I'm wrapping up my (admittedly unscientific) testing of Hasselblad XCD lenses paired with the 9mm extension tubes.
I've owned nearly all XCD lenses over time, selling and rebuying several newer ones—and making the big mistake of parting with the XCD 135mm f/2.8 and X1.7 teleconverter (which I recently repurchased at full price—ouch).
Like many online, I initially celebrated the new XCD V-series lenses and considered offloading the older ones. But I paused and retested the classics (e.g., XCD 80mm f/1.9, 65mm f/2.8, and others) against the newcomers. My conclusion: for my work, the older lenses deliver superior image quality (IQ), especially for close-up and near-field photography. Adding the 9mm tubes only reinforced this—there's zero doubt these "old beasts" outperform the new ones in pure lens IQ for my needs.
I fully understand the appeal of the new lenses: they're lightweight, compact, handle beautifully, and focus quickly (with C-AF on compatible bodies). I use them constantly and love them for that.
But when it matters most—when the tire meets the road—the older lenses win for me. I'm more of a close-up/near shooter than a distant-landscape one, so I can't abandon the classics. Some aren't worth selling (low resale value), but others, like the 80mm f/1.9 and 135mm + teleconverter, are irreplaceable.
I'm keeping the older XCDs, even if I don't use them daily. While Hasselblad's shift to lighter, more convenient designs makes sense (and we've gained a lot in handling and speed), I believe we've traded away some micro-contrast, sharpness, and overall "magic" in the process.
I'm old-school enough to accept the inconvenience—lugging heavier glass, manual focusing quirks, etc.—for the IQ payoff. I'd love to fully embrace the modern flow, but I can't quite let go. I'll keep my old lenses and add what new ones I can afford (the XCD 35-100E zoom is on order and will be the ultimate convenience-vs-IQ test for me).
Agreed. I don't miss the 65 but I do miss the. 80 f/1.9. I will never sell my 35-75, which is heavy and slow but may have the best IQ in the herd. I always tempted to sell the 135 because it rarely gets used, but I know I'll regret it, so it stays.
I have very limited experience with the newer XCD lens, only have the 45P/28P, for travel usage. The reason I have not got into them is that the older XCD lenses are so good and I am perfectly happy to use them as they are. I really like using the 65, 80/1.8 and 35-75 despite their size and weight.
I quite honestly do not get the old vs new debate. I bought the 3 P lenses and 2 of the 4 V lenses but I also kept all of the older lenses I had like the 80mm and 35-75mm.
I only got into the Hasselblad X system after they released the 45P. Coming from the Leica SL system it was very clear in my mind that I did not want another system with only heavy lenses.
I am hoping for a Mk II of most of the older lenses though, ideally a bit lighter, maintaining the same image quality and supporting all new features.
I think that will be the direction they go in the future for primes. The size and high quality as well as AF speed are a must. I have zero interest in these zooms. Not sure why everyone is so eager to make their extremely compact medium format camera into something as big as a Hasselblad of old.
