Hasselblad is a name that rocks premium optics at a premium price. However, Hasselblad has recently developed a series of more compact and somewhat more affordable lenses classified under the “P” for portable moniker.
at $2,300I wouldn’t call the new 75mm lens a bargain or anything, but it does save you some money compared to the faster Hasselblad lens. I got the latest 75mm f/3.4 P series lens from Hasselblad to test out on the streets of Calgary.
Hasselblad XCD 75mm f/3.4 P review: What it feels like
The new 75mm lens is coincidentally 75mm in physical length and represents its portable name well with a very compact body design and minimal 14-ounce (398g) weight. The front of the lens is cut for a 72mm filter and comes with the classic Hasselblad metal hood. There are no controls on the lens except for the manual focusing ring and it doesn’t have a manual focus clutch that we’ll find on higher end lenses. Manual focusing is by wire but at least the action is smooth and precise focusing is possible with practice.
Even though the P series lenses are slower because their prices are lower, they are still built to the same manufacturing standards as all XCD lenses and so feel fantastic to use with a fully weather-sealed design to protect them. There’s honestly not much else to say about the handling of a lens with such a minimalist design.
Hasselblad XCD 75mm f/3.4 P review: How it shoots
The 75mm focal length gives us about a 60mm full-frame equivalent which makes a good street photo lens. Hasselblad also wants to market it as a portrait lens, which is an opinion I don’t really agree with. However, it’s fine for head and shoulders portraits, with perhaps a little cropping, and is also ideal as a full-body portrait lens.
The f/3.4 aperture is one of the main reasons this lens is more compact and more affordable. This gives the equivalent of an f/2.8 lens on a full-frame camera so it doesn’t particularly qualify as a lens with shallow depth of field, but you can get some soft backgrounds. Bokeh was fine with some very slight onion rings in the highlights, which give the highlights an almost messy look in contrast to the clear concentric rings inside. Soap bubbles also have a very strong effect. This makes the background look a little harsh but it was a mild effect and overall I found the look generally pleasant.
When shooting at f/2.8 there is a dramatic cat’s eye effect that I really like. The lens is also free from LoCA (longitudinal chromatic aberration) and is very well corrected against flare and ghosting. However, there is a fair amount of vignetting at f/3.4, which is understandable considering that the lens is designed to be as small as possible.
Sharpness throughout the entire image is excellent with this latest Hasselblad lens. The center of the image is full of detail at f/3.4 and there’s really no need to enhance it when you stop the lens down. The corners show a touch of softness wide open, but as the lens closes down they get very sharp indeed. This 75mm lens will delight any photographer with its overall sharpness and easily manages 100-megapixel resolution on the latest Hasselblad body.
I would consider this optic essentially a “normal” lens, and they typically do not have macro capabilities of any kind. The 75mm f/3.4P continues this expectation as the minimum focusing distance from the sensor plane is 0.55-metres and gives a reproduction ratio of only 1:5.8. This is not a macro lens. However, focusing speed was good, and as mentioned earlier, manual focus was accurate up close.
Hasselblad XCD 75mm f/3.4 P review: Portable but pleasing
I enjoyed my time with this little lens and the image quality is excellent as always. To reach this low price some concessions will have to be made in Bokeh and Vignetting but the lens is still fun to use and very capable. Basically, you have to be okay with this lens having somewhat less light gathering ability.
The closest competition in the Hasselblad lineup is the 65mm f/2.8 XCD lens which has a slight aperture advantage. However, I think I prefer the slightly longer focal length and smaller size of the 75mm lens. The real star in this range is the 80mm f/1.9 which will provide very shallow depth of field and is optically unreliable, but the size and price add up a lot. You can also go the 90mm f/3.2 route which is more suitable for dedicated portraiture and will still produce soft backgrounds but will also involve a $1000 premium.
The 75mm P should be best appreciated as an alternative to the 65mm lens and will win over users with its image quality and portability. As an easy walk-around lens that can also work for occasional portraits, Hasselblad has made a great product. It’s still an expensive lens, but I think most people will appreciate the results of this lens and with a slightly longer focal length than a 65mm lens, the lower price is an added bonus. If I already had a 35-70mm f/3.4-4.5 zoom, I would probably choose something with a faster aperture to really vary the photos I can capture.
Are there any alternatives?
Hasselblad 75mm f/3.4 P comes at $2,300 which compares favorably 65mm f/2.8 at $2,750you can go higher 80mm f/1.9 at $4,845 For as shallow a depth of field as possible. Hasselblad’s 90mm f/2.5V This is also an option but, obviously, covers a different range entirely.
Should you buy it?
Yes. If I was looking for a general lens for the X2D and I don’t have anything at the moment, 75mm f/3.4 P You will understand a lot. It saves a little cash in your wallet and also has an optical performance.
