The best Hasselblad cameras can deliver peerless image quality with that impossible-to-replicate medium format "look". Their large sensors offer the depth and dynamic range of similarly sized film, outstripping the full frame in terms of sheer quality.
For years, these cameras had a niche popularity, with a reputation for being impressive on the inside, but horribly bulky and impossibly expensive. However, the best Hasselblad cameras no longer fit this description.
Hasselblad has been around since 1841, but it didn't become a brand name until the owner's son Victor Hasselblad started its camera division, fast forward 181 years later, and Hasselblad is possible one of the best-known and recognized camera brands in existence. It is best known for sending its best film cameras of the time to space with the Apollo mission, when humans first landed on the moon – all of those images were taken with modified Hasselblad cameras.
You might also need the best Hasselblad lenses
Since then Hasselblad has been synonymous with delivering exceptional image quality, renowned Swedish design, and superior build quality, being hand built in the company's factory in Gothenburg.
The best Hasselblad cameras aren't cheap now, and likely never will be, but they usually have a longer lifespan than consumer or even professional mirrorless systems. Therefore, this list might seem small, but this is the full Hasselblad line-up, and if you're looking for the best Hasselblad camera you can get in terms of digital image quality, they're all featured below.
Check out our guide on upgrading from full-frame to medium format if you're still unsure what steps to take first, and whether you should change your camera system.
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The reason that medium format cameras are considered some of the best cameras for professionals is that the size of their sensors and the image quality they offer is entirely unparalleled, surpassing even that of full frame cameras like the Sony A7R IV, Nikon Z9, and Canon EOS R5 that are squeezing more pixels than ever onto a 35mm sensor. Medium format is simply on another level.
It is worth noting that medium format sensors come in two main sizes. Phase One XF IQ4 uses the bigger full frame medium format size, while Hasselblad's H-series cameras correspond closely with the old 645 film format. There's also a smaller size, midway between this and full-frame sensors, which is used in the Hasselblad XD series of compact digital mirrorless medium format cameras.
So, let's look at the best Hasselblad cameras you can buy right now!
Best Hasselblad camera in 2023
If you're looking for ultimate photographic quality, look no further – the Hasselblad X2D is the definitive still imaging machine. Thanks to the stunning 100MP image sensor and Hasselblad's exceptional Natural Colour Solution technology, simply put we have never seen images as stunning come straight out of any other camera – photos are gallery ready, directly out of the X2D.
Employing hybrid phase detect autofocus, Hasselblad's latest mirrorless marvel has the fast and robust AF system it deserves – and it also boasts a stunning seven stops of in-body image stabilization, which is unprecedented for a medium format camera, making this a truly hand-holdable device that can shoot whatever, wherever. In addition to a 5.76 million dot viewfinder, which enables you to see every ounce of detail in your 100MP shots, the camera supports CFexpress B cards but also boasts 1TB of internal storage. No more scrambling around for cards!
The asterisk is that the X2D does not shoot video in any way, shape of form. Honestly, though, nobody buys a medium format camera to vlog with, so this should be the farthest thing from your mind. Take one look at the image files it produces and you will be in love.
Read more: Hasselblad X2D 100C review
Hasselblad 907X 50C might share the same 50MP resolution and range of XCD lenses as the X1D, but it enjoys a clever modular design. Along with the CFV II 50C digital back which handles the image capture, there's a new 907X body that's so thin it looks like a lens adapter. This is the physical and electronic bridge between the digital back and the lens, but what's really impressive is that the CFV II 50C can breathe new life into your old Hasselblad 500cm (if you're lucky enough to have one) as it'll take the place of the film back.
There's a large 3.2-inch tilt-angle touchscreen at the rear, but no EVF, while the AF performance can bit a touch sluggish. The quality of the finish though, including the lovely black leatherette trim and chrome edging, is classic Hasselblad, while the results are gorgeous. As we said in our review, the Hasselblad 907X 50C is a slow and awkward tool, but it's one designed for considered, careful use, and provides a gateway into a modular system for a fraction of the cost you might expect.
(To celebrate its 80th anniversary, Hasselblad launched the 907X Anniversary Edition Set. This special edition is an absolutely gorgeous version of the 907X in Lunar Grey, rather than chrome, packaged alongside a matching 30mm f/3.5 lens. It's an absolutely gorgeous set, and it also retails at about $15,000, so you have to really want it! Only 800 of them have been made, so act fast.)
Read more: Hasselblad 907X 50C review
Canon and Nikon have been at the top of the DSLR market for years, but in the world of medium format, it’s Phase One vs Hasselblad. The H6D-100c is the latest in Hasselblad’s long-running modular medium format system. While Hasselblad can’t match the Phase One XT Camera System for megapixels without resorting to multi-shot models like the H6D-400c, it does have the cachet and customer loyalty of the Hasselblad brand. The company has been extremely good at combining its new tech with its much-loved legacy products.
This is the best Hasselblad camera on the market today for full-blown medium format shooting that achieves 100MP.
With a price tag running into tens of thousands (around $48K / £40K at the time of writing), this obviously isn’t going to be your entry point into medium format photography. We're including this as an example of the current pinnacle of the medium format world (and there’s always the option of renting it out), and an example of what medium format photography used to cost until the latest camera releases.
The H6D-400c features a 100MP CMOS sensor, with its maximum effective resolution of 400MP being achieved via a six-shot image capture. The process involves the sensor being moved one pixel at a time for the first four shots to achieve real color data – the capture of red, green, and blue color information – before being returned to its starting point. It's designed for tethered shooting with the aid of a Mac or PC.
Versatility comes to the fore again from Hasselblad by offering a camera body that is fully compatible with all its H System lenses, including the HCD 4,8/24, HCD 4/28, and the HCD 4,0-5,6/35-90 lenses. It can also use a film magazine and offers H5X functionality with 3rd party digital backs. Although aimed primarily at current H1, H2, H2F, H4X, and H5X users, the H6X can naturally act as a backup for H5D and H6D users.
The H6X is designed to provide the same extensive functionality as older H1 and H2 cameras, providing a number of functions such as True Focus, HCD lens compatibility. A HVD 90x viewfinder optimized for 36 × 48mm format or HV 90x-II viewfinder optimized for film and 40.2 × 53.7mm format, a High power AF illumination. At the same time, the number of profiles has been increased from 4 to, along with more programmable button options.
The Hasselblad H6X is not a camera in its own right, but a camera body that can be utilized with the big world of medium format photography from Hasselblad's own range or from third parties like Phase One's digital backs or older rivals.
How we test cameras
We test mirrorless and DSLR medium format cameras both in real-world shooting scenarios and in carefully controlled lab conditions. Our lab tests measure resolution, dynamic range and signal to noise ratio.
Resolution is measured using ISO resolution charts, dynamic range is measured using DxO Analyzer test equipment and DxO Analyzer is also used for noise analysis across the camera's ISO range.
We use both real-world testing and lab results to inform our comments in buying guides. Find out more about how we test and review on Digital Camera World.
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