Medium format photography is often out of reach for many, but the Hasselblad X2D is a tempting option for those ready to make the leap. Its sleek design and advanced features bring a new level of performance to high-end photography setups.
Coming to you from Irene Rudnyk, this informative video highlights the experience of shooting with the Hasselblad X2D and a 90mm f/2.5 lens. Priced at $8,200 for the body and $4,300 for the lens, this is one of the most expensive setups Rudnyk has used. Despite the high price, it brings impressive features like a 1 TB internal storage and an aluminum alloy body, which keeps it lighter than expected. Rudnyk emphasizes that while the camera doesn’t have a joystick, the touchscreen interface makes navigating settings easy and intuitive, making the absence of a joystick less of an issue.
For photographers who prefer simplicity over technical specs, Rudnyk’s take is refreshing. She finds the X2D’s design streamlined, which suits her shooting style. There aren’t many buttons, and this clean layout allows her to focus more on composition rather than navigating complex menus. This is particularly helpful if you don’t like fiddling with settings mid-shoot. Rudnyk also notes that the camera is lighter than it looks, making it manageable for long shooting sessions.
Rudnyk’s field test takes place in natural light, where she notes that the camera’s autofocus was faster than expected, especially for a medium format system. Despite the absence of video capabilities, the X2D performs well with photography, even when faced with tricky lighting and environmental conditions. One drawback she mentions is that the camera’s raw files are not supported by Capture One, requiring her to use Lightroom and Photoshop instead. This could be a downside if Capture One is part of your workflow.
Rudnyk's experience with the camera’s 100-megapixel sensor highlights how much detail it can capture. For those who like to zoom in and refine their images during editing, this feature alone could be a significant selling point. She points out that the files offer plenty of flexibility for adjustments, especially when working with shadows, highlights, and color correction. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Rudnyk.
100mp medium format to shoot images that only ever exist in 1080p on Instagram. ;)
Irene's work continues to be gorgeous. She is a tremendously talented photographer but her workflow revolves around building work for Instagram which means the Hassy is kinda absurd overkill. The end result is indistinguishable from her Canon work at IG resolution so really the Hassy just ends up being a storage monster for no real benefit.
That said, if a Lambo gets sent to you for free, you probably are gonna wanna use it, even if it costs way more to fuel so I don't blame her at all. :) I just don't think this is the right set up for most photographers. ;)
It’s not the 100 mp file it’s the user experience with the camera and lenses, the X2D has its place in most photographers arsenal of tools. The X2D 100c would not be my choice for portraits on the other hand the sync speed would help. The lack of continuous eye AF with a subject who is moving around, the lack of highlight clipping warnings only in image review, low light focusing marginal and EVF blackout makes it much harder to use but can be done it wouldn’t be my first choice. I am familiar with the sensor as i shoot the H6D 100c in studio and out although out less frequently now and the files are without PP perfect with PP incredible, no other camera can give you that level of skin tones without lots of PP.
If I shot for Instagram only I’d probably use an iPhone !
If you have the means (I don't) and want to shoot medium format, go for it and ignore the critics because you post images on IG. I don't need to go into the benefits of medium format we all know A bit of envy?
If you want to shoot medium format quality, then shoot film and scan it. I still shoot a lot of film, mostly T-MAX 100. The difference in cost is considerable and the quality is astounding.