Introduction
The Hasselblad XCD 90mm f/2.5 V is a high-end, brief telephoto prime lens meant for Hasselblad’s latest medium format cameras. In full-frame phrases, this lens has an equal focal size of 71mm. It’s a helpful focal size for portraiture and panorama images, and it has all of Hasselblad’s latest options, together with their most superior leaf shutter. Nevertheless, at $4300, it’s definitely an costly lens for the comparatively pedestrian most aperture of f/2.5.
Does the efficiency of the 90mm f/2.5 V justify its excessive value? The market positive appears to assume so. It’s very laborious to seek out copies of this lens even lengthy after its announcement, which was in September of 2022. Partly, it’s because Hasselblad didn’t actually start delivery the 90mm f/2.5 V in earnest till late 2023. However one more reason is just the excessive demand. Proper now, the small handful of copies on the market on the used market are going for upwards of $5500 (eBay affiliate). Clearly, no less than some folks assume that the value is appropriate for what you get.
This evaluate will dive into my ideas on that query. I’ve examined the Hasselblad XCD 90mm f/2.5 V each within the area and within the lab to carry you the total story on this brief telephoto lens. Right here’s the way it performs.
Construct High quality
The Hasselblad XCD 90mm f/2.5 V options an all-metal lens barrel, together with the focusing and management rings. It feels very reassuring to carry, and the laser-engraved textual content is a pleasant contact each for legibility and longevity. Every part about it feels high-end. (Though it does get fairly chilly if you happen to’re utilizing it in sub-freezing temperatures.)
I like that this lens isn’t significantly giant or heavy. It weighs 551 grams (1.21 kilos) and measures simply 95 mm (3.7 inches) lengthy. That’s way more moveable than anticipated for a medium format lens made with most efficiency in thoughts, even contemplating that this isn’t a wide-aperture monster.
I used the Hasselblad XCD 90mm f/2.5 V in fierce wind, sand, and rain – generally all three without delay – and am pleased to report that I encountered no operational points in any respect. Hasselblad doesn’t appear to specify the diploma of this lens’s climate resistance, however there may be no less than a rubber seal on the lens mount for stopping the ingress of mud and water. Nothing in regards to the lens gave me pause when utilizing it in harsh circumstances.
Nevertheless, I need to observe that my copy of the lens, which was a rental from Hasselblad, had clearly gone by just a few palms earlier than mine. In a small space close to the filter threads, a few of the black coat had worn away and left a touch of naked steel seen. I believe that with a few years of use, you’ll discover one thing comparable in your copy of this lens, except you child your tools. That’s not unusual in coated steel lenses.
Dealing with
This lens handles like a appeal. There are two rings – one for focusing, one customizable – in addition to a swap to click on/de-click aperture. That could be somewhat stunning as a result of Hasselblad cameras don’t have video capabilities, but it surely’s in all probability simply future-proofing. Additionally, the main focus ring can slide ahead or backward to modify between autofocus and guide focus.
A serious function of the XCD 90mm f/2.5 V is the leaf shutter. Hasselblad has redesigned and improved the leaf shutter of their XCD V lenses, permitting a 1/4000 shutter pace (quite than 1/2000 on earlier era XCD lenses) and taking over much less house within the lens. This makes the lens smaller and lighter, whereas additionally rising its capabilities for flash images in vivid circumstances. Nevertheless, I did discover that the leaf shutter on this lens was a bit on the loud aspect – clearly louder than the leaf shutter of the Hasselblad XCD 38mm f/2.5 V that I used to be additionally testing, for instance.
Talking of the 38mm f/2.5 V, I appreciated the contact that the 72mm filter thread measurement matches between these two lenses. It additionally matches the threads of the 55mm f/2.5 V – in different phrases, it’s good that Hasselblad has standardized all their XCD V lenses to date to a 72mm thread. This makes it simpler to share filters and lens caps throughout the lenses, which could be helpful when working rapidly within the area. (That mentioned, a lot of the non-V XCD lenses have totally different thread diameters.)
Relating to the main focus ring, I discover it attention-grabbing how Hasselblad carried out the guide focus management on this lens. If you wish to swap rapidly to guide focus, you simply slide the focusing ring ahead. This additionally reveals a spotlight distance scale, which you need to use in tandem with the depth of area markings to estimate which aperture you need to use. These rings are extra about tough focusing distance quite than precision accuracy, however I discovered that it was well-calibrated on my copy of the lens.
Curiously, the design of the guide focus ring mechanically “remembers” the final distance the place you have been centered manually. For instance, if you happen to manually deal with a close to topic, then pull again the focusing ring and autofocus on one thing within the distance, the lens would return to your close to topic instantly once you push the focusing ring ahead once more. It’s somewhat laborious to explain, but it surely’s simple to know as quickly as you begin utilizing the lens.
All instructed, I’ve no critical complaints the place dealing with is anxious. The Hasselblad XCD 90mm f/2.5 V is fast and clean to make use of within the area, with all of the handling-related options that I might ask for.
Options
That is Hasselblad’s solely 90mm f/2.5 lens, but it surely’s hardly the one brief telephoto possibility of their lineup. Different choices embody the previous-generation XCD 90mm f/3.2, the XCD 80mm f/1.9, and all kinds of older Hasselblad glass (maybe most of all, the HC 80mm f/2.8 and HC 100mm f/2.2, each of which can be utilized with autofocus by way of the XH adapters).
When it comes to options, the largest advantages of the XCD 90mm f/2.5 V are the upgraded leaf shutter and the sooner autofocus module. It’s the solely one in all these lenses whose leaf shutter can shoot as much as 1/4000 second. The opposite XCD lenses are restricted to 1/2000 second, and the HC lenses are restricted to 1/800 second.
There’s additionally the lighter weight and brighter most aperture of the 90mm f/2.5, no less than in comparison with its 90mm f/3.2 predecessor. Nevertheless, you possibly can definitely get monetary savings by going with any of the opposite lenses listed right here, other than the XCD 80mm f/1.9.
Hasselblad XCD 90mm f/2.5 V Specs
- Full Title: Hasselblad XCD 90mm f/2.5 V (Hasselblad additionally calls it the XCD 2.5/90V)
- Mount Kind: Hasselblad X
- Focal Size: 90mm prime (71mm full-frame equal focal size)
- Angle of View (Medium Format): 34°
- Most Aperture: f/2.5
- Minimal Aperture: f/32
- Aperture Blades: 8, rounded
- Leaf Shutter: Sure, to 1/4000 second
- Filter Dimension: 72mm
- Lens Parts: 9
- Lens Teams: 6
- Particular Parts: 1 aspherical, 1 ED glass
- Anti-Flare Coatings: Sure
- Inner Focusing: Sure
- Management Rings: Focus and customized
- Management Buttons: No
- Management Switches: Click on/de-click aperture
- Focus Motor: Linear stepping motor
- Minimal Focus Distance: 67 cm (26 inches)
- Most Magnification: 0.17× (1:5.9)
- Mount Materials: Steel
- Climate/Mud Sealing: Sure
- Dimensions (Size × Diameter): 95 x 75 mm (3.7 × 3.0 inches)
- Weight: 551 g (1.21 lbs)
- MSRP: $4,299
- Lowest Sale Seen: $4,299 (examine present value)
The subsequent web page of this evaluate covers the optical traits of the Hasselblad XCD 90mm f/2.5 V, together with focusing efficiency and sharpness checks within the lab. So, click on the menu under to go to “Optical Efficiency”: