Hasselblad X2D II 100C in-depth review

What is the Hasselblad X2D II 100C and who is it for?

Hasselblad has been synonymous with medium format excellence for decades, coveted by photographers chasing the ultimate in image quality and reliability. From the legendary 500C film cameras used by the glitterati, Ansel Adams, Irving Penn and even Neil Armstrong on the moon, to digital H-series Blads championed by the likes of Annie Leibovitz, these Swedish cameras are part of photographic history.

Thanks to high-resolution full-frame cameras and the explosion in the call for stills-and-video, however, few professionals need a medium format digital camera any more. 

Apart from the elite few who demand the likes of a Hasselblad H6D-100c with its huge 53x40mm sensor or a Phase One IQ4, few get to experience the subtle tonal transitions, 3D look and natural focus fall-off that a bigger sensor produces. And that’s a shame.

But in recent years there’s been a resurgence in the larger format and a renewed interest in the more deliberate way of working, rather than the 20fps spray and pray of modern cameras. 

Luckily, Hasselblad and Fujifilm have answered the call, and are each capitalising on a shared 100-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor to bring new tricks to medium format.

The Swedish brand’s latest flagship, the Hasselblad X2D II 100C, is more than an heir to its legacy. It’s a statement of intent to make the digital format more accessible, agile and, crucially, more affordable.

Hasselblad X2D II 100C autofocus

The camera’s headline upgrade is the autofocus, crucial for anyone apart from landscape, architecture and still-life studio shooters. Hasselblad’s first-generation X2D was a decent medium format camera but lacked continuous AF, which was a sore point for anyone used to hybrid mirrorless systems. The new X2D II changes that.

It provides 425 phase detection AF zones – up from 294 – covering a wider area of the frame for more precise subject tracking, as well as contrast detection. It introduces AF-C mode for continuous focusing, which is powered by a deep-learning algorithm capable of recognising humans, vehicles, cats and dogs. There’s also an AF illuminator for low-light accuracy and LiDAR-assisted focusing, helping lock onto subjects in challenging conditions where contrast is particularly low. 

Nailing focus on such a high-resolution camera is critical. It was one of the reasons I ditched my Phase One XF camera a few years ago: the autofocus wasn’t good enough and neither are my eyes for manual focus. Fujifilm’s GFX System has so far been the only truly modern AF system on medium format, and now the new X2D II joins it. 

In testing, the AF felt confident rather than frantic – deliberate but far more reliable than before. Tracking a walking subject, the AF stayed sticky and smooth, even with wide apertures and shallow depth-of-field. While it is not a sports camera, the X2D II 100C is fast enough for dynamic portrait sessions or documentary-style shooting, something previous Hasselblad users couldn’t say. It works like a modern camera should.

Hasselblad X2D II 100C stabilisation

Hasselblad claims the new five-axis in-body stabilisation system delivers up to ten stops of compensation – an extraordinary figure, especially for such a large sensor. In practical terms, it’s really astonishingly good. You can get away without lugging a tripod around for many different shots. It frees you up to be creative.

We tried some handheld shots at night of up to two seconds and most had no noticeable blur. But it’s best use is for handheld shots at more reasonable shutter speeds, where it’s rock solid. This is a huge boon for landscape, architectural or documentary photographers who prefer to travel light.

Hasselblad X2D II 100C HDR and workflow

The system makes the camera versatile. You can shoot at base ISO 50 with long exposures and still retain the stunning dynamic range and low noise that medium format promises.

Hasselblad’s HNCS HDR (Hasselblad Natural Colour Solution HDR) workflow is also new. This isn’t the old-school high dynamic range (HDR) tone mapping that made everything look like a scene from a fantasy comic but a more natural look, achieving smoother highlight roll-off and natural contrast.

It delivers 16-bit colour and 15.3 stops of dynamic range, allowing extended highlights and shadows. HDR images can be saved as HDR HEIF or Ultra HDR JPEGs, viewable immediately on HDR-compatible devices such as iPhones, iPads or modern Mac displays.

The HDR workflow integrates with Phocus Mobile 2, Hasselblad’s iOS and iPadOS editing app. This also supports full HDR Raw processing, noise reduction and wireless tethering at 40MB/s, enabling remote operation or quick field edits without a laptop. It’s a polished system that feels tailored for modern, mobile photographers. But serious photographers may not want to edit photos on an iPad.

Not everyone uses Apple kit to view the photos on an HDR screen so the advantage quickly disappears. And the camera doesn’t allow these HDR modes when it is set to manual, which is frustrating.

If you do set the camera to HDR, each shot takes a second or so longer than you might expect, so you’ll get a super-distorted final frame if you move the camera. It’s very odd, but at least you’ll know what you’ve done wrong. Or you can just say it’s art.

Hasselblad X2D II 100C design, handling and battery

The X2D II 100C remains an unmistakably modern Hasselblad – minimalist, purposeful and crafted to an almost obsessive standard. The new graphite-grey matte finish looks superb, and the camera’s 7.5% weight reduction makes a real difference. It feels like a luxury tool built for real work. The tactile controls and quiet shutter make it a joy to use on location.

The grip has been redesigned with improved texture and contouring for comfort, while the new rear joystick is a true revelation. Along with custom buttons, this provides both faster and more intuitive control. A top-mounted 1.08-inch status LCD provides instant feedback on key settings without diving into menus, while the menu system itself remains one of the cleanest, most elegant interfaces in photography.

In another boost, the 3.6-inch OLED rear screen is brighter – now 1400 nits, up 75% – and tilts 90° up and 43° down. The high-resolution 5.76m-dot EVF delivers vivid colour and excellent clarity, even when used in harsh sunlight. In practice, the experience is immersive. 

This minimalist design does mean, however, that there is more menu digging required in order to change settings, so it’s not as quick as the traditional dials and deep menus of a camera like the Fujifilm. And, of course, the Fujifilm range offers video, something that the Hasselblad omits to keep the camera purely aimed at stills. It’s built to capture light and colourwith unparalleled nuance, not to compete with cine hybrids.

While medium format remains more about precision than speed, the X2D II 100C’s 3fps burst rate feels sufficient. The camera retains the 1TB internal SSD while adding a CFexpress Type B slot for extra storage.

The USB-C port enables both fast file transfer and in-camera charging. The 3400mAh battery is officially good for around 460 shots per charge, depending on use. With lots of menu digging and shot reviewing in our tests, that figure was just about right, so for a full day you’d need a spare battery or a USB-C power bank. The camera charges completely in about two hours using a 30W USB-C adapter. 

Hasselblad X2D II 100C sensor and image quality

The sensor is a known quantity, but Hasselblad’s latest processing and colour science elevate it far beyond familiar territory. The X2D II 100C continues to produce images with stunning tonal depth, true-to-life skin tones and that elusive, three-dimensional Hasselblad look.

Files are 16-bit, recording over 280 trillion colours, with a base of ISO 50 and extended range of up to ISO 25,600. Detail rendition is exceptional, achieving amazing skin tones, textures and micro-contrast. The colour balance is neutral yet rich, avoiding the overly punchy saturation common in smaller formats.

Dynamic range is absolutely extraordinary. While shooting high-contrast scenes, highlights retained detail while deep shadows could be lifted several stops without either colour shift or noise. The IBIS makes handheld shooting at low ISOs not just possible but genuinely practical.

Raw files contain so much information that pushing and pulling them around in editing is a joy. Noise is well controlled, and just a dab of noise reduction in post works wonders. The camera creates wonderful images that ooze quality.

Conclusion

At £6400 for the body, the X2D II 100C undercuts its predecessor by around £1000 and even dips below the price of Fujifilm’s flagship GFX100 II, despite sharing a sensor. Other GFX models with the same sensor at a lower price are available, though.

The X2D II costs £100 more than Sony’s A1 II and £400 below the full-frame Canon EOS R1. For a brand historically associated with premium pricing, that’s a bold move.

But this isn’t simply a price drop. The Mark II brings meaningful upgrades, including continuous autofocus, LiDAR-assisted focusing, end-to-end HDR workflow and a ten-stop IBIS system. It arrives wrapped up in a sleek body that stays true to Hasselblad’s Scandi minimalism while improving ergonomics and usability. Be prepared to want one, and ignore the uncomfortable truth that Chinese drone brand DJI is actually behind the iconic name nowadays.

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