US$7,000 Hasselblad camera tops major Japanese retailer’s mirrorless sales list – what gives?

Photographer James Artaius holding a Hasselblad X2D II 100C with Hasselblad XCD 35-100E.

In a turn that nobody saw coming, the Hasselblad X2D II 100C has topped mirrorless camera sales at one of Japan's biggest retailers for the first half of September. The X2D – which is also currently number one in our list of best medium format cameras – ranked number one at Yodobashi, outselling the most popular bodies from Sony, Canon, Nikon and Fujifilm.

While the news is certainly surprising, given Hasselblad’s premium pricing and indeed the niche appeal of medium-format photography, it hasn’t exactly come from nowhere.

MapCamera’s August best-selling list had the X2D creep in at number 10, and a big spike in sales is certainly consistent with a brand-new release. The Hasselblad’s timing also couldn’t be better, since the upcoming Nikon Zf Silver and Nikon ZR surely featured strongly in the latter half of the month.

Still, this is a $7,399 / £6,400 / AU$12,650 medium-format camera, so Hasselblad is definitely doing something right.

1. Hasselblad X2D II 100C (body only)
2. Sony A7C II + FE 28-60mm
3. Fujifilm X-M5 + XC 15-45mm
4. Sony A7C II (body only)
5. Canon EOS R5 Mark II (body only)
6. Canon EOS R50 dual-zoom kit
7. Sony ZV-E10 II dual-zoom kit
8. Nikon Z50 II dual-zoom kit
9. Sony ZV-E10 II (body only)
10. Canon EOS R6 Mark II (body only)

The little Fujifilm X-M5 has been a consistent seller, ever since its release at the end of last year (Image credit: Gareth Bevan / Digital Camera World)

Another big surprise is the absence of the Fujifilm X-E5, which performed so strongly in August. In fact, the X-M5 (third place) is the only Fujifilm camera on the list, with Sony enjoying the strongest showing with no fewer than four entries (the A7C II and ZV-E10 II each appearing in both kit and body-only formats).

Canon is the second-most prevalent manufacturer, with the R5 Mark II, R50 and R6 Mark II all present. The Z50 II is the only Nikon contender, with the Z5 II and Z6 III both sitting outside the top 10.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, since a $7,000 camera is no good without a lens, Hasselblad also made an appearance in the Yodobashi top 10 lens sales list, along with a few other surprises to boot.

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