Cranford, NJ—A next-generation, medium-format, mirrorless digital camera, the Hasselblad X2D 100C is engineered to bring substantial technological enhancements to image quality, camera handling as well as system responsiveness.
“When developing the X2D 100C, our goal was the same as always, just as Victor Hasselblad himself made decades ago: build a better camera,” said Bronius Rudnickas, Hasselblad Marketing Manager. “This commitment drives us to explore the possibility to improve its performance from all aspects.”
Hasselblad X2D 100C Key Features
Sporting a new dark gray-toned body of machined aluminum, Hasselblad’s flagship X2D 100C houses a 100-megapixel backside-illuminated (BSI) (43.8×32.9mm) CMOS sensor. Moreover, the sensor delivers up to 15 stops of dynamic range with 16-bit color depth.
With the goal of empowering content creators to capture the intricacies of an image’s highlights and shadows, the camera uses the Hasselblad Natural Color Solution (HNCS). This technology works alongside a new 5-axis, 7-stop in-body image stabilization system (IBIS) to make handheld image capture possible in a wide range of conditions.
Further, Hasselblad independently developed its own IBIS for the X2D 100C to meet the stringent requirements for stabilizing a 100MP sensor. Keeping size and weight in mind for portability, they also made the camera the most compact medium-format IBIS solution on the market (as of March 2022).
In addition, the camera employs 294 phase-detection autofocus (PDAF) zones to help ensure the subject is rapidly located and brought into focus. The X2D 100C also captures files in 3FR RAW and full-size JPEG.
Additional Specs
What’s more, the X2D 100C features an 0.5-inch OLED electronic viewfinder with 5.76-million dots; a high magnification of 1.00x; and a refresh rate of 60 frames per sec. As a result, it supports electric refractive error correction to make the whole display sharp and bright, from corner to corner.
Complementing the EVF is a 1.08-inch, color top display as well as a 2.36MP, 3.6-inch tilting, touch-capable rear display. The rear display delivers access to all the camera’s new imaging technologies while keeping the intuitive Hasselblad user interface (HUI) and Scandinavian style of the X system.
Furthermore, the camera’s battery has a CIPA rating of 420 shots and supports PD 3.0 fast charging. Finally, it provides built-in 1TB SSD storage and CFexpress Type B card support to deliver a high capture rate for fast-moving subjects. The X2D 100C is also compatible with Phocus, Hasselblad’s free image-processing software.
Hasselblad’s X2D 100C has a suggested retail price of $8,199.
Three New XCD Lens
In addition to announcing its medium-format mirrorless flagship, Hasselblad introduced three faster, more compact X system lenses. The XCD lens range comprises 13 lenses with the launch of the XCD 2,5/38V, XCD 2,5/55V and XCD 2,5/90V.
While the three lenses are compatible with any X system camera, they perform to their full potential when used with the X2D 100C. Starting with the selection of high-quality glass, Hasselblad engineers grind each lens to perfect its optical quality and meet the resolution requirements of 100 million pixels.
Hasselblad also designed each new lens with a compact, lightweight build, while maintaining its optical requirements. For example, a fully upgraded, lightweight focusing module adopts a linear stepping motor and a lighter, smaller focusing lens group. These changes eliminate backlash from the lens group moving. Coupled with the X2D 100C’s PDAF technology, the focusing lens group can quickly reach the focusing position and achieve a precise stop.
Moreover, an upgraded leaf shutter is more compact and provides flash sync at all speeds. While smaller, it maintains the same performance as its predecessors. It is also fast and quiet to avoid disturbance when shooting.
Furthermore, photographers can conveniently switch to full-time manual focus (MF) by pulling and pushing the focus ring to change between AF and MF as well as check focus and DOF readings in MF mode. Additionally, a new lens control ring supports function customization. Photographers can now change what to control with the ring according to their preferences to make shooting more intuitive and efficient.
The three lenses also feature full-metal bodies with an engraved distance scale and an H logo engraved on the focus ring and the lens control ring.
XCD 38V
This lens is an option for shooting documentary, street as well as landscape photography. With a 12-inch minimum focusing distance, the lens can also capture cuisine, products and other still subjects.
Equivalent to a full-frame, 30mm focal length, the XCD 2,5/38V is a low-distortion wide-angle lens. Using it, photographers can include more environmental details when shooting portraits. They can also create a soft bokeh effect from the large f/2.5 aperture to highlight the subject against the background.
In addition, the lens’s narrow aperture and leaf shutter blades can create Hasselblad’s hallmark eight-point starburst effect on bright light sources. The lens’s ultrasmall shutter captures at up to 1/2000s.
The XCD 2,5/38V weighs 12.3 ounces. It features 10 elements in 9 groups. They include three aspherical elements and three ED elements to improve light transmittance and suppress chromatic dispersion. SRP: $3,699.
XCD 55V
Equivalent to a full-frame 43mm focal length, this standard lens produces a viewpoint similar to the human eye. This perspective, combined with the soft bokeh effect from the large f/2.5 aperture, makes it a tool for full- or half-length portraits as well as for shooting documentary, still life or daily photography.
Its narrow aperture and leaf shutter blades can also create Hasselblad’s eight-point starburst effect on bright light sources. The XCD 2,5/55V weighs 13.1 ounces. It features 9 elements in 8 groups, including two aspherical elements, one ED element and one specially made large-diameter aspherical element. Consequently, the lens not only has a compact size but also improves light transmittance and suppresses chromatic dispersion. SRP: $3,699.
XCD 90V
A moderate telephoto lens for close-up portraits and still life imagery, it is 11% lighter than the XCD 90 at 19.4 ounces. Equivalent to a full-frame, 71mm focal length, the XCD 2,5/90V’s focal length, coupled with its large f/2.5 aperture, creates a soft bokeh effect that highlights the subject.
Its narrow aperture and leaf shutter blades also create Hasselblad’s eight-point starburst effect on bright light sources. The lens features 9 elements in 6 groups. They comprise one ED element and one specially made large-diameter aspherical element to deliver an apochromatic effect for accurate color correction.
The XCD 2,5/90V lens’s upgraded large aperture leaf shutter captures at up to 1/4000s. SRP: $4,299.
