Our Recommendation
The Hasselblad XCD 75mm f/3.4 P really grew on me. At first, my impressions weren’t very positive – the dim maximum aperture, lack of handling controls, and questionable “Portable” designation started me off on the wrong foot.
But man, the image quality on this thing is amazing. It’s just as sharp as the higher-end (and much more expensive) XCD V lenses, if not better, making it one of the sharpest lenses I’ve ever tested. The vignetting and distortion performances are good, and the chromatic aberration is lower than nearly any other lens. And because the XCD 75mm f/3.4 P is so well-built and has no external moving parts, it should hold up for years of professional use, even in difficult environments.
The biggest downside is the flare performance. You’ll need to be cautious when pointing this lens toward the sun, especially when the sun is slightly outside the frame. I didn’t notice this a couple of times in the field, and I ended up capturing some hard-to-correct blobs of flare as a result.
Here’s how I’d sum up the pros and cons of the XCD 75mm f/3.4 P .
Pros:
- Great build quality with an all-metal design and effective weather sealing
- Best-in-class sharpness, at the same level (or even better) than XCD V lenses
- Focus accuracy is impeccable
- Extremely low levels of chromatic aberration
- Distortion and vignetting performances are pretty good
- Beautiful bokeh with no harsh edges in the background blur
- Leaf shutter offers flash sync at all shutter speeds
- $2230 price, though objectively high, is very good for a modern Hasselblad lens
Cons:
- Although hardly a giant, clearly bigger than Hasselblad’s other “P” lenses
- Overly minimalist layout with no controls, apart from a focus ring
- Focus speed limited by Hasselblad’s current cameras
- Shutter speed maxes out at 1/2000 second rather than 1/4000 second
- Dim f/3.4 maximum aperture isn’t ideal for low light or blurry backgrounds
- Flare can appear when the sun is outside the frame, even with the lens hood
I wouldn’t say that the Hasselblad XCD 75mm f/3.4 P is the right lens for everyone. Most of all, the f/3.4 maximum aperture is pretty dim and doesn’t allow you to blur the background very much. (Again, it’s like a 59mm f/2.7 in full-frame terms.) If you’re a portrait or documentary photographer, I would give a much closer look to Hasselblad’s XCD 80mm f/1.9 or XCD 90mm f/2.5 V instead.
But for many photographers, this lens is a nearly perfect choice. If you don’t care about maximum aperture and simply want maximum image quality – especially if you shoot from a tripod – the XCD 75mm f/3.4 P is the lens to get.
Personally, as a landscape photographer, it feels tailor-made for me. The f/3.4 maximum aperture isn’t a concern for what I shoot, and neither is the lens’s 1/2000 second limit on shutter speed. I still wish it had a few more controls, but the relatively lightweight design and impeccable build quality mean that I’d be happy carrying this lens into the backcountry for days on end. And of course, the image quality is second to none – even compared to XCD V lenses that cost twice as much. It’s just the flare that you need to worry about, and that’s something you can block in the field as long as you’re aware it’s happening.
All in all, this is an excellent lens. It’s not tailored to everyone, but if it fits your niche, you won’t find anything better.
Conclusion
The Hasselblad XCD 75mm f/3.4 P is available for $2229 through our affiliates:
- XCD 75mm f/3.4 P at B&H – Check Current Price and Availability
- XCD 75mm f/3.4 P at Adorama
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The last page of this review has reader comments. Use the Table of Contents below the star rating to jump to the section you want.
Hasselblad XCD 75mm f/3.4 P
- Build Quality and Handling
- Size and Weight
- Sharpness Performance
- Other Image Quality
- Value
Photography Life Overall Rating
Table of Contents