The three new XCD lenses include the line’s fastest ever optic, the XCD 80mm f/1.9
Hasselblad continues to expand the options for users of its X1D-50c mirrorless medium format camera, announcing three new XCD lenses at Photokina 2018, as well as a dedicated teleconverter.
The XCD 1,9/80 is the headliner, boasting as it does the widest maximum aperture yet on an XCD lens – f/1.9, allowing X1D users to producer extremely shallow depths of field as well as improving light-gathering capabilities.
Hasselblad says the new 80mm lens, which provides a full-frame equivalent field of view of about 63mm, comes bearing ‘superior optical surface precision’, which should mean superior bokeh results and aesthetically pleasing out-of-focus highlights. It uses a twin motor drive which should provide fast autofocus performance in addition to the precise manual focus experience that X1D shooters enjoy.
A sample image taken with the new XCD 80mm
Also on the cards is the XCD 2,8/65. Its 65mm focal length works out to a full-frame equivalent of about 50mm, making it the ‘standard lens’ of the XCD family. It carries a maximum aperture of f/2.8 and a minimum focusing distance of 0.5m, further bolstering its credentials as a solid all-rounder.
The XCD 2,8/135 and X Converter 1,7 give the X1D-50c its longest reach yet, providing a combined focal length of 230mm (equivalent to about 178mm on a full-frame camera), with a minimum focus distance of 1.05m and maximum aperture of f/4.8. With the teleconverter detached, the XCD 2,8/135 provides a focal length of 135mm (working out to about 105mm in full-frame terms), a maximum aperture of f/2.8 and a minimum focus distance of 1m.
Together, these three new lenses expand the family of optics for the X1D-50c to nine different models, in a range of focal lengths. All three have the same integral central shutter as other lenses in the XCD range, which allows for exposure times of 1/2000sec to 60 minutes and offers full flash sync throughout the entire range.
Pricing and availability
All these models are expected to start shipping in December 2018. The XCD 80mm comes with a price tag of £3,960 ($4,845), the XCD 65mm is £2,090 ($2,750), and the XCD 135mm lens is £3,090 ($4,050) without the teleconverter or £3,690 ($4,845) with it.
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Jon spent years at IPC Media writing features, news, reviews and other photography content for publications such as Amateur Photographer and What Digital Camera in both print and digital form. With his additional experience for outlets like Photomonitor, this makes Jon one of our go-to specialists when it comes to all aspects of photography, from cameras and action cameras to lenses and memory cards, flash diffusers and triggers, batteries and memory cards, selfie sticks and gimbals, and much more besides.
An NCTJ-qualified journalist, he has also contributed to Shortlist, The Skinny, ThreeWeeks Edinburgh, The Guardian, Trusted Reviews, CreativeBLOQ, and probably quite a few others I’ve forgotten.
