When Boredom Sets In

Let's welcome a new (to me) Hasselblad X2D 100C!

Turning another decade older doesn't go well with having some spending money. I could not justify a new X2DII, so I settled for a used OG X2D as a belated birthday gift to myself.

I've been looking at a Leica Q/Q2 for some time, but the prices are still more than I care to spend. The AF also didn't impress me when I tried them out at Map Camera; my Fujifilm X100VI is their equal or better. So I started looking at the Fuji GFX and Hasselbad X lines for their neo-MF sensors. I tried a GFX100S, and the AF is good enough, but it just felt like a larger Fuji; there was nothing different about it, just more size and weight. The Hasselblad, however, felt nice in my (small) hands.

I found a few X2Ds on FB and Craigslist. After a few disappointing interactions (read, scammers), I found a well-rated FB seller. Price was reasonable, and the body was in very good condition. Just a few wear points, and some dust on the sensor. This is my biggest purchase outside of a store, but I was able to do it at my local bank, so no issues at all.

For the lens, I ended up getting the 28mm f/4P. I considered the 45P, but I'm worried that won't be wide enough for travel photos.

Likes:

• IQ is nice, along with the colors, and resolution.
• The feel of the camera is something else. It feels solid in a different way than any of my pro Nikon bodies (D1/D2H/D3/Z9).
• The simplicity of the menu makes using the camera a lot easier. No more menu diving.
• The electronic diopter setting is a neat trick. I still prefer a knob on the side of the EV though.
• The built-in SSD is great. No need to worry about cards.
• The flash system uses Nikon's protocol, so Nikon flashes will work. One less thing to bring.
• I love the XPan crop. The cinematic aspect ratio is going to open up a lot of compositional opportunities.
  

Quirks:

• AF is slooooow. I can't remember the last time I had a body this slow (maybe the Olympus EP-1 from 2010?).
• Single AF only, no continuous. I don't plan to use this camera for surfing photos, but it's still an odd omission since the Fuji GFX100s can do it.
• No joystick; you have to use the touch screen to move the AF point. So far this hasn't been a problem, as I've been sticking to center AF. It's an uncomfortable reach for my thumb while maintaining a good hold of the grip (again, small hands).
• No mechanical shutter, and readout from the sensor is low (from what I've found, it's 37/100s). If you're adapting lenses and you move the camera or the subject moves during that time, you get rolling shutter effects.
• Some 35mm lenses have bad vignetting, but then again these lenses were designed for a much smaller sensor/film size. The Contax 100mm f/2 vignettes strongly, and the Zeiss 21mm f/2.8 gets bad when you use the lens shade. Interestingly, the ancient Nikon 55mm f/1.2 doesn't vignette that badly, nor the Contax 85mm f/2.8.
• Adapters are expensive, and few. I had to go Nikon to Leica M, then Leica M to Hasselblad. It's never a good idea to stack converters due to tolerance stackup. I don't think there's an AF adapter for Nikon AF lenses yet.
• I have to figure out new sharpening settings for Photoshop, but the OOC JPGs look pretty sharp.
• No matrix metering. I've noticed some of my images are a bit underexposed (spoiled by automation!).
• No video. Oddly, it has two vestigial microphones in front (according to the instruction manual), not sure what for.
• No GPS. The Phocus app is only available for IOS, and I'm an Android user. I think my GPS tracker still works, but I always forget to turn it on when I go for a photowalk.
• I can't view the entire EVF when wearing glasses. Hassy should add an option to reduce the image size.
• Triggering the EVF sensor in the vertical orientation is inconsistent (again, probably because I wear glasses). It's not a problem with my other mirrorless bodies though.
• The locking body cap is a neat trick, but inconvenient. I've never had a body cap fall off, and even if it did fall on the ground, it's just a body cap.
• Diffraction appears to be really strong at f/16. A disappointment, as I was expecting it to hit much later.
• I haven't found a way to change the file name. 

I'm going on vacation in a week, and have decided to bring the X2D and the Z7. I know you're not supposed to bring a new camera system on a trip, but I'm too excited to use the camera to leave it behind. Fingers crossed!

And now for a few photos (insert them here).

Year End Musings 2025 Edition

 Another year went buy quickly. This year saw the arrival of the Fujifilm X100VI and DJI Osmo Pocket 3. So far both cameras are behaving as expected. The Fuji has taken over the place of my Z7 on photowalks and trips, but I've yet to learn the controls. The Pocket 3 has proven to be a fun video camera, although I've barely scratched the surface of its capabilities.

On the lens front, I added three lenses this year (as covered in previous posts); a slow year. I don't really see more lenses in the future, as I now have way more than I want or need. Cabinet space is also close to bursting.

For accessories, my primary computer was replaced, so I should be good for another four years or so. I will probably need a new iPad, as the charge of the one I have is getting low. 

So what's in store for 2026? More travel, more use of my existing kit, and less new purchases.

The Z9 at ISO 9000 (and beyond)

 Back in 2015, I posted some images taken at ISO6400 with the D3. Now it's the Z9's turn. and it does much better than its ancestor. Here are some photos taken at last year's Dia de los Muertos event, the only night event that I attend with some regularity. 

It's a bit of a cheat though, as I used TopazDenoiseAI to clean up the noise. Still, the extra resolution helps reduce the noise when re-sizing the files. And yes, Topaz does a lot of the heavy lifting. I've limited the auto ISO to 25600, as it seems that's the limit where the camera and software work together to give decent images.

I know I used the Z7 at Dia several years ago, but the results will be close enough to the Z9 that it's not worth the effort to re-process them.

All-around travel lens: Nikon 24-200mm Z

My travel kit has consisted of the 14-30mm Z, 58mm f/1.4, and an ancient 75-150mm f/3.5E manual focus lens. I find the 70-300E a little too big and heavy to carry around while walking several miles a day while on vacation.  The 75-150E has punched above its price, giving me some nice photos that hold up even while pixel peeping.

Nikon 75-150E full size crop at 150mm, from a distance of about 4300ft, or 8/10ths of a mile

But I've been itching to get an autofocus travel lens, one with a little more reach. On a trip to Osaka earlier this year, I went around looking for a used used Nikon 24-200mm Z. I had to find it, since I didn't bring the 75-150E, and I planned to attend my first matsuri (a Japanese traditional festival) in Tokyo. I found a clean copy at a reasonable price at Naniwa Camera Umeda, across from Yodobashi.

It's not an S line lens, but it is weather sealed and has VR. I'm not too happy that the maximum aperture is down to f/5.6 at 50mm, and f/6.3 at 85mm, but that's the price you pay for small, long reach, and cheap. The VR is ok, although it gets jumpy at the longer end of the focal range, more visibly when recording video. I was worried about not getting enough separation at f/6.3, but it's not that bad at 200mm.

Overall verdict: this is going to be my long travel lens.

And now for some sample images.

Second time around for the Viltrox 16mm f/1.8 Z

Back in 2024, I purchased a Viltrox 16mm f/1.8 Z. Wide angle lenses have always been a challenge for me, but I continue to give them a try. The Viltrox is a sharp lens, with a bit of vignetting and flare, but it is a wide angle. Build quality is pretty good, and it balances fine on the Z7. Autofocus speed is fast, but I noticed it hesitating at times, requiring a release and re-press of the shutter button. This lens is Viltrox's first one for the Z mount, so I returned it as I didn't want to be stuck with a dud.

A few months later, Viltrox released a firmware update that was supposed to fix the AF issue, but the lens had gone back up in price. I made a mental note to keep an eye out for a used one, and a year later I found one on FB Marketplace. One firmware update, and so far the AF has behaved. The street fairs and festivals are over though, so I'm unsure when I'll be able to give the new firmware and lens a good workout. 

In the meanwhile, here are some photos from last year's tests.