The Hasselblad X2D II 100C takes the iconic camera brand to a new level of sophistication

Enter a new flagship for a camera brand already renowned for its position at the top of the tree. The new Hasselblad X2D II 100C is a medium-format camera with a 100MP capability and high dynamic range (HDR capability). All this in a compact body, alongside a newly launched standard zoom lens, the XCD 2,8–4/35–100E.

Hasselblad can trace its origins all the way back to 1841, when Fritz Wiktor Hasselblad set up a trading company that only branched out into photography at the behest of his son in the years that followed. Based in Gothenburg, the company forged an early partnership with Eastman Kodak before evolving into a military camera supplier during the Second World War and then making civilian cameras from 1941.

The company’s first genuine icon came in 1957 with the 500 C medium-format film (120) film camera, a design that stayed in production all the way through to 2006. A famed partnership with Nasa – Hasselblad cameras went to the Moon – as well as pioneering technical innovations like the creation of the first digital compact mirrorless medium-format camera in 2016, have kept the company relevant and in high demand.

Unsurprisingly, the new camera is an upgrade of the existing X2D 100C, bringing with it HDR image processing that’s dedicated to reproducing natural colours in a variety of lighting conditions. Paired with a 100-megapixel sensor with 16-bit colour depth and the capability of capturing no less than 281 trillion colours (yes, that was Hasselblad’s quoted number), the new camera is a powerhouse for professionals.

Designed to be used with a new iOS app, Phocus Mobile 2, the camera and lens are a formidable combination. The latter serves as a remote control with live view as well as an editing platform. The camera itself has 1TB of internal SSD storage, with control via a 3.6in OLED touchscreen and full complement of physical controls in addition to an electronic viewfinder.

The new sensor is matched with a new stabilisation system that’s more than eight times more efficient than its predecessor, enabling long exposures to be taken without the use of a tripod. The camera body is also lighter than the earlier model. The new lens is a 28-76mm zoom that provides a wide range of flexibility from portraits to street photography and landscapes. An ultra-fast autofocus system works hand in hand with the X2D II’s control algorithms. At 138mm long, it weighs in at 894g.

Both camera and lens can be hauled around in Hasselblad’s new Vandra Camera Backpack, a ruggedised 20-litre bag designed to keep every accessory safe and on hand.

Hasselblad X2D II 100C, €7,200, XCD 2,8–4/35–100E lens, €4,800, Vandra Backpack, €429, Hasselblad.com, @Hasselblad