Hasselblad X2D Review Part 1: Will This Surpass The GFX100S? 

Thanks for the comment. Yes I’m interested to dive deeper into studio work with it for the next video perhaps. Hopefully the 90mm will come sooner than later and can try that lens in that setting. Yes I agree with your findings on the raw files are to work with. So much latitude in them. Yes I like the M and SL2-S as well. Great camera systems and a joy to use.

Thank you!! Really appreciate the kind words

Thanks for watching James! Much appreciated

Thanks for watching. Having true 16 bit color and 100 MP gives you so much latitude and details in your images, it’s substantially better than full frame. I’m also. Nikon user but there are times I see the benefits and joy of Medium Format

@@btonelli OK Bobby, thank you for this information! I'm continuing research into the benefits of the X2D, and whether I can justify the major expense, since I'm no longer a "Pro" photographer...just doing a small sideline.

Yeah I always enjoyed Steve’s reviews and hopefully can add a bit of that in what I do. Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated

Yeah some have messaged me to say the same thing. Perhaps it’s this demo unit

I actually have some issue with glasses. Most of the time the EVF sensor does not detect them at all which means I have to use the screen or wear contacts…😅

Likewise. Thanks for watching

Yes the lenses do work better than on the original X1D series which is great. Looking forward to trying the newer lenses.

Hasselbad sent me the latest two lenses so I’m testing now

@@btonelli When will Part 2 come out? :)

@@mehrabreza1314 next week 😊

Thanks John. Both are great cameras and excited to see what happens with them this year

Thanks for watching. Fan of both of the cameras. Tough decision

Yes missed out on that one

It’s better than the X1DII but still it’s a slower setup. The files are what make many come back to this camera and also the ergonomics and design.

Thank you 🙏

@@btonelli No, thank you! For your amazing energy and fantastic presentation. I always love to come and see how much you like a camera, more so in the color / image quality department. I trust your taste. I’ve recently watch your Leica Q3 review and …. I think I’m sold! Would you say that its image quality (colours and tones mainly) are the best you’ve seen in a full frame camera? No LUMIX or Sigma or any other camera can compete in that department? If you could give me your opinion. In any case, I wish you the best. Thank you

@@FastAkira thanks 😊 I would say for full frame, it’s really between Leica and Nikon when it comes to colors. Both are fantastic

Yes they can. Lightroom has improved greatly and I primarily used it even over Phocus

Indeed a beautiful camera

Thanks for watching. I don’t think video was ever considered to be honest. Internal drive allows faster read and write speeds and also enough storage to take on 1000 frames for focus stacking for example. Not everyone transfers their images daily, especially if you are out in locations where you don’t have the means to transfer. Also is that a mic, or perhaps a speaker? In addition no headphone Jack, no mic Jack and no HDMI. As for the straps I agree not a fan of the lug design as it’s somewhat proprietary but when secured correctly I I don’t see how they will pop off. AF definitely needs improvement and agree with this. Many photographers will use different cameras depending on the type of shoot they are doing. Karl Taylor will use the right tool for the right project. Even if he is a Hasselblad ambassador, he knows like all of us that one camera can’t do everything.

Thanks for watching. Glad this video could shed some light on the comparison to the GFX100S. More of that is coming soon. Both systems have their pros and cons and by the time im done with this series will be pretty in depth especially when we get to lenses etc. In terms of the aspect ratios it’s limited as of now, hopefully Hasselblad is more aggressive with their firmware updates to add some of these features in.

Well I did decide not to buy a GFX100S, but I did order over 1,5 months ago and am still waiting for the X2D to arrive. Also, Phocus mobile is not supporting their own camera on iOS at this point in time. There is no repair station in Europe… and there is more as you mentioned. So I did order for the design, ergonomics and viewfinder. However, I could have been happily shooting my GFX next to my X system for over a month now and at a 40% discount roughly speaking compared to the Hasselblad. Time will tell if I can forget all of that once I hold it in my hands and see first results 😅

@@mahdimanesh4221 i understand and this is a topic I’m going to address in the next video. As for Phocus the update came yesterday to support the X2D. Why this wasn’t from the beginning, who knows but it’s now finally out

@@btonelli Thx for the hint! I did not know… Probably Hasselblad could work on their external communication. 😅 Also, their release notes say that the X2D does not support USB cable connection for now. 🥺

The Hasselblad problem is that they launch non finished products. It took 2 years and over 20 firmware updates to complete the original X1D I still use today and works perfectly. The first limited edition of the 907X got a bigger backscreen at serial production. Having to wait less than a year to implement the X2D the lacks compared to the X1 is a big progress

Hi Bill. We are?? Apologies if I’m missing the link. Can reach out to me to chat more on IG or Facebook.

100 agree. Lenses prices are comparable to Leica and so is the body. This may be a good vs video to do :)

@@btonelli Definitely. Missing focusing joystick is the one thing that gives me pause. Also, I anticipate Fujifilm will have a whole new generation of GFX bodies coming later this year / early next year, with the latest processor. That's gonna be super interesting, too.

@@RobertFalconer1967 yes will be interesting to see how Fujifilm updates the GFX series

I don't think so, the m11 is more for street photography and imo this camera is just too slow for those moments. Loving the in built storage which I hope more high end cameras do in the future... the real dealbreaker for me though is that the camera doesnt even have focus peaking for manual focusing. Seems like an oversight for a camera in 2023.

Thanks for watching. For me the issues are probably new vs old lens which will change a persons experience. The new ones are designed to take advantage of the X2D’s AF vs the older ones. AFS is okay but no AFC. Part of the benefit of phase detect is accurate continuous auto focus. Take that out then what’s really the benefit? Warping is prob due to the electronic shutter kicking in which isn’t as fast as full frame. Cameras like this are designed for more slow methodical photography.

@@btonelli loved your video on the X2D, alot of points I agree with and ye new lens are great but too expensive alongside low stock. But ye figured out the issue with the warping was the shutter. I dont mind the warping, but not fully used to it so there might be chances where i miss a shot while moving or cause very minor warping that i wont notice till post production. But other then that, perfect.

@@theazurian2778 thanks. Lenses are at a premium now which I feel could be priced slightly more competitively, but it’s Hasselblad so the system will be at a premium vs Fujifilm. Yeah the slower shutter has always been an issue for the X series being a leaf shutter vs the mechanical one in the GFX systems. In some ways it does limit the usability of the camera with faster moving subjects. I know many were hoping for a mechanical shutter inside the system when we want to adapt lenses but guess that may not be in the cards for a while.

@@btonelli Hey there, are you sure the PDAF is not compatible with older lenses? I hope this not to be true… 😀

@@mahdimanesh4221 from what I understand, the older lenses don’t have the focusing speed and performance of the new ones. Hence this is why they released new lenses with the X2D. It still is quick but not as fast as the newer lenses

I think it’s time to upgrade to the 100MP. It’s not just the sensor but the other features that help and make photography easier on the X series.

Extremely hard choice. Depends on your shooting needs. If you need faster AF then as of now GFX is at that level but I feel Hasselblad will update the camera soon to be faster

Thanks. I haven’t tried every camera to know but yes there are a few but none with 1TB

@@btonelli of the shelf nvme ssd now a relatively cheap, thats what X2D use. R&D to integrate nvme to camera on the other hand could be pricey

@@TimofejNenarokov yes putting it inside a camera is not cheap to do

Not many people order the Pixii yet :) but I’m keen to try it

@@btonelli Pixii is very interesting project

Looks it. I would be keen to try one someday

By the way they perform it doesn’t seem to. It’s not bad, definitely better than the X1D II but with the newer lenses they are designed to take advantage of the phase detect system

@@btonelli Thanks for replying Bobby, correct me if I'm wrong, phase detect system is built into the sensor, it should work with any lens, your comment at 11:01 is misleading that older XCD lenses doesn't use PDAF..

@First Wave no prob. From my understanding sensor is part of it and also processing and lens communication as well. For example when Fujifilm updated to Phase detect for the GFX 100 the lenses also needed an update to take advantage of the phase detect system as they were designed for a contrast based AF. If I’m wrong I’ll be glad to remove that portion from the video but from my understanding this is how lenses and cameras work. This may be why there is no AFC in the X2D as of yet since AFC tends to use phase detect for certain systems for less pulsing and better hit rate

@@btonelli hi Bobby, hope you are well, just an update a Hasselblad staff member in Sweden just confirmed that older XCD lenses also uses PDAF in the X2D. just FYI. ps. when is part 2 coming?

@@firstwave8855 thanks for the update. Will correct in the upcoming video. As for part 2 waiting for lenses which Hasselblad doesn’t have available

Well said. I think the medium format market is changing. With the H series being discontinued, the only full frame Medium Format is Phase One, but is it necessary for most? Probably not much anymore. Hasselblad’s colors make it a very special camera and the more I use other cameras, the more I appreciate the X2D for what it does well

@@btonelli I agree - although I do take back what I said about the 1TB internal - we always use it - I just looked at the prices of the biggest CF Express which is Sony's 640gb - its as near to makes no difference £1,000 so actually the Internal 1TB is quite a big thing. Anyway we love it and can't wait until they eventually release the 90 2.5 to match the 38 and 55 2.5 - love your stuff man - keep on shooting

@@nelsonclub7722 thanks. Much appreciated! Waiting for the 90 as well!

Working on it now. In Kyoto filming it :)

@Bobby Tonelli fantastic. So far I purchased the X2D ans the X2D-35-75 and 45p. Your review help tons in my decision making.

@@LopakaPhotography808 glad to help!

I primarily own film cameras with a few digital. Film cameras I own Nikon FM3A, Pentax 67, Leica R9, M6 .85 TTL, M7 and M5. Digital cameras I own currently Ricoh GRIIIX, Nikon ZFC, Leica SL2-S. I’ve been using the Nikon Z9 for sometime for reviews and video and really enjoy that camera. In addition the GFX100S. However I really like the X2D so let’s see how this year goes financially.

@@btonelli thank you Bob. I want to buy Fujifilm GFX100S.. how is the Image Quality compare to X2D?. X2D definitely more beautiful in term of outlook, however the result for me is more important.

@@onesimustarigan968 I would say honestly it comes down to the lenses. Fujifilm lenses are a bit inconsistent. The 110 is a magical lens and the 45-100 are good. The 80mm 1.9 lacks compared the hasselblad version. I find personally I like the Hasselblad colors more and the lens rendering but the price may be a concern for some. Just depends on one’s needs and budget.

@@btonelli alright thank you so much for your input, perhaps someday you can make another episodes with images comparison between GFX 100 and X2D. I‘m considering the GFX 100 though.

I will be soon.

I believe you can manually set the IBIS in the camera

@@btonelli true, but not point to a dump adapter form 1st party with this high price

Thanks for watching. Yes looking forward to that update if it happens. Yeah I believe it’s time for a joystick as well. The new lenses look great! Can’t wait to test them out

some people said when the camera came out than face detection is coming. Matt granger did contact hasselblad to have the truth and hasseblad answered :absolutly not, there is no plan for face and eye detection. It was just a bad information coming from nowhere.

Let’s see what happens. I have no information on that but I would like to see continuous AF

@@telemaq76 if you trust matt granger , so sorry for you. Lol

@GKhan why you think he lied in his video and he didn't contact hasselblad ? He is just saying there is no eye detection incoming for ? Just the fun to lie ? To manipulate you? Who said eye detect is coming ? Are you sure he was not à lier? Who do you trust?

I’m sorry to hear about that experience. I’ve also got wind of some updates but I think some things have been pushed back or refined before being released. Hopefully this year Hasselblad will be pushing out some good updates and lenses. Would be exciting for the brand and the system

I think it’s worth more than 300, especially being internal. The camera also has a CF Express type B card slot so you can choose. The options are what makes this enticing for storage. Yes a valid question on warranty and replacement, but I’m sure Hasselblad has factored that into the equation

@@btonelli I think the same way.. but will keep sl2s as a backup.

I understand. This is also why I still shoot film from time to time

I think that’s the lenses tbh. These days they’re add more elements to help remove CA and to add “sharpness” but the images look SUPER SHARP but flat or clinical. Some high element lense still look GREAT but from my experience it’s from 3rd party lenses like the Tamron G2s

Yes it’s more premium but you also get a 1TB Internal SSD, better IBIS, better build quality and better EVF. I’m a fan and a user of the GFX system, but I can see some of the benefits to the X2D

@@btonelli I have one on order, thank you for your review I enjoyed it. Can’t get the new lenses right now but otherwise looking forward to it.

Can we edit the X2D raw files in Lightroom/Capture One and yet still can retain the true Hasselblad colours? @@btonelli

Valid points and the long term care of this system will be interesting to see. While internal like you said is designed to be faster, I don’t think we have an external option that can reach these speeds yet, and if so, the price point would probably be at a very high premium. I think a few hundred thousand on a camera like this will take a photographers a long time vs for example a sports camera that shoots 20 to 30 fps. With that said yes it comes down to repairability which I guess we will only know in the future.

@@btonelli we don't have an external option because the price point will go higher! There are no technological barriers. It is like the difference between USB mouse and the build in USB mouse - you can easily choose to have the external one be higher speed version with better responsiveness. Will just cost more. Note, it is not just cost, is is heat dissipation, EMI (radiation) etc. The open connector (for external one) "leaks" but they do not need to have the card one added for that "FCC certification". It is the same thing with internal and external solid state drives - fundamentally restricted by the i/o say usb vs vs sata etc. The camera makers clearly see this speed matter as an special option - most will not want it. Long term, I will say, the same should be just leans and sensor - the managing the camera will be a smart phone app. No need to pay for the clumsy screen / poor UI when you can have a smart phone app that can do all that better.

True, but this applies to companies that make both cards and cameras. Sony maybe the one that benefits the most from this, but for other camera companies they don’t make from third party card manufacturers

Hi Andy. I never said the camera has continuous AF as well or the other X series cameras. I brought this point up because usually PDAF systems benefit from AF-C. The EVF issue is probably camera dependent and mentioned that as well. Having a joystick vs not is a personal preference and yes as I mentioned as well, one gets used to it, but some new users may find it challenging. Yes this new sensor is more modern than the older 100 but that sensor is also larger so some may prefer that. Thanks for watching and taking time to comment

This is part 1 of a video series. More are coming soon

I understand this and brought it up. However using it for some time now I’ve gotten used to using the side of the display to move focus points around. While a focus stick would be easier I don’t find myself lacking after using it for sometime.

In ample light it’s fine. While AF isn’t as fast it’s not that slow.

No one is bashing the AF. I really enjoy the camera. I’m simply comparing to the GFX100S.

I like the design 😊

Yeah, so random :D

I agree with your statement on this. Plus they have a better support system. Hasselblad and Leica have a different market approach. While both can be used for work and are so by a number of photographers, they also cater towards a luxury market. When cost comes into play many photographers will look for the more budget friendly options. However there is another segment to professional photography that is a step above this. Photographers with larger accounts that demand the best in image quality. This is where Phase One lives and Hasselbad. Some will just rent the cameras as and when they need them, but the X2D is trying to bridge that gap with this series of camera (more versatile with color accuracy with pro features at a more budget friendly price). Fujifilm cameras can also be used in this way, but one can argue there is a definite difference in color reproduction and other features that Fujifilm isn’t catering towards like Hasselbad and Phase One. Going back to budget for a min. Yes the Fujifilm is a few thousand less on average, but what is the X2D offering now? 1TB internal storage with CF Express type A which are two options that are more robust for storage. 2. Smaller package. X2D with some of the newer lenses is lighter and more compact than the 100S counterparts. 3. Better focus stacking software internally. A big attribute for a number of pros 4. Consistency in optics across the lens range. Fujifilm has some stellar lenses, but others are not on par with one another. Also their lenses are quite big considering 5. X2D has better IBIS than the GFX100S currently. 6. Ergonomics goes to X2D. 7. Leaf shutter for the X2D. For photographers that rely on flash this is a big plus. What Fujifilm has going for it is a camera that acts like full frame systems but is medium format which gives more versatility. Video, mechanical shutter, faster AF to name a few.

@@btonelli - Phase One? Yes, yes, yes ... But those cameras are SO frightfully expensive that only a teeny tiny percentage of photographers can afford to own them, and ... In the final analysis, all things considered, my own personal belief is that even if a Phase One and the best Fuji were priced identically, I would nevertheless STILL choose a Fuji. I don't know how much a Phase One costs. But the best of the Hasselblads cost something like FIVE times as much as a Fuji. Hasselblad uses Zeiss lenses - fabulous. But it's not as if Fuji lenses are "bad." And compared to the Fuji cameras, I have a hunch that the build quality of any Hasselblad body is still like a tinker toy when compared to the Sherman Tank Fuji bodies. I know next to nothing about the Mamiya large format digital cameras. But at least I know they're VERY expensive, and I know they have a very small market share. Did I say only FIVE times as much? I haven't made a calculation, but I believe it might be something more like EIGHT times as much money for a Hasselblad body compared to the best Fuji body.

@@scotthullinger4684 hi Scott thanks for commenting. Yes Phase One is probably used more for specific occasions and due to cost means it makes more sense to rent than to own. In terms of ownership price between Fujifilm and Hasselblad it’s not that big of a difference. I would say perhaps two thousand more on average when it comes to the bodies. Lenses maybe not that much. Yes there is a premium to Hasselblad but don’t discount the build quality of the X2D. Everyone will have their own personal preference and that’s great, but the gap isn’t as wide as you assume.

@@btonelli - The particular Hasselblad I had in mind was most likely the most expensive of them. And I'm not too sure how long that lesser Hassy model X2D has been on the market.

Well I’ve used it for a number of months and no issues, so not sure where you get I haven’t used it. There are what if’s to any camera system. Mother boards can go out, shutters can break, screens can black out etc. with this 1TB if it does go out you can use the CF Express type B card slot as well. I’m not selling hard, I like the camera and so I enjoy talking about it.

@@btonelliThanks for the queck response. It sounds like a hard sell to me. Did you say you were using it for a number of months, in the video. Maybe I missed it. Try being more clear with the information. What you are actually saying is that with all the things that can go wrong on your list If nothing goes wrong in a number of months you are so impresses that you fall in love with the camera. I have had 10 different camera models over the past 20 years. I "lost" one SD card, period. Mayby you tend to oversell because you are so easy to impress.

@@wordwarrior2350 yes, there is a part two of the video where I go into how long I’ve used it. I don’t have any reason to hard sell. If I’m passionate about a camera I’ll talk about it but I’m also fair in pointing out it’s shortcomings. Sorry don’t get your point about losing one SD card in 20 years. I pointed out how impressive the 1TB is because this is a great attribute to have and other camera manufacturers should implement it.

@@btonelli Youlisted things that can go wrong with a camera, I never had a problem with any of my Nikons, except the lose of one SD card. That´s why a won´t buy a camera without 2x memory cards. Do you get what I meant, now? Personally, I would rather buy 6x 128G cards than to wait for a 1TB card to die and lose all of those photos. I usually shoot 15-20 shots on 2 cards then switch them with 2 others then cross switch them to be sure I have all 40. By the way: My choice is the D850 and a D750 with 18mm-35mm 3.5, 85mm 1.8, and a 300mm 2.8.

I understand, but SSD drives are quite durable and long lasting. I’ve had a number that have lasted for years without failing (knocks on wood ). The Nikon setup you have is great! Have you tried the Z9 or Z8 yet?

As I mentioned this is part one of a two to three video series.