Hasselblad, the Sweden based medium format camera manufacturer, has launched the compact super-lightweight Hasselblad XCD 4/45P. The company says that the new X System lens is “the world’s lightest digital medium format autofocus lens” available today. It is designed to enhance the capabilities of all X System cameras.
The Hasselblad XCD 4/45P brings high-level optics in a portable, lightweight build that makes it very suitable for use as a travel camera, for exploration, and documentary. This new digital medium format lens is designed to be super portable without sacrificing image quality. The Hasselblad XCD 4/45P weighs only 320g (0.7 lbs) and measures just 47mm (1.85 in) in thickness.
According to the company, the new Hasselblad XCD 4/45P has been crafted with discreet portability in mind. It uses state of the art designs that reduces audible noise in both the autofocus motor and leaf shutter. Hasselblad says that photographers will find the leaf shutter of the new XCD 4/45P quieter than many focal plane mechanical shutters.
The company already has a 45mm lens for the X System cameras but with just an F3.5 maximum aperture. It’s also a lot bigger – measuring 75mm in length and weighing 417g (0.92lbs) and way costlier. Per Nordlund, Lead Optical Designer at Hasselblad said that they are very proud to have produced a lens with an equally high optical performance like that of other XCD lenses but in a super-compact form.
The Hasselblad XCD 45P lens pairs well with the X1D/X1D II and Phocus Mobile to produce images that are unrivaled in quality. People who already have the existing Hasselblad X1D-50c Mk1 cameras will have to wait for a new firmware update that will make them compatible with the XCD lens.
Features and Specs of the Hasselblad XCD 4/45P
Designed to achieve the utmost in portability, the XCD 4/45P is currently the most compact and lightweight lens in the XCD lens series. It weighs 320g (0.7 lbs) with a depth of 47mm (1.85 in) and can focus down to 35cm (13.8in).
At just 320g (0.7 lbs), ultra-light Hasselblad XCD 4/45P weighs just about the same as a Pro hot-shoe flash. Like the other X System Lenses, the 45mm f/4 lens features an integral central shutter with a wide range of shutter speed selection from 1/2000sec to 60min. It also supports full flash sync up to 1/2000s.
The new X System lens promises superb optical performance within a compact lightweight body for users of Hasselblad’s X1D cameras. The ultra-light Hasselblad XCD 4/45P takes high-quality imaging even further. It features an optical design made up of nine elements in a seven group arrangement and incorporates two aspherical elements.
This new lens offers the same coverage as an equivalent 35mm lens for a full-frame sensor with a maximum aperture of f/4 and a minimum aperture of f/22. It offers a minimum focus distance of 35cm (13.8 in) along with a maximum image magnification scale of 1:5.2. This makes it very suitable for food photography and shooting even still life photos.
The Hasselblad XCD 4/45P features a mechanically connected focus ring that enables it to deliver an accurate and responsive manual focus experience for a tactile shooting feel. Like the other X System lenses, the XCD 4/45P offers optimum optical performance, technical excellence, and high build quality. It features a quiet new AF motor plus a quieter built-in leaf shutter that supports flash sync up to 1/2000s.
Availability and Pricing
You can view some official sample images from the Hasselblad website and learn more about the XCD 4/45P. You can order the Hasselblad XCD 4/45P today at an MSRP of $1,100 excluding VAT, but shipping is to begin in late January 2020. It comes with a Front Lens Cap and a Rear Lens Cap.
