Hasselblad XCD 38mm f/2.5 Aperture Series: Wooden Boardwalk, Dusk (X2D)
Related: Hasselblad, Hasselblad Lenses, Hasselblad medium format, Hasselblad mirrorless, Hasselblad X2D 100C, Hasselblad XCD 38mm f/2.5 V, medium format, Other World Computing
This page presents evaluates the Hasselblad XCD 38mm f/2.5 from f/2.5 to f/11, with a special attention to its pronounced central rearward focus shift, so strong as to guarantee inferior results if not compensated-for by the photographer. The XCD 38/2.5 is bitingly sharp, but if that sharpness lands in the wrong place then it’s not.
UPDATE Jan 2024: firmware 1.1.1 or later offers a stopped-down focusing feature.
This series is also an excellent demonstration of the limits of depth of field, even at 38mm and f/11. No focus stacking was feasible.
Also examined is the Hasselblad X2D image quality with long exposures, ranging from 18 seconds at f/2.5 to 144 seconds at f/11. The Hasselblad X2D lacks an in-camera long exposure noise reduction (black frame) feature. How does it do?
Hasselblad XCD 38mm f/2.5 Aperture Series: Wooden Boardwalk, Dusk
Includes images up to full camera resolution from f/2.5 to f/11, plus crops.
Many thanks to B&H Photo for loaning the X2D and lenses. Please use links on this site to buy.
Hasselblad X2D 100C + Hasselblad XCD 38mm f/2.5 V @ 31.3mm equiv (38mm)
ENV: Colorado, altitude 8460 ft / 2579 m, 56°F / 13°C
RAW: LACA corrected, pull 0.3 stops, +30 Whites, +10 Clarity, diffraction mitigating sharpening
[low-res image for bot]
