Hasselblad has unveiled its first 'Exclusive' zoom lens for its XCD lineup, the XCD 20-35mm f/3.2-4.5 E, designed for its medium-format cameras such as the divine X2D 100C, which remains one of our favorite professional cameras.
Until now, users of the X2D 100C had only prime lenses to choose from, but now there's an ultra-wide-angle zoom that sounds dreamy, especially for landscape and architecture photography.
It's also the first XCD lens with the 'E' designation, which stands for 'Exclusive' and what the company bills as the top optical performance in the series – not bad for a zoom lens that sits alongside esteemed primes such as the XCD 90mm f/2.5, one of the sharpest portrait lenses available.
The premium lens costs a whopping $5,929 / £5,699 / AU$9,639 – not a whole lot less than the cameras it's designed for – and is available now.
A pricey but highly capable optic
The lens's 20-35mm focal length on Hasselblad's medium-format cameras is a 16-27mm full-frame equivalent, which is a popular focal range for landscapes and interiors, and makes this the widest lens available for Hasselblad cameras.
Hasselblad says the all-metal lens can meet the demands of its high-resolution 100MP sensor, with 16 elements in 12 groups rendering stunning clarity from the center to the edges of the frame – and based on its track record, plus the particularly high price of the lens, we have every reason to believe it.
The lens features a leaf shutter, a design that minimizes vibrations during capture and also places no limit on flash sync speed, besides the camera's maximum shutter speed, which in the X-series is up to 1/2000 sec.
A final key point to note, beyond Hasselblad's typically beautiful and understated design, is that this new 20-35mm boasts Hasselblad's quickest and quietest autofocus performance yet, thanks to the combination of its stepping motor and focusing drive mechanism, and the lightweight lens element groups that the motors are required to shift.
Hasselblad's autofocus performance has never been even a close match for that of the best mirrorless cameras from the likes of Sony, Canon, Nikon and more, so any progress in this area is welcome.
Since Hasselblad was acquired by DJI, and then announced that it has killed off its H-series of cameras, it's clear where the focus lies with its medium-format system: the X-series of cameras. We've seen an uptick in new XCD lenses, which must reassure those considering the system for the first time, who'll be further encouraged by this super-looking ultra-wide zoom.
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