that hasn't required me to switch back to the Canon system because of (even slow moving) subjects, let alone models who move quickly on set.
Lens Quality
-Post production correction is required for the XCD 2.5/38V and XCD 2.5/55V. You'll see heavy vignetting and distortion in the corners, even on captures that were on a tripod, leveled, and captured at F16.
Visual Difference
-My Canon and Hasselblad files are uploaded to my clients for selection after each session. Brands haven't been able to differentiate which images were captured on the Hasselblad vs the Canon thus far. The same has been the case for printed files (Epson P900, 17x22). My hope was that a 16-bit file out of camera was going to be substantially different from a 14-bit file, which hasn't been the case.
Software
-Hasselblad's Phocus software is no where close to Capture One Pro or Adobe Lightroom. I don't believe they have the ability to implement a version that will ever be a contender.
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All in all, it's a stunning camera and new lens system on some levels. I love shooting with it. Capturing everything slower has made me enjoy the process in ways I haven't experienced in years. However, it's not close replacing my Canon system for commercial assignments. This camera might be for you, but it absolutely ins't a necessity to have in your bag.
Wonderful camera with esthetic
By Frank
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-12-28
Beautifully design with minimalism. Addresses most of the problems from the previous versions. Great quality and handling. Image quality and color rendition are superb. Hasselblad earned its reputation on this iteration. Internal SSD 1T bytes is a good bonus. Camera feels very modern and provides a great experience for taking photos.
The Finest!
By Girish
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-12-28
All along I have been a Canon fanboy but for the past few years I have drifted towards film and medium format system. I recently purchased Hasselblad X2D 100C, without any XCD lens in hand. (At the time B&H did not have any stock for XCD lenses). The X2D body arrived promptly and sat on my desk without any lens for several days, it was very agonizing looking at such a beautiful piece of engineering and not able to use it. I went through nearly every single Hasselblad country stores but couldn't source newer XCD lens so went ahead and I backordered 55mm lens with B&H (yet to arrive in stock / deliver!). In the meantime I bought XCD 4/45P.
From the get go, I fell in love with the system. The image quality, recovery, DoF, ergonomics, battery life, connectivity, weight etc, all very well thought of and made to perfection. No complaints about no video capability because this beast isn't designed for video, for that I have other gear!
Hasselblad now remains my first choice for all my photography projects!
PS: Thank you B&H team for prompt delivery and excellent support as always.
World's Finest Camera
By Gerald
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-12-14
I have owned Hasselblad products since 1972 when I traded in my Bronica for a 500 C/M. The latest iteration of Hasselblad's flagship camera is a leap ahead of any camera on the market today. It took me two months to get it but it was well worth the wait. The resolution of this camera combined with Hasselblad lenses including my fifty year old Carl Zeiss lenses is remarkable. The most attractive quality of this camera, in my opinion, is the fifteen stop dynamic range. The dynamic range is astounding. I also own the 907X with 50 MB back which is terrific but having that viewfinder with the X2D 100C makes a world of difference. I love that I can use my three fifty year old Carl Zeiss lenses (with adapter) but am frustrated that I continue to wait for the new 55mm and 90mm lenses recently introduced by Hasselblad. The layout of the X2D 100C is well thought out and frankly, there is very little not to like about this camera. Of course one possible downside is that the size of images is huge but that is to be expected with a 100 MB sensor. The two sample images below were dramatically reduced in resolution as the originals were approx. 150 mb each. Landscapes and architectural photography will be a primary use for me but portraiture and street photography will be a priority too. Handling the X2D 100C is much easier and less awkward than my old 500 C/M and weight is very manageable. This camera is addictive!
Exceeds Expectation
By Salvatore
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-12-14
Very pleased with this purchase for 2 key reasons. Camera produces absolutely fabulous 16 bit color rendering! IBIS works very well at slower shutter speeds (in my case, that is just down to 1/4 seconds).
Outstanding quality, intuitive handling
By Charles
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-12-13
What more can be said than is already out there? This is one great camera, and I have used Leica-M, Fuji Xpro, and Nikon (and a film Hasselblad 500cm). The Leica M is great, but I needed a fully functional studio-capable camera as well as a reportage or street camera. This does not disappoint. First, it is remarkably small. It is a bit larger than my Leica, but smaller than my antique Nikon D700, and quite a bit smaller than my 6x7 Mamiya rangefinder. So it's a great street player as well as a full-fledged studio beast. The controls are intuitive-sure it takes a day of playing around with it-but 90% of what you want to do is one or two buttons away or on the control wheels. You don't have to carry around a cheat sheet for menu-sub-menu hell. The second day I had it I took it to a paid portrait gig and got through it just fine.
A couple of things people might consider: yes, the file size is large and you are going to eat up hard drive space. But on the plus side, it will make you more selective about what you keep (we could all use that discipline) and what you shoot. Also, on the plus side, the detail you capture is just insane-simply incredible. Also, if you shoot medium format or 4x5 (as I do), your scans will be as large or larger than what comes out of this camera, so it's not that different.
Battery life: I have not done a formal test, but I did get a spare battery because it seemed to use the battery faster than, say the Fuji Xpro-2.
Adaptability with other lens manufacturers: I have third party adaptor for my Nikon F mount, Leica M mount and Hasselblad V (old school). These all work great with the electronic shutter. However, the wider the lens the greater the possibility of vignettes in the corners because of the lens circle of coverage. The Blad V lenses, of course have more than enough coverage. But if you have old glass, it's a great way to expand your options.
Flash compatibility: This was important to me and Hasselblad is aligned with Nikon on this. I have the Nikon version of the Godox V1 flash. It's perfect-works great.
Auto focus: this is one area of slight disappointment. It's not that good with the original X lens-I have the 40mm P. I think that is because it does not take advantage of phase detection. (the three new lenses do.) I find myself switching to manual focus, but that's my preference anyway.
Cost: ok, it's a big lift-no getting around that, but compared to the Leica S or SL or the Fuji 100, or...the list goes on, it's well within the price-value range or even better. I thought about it a lot, and for the fit, finish, size, weight, handling, menu system, color, low light capability etc, it's well worth it.
Finally: it's a Hasselblad-plenty of street cred for years to come. Not everybody will have one, and that's a good thing.
Wow!
By Eric
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2023-02-20
I'm undoubtedly prejudiced, since I'm an old Hasselblad film shooter, but Hasselblad has hit a home run with this one. I avoided the X1D variants because of the issues delineated by numerous reviewers; but Hasselblad has addressed those with the X2D. To those that have said the X2D is slow... they're wrong! It's not the camera to grab if shooting sports, birds or anything else when you need the zillion frames per second and focus tracking performance of a Nikon Z9, but for its intended mission, it's a gem.
The focus is sure and quick, the ergonomics great, the EVF simply fantastic, the menu structure straight forward and the resolution is superb. And no one does color better than Hasselblad.
To those that say you don't need 100MP because How often to you make really large prints? -- you're missing the point. The 100MP are not just there to support large prints, but to provide detail never before seen in prints of any size. The difference in resolved detail with this 100MP sensor, as opposed to Hasselblad's own 50MP, is instantly discernible.
A simply terrific camera.
Love, Hate Relationship!!!
By sam
Rated 3 out of 5
Date: 2023-01-17
This is by far the most beautiful camera ever made with outstanding image quality,
detail and colors but this where the "LOVE" part ends.
However, this camera isn't for everyone and this is where I personally things need
to improve upon with a firmware to stop the "Hate":
1- Improve touchscreen functions in below 40 degrees F. I had a trip to Death Valley,
CA where temps dipped below 40 and the touch screen became useless and glitchy
2- Allow CFExpress type B of 1TB - I admit that I tried one and it works, however,
I set it up as duplicate but it only recorded 88/156 photos. Not sure why the SSD had 156 yet the CFexpress had 88. Glad that I didn't format both before I made sure to transfer from the SSD
3- No Autofocus tracking - this camera is capable so why not
4- No Focus Peaking
5- No Picture size options
6- No Lossless Raw (I prefer it for travel and street photography)
7- No Focus Bracketing, This is a must
8- No Remote release capability; if possible, why not enabling it through the USB-C
port
For now, I'm keeping it and hoping that Hasselblad is listening.
