The Hasselblad X2D II 100C ($7,399, body only) is an absolutely gorgeous medium format mirrorless camera—it's as good-looking as the images it captures. And its pictures are amazing; they match 100MP resolution with 16-bit color, offering exceptional flexibility for creative edits, and can snap shareable JPGs with HDR color. Built-in stabilization and storage, a leaf shutter lens system for fast flash sync, and cutting-edge industrial design are all positives. However, I'm disappointed that a camera this expensive isn't fully weather-sealed, and I wish its battery lasted longer between charges. For the money, the Fujifilm GFX100 II is a better medium format camera; its Film Simulation profiles, full weather sealing, and more diverse lens library justify its $8,499 starting price.

Design: Sleek, Modern Lines

The X2D II 100C features the same modern industrial design as its predecessor. Hasselblad uses a dark gunmetal gray for the exterior with just one bit of color, a metallic orange shutter release. It's certainly a chic camera. I expect great design from Hasselblad, as it's been making classy cameras since the 1950s. The X2D shows that its designers are just as capable of making a modern-styled camera as they are at creating a retro model like the 907X  & CFV 100C, which was released just last year but looks like it could have come out of the Eisenhower era.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Despite using a stabilized 33-by-44mm medium format sensor that's larger all around than full-frame (24-by-36mm) chips, the X2D II 100C is a comfortable camera for all-day carry and travel. It measures 4.2 by 5.8 by 3 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.8 pounds. That's not far off from a larger full-frame body like the Nikon Z 8 (4.7 by 5.7 by 3.3 inches), though not as compact as Sony's tiny a7CR (2.8 by 4.9 by 2.5 inches, 1.1 pounds).

Of course, your choice of lens will have a significant impact on just how compact the X2D II is in practice. I paired the camera with Hasselblad's standard angle zoom, the XCD 35-100mm F2.8-4E (5.4 by 3.5 inches, 2.0 pounds), which is oversized versus comparable lenses for full-frame systems and gives the X2D II an imposing look. Hasselblad offers smaller primes for creators who prefer a lightweight kit, including the XCD 45mm F4P, which I previously reviewed.

Although it's a slim camera, the X2D II body balances quite well with the big 35-100mm zoom. Its viewfinder is centered behind the lens, similar to an SLR, and the handgrip is deep enough to provide a good grip when using a front-heavy lens—the 35-100mm lens weighs 2.0 pounds, slightly more than the camera body itself. The X2D II also features a textured leatherette and an indentation in the grip for your middle finger, providing a secure hold.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

All XCD lenses include an integral leaf shutter that syncs with flashes at speeds as short as 1/4,000-second. This gives the Hasselblad system a leg up over cameras that rely on in-body focal plane shutters like the Fujifilm GFX100 II, which is limited to 125-sync with full-power flash. The X2D II does not include a focal plane shutter, which is a concern when using adapted lenses, however, as it is apt to show rolling shutter distortion in photos due to a relatively slow scan rate. The electronic shutter is fine for still life scenes, but not recommended for subjects in motion.

Construction quality is a little shy of what I'd expect from a $7,400 camera. The X2D II's body is made from machined aluminum, a positive, but Hasselblad does not make any claims about dust and splash protection, a negative for a camera that's sure to be used outdoors. Now, the X2D II does include rubber gaskets in both of its left-side data port cover doors, and I don't fret about using any pro camera in light rain, but I'd hesitate to take the X2D II out in truly rough weather.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

If you take photos outdoors and work rain or shine, the Fujifilm GFX100S II or GFX100 II are better cameras, as both include extensive weather sealing that withstands the elements. I haven't yet reviewed the GFX100S II, but it is similar enough to the Editors' Choice-winning GFX100S that I'd recommend it to medium format photographers who are trying to stick to a budget. At $5,699, the GFX100S II is the most affordable entry point into the GFX system.

Controls: A Minimalist Approach for Back-to-Basics Photography

Many pro cameras cover a good portion of the available surface area with buttons and dials, but Hasselblad takes a more minimalist approach. The approach works to the benefit of this type of camera, which is more practical to use for slower scenes than for fast-moving action. The X2D II only supports 3fps continuous drive with autofocus, which is shy of what you'll want for action, and the XCD lens system doesn't yet include long telephoto lenses.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The X2D II includes the standard front and rear command dials, both with push-in action. It has a function button on the front, just below the lens mount. The top plate houses the shutter release, an OLED exposure display panel, and Mode, ISO/White Balance, and Power buttons on the top plate. The rear panel includes exposure lock (AE-L) and focus drive (AF-D) buttons, another function button, and an eight-way joystick that's used to move the focus point; the touch screen also supports tap to focus.

Most of the X2D II control buttons are configurable via the menu, so you can customize the camera to suit your preferences. There are also four buttons on the LCD bezel, from top to bottom: Play, Circle, X, and Menu. The Circle button toggles through different information overlays when taking photos, and works as an OK button for menu navigation. As you probably guessed, X cancels out of the menu and works as the delete button when reviewing images.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The menu is straightforward, too, and easier to navigate than those on many digital cameras. Hasselblad uses an icon-based tile interface for the main splash screen. It's thoughtfully laid out, with functions you're likely to access frequently right at the surface. You can tap on an icon or use the rear focus joystick to select it.

The X2D II includes an in-camera spirit level, something you get with nearly every interchangeable lens camera, but with an uncommon twist: haptic feedback. I can feel a little bit of vibration in the grip when either the virtual vertical or horizontal bubbles hit their level point, so you don't just have to rely on the visual indicator to know that the X2D II is set plumb and level.

Displays: An HDR Touch OLED and a Large EVF

The X2D II 100C updates the original's rear LCD all around. The display now uses OLED tech and has a higher peak brightness (1,400 nits), so it's able to properly display the HDR images the camera takes. It is oversized versus most cameras at 3.6 inches, with a 4:3 aspect ratio that matches the shape of the sensor, and is sharp at around 2.4 million dots.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The display hinge is improved versus the old X2D. The previous camera's viewfinder blocked part of the display when looking at it from above, while the new hinge pulls the display further out from the body to provide a clear view of the frame. I see this as a significant improvement as it makes it easier to frame images when setting the camera low to the ground or at waist level.

The X2D II's electronic viewfinder is also an OLED. The finder shows a large picture to the eye; its 1.0x magnification factor equals that of the Fujifilm GFX100 II, though with 5.8 million dots of resolution, the screen lags behind Fuji's 9.4-million-dot panel in sharpness. It's one of those things I only notice when using cameras side-by-side; however, the X2D II's EVF is sharp enough.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Unfortunately, its color reproduction falls short. The finder shows a slight green color cast during capture; it looks like an old TV where the tint is just slightly off-kilter. It doesn't affect the actual images—their colors are spot on—but is a little distracting as it makes me wonder if my white balance settings are off. The color cast is slight enough that I questioned what my eyes were seeing, but side-by-side comparisons with the Sony RX1R III and Leica M EV1 viewfinders showed that the X2D's viewfinder is just a smidgen off in color accuracy.

Power and Connectivity: Pick Up a Spare Battery for Travel

The X2D II 100C is rated for 327 photos per charge per CIPA testing standards, a middle-of-the-road figure for a mirrorless camera. This lines up with my testing. I took it out for a morning of photography and got 104 exposures with 60% left on the battery (starting with a full charge), which is a little shy of the CIPA estimate. If I had kept pace and used up the entire battery, the figure extrapolates out to 260 exposures. It's worth getting a spare battery or two for all-day use; each extra power pack costs $99. Fuji is the champ for medium format battery life—its GFX100S II is rated for 530 images per charge, and its GFX100RF fixed-lens camera is rated for 820 photos per charge.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

There is no built-in flash, but the X2D II has a hot shoe to connect an external flash or radio transmitter. It uses the same automatic TTL system as Nikon cameras, so you can use it with any Nikon Speedlight, as well as third-party strobes and flash triggers made for Nikon cameras. Automatic TTL metering only works for SDR capture, but you can use a flash in manual mode for HDR snaps.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The X2D II has a USB-C port for charging, photo transfer, and tethered capture with Hasselblad's Phocus desktop software. There's also a 3.5mm port to connect the Release Cord X shutter release. The camera has a single CFexpress Type B memory card slot to supplement its 1TB SSD storage drive.

Autofocus: Phase Detection Boosted by LiDAR

The X2D II won't win any races, but aside from a lengthy interval between powering on and taking a photo (around 3.5 seconds for a cold boot, and 1 second to wake from sleep), it's fast enough for typical use cases. Likewise, its maximum continuous drive is around 3fps with focus and exposure for every frame, not nearly as fast as the GFX100 II (8fps). The Fujifilm medium format system is a better choice for photographers who desire more speed and includes a 500mm telephoto lens to capture subjects at a distance. Neither is a match for a full-frame camera, however. While you'll have to live with fewer pixels and a smaller surface area, bodies like the Nikon Z 8, Canon EOS R5 Mark II, and Sony a1 II are better for capturing sports and wildlife.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Despite the meager continuous capture rate, the X2D II's autofocus is quick, given its sensor size. The camera uses a hybrid focus system that leverages both on-camera phase detection and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). Focus isn't quite instant, though it doesn't qualify as slow either. I recorded around a third of a second lag between starting focus and making an exposure with the 35-100mm, with a slightly longer lag if the lens has to drive its optics from near to far (0.6-second).

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The camera has a few different focus areas available. You can let it select a focus point on its own, narrow the area of interest with a flexible spot or zone, or use subject tracking, a mode in which the focus box follows a subject as it moves across the frame. Subject detection is included, too, so the camera can better identify and focus on people, animals, or vehicles. I got good results with animal detection—it did a good job locking onto my cat as well as a pair of cows hanging outside of a local farm.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

I ran into an issue where the focus system continued to hunt back and forth and refused to lock focus at all in a few instances during testing, but I wasn't able to consistently reproduce the problem, and each time it happened, I simply had to stop focusing and start again, and the camera locked right in. This occasional focus flutter is annoying, butit doesn't get in the way of the scenes in which the X2D II excels. The camera's strength is getting the most detail and color information, something you want for landscapes, studio and environmental portraiture, fashion and runway shows, and the like. I wouldn't rely on the camera to capture candids at a wedding reception or other fast-moving event, though—it's not the right tool for that job.

Imaging: Stabilized 100MP Capture in HDR

The X2D II 100C uses a familiar image sensor, a 44-by-33mm BSI CMOS chip with support for 16-bit Raw capture, 10-bit HEIF, Ultra HDR JPGs (which use an 8-bit color space boosted and 10-bit gain map so they display properly on both HDR and SDR screens), and 8-bit SDR JPGs. I used the camera in Raw+JPG mode during the review and alternated between SDR and HDR capture.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The X2D II supports photography at ISO 50-25600, with its best detail and lowest noise at the lower end (ISO 50-800). Photos show a fine grain pattern that adds some texture, but doesn't detract from clarity, from ISO 1600-6400. The grain is more noticeable at ISO 12800-25600, but since there's so much resolution to start, detail is still great. You can freely use the X2D II in dim light.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The Raw images show rich detail (and should at 100MP) and extremely malleable color and exposure. At its base ISO 50 setting, the sensor captures more than 15 stops of light, so you can tone photos to bring out details from bright highlights and dark shadows. If you want to take creative control over your images, it's hard to think of a tool that's any better, though, to be fair, most full-frame cameras provide nearly as much editing leeway. DxO records 14.2 stops for the 45MP Nikon Z 8 in its sensor evaluation, for instance. It doesn't sound like a large difference on paper, but the X2D II's Raw images have nearly twice as much room to edit exposure versus the Z 8.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The X2D II takes advantage of its dynamic range in two ways. Firstly, its Raw files have so much room to edit color and exposure that you can tone down the look of a high-contrast scene or recover a photo that you severely underexposed when processing images in Adobe Lightroom Classic or the workflow app of your choice, much like any other modern pro camera. Hasselblad makes its own Raw conversion software for the X2D II called Phocus for iOS, macOS, and Windows systems, but not Android.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Secondly, Hasselblad sets the X2D II apart from the competition with an uncommon HDR JPG mode, which takes advantage of the sensor's range while simultaneously saving images in a format that's easily shared out of camera without editing. The HDR JPGs capture brighter highlights and show more detail in the shadows than the X2D II's SDR JPGs when viewed on an HDR display. And importantly, the HDR images also look good on SDR screens; this is because the X2D II's Ultra HDR JPG format includes both SDR and HDR information separately in one file.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The sensor is a 4:3 aspect chip, but since there are so many pixels to start, it's easy to crop and still get a photo that holds up to scrutiny when enlarged to make a big print. The X2D II offers several in-camera crops in case you prefer a different aspect ratio that matches up with film formats: 65:25 (XPan), 1:1 (6x6), 7:6 (6x7), 3:2 (6x9), 2:1 (6x12), and 5:4 (5x4), along with 11:8.5 (Letter), 297:210 (A4), and 16:9 (Screen).

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The sensor is mounted on a 5-axis stabilizer and promises to deliver an incredible 10 stops of correction. It's a great feature for a medium format camera, and I was happy to get 1-second exposures that smooth out running water, but draw static subjects with sharp detail and no sign of shake. It's freeing to go out and snap landscapes and waterfalls without having to drag a tripod along.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

If you're looking to record video, look elsewhere. The X2D II is strictly a stills camera. The Fujifilm GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF support 4K movie recording if that's what you're after.