Hasselblad’s title is synonymous with medium format pictures. From the long-lasting 500 collection movie cameras to 2016’s X1D, which was the primary digital, compact (properly, comparatively), medium format mirrorless digital camera. The unique X1D’s picture high quality was excellent, however sadly, the remainder of the digital camera left a lot to be desired. Even the second mannequin, which sped issues like autofocus and processing up significantly, was nonetheless not fairly there (6/10, WIRED Review).
Now Hasselblad has launched the X2D 100C, together with some new XCD V lenses, and I’m completely satisfied to say, that is the digital camera Hasselblad followers have been ready for. It delivers gorgeous, large RAW information, is loads quick sufficient, and stays compact sufficient to really feel such as you’re capturing with a DSLR.
However it’s nonetheless a Hasselblad: At $8,200, plus one other $4,000 or so for a lens, it is not an reasonably priced digital camera for amateurs. And but, for the proper of photographer, the X2D delivers.
Lastly Quicker
The centerpiece of the X2D is a brand new picture sensor. The sensor is similar bodily measurement as that of the X1D II, however the megapixel rely is double. The sensor is 11,656 x 8742 pixels, which really places it barely over 100 megapixels, and it has a 4:3 facet ratio. Hasselblad additionally touts the 15 stops of dynamic vary its 16-bit information will ship. Do these stats sound acquainted? It is perhaps as a result of Fujifilm’s GFX100 medium format mirrorless makes use of a really related sensor.
{Photograph}: Hasselblad
That hefty sensor measurement renders some extremely sharp photographs with very good micro-contrast within the particulars. It’s in each approach higher than the earlier sensor Hasselblad used within the X1D, and probably the greatest in the marketplace proper now. The one draw back is that you simply get some large picture information. If you find yourself with an X2D, remember to seize some spare SSD storage drives (and we’ve a guide to SSDs here), as a result of RAW information from this digital camera are over 200 megabytes per picture. Even the “wonderful” JPEGs are between 60 and 80 megabytes, relying on the scene.
The opposite, to my thoughts, even higher improve within the X2D is a brand new processor. Big picture information are good, however not so nice if it takes eternally to shoot them, because it did with the X1D. This time round I discovered that, whereas no velocity demon, the X2D is quick sufficient that I did not discover any lags. The processor improve is paired with an autofocus improve that now makes use of 294 section detection factors, which covers practically all the sensor. That helps make it noticeably quicker.
Whereas the autofocus system within the X2D is a large enchancment, it is nowhere close to what you may discover in full-frame flagship cameras just like the Sony A9 or Canon R5. It jogged my memory lots of Fujifilm’s autofocus system, which on paper is not very spectacular, however out in the true world, not less than for the sort of capturing I do, each the Fujifilm and Hasselblad autofocus techniques are ok 90 p.c of the time. The X2D just isn’t the digital camera I would seize to shoot sporting occasions, and it positively had some hassle in backlit scenes (which is the place all autofocus techniques fall down), however for many conditions it was correct sufficient, although it does are likely to hunt at occasions. The opposite factor to notice right here is that to get the complete advantage of the brand new autofocus velocity, you may should be utilizing considered one of Hasselblad’s new lenses. Whereas the corporate’s legacy glass will work with the X2D, it will not be practically as quick to focus.
The X2D now contains in-body picture stabilization, which Hasselblad says affords as much as seven stops of stabilization. The corporate says you possibly can shoot handheld at as much as one-second shutter velocity, which was borne out in my testing. I’m fortunate to have fairly regular arms, and I used to be in a position to shoot all the best way as much as 1.5 seconds with out blur. On the flip facet, any shake may be very seen with a sensor that data this degree of element.
