A couple of days ago, Hasselblad announced the new XCD 25mm f/2.5 lens for its medium format system. Unusually, this lens is now in stock at B&H Photo. I say unusually because stock delays have plagued the previous Hasselblad XCD lens launches. Well over a year after its launch, the XCD 90mm lens is still almost impossible to find in stock, and used versions are trading well above retail price on eBay. Perhaps the XCD 25mm f/2.5 will follow suit and become unobtainable for the next 18 months, too. If you’re thinking of buying this lens, grab it now!
When you factor in the Hasselblad X System’s crop factor, this 25mm lens has a field of view equivalent to a 20mm lens on a full-frame 35mm camera. I love shooting at 20mm for landscapes and astrophotography because you don’t get the corner distortions associated with wider focal lengths like 14mm or 16mm. If I could have one wide-angle lens, it’d surely be a 20mm for my full-frame cameras, and if I owned a Hasselblad, this 25mm would be the perfect equivalent.
