During this video I do a test shoot with the Hasselblad X2D 100C (which retails at around £7,400 in the UK) coupled with a Hasselblad XCD 55mm f2.5 V lens (which retails at £3,400 in the UK).
I give you my findings, thoughts and feelings on the camera, the image quality and the company. I used to own a Hasselblad 500CM camera and a selection of Carl Zeiss lenses in the late 80s so I remember the ‘good old days’ of Hasselblad, when you could take your camera, in person, to Hasselblad’s then UK head office in north London for repair and great customer service – oh how things have changed, for the worse.
Hasselblad’s V series (hand built, not a line of computers or robots, everything was put together by hand and set up by hand) were superb cameras. The new digital cameras – this goes for all makes – are all put together by machine and are questionable in comparison. These new cameras are not designed for service and repair. The whole attitude these days is if it brakes, throw it away and buy a new one.
For your information I did a lot of research with regard to getting an X2D 100C repaired (here in the UK) and it does not look good so if you buy one, be prepared to be left out in the cold if it brakes down.
Hasselblad repairs (UK), for what it’s worth: https://www.hasselblad.com/support/repairs/
I rang Clifton Cameras in the UK as they are an authorised Hasselblad dealer.
They said that they would send it back to Hasselblad UK supplier (Digital Distribution: 01442 230022) and they would then send it to Hasselblad in Sweden. Hasselblad Sweden then send it back to Digital Distribution in the UK, who would, in turn, send it back to the customer. Thing is, you can’t get a quote, it has to go to Hasselblad in Sweden even for that.
I then spoke to Digital Distribution in the UK and they said customers have to take their Hasselblad back to the dealer they bought it from and the dealer would not send it to Digital Distribution as they have nothing to do with repairs, DD told me that the dealer sends it directly back to Hasselblad in Sweden – hmmm, all of this is not looking good as I was given the runaround.
I wasn’t having any luck within the UK so I decided to go straight to Hasselblad in Sweden, no luck there either as they simply don’t answer the phone and even after leaving several messages, they don’t return calls.
Hasselblad customer support, Sweden: +46 3110 2460 (again, for what it’s worth)
I rang the above number several times, left messages, but nobody ever gets back to me.
They do, however, respond to email enquiries after a few days:
[email protected] or [email protected]
Best option is to email Hasselblad, Sweden about repairs at: [email protected]
https://www.hasselblad.com/support/
Hasselblad were a State supported company due to what Victor did during the war. They were all looked after very well. The only part of the company that made a profit was the service side and due to the laws in Europe at the time they closed down the Germany, France and Britain service centres. Hasselblad Sweden said said ‘f*ck off, we don’t need you anymore’ to the UK service centre. They promised spares for two years, but then even that stopped and they now won’t supply parts or support service centres in the UK anymore.
Marc Adesso’s issue with the Hasselblad X2D 100C:
https://youtu.be/f_mAVqPbwB8?si=YRCX6A4J-cKBLlBf
Some other ramblings:
https://www.getdpi.com/forum/index.php?threads/hasselblad-we-have-a-service-problem.72393/
My review and evaluation of the Fuji GFX100S:
https://youtu.be/s2jNkPlGJAo?si=ngUG0WbcGcwu4zq-