Two Months with the Hasselblad X2D 100C — Integrating Medium Format into a Modern Workflow

Two Months with the Hasselblad X2D 100C,  Integrating Medium Format into a Modern Workflow

I didn’t buy the Hasselblad X2D 100C to replace anything. My Leica M and Q, and my Sony, already cover different areas of my work. I wanted to see how the X2D could fit within that mix — how it could contribute, not compete. Two months later, after assignments and workshops across Venice, Transylvania, and Budapest, it’s clear that the Hasselblad has quietly changed the way I approach photography.

A Different Kind of Tool

The X2D feels engineered, not just assembled. It’s solid, beautifully balanced, and built for photographers who value precision. The shutter has that quiet, confident tone that feels more like a mechanical sigh than a click.

There are fewer buttons, cleaner menus, and no distractions. It forces you to slow down, to think, and to compose with intent. The weight is real but not punishing — it feels like carrying a purpose-built instrument rather than a gadget.

Battery life is fine for a day of thoughtful shooting. This is not a spray-and-pray camera; it’s one that demands patience and rewards restraint.

The Lenses — A Two-Lens System That Covers It All

I use two lenses: the XCD 20–35mm f/3.5–4.5 and the XCD 35–100mm f/2.8–4. Together they cover almost everything I need, from wide environmental frames to portraits and details.

20–35mm:

This lens is sharper and cleaner than it has any right to be. The 20mm end gives you a sweeping, cinematic view that’s perfect for architecture or grand landscapes, while 35mm offers a more intimate, storytelling perspective. It’s the lens that defines my travel and workshop work — compact, versatile, and optically superb.

35–100mm:

If the 20–35 is the storyteller, the 35–100 is the sculptor. It’s beautifully built, consistent across the range, and delivers stunning separation and tonal smoothness, even wide open. The 35mm setting blends seamlessly with the wide zoom, while the longer end produces portraits and details with genuine depth. It’s slower in focus but uncompromising in quality.

Together, these two lenses give me everything I need for travel, reportage, and fine-art work without ever feeling like I’ve compromised on the Hasselblad look.

Integrating with Leica and Sony

For me, integration is everything. I never expected the Hasselblad to do what my Leica or Sony can. They each have a purpose.

The Leica M and Q are instinctive tools — fast, discreet, perfect for the streets, for people, for quick light.
Sony is for precision and control in commercial work, autofocus-critical moments, video, or high frame rate sequences.

The Hasselblad X2D, though, is the one I reach for when the image matters. When I have time to breathe, compose, and wait for the light.

It has become my contemplative camera. When I open the files next to those from Leica or Sony, I immediately see why it earns its place. It’s not about resolution — it’s about presence.

Image Quality — The Weight of a File

One hundred megapixels sound impressive, but numbers mean nothing until you see how those files behave. The X2D produces images that feel almost three-dimensional. The colour transitions are incredibly smooth, highlights roll off gently, and the tonality is subtle yet rich.

Hasselblad colour science is different from anything else. It’s not vivid, not punchy, not artificially contrasty. It’s natural, organic, calm. When I process the RAWs in Lightroom or Phocus, there’s an honesty to them that doesn’t need heavy editing.

Dynamic range is remarkable. You can pull shadows without breaking them, recover highlights without ugly halos, and still end up with something that looks believable.

Workflow and Real Use

On the practical side, the X2D fits into my daily rhythm more easily than I expected. The 1TB internal storage is a blessing during travel no card swapping, no external drives on location. Files are large, yes, but manageable, and export times are reasonable on a modern laptop.

The camera’s pace shapes your shooting behaviour. You don’t fire bursts. You compose, focus, and wait. You start looking again, properly. The act of photographing becomes more intentional  closer to film.

For workshops, the X2D has become a demonstration tool: not of gear, but of vision. It forces students to slow down, to think, to pre-visualise.

Limitations  And Why They Don’t Matter

Of course, it’s not perfect. Autofocus is slower than any modern full-frame mirrorless. The camera takes a moment to wake up. You need good light and patience.

But every limitation reminds you of what the camera is built for — deliberate photography. It’s not a replacement for speed; it’s a reminder of craft.

When I travel with both systems, the difference is clear. The Sony gets the job done. The Hasselblad creates the image I want to hang on a wall.

Final Thoughts

After two months, the Hasselblad X2D has earned its place — not as my main camera, but as a constant companion in my creative workflow. It hasn’t replaced my Leica or Sony; it has elevated them.

When I open a Hasselblad file, I feel that quiet satisfaction that digital photography often loses — the joy of creating something permanent, something you don’t rush.

Medium format still matters. Not because it’s bigger or better, but because it brings you back to what photography should be about — seeing.