This trio of new Hasselblad prime lenses will have you salivating with envy
(Image credit: James Artaius)
Hasselblad has just released three gorgeous new prime lenses for its X System: the Hasselblad XCD 2,5/38V, Hasselblad XCD 2,5/55V and Hasselblad XCD 2,5/90V. For those of you who don't speak Hasselblad, that's a 38mm f/2.5, 55mm f/2.5 and 90mm f/2.5.
And for those who don't speak medium format, those equate to 30mm, 43mm and 71mm equivalents in full frame terms (with the f/2.5 apertures roughly equating to a f/1.98 on a full frame camera, but the depth of field is rendered even shallower thanks to the medium format sensor).
The three lenses have launched alongside the new Hasselblad X2D (review), the manufacturer's new 100MP medium format powerhouse. A camera with that kind of crazy resolution needs lenses that resolve with immaculate detail – and there are very few brands in the business whose glass is as good as these XCD optics.
They sport a revised design from the existing X System lenses, with etched metal rings replacing the rubber grips of old. They also now sport focus scales, which not only give the new aesthetics a more pleasingly retro feel (with the orange pops of color complementing the shutter on the X cameras) but make them more useful for manual focusing.
(Image credit: Hasselblad)
Speaking of focus, the lenses also feature a manual focus clutch – simply click the focus ring forwards to engage manual mode, and pull it back to re-engage auto. All three lenses feature a new, faster AF module that works in tandem with the faster focus on the phase detect-driven X2D, giving you the fastest autofocus speeds on the new camera.
Also new to these lenses is the introduction of a control ring, located at the base of the lens (closest to the body). This can be customized to adjust ISO, aperture, shutter speed or exposure compensation – though with the retro styling of the lenses, we've been using it as an old school aperture ring. It should be noted that while the control ring works on the X2D natively, and the X1D II and 907X via firmware, the original Hasselblad X1D cannot make use of it (though the lens is otherwise fully compatible).
As always, the optics feature leaf shutters that can sync with flash at all speeds, and the shutter mechanisms are now much quieter and softer-sounding.
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The three lenses are available to pre-order now, priced at $3,699 / £3,559 for the Hasselblad XCD 2,5/38V, $3,699 / £3,559 for the Hasselblad XCD 2,5/55V, and $4,299 / £4,059 for the Hasselblad XCD 2,5/90V.
James has 22 years experience as a journalist, serving as editor of Digital Camera World for 6 of them. He started working in the photography industry in 2014, product testing and shooting ad campaigns for Olympus, as well as clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal. An Olympus, Canon and Hasselblad shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes.
