Hasselblad XCD 75mm f/3.4 P Review

Introduction

The Hasselblad XCD 75mm f/3.4 P the newest prime lens for the Hasselblad X system. It joins the company’s existing XCD 28mm f/4 P and XCD 45mm f/4 P lenses in the “Portable” series – Hasselblad’s line of smaller, less expensive glass. (Though at $2229, it’s only “less expensive” relative to the $4000+ Hasselblad alternatives.) Today, I wanted to offer my full review of the Hasselblad XCD 75mm f/3.4 P and show how it performs both in the field and in the lab.

This focal length is a little on the long side of normal, making the XCD 75mm f/3.4 P a promising choice for street photography, travel, and documentary work. As a landscape photographer, I liked using the lens for intimate and close-up landscapes, partly because of the focal length and partly because of the portability. That said, the maximum aperture of f/3.4 is nothing special, so the XCD 75mm f/3.4 P wouldn’t be my first choice if you want a classic blown-out background as a portrait photographer. (In full-frame terms – and where depth of field is concerned – it’s roughly equivalent to a 59mm f/2.7.)

Given that this lens is part of Hasselblad’s “P” series rather than their “V” series, it probably won’t surprise you to hear that it’s missing some of the company’s top-end features. While the XCD 75mm f/3.4 P still has an excellent leaf shutter with flash sync at all speeds, it is Hasselblad’s slightly older model that maxes out at 1/2000 second rather than 1/4000. There also aren’t a lot of handling-related features, but I’ll get to that later. These compromises are in service of Hasselblad’s goal: to make a lightweight, less expensive lens that doesn’t sacrifice image quality. Did they succeed?

In order to answer that question, I tested the Hasselblad XCD 75mm f/3.4 P in depth over the last couple of weeks. Since I was working with an early sample of the lens, I wasn’t able to keep it for quite as long as usual, so this review is a little slimmer on sample photos. Of course, I still had plenty of time to put it through our detailed array of lab tests. If you’re thinking of buying the Hasselblad XDC 75mm f/3.4 P, this review should answer all of your questions!

X2D 100C + XCD 75P @ 75mm, ISO 64, 4.8 seconds, f/5.6

Build Quality

Although the XCD 75mm f/3.4 P is part of Hasselblad’s Portable series, it is noticeably larger than the other two “P” lenses we’ve seen so far. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still on the small side, but here’s how the three compare:

• XCD 28mm f/4 P: 245 grams and 44mm long (0.54 pounds, 1.7 inches)
• XCD 45mm f/4 P: 320 grams and 52mm long (0.71 pounds, 2.1 inches)
• XCD 75mm f/3.4 P: 398 grams and 76mm long (0.88 pounds, 3.0 inches)

The XCD 75mm f/3.4 P is clearly the largest of the three. And beyond the comparison above, this lens is actually a little longer and heavier than the XCD 55mm f/2.5 V, which is not even in the Portable series! (That lens weighs 372 grams and is 72mm long.)

What gives? Well, you’ll see more on the next page of this review, but Hasselblad has clearly traded some size and weight for image quality with this lens. I don’t think that’s such a bad tradeoff given that the lens is still pretty small. But if you were expecting a pancake based on the “P” in the name, make sure you’re not disappointed. (And to be fair, it is clearly a more compact lens than the XCD 80mm f/1.9, XCD 90mm f/3.2, and XCD 90mm f/2.5 lenses – so among the “long normal” options, it is the smallest you’ll find.)

As for the rest of the build quality features, the XCD 75mm f/3.4 P retains the all-metal construction of Hasselblad’s other lenses, and it also features extensive weather sealing. I didn’t end up using the lens in bad weather during my time with it, but there are no moving parts or any signs that it would fail in harsh conditions. Everything about the build quality felt very reassuring to me.

Now let’s cover the handling features of the Hasselblad XCD 75mm f/3.4 P.

X2D 100C + XCD 75P @ 75mm, ISO 64, 1/15, f/22.0

Handling

The XCD 75mm f/3.4 P is a very minimalist lens. There is only one control on the lens – an unlabeled focusing ring – and no buttons, switches, or other controls. If you want to switch to manual focus, you need to do so on the camera itself, not on the lens. It is a clear departure from Hasselblad’s XCD V series that has a very nice autofocus/manual focus mechanism complete with a depth of field scale.

With a filter thread size of 72mm, the XCD 75mm f/3.4 P can share filters with four of Hasselblad’s modern lenses: the XCD 25mm f/2.5, XCD 28mm f/4 P, 38mm f/2.5 V, and 55mm f/2.5 V. It has a round (and relatively large) lens hood that, like on other XCD lenses, is a little finicky to attach.

The Hasselblad X2D with the XCD 75mm f/3.4 P

As for the leaf shutter, it is quiet and effective, allowing you to sync your flash at all shutter speeds. However, like I mentioned in the introduction, it is Hasselblad’s less expensive leaf shutter that maxes out at 1/2000 second rather than 1/4000 second. That’s unlikely to be a problem most of the time (especially considering the dim f/3.4 maximum aperture), but it does mean that in edge cases like shooting a backlit subject against the sun, you may be a little more constrained in your camera settings.

Overall, I can’t say I’m a fan of this lens’s handling. The minimalist layout isn’t my preference. But this is clearly a lens that Hasselblad designed to be on the lighter and less expensive side of things, and that comes with some tradeoffs. You’ll see on the next page of this review whether those tradeoffs were worthwhile, at least where image quality is concerned.

X2D 100C + XCD 75P @ 75mm, ISO 64, 1/8, f/22.0

Hasselblad XCD 75mm f/3.4 P Specifications

• Full Name: Hasselblad XCD 75mm f/3.4 P (Hasselblad also calls it the XCD 3.4/75P)
• Mount Type: Hasselblad X
• Focal Length: 75mm prime (59mm full-frame equivalent focal length)
• Angle of View (Medium Format): 40°
• Maximum Aperture: f/3.4
• Minimum Aperture: f/32
• Aperture Blades: 8, rounded
• Leaf Shutter: Yes, to 1/2000 second
• Filter Size: 72mm
• Lens Elements: 10
• Lens Groups: 10
• Special Elements: 1 aspherical, 3 ED glass
• Anti-Flare Coatings: Yes
• Internal Focusing: Yes
• Control Rings: Focus
• Control Buttons: No
• Control Switches: No
• Focus Motor: Linear stepping motor
• Minimum Focus Distance: 55 cm (22 inches)
• Maximum Magnification: 0.17× (1:5.8)
• Mount Material: Metal
• Weather/Dust Sealing: Yes
• Dimensions (Length × Diameter): 76 x 75 mm (3.0 × 3.0 inches)
• Weight: 398 g (0.88 lbs)
• MSRP: $2,229
• Lowest Sale Seen: $2,229 (check current price)

The next page of this review covers the optical characteristics of the Hasselblad XCD 75mm f/3.4 P, including focusing performance and sharpness tests in the lab. So, click the menu below to go to “Optical Performance”: