Hasselblad XCD 3,4/75P review

What is the XCD 3,4/75P?

Hasselblad’s reputation for top-drawer photography equipment is both a blessing and a curse for the brand. It brings with it the pressure not just to perform, but more importantly stay ‘premium’. And in a market sector that is only getting more competitive, this is becoming a harder balance to maintain.

That’s where the P (for ‘portable’) series comes in. These lenses are smaller, lighter and crucially more affordable than their counterparts in the V (for ‘versatile’) and E (for ‘exclusive’) series.

The XCD 3,4/75P is the latest addition to this growing collection. The question is, does it live up to Hasselblad’s formidable reputation or does the reduction in cost and weight correlate with a reduction in quality?

Who is the XCD 3,4/75P for?

The lens is being marketed primarily as a portrait lens, but with a full-frame equivalent focal length of 59mm it’s good for much more than that. It’s a capable street shooter and would be useful for landscapes, especially when making the most of that huge medium format resolution. Mine was paired with the 100-megapixel X2D 100C and the combination made a relatively portable package.

The lens follows the same minimalist design as the XCD 4/28P with a solid metal case, attractive orange detailing and nothing but a focus ring when it comes to external controls. While the clean, minimalist look is pleasing, I’m a fan of an aperture ring, so would have liked to see the control ring included. Aside from that, it’s so far so good for the 75P.

XCD 75mm features

While it does follow the 28P with regard to looks, the 75P does not feature the same 1/4000sec built-in leaf shutter, instead using the 1/2000sec version. Nevertheless, it’s still a leaf shutter, so you get the inherent benefit of flash sync at all speeds.

The lens’ maximum aperture of f/3.4 is the widest in the P series, but it does leave a little to be desired. When it comes to bokeh, Hasselblad claims that what the 75P lacks in aperture is made up for in focal length to achieve similar bokeh effects to the XCD 65mm f/2.8. That’s all very well – and I thought the bokeh was lovely – but it doesn’t compensate for a lack of speed in lower light, which was an occasional issue in the often dim natural winter conditions I was faced with.

For example, I took the lens out to the local woods on a foggy winter’s day with the family. This played well with the portability factor – the lens was great in hand – but it did struggle to freeze moving subjects at times.

XCD 75mm image quality

Having said that, when you get this lens in good light it is a real pleasure. Image quality is excellent, with great sharpness across the frame only reducing slightly on the edges at the narrowest apertures. Any concerns that this lens is not capable of complementing the 100MP sensor in the X2D 100C should be forgotten.

The same is true for chromatic aberration, which was negligible, while distortion was minimal and easily fixed in post. I also found the autofocus to be a great performer. It was fast, quiet and accurate and was only really let down at times by the camera.

We can only hope that all this investment in a portable lens line precedes a new camera that’s better equipped for fast-moving, reactive genres.

Conclusion

All in all, the XCD 3,4/75P is a great lens. Yes, I could have done with a little more in terms of maximum aperture, but in medium format at this size and price point, something’s got to give. Considering this lens’ potential applications, I’d prefer to take the hit on speed than on quality.

Hasselblad XCD 3,4/75P specs

Price: £2149 (at time of writing)
In the box: Lens, lens hood, front and rear lens caps, protective pouch
Construction: Ten elements in ten groups
Special elements: One aspherical and three ED
Full frame equivalent focal length: 59mm
Aperture range: f/3.4-32
Minimum focus: 55cm
Maximum magnification: 0.17x
Filter size:72mm
Dimensions (dxl): 75x76mm
Weight: 398g
Contact: hasselblad.com