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It has been three years since Hasselblad launched a medium format camera, the X2D 100C. The device was powerful, offered immense details, and was something many professional photographers looked up to for their needs. However, since then, there has been no word about a successor, until recently. Reports have revealed that the X2D will finally get an heir soon, as soon as this month. Here is a look at the details.
According to Mirrorless Rumors, Hasselblad X2D II will reportedly launch on August 26. This comes after Hasselblad Taiwan posted a teaser post on Instagram.
At the moment, there are no details on the price, but one can expect it to be slightly more than the X2D 100c, which was available for $8,199. One of the reasons is the new tariffs, with China facing a 30% increase, which is said to be revised this month. Hasselblad is owned by DJI, a Chinese drone-making company. So, whether the camera will be made in China or not is something we aren’t sure of. But if it is, then one can expect it to be somewhat more expensive. However, even if it is assembled somewhere else, like Vietnam or Japan, the camera will face a 15% tariff. The same goes for Europe.
While the price is unclear, we have a better understanding of the specifications. SO far, the camera is said to feature the following:
- Integrated LiDAR autofocus system that can match the performance of Sony cameras.
- New Joystick and an additional customizable button on the back of the camera
- LCD with increased resolution
- LCD can now be tilted downwards too
- Improved UI
- Built-in 1TB SSD
- CFexpress Card Type B memory slot
- 100MP CMOS sensor
- 16-bit colour depth
- 15 stops of dynamic range
- 5-axis 8-stop in-body image stabilization (IBIS)
- New joystick and customizable button on the back of the camera
The new Hasselblad certainly has some improvements, but how much of a difference it can make in real time can only be seen in our review. Until then, we hope that the company makes some improvements, considering Fujifilm‘s medium-format cameras are now the new go-to for many large-format users. They are compact and also have great weather sealing to be taken outside of the studio. For instance, the GFX100 II and the GFX100RF, the latter being the first medium-format compact camera.
In a way, Hasselblad has big shoes to fill. If the X2D II can achieve a blend of power, detail, speed, compactness, and price, then we may have a winner. We never thought medium format cameras would become this mainstream. But now that they have, we must improve on them.