DJI’s Hasselblad just launched the first mirrorless with built-in LiDAR AF — great news for Panasonic users?

Hasselblad X2D II at B&H Photo, Amazon, Adorama, FotoKoch, Foto Erhardt, Calumet DE, WexUK.

DJI owned Hasselblad has officially unveiled the new X2D II medium format camera. The one big new feature is the integrated Lidar autofocus system. As you probably recall Panasonic has a partnership with DJI on this tech. And if this works well on the new X2D II it might find it’s way in future MFT cameras too!

Some time ago Panasonic managers had a chat with Petapixel on why they think Lidar AF is useful:

Panasonic explains to PetaPixel that the system, when active, would take over the hybrid phase detect system depending on the camera. It would bypass it and pull focusing information from the LiDAR module instead, which then sends focusing information to the lens autofocus motors.

LiDAR has distinct advantages over phase detection and DfD focusing on a small number of use cases, namely in extremely low-light situations. Phase detection weakens in ultra-low light, and many cameras disable phase detection and move to contrast-based in those situations as a result. It is here that LiDAR is superior but with some tradeoffs.

For one, many filmmakers describe LiDAR focusing as “twitchy” in how it drives lenses as it searches for a focus point. Additionally, the range of LiDAR is relatively weak: indoors filmmakers can expect about 15 meters of range, while outdoors that falls to an even more limiting seven meters. 

As a result, this functionality is only going to benefit a very small number of filmmakers, but since it was possible to do, Panasonic decided to just allow for it and expand the shooting capabilities of its cameras with filmmakers that happen to use the DJI RS 3 Pro gimbal. Even if the choice isn’t going to be the best for many shooters, it is at least a choice they can make.

But the new Lidar AF on the X2DII seems to be improved. So this is a tech that will only get better in time!

More info about the new Hasselblad X2DII at B&H Photo!