It's a pleasure to listen to someone who is well spoken, very knowledgeable and most importantly passionate about a subject. I found myself agreeing with everything you said including what you said about film, what it's like to use an old Mamiya camera and yet all the modern industrial design elements that the X2D has that makes it so cool. Even the little things like how the batteries are inserted and released without needing a door. I love those kinds of details and I can see you appreciate them too. Really impressive video!
Beautifully done - captured the essence of these cameras so well. I was a Canon guy and when they switched to mirrorless, I got an X1D II - lots more issues with focus to live with but the same unbelievable experience when you hold it and work with it. Use it for all my portrait/senior shoots now - especially because I can bring the shutter up to 1/500-2000/s and not have to worry about putting the Profoto strobes in HSS. Brilliant piece of machinery. Hoping for an X2D II that really nails the autofocus so I can use it for events too, then I could justify the extra $$$
@@simoncapell939 Thank you, Simon. The new face detect certainly helps, but unless a future firmware update includes a shot of adrenaline, it’ll remain lethargic compared to any FF mirrorless camera.
I'm writing this 11min into the video--I couldn't wait any longer. Your editing and writing seem to somehow fall right in line with that industrial design your subject holds. The comprehensiveness and simultaneous brevity of this review are a breath of fresh air; head and shoulders above so many gear videos on YT. I'm subscribing with the hopes of enjoying more of the same. Very well done, sir.
By far the best X2D review I've seen; clear, concise, and right on point. I'm on X1D II and looking forward to upgrading, this really helped. Thank you.
Hey Peter, Hope you are well. I just wanted to drop you a line again to provide a catch up. I've had my X2D 100C for two months now. It's everything you said it was. It is suited to my speed of photography. I love architecture, landscape, still life and most things of an abstract nature. This camera has it all in my view (No pun intended) there's nothing else to say about it. Since my purchase in August I've invested in the 45P and the 90V. Wow what a lens that is. The detail is simply breathtaking . Your assessment of the camera still holds true. It's simplistic controls and menu make it a joy to use. Enough about the Hasselblad, I'm subscribed, enjoying the quality of your shows. The pace and clarity (Honesty) are still amazing, engaging and so calmly presented. I look forward to the next episode. Keep up the good work.
Honest and clear review. I own an old 500cx with the 120mm Zeiss and the SWC/M, but did not shoot for more than ten years, because I have got the Nikon D800E. If I had the money, I would not hesitate to purchase a X2D with the 21mm, the 45mm and the 80mm. So my congratulation to this epic tool, that is a legend of a camera.
Well, i saw many reviews in my life, but this one is so great and touching. Thank you so much for your decision to share your passion about this camera in that honest, insightful and brilliant manner.
I thoroughly enjoyed your careful and measured assessment of the X2D, and, I have to say, I was delighted to hear your conclusions, because I've just bought one! In fact I'm about to take it for its first proper try out on a holiday to Croatia. I've previously owned X1Dii and 907x Hasselblads, so I was sold on the system even before acquiring my X2D. You spoke of the expense of the lenses, and you're right. What I have done to make it a bit more palatable is to snap up used ones as and when they become available. I look forward to more of your output. Keep up the good work.
That's great to hear, and thank you, Peter. I'm preparing a video right now about using third-party lenses on the X2D, with specific focus on the TTArtisans 50mm f/0.95. I hope to do more videos about using this fabulous camera in the future.
I've been shooting since the mid 80's mainly with Leicas but I must say that this is the best camera I've ever had. Your opinions are so to the point. Great video!
I love how... I had the same journey of loving medium format cameras and eventually found my way to the X2d. I've stuck with the Rolleiflex and Mamiya 7 for 15 years and barely dabbled with digital cameras. But when I held the X2D because a random stranger I met in starbucks flaunted it, I was like.... I WANT THIS. This is it.
Great breakdown!!… agree with you completely. For myself it just gives me the same joy of use I had many decades ago when first getting into photography.
Hey Thanks for this Peter... Very meaningful. I've struggled just like you between the 907x (Mating it to a 903 SWC) but in the end, like you I will go with the X2D when I can afford it. I'm surprised you didn't say anything about the X-Pan Crop which is a big reason for me. I've seriously considered buying a Hasselblad X-Pan film camera, but they fetch so much money and are very old cameras, which if it breaks, become a brick. The X2D and the 907 both have the X-Pan Crop option and on a 100mp camera you are still getting 50mp panoramic images and for me that is huge! Thanks again, loved your video! Cheers!
Good point about the crop: I am of that weird category of photographers who make impositions/discipline on themselves for what they think are good reasons. Mine is that I prefer to "frame" in-camera rather than to crop in post. Most of my work is somewhat personal and I like to share the experience that I had at the time of photographing rather than the experience I would have in front of a computer as a digital graphic designer. ;o) I know, I may open a can of worms and raise another stupid debate here. Anyway, I love the cropped viewfinder (and images while still being able to go back to the full frame image), especially the panoramic format (X-Pan proportions-I just finished a book with it) and square one that allow me to be precise in my framing in the field and spend less time in front of a computer screen.
I really enjoyed your video and how you are an artist enjoying the craft. In a world over filled with “my camera is faster” or “my camera has more MP”, I was so taken with the insight you shared. It’s about the passion to create art and the satisfaction that you can trust your tool to render what your mind’s eye is seeing before you push the shutter. Thank you sir for inspiring other artists with your art.
Man you nailed it with #9. Through the X1D, X1D ii and now the X2D I've been asking Hasselblad for Auto ISO in Manual. This is such a handy feature and they already have the feature, just enable it for Manual mode. The other complaint (although it's not super useful) would be to do the face detect in Manual.
Tbh ... Theee best video on YT on that Camera . Brutal honest user 's opinion .. of it . As i like to capture , Aviation , Ships , Yachts . Am surprised that their is no 600mm zoom lense available currently . Top drawer of a Video ...
You nailed it! I have the same set up and I too had the Canon R5 and the colour science in raw made workflow very slow. I’m sure you will understand when I say the green and skin tones needed adjusting but definitely not with the X2d! I’m so pleased I’ve found this in RUclips and I will definitely be subscribing to this channel 👌
Haven’t got a scoobie about all the technical details of cameras like this, but wow that looks a thing of beauty Sir. I hope you enjoy using it, and thank you for sharing your great video with us all it’s much appreciated Sir.
What a great summary of a great camera. I have owned two Leicas (M type240 & M10) and using the X2D reminds me of using them - focusing on the art and not the technology. You feel that you can and should slow down and thoughtfully approach each image you are making.
I enjoyed this video because I had a similar journey which started in 1968 when I purchased a Nikonos II camera to document my high school SCUBA adventures learning to shoot transparency film and B&W without a meter using ‘Sunny 16’ and flash guide number (and a lot of bracketing). I wound up selling the dive gear in 1971 to buy a new NikonFtn w. 85mm 1.8 and used Nikon F with 35mm 2.0 to do photojournalism at college where I taught myself the Zone System from Adams’ books using a LunaPro and Honeywell / Pentax 1° spot meter figuring out how to read shadow exposure directly from the shadows (instead of 18% card) simply by changing ASA setting on meter until a Zone 2 textured shadow in the scene looked the same on negative and print. Getting selected to document an experimental ‘Farm Term’ semester my freshman year made me decide to drop out at the end of my second, move to Washington, DC and try to get a foothold as a professional PJ in the summer of 1972. I carried my portfolio of Zone System prints around DC to every studio in the Yellow Pages phone book and found a Capitol Hill independent PJ who let me shadow and assist him with the prospect of a paying job dangling. Getting robbed at gunpoint made me rethink working in DC and by providence I spotted an ad in the Washington Post placed by a name I was familiar with, Monte Zucker, who wrote a column in the Professional Photographer magazine and taught classes to other pros, seeking an apprentice to carry his bags. I interviewed with my portfolio of matted 11x14 Zone System prints which he generously critiqued the composition of. So blown away by what I learned during the interview and the manner in which he taught it I went home and cut down every one of my prints per his advice to eliminate distractions I had let creep into the edges of the frame. Impressed I applied what he taught he offered me job - for $50 per week-which I accepted. Just weeks after being hired his primary assistant decided to quit and strike out on his own in New York City resulting me becoming his ‘second shooter’ at weddings using a Rolleiflex 2.8 with pentaprism and dual flash; fill on bracket over camera and off axis key on a rolling IV stand modified to hold it, the technique Monte had introduced and popularized to deal with the limited dynamic range of color prints. Adding fill flash for the shadow then adding key over it allowed capturing on color prints the same stunning full range of detail from darkest fold in a black suit to the separation of solid whites and specular highlights on the beadwork of wedding gown at a time when most wedding shooter were taking dismally lit single flash photos with blown out highlights. Being an introvert by nature I learned to act like an extrovert when shooting and how to get his millionaire clients to do things like button jackets and straighten ties before taking ‘candid’ reception shots, the level of detail Monte put into every photo he took and why the people he photographed looked so good in them because they were captured with flattering precise facial angles and carefully placed off camera key lighting. I learned in a few weeks things that might have taken me years to realize on my own. I applied what I learned when entering my first pro print competition at a PPofA state convention and took home first and third place in the creative category and the top award for most creative photo. With Monte’s help an article I wrote about my apprenticeship was printed in the PPofA magazine. Pretty heady stuff for a 22 year-old kid but I realized I didn’t like dealing with drunk asshats at weddings and didn’t enjoy sales - I could do it because I had been observing one of the best in the business do it, but I knew that if I tried to strike out on my own I wouldn’t be happy doing it. Then the next lucky break occurred; I managed to buy a house (the wife had a better paying job at a bank) and discovered that my new next door neighbor was the asst. chief of the photo labs at National Geographic and was setting up a new apprenticeship program. Three weeks later, thanks largely to my self-taught Zone System experience and the fact Monte had hired me, I began work making halftones, color separations and all the photographic steps used to make maps back then using process cameras with 20” x 24” and 40” x 48” film backs, the latter or which filled a room nearly as big as my house on the second floor of the NGS HQ building. Within a year I got a side gig in the evenings teaching a college class in reproduction photography for printing, why I never freelanced as a photographer, which led me into printing management at the DC magazine printer Judd & Detweiler which had for years printed the National Geographic where I became Customer Service Production manager at age 26. Finally able to afford a darkroom I reverted to shooting Zone System B&W on a Mamiya 645 with pentaprism, using Zone System scene evaluation and exposure metering but a standard “sunny” neg development, dialing in the yellow or magenta filtration needed to fit the negative contrast read with a densitometer to Polycontrast paper for the same tonal range and detail as Adams method with sheet film. I’d shoot photos when needed at work but never tried to sell any because the day job paid well enough to not make it worth the time and effort. My next career move resulted from another ad in the paper placed by the US Information Agency which operated printing centers in Manila and Mexico City. I joined the US Foreign Service in 1982 and in 1983 was assigned as Deputy Director and Production Manager of the 140 person Manila center which did design,, color separations, pre-press and web offset printing of books and magazines shipping them to every US Embassy in the world where they were given away for free to local ‘influencers’ in government and academia in 20 different languages. While in Manila I had a chance to take underwater photos again which I did with a Nikonos V and electronic flash and also started shooting and editing videos on Sony’s then new Hi8 video format editing onto Betamax. I did a second assignment in 1990-5 when I started taking photos with an Apple QuickTake 100 digital, editing them in early versions Photoshop and posting them on web pages I created starting in September 1994 when there were only 5,000 web servers on the Internet and very few with photos. I taught classes in web page design and running a web server to Philippine govt offices and media outlets. During my third and final assignment there as Director in 1999-2001 I started teaching digital photography classes, the first one sponsored by Kodak and the second at Graphic Arts show where I was keynote speaker also teaching ICC profile color management. When returning back to the US I started sharing what I’d learned about lighting and photography on photo forums and my own web site: https//photo.nova.org not seeking to make any money doing it, but to help others learn. At age 72 I’m still taking photos, now focusing on wildlife and boats that pass by my back porch on the ICW in North Carolina with a pair of R6mkII cameras which I share on my RUclips channel. Last month I taught a class to the local woodworker’s club on how to photograph their creations. Like you it all happen because buying that first camera ignited a passion for capturing and sharing stories with photos 😊
Wow, that's one heck of a story, Teddy! I don't know how I didn't see your comment until just now. Thank you for generously sharing this fascinating journey through your career. May the pleasure you get from the craft continue for many years to come.
I love the X2D, I go mine at the beginning of January (2014). there are two trivial issues I encounter which I have worked around: 1. The EVF activation does not sense your eye when you are wearing glasses forcing me to remove the eyewear and recompose. 2. The focus point selector defaults to the back screen and I often bump it with my nose and that change the focus point to an unwanted position. Those are just footnotes to consider with personal preferences; the camera is remarkable, the image quality is unparalleled!
@@peterfritzphoto hi Peter, funny this just popped up! Got my 25mm 2.5 lens yesterday! What an interesting lens! (Was at my brothers waiting to be picked up, managed to drive by finally) wished I had this when I toured Scandinavia last 5 weeks! Oh well! Gonna shoot a bit in Berlin though!
The colour science behind the camera is second to none. I have been comparing this camera with the Fuji GFX 100sii and the Hasselblad produces colour that are equivalent to what you see with your eyes in real life, thus minimising the workload in post production.
Many friends use the GFX and love it. I see the results, and am not happy with Fuji color. I've had X1D, X1DII, and now X2D and love the results from all of them. My 100 MP images are amazing. Because of the double click of the lens shutter, operation seems slow, but the first click does the work, and it's immediate. Tried the electronic shutter with my Leica and Zeiss Hasselblad lenses, and the extremely slow rolling shutter doesn't work for me. Happily, I'm delighted with the XCD Nittoh lenses.
Great video. I appreciate the honesty and the photographer’s point of view. I am recently (semi?) retired and am pursuing a second career as a commercial photographer. I have considerable success and love my Canon gear but I’ve been craving something different to add to my quiver. The “Blads” have really piqued my interest, but they are hard to justify financially. Thanks for outlining alternative lens options. It has placed the X2D on the radar again.
This is my first time here; this is awesome! I'm 57, and my dad also gave me a camera in 1979, a Canon FTb. I was a long-time Nikon shooter, but now a Fujifilm and Leica shooter. I've been thinking about this Hasselblad for a while now, as it's an investment!
@@GuamPhotographer Lovely. I think the D-Lux will make a great every day carry camera, and with a weekend in the mountains planned, I’m keen to try it out. I love the design of the SL2 & 3. The Q is gorgeous, but I think I’d struggle with the fixed 28mm focal length.
Cool, the Ricoh X-RP was my first "real" camera back in 1984! I still have mine. I now have a Fuji X-T3 that I love. I've been watching Thomas Heaton using this beast of a camera. Pretty amazing. It won't ever be in my budget, but that's ok!! I'm still loving my X-T3 after four years plus of use. Thanks for sharing, have a great day.
Thanks for sharing. Kudos for finding a way to keep the flame burning. I enjoy the familiarity I have with my equipment. I get limited time to shoot recreationally so when I get the chance, I prefer to concentrate only on the scene in front of me.
Great Video man I’ve been shooting cars commercially for 25yrs and use to shoot the Hasselblad H series, but have been using the GFX system since the day the original 50 came out. I’m glad I’m not the only one who buys a camera for feel and design 😂…….. oh and the dynamic range doesn’t hurt as well. Just found this video, and now subscribe keep up the great work. 👍
At 61 years old I’ve also ran a gamut of different camera systems without the extensive commercial background but with w true love of photography. I’m blessed and thoroughly excited to get my limited edition Hasselblad 100c ordered. After 31 years of electrical utility work I’ve retired well and I too want a system with a non clinical look. I don’t shoot film and have started shooting more fine art work for myself. I hope you will continue to share your experiences with this system.
@@davidjones8070 Lovely story, David. When do you expect your camera to arrive? BTW, I’m releasing a video about using third party manual lenses (Eg. Leica, Voigtlander & TTArtisan) with the X2D in a couple of days. Many other videos about the X2D will follow. 👍
@@peterfritzphoto Adorama has me on there list to receive it when it gets in. I called just to verify that I’m within the 1000 customers to receive the camera. I know it comes with the 55 and when I sell all my Sony gear I plan on getting another lens…maybe something a little wider. It’s great to know there are third party alternatives as well. Watching your video just makes me even more excited to get this system. Thanks again for sharing your experiences and I look forward to posting some of my work.
Thank You so much!! I have already decided to pull the trigger on the X2D for many of the reasons you mentioned. Also it will be my first medium format camera. Now I’m so looking forward to going forward with my purchase. I’m by no means a professional. This is all the love of getting the shot.
Thank you, John. The images in the colour section were raw files process very lightly through Adobe Camera Raw (in Photoshop). I added a little bump in saturation on the tree image, some brightening of the lady on the beach, and some darkening of the sky & foreground of the two car images. The images out of the X2D (and 907X) require almost no work on the colours - they're incredibly accurate (at least, to my eye). In most situations, the JPEGS out of camera are more than good enough to use, with zero post-processing required.
Peter, this is genuinely decent review. Been wanting one for myself as my heart desire it very much, but still the time didn't come yet. Perhaps the X3D or the X5D would be mine. I agree the focus joystick would make a difference. Thanks
Ill be honest and admit that i had thought that this thing was just an over priced waste of time, a poser trinket for people with too much money, but then you posted you demo shots, and, OMG, they are beyond beautiful.
You do what ever you feel happy with Peter. It’s nothing to do with anyone else. I’m currently selling all my gear with nothing in mind. As no camera system does anything for me at the moment.
I had the same syndrome in my most active period of mountain climbing. Then I saw a retrospective exhibition of Ansel Adams and realized it wasn't the fault of the gear that I considered not achievable (compared to the beauty of the nature), but rather my own shortcoming, the inability of my eye, not that of the film or of the lenses. Plus, the creative approach and the will depend so much on a particular state of mind.
Great video very clear reasons, why you went for the X2D. I was in a similar position a couple of years ago. With the options to buy the X2D, or the GFX100s. The X2D is in many ways a masterpiece. Ergonomically, it is one of the best cameras I have ever held, and Hasselblad did a great job, with the menus and ergonomics. Also, the colours you get from Hasselblad are phenomenal, and whilst many praise Fujifilm, I do think that Hasselblad is easily the market leader when it comes to colour science. In the end there were a few things that put me off. I am mainly a portrait photographer and the first was the AF, which was before the big firmware update, which really improved the autofocus with the camera. The second was the Fujifilm GF 110mm f/2, which is maybe the best 85mm equivalent lens, I have ever used, for me better than the Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4, which is a legendary lens. Hasselblad, didn't have an equivalent of that lens. The third was the price, which is obvious, The last, is an odd one, it was the staff at Fujifilm UK. I have grown to know many of the UK staff at Fujifilm and they have always been exceptionally polite, friendly and helpful over the years. They even put up with my jokes, and put up with me at trade shows, and for me this makes a difference. When I had an issue, a member of staff, actually came around and took the camera to be looked at, at their head office, and then made sure it was returned before I started a big project. Now, they didn't need to do that but they did. Now, when it comes to the GFX100s, it isn't the perfect camera, the AF is terrible in anything other than ideal conditions, and the I would prefer to have a faster flash sync speed than 1/125 of a second, but that can be got around. Knowing what I know now, about the GFX and X2D, I just about think I made the right decision. Eventually, I will probably upgrade the camera, but probably not for a few years and when I do I will still have the 110mm, which is great (I do have to say, from what I have seen the Hasselblad 80mm f/1.9 is superior to the Fujifilm 80mm f/1.7). But I have to say the X2D is an amazing camera, now it has been updated.
Fascinating insights, Michael. Thank you for taking the time to share so generously. If I shot portraits commercially - particularly those that involved movement, I’d have made the same choice. I agree with your sentiments re the people at Fujifilm - that kind of thing can make all the difference.
Very, very well done. Together with the Leica Q3, this camera is on "my list" but both will have to wait until I win some big money. 😉 I am very, very happy with my Fuji X100VI and the Leica D-Lux8 after a lifetime of many great cameras. Somehow, both return me to where I started when I made my first steps with my father's Leica M3. Congrats on the camera and have fun 😀
Thanks, David. I was very tempted by the X100VI, but after two X100s, I decided I had to sell what I could to buy the X2D. The D-Lux-8 only caught my eye a few weeks ago, and thanks to Hugh Brownstone's review, I knew I had to have it. I'm really looking forward to having an EDC camera with me as the iPhone just doesn't give me any joy.
@@peterfritzphoto I lost a lot of money when I sold the Canon gear but I am happy because I realized I only used it for my shootings and everything else was the DLux7.
@@DAVCOHPHO Yes, I started to lose pleasure shooting with the R5. I use a computer all day for my work, so I don't want my 'pleasure' cameras to be any more complicated than necessary. The X2D is nice and simple. Expensive, but simple.
I agree with all of this. The colors right out of camera are absolutely gorgeous. It really helps make workflows more efficient. It is also legitimately enjoyable to shoot with. It makes even the most mundane strolls exciting. I find myself shooting so much more often since getting this camera. The UI system and internal storage are going to get replicated eventually throughout the industry. Unless they are all just insanely stubborn.
I picked one of these up a week ago. It's grabbed me in a way that no other camera has managed. The detail is hilarious, the dynamic range is bonkers, the colours are gorgeous but, like you, that's not why the camera grabbed me. It's just a vastly nicer experience to shoot with, in my opinion, compared to...pretty much any other modern camera, save for maybe some Leicas. The UI and UX are unparalleled. Other cameras feel like they're stuck in a pre-iPhone era, with crap screens, menus ranging from mediocre to awful, underutilisation of touch, and phone apps that range from "barely functional" to "unusable". The X2D is not perfect but, to me, it feels *so* much nicer to use. It makes me *want* to use it, and I'm putting a lot more consideration into the photos I take with it. To many working pros, these things may not matter. Perhaps that's why most cameras seem to put very little thought into user experience, especially for amateur users who may not want to go through a full PC workflow. Problem is, those amateurs make up the majority of people buying the cameras - even on the high end. The fact that no other camera offers a similar UI amazes me, in 2024.
Yes and this UI isn't new at all on the X2D The MF SLR H6 had quite the same UI (touchscreen, menus) as well as the first X1D or the special aerial camera A6D
Your reasoning and quest for photo centric simplicity is much the same as mine was when I returned to shooting the Leica M 11 system. I’ve enjoyed that but the images and colours I’m seeing from the X2D are so stunning that I’m thinking of switching!
The X2D really is on another level. I've actually ordered a Leica D-Lux 8 as an everyday carry camera, with the X2D reserved for my more intentional outings. Together, I reckon they'll make a great combo. :-)
@@peterfritzphoto Yes. I actually wrote to my dealer today to see what the switch would cost and I said much the same thing - that I’d end up needing something smaller and less expensive for everyday use. There’s only so many 100MP images of cats I can cope with!🤣
Great review. We have similar paths in life and photography (the first camera I touched was my father's Voigtlander, the first one I could afford at age 14 was a 6x6 Lubitel and then 3 years later a used Nikkormat after picking what felt like tons of raspberries ;o)). Where we slightly differ is that, once exposed to film Leicas and Hasselblad in the 1980s, I tried that path (and still have my M6 and my 500 CM-the latter convinced me to try the 907 back but because of convenience I moved to the X1Dii and finally X2D). My experience of the X2D matches your excellent practitioner's review. I also wish I had access to auto ISO in Manual mode (it is possible on contemporary Leica Ms and Qs), and the autofocus does not match the competition either in full-frame or medium format. I understand your point about the joy-stick but that may somewhat temper with the ergonomics and design of the camera (so my objection is not practical, purely esthetic, I am fully aware of that). I have also tested the 90 mm TTartisan which is quite a marvel in terms of glass, built-quality and price. Just acquired the 38 mm where the pull-out/push of the focusing ring is quite a progress. In any case after many Nikons, and Leicas (even a digital Canon M ;o) this X2D has become my camera of choice, even while travelling because of its design, simple ergonomics, image quality, handling, IBIS and the sheer feeling of satisfaction that comes with using it.
you make some compelling arguments - for me, primarily about the colour and DR. (that's really all I'm concerned about) I'm still on a 5DSR and I like the colour, lens options etc but I'd like to get to the next level and the 5DSR is tricky where DR is concerned. The GFX was my first thought but having been a 500c user in the past, i could imaging getting back into leaf shutter world so thanks for the encouragement.
Ahhh I hear you too! I’ve been doing photography for over 20 years from my original D100 for my first digital camera with 6MP. I actually sold my 500cm because I wanted to get out of film from a cost and work flow aspect. I was also Looking at the GFX 100s or 100 used for the price it’s an amazing cost. After trying both I settled for the less megapixel camera of the x1dIi and have the 45p and 135mm with tc. I couldn’t be happier. It resembles my creativity of my 500cm however instantly gratifying. I wish I had the budget for the x2d but I am so happy with my kit.
Oh you HAVE to try it. I decided that combo over the 90 or the 80. ONE: versatility and TWO: cost. On the used market it was less than either the new 90 or the 80. In 135mm format it’s about a 105mm and at 2.8 it renders portraits so well without being “too dreamy” but still has great fall off. The combo I think acts like a 181mm FF equivalently. Landscapes are wonderful with this combo as it really compresses the scene. Or city scapes.
@@jdpst20 My go-to lenses for landscapes were Canon’s 100-400 and 100-500. So the 135/TC combo was definitely on my wish list. But I also wanted the 80 for cars and the 45 for walk-around, so I ended up first with the Leica 180 f/2.8 R lens, before adding a Leica 80-200 f/4 R lens - both of which are wonderful (and relatively lightweight).
I bought and traded the X1D, X1DII, and now love the X2D. The main difference for me is image stabilization, but the 100 MP files are such a joy. The camera works well in low light too!
Great in -depth review Pete & super high quality video with so much info crammed into it ( as always ). You’ll be creating some amazing content with this beauty as well I’m sure! Enjoy the rest of your week champ!👍👏😊
I agree with everything Peter and many happy years of enjoyment and shooting with this great camera. The Hasselblad is my most desired camera, but I simply can’t justify the cost for what I do and for someone a lot older than you! So the compromise ( given the number of L glass I own) was for me to trade in the R5 & R6ii and replaced both with an R5ii. My ultimate indulgence was the acquisition of the Q3 as my secondary camera!!
The electronic shutter is usable on a tripod, but motion blur is distorted by the rolling shutter. I tried my Leica and Zeiss Hasselblad lenses with poor results. I only use the XCD Hasselblad lenses. My favorite lens is the 35-75mm zoom. This is a great framing lens, balances well with the X2D, and covers exactly what I want. The first series XCD lenses are made by Nittoh, and are completely the equal of my Leica lenses. The X2D is my favorite camera.
I contemplated the 35-70, but decided to stick with a few primes for this system. I’ve had great results from my Leica R-mount lenses, and the TTArtisan 90 was outstanding. Quite a few images in this video came from that lens.
Your view on the Hasselblads as an artists tool for thoughtful creative photography, and the opposite of most modern cameras, echoed with my own experience of the X1DII. I also used the 907X/CFV II 50C, and the 907x just made no sense much as I wanted to love it, but as soon as a put the CFV digital back on a technical view camera .... utterly made sense and unlocked so much creative work. The Hasselblad colours, and tones, with older Schnieder Kreuznach still take my breath away when I look at prints. But, now, I just shoot mono on a Ricoh GR! Also a great artists tool.
@@therobotguide Thank you, Mike. I contemplated a GR for ages - for the very same purpose - but ordered a little D-Lux 8 instead. I’m really looking forward to having it with me wherever I go.
Great video and story behind it all. I’m curious whether you considered a Leica SL3 during your decision making process. The SL3 seems to be more of a direct competitor than the Fuji. Just curious!
@@bedlamknights Thanks, Bruce. You make a great point, and it’s only because of my ignorance about the Leica SL that I didn’t consider it. I’ve since gone on to learn a lot more about it, and you’re right, it would have been a genuine alternative to the X2D. I now find myself admiring the SL3, but it doesn’t make sense to consider changing again so soon. To assuage my newfound Leica appreciation, I’ve ordered the little D-Lux 8 to have as an EDC camera. Perhaps I’ll change my Canon R6 MKII for the SL down the track. 👍
Peter, Most of the time I choose not to articulate my thoughts on a public platform, this is not repression on my part, but simply the need to keep body, soul, and mind intact. Whilst I could easily see the parallels in the thought process behind the images you create, I felt the layers of complexity, and your need to understand your place in the world, and how that had to change as you undertook the internal and external work of self actualisation. As they say in life, we find those we need for a reason a season or a lifetime. Thank you. Marguerite
So many of us purchase a primary and secondary camera that will surpass the cost of your camera discussed Hasselblad X2D. What I find most desirable in the camera (which I don't own) is the awesome UI, IMO! Even with my current cameras, and you alluded to this, the results I get with my Z9 (and glass) make me feel like I'm cheating...
@@19Photographer76 True indeed. For the right kind of photography, this camera brings a film-like experience back to the practice, but with none of the downsides.
I'm really tempted to get one. My Sony A7RV is fantastic and the lenses wonderfully sharp. But its an appliance. Soul less. I shot film on Leica M6. And even now, those pictures give me a buzz.
@@4xoverland Andrew - I’ve watched you for years! So nice of you to drop by. You’re right about the Sony. And the Canon and the Nikon. They’re so good they’re no longer tools of inspiration. Get the X2D - I suspect you’ll love it. 👍🦘
My biggest gripe with the hasselblad system is how slow they are with rolling out new and exciting native lenses for this system compared to the GFX, Hasselblad need to do better in that department to make this system are more attractive alternative for commercial work. Otherwise the system and colours looks gorgeous!
I agree. Their stock situation is a real problem, too. I had a 90mm 2.5 on order for months with no ETA in sight. When a customer cancelled an order (that had arrived) for an 80mm 1.9, I grabbed it immediately. I’d love a native 400 or 500mm, too (like the spectacular new GFX lens), but I doubt that will happen.
It’s the same over here. I’ve had the 28 and 90 on order since February. I was lucky to get the 80 when someone cancelled an order awaiting collection.
Have one...great video and perfectly stated comments. Best. I love mine. I use the zoom and have the 135 with tc. All I could afford.....I'd love one small lens too....am saving for a V lens.... Hasselblad: Please do add auto iso as a manual option. This is just software...you can certainly do it.
@@jeffreyb.1657 Thanks, Jeffrey. I recently purchased the 37-75, too, and I love it! I’ll do a video soon on using my Leica and Voigtlander lenses on this camera, plus another on the TTArtisan 50mm 0.95.
Thanks Peter. My brain says buy the Fuji, it can do video too. But every still image I see from it looks…anemic? And it doesn’t have proper video controls, I/Os, global shutter, etc. it’s a compromise. A Canon R5C is a better hybrid or even a Sony A7 IV is better for video. And every time I compromise I regret it eventually. Learning how adaptable that camera is to other glass has swung my heart to overturn my brain. No compromises!
Hey buddy, you really don't have to justify anything at all to anyone (well maybe the wife 😂), people are able to make beautiful images with a box with a hole in it or others can use the Hubble telescope and peer into distant galaxies and the beginnings of the universe. What's important is the 12 inches behind the camera and that's where your skill and talent comes bounding through. Have a great week and enjoy your toy 🙏🙏🙏
@@pnw_md Thanks, Steven. I’ve been curious about the M for a while, and I feel it growing after dipping my toes in the shallow end of the Leica wading pool with the D-Lux 8. I sense it might morph into an M someday.
Although I have never even heard of some of the many cameras you have used over the years, I always find it fascinating to listen to your in-depth analysis (whether cameras or cars) from a technical standpoint and especially from an emotional and artistic level. So inanimate objects do have a soul?! You are a never-boring, always-evolving, master of nuance and I look forward to seeing where your passions continue to take you!! Thanks for sharing with us.
@@peterfritzphoto I'm still with Nikon but I did move up from DSLR to mirrorless and now a friend, with way too much gear, is going to cheaply sell me his old D750 for something else to try. I have a variety of lenses but nothing too extravagant or expensive (can't afford it) or too heavy (can't carry them) and they suit what I use my amateur hobbyist photography for. I only do light editing as what interests me most is composition and story telling. The beautiful camera bag you gave me is now stuffed full! I'll be going to the Oregon Coast in August and am already drooling over the images I will get there!!
@@juanitakelly3082 Ah, good for you! If you need any filters, or a decent microphone (in case you want to shoot some video), let me know. I have quite a few spares, and I’d be very happy to gift you whatever suits. 👍
An excellent presentation in every way. As someone who has, thus far, only used this camera system for one day, I couldn't agree more with all of your points. (Auto ISO in M is something I would like to see, as well, and I knew I wasn't alone on that.) Question: which lens was used for the landscape shot at 17:34? Thanks again for a great discussion with gorgeous accompanying photos!
Peter the 80/1.9 has the best images i have seen so far but my preference is the 65x24 pano format. Is there a Hasselblad lens that you would recommend over the 80/1.9 for panos? Excellent video. Very helpful. Image quality and that cinematic look i am searching for. This isn't just a camera. It is art to me.
Hi peter, i use the touch pad to move focus, and for the sake’s of aesthetic and industrial design purposes, i dont want a joypad.. but one to each own.. thanks for sharing your thoughts.. i sport the x2D and cfv 100c, im back!
5:03 “its so capable , its soulless” this really hit. im a xennial and vividly remember my first dslr … just the simple fact you could immediately delete photos you didnt like somehow distracted me from finding those singular moments.
Amazing Peter! I would imagine aside from the cost of the camera and the glass; I would surmise that you would need a very good monitor to edit these photos which can cost 1000's . Your photography is incredible ,at another level. I am sure most folks watching this video could never buy a camera like this, no more than they would give up their Toyota Corolla for a Corvette ZR1 or a Mclaren 720 S . I believe the purpose of your video was to share the images this camera can produce in the hands of seasoned ,skilled and very talented photographer. For me ,I will stick with my little corolla and work on being a better photographer as this video has inspired me to be!
Hasselblad cameras look great, imo, there's just something about them. What's even more important, their colors really do look amazing. The limiting choice of lenses (especially considering how much it costs to actually have a few choices) is a bit of a bumper to me, though. I mean, how much wildlife can you really photograph with a 135mm x1.7? Adapting third-party glass would be a no go at this point to me. You don't spend crazy on the body but cheap out on the glass. So yeah, don't know if I'll ever own one, but I'm happy to see that you seem to enjoy yours ^^ have a great one!
@@scherge The lens prices and availability are a problem, I agree, but it’s not a wildlife or sports camera. I’d use a Japanese mirrorless for that. The Leica lenses I purchased for it were all under $1000 each and they’re outstanding, as are the two Voigtlander lenses. I now have just the one Hasselblad lens, the 35-75. This is kind of an artist’s tool, in the same spirit as a Leica M11 or Q, but with more flexibility. I think most people will buy just one, two, or maybe three prime lenses for it, and that will be all they need.
I first lifted the X2D about a year and a half ago. The camera felt a lot better in the hand than the previous model. The 90mm still isn’t readily available.
Really enjoyed of the review, which is much to say since I tend to dislike most of the camera reviews in youtube. Wanted also bad some version of this camera that almost went nuts, but then bought Leica M10-R, which is just a beast.
Great video, especially the last 2 mins, photography college in 80’s so sang to my heart .so many memories . do you know if canon Ts-e lenses work well with XD2, as would love this camera, but can’t justify whole new lens kit as well.
@@louisepaige9461 Thank you, Louise, I really appreciate that. I believe there is a Techart adapter for those lenses (and possibly others), but I’d do some more homework first. I’ve used Voigtlander, Leica, and TTArtisan lenses with mine, and they’re wonderful - with some caveats like limited data pass through and a little vignetting.
Thanks Peter, yes I read one review where he said not good combo, but didn’t really elaborate in what way? I get vignetting anyway with 5DSR. Thx for list of others, Might try hiring & try out first. Decide which might need replacement
@@louisepaige9461 No worries, Louise. I’ve had great success with the lens brands listed, and just released a video that goes into a fair bit of detail. Take care, and good luck. 👍
No need to justify your choices Peter but never the less an excellent summation of what you like and don’t like based on user experience which in my view is what counts. Having owned a few Nikons back in the 70’s and 80’s I know what you mean by the R5 being a bit soulless but that might be tinged with nostalgia rather than reliable results starting with AF and IS and I wouldn’t go back for sure. Great list of cameras , I must do the same not least to give my memory some exercise. 😀
Thanks, Chris. Yes, it was fun thinking back to all the cameras I've owned and loved. I can't help but think I've missed a couple, though... I agree with you re AF, IS, and all the things we now take for granted. I couldn't imagine shooting MotoGP again with a manual-focus 800mm lens and a dark viewfinder on a cloudy day. That was bloody hard.
Never owned a Hb camera but after watching ur video, makes want one Even more... it looks like a refreshing camera, away from the hype of all the competition of canon, nikon and Sony..m
It's a pleasure to listen to someone who is well spoken, very knowledgeable and most importantly passionate about a subject. I found myself agreeing with everything you said including what you said about film, what it's like to use an old Mamiya camera and yet all the modern industrial design elements that the X2D has that makes it so cool. Even the little things like how the batteries are inserted and released without needing a door. I love those kinds of details and I can see you appreciate them too. Really impressive video!
That’s very nice of you, Mark, thank you.
@@MarkG998 Amen.
Just to clarify, this video isn’t an attempt to justify my purchase, but an effort to help you justify yours. 👍
Will watch the video to the end - I bought and sold mine and now miss it.😅
I will send this video to the missus, I'm sure she'll understand. ;-)
@@Roar. I’ve done my best. The rest is up to you. 👍
Beautifully done - captured the essence of these cameras so well. I was a Canon guy and when they switched to mirrorless, I got an X1D II - lots more issues with focus to live with but the same unbelievable experience when you hold it and work with it. Use it for all my portrait/senior shoots now - especially because I can bring the shutter up to 1/500-2000/s and not have to worry about putting the Profoto strobes in HSS. Brilliant piece of machinery. Hoping for an X2D II that really nails the autofocus so I can use it for events too, then I could justify the extra $$$
@@simoncapell939 Thank you, Simon. The new face detect certainly helps, but unless a future firmware update includes a shot of adrenaline, it’ll remain lethargic compared to any FF mirrorless camera.
I'm writing this 11min into the video--I couldn't wait any longer. Your editing and writing seem to somehow fall right in line with that industrial design your subject holds. The comprehensiveness and simultaneous brevity of this review are a breath of fresh air; head and shoulders above so many gear videos on YT. I'm subscribing with the hopes of enjoying more of the same. Very well done, sir.
@@burnedbytheword I very appreciate that, thank you.
And what is most important is, you’re happy with it.
No...the most important thing is that you can afford it 😊😊😊
Otherwise you're just going to have to return it in two weeks 😊
By far the best X2D review I've seen; clear, concise, and right on point. I'm on X1D II and looking forward to upgrading, this really helped. Thank you.
Thank you - much appreciated.
Hey Peter, Hope you are well. I just wanted to drop you a line again to provide a catch up. I've had my X2D 100C for two months now. It's everything you said it was. It is suited to my speed of photography. I love architecture, landscape, still life and most things of an abstract nature. This camera has it all in my view (No pun intended) there's nothing else to say about it. Since my purchase in August I've invested in the 45P and the 90V. Wow what a lens that is. The detail is simply breathtaking . Your assessment of the camera still holds true. It's simplistic controls and menu make it a joy to use. Enough about the Hasselblad, I'm subscribed, enjoying the quality of your shows. The pace and clarity (Honesty) are still amazing, engaging and so calmly presented. I look forward to the next episode. Keep up the good work.
@@peterwhelan9157 I’m so glad to hear that, Peter-all of it. And thank you for your kind words. You’ve made my morning.
Honest and clear review. I own an old 500cx with the 120mm Zeiss and the SWC/M, but did not shoot for more than ten years, because I have got the Nikon D800E. If I had the money, I would not hesitate to purchase a X2D with the 21mm, the 45mm and the 80mm.
So my congratulation to this epic tool, that is a legend of a camera.
Thank you, Winni.
Well, i saw many reviews in my life, but this one is so great and touching. Thank you so much for your decision to share your passion about this camera in that honest, insightful and brilliant manner.
@@senoe80 How generous - thank you!
I thoroughly enjoyed your careful and measured assessment of the X2D, and, I have to say, I was delighted to hear your conclusions, because I've just bought one! In fact I'm about to take it for its first proper try out on a holiday to Croatia. I've previously owned X1Dii and 907x Hasselblads, so I was sold on the system even before acquiring my X2D. You spoke of the expense of the lenses, and you're right. What I have done to make it a bit more palatable is to snap up used ones as and when they become available. I look forward to more of your output. Keep up the good work.
That's great to hear, and thank you, Peter. I'm preparing a video right now about using third-party lenses on the X2D, with specific focus on the TTArtisans 50mm f/0.95. I hope to do more videos about using this fabulous camera in the future.
I feel like this is what it feels like to sit in an ad pitch for Ogilvy. So much to unpack here. Brilliant video and im not even halfway through.
I've been shooting since the mid 80's mainly with Leicas but I must say that this is the best camera I've ever had. Your opinions are so to the point. Great video!
Same for me. Thanks for the kind words.
I love how... I had the same journey of loving medium format cameras and eventually found my way to the X2d. I've stuck with the Rolleiflex and Mamiya 7 for 15 years and barely dabbled with digital cameras. But when I held the X2D because a random stranger I met in starbucks flaunted it, I was like.... I WANT THIS. This is it.
Yes, it's a keeper. I love mine.
Love the quality and the content of your videos. Always looking forward to learning something new while captivated by your art of storytelling.
That’s very generous of you, Juan - thank you.
Great breakdown!!… agree with you completely.
For myself it just gives me the same joy of use I had many decades ago when first getting into photography.
Hey Thanks for this Peter... Very meaningful. I've struggled just like you between the 907x (Mating it to a 903 SWC) but in the end, like you I will go with the X2D when I can afford it. I'm surprised you didn't say anything about the X-Pan Crop which is a big reason for me. I've seriously considered buying a Hasselblad X-Pan film camera, but they fetch so much money and are very old cameras, which if it breaks, become a brick. The X2D and the 907 both have the X-Pan Crop option and on a 100mp camera you are still getting 50mp panoramic images and for me that is huge!
Thanks again, loved your video!
Cheers!
I love that crop mode, but I don’t think about it much because I’ve regularly cropped my images in post for many years.
Good point about the crop: I am of that weird category of photographers who make impositions/discipline on themselves for what they think are good reasons. Mine is that I prefer to "frame" in-camera rather than to crop in post. Most of my work is somewhat personal and I like to share the experience that I had at the time of photographing rather than the experience I would have in front of a computer as a digital graphic designer. ;o) I know, I may open a can of worms and raise another stupid debate here. Anyway, I love the cropped viewfinder (and images while still being able to go back to the full frame image), especially the panoramic format (X-Pan proportions-I just finished a book with it) and square one that allow me to be precise in my framing in the field and spend less time in front of a computer screen.
@@BrunoChalifour I hear you, and I get it. X-Pan and square are my favourite, too.
I really enjoyed your video and how you are an artist enjoying the craft. In a world over filled with “my camera is faster” or “my camera has more MP”, I was so taken with the insight you shared. It’s about the passion to create art and the satisfaction that you can trust your tool to render what your mind’s eye is seeing before you push the shutter. Thank you sir for inspiring other artists with your art.
@@jmartin5410 That’s so nice of you. Thank you.
Man you nailed it with #9. Through the X1D, X1D ii and now the X2D I've been asking Hasselblad for Auto ISO in Manual. This is such a handy feature and they already have the feature, just enable it for Manual mode.
The other complaint (although it's not super useful) would be to do the face detect in Manual.
Yep, I didn’t think I’d be alone on that, Bob!
Tbh ... Theee best video on YT on that Camera .
Brutal honest user 's opinion .. of it .
As i like to capture , Aviation , Ships , Yachts . Am surprised that their is no 600mm zoom lense available currently .
Top drawer of a Video ...
Many thanks, Colin. I’d love a 4-500mm lens option for this camera.
You nailed it! I have the same set up and I too had the Canon R5 and the colour science in raw made workflow very slow. I’m sure you will understand when I say the green and skin tones needed adjusting but definitely not with the X2d!
I’m so pleased I’ve found this in RUclips and I will definitely be subscribing to this channel 👌
Thank you, Philip!
Haven’t got a scoobie about all the technical details of cameras like this, but wow that looks a thing of beauty Sir. I hope you enjoy using it, and thank you for sharing your great video with us all it’s much appreciated Sir.
Now you know what I want for Christmas. What an incredible camera! Excellent video, Peter; thanks for sharing! Take care, buddy!
Thanks, mate. You too. 👍
What a great summary of a great camera. I have owned two Leicas (M type240 & M10) and using the X2D reminds me of using them - focusing on the art and not the technology. You feel that you can and should slow down and thoughtfully approach each image you are making.
Many thanks, John.
the Hasselblad is the only camera system that's ever matched the colors of my own perception. It just fits perfectly...
@@goorackerelite Same here. Each time I see an image from this camera, it’s a real “wow!” experience.
I enjoyed this video because I had a similar journey which started in 1968 when I purchased a Nikonos II camera to document my high school SCUBA adventures learning to shoot transparency film and B&W without a meter using ‘Sunny 16’ and flash guide number (and a lot of bracketing). I wound up selling the dive gear in 1971 to buy a new NikonFtn w. 85mm 1.8 and used Nikon F with 35mm 2.0 to do photojournalism at college where I taught myself the Zone System from Adams’ books using a LunaPro and Honeywell / Pentax 1° spot meter figuring out how to read shadow exposure directly from the shadows (instead of 18% card) simply by changing ASA setting on meter until a Zone 2 textured shadow in the scene looked the same on negative and print. Getting selected to document an experimental ‘Farm Term’ semester my freshman year made me decide to drop out at the end of my second, move to Washington, DC and try to get a foothold as a professional PJ in the summer of 1972.
I carried my portfolio of Zone System prints around DC to every studio in the Yellow Pages phone book and found a Capitol Hill independent PJ who let me shadow and assist him with the prospect of a paying job dangling. Getting robbed at gunpoint made me rethink working in DC and by providence I spotted an ad in the Washington Post placed by a name I was familiar with, Monte Zucker, who wrote a column in the Professional Photographer magazine and taught classes to other pros, seeking an apprentice to carry his bags. I interviewed with my portfolio of matted 11x14 Zone System prints which he generously critiqued the composition of. So blown away by what I learned during the interview and the manner in which he taught it I went home and cut down every one of my prints per his advice to eliminate distractions I had let creep into the edges of the frame. Impressed I applied what he taught he offered me job - for $50 per week-which I accepted.
Just weeks after being hired his primary assistant decided to quit and strike out on his own in New York City resulting me becoming his ‘second shooter’ at weddings using a Rolleiflex 2.8 with pentaprism and dual flash; fill on bracket over camera and off axis key on a rolling IV stand modified to hold it, the technique Monte had introduced and popularized to deal with the limited dynamic range of color prints. Adding fill flash for the shadow then adding key over it allowed capturing on color prints the same stunning full range of detail from darkest fold in a black suit to the separation of solid whites and specular highlights on the beadwork of wedding gown at a time when most wedding shooter were taking dismally lit single flash photos with blown out highlights.
Being an introvert by nature I learned to act like an extrovert when shooting and how to get his millionaire clients to do things like button jackets and straighten ties before taking ‘candid’ reception shots, the level of detail Monte put into every photo he took and why the people he photographed looked so good in them because they were captured with flattering precise facial angles and carefully placed off camera key lighting. I learned in a few weeks things that might have taken me years to realize on my own. I applied what I learned when entering my first pro print competition at a PPofA state convention and took home first and third place in the creative category and the top award for most creative photo. With Monte’s help an article I wrote about my apprenticeship was printed in the PPofA magazine. Pretty heady stuff for a 22 year-old kid but I realized I didn’t like dealing with drunk asshats at weddings and didn’t enjoy sales - I could do it because I had been observing one of the best in the business do it, but I knew that if I tried to strike out on my own I wouldn’t be happy doing it.
Then the next lucky break occurred; I managed to buy a house (the wife had a better paying job at a bank) and discovered that my new next door neighbor was the asst. chief of the photo labs at National Geographic and was setting up a new apprenticeship program. Three weeks later, thanks largely to my self-taught Zone System experience and the fact Monte had hired me, I began work making halftones, color separations and all the photographic steps used to make maps back then using process cameras with 20” x 24” and 40” x 48” film backs, the latter or which filled a room nearly as big as my house on the second floor of the NGS HQ building. Within a year I got a side gig in the evenings teaching a college class in reproduction photography for printing, why I never freelanced as a photographer, which led me into printing management at the DC magazine printer Judd & Detweiler which had for years printed the National Geographic where I became Customer Service Production manager at age 26.
Finally able to afford a darkroom I reverted to shooting Zone System B&W on a Mamiya 645 with pentaprism, using Zone System scene evaluation and exposure metering but a standard “sunny” neg development, dialing in the yellow or magenta filtration needed to fit the negative contrast read with a densitometer to Polycontrast paper for the same tonal range and detail as Adams method with sheet film. I’d shoot photos when needed at work but never tried to sell any because the day job paid well enough to not make it worth the time and effort.
My next career move resulted from another ad in the paper placed by the US Information Agency which operated printing centers in Manila and Mexico City. I joined the US Foreign Service in 1982 and in 1983 was assigned as Deputy Director and Production Manager of the 140 person Manila center which did design,, color separations, pre-press and web offset printing of books and magazines shipping them to every US Embassy in the world where they were given away for free to local ‘influencers’ in government and academia in 20 different languages. While in Manila I had a chance to take underwater photos again which I did with a Nikonos V and electronic flash and also started shooting and editing videos on Sony’s then new Hi8 video format editing onto Betamax.
I did a second assignment in 1990-5 when I started taking photos with an Apple QuickTake 100 digital, editing them in early versions Photoshop and posting them on web pages I created starting in September 1994 when there were only 5,000 web servers on the Internet and very few with photos. I taught classes in web page design and running a web server to Philippine govt offices and media outlets.
During my third and final assignment there as Director in 1999-2001 I started teaching digital photography classes, the first one sponsored by Kodak and the second at Graphic Arts show where I was keynote speaker also teaching ICC profile color management. When returning back to the US I started sharing what I’d learned about lighting and photography on photo forums and my own web site: https//photo.nova.org not seeking to make any money doing it, but to help others learn.
At age 72 I’m still taking photos, now focusing on wildlife and boats that pass by my back porch on the ICW in North Carolina with a pair of R6mkII cameras which I share on my RUclips channel. Last month I taught a class to the local woodworker’s club on how to photograph their creations.
Like you it all happen because buying that first camera ignited a passion for capturing and sharing stories with photos 😊
Wow, that's one heck of a story, Teddy! I don't know how I didn't see your comment until just now. Thank you for generously sharing this fascinating journey through your career. May the pleasure you get from the craft continue for many years to come.
@@TeddyCavachon Amen.
I love the X2D, I go mine at the beginning of January (2014).
there are two trivial issues I encounter which I have worked around:
1. The EVF activation does not sense your eye when you are wearing glasses forcing me to remove the eyewear and recompose.
2. The focus point selector defaults to the back screen and I often bump it with my nose and that change the focus point to an unwanted position.
Those are just footnotes to consider with personal preferences; the camera is remarkable, the image quality is unparalleled!
2014... ok
Haha, and I thought I was the only one with a big nose, but you are completely right, it’s annoying isn’t it? 👍🏻
The second point was an issue for me, too.
@@peterfritzphoto hi Peter, funny this just popped up! Got my 25mm 2.5 lens yesterday! What an interesting lens! (Was at my brothers waiting to be picked up, managed to drive by finally) wished I had this when I toured Scandinavia last 5 weeks! Oh well! Gonna shoot a bit in Berlin though!
@@PeterAKnipp Absolutely. I disabled it on mine -when using the viewfinder. it still works when I'm not using the viewfinder, which is perfect.
The colour science behind the camera is second to none.
I have been comparing this camera with the Fuji GFX 100sii and the Hasselblad produces colour that are equivalent to what you see with your eyes in real life, thus minimising the workload in post production.
Yes, and the delightful irony is, it reinforces just how amazing things are in real life.
Many friends use the GFX and love it. I see the results, and am not happy with Fuji color. I've had X1D, X1DII, and now X2D and love the results from all of them. My 100 MP images are amazing. Because of the double click of the lens shutter, operation seems slow, but the first click does the work, and it's immediate. Tried the electronic shutter with my Leica and Zeiss Hasselblad lenses, and the extremely slow rolling shutter doesn't work for me. Happily, I'm delighted with the XCD Nittoh lenses.
Great video. I appreciate the honesty and the photographer’s point of view. I am recently (semi?) retired and am pursuing a second career as a commercial photographer. I have considerable success and love my Canon gear but I’ve been craving something different to add to my quiver. The “Blads” have really piqued my interest, but they are hard to justify financially. Thanks for outlining alternative lens options. It has placed the X2D on the radar again.
Good to hear. Thanks for watching, Marc.
really cool to see your shots of cars back in the day! Really like how cars got marketed back then. Still really want a mamiya 645 1000s
Me, too! I’d love to re-purchase every camera (and car) I ever owned.
This is my first time here; this is awesome! I'm 57, and my dad also gave me a camera in 1979, a Canon FTb. I was a long-time Nikon shooter, but now a Fujifilm and Leica shooter. I've been thinking about this Hasselblad for a while now, as it's an investment!
@@GuamPhotographer Thanks for dropping by. My first Leica is arriving today (the little D-Lux 8). Which Leica model/s do you shoot with?
@@peterfritzphoto I was also curious about that; I use a Leica Q2 and an older Leica SL.
@@GuamPhotographer Lovely. I think the D-Lux will make a great every day carry camera, and with a weekend in the mountains planned, I’m keen to try it out. I love the design of the SL2 & 3. The Q is gorgeous, but I think I’d struggle with the fixed 28mm focal length.
Cool, the Ricoh X-RP was my first "real" camera back in 1984! I still have mine. I now have a Fuji X-T3 that I love. I've been watching Thomas Heaton using this beast of a camera. Pretty amazing. It won't ever be in my budget, but that's ok!! I'm still loving my X-T3 after four years plus of use. Thanks for sharing, have a great day.
On ya, Charlie.
Beautiful camera and beautiful photographs, my dream camera, Thanks Peter!!!
Thank you, Paul. 🙏
Loved hearing your great insights on this camera and system.
Thank you.
Thanks for sharing. Kudos for finding a way to keep the flame burning. I enjoy the familiarity I have with my equipment. I get limited time to shoot recreationally so when I get the chance, I prefer to concentrate only on the scene in front of me.
Thank you, Jim. I hope to have a long relationship with this camera. I suspect it will be easier to achieve (for me) than with the R5.
Great Video man I’ve been shooting cars commercially for 25yrs and use to shoot the Hasselblad H series, but have been using the GFX system since the day the original 50 came out.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who buys a camera for feel and design 😂…….. oh and the dynamic range doesn’t hurt as well.
Just found this video, and now subscribe keep up the great work. 👍
Very decent of you, mate - thank you.
At 61 years old I’ve also ran a gamut of different camera systems without the extensive commercial background but with w true love of photography. I’m blessed and thoroughly excited to get my limited edition Hasselblad 100c ordered. After 31 years of electrical utility work I’ve retired well and I too want a system with a non clinical look. I don’t shoot film and have started shooting more fine art work for myself. I hope you will continue to share your experiences with this system.
@@davidjones8070 Lovely story, David. When do you expect your camera to arrive? BTW, I’m releasing a video about using third party manual lenses (Eg. Leica, Voigtlander & TTArtisan) with the X2D in a couple of days. Many other videos about the X2D will follow. 👍
@@peterfritzphoto Adorama has me on there list to receive it when it gets in. I called just to verify that I’m within the 1000 customers to receive the camera. I know it comes with the 55 and when I sell all my Sony gear I plan on getting another lens…maybe something a little wider. It’s great to know there are third party alternatives as well. Watching your video just makes me even more excited to get this system. Thanks again for sharing your experiences and I look forward to posting some of my work.
@@davidjones8070 Great to hear, David. I believe the X2D is a camera to keep for a lifetime.
Thank You so much!!
I have already decided to pull the trigger on the X2D for many of the reasons you mentioned. Also it will be my first medium format camera. Now I’m so looking forward to going forward with my purchase. I’m by no means a professional. This is all the love of getting the shot.
Thank you for watching! I just spent four days shooting with mine in ‘Lord of the Rings country’ - Queenstown, New Zealand - and it was spectacular.
Love the video and content, Peter. Images you presented are fabulous. In the "Colour" segment, were the images OOC JPEGs or processed?
Thank you, John. The images in the colour section were raw files process very lightly through Adobe Camera Raw (in Photoshop). I added a little bump in saturation on the tree image, some brightening of the lady on the beach, and some darkening of the sky & foreground of the two car images. The images out of the X2D (and 907X) require almost no work on the colours - they're incredibly accurate (at least, to my eye). In most situations, the JPEGS out of camera are more than good enough to use, with zero post-processing required.
Why not, amazing work Pete, really beautiful images, I think you have a real gift, which you also share with others.
@@middlegrey2 Thanks, Robert. 👍
Peter, this is genuinely decent review. Been wanting one for myself as my heart desire it very much, but still the time didn't come yet. Perhaps the X3D or the X5D would be mine. I agree the focus joystick would make a difference. Thanks
Thank you.
thankyou for showing us a beautiful camera. that i will never get to use. but i can imagine
Haha - thanks for watching. It took me 56 years to hold, and thankfully, buy, my first Hasselblad.
Ill be honest and admit that i had thought that this thing was just an over priced waste of time, a poser trinket for people with too much money, but then you posted you demo shots, and, OMG, they are beyond beautiful.
@@freepadz6241 I used to think the same. But the results it delivers are next level amazing.
The results from Canon and Sony are better! This is a white elephant I don't need
@@arjunp1835 Great - you'll save some money, then. Enjoy you photography. 👍
absolutely beautiful photography, your experience as a pro photographer shows in your images! Amazing stuff
@@chadhooey6092 Thanks, Chad.
You do what ever you feel happy with Peter. It’s nothing to do with anyone else. I’m currently selling all my gear with nothing in mind. As no camera system does anything for me at the moment.
I had the same syndrome in my most active period of mountain climbing. Then I saw a retrospective exhibition of Ansel Adams and realized it wasn't the fault of the gear that I considered not achievable (compared to the beauty of the nature), but rather my own shortcoming, the inability of my eye, not that of the film or of the lenses. Plus, the creative approach and the will depend so much on a particular state of mind.
Fabulous, heartfelt share. Thank you so much. My initial hunch about this system is now confirmed.
@@brettbutterstein9041 Thanks, Brett.
Hi Peter, Yes a stunning camera to own. I have had mine since Feb with the 90mm XCD lens. Agree with all of your comments. Cheers, Damien
Thanks for watching, Damien.
Great video very clear reasons, why you went for the X2D. I was in a similar position a couple of years ago. With the options to buy the X2D, or the GFX100s. The X2D is in many ways a masterpiece. Ergonomically, it is one of the best cameras I have ever held, and Hasselblad did a great job, with the menus and ergonomics. Also, the colours you get from Hasselblad are phenomenal, and whilst many praise Fujifilm, I do think that Hasselblad is easily the market leader when it comes to colour science.
In the end there were a few things that put me off. I am mainly a portrait photographer and the first was the AF, which was before the big firmware update, which really improved the autofocus with the camera. The second was the Fujifilm GF 110mm f/2, which is maybe the best 85mm equivalent lens, I have ever used, for me better than the Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4, which is a legendary lens. Hasselblad, didn't have an equivalent of that lens. The third was the price, which is obvious,
The last, is an odd one, it was the staff at Fujifilm UK. I have grown to know many of the UK staff at Fujifilm and they have always been exceptionally polite, friendly and helpful over the years. They even put up with my jokes, and put up with me at trade shows, and for me this makes a difference. When I had an issue, a member of staff, actually came around and took the camera to be looked at, at their head office, and then made sure it was returned before I started a big project. Now, they didn't need to do that but they did.
Now, when it comes to the GFX100s, it isn't the perfect camera, the AF is terrible in anything other than ideal conditions, and the I would prefer to have a faster flash sync speed than 1/125 of a second, but that can be got around.
Knowing what I know now, about the GFX and X2D, I just about think I made the right decision. Eventually, I will probably upgrade the camera, but probably not for a few years and when I do I will still have the 110mm, which is great (I do have to say, from what I have seen the Hasselblad 80mm f/1.9 is superior to the Fujifilm 80mm f/1.7). But I have to say the X2D is an amazing camera, now it has been updated.
Fascinating insights, Michael. Thank you for taking the time to share so generously. If I shot portraits commercially - particularly those that involved movement, I’d have made the same choice. I agree with your sentiments re the people at Fujifilm - that kind of thing can make all the difference.
@@MichaelLaing71 Amen.
Very, very well done. Together with the Leica Q3, this camera is on "my list" but both will have to wait until I win some big money. 😉 I am very, very happy with my Fuji X100VI and the Leica D-Lux8 after a lifetime of many great cameras. Somehow, both return me to where I started when I made my first steps with my father's Leica M3. Congrats on the camera and have fun 😀
Thanks, David. I was very tempted by the X100VI, but after two X100s, I decided I had to sell what I could to buy the X2D. The D-Lux-8 only caught my eye a few weeks ago, and thanks to Hugh Brownstone's review, I knew I had to have it. I'm really looking forward to having an EDC camera with me as the iPhone just doesn't give me any joy.
@@peterfritzphoto I lost a lot of money when I sold the Canon gear but I am happy because I realized I only used it for my shootings and everything else was the DLux7.
@@DAVCOHPHO Yes, I started to lose pleasure shooting with the R5. I use a computer all day for my work, so I don't want my 'pleasure' cameras to be any more complicated than necessary. The X2D is nice and simple. Expensive, but simple.
Thank you for sharing your experiences! The diopter feature seems next level!
Thanks, Mike. And yes, it truly is.
The whole X2D concept, execution, and lenses are state of the art, and it's satisfying to marvel at the files it produces!
I mean, I would never give up my R5 for anything, but I do think this is a great bit of kit!
I agree with all of this. The colors right out of camera are absolutely gorgeous. It really helps make workflows more efficient.
It is also legitimately enjoyable to shoot with. It makes even the most mundane strolls exciting. I find myself shooting so much more often since getting this camera.
The UI system and internal storage are going to get replicated eventually throughout the industry. Unless they are all just insanely stubborn.
Thanks for watching.
I picked one of these up a week ago. It's grabbed me in a way that no other camera has managed. The detail is hilarious, the dynamic range is bonkers, the colours are gorgeous but, like you, that's not why the camera grabbed me.
It's just a vastly nicer experience to shoot with, in my opinion, compared to...pretty much any other modern camera, save for maybe some Leicas. The UI and UX are unparalleled. Other cameras feel like they're stuck in a pre-iPhone era, with crap screens, menus ranging from mediocre to awful, underutilisation of touch, and phone apps that range from "barely functional" to "unusable". The X2D is not perfect but, to me, it feels *so* much nicer to use. It makes me *want* to use it, and I'm putting a lot more consideration into the photos I take with it.
To many working pros, these things may not matter. Perhaps that's why most cameras seem to put very little thought into user experience, especially for amateur users who may not want to go through a full PC workflow. Problem is, those amateurs make up the majority of people buying the cameras - even on the high end.
The fact that no other camera offers a similar UI amazes me, in 2024.
Beautifully succinct.
@@BlazeFirereign Amen.
Yes and this UI isn't new at all on the X2D
The MF SLR H6 had quite the same UI (touchscreen, menus) as well as the first X1D or the special aerial camera A6D
@@jean-claudemuller3199 Interesting - I didn't know that.
Your reasoning and quest for photo centric simplicity is much the same as mine was when I returned to shooting the Leica M 11 system.
I’ve enjoyed that but the images and colours I’m seeing from the X2D are so stunning that I’m thinking of switching!
The X2D really is on another level. I've actually ordered a Leica D-Lux 8 as an everyday carry camera, with the X2D reserved for my more intentional outings. Together, I reckon they'll make a great combo. :-)
@@peterfritzphoto Yes. I actually wrote to my dealer today to see what the switch would cost and I said much the same thing - that I’d end up needing something smaller and less expensive for everyday use. There’s only so many 100MP images of cats I can cope with!🤣
@@marcusnz232 Haha!!
Great review. We have similar paths in life and photography (the first camera I touched was my father's Voigtlander, the first one I could afford at age 14 was a 6x6 Lubitel and then 3 years later a used Nikkormat after picking what felt like tons of raspberries ;o)). Where we slightly differ is that, once exposed to film Leicas and Hasselblad in the 1980s, I tried that path (and still have my M6 and my 500 CM-the latter convinced me to try the 907 back but because of convenience I moved to the X1Dii and finally X2D). My experience of the X2D matches your excellent practitioner's review. I also wish I had access to auto ISO in Manual mode (it is possible on contemporary Leica Ms and Qs), and the autofocus does not match the competition either in full-frame or medium format. I understand your point about the joy-stick but that may somewhat temper with the ergonomics and design of the camera (so my objection is not practical, purely esthetic, I am fully aware of that). I have also tested the 90 mm TTartisan which is quite a marvel in terms of glass, built-quality and price. Just acquired the 38 mm where the pull-out/push of the focusing ring is quite a progress. In any case after many Nikons, and Leicas (even a digital Canon M ;o) this X2D has become my camera of choice, even while travelling because of its design, simple ergonomics, image quality, handling, IBIS and the sheer feeling of satisfaction that comes with using it.
Fascinating stuff. Thanks for sharing, Bruno.
@@BrunoChalifour Amen.
you make some compelling arguments - for me, primarily about the colour and DR. (that's really all I'm concerned about) I'm still on a 5DSR and I like the colour, lens options etc but I'd like to get to the next level and the 5DSR is tricky where DR is concerned. The GFX was my first thought but having been a 500c user in the past, i could imaging getting back into leaf shutter world so thanks for the encouragement.
Still shooting film with a Hasselblad, but if I were to buy a digital camera it would be this one. Nice video, thanks.
Many thanks, Mike. I reckon I'll have to get a 501 someday.
Ahhh I hear you too! I’ve been doing photography for over 20 years from my original D100 for my first digital camera with 6MP. I actually sold my 500cm because I wanted to get out of film from a cost and work flow aspect. I was also Looking at the GFX 100s or 100 used for the price it’s an amazing cost. After trying both I settled for the less megapixel camera of the x1dIi and have the 45p and 135mm with tc. I couldn’t be happier. It resembles my creativity of my 500cm however instantly gratifying. I wish I had the budget for the x2d but I am so happy with my kit.
Absolutely. And I’d love to try the 135 with the TC. What subjects do you shoot with that combo?
Oh you HAVE to try it. I decided that combo over the 90 or the 80. ONE: versatility and TWO: cost. On the used market it was less than either the new 90 or the 80. In 135mm format it’s about a 105mm and at 2.8 it renders portraits so well without being “too dreamy” but still has great fall off. The combo I think acts like a 181mm FF equivalently. Landscapes are wonderful with this combo as it really compresses the scene. Or city scapes.
@@jdpst20 My go-to lenses for landscapes were Canon’s 100-400 and 100-500. So the 135/TC combo was definitely on my wish list. But I also wanted the 80 for cars and the 45 for walk-around, so I ended up first with the Leica 180 f/2.8 R lens, before adding a Leica 80-200 f/4 R lens - both of which are wonderful (and relatively lightweight).
I bought and traded the X1D, X1DII, and now love the X2D. The main difference for me is image stabilization, but the 100 MP files are such a joy. The camera works well in low light too!
@@AlamedaM8 Yes, the IBIS is spectacular!
Great in -depth review Pete & super high quality video with so much info crammed into it ( as always ). You’ll be creating some amazing content with this beauty as well I’m sure! Enjoy the rest of your week champ!👍👏😊
Thank you, handsome. Same to you! 🙂
I agree with everything Peter and many happy years of enjoyment and shooting with this great camera. The Hasselblad is my most desired camera, but I simply can’t justify the cost for what I do and for someone a lot older than you! So the compromise ( given the number of L glass I own) was for me to trade in the R5 & R6ii and replaced both with an R5ii. My ultimate indulgence was the acquisition of the Q3 as my secondary camera!!
@@adnanmansour8757 I reckon that’s a perfect combination, Adnan. How are you enjoying the R5ii?
The electronic shutter is usable on a tripod, but motion blur is distorted by the rolling shutter. I tried my Leica and Zeiss Hasselblad lenses with poor results. I only use the XCD Hasselblad lenses. My favorite lens is the 35-75mm zoom. This is a great framing lens, balances well with the X2D, and covers exactly what I want. The first series XCD lenses are made by Nittoh,
and are completely the equal of my Leica lenses. The X2D is my favorite camera.
I contemplated the 35-70, but decided to stick with a few primes for this system. I’ve had great results from my Leica R-mount lenses, and the TTArtisan 90 was outstanding. Quite a few images in this video came from that lens.
The shot at 17:18 is amazing! Thank you for the great, insightful review and great images!
Thank you! Yes, the light that morning was freaky, causing circular rainbows through the trees. I've never seen anything like it before.
Your view on the Hasselblads as an artists tool for thoughtful creative photography, and the opposite of most modern cameras, echoed with my own experience of the X1DII. I also used the 907X/CFV II 50C, and the 907x just made no sense much as I wanted to love it, but as soon as a put the CFV digital back on a technical view camera .... utterly made sense and unlocked so much creative work. The Hasselblad colours, and tones, with older Schnieder Kreuznach still take my breath away when I look at prints. But, now, I just shoot mono on a Ricoh GR! Also a great artists tool.
@@therobotguide Thank you, Mike. I contemplated a GR for ages - for the very same purpose - but ordered a little D-Lux 8 instead. I’m really looking forward to having it with me wherever I go.
Great video and story behind it all. I’m curious whether you considered a Leica SL3 during your decision making process. The SL3 seems to be more of a direct competitor than the Fuji. Just curious!
@@bedlamknights Thanks, Bruce. You make a great point, and it’s only because of my ignorance about the Leica SL that I didn’t consider it. I’ve since gone on to learn a lot more about it, and you’re right, it would have been a genuine alternative to the X2D. I now find myself admiring the SL3, but it doesn’t make sense to consider changing again so soon. To assuage my newfound Leica appreciation, I’ve ordered the little D-Lux 8 to have as an EDC camera. Perhaps I’ll change my Canon R6 MKII for the SL down the track. 👍
Love this video. Would you say this camera would be good on safari ?
Peter,
Most of the time I choose not to articulate my thoughts on a public platform, this is not repression on my part, but simply the need to keep body, soul, and mind intact. Whilst I could easily see the parallels in the thought process behind the images you create, I felt the layers of complexity, and your need to understand your place in the world, and how that had to change as you undertook the internal and external work of self actualisation. As they say in life, we find those we need for a reason a season or a lifetime. Thank you. Marguerite
So beautifully said. Thanks for this generous insight, Marguerite.
@@peterfritzphoto You are most welcome.
This is how to do a camera review, thank you, mate!
Thank you, Jeff!
So many of us purchase a primary and secondary camera that will surpass the cost of your camera discussed Hasselblad X2D. What I find most desirable in the camera (which I don't own) is the awesome UI, IMO!
Even with my current cameras, and you alluded to this, the results I get with my Z9 (and glass) make me feel like I'm cheating...
@@19Photographer76 True indeed. For the right kind of photography, this camera brings a film-like experience back to the practice, but with none of the downsides.
I'm really tempted to get one. My Sony A7RV is fantastic and the lenses wonderfully sharp. But its an appliance. Soul less. I shot film on Leica M6. And even now, those pictures give me a buzz.
@@4xoverland Andrew - I’ve watched you for years! So nice of you to drop by. You’re right about the Sony. And the Canon and the Nikon. They’re so good they’re no longer tools of inspiration. Get the X2D - I suspect you’ll love it. 👍🦘
I bought one. Something I don't need. I'm a Leica shooter with two great cameras, but the allure of this camera just won me over. Nice review!
Thanks, Rikki! Mate, you’ve just filled this Aussie’s head with happy flashbacks. 🦘👍
@@peterfritzphoto Ahhhh. Thank you, man!
I'm a Leica shooter too, first M2 when I was 15, now 78, I use SL2 and X2D. I like them both, but the Hasselblad files are amazing.
@@AlamedaM8 pair the SL2 with the 90-280 APO and you got yourself a look that has no equal
My biggest gripe with the hasselblad system is how slow they are with rolling out new and exciting native lenses for this system compared to the GFX, Hasselblad need to do better in that department to make this system are more attractive alternative for commercial work. Otherwise the system and colours looks gorgeous!
I agree. Their stock situation is a real problem, too. I had a 90mm 2.5 on order for months with no ETA in sight. When a customer cancelled an order (that had arrived) for an 80mm 1.9, I grabbed it immediately. I’d love a native 400 or 500mm, too (like the spectacular new GFX lens), but I doubt that will happen.
Great review Peter! I am in doubt to switch. The availability of lenses in my country is a huge bummer. Waiting time for months.
It’s the same over here. I’ve had the 28 and 90 on order since February. I was lucky to get the 80 when someone cancelled an order awaiting collection.
Have one...great video and perfectly stated comments. Best. I love mine. I use the zoom and have the 135 with tc. All I could afford.....I'd love one small lens too....am saving for a V lens....
Hasselblad:
Please do add auto iso as a manual option. This is just software...you can certainly do it.
@@jeffreyb.1657 Thanks, Jeffrey. I recently purchased the 37-75, too, and I love it! I’ll do a video soon on using my Leica and Voigtlander lenses on this camera, plus another on the TTArtisan 50mm 0.95.
Thanks Peter. My brain says buy the Fuji, it can do video too. But every still image I see from it looks…anemic? And it doesn’t have proper video controls, I/Os, global shutter, etc. it’s a compromise. A Canon R5C is a better hybrid or even a Sony A7 IV is better for video.
And every time I compromise I regret it eventually.
Learning how adaptable that camera is to other glass has swung my heart to overturn my brain.
No compromises!
I know exactly what you mean. I regret my purchase compromises almost every time. I’ll tell you what else is great for video - the R6 MKII.
My skill level does not warrant the cost, however, it is something to aspire to.
Nice review, Peter! Love how thorough this is. Great info 🙌
Thank you.
Great video. Not like any other review out there. Well done sir!
Many thanks, Michael.
Hey buddy, you really don't have to justify anything at all to anyone (well maybe the wife 😂), people are able to make beautiful images with a box with a hole in it or others can use the Hubble telescope and peer into distant galaxies and the beginnings of the universe. What's important is the 12 inches behind the camera and that's where your skill and talent comes bounding through. Have a great week and enjoy your toy 🙏🙏🙏
Lol, I'm gonna tell everyone I have 12 inches from now on. Thanks, Izzy!
@@peterfritzphoto your reputation proceeds you P 🤣🤣🤣
@@IzzyAbuleelaPhotography By exactly 12 inches!
Fabulous, authentic, unpretentious review. thank you so much.
@@drgeorge-klein Many thanks, Doc.
Great video. Interestingly a lot of what you said is the reason that I shoot a Leica M10 monochrom. Purity, soul, and function!
@@pnw_md Thanks, Steven. I’ve been curious about the M for a while, and I feel it growing after dipping my toes in the shallow end of the Leica wading pool with the D-Lux 8. I sense it might morph into an M someday.
This is exactly what Im looking for, beautifully written review.
@@henryzhang9915 Thanks, Henry.
I'm pleased I found your channel.
Thanks, Jon. So am I.
Although I have never even heard of some of the many cameras you have used over the years, I always find it fascinating to listen to your in-depth analysis (whether cameras or cars) from a technical standpoint and especially from an emotional and artistic level. So inanimate objects do have a soul?! You are a never-boring, always-evolving, master of nuance and I look forward to seeing where your passions continue to take you!! Thanks for sharing with us.
You always bring a smile to my face, Juanita. BTW, I don’t think I’ve ever asked, but what camera gear are you using these days?
@@peterfritzphoto I'm still with Nikon but I did move up from DSLR to mirrorless and now a friend, with way too much gear, is going to cheaply sell me his old D750 for something else to try. I have a variety of lenses but nothing too extravagant or expensive (can't afford it) or too heavy (can't carry them) and they suit what I use my amateur hobbyist photography for. I only do light editing as what interests me most is composition and story telling. The beautiful camera bag you gave me is now stuffed full! I'll be going to the Oregon Coast in August and am already drooling over the images I will get there!!
@@juanitakelly3082 Ah, good for you! If you need any filters, or a decent microphone (in case you want to shoot some video), let me know. I have quite a few spares, and I’d be very happy to gift you whatever suits. 👍
@@peterfritzphotosuch kindness
Fantastic review. Thank you for the thoughtful discussion.
@@glenncharles6622 Thanks, Glenn.
Great video, I love the X2D. The fuji fans gonna blow a gasket of your color comment. I 100% agree though. X2D colors are my drug of choice. Cheers
Haha! Thank you, Will. You actually inspired my purchase decision, so I'm very grateful to you.
An excellent presentation in every way. As someone who has, thus far, only used this camera system for one day, I couldn't agree more with all of your points. (Auto ISO in M is something I would like to see, as well, and I knew I wasn't alone on that.) Question: which lens was used for the landscape shot at 17:34? Thanks again for a great discussion with gorgeous accompanying photos!
I’m pretty sure that one was shot with the Leica 80-200.
Looking forward on the limited edition explorer x2d
Cool. You've ordered one?
@@peterfritzphoto waiting for instock.. most probably november
@@ashshanani Good for you, mate.
@@peterfritzphotothank you
Peter the 80/1.9 has the best images i have seen so far but my preference is the 65x24 pano format. Is there a Hasselblad lens that you would recommend over the 80/1.9 for panos? Excellent video. Very helpful. Image quality and that cinematic look i am searching for. This isn't just a camera. It is art to me.
I feel the same way, and I love that pano format, too. I haven’t shot with the camera enough yet to comment re lenses for panos, sorry.
GFX and Large/medium format film user. I switched from nikon to Fuji and the X2d was the other option considered. Enjoyed your video about the X2D
Thanks, Neil.
Hi peter, i use the touch pad to move focus, and for the sake’s of aesthetic and industrial design purposes, i dont want a joypad.. but one to each own.. thanks for sharing your thoughts.. i sport the x2D and cfv 100c, im back!
5:03 “its so capable , its soulless” this really hit.
im a xennial and vividly remember my first dslr … just the simple fact you could immediately delete photos you didnt like somehow distracted me from finding those singular moments.
Amazing Peter! I would imagine aside from the cost of the camera and the glass; I would surmise that you would need a very good monitor to edit these photos which can cost 1000's . Your photography is incredible ,at another level. I am sure most folks watching this video could never buy a camera like this, no more than they would give up their Toyota Corolla for a Corvette ZR1 or a Mclaren 720 S . I believe the purpose of your video was to share the images this camera can produce in the hands of seasoned ,skilled and very talented photographer. For me ,I will stick with my little corolla and work on being a better photographer as this video has inspired me to be!
You’re too generous, Greg! I’ve been through a few monitors over the last two years, but the one I love most is under AU$700 - the LG Ultrafine 4K.
I use an Eizo, and my friends all have Asus monitors. The Asus is a great value.
@@gregfisher216 Amen.
Hasselblad cameras look great, imo, there's just something about them. What's even more important, their colors really do look amazing. The limiting choice of lenses (especially considering how much it costs to actually have a few choices) is a bit of a bumper to me, though. I mean, how much wildlife can you really photograph with a 135mm x1.7? Adapting third-party glass would be a no go at this point to me. You don't spend crazy on the body but cheap out on the glass. So yeah, don't know if I'll ever own one, but I'm happy to see that you seem to enjoy yours ^^ have a great one!
@@scherge The lens prices and availability are a problem, I agree, but it’s not a wildlife or sports camera. I’d use a Japanese mirrorless for that. The Leica lenses I purchased for it were all under $1000 each and they’re outstanding, as are the two Voigtlander lenses. I now have just the one Hasselblad lens, the 35-75. This is kind of an artist’s tool, in the same spirit as a Leica M11 or Q, but with more flexibility. I think most people will buy just one, two, or maybe three prime lenses for it, and that will be all they need.
I first lifted the X2D about a year and a half ago. The camera felt a lot better in the hand than the previous model. The 90mm still isn’t readily available.
I've had a 90 on order since February...
I love the XCD system. The 65mm 2.8 lens is in my opinion my perfect lens !!!
Peter - I would not have any idea how to use a camera this sophisticated. Nonetheless, after watching your content, I want one.
lol. It’s actually easier to use than most modern mirrorless full-frame and APSC cameras. That’s part of its incredible charm.
Really enjoyed of the review, which is much to say since I tend to dislike most of the camera reviews in youtube. Wanted also bad some version of this camera that almost went nuts, but then bought Leica M10-R, which is just a beast.
Thank you, Mikko - I appreciate the compliment. I find the M10 super appealing.
Also looking to get a Hasselblad for the colours. By far the best. I’m getting the 907x first version used to use with my 500cm I’ve shot for decades
I’m loving the colours, too.
Great video, especially the last 2 mins, photography college in 80’s so sang to my heart .so many memories . do you know if canon Ts-e lenses work well with XD2, as would love this camera, but can’t justify whole new lens kit as well.
@@louisepaige9461 Thank you, Louise, I really appreciate that. I believe there is a Techart adapter for those lenses (and possibly others), but I’d do some more homework first. I’ve used Voigtlander, Leica, and TTArtisan lenses with mine, and they’re wonderful - with some caveats like limited data pass through and a little vignetting.
Thanks Peter, yes I read one review where he said not good combo, but didn’t really elaborate in what way? I get vignetting anyway with 5DSR. Thx for list of others, Might try hiring & try out first. Decide which might need replacement
@@louisepaige9461 No worries, Louise. I’ve had great success with the lens brands listed, and just released a video that goes into a fair bit of detail. Take care, and good luck. 👍
No need to justify your choices Peter but never the less an excellent summation of what you like and don’t like based on user experience which in my view is what counts. Having owned a few Nikons back in the 70’s and 80’s I know what you mean by the R5 being a bit soulless but that might be tinged with nostalgia rather than reliable results starting with AF and IS and I wouldn’t go back for sure. Great list of cameras , I must do the same not least to give my memory some exercise. 😀
Thanks, Chris. Yes, it was fun thinking back to all the cameras I've owned and loved. I can't help but think I've missed a couple, though... I agree with you re AF, IS, and all the things we now take for granted. I couldn't imagine shooting MotoGP again with a manual-focus 800mm lens and a dark viewfinder on a cloudy day. That was bloody hard.
Love my X2D… I’m an amateur.. owned most of them out there (no still hasn’t improved my composition)…. This one is the one
@@sabraitis Haha! We can all improve!
Never owned a Hb camera but after watching ur video, makes want one Even more... it looks like a refreshing camera, away from the hype of all the competition of canon, nikon and Sony..m
@@joseph1172 That’s a good word for it, Joseph - refreshing. Absolutely.