Yep, it’s big, heavy, clunky, and a little noisy. However, it does the job of good bokeh and sharp resolution. No, it’s not going to the track or a football game. Instead, it will live in the garden and the studio.
One of my observations of Hasselblad XCD lenses is the absence of bokeh, meaningful bokeh. The 80mm F/1.9 breaks that mold. Of course, I right away tested it and then put it on the shelf. It’s not something I would use until I need it; then I use it.
For me, it’s not a walk around lens. However, every time I need to separate any still life object from the background, this is the lens to use. It’s the fastest lens Hasselblad offers, so its king of the bokeh for now.
And I know the photographer who designed this lens (XCD 80mm f/1.9) for Hasselblad and made it what it is. He told me personally that he designed this lens to be the Hasselblad equivalent of Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4. I can see that it takes some babying and special handling, and it has a slow autofocus, yet I’m glad to have the lens. I consider the Hasselblad system much like I consider my large-format systems. Slow and deliberate photography is what it is good for, IMO.
Of course, some of the XCD lenses can be used as walkaround lenses. I have not done too much of that so far, other than walk around and shoot static shots, essentially still life. If I can keep the shutter fast enough to capture images in a walk around, I see no reason why they can’t do that very well.
To repeat, I would not use this as a walk-around lens for all the above reasons, yet it is perfect in the studio or on a tripod because I will (one has to) take the time to use it properly.
[Images here are not meant to be ‘finished’, only to show the separation from subject and the background bokeh]
I walk around with mine, and, given the X2D’s almost otherworldly levels of IBIS, it doesn’t need a tripod (though like all lenses can still benefit from one, at the extremes). It’s a lovely lens, both sharp and smooth.
The 135 with TC can get to be a handful as a multi-hour walkaround lens, though I’ve done it, 90 minutes likely being my personal limit on that one, and I’d say that combo definitely benefits from a tripod in many situations.
Designed as a response to the Zeiss Otus 85/1.4, that’s interesting, as that’s tough to match, if we’re honest.
Well, I believe we are honest. I sent you a PM explaining just who designed that lens and what an incredible reputation he has. I didn't want to post publically what was sent to me personally.
Just a sideways shot to see how the boken fits in.
The quest to equal Otus was apparent on the first time I lifted the XCD 80 out of the box, it's nearly the same mass in a smaller volume compared to the Otus 85. It's amazingly sharp. I think the Zeiss a bit is better than the Hasselblad on aberration control wide open and XCD can also have a bit of fringing on both the 50 and 100 sensors, and is a bit hard to control in post. Stopped down to f/2 the Hasselblad is wonderful. No Autofocus or leaf shutter for Otus, plus the built in corrections in Phocus for the XCD are big factors. Both are amazing lenses to be sure.
