Hacked Hasselblad X2D II 100C Shoots Video, Has ChatGPT, and Runs Linux
A few weeks ago, PetaPixel posted a Snap about someone who got Doom running on a Hasselblad X2D II 100C. At the time, creator Radium Wang said they were working on more open-source projects for the X2D II 100C. Well, that’s certainly proved true.
As Mirrorless Rumors writes, people have used Radium Wang’s Github work to do all sorts of interesting things with Hasselblad’s newest medium format mirrorless camera, including getting it to record video.
Video recording on the Hasselblad X2D II — a demo by 奶酪 on Xiaohongshu
by r/hasselblad
A Chinese creator, 奶酪, has built experimental firmware for the X2D II 100C that adds video recording, something that the X2D II 100C cannot do out of the box and Hasselblad has signaled no intention of adding.
While that is probably the most interesting thing people have done so far to the X2D II 100C using custom firmware, Radium Wang has also gotten Apple CarPlay running on the camera for whatever insane reason and installed ChatGPT to it. Reddit user u/Unable_Ad_1804 even loaded up a Linux kernel on the camera.
There are many other possibilities, too, including a wide range of practical applications that actually benefit photographers. Radium Wang has created a bunch of repositories on Github related to individual camera features and functions, like LiDAR, autofocus, IBIS, AF-C, and more. It is certainly possible for someone to enhance aspects of the camera or create custom software for niche photographic applications.
A natural comparison is Magic Lantern for Canon cameras. People have achieved some pretty incredible things through open-source firmware updates before, including adding new video features, improving performance, and unlocking impressive time-lapse capabilities. Magic Lantern even enabled HDR video recording on select Canon cameras long before Canon itself ever added it to its cameras.
If it is not already obvious, anyone who hacks their camera must do so with an understanding of the potential risks. There may also be legal implications to tinkering with any source-level camera code. PetaPixel is sharing this information because it is interesting, not as any endorsement of the behavior described herein. Loading open-source software onto a camera can cause issues, violate terms of service, and potentially cause headaches when trying to get a warranty honored if something goes wrong and the camera bricks.
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