HASSELBLAD XCD 4/28P

The lightest, most compact, and highest performance wide-angle XCD lens

A review and photo examples of HASSELBLAD XCD28mm F4P

Table of contents

Gallery

  • Photo with X2D
X2D with XCD 28P

Review

  1. Usage
  2. Lens overview
  3. Differences from other lenses

1.Usage

This is the fourth XCD lens I’ve acquired, and it’s a long-awaited 28mm compact P-type lens, so I pre-ordered it as soon as it was announced. It’s lightweight, compact, and takes good pictures, so it’s become a lens I use regularly with X2D, to the point that I take this lens when I’m not sure what lens to take with me.

The lens has a simple design with just a focus ring, and there is no V mark like the expensive XCD lenses, so it has a simple appearance.

The autofocus (AF) focusing speed feels faster than the XCD 45P, and although the focus accuracy depends largely on the camera, there are few complaints as long as it is used with X2D. The shutter sound is quieter than the 45P and is almost silent when used outdoors.

The images output via the Phocus development software have a natural bokeh and a three-dimensional feel, and I feel that it is a very well-made lens. It is also reasonably resistant to backlight, and there is no major breakdown in image quality even without a hood.

This lens is designed to be used with a 44x33mm digital sensor, and the lens itself has a distortion of about -2%, so the image is distorted to a certain extent. However, the distortion and problems such as lack of peripheral light are corrected when developing with Phocus. Since the correction uses original dedicated parameters, the straight lines are almost too good to be true, and it even feels overcorrected.

2.Lens overview

The Hasselblad XCD 4/28P is a compact 28mm wide-angle lens released in September 2023 for the X Series cameras. It was released one year after the release of the X2D.

The lens has a lens diameter of φ75mm and a total length of 43.5mm, making it the smallest and lightest XCD mount lens used in the X1D, X1DII, X907, and X2D. It is smaller and lighter than the XCD 45P, which was the smallest lens until this lens was released.

The body has a built-in 1/4000 lens shutter mechanism, and the aperture is controlled from the camera side.

The price is about 280,000 yen for a new lens, making it a reasonably priced lens with the same shutter mechanism as other XCD lenses.

3.Differences from other lenses

Compared to the HCD 28mm F4 lens with the same specifications, the XCD28 is 1/3 the length, 1/4 the weight, and the filter diameter is 72mm for the XCD28 and 95mm for the HCD28, so there is a difference of 26mm, making the XCD28 significantly smaller and lighter.

It can be used as a practical snap shooter in combination with the X2D.
The HCD28mm can be used as a 22.4mm/F2.8 lens when used in combination with the X2D and x-h converter0.8, and because it has excellent optical correction, I am considering using it with the LEICA S.
I use it with the X2D, but I think it will be the same with the X1D, X1DII, and X907.

In addition, other medium format digital cameras do not use a focal length of 28mm, so a focal length of 30mm is relatively close. The reason for using a focal length of 30mm is that when the sensor magnification in 35mm format is multiplied by 0.8, it becomes 24mm, a focal length familiar to 35mm format cameras.

Since I have never actually used it, I can only talk about the appearance impression, but both are large lenses similar to the HCD28mm, and the compactness of the XCD 28mm stands out.

In addition, the Fujifilm GF30mmF3.5 R WR for GFX has a design that is thick at the base of the lens and tapers toward the tip, which is often used by Fujifilm, and I don’t like it very much. The Leica S Elmarit 30mm is about the size of the HCD 28mm, so it is probably well corrected optically, but I feel that it is too big and heavy.

XCD 4/28P is a compact 28mm focal length wide-angle lens released by Hasselblad in September 2023 for X series cameras.
The lens is the smallest and lightest among the X-mount lenses used in the X1D/X1DII/X907 (it is smaller and lighter than the XCD 45P). The new price is around 280,000 yen, which is in the cheap category for a lens equipped with the same 1/4000 lens shutter as other XCD lenses.
This is the fourth XCD lens I have purchased, and I pre-ordered and purchased the long-awaited compact P type 28mm lens as soon as it was announced.

The lens has a clean design with only a focus ring, and has a simple appearance without the V mark like expensive XCD lenses.
The aperture is controlled from the camera side, and the autofocus (AF) speed is faster than the XCD 45P, and the focus accuracy is largely dependent on the camera, but as long as you use it with the X2D, there are almost no complaints. The shutter sound is lower than that of the 45P and is almost silent for outdoor use.
This lens was not designed to be used with film at all, so the distortion of the lens itself is about -2%.
Problems such as distortion and insufficient peripheral light are digitally corrected during Phocus development.
The images output via the Phocus development software have a consistent blur and a three-dimensional effect, making me feel that this is a very well-made lens. The backlight resistance is also quite good, and there is no major deterioration in the depiction even without a hood.

Compared to the HCD 28mm F4 lens with the same specifications, the length is 1/3, the weight is 1/4, and the filter diameter is 72 mm for the XCD28 and 95 mm for the HCD28 and 26 mm, making the XCD28 significantly.
It can be used as a practical snap shooter in combination with the X2D.
HCD28mm can be used as a 22.4mm/F2.8 lens when used in combination with X2D and x-h converter 0.8, and it has excellent optical correction, so I am considering using it with LEICA S.
I’m using it on the X2D, but I think it has a similar usability on the X1D, X1DII, and X907.

Specification

ItemsXCD 28PHCD28mm
Focal length(mm)2828.9
Max aperture44
Min aperture3232
Lens Construction9 elements in 8 groups
2 aspherical lenses
1 anomalous dispersion (ED) lens
12 elements in 9 groups
Min distance(m)0.220.35
Lens length(mm)43.5102+48
Max diameter(mm)75100
Filter Size(mm)7295
Weight(g)245850+Converter
Release date2023/9/42018/07/18
Price(Yen/No-tax)265,000-810,000-
XCD 4/28P lens Specification PDF

Reference links

Update history

  • 2024.8.10
  • 2024.06.19
  • 2024.02.12:Update
  • 2023.09.05:First draft

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