My brand-new film simulation presets are 40% off!
00:00 What's New in the X2D
04:01 The brand-new 100 Megapixel Sensing unit
04:37 High ISO and Low Light Efficiency
06:58 Dynamic Range and Color Range
07:50 Body and Handling
08:30 Leading Show
09:20 New Rear Dial Press Function
09:40 Flash Sync
09:59 USB-C Power Shipment
10:11 Remote Triggering
10:47 EVF and Rear Screen
11:55 Autofocus Efficiency
13:42 Video
14:09 Battery Efficiency
14:52 New V Lenses
16:42 Alternatives to the X2D
19:14 Impressions
I have actually been shooting the new Hasselblad X2D for a few weeks now and I'm actually excited to share my initial impressions in this video. Hasselblad has actually finally revealed the brand-new X2D as well as three "V series" lenses – a 38mm f/2.5, 55mm f/2.5 and a 90mm f/2.5 – all are considerably lighter and much quieter than the very first generation lenses.
The X2D features a new 100MP, BSI sensing unit with stage detection autofocus. There is a new top level screen, high resolution EVF, tiltable rear touch screen, in-body image stabilization, a built in 1TB SSD drive and other brand-new features discussed in this video.
-> Get Paid To Take Photos <-
dear god this thing is sleek. I’ll just live in ignorant bliss of its price and dream on
$8200 USD lol.
<———- same here
Thanks, Ted, for this first look at the X2D. Hasselblad is a very impressive camera and company. The changes, albeit six years since the X1D, are very extensive. Love the photos, I am assuming that these photos are from the Metroplex. Great colors, very natural and detailed. Thanks for your work on AOP.
Helpful & timely video; thank you Ted. One question: is the rear screen still the only way to manually select different focus points?
Hey Ted, thanks for making this lil into to the camera for us! I’ve been pretty invested into the x system for a while now slowly buying up glass. And I would love to see how the previous generation lenses function on the new x2d. For example direct comparisons of the same lens on the original x1d vs the x2d. I guess my only disappointment with the new x2d is that they got rid of the mic port to allow us to use the shutter button cable which i really love using when I’m working from a tripod. Super sad about that loss but excited for everything else. Looking forward to the more in depth review! Cheers from Paris. – Matthew
They can make it available with usb to mic adapter… If they want
Body wise, I’ve always like Hasselblad’s X1D over Fuji; I get there is a legitimate cost to quality; However, features wise; I’ve always felt Hasselblad system was inferior overall. Not that we cared about video much, but it was inferior. Lens were significantly more expensive. Lens choice was significantly fewer. Adaption of lens were worse. the camera was slower, the camera itself cost more. And then you have the age old, is this crop sensor medium format that much of an upgrade of say an A7Riv or A1, cannon R5, Nikon Z and that is where you run into problems. When a camera that is cheaper than yours, is able to produce images that are nearly just as good, while offering 10s if not hundreds of lenses (in the case of sony), with super fast autofocus, able to be both a video and stills camera, able to be used in action, wildlife, sports (fast moving) situations; one then must ask oneself; why would I go with a Hasselblad or any medium format crop sensor camera. Then when Fuji made the GFX 100, and then downsized it to the 100s, which can do 4K video, and have phase detect autofocus, image stabilization, better, higher resolution pictures, it essentially made going for a Hasselblad camera a waste of time, unless you were that much of a fan of hasselblad or the build quality.
Now, this camera, is clearly using the same Sony Sensor that Fuji have used on the 100 and 100s, so they are comparable, again build quality, size of the screen all that stuff is superior on the hasselblad; but GFX has video, more lens etc. Now, if price is what I’ve heard, where this camera is coming in at $8K, this is a significantly elevated price compared to the 100S. 2K can literally get you nearly any lens in the GFX lineup (with a little extra cash needed for some of the more expensive ones). competition is always good and happy it’s here; but I’d personally, if I only had to have 1 camera, I’d go with the GFX 100s; if I had a separate video camera from another company and price is not an issue, then I’d go with the Hasselblad.
I don’t agree that the build quality of hasselblad x body’s is better, the hasselblad feels more expensive but for example: the viewfinder on the x1d was glued with double sided tape, the camera wheels didn’t work after 2 years, the handgrip feels like a sponge after a few years. I have used x body’s and gfx body’s for the same period of time daily on a professional base and I don’t like the x body’s build quality. Also trough years I have noticed that the x body is a dust magnet compared to the gfx body, I had to clean the x body more often.
@Ryan Ho Are thoe tilt shift lenses confirmed?? very exiting
@Niels Volders Yes, I wish I could have afforded to play around and test them together. I had to save to switch to mirrorless. Both systems seem usable to shoot people outside a studio handheld now. I think a lot of us would like use it that way.
@Niels Volders yup confirmed. I think one of them might be announced tomorrow
@Manila Martin i do everyting from food to lifestyle to restaurants, the medium formats are a struggle with action in the kitchen I would say, Sony is better for those situations, but this is the smallest piece of my job
That was pretty thorough. Looking forward to seeing more images with that setup.
Great review! I would love to have this H2D. The sheer quality, style and ergonomics are outstanding.
this was a preview though, not a review 😛
Oh God! The industrial design of the first version was spot on, but with this black colour… it’s up there with the Leica Q. I think they now share the throne for me for digital camera design. Damn…
Very handsome system. It always reminds me of the Mamiya 7 series. I’m so happy for the new lens design as well. Thanks for the great content Ted 👍🏻
Great vid as always. I have the GFX 50 and the 110m for this is optically near perfect. I would love to see if/how the hassleblad lenses are so much better
They’re not “so much better”. Hasselblad 80mm is slightly sharper than fuji 80mm but with arguavly worse bokeh especially in the highlights. Some fuji lenses are better than Hasselblad especially the 110 and 45.
We’ve had Hasselblad in our studio for decades and when Fuji launched its GFX line we’ve tried that extensively. The various GFX50 models as well as both the GFX100 and the GFX100S. All these are great cameras, but couldn’t match our Hasselblads H6Ds (and the loaner X1DII). Fujifilm has two very good GF lenses that are comparable to the XCD equivalents and those are the 110mm and the 32-64mm. The other lenses are good too, but not as good as Hasselblad. On top of that we found quite some sample variation in Fuji lenses. The other areas where Fuji in our practice falls short is the limitations in flash sync, the reliability of the cameras (we had quite some issues incl. a defect shutter) and of course the overall image quality esp. in color rendering and DR. We do high-end fashion and make-up portraits, so color accuracy is prime. Fuji certainly has nice colors, but there were too many issues to get the skintones perfect and fabrics like silk or linen looked ‘plasticky’ due to overprocessing in-camera. Our tech editors didn’t like to work on the RAF files and much preferred the 3FR and NEF files. If this X2D solves all the issues we had with the X1D, it might be a great camera for professional work at a reasonable price (compared to the H6D).
Love everything about this camera except the price. Look forward to your review of the three new lenses.
Great review/preview, thanks a lot.
I’we used Hasselblad since the age of 18 (it was a 500C), and I’m now 66 and still using Hasselblad. I shoot on 500CM, H3D, and X1D II. The new camera seems awesome, but I have one question. I shoot for a project (youtube videos and a book), using vintage glass on the X1D (could be the X2D), but the sensor readout time of 300 milliseconds is limiting my work. Do you know if the X2D have faster sensor readout? That for me could be the single most important argument for an update.
By the way, the addition of a very effective IBIS is one of the greatest things on this new camera, off course apart from it being 100 max. Seeing forward to having it in my hand, Hasselblad X1D ergonomics is the best in the world, and the X2D looks to be just as good.
This was incredible!! I loved your test shots too, they were beautiful. What’s the likelihood they would release a 50 mp version of this camera, with all the great upgrades but just a lower res sensor at a lower price point?
Thanks for a very thorough review. I use a Fuji GFX100 and a Leica S2, and there’s two things in which my clunky old beast outperforms the Fuji: lens quality and definition, and accurate color rendering. I was particularly interested in your mention of the lens quality as I’ve never been particularly happy with Fuji’s. If Leica doesn’t launch a mirrorless soon, I will definitely look at the Hasselblad.
Great review. I can’t wait to get my hands on one with the new lenses. I think Hasselblad has definitely done it again. It seems this is going to please many Hasselblad lovers like me! Thank you for this complete and comprehensive review.
Ted, thanks for this review.
I love the fact that it’s a minimal camera. When you come from a generation of shooting on film, you really require 2 settings.
I feel this camera is more on the lines of the Leica systems I am used to. Pure function pared with beautiful design.
Now I won’t need to drag and XF body with IQ back to get the resolution and the amazing colour I see.
The only reason I never moved to hassie was always the clunky software. Now if only Capture One support is announced for this one 😉
Nice preview. Here is a question for your full review: How does the Electronic Shutter (ES) perform? I am asking this because with the X1DII the ES is only good on a tripod and I wonder if it is better on this version. Just like you, I use the ES to adapt legacy Hasselblad or other makes’ lenses.
Ted, I’d be very interested to know about chromatic aberration, especially with the new lenses but also with the 80, 90, and 135 of the old series. CA is a key issue for the work I do, and my images can be absolutely ruined/useless if there is any CA that can’t be corrected in post. Hasselblad’s color rendering and image processing software are a nice fit for what I do, but I also kinda’ think that spending this kind of money and getting lenses with CA that always needs fixin’ rubs me the wrong way.
At this point of my life I know that I won’t be able to afford a Hasselblad ever. But man, these pictures that you have shown look beautiful, with a ton of detail even in low light and how good they look. Been the 907x the most beautiful looking camera of this era.