The Hasselblad X2D II 100C Is Having Unprecedented Success in Japan

Sep 16, 2025

Jeremy Gray

A person holding a Hasselblad camera with both hands against a dark background, with the camera lens and controls clearly visible.

While it is not surprising that the Fujifilm X-E5, X half, and X-M5 were the three best-selling new cameras at major Japanese retailer Map Camera in August, it is very surprising that the luxurious medium format Hasselblad X2D II 100C cracked the top 10.

Announced and released on August 26, the oft-rumored successor to 2022’s X2D 100C arrived to significant acclaim and excitement. The Hasselblad X2D II 100C features the same big 100-megapixel backside-illuminated sensor as its predecessor but introduces a ton of exciting new features, including the first end-to-end HDR workflow for medium-format photography.

Beyond the HDR of it all, the X2D II 100C also includes continuous autofocus — a first for a Hasselblad camera — and remarkable 10-stop in-body image stabilization. The camera delivers the superb image quality that medium format camera are renowned for while simultaneously being the most versatile and user-friendly Hasselblad camera to date.

This unique combination of substance and style, which earned the X2D II 100C a PetaPixel Editor’s Choice Award, has resonated with photographers as well.

Map Camera notes that the X2D II 100C sold out the very first morning it was available and subsequent shipments have also sold out. That is a surprising achievement for any camera that costs what the X2D II 100C does. Even though it is quite a bit cheaper than its predecessor, which is unusual in and of itself, it is still over a million yen in Japan, which equates to nearly $7,000.

A concrete wall with a metal vent near the top left. A vine with green leaves climbs from the ground, curving upward toward the vent. Tall weeds grow at the base of the wall, lit by warm sunlight. — Hasselblad XCD 90mm f/2.5 V @ f/4.8, 1/160s, ISO 100

Large, smooth rocks covered with seaweed sit on a sandy shore beside calm water. Evergreen trees line distant islands under a hazy, pale blue sky, creating a peaceful coastal scene. — Hasselblad XCD 90mm f/2.5 V @ f/11, 1.2s, ISO 50

A calm coastal inlet with seaweed-covered rocks in the foreground, small boats moored in the water, and a tree-covered shoreline in the background under a hazy sky. — Hasselblad XCD 90mm f/2.5 V @ f/2.8, 1/15s, ISO 50

It’s also surprising because Hasselblad is not a brand with a rich legacy in Japan. The Swedish company, now majority owned by the Chinese technology company DJI, has never cracked Map Camera’s top 10 best-selling cameras list, despite prior XD cameras being impressive in their own right.

The X2D II 100C’s sales success in Japan, which Hasselblad has attached to the company’s expanding sales channels in the country, is fascinating. Medium-format photography has generally been the domain of the Fujifilm GFX series in Japan. To that point, the Fujifilm GFX100RF was number three in Map Camera’s April sales chart. However, it is impossible to say how high the X2D II 100C could have climbed in August despite only being available for five months given that Map Camera’s allotment failed to meet demand. Perhaps Fujifilm has some serious competition in the medium-format segment now, both in Japan and globally.

Image credits: Header photo via Hasselblad. All other photographs by Jeremy Gray.