Hasselblad has committed to replacing photographer Dan Martland’s water damaged X2D II 100C camera after the photographer’s Instagram post calling out the company as well as retailer Pictureline went viral.
On Monday December 1, Martland took a brand-new Hasselblad X2D II 100C that he had purchased from Pictureline out for an evening in New York City. The next day, he reported major issues with the camera and contacted Hasselblad — a call that took place in the late afternoon. Hasselblad expedited the process as Martland said he needed it back that week for a photo shoot he was set to undertake. The camera was overnighted to Hasselblad.
After rushing the camera to its Burbank, CA repair facility on the evening of December 2, Hasselblad received the camera on the morning of December 3 and upon opening the camera (within minutes of its arrival), discovered evidence of significant water damage and some corrosion. Service technicians called Martland and informed him of the situation not long after.
The damage was severe enough that the camera could not be normally repaired — a replacement was the only possibility. As a result, the company initially declined to replace the unit, as standard damage policies don’t cover water damage.
Dan was provided images of the water damage — which PetaPixel has also seen. While it wasn’t given permission to share those images, PetaPixel can confirm significant water ingress and evidence of corrosion visible in those images, the latter of which takes typically many hours to appear.
“Not even 24 hours old and it unexpectedly died on me,” the photographer wrote. When he heard it had water damage, he says he was baffled. “This made no sense to me as it was nowhere near any water or liquids. How?!!! All I did was take a few sunset photos from inside a skyscraper in New York City on a dry night?!”
PetaPixel can confirm that reports show no precipitation in New York City on December 1. Rain only occurred starting mid-morning through mid-afternoon on December 2, when there were significant downpours.
Martland then went to Pictureline, who after a day of looking in to the issue, agreed with Hasselblad’s decision.
Martland was livid, and on December 5, took to Instagram to air his frustrations.
The post went viral and both Hasselblad and Pictureline took significant public flak for the decision, with some going so far as to attack both businesses and their employees personally.
“Because of the respectful communications we’ve had with the customer, it’s been disappointing to see comments become personal, attacking our business and integrity. We hope we’ve been able to clarify our role in this situation and sincerely hope for the best for the customer involved,” Pictureline wrote in a statement on Instagram in response to the backlash.
After spending an additional week evaluating options internally, Hasselblad has decided to overturn its initial decision and replace Martland’s camera.
“We understand the frustration this situation has caused and recognize that additional frustration can arise when communication during the service process doesn’t meet expectations. We care deeply about every user’s experience. Our goal is always to support our users with clarity and care, and we regret that this experience has not felt smooth for the customer,” Hasselblad explains to PetaPixel.
“We would never want anything to hinder our users’ ability to create with their Hasselblad cameras, which is why we are taking this matter very seriously.
“When the camera arrived at our service center, our technicians documented significant water damage and corrosion that rendered the device non-operational. We stand by the quality and reliability of our products, and signs of water exposure prompted us to open an internal review to fully understand the chain of events leading up to its arrival.
“Although water damage is typically not covered under warranty, we have chosen to provide the customer with a replacement unit as a gesture of goodwill. Our goal is to resolve this matter fairly, transparently, and respectfully for everyone involved. We remain committed to delivering the best user experience and upholding the high product standards our community expects from us. We appreciate the patience and fair consideration of everyone following this situation.”
Martland has declined to comment until he receives the promised replacement unit. His only statement on the matter is an update to his original Instagram post: “So just got word that Hasselblad will exchange my camera as a ‘Good Will Gesture’ I’m so thrilled. A massive thanks to Pictureline for making this happen. The hard work and dedication from Jens and his team made this possible. Thank you.”
A No-Win Situation for Hasselblad
Hasselblad and Pictureline were in a very tough position here. Hasselblad could definitively state that when the camera arrived, it had water damage and corrosion but the box and packaging did not. What it did not know was how that damage occurred, only that it happened before it arrived at its repair facility. Water damage is not covered under warranty.
However, because of the nature of Martland’s Instagram post and the fact it went viral (resulting in personal attacks on the businesses and employees of both Hasselblad and Pictureline), the company was boxed into a corner.
For Hasselblad, if it didn’t replace Martland’s camera, it would look like the bad guy. Even replacing the camera doesn’t help, as now it could look as though the company is admitting some kind of fault. It’s a no-win situation. Still, of the options, replacing Martland’s unit was probably the right move, even if it is unlikely to do anything to tip the scales of public opinion.