> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://blog.tonalphoto.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Hasselblad X2D II Firmware 1.3.18.1 is Available - URL: https://blog.tonalphoto.com/x2d-ii-firmware-1-3-18-1/ - Published: 2026-10-22T12:32:28.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-22T12:32:28.000Z - Author: Konrad Michels - Tags: firmware, X2D II, #X2D II, #hasselblad, #Announcements Hasselblad released firmware 1.3.18.1 for the X2D II 100C this morning. My [firmware tracker](https://blog.tonalphoto.com/hasselblad-firmware-tracker/) picked it up from Hasselblad's downloads listing at 8:00 Eastern and emailed alert subscribers the same minute. - **Direct download:** [X2DII\_100C\_v1\_3\_18\_1.cim](https://cdn.hasselblad.com/firmware/X2D%5FII%5F100C%5FFirmware/1.3.18.1/X2DII%5F100C%5Fv1%5F3%5F18%5F1.cim?ref=blog.tonalphoto.com) (365 MB) - **Release notes:** [X2D\_II\_100C\_Release\_Notes\_EN\_20261022.pdf](https://cdn.hasselblad.com/firmware/X2D%5FII%5F100C%5FFirmware/1.3.18.1/X2D%5FII%5F100C%5FRelease%5FNotes%5FEN%5F20261022.pdf?ref=blog.tonalphoto.com) The changelog is one line long, and it is about the rear screen in dim light. 💡 ****A note on support:** This post represents my personal exploration and testing, not official technical support or guidance from Hasselblad. If you need assistance with your Hasselblad equipment, please contact Hasselblad directly: [customersupport@hasselblad.com](mailto:customersupport@hasselblad.com) for global support, [support.us@hasselblad.com](mailto:support.us@hasselblad.com) for the Americas, or visit hasselblad.com/support for regional options. > **Key finding:** Hasselblad released X2D II 100C firmware 1.3.18.1 on 2026-10-22\. The release notes list one change, "Optimised touch display performance in low light", and downgrade is not supported. I found nothing obvious in the update that shows what changed, and it installed cleanly on my X2D II. ## What does X2D II firmware 1.3.18.1 change? One thing, according to Hasselblad. Verbatim from the release notes¹: > **What's New** > Optimised touch display performance in low light. > > **Notes** > Downgrade is not supported after the update. > "Update is completed!" will be shown on the touch display once the update is successful. That makes two single-line releases in a row. The [previous one, 1.3.16.2](https://blog.tonalphoto.com/x2d-ii-firmware-updates/), said only "Improved system stability." Before that, [1.3.16.1](https://blog.tonalphoto.com/x2d-ii-firmware-1-3-16-1/) listed two changes. "Touch display" is Hasselblad's name for the rear screen in the X2D II manual and release notes, including the second note above. The note doesn't say whether "performance" means how the screen responds to your finger or how smoothly Live View draws, and it says nothing about the viewfinder. Researching and writing the blog and page posts I produce takes up a lot of my time and costs me money for software subscriptions, tooling, and other incidentals related to running a business. Please consider a paid membership to help me keep the lights on and pay the bills - it is only a fraction of the cost of an X2D II and a lens. Click on the button to go to the membership page to see the options available. [Support the blog. ](https://blog.tonalphoto.com/membership/) ## The low-light screen complaint from 2025 Hasselblad doesn't say which problem it fixed, but owners have described one before. In September 2025, an r/hasselblad thread complained that Live View on the X2D II's rear screen looked laggy next to the original X2D's². One owner posted the reply they had from Hasselblad support, which included this: > The X2DII screen frame rate range is 15-50Hz. With adaptive frame rate enabled, the screen refresh rate changes with the sensor refresh rate. With adaptive frame rate disabled, the screen frame rate remains fixed at 50Hz. However, the sensor frame rate may not reach 50Hz. In dimly lit indoor environments, the sensor frame rate may drop below 50Hz to improve preview quality. So in dim light the sensor slows down to give a cleaner preview, and the rear screen can only update as fast as the sensor feeds it. Firmware 1.2.7.11 followed in November 2025 with this line in its notes: "Supported to disable variable frame rate in the Display settings to improve frame rate in Live View."¹ The person who started the thread posted that 1.2.7.11 fixed it for them. My reading, from the wording alone, is that 1.3.18.1 is more work on the same behaviour. I can't judge it from my own use. I haven't seen the rear screen stutter or lag in dim light, because I use the viewfinder a lot more. I need my reading glasses to see the rear screen, and taking glasses on and off is more of a pain than raising the camera to my eye. If you frame on the rear screen at dusk and noticed the lag before, I'd like to hear whether 1.3.18.1 feels different. ## What the firmware file shows The `.cim` is 365,283,840 bytes, a full camera system image, like the releases before it. The file has been on Hasselblad's CDN since October 20 (07:21 UTC). The release notes PDF is dated October 22 and was uploaded late on October 21 Eastern time. Hasselblad's downloads listing added both between 7:00 and 8:00 Eastern this morning. I've had a look at what's inside the update and nothing obvious stands out as changed from 1.3.16.2\. I found no new lenses, no new settings or menu items, and nothing that shows how the low-light change was made. Hasselblad may well have made it somewhere I can't see, so for now the release note is the only description of it. Every earlier release, and what each one changed, is in the [firmware history post](https://blog.tonalphoto.com/x2d-ii-firmware-updates/). ## How to install it The card method is the reliable one: 1. Charge the battery fully. 2. Format a CFexpress card in the camera (Main Menu → Storage → Format CFexpress). 3. Copy the `.cim` to the root of the card, not inside a folder. 4. Insert the card, then go to Main Menu → General → Service → Check for Update. 5. Don't power off or remove the card until "Update is completed!" appears on the touch display. If your phone or iPad is paired, Phocus Mobile should prompt you to download the update and push it to the camera. It sometimes misses a release in the first few hours; the card path doesn't depend on that detection. I've installed 1.3.18.1 and the camera came back up without trouble. There is no way back to 1.3.16.2 afterwards. To check what you're running, go to Main Menu → General → Service. The tracker's alert email went out at 8:00 this morning, within an hour of the release appearing in Hasselblad's downloads listing. If you want the next one in your inbox, the signup is on the [firmware tracker page](https://blog.tonalphoto.com/hasselblad-firmware-tracker/). ## Sign up for The Tech Behind the Frame - Hasselblad edition Practical Hasselblad knowledge the official docs don't cover. Workflows, file behaviour, and real-world insights for Phocus and X2D II users. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ## References 1. [X2D II 100C Firmware 1.3.18.1 Release Notes (PDF), Hasselblad CDN](https://cdn.hasselblad.com/firmware/X2D%5FII%5F100C%5FFirmware/1.3.18.1/X2D%5FII%5F100C%5FRelease%5FNotes%5FEN%5F20261022.pdf?ref=blog.tonalphoto.com). The PDF includes the notes for every earlier release, including 1.2.7.11. 2. [X2D II LCD screen refresh rate, r/hasselblad (September 2025)](https://www.reddit.com/r/hasselblad/comments/1n6xwwb/x2d%5Fii%5Flcd%5Fscreen%5Frefresh%5Frate/?ref=blog.tonalphoto.com)