The X2D 100C Earth Explorer is a love letter to Hasselblad’s home
Mirrorless medium format marvel will cure any Swede's homesickness
When your mainstream models are regularly listed among the world’s most iconic cameras, launching a limited edition calls for something special… or maybe a simple glance out the window will suffice. Hasselblad’s new X2D 100C Earth Explorer Limited Edition pays homage to the firm’s Swedish homeland, with a bespoke colour scheme inspired by Nordic nature.
The mirrorless hero model already had landscape snappers in mind, with a mighty 100MP medium format sensor and 5-axis in-body stabilisation that meant you could leave your tripod at home when venturing out into the wilderness. This new limited-run version takes that a step further with a Tundra Brown exterior, which blends grey, green and deep red colours picked from arctic vegetation and mountain soil.
Laser-engraved “Earth Explorer” branding and a unique serial number on the side of the camera body sets it out as something special, while the 3.6in tilting LCD touchscreen gets a bespoke start-up screen to match.
The Earth Explorer kit includes the camera itself, an XCD 2,5/55V lens (that’s a 55mm f/2.5 in non-Hasselblad camera speak), a UV filter, two batteries and a charging hub. It also has a matching limited-run camera strap made from a mix of eco-friendly materials.
Exclusive exterior aside, the Earth Explorer otherwise packs the same high-end hardware as the vanilla X2D 100C. That means Hasselblad’s renounced Natural Colour Science image processing, whopping 1TB of built-in storage, incredibly responsive touch interface, and massively improved autofocus performance compared to the previous generation. It’s still no sports or wildlife star with a modest 3.3fps continuous shooting, but it’s a star where portraits and still life is concerned.
Limited to just 1000 units worldwide, the X2D 100C Earth Explorer is available directly from Hasselblad and its authorised retailers. Expect to pay $13,999€14,999 to add one to your camera bag – a modest hike from the regular edition body and 55mm lens, and not too far removed from medium format rivals from the likesof Fujifilm.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor