📸 SNAPSHOT - Issue 79
Welcome to a brand new Issue of my Magazine. A truly brilliant one, enjoy the read :)
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In this Issue
Hasselblad’s New Camera And Lens - A Closer Look
Hasselblad has officially rolled out the X2D II 100C, the latest in its medium format X system, and it’s a pretty big step forward in some key areas. The headline here is continuous autofocus, something photographers have been asking for since the very first X1D back in 2017. Until now, every X body has been single-shot only, which was always a sticking point for anyone shooting people, pets, or moving subjects. The X2D II finally changes that with an upgraded phase-detect AF system paired with a built-in LiDAR module on the front of the camera.
Not every lens in the system supports it yet, but many do, including Hasselblad’s brand-new standard zoom. There’s also an AF assist lamp for dimly lit environments, plus subject detection powered by machine learning that can identify people, animals, and vehicles.
The design has been tweaked too. For the first time, there’s a joystick for moving the focus point and navigating menus, along with another customisable button, bringing the total to eight. The 3.6-inch rear LCD is brighter at 1,400 nits, supports the P3 color gamut, and is tuned to D65 for more accurate HDR viewing. The EVF hasn’t changed much on paper (it still has 1.0x magnification and full coverage) but it can now display HDR images as well.
The finish has been updated with a tougher matte grey coating, a blacked-out logo, and a new grip texture. Despite these additions, Hasselblad managed to make the body about 7.5% lighter than the last generation. It still keeps the built-in 1TB SSD and CFexpress Type B slot.
The sensor remains a 100-megapixel BSI CMOS chip, but it has been improved. Hasselblad now quotes 15.3 stops of dynamic range (a small bump over the earlier 15 stops) and the base ISO drops to 50. Files are still recorded as 16-bit RAWs. The big addition is HDR capture, the X2D II is the first medium format camera to support a full HDR workflow. It can save HDR JPEGs and HEIFs in-camera and process RAW HDR files in Hasselblad’s Phocus software, Phocus Mobile 2, or even Adobe Lightroom. On HDR-capable displays, those images should show richer highlights and a broader tonal range.
Stabilisation is also stronger. The 5-axis IBIS is now rated for up to 10 stops of correction, compared to seven on the previous model. That puts it at the top of its class and should make handheld shooting with a 100-megapixel sensor much easier.
The Hasselblad X2D II 100C is available for $7,399 (€7,200).
Alongside the body, Hasselblad launched a new standard zoom, the XCD 35–100mm f/2.8–4 E. Thanks to the system’s 0.78x crop factor, the lens covers the equivalent of about 28–76mm in 35mm terms, giving it a slightly longer reach on both ends compared to the typical 24–70mm.
Optically, it’s built from 16 elements in 13 groups, including three aspherical pieces to keep distortion under control and five extra-low dispersion elements to reduce colour fringing. It’s designed with internal focusing, which helps with speed and keeps the lens length consistent while focusing. Hasselblad says this is their fastest-focusing XCD lens yet, made possible by a new stepping motor optimised for continuous autofocus.
The minimum focusing distance is 0.4 meters at 35mm and 0.5 meters at 100mm, so while it’s not a macro lens, it should still handle close-up detail work reasonably well. The aperture runs from f/2.8 at the wide end to f/4 at the telephoto end, and like all XCD lenses, it includes a leaf shutter. This one allows shutter speeds as quick as 1/4000s with full flash sync, a hallmark of the system that studio photographers in particular will appreciate.
Physically, the lens weighs 894 grams (just under 2 pounds) without the hood and is 138mm long. It takes 86mm screw-in filters, which is on the large side, and Hasselblad is launching three matching filters alongside it: a UV filter ($299 / €259), an ND8 filter ($329 / €289), and a circular polariser ($559 / €469).
These are designed specifically to handle the resolution and colour accuracy of the X system, though the CPL in particular comes at a steep price. The new lens is priced at $4,599 (€4,800).
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Interview with Konta Nomuro
This week’s Interview with Konta, a monochrome street photographer from Osaka, Japan. I am truly honoured to have had the opportunity to interview him!
You can find him on Instagram as: @konta_bnw
Enjoy the amazing Interview ;)
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I am truly grateful for this opportunity to speak about my work. My name is Konta, and I am a photographer based in Osaka, Japan. I spend most of my free time walking the streets of this city with my camera, searching for scenes that spark something in me. I see myself still at the beginning of my photography journey, so I sometimes feel I don’t have all the answers yet. But in some ways, that’s what makes it exciting, every outing teaches me something new. Outside of photography, I live a fairly ordinary life, but when I am behind the camera, I feel like I step into a different world where I can slow down, observe, and appreciate things I might otherwise overlook.
How did you first get into photography?
It happened almost by accident. A friend gave me a used DSLR camera one day, and until that point I had no interest in cameras whatsoever. On trips, I would take just a few snapshots as keepsakes, but nothing more. When I started experimenting with that DSLR, however, I discovered how different it felt to intentionally frame a scene. At first, I didn’t know what I was doing, but I enjoyed the process of trial and error. Slowly, I began to realize that photography could be more than just a record, it could be a way of expressing how I see the world.
Why black and white photography?
From the beginning, I was fascinated by the way monochrome strips an image down to its essentials. My style focuses on light and shadow, lines, and a certain sense of solitude, and black and white makes these elements stronger. Color can sometimes distract the eye, while monochrome makes the viewer focus on form, mood, and balance. To me, it feels like the purest way to express what I want to say with a photo.
How do you decide where to go and shoot?
Most of the time, I simply walk aimlessly through the city and see what I find. I like the unpredictability of this approach. But I also do research beforehand, I sometimes use Google Maps to look for architecture that might produce interesting shadows or lines. YouTube has also been surprisingly helpful for discovering buildings or corners of Osaka I didn’t know about. I’ve even been inspired by music videos from artists I admire, sometimes a location appears for just a few seconds, and it makes me want to find it and photograph it in my own way.
How does photography mean to you?
For me, photography is both a source of joy and a way of connecting with people. I feel happiest when I capture an image that matches what I envisioned in my mind, and that happiness grows when I can share it with others and see that they feel something too. It’s also a great pleasure to view the works of other photographers across the world, I constantly learn from them, even if we’ve never met. In difficult or quiet moments in my life, photography has become a steady companion, giving me a sense of purpose.
What gear do you use?
I currently use the SONY α7C II, and my most frequently used lens is the G 16–25mm wide-angle zoom. But to be honest, I don’t obsess about gear. I think it’s easy to believe that equipment will solve everything, but what matters most is how you see and what you notice. I try to make the most of whatever camera I have with me.
Do you prefer shooting in the chaos of a busy street or in quieter, more intimate spaces?
I personally prefer the quieter moments. I like standing in one place, observing, and waiting for a subject to appear, it gives me time to think about what I’m trying to capture and how the elements fit together. But I also shoot in busier areas, and there I try to find brief moments of stillness or isolation within the chaos. Both environments have their challenges, but both can also surprise you.
What are your favourite shooting conditions?
I enjoy early mornings on clear days because the light is strong, shadows are long, and the streets are still quiet. There is a certain freshness in the air that helps me focus. That said, I have to admit that waking up early is not easy for me, so it’s always a bit of a struggle. But once I’m out there, I never regret it.
Do you only shoot black and white or also colour, and why?
I mostly shoot in black and white because that’s how I see the scenes in my mind. Occasionally I experiment with color, but even then, I approach it as an extension of monochrome, looking at contrast, shape, and mood first, rather than the colors themselves. For now, my focus is on refining what I can do with monochrome, but maybe one day I’ll study color in more depth.
Do you see yourself more like a street photographer or architectural photographer?
I’ve never thought of myself as an architectural photographer, even though I often shoot buildings. I see myself as a street photographer because what interests me most is how people and spaces interact. Even if a person is just a small silhouette in the frame, they change the whole image.
How did you find your unique photography style?
I think it’s something that developed step by step. I was inspired by a YouTube photographer at first and learned a lot from his techniques. Later, I connected with people on Instagram and picked up different ideas from them. Over time, those influences mixed with my own instincts and preferences, until I started to recognize what felt like “my” style. It’s still evolving, but it’s slowly becoming clearer.
What role does storytelling play in your work?
For me, storytelling comes after the photo is taken. I don’t go out looking to tell a specific story; I go out looking for moments that feel beautiful or intriguing. Later, when someone sees the photo, the story is formed in their mind. I try to guide that by emphasizing solitude or mystery, but I also like that every viewer might interpret the scene differently.
If you could travel anywhere in the world where would that be and why?
That’s a difficult question because there are so many cities I’d like to see. But in general, I want to capture urban environments. New places give me fresh energy and new ideas. Walking through a city I’ve never been to before is always inspiring, everything feels new, even ordinary corners.
What’s the most challenging thing about photography for you?
The hardest part is waiting for people. I often find a spot with the perfect light and composition, but if hardly anyone passes by, it becomes frustrating. Sometimes I wait for a long time and end up leaving with nothing. Patience is a big part of my process, but it’s not always easy.
In what photography genre would you put yourself? And why?
I would describe my work as fine art street photography. I don’t think there’s a better category for what I do. My photos are rooted in the streets, but I try to give them a certain refinement and mood that moves them toward fine art.
What is your favourite subject to shoot?
I love silhouettes because they reduce people to pure form and allow me to study light and shadow in the clearest way. They also add a sense of mystery, viewers start to imagine who that person is or where they are going. I also enjoy photographing umbrellas, especially in the rain. The shapes and textures add a nice accent against minimal backgrounds.
Are you a professional or a hobbyist?
I am a hobbyist. Photography is something I do because I love it, not because I have to. Maybe one day it could become something more, but for now, I’m happy keeping it as a passion.
Who are some photographers or other artists that inspire you?
At the beginning, I learned a lot from @Takahiro_bnw on YouTube. I also admire @black.nouvellevague and @Sinya_pic. And of course, Fan Ho his work is timeless and always inspiring. Seeing how each of them approaches light and shadow has influenced me in different ways.
How do you know when you’ve nailed the shot?
Usually it’s when the subject enters the frame exactly the way I was hoping. I often set up my composition in advance, so I know what I want the picture to look like. When it happens as I imagined or sometimes even better I feel it instantly.
How important is composition in photography?
For me, composition is everything. It’s what holds the photo together and makes it feel balanced. I don’t always follow textbook rules, but I know what feels right to me. My style is very dependent on strong composition, so I pay a lot of attention to it.
What’s your advice for someone who wants to start exploring monochrome photography?
Start by shooting silhouettes. They teach you how light and shadow work together, and they help you train your eye. Try underexposing slightly so you can see the world in terms of highlights and shadows. And look at a lot of other photographers’ work, you’ll quickly notice how many different ways there are to approach monochrome.
How important is lighting in photography?
Lighting is the foundation of my style. I usually start by looking for interesting shadows, then I think about how the light enters them. Once I find that, I build my composition around it. Without the right light, the photo doesn’t work.
Is there a photography genre you haven’t tried yet, that you would like to explore?
I’m still exploring, and I’m curious about what lies ahead. Right now, I don’t have a clear answer, but I’m open to wherever photography takes me.
Do you ever revisit the same location over and over again?
The rest, 6 more questions, of this Interview are for Premium subscribers only.
Laowa’s Fisheye Zoom Comes To Medium Format
Venus Optics is getting ready to bring one of its quirkiest lenses, the Laowa 8–15mm f/2.8 Zoom Fisheye, to Fujifilm GFX and Hasselblad XCD medium format cameras. The lens first appeared back in June for full-frame mounts like Sony E, Canon RF, Nikon Z, and L-Mount, and it quickly stood out because of how unusual it is, one zoom lens that can act as both a circular and a diagonal fisheye.
At the wide 8mm setting, the lens produces a full circular fisheye with a 180-degree field of view, essentially giving photographers a perfectly round image framed against black. Zooming in to 15mm turns it into a diagonal fisheye that fills the entire frame, stretching and bending lines for that classic distorted look. Normally you would need two different fisheyes to get both effects, but here they’re combined in one package.
For medium format users, though, there is a caveat. Venus Optics admits the lens’s image circle is not large enough to fully cover GFX or XCD sensors, even at the 15mm end. That means anyone looking for edge-to-edge coverage might be disappointed, but if you are after circular fisheye shots, the lens will still deliver.
The optical design includes 13 elements in nine groups, with a pair of aspherical elements to help rein in distortion and keep sharpness reasonably consistent across the frame. It is manual focus only, though you can get surprisingly close: the minimum focusing distance is 16 centimetres, producing a 0.23x magnification. That opens up possibilities for exaggerated foreground shots.
Physically, the lens comes in at 650 grams and about 95 millimeters long. Unsurprisingly for a fisheye, the bulbous front element rules out screw-in filters. Venus Optics also makes a cine version, the Laowa 8–15mm T2.9 Zoom Fisheye Cine, which swaps the stills-style barrel for geared rings to suit video rigs, but both versions share the same optical formula.
For now, the full-frame mounts are available for $699. Venus Optics says the new GFX and XCD versions will arrive next month at the same price.
A few sample shots:
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Photography Tip of the Week
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Photo Analysis
Welcome to the new part of the Magazine Issue where we take a closer look at a photo and analyse it so that you can learn and better your own photography from it ;)
Photo by: @beansmeanshiorns
Let’s Analyse this Image:
Light & Atmosphere
What works well:
The way the light falls here is great. The platform is mostly dark, but the far end glows with natural light, which draws the eye straight to our subject.
The light bouncing off the yellow train gives just enough reflection and texture without overpowering, it all makes the train feel ‘‘alive’’, punchy and energetic.
The strip of light on the platform floor creates a leading path through the frame, which makes it almost feel like the light itself is showing you where to look (this leading effect is also exaggerated by the strong vignette).
What could be better:
The highlights at the far end are very high, maybe a little too much. You lose detail there, and it flattens that section of the frame.
The strong highlight at the end does hurt the sense of dept in the image, because it blows out into white. At the same time, it also works as a very strong background for the man’s silhouette and makes him pop nicely, so it has both positives and negatives.
The overall vignetting is quite dark, you could lift it a little to reveal more texture without breaking the mood/the strong and good tunnel effect.
Some of the ceiling lights are visible but don’t add much, they almost feel like clutter against the otherwise clean dark tones.
Composition & Framing
What works well:
The perspective is very nice. The train running along the left side creates a strong line, and the curve of the platform naturally pulls your eye down to the subject.
The leading lines throughout the photo are beautiful —> the train, the platform edges, even the ceiling structure all converge toward the man. It makes the flow of the image very smooth.
The man is placed perfectly at the brightest point in the frame. Even though he is relatively small, the composition makes him the natural subject.
What could be better:
The crop at the bottom cuts a little close, more space on the foreground floor would give the leading path more breathing room (while shooting you could also experiment with getting lower in general to really exaggerate the floor’s leading lines).
The man is placed well, for some people he might be too small though, so cropping in just a touch could make him feel more dominant without losing context. But that really is up to your individual taste. For me personally it works!
Color & Tone
What works well:
The yellow of the train is a strong visual anchor. It gives the frame its identity/ interest and adds warmth to balance all the dark tones.
The palette is very limited, mostly yellow, black, and grey, which keeps the photo clean and controlled.
The tones on the floor are nice, with the light picking up texture in a subtle way and giving that shine.
What could be better:
The yellow on the train is a bit ‘‘unbalanced’’ in this particular shot. It’s close to being oversaturated compared to the rest of the image. Pulling it back slightly would make the palette more cohesive.
The bright area at the far end of the platform goes flat in tone, it could use more contrast to hold detail.
Again, the shadows in the ceiling are very dense. Lifting them a little would show more of the environment without spoiling the mood.
Emotion & Story
What works well:
The lone man gives the photo its story. The fact he is caught mid-step adds a sense of movement in this otherwise still environment.
The brightness at the end of the tunnel/station almost feels symbolic, like the man is stepping out of darkness into light - a new beginning.
The emptiness of the platform adds to the mood. It feels quiet, a little isolated, but very cinematic.
What could be better:
Our subject is anonymous, which works for mood, but it also limits how much we connect with them emotionally.
If the station name on the monitor was easier visible, it would give us a stronger sense of location. Right now it’s just on the edge of being readable, and that feels a little like a missed opportunity.
A closer crop on the man could play into the storytelling cards of this photo —> viewers could notice details more easily (like for example that he is wearing a typical Japanese train conductor uniform (with the hat, shirt etc.) however that is only noticeable if you REALLY look))
Photographer of the Week
Photographer of the week goes to: Fabio Paoletti
You can find him on Instagram as: @fabio14.90
A few photos of his:
The Rest of this Issue is for Premium Subscribers
