Skip to main content

The Hasselblad X1D is getting bright aperture prime lenses in 2018

hasselblad updated xcd lens 2018 road map all 171102 front white3
Image used with permission by copyright holder
The Hasselblad X1D changed the game for medium-format with a portable, mirrorless design, but the new body style didn’t come with as many lens options as the more established systems. Hasselblad, however, is working to change that by bringing the total number lens options for the XCD mirrorless system to nine by the end of 2018. In an updated lens road map shared on Friday, November 3, the company announced the development of an XCD 135mm and 85mm lenses, along with sharing additional details on previously announced lenses.

The new 135mm will have a bright f/2.8 aperture and will also ship with a teleconverter that allows the lens to shoot as a 230mm f/4.8, adding more versatility to the prime lens.

Details are a bit more scarce for the XCD 80mm without details on the aperture, but Hasselblad says the lens will have the brightest aperture the company has introduced yet. The XCD line’s brightest aperture is a f/2.8.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The company also shared additional details on previously announced lenses. The XCD 22mm ultrawide-angle lens is being upgraded to a 21mm lens and will have a f/4.0 aperture. The slightly wider angle is to meet user demand for better wide angle lenses, the company says.

The previously announced XCD 35-75mm zoom lens will have a f/3.5-4.5 maximum aperture, while the XCD 65mm will have a bright f/2.8.

Like all XCD lenses, Hasselblad says the new lenses will use a central shutter with a wide range of shutter speeds along with flash synch up to 1/2000.

Except for the 80mm, all of the new lenses will launch in the first half of 2018, Hasselblad says, while the 80mm will come sometime in the second half of the year.

The upcoming lenses will bring the XCD lens count to nine, including the 120mm macro that’s now shipping globally after more than expected pre-orders. In our Hasselblad X1D review, the lack of bright aperture lenses is a low point for the camera, so the launch of both additional focal lengths and brighter apertures should help expand the capabilities of the medium format mirrorless.

Hillary K. Grigonis
Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…
Canon’s smallest EOS R camera just got a $200 discount
Canon EOS R100 mirrorless camera with lens attached

Target is an excellent source of camera deals. Just last week it had a $300 discount on the Fujifilm X-T50 mirrorless digital camera bundle, and today it has an amazing offer for the Canon EOS R100. From its original price of $600, the mirrorless camera is down to a more affordable $400, for $200 in savings. We're not sure how long you have to take advantage of this offer though, so if you're interested in making this purchase, you should probably complete the transaction right now if you want to enjoy the 33% discount.

Why you should buy the Canon EOS R100 mirrorless camera
The Canon EOS R100 is the smallest model in the brand's EOS R series of mirrorless cameras, which makes it a perfect choice for rookie photographers. Unlike a DSLR camera, which uses a mirror for their optical viewfinder, a mirrorless camera uses an imaging sensor for a digital preview of the picture that you're planning to take. The lack of the mirror makes mirrorless cameras much smaller than DSLR cameras, and that's very apparent with the Canon EOS R100, as it only measures about 6.1 inches by 7.9 inches by 7.6 inches, and it weights just about 2 pounds.

Read more
The best photo printers you can buy in 2024
Alan compares draft, standard, and high-quality photos from Epson's EcoTank ET-8500.

If you love sharing photo prints or building physical photo albums, you might want to upgrade to a photo printer. When manufacturers optimize printers for pictures, the results often exceed the image quality of the best printers available.

Compared to sending photos to a lab or printing at a local office store, you have faster feedback and more control when you create pictures on your own photo printer. If you decide a print would benefit from a color or exposure adjustment, you can quickly make that change and print again with minimal delay. A printer that handles photos well offers instant gratification and convenience, while saving you money on print costs from a photo lab.

Read more
Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Lightroom: Which should you choose to edit your photos?
project felix lighting tool adobe beta

Within Adobe's Creative Cloud Suite, there are two programs designed specifically with photographers in mind: Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom.

At first glance, these two programs might appear redundant, as they're both made with the goal of editing photographs of all kinds. But the truth is, each program is designed with a different purpose in mind, and each offers a distinct post-production photography workflow.
Photoshop vs. Lightroom
In the most simple terms, Adobe Photoshop is effectively a digital darkroom, where you can make detailed adjustments and alterations to any kind of image. Adobe Lightroom, on the other hand, is closer to an entire photography studio, as it imports, organizes, edits, and exports photographs.

Read more