Justifying the $8k Hasselblad X2D | Owner Review 

Just to clarify, this video isn’t an attempt to justify my purchase, but an effort to help you justify yours. 👍

And what is most important is, you’re happy with it.

Love the quality and the content of your videos. Always looking forward to learning something new while captivated by your art of storytelling.

Loved hearing your great insights on this camera and system.

It's a pleasure to listen to someone who is well spoken, very knowledgeable and most importantly passionate about a subject. I found myself agreeing with everything you said including what you said about film, what it's like to use an old Mamiya camera and yet all the modern industrial design elements that the X2D has that makes it so cool. Even the little things like how the batteries are inserted and released without needing a door. I love those kinds of details and I can see you appreciate them too. Really impressive video!

Great breakdown!!… agree with you completely. For myself it just gives me the same joy of use I had many decades ago when first getting into photography.

Now you know what I want for Christmas. What an incredible camera! Excellent video, Peter; thanks for sharing! Take care, buddy!

By far the best X2D review I've seen; clear, concise, and right on point. I'm on X1D II and looking forward to upgrading, this really helped. Thank you.

Beautiful camera and beautiful photographs, my dream camera, Thanks Peter!!!

Thank you for sharing your experiences! The diopter feature seems next level!

Nice review, Peter! Love how thorough this is. Great info 🙌

Great video. Not like any other review out there. Well done sir!

Great in -depth review Pete & super high quality video with so much info crammed into it ( as always ). You’ll be creating some amazing content with this beauty as well I’m sure! Enjoy the rest of your week champ!👍👏😊

Thank You so much!! I have already decided to pull the trigger on the X2D for many of the reasons you mentioned. Also it will be my first medium format camera. Now I’m so looking forward to going forward with my purchase. I’m by no means a professional. This is all the love of getting the shot.

Brilliant review! Thanks so much!

Great review!

This is how to do a camera review, thank you, mate!

Thanks for sharing. Kudos for finding a way to keep the flame burning. I enjoy the familiarity I have with my equipment. I get limited time to shoot recreationally so when I get the chance, I prefer to concentrate only on the scene in front of me.

Tbh ... Theee best video on YT on that Camera . Brutal honest user 's opinion .. of it . As i like to capture , Aviation , Ships , Yachts . Am surprised that their is no 600mm zoom lense available currently . Top drawer of a Video ...

Honest and clear review. I own an old 500cx with the 120mm Zeiss and the SWC/M, but did not shoot for more than ten years, because I have got the Nikon D800E. If I had the money, I would not hesitate to purchase a X2D with the 21mm, the 45mm and the 80mm. So my congratulation to this epic tool, that is a legend of a camera.

really cool to see your shots of cars back in the day! Really like how cars got marketed back then. Still really want a mamiya 645 1000s

I've been shooting since the mid 80's mainly with Leicas but I must say that this is the best camera I've ever had. Your opinions are so to the point. Great video!

I love the X2D, I go mine at the beginning of January (2014). there are two trivial issues I encounter which I have worked around: 1. The EVF activation does not sense your eye when you are wearing glasses forcing me to remove the eyewear and recompose. 2. The focus point selector defaults to the back screen and I often bump it with my nose and that change the focus point to an unwanted position. Those are just footnotes to consider with personal preferences; the camera is remarkable, the image quality is unparalleled!

You take amazing photos!!!

You nailed it! I have the same set up and I too had the Canon R5 and the colour science in raw made workflow very slow. I’m sure you will understand when I say the green and skin tones needed adjusting but definitely not with the X2d! I’m so pleased I’ve found this in RU-vid and I will definitely be subscribing to this channel 👌

Great Video man I’ve been shooting cars commercially for 25yrs and use to shoot the Hasselblad H series, but have been using the GFX system since the day the original 50 came out. I’m glad I’m not the only one who buys a camera for feel and design 😂…….. oh and the dynamic range doesn’t hurt as well. Just found this video, and now subscribe keep up the great work. 👍

thankyou for showing us a beautiful camera. that i will never get to use. but i can imagine

Haven’t got a scoobie about all the technical details of cameras like this, but wow that looks a thing of beauty Sir. I hope you enjoy using it, and thank you for sharing your great video with us all it’s much appreciated Sir.

Love the video and content, Peter. Images you presented are fabulous. In the "Colour" segment, were the images OOC JPEGs or processed?

Hey Thanks for this Peter... Very meaningful. I've struggled just like you between the 907x (Mating it to a 903 SWC) but in the end, like you I will go with the X2D when I can afford it. I'm surprised you didn't say anything about the X-Pan Crop which is a big reason for me. I've seriously considered buying a Hasselblad X-Pan film camera, but they fetch so much money and are very old cameras, which if it breaks, become a brick. The X2D and the 907 both have the X-Pan Crop option and on a 100mp camera you are still getting 50mp panoramic images and for me that is huge! Thanks again, loved your video! Cheers!

Great video. I appreciate the honesty and the photographer’s point of view. I am recently (semi?) retired and am pursuing a second career as a commercial photographer. I have considerable success and love my Canon gear but I’ve been craving something different to add to my quiver. The “Blads” have really piqued my interest, but they are hard to justify financially. Thanks for outlining alternative lens options. It has placed the X2D on the radar again.

I picked one of these up a week ago. It's grabbed me in a way that no other camera has managed. The detail is hilarious, the dynamic range is bonkers, the colours are gorgeous but, like you, that's not why the camera grabbed me. It's just a vastly nicer experience to shoot with, in my opinion, compared to...pretty much any other modern camera, save for maybe some Leicas. The UI and UX are unparalleled. Other cameras feel like they're stuck in a pre-iPhone era, with crap screens, menus ranging from mediocre to awful, underutilisation of touch, and phone apps that range from "barely functional" to "unusable". The X2D is not perfect but, to me, it feels *so* much nicer to use. It makes me *want* to use it, and I'm putting a lot more consideration into the photos I take with it. To many working pros, these things may not matter. Perhaps that's why most cameras seem to put very little thought into user experience, especially for amateur users who may not want to go through a full PC workflow. Problem is, those amateurs make up the majority of people buying the cameras - even on the high end. The fact that no other camera offers a similar UI amazes me, in 2024.

i've just brought the M3 for my first camera, love it

Man you nailed it with #9. Through the X1D, X1D ii and now the X2D I've been asking Hasselblad for Auto ISO in Manual. This is such a handy feature and they already have the feature, just enable it for Manual mode. The other complaint (although it's not super useful) would be to do the face detect in Manual.

What a great summary of a great camera. I have owned two Leicas (M type240 & M10) and using the X2D reminds me of using them - focusing on the art and not the technology. You feel that you can and should slow down and thoughtfully approach each image you are making.

You do what ever you feel happy with Peter. It’s nothing to do with anyone else. I’m currently selling all my gear with nothing in mind. As no camera system does anything for me at the moment.

Hi Peter, Yes a stunning camera to own. I have had mine since Feb with the 90mm XCD lens. Agree with all of your comments. Cheers, Damien

I agree with all of this. The colors right out of camera are absolutely gorgeous. It really helps make workflows more efficient. It is also legitimately enjoyable to shoot with. It makes even the most mundane strolls exciting. I find myself shooting so much more often since getting this camera. The UI system and internal storage are going to get replicated eventually throughout the industry. Unless they are all just insanely stubborn.

Really enjoyed of the review, which is much to say since I tend to dislike most of the camera reviews in youtube. Wanted also bad some version of this camera that almost went nuts, but then bought Leica M10-R, which is just a beast.

Great video very clear reasons, why you went for the X2D. I was in a similar position a couple of years ago. With the options to buy the X2D, or the GFX100s. The X2D is in many ways a masterpiece. Ergonomically, it is one of the best cameras I have ever held, and Hasselblad did a great job, with the menus and ergonomics. Also, the colours you get from Hasselblad are phenomenal, and whilst many praise Fujifilm, I do think that Hasselblad is easily the market leader when it comes to colour science. In the end there were a few things that put me off. I am mainly a portrait photographer and the first was the AF, which was before the big firmware update, which really improved the autofocus with the camera. The second was the Fujifilm GF 110mm f/2, which is maybe the best 85mm equivalent lens, I have ever used, for me better than the Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4, which is a legendary lens. Hasselblad, didn't have an equivalent of that lens. The third was the price, which is obvious, The last, is an odd one, it was the staff at Fujifilm UK. I have grown to know many of the UK staff at Fujifilm and they have always been exceptionally polite, friendly and helpful over the years. They even put up with my jokes, and put up with me at trade shows, and for me this makes a difference. When I had an issue, a member of staff, actually came around and took the camera to be looked at, at their head office, and then made sure it was returned before I started a big project. Now, they didn't need to do that but they did. Now, when it comes to the GFX100s, it isn't the perfect camera, the AF is terrible in anything other than ideal conditions, and the I would prefer to have a faster flash sync speed than 1/125 of a second, but that can be got around. Knowing what I know now, about the GFX and X2D, I just about think I made the right decision. Eventually, I will probably upgrade the camera, but probably not for a few years and when I do I will still have the 110mm, which is great (I do have to say, from what I have seen the Hasselblad 80mm f/1.9 is superior to the Fujifilm 80mm f/1.7). But I have to say the X2D is an amazing camera, now it has been updated.

Peter, this is genuinely decent review. Been wanting one for myself as my heart desire it very much, but still the time didn't come yet. Perhaps the X3D or the X5D would be mine. I agree the focus joystick would make a difference. Thanks

Although I have never even heard of some of the many cameras you have used over the years, I always find it fascinating to listen to your in-depth analysis (whether cameras or cars) from a technical standpoint and especially from an emotional and artistic level. So inanimate objects do have a soul?! You are a never-boring, always-evolving, master of nuance and I look forward to seeing where your passions continue to take you!! Thanks for sharing with us.

Still shooting film with a Hasselblad, but if I were to buy a digital camera it would be this one. Nice video, thanks.

The colour science behind the camera is second to none. I have been comparing this camera with the Fuji GFX 100sii and the Hasselblad produces colour that are equivalent to what you see with your eyes in real life, thus minimising the workload in post production.

LOL. I'm not sure anyone who never shot film, or spent time in a darkroom, will understand "soulless". But I do. I've toyed with the thought of going to medium format for a long time, and it's come back recently. I've been shooting a lot of birds lately, and I know it's not the best choice for that. But I look at those images, and I think I could leave that behind. Then I hear you talk about getting back to a slower, more meditative pace and I may be closer than I've ever been. I've got so many Canon R-series lenses that I really enjoy. And I've got a trip booked to the Galapagos later this year. Part of me wonders if I really want to take $25K or more worth of new kit there, but part of me wonders if I can afford not to. I am getting very disappointed with Canon, and the rumors I'm hearing about this new generation of cameras that are coming. Particularly what seems to be a commitment to AI. I really don't want or need anything alien between me and the world. I really appreciate this video, and I'm sure I'll be watching it a few more times.

Great review. We have similar paths in life and photography (the first camera I touched was my father's Voigtlander, the first one I could afford at age 14 was a 6x6 Lubitel and then 3 years later a used Nikkormat after picking what felt like tons of raspberries ;o)). Where we slightly differ is that, once exposed to film Leicas and Hasselblad in the 1980s, I tried that path (and still have my M6 and my 500 CM-the latter convinced me to try the 907 back but because of convenience I moved to the X1Dii and finally X2D). My experience of the X2D matches your excellent practitioner's review. I also wish I had access to auto ISO in Manual mode (it is possible on contemporary Leica Ms and Qs), and the autofocus does not match the competition either in full-frame or medium format. I understand your point about the joy-stick but that may somewhat temper with the ergonomics and design of the camera (so my objection is not practical, purely esthetic, I am fully aware of that). I have also tested the 90 mm TTartisan which is quite a marvel in terms of glass, built-quality and price. Just acquired the 38 mm where the pull-out/push of the focusing ring is quite a progress. In any case after many Nikons, and Leicas (even a digital Canon M ;o) this X2D has become my camera of choice, even while travelling because of its design, simple ergonomics, image quality, handling, IBIS and the sheer feeling of satisfaction that comes with using it.

Great review Peter! I am in doubt to switch. The availability of lenses in my country is a huge bummer. Waiting time for months.

Ahhh I hear you too! I’ve been doing photography for over 20 years from my original D100 for my first digital camera with 6MP. I actually sold my 500cm because I wanted to get out of film from a cost and work flow aspect. I was also Looking at the GFX 100s or 100 used for the price it’s an amazing cost. After trying both I settled for the less megapixel camera of the x1dIi and have the 45p and 135mm with tc. I couldn’t be happier. It resembles my creativity of my 500cm however instantly gratifying. I wish I had the budget for the x2d but I am so happy with my kit.

1980 was photographing car racings 😊 and own all Hasselblad film and Digital as well 👍🏻🙌

Hi peter, i use the touch pad to move focus, and for the sake’s of aesthetic and industrial design purposes, i dont want a joypad.. but one to each own.. thanks for sharing your thoughts.. i sport the x2D and cfv 100c, im back!

Amazing Peter! I would imagine aside from the cost of the camera and the glass; I would surmise that you would need a very good monitor to edit these photos which can cost 1000's . Your photography is incredible ,at another level. I am sure most folks watching this video could never buy a camera like this, no more than they would give up their Toyota Corolla for a Corvette ZR1 or a Mclaren 720 S . I believe the purpose of your video was to share the images this camera can produce in the hands of seasoned ,skilled and very talented photographer. For me ,I will stick with my little corolla and work on being a better photographer as this video has inspired me to be!

An excellent presentation in every way. As someone who has, thus far, only used this camera system for one day, I couldn't agree more with all of your points. (Auto ISO in M is something I would like to see, as well, and I knew I wasn't alone on that.) Question: which lens was used for the landscape shot at 17:34? Thanks again for a great discussion with gorgeous accompanying photos!

GFX and Large/medium format film user. I switched from nikon to Fuji and the X2d was the other option considered. Enjoyed your video about the X2D

I bought my first camera, a new Nikon FE, in 1982. Not much has changed: I couldn't afford a Hasselblad then; I can't afford a Hasselblad now. 🤣 Seriously, though, thank you for this very thoughtful review. Environmental portraits (sometimes using lights or modifiers) and landscapes (urban, rural, and wilderness) are my major interests. This would be a magnificent tool for me, as it's proven to be for you. I tend to be a photo essayist (like W. Eugene Smith, but without the talent) so I'm usually thinking about the story before I press the shutter. And as an old B&W photographer, I'm always looking for the shadows.

No need to justify your choices Peter but never the less an excellent summation of what you like and don’t like based on user experience which in my view is what counts. Having owned a few Nikons back in the 70’s and 80’s I know what you mean by the R5 being a bit soulless but that might be tinged with nostalgia rather than reliable results starting with AF and IS and I wouldn’t go back for sure. Great list of cameras , I must do the same not least to give my memory some exercise. 😀

I bought one. Something I don't need. I'm a Leica shooter with two great cameras, but the allure of this camera just won me over. Nice review!

Peter! Thank you for the video! I would love to know what shortcomings you have with the camera or what you would like to add to the camera to make it meet your needs! Thank you!

Great video, I love the X2D. The fuji fans gonna blow a gasket of your color comment. I 100% agree though. X2D colors are my drug of choice. Cheers

The electronic shutter is usable on a tripod, but motion blur is distorted by the rolling shutter. I tried my Leica and Zeiss Hasselblad lenses with poor results. I only use the XCD Hasselblad lenses. My favorite lens is the 35-75mm zoom. This is a great framing lens, balances well with the X2D, and covers exactly what I want. The first series XCD lenses are made by Nittoh, and are completely the equal of my Leica lenses. The X2D is my favorite camera.

I’d love to have a hasselblad. I’ve been in love with them since I first saw the 501 in the magazines. Back in those days, the 501 was THE working horse for the serious photographer. Fashion, studio, design, etc were all realms that had the 501 in heavy use. These days, my most ‘premium’ camera has been a Leica TL2. Price for price, I’d much rather have the hasselblad over another red dot camera. The latest M series cameras have just been problem prone with its software and gotten way out of hand in the pricing. $10,000 USD for a body only and ff sensor. Just isn’t there for me in the value department. And the service…I have no interest in shipping it off to Germany every time it needs adjusting or maintenance. One day I’ll have a hasselblad. I appreciate your video and the insight you’ve provided. Thanks for the video

Peter - I would not have any idea how to use a camera this sophisticated. Nonetheless, after watching your content, I want one.

Also looking to get a Hasselblad for the colours. By far the best. I’m getting the 907x first version used to use with my 500cm I’ve shot for decades

My biggest gripe with the hasselblad system is how slow they are with rolling out new and exciting native lenses for this system compared to the GFX, Hasselblad need to do better in that department to make this system are more attractive alternative for commercial work. Otherwise the system and colours looks gorgeous!

Thanks Peter. My brain says buy the Fuji, it can do video too. But every still image I see from it looks…anemic? And it doesn’t have proper video controls, I/Os, global shutter, etc. it’s a compromise. A Canon R5C is a better hybrid or even a Sony A7 IV is better for video. And every time I compromise I regret it eventually. Learning how adaptable that camera is to other glass has swung my heart to overturn my brain. No compromises!

Are you somewhere in Gerringong ? Great vid beautiful camera.

Soulless.... just like todays cars. I can't justify the expense for buying a Hasselblad but I love everything you mentioned about this beauty. SImplicity, functionality, quality, what a concept :)

I also think that if they add an AF joystick and phase-detect AF it will be the perfect camera. The body and lenses are already amazing.

Peter the 80/1.9 has the best images i have seen so far but my preference is the 65x24 pano format. Is there a Hasselblad lens that you would recommend over the 80/1.9 for panos? Excellent video. Very helpful. Image quality and that cinematic look i am searching for. This isn't just a camera. It is art to me.

Excellent video - You have clarified exactly why the X2D is so appealing. User interface via the touchscreen, simple menu layouts, camera handling and aesthetics. I am a landscape photographer primarily and have switched from Fuji GFX to the X2D. The GFX system is bulky and does not handle as well as the X2D, particularly when it comes to landscapes. The other thing is portability. The X2D with 3-4 lenses, and accessories can all be packed in a wotancraft shoulder bag and fit easily in the cabin of an aircraft. Using the camera takes me back to 4x5 days. The big LCD screen is a joy to use for composition and post photo analysis in the field. The camera has re-invigorated my landscape photography through the sheer joy of using this camera. Thanks also for suggestions about non Hasselblad lenses which can be used with the camera - an area I was unsure about. Many thanks again.

Hey buddy, you really don't have to justify anything at all to anyone (well maybe the wife 😂), people are able to make beautiful images with a box with a hole in it or others can use the Hubble telescope and peer into distant galaxies and the beginnings of the universe. What's important is the 12 inches behind the camera and that's where your skill and talent comes bounding through. Have a great week and enjoy your toy 🙏🙏🙏

this is the exact reason I picked up a digital Leica this year lol. im 29, I never grew up with film, started using it during covid, and loved how manual everything was but wanted to get something like that in a digital feel... which leads me to this video... my favorite camera is the Pentax 67 annnnnd mannn do I want a digital medium format camera lol. this one is a no go because... im 29 and just finished my mba, aka, im broke lol, but the fuji 50sii is calling my name lol. thank you for the insight.

Compared to street or wildlife, landscape is a slower photographic discipline. Landscape is often done with a tripod and involves focus and exposure bracketing. Especially shooting wide with a foreground subject. One of the downside of medium format over full frame is the shallower depth of field and increased need to focus bracket landscape compositions. Full frame is the sweet spot in terms of weight, performance, choice of lenses, and image quality. If money was no option, I would also have a Hassleblad. It sure is beautiful.

Very useful, thanks. Just a note… yeah, I thought my X1DII would satisfy me for the rest of my life 😂

h2d2 will be my buy with updated focus 24' standards like Sony, for the cost.

Im all for higher mp. I dont need video features or fancy autofocus. Im making the biggest jump today in my image quality. Juat got a sony a7r iv. Cant wait till fullframe reaches 100mp

I first lifted the X2D about a year and a half ago. The camera felt a lot better in the hand than the previous model. The 90mm still isn’t readily available.

what kinda adapter u need to mount Leica or novoflex lens on X2D

i tested the camera at bnh and its really perfect for photography portrait, landscape, architecture and that is really what i liked the most its really unique and the colors are unbeatable but the price and availability on lenses is really frustrating so i am waiting for a change in the company orientation and customer service department till then i will continue dreaming about perfection ....

during your color portion are these your RAW photos or did you do any color grading ?

At a similar point in life and photography journey. Considering between the X2D and SL3, did you struggle with the same two choices? If yes, any insights on your decision away from the SL3?

*Like your video, Peter!* The specs can by far not suggest the real sensation and the experience of a camera. I'm glad you find this one justifies _your_ investment. Believe it or not, I have a few years more of photographing behind than you do, even at the half of your audience not being born in 1980 ;) What you name here are the considerations that play the biggest role to my understanding (ergonomics, color science, AF, _purity)._ I just wonder, when you say _color science,_ do you imply the *_jpeg_* color science or also the camera's treatment of the color in raw? Because of hiking, I stick to a much smaller sensor standard. What would you say, in all the camera brands & models in your experience so far, from the MFT to the full-frame (excluding ultra-expensive Leica), which one has the best color science?

I cant afford hasselblad so I ended up with the GFX... I envy the color science of hasselblad

You could copy & paste my thoughts exactly to yours. I so love this camera with its one page menu system to holding just for the sake of holding it let alone taking a photograph. I've slowed down and taking my time. This for me is a dream camera brand that excels expectations. Can I ask what software are you using to import and process please? Thanks Peter.

One of the worst thing I ever did was to play with an X2D, love at first click I'm stuck with my larger format Fujifilm's but the experiance with one of those compared to a modern mirrorless R5 is so tactile and evocative.

Great video. Did you consider the new V lens? I originally thought your video was older because you were not using any of the V lens.

i own a r5 and thinking to move to Hasselblad too

Do you use the Hasselblad Phocus software? Or adobe, or other for the raw files?

My camera journey and decision process was almost exactly the same as yours, though I did own a Leica SL2 before trading for the Hasselblad x2D. I chose the Hasselblad for the same reasons. I also own a Nikon Z8 with assorted lenses for wildlife, birds, and night sky photography. I choose the X2D most of the time because it is such a pleasure to use. Meager lens options and high lens prices are the major downside for me.

I'm also considering the Fuji GFX. It appears that the Fuji camera is superior in most aspects, except for its design and leaf shutter. Currently, I'm hesitant to purchase a Hasselblad, as it seems to be losing popularity.

I agree with you -: as a Po I can add that photography is for all and all cameras are for all but not all cameras are for all people - I currently have around £80-£100k of MF Hass and Fuji and each purchase is considered and measured - I have always been this way even with film in the old days - we currently have 2 X2D;s 1 907xCFV100c, 2 Fuji GFX100II's and a few Leica's inc the Q3 and the SL3 - we did have the S3 (MF Leica) and the Hass 100c sharing the same lenses - (via an adaptor) but the X series iare smaller and lighter and the Fuji and Leica are good outdoors in the Great British waeather - the new XCd 2.5 lenses share the same form and filter threads - niceley balanced int he hands too

Thanks for review. I would like to ask you about the nokton 21. Does it cover the format adequately? If not, how much do you need to crop? I bought the 907 100c. Mainly for studio portrait e landscape. The lack of stabilisation and evf, is not a problem for me. Along with the necessary grip, you have the joystick.

Which is better Fujifilm GFX 100S II vs x2d?

The only thing why I would want this over my M11 is the AF.

When will the Hasselblad X2D 100C be replaced / new replacement model (as it is 2022 model) ?

Eliminating the battery door means your battery can fall out mid shoot?

One of the most interesting videos I have seen so far. The term "soulless" can also be transferred to cars. Having owned a more simple, brutal Bmw m5 with an v8 in the past, and now owning a Volvo with all the electronics..perfect car, but..searching ones feelings, I know what I will pick. As the Hasselblad x2d goes, its a beautiful camera. I have owned and switched a lot, sony a7r Ivs, canon r5, back to sony a7rV again..with all the lenses applied. It costs, but I think I ended up at the right path. Mainly interested in photography the Hasselblad checks all the boxes for me. The simplicity, the quality, the purpose of it. Time to start saving, I believe. Thanks for an informative and good video.

8:17 which L bracket is that ? Can you please link

I agree with you about just about everything. It is a beautiful camera which delivers beautiful images. I am retired and on a limited budget so how could I rationalize this expenditure? I did not want to be on my deathbed saying, "I wish to hell I had bought that damned Hasselblad."

Lovely camera! I don’t think I need any help justifying the purchase. I just need a spare load of cash.

Z7ii shooter and I really wish Nikon would make a camera like this. Coming from film I have no use for the extra clutter of video features. I wonder how much video capability adds to the cost of the camera.