My favorite camera for 2025 was the finest stills camera I’ve ever held — the stunning Hasselblad X2D II

If you ask me which of the many cameras I tested and reviewed in 2025 was the hardest to return at the end of my loan period, there’s one model that stands out: the gorgeous Hasselblad X2D 100C II.

And that’s saying something considering that I also reviewed several other stunners this year, including the Fujifilm X-E5, Sony A1 II, OM System OM-3, Sigma BF, Panasonic Lumix S1 II, Leica M-EV1 and Nikon ZR.

Not only is the X2D II the finest camera for photography ever made – that is if outright image quality is your top priority – but it also saw a huge price drop from its predecessor, which bucked an unwelcome industry-wide rise in prices. Yes, $7,399 / £6,400 / AU$12,650 is still mega pricey, but Hasselblad is moving in the right direction, and competing with Fujifilm's GFX line.

Hasselblad also unveiled a stunning zoom lens alongside the camera: the XCD 35-100mm F2.8-4 E, which was the lens I tested the camera with. They're a formidable pairing, especially for landscape and portrait photography.

So what is it that makes the X2D II such a special professional camera – especially considering its limitations, which include no video recording and no color profile choice? Let me explain why it was such heartbreak so say goodbye to the X2D II, and why it now tops my wishlist.

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Unparalleled design

I was already a fan of the original Hasselblad X2D, with its stunning minimalist design, pronounced grip, and large touchscreen. Put simply, no other brand makes premium cameras like Hasselblad.

Having used the X2D, I was right at home with the X2D II, but it includes two highly useful design upgrades – there's now an AF joystick, while the large tilt touchscreen can be pulled away from the body, clear from the viewfinder hump for unimpeded viewing.

The touchscreen performs flawlessly, with smartphone-like responsiveness, while the stripped-back menus are refreshingly uncluttered, even with subject-detection autofocus options entering the fray.

Having the choice between storing images on an internal 1TB SSD or CFExpress Type B card is super-handy too. Considering the large 44 x 33mm sensor size (full-frame is 36 x 24mm), X2D cameras are impressively compact, lightweight and always premium-quality.

Unmatched photo quality

No other cameras shoot such natural-looking photos either. Trust me: I compared the original X2D to my full-frame Nikon, and the colors are another level.

There's a wonderful simplicity to Hasselblad cameras – they rely on Hasselblad's color science alone for natural-looking portraits and landscapes, only in the X2D II we go up another level with a new option for end-to-end HDR capture, which increases the dynamic range in stills while somehow maintaining a natural look. It's really impressive.

Natural colors and impressive dynamic range are combined with a highly-detailed 100MP resolution and pin-sharp lenses, for some of the finest looking photos I've taken.

The X2D II also addressed a major drawback to the original X2D – poor autofocus. The X2D's autofocus was particularly slow and unreliable, which is far from ideal when, say, shooting portraits on location.

That all changed with the X2D II, which features Hasselblad's best-ever autofocus. In fact, it's Hasselblad's first ever continuous autofocus system; a hybrid phase- and contrast-detection system, with subject detection and LiDAR sensing. To me, it felt as capable as Fujifilm's AF; finally, I could rely on a Hasselblad camera's autofocus to give me that peace of mind in a range of scenarios.

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There's also improved in-body image stabilization in the X2D II. Hasselblad rates it for an industry-leading 10 stops, and while in my experience it wasn't quite as effective as that, I could still happily shoot handheld with a 100MP camera and premium lens for sharp detail, even with a shutter speed as slow as one second, which is quite staggering really.

Yes, many of the same limitations from the original model remain, including a pedestrian three frames per second burst shooting speed, and the omission of video recording. And despite the camera being an improvement in all the right ways, there are of course better alternatives for high-speed photography and video work, available for much less.

However, for portrait photography and landscape photography I can't think of another camera that I would rather have in my hand. The X2D II is the kind of camera that motivates you to go out and shoot.

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The best camera for photography

➡️ Read our full best camera for photography guide
1. Best overall
Nikon Z6 III
2. Best beginner
Canon EOS R10
3. Best professional
Sony A1 II
4. Best image quality
Hasselblad X2D II 100C