Exclusive: ‘It’s definitely going to be better… and smarter.’ Hasselblad’s dreamy next medium-format camera will get performance boost
- Hasselblad is owned by DJI
- You’ll find Hasselblad-branded optics in DJI drones, and DJI tech in Hasselblad cameras
- Hasselblad’s next medium-format camera is set to get a performance boost
I’ve been in Gothenburg Sweden, this week, where the legendary camera brand Hasselblad and Chinese phone maker Oppo announced their renewed partnership, with the pair promising that “with the extension of our collaboration, we will push the boundaries of mobile imaging even further.”
As a photographer, I’m really impressed by Oppo’s current flagship phone, the Find X8 Ultra, which features Hasselblad-branded optics and even an X-Pan shooting mode which mimics the look of a famed Hasselblad analog format.
It’s an upgrade of 2024’s X8 Pro which, tellingly, we said features the “best camera system of any phone” – look out for my deep dive on the Ultra model’s camera, coming soon.
And Oppo isn’t the only Chinese tech company the Swedish camera maker has cozied up with – you’ll also find Hasselblad optics in multiple DJI drones and, the company was acquired by DJI years back.
During the press event, I met up with Bronius Rudnickas, Hasselblad’s Global Marketing manager. I was keen to hear how Hasselblad has been benefitting from life under DJI ownership.
Firstly, Bronius pointed out that its recent medium-format cameras, such as the X2D 100C, are equipped with an internal 1TB SSD, which is made by DJI. It’s a feature I really appreciated when testing the X2D, especially given that the camera also features removable memory, so you’re not wholly reliant on that SSD.
We also know that DJI, which is a much bigger fish in the global tech market than Hasselblad, is in a strong position for sourcing crucial components, such as sensor tech – like most of today’s cameras, Hasselblads are equipped with Sony-made sensors.
I was also keen to learn about other ways in which Hasselblad and DJI could work together to improve Hasselblad cameras. For example, could autofocus performance be improved in the next Hasselblad camera?
“It’s definitely going to be better… and smarter,” Bronius told me.
That’s promising. For me, the single biggest drawback with the X2D, for example, is its poor autofocus performance. I really love its 100MP stills with stunning natural color – something that’s beyond the capabilities of my own full-frame Nikon camera – but the X2D sure is challenging to nail sharp focus with, especially for shallow-depth-of-field portraits.
Personally, I’m excited for Hasselblad’s next camera – and if recent rumors are true, I might not have long to wait.
The next X2D could land really, with new DJI tech
Hasselblad tipster Mirrorless Rumors leaked US regulatory info, and early images of what it says is the X2D II, a couple of months ago, together with a basic list of specs.
These specs include a 100MP sensor (with dimensions of 44 x 33mm – that’s much larger than full frame, and the same format as Fujifilm’s GFX cameras such as the GFX100 II), 8EV image stabilization, and 1TB internal SSD memory. However, those are all features that are present in the current X2D 100C model – which is one of the best mirrorless cameras for image quality – so what could be new in Hasselblad’s next camera?
Mirrorless Rumors suggests we’ll see a LiDAR autofocus system, courtesy of DJI. If that’s true, in theory this could improve autofocus tracking speed, though of course we won’t know until we have our hands on such a camera.
Can we expect Sony and Canon-rivaling autofocus performance for stills next time around? Probably not, but we can expect better and ‘smarter’ autofocus. Personally, being able to rely on a Hasselblad camera’s subject-tracking autofocus, even if just for human eye detection, would top my wish list for a future model – let’s hope that turns out to be the case.
According to rumors the next Hasselblad could be unveiled as soon as August – and I’m excited at the prospect of a future Hasselblad with the usual stunning image quality, paired with better and smarter autofocus.
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