Hasselblad goes wide with its new XCD 20-35mm f/3.2-4.5 E zoom lens

John Aldred

John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Hasselblad XCD 20-35mm f/3.2-4.5 E

Hasselblad has gone even wider for its newest lens release. It’s not a prime like the recently released Hasselblad XCD 25mm f/2.5 ($3,699), but it does go wider. It’s the Hasselblad XCD 20-35mm f/3.2-4.5 E ($5,929), with a field of view equivalent to 16-27mm on a “full-frame” mirrorless camera.

It sports a leaf shutter for shutter speeds up to 1/4000th of a second – with flash if needed. At the widest end of its focal length, it has a maximum aperture of f/3.2, dropping to f/4.5 at 35mm. Not super fast, but as it’s a medium format lens, it should still be fairly shallow in its depth of field.

Hasselblad XCD 3,2-4,5/20-35E – Ultrawide medium format

The new lens, Hasselblad says, offers the company’s XCD E series flagship optical quality, which one would expect, given the price. It contains 16 elements in 12 groups to provide edge-to-edge sharpness with minimised aberration throughout its focal length range.

It has a minimum focus distance of only 32cm, making for some great close-up photography options. And even at a relatively small f/3.2 maximum aperture, the company says it offers smooth bokeh when shot wide open at 20mm. A fast 1/4000th leaf shutter helps to ensure you can stop the action.

It features a stepper motor paired with a focusing drive mechanism and a small, lightweight focusing lens group for fast, accurate and quiet autofocus. When in manual focus, the focusing ring provides smooth operation.

Hasselblad XCD 20-35mm f/3.2-4.5 E

Hasselblad XCD 3,2-4,5/20-35E Specs

Focal length20-35mm (16-27mm FF equiv)
Max aperturef/3.2-4.5
Min aperturef/32
MountHasselblad X
Angle of view108° to 76°
Minimum focus distance32cm
Optics16 Elements in 12 Groups
Focus typeAutofocus
StabilisationNone
Leaf shutterYes, up to 1/4000sec
Filter thread77mm
Dimensions81 x 117mm
Weight805g

Price and Availability

The Hasselblad XCD 3,2-4,5/20-35E is available to pre-order now for $5,929. Units are expected to begin shipping in the coming weeks.


Filed Under:

Tagged With:

Find this interesting? Share it with your friends!

John Aldred

John Aldred

John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Join the Discussion

DIYP Comment Policy
Be nice, be on-topic, no personal information or flames.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *