Hasselbald X2D vs Leica M11

[budjames]

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On 7/3/2024 at 10:53 PM, Leica Filmmatic said:

My X2D never freezes while my m11 still does.  Image wise they are close especially if you just glance, I often have to look twice to see which camera I shot with.  M11 is super portable and go everywhere camera with outstanding IQ.  But if you are going to light something the x2d is the best for that on the planet.

I own both the X2D and M11. I have not had "freeze" issues with either. Both have been solid performers.

Regards,
Bud James

Please check out my fine art and travel photography at www.budjames.photography.

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[wolan]

Last week end I had a chance to try the camera with a Leica Summilux attached. Unfortunately the problem with the rolling shutter is pretty severe, almost all of the test picture I took showed the problem. 

I'll have to wait for the next version, hoping that the problem will be fixed or at least reduced to a point that I can shoot with manual lenses and the electronic shutter.

 

Thanks everybody for sharing their thoughts

 

[SrMi]

28 minutes ago, wolan said:

Last week end I had a chance to try the camera with a Leica Summilux attached. Unfortunately the problem with the rolling shutter is pretty severe, almost all of the test picture I took showed the problem. 

I'll have to wait for the next version, hoping that the problem will be fixed or at least reduced to a point that I can shoot with manual lenses and the electronic shutter.

 

Thanks everybody for sharing their thoughts

 

Did you use 14 bits mode? Electronic shutter is much faster than in 16 bit mode, though fast moving subjects will still exhibit rolling shutter issues.
Unless stacked sensors are used, you cannot expect faster readouts. 

[wolan]

vor 14 Minuten schrieb SrMi:

Did you use 14 bits mode? Electronic shutter is much faster than in 16 bit mode, though fast moving subjects will still exhibit rolling shutter issues.
Unless stacked sensors are used, you cannot expect faster readouts. 

Good point, I should have tried, I knew that with 14 bit the sensor reads faster, but the camera has been sold in the meantime.

 

[JB22]

On 7/9/2024 at 5:14 AM, Smogg said:

I think the arrival of the X2D is a very big headache for Leica, as there is a risk of customers shifting to Hasselblad. A lot of Leica owners have also purchased the X2D. Excellent ergonomics, acceleration of all operations, new compact lenses with convenient switching to manual focus have greatly expanded the scope of its application and the X2D has gone beyond studios and landscape lovers. On most forums, X2D colors are now considered reference colors. Leica will have to work hard to keep up, and competition among manufacturers is very good for the consumer.

I shifted to the x2d...now the x2d2. Blows the M11 away now on all fronts....add a 28P and cropping and you have a Q killer too. SL3 killer. Sure, you cannot get infinite numbers of cheap lenses....but I only need 2 or 4 lenses.....  The 35-100E lens is the icing on the cake.

Street with an x2d2 and a 28P is sublime.   Add HDR and the noise reduction...voila...great system. Build is at least as good as Leica too.   Winner - all of us. 

Edited October 23 by JB22

[Smogg]

33 minutes ago, JB22 said:

I shifted to the x2d...now the x2d2. Blows the M11 away now on all fronts....add a 28P and cropping and you have a Q killer too. SL3 killer. Sure, you cannot get infinite numbers of cheap lenses....but I only need 2 or 4 lenses.....  The 35-100E lens is the icing on the cake.

Street with an x2d2 and a 28P is sublime.   Add HDR and the noise reduction...voila...great system. Build is at least as good as Leica too.   Winner - all of us. 

I don't think comparing the X2D or X2D2 to the M11 is fair. They're not even close in quality, that's true. However, the M11 is a compact camera and a rangefinder, so in practical terms, they're very different. I have both (the X2D2 28, 38, 45p, 55, 90, 35-100 and the M11-P apo35, apo50) and I use them in completely different situations.

Edited October 23 by Smogg

[SrMi]

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50 minutes ago, JB22 said:

I shifted to the x2d...now the x2d2. Blows the M11 away now on all fronts....add a 28P and cropping and you have a Q killer too. SL3 killer. Sure, you cannot get infinite numbers of cheap lenses....but I only need 2 or 4 lenses.....  The 35-100E lens is the icing on the cake.

Street with an x2d2 and a 28P is sublime.   Add HDR and the noise reduction...voila...great system. Build is at least as good as Leica too.   Winner - all of us. 

I enjoy using my X2D II, but it does not blow M11 away as they are completely different cameras. Some days I prefer the one, some days the other. If M11 had IBIS, I would be using X2D II much less.

[brickftl]

Image quality comparisons between X2D and M11 may be valid when using modern Leica glass. But if like me you much prefer the look that vintage Leica glass provides (such as the Summilux 50/1.4 pre asph shot wide open), then I’d be surprised if there are lenses for the X2D that are comparable. 

[jaapv]

Would anybody ever have considered comparing an M6 and a Hasselblad 500 ? 

[SrMi]

35 minutes ago, jaapv said:

Would anybody ever have considered comparing an M6 and a Hasselblad 500 ? 

The difference in IQ is much bigger than  when comparing digital MF vs FF cameras.

Edited October 24 by SrMi

[satijntje]

Am 23.10.2025 um 21:17 schrieb SrMi:

I enjoy using my X2D II, but it does not blow M11 away as they are completely different cameras. Some days I prefer the one, some days the other. If M11 had IBIS, I would be using X2D II much less.

Same for me. 

[IkarusJohn]

10 hours ago, jaapv said:

Would anybody ever have considered comparing an M6 and a Hasselblad 500 ? 

Sure.  Why not?  I had my FM2 and three or so lenses and a 503cx and three Zeiss lenses - they served different, but overlapping purposes and I compared them all the time.

[jaapv]

Apples and oranges 

[Olaf_ZG]

4 minutes ago, jaapv said:

Apples and oranges 

But both are healthy and provide vitamins…

[Olaf_ZG]

10 hours ago, jaapv said:

Would anybody ever have considered comparing an M6 and a Hasselblad 500 ? 

A m6 is close to a m11. The 500cm is far away from the x2dii. The same brand, bit that is it. The 907x comes close though.

[IkarusJohn]

4 minutes ago, jaapv said:

Apples and oranges 

Not really.

The comparison is actually M11 and X2D, but why split hairs?  Bothe colour digital cameras, both high resolution etc etc.  Both take pictures. Apple and oranges have less in common😉

[jaapv]

Both have pips. And grow on trees. And can be bought at the greengrocer’s.  One can always find similarities. Whether they nullify the differences is highly questionable. 

[BWColor]

I have the M11M and X2Dii.  For me, no competition and completely different cameras, but for some reason, I’ve only been shooting film since picking up the Hasselblad.  Go figure..

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[pgh]

59 minutes ago, jaapv said:

Both have pips. And grow on trees. And can be bought at the greengrocer’s.  One can always find similarities. Whether they nullify the differences is highly questionable. 

X2d and m11 are vastly more similar than a 500 series and an m6. It’s mostly a testament to how versatile hasselblad x series has become, but also to how close a 33x44 and 24x36 cm sensor is - much closer than 56x56 vs 24x36.

I thought about an m11 for when I needed high res work, but ended up with the x2d because basically everything that the m11 was selling the x2d did better at a better value, plus it’s a real modern camera with AF and IBIS. I don’t love the x2d because I enjoy the process of the rangefinder but I find it loses utility at higher resolutions and when that matters using a modern tool built from top to bottom is just better and more reliable.
 

The IQ difference in print isn’t that crazy with situations that have good light, but then in any situation where IBIS helps (marginal light, still subject matter) the IQ difference actually swings strongly towards the hasselblad. You often can’t make a comparison at equivalent settings because in real use, you can shoot the x2d at like, 4-5 stops slower shutter speeds, meaning where you need ISO 3200 on your 60 mp m11, you could get 100 mp at 100-400 iso. 

Physical form is a little different - both are nice - weight difference  in actual  use feels basically non-existent.  Very comparable cameras with the m11 having the advantage of the m stable of lenses and really nothing else to my mind.
 

The m10 isn’t as comparable because it isn’t so high res that ibis or af become as important and it is more versatile for my uses -  which is why I keep mine and still use it (or variants of it) the most. 

Edited October 25 by pgh

[kiwidad]

13 minutes ago, pgh said:

 

The IQ difference in print isn’t that crazy with situations that have good light, but then in any situation where IBIS helps (marginal light, still subject matter) the IQ difference actually swings strongly towards the hasselblad. You often can’t make a comparison at equivalent settings because in real use, you can shoot the x2d at like, 4-5 stops slower shutter speeds, meaning where you need ISO 3200 on your 60 mp m11, you could get 100 mp at 100-400 iso. 

 

This statement is true if and only if subject matter is stationary! I take pics of things that move so I have no interest  in IBIS. 
 

that rolling shutter is a big ouch too!