Hasselblad’s New 25mm f/2.5 V Lens is for Medium Format Star Photos

Hasselblad announced the 25mm f/2.5V (which it writes as 2,5/25V), its widest V-series lens for the XCD system. The wide-angle prime is designed for photographing cityscapes, starry skies, and indoor portraits.

Part of its Versatile (V) series of lenses, the 25mm f/2.5V has a full-frame equivalent focal length of 20mm and equivalent aperture of f/2 in terms of depth of field. The lens comprises 13 elements arranged into 10 groups, including four aspherical elements and three extra-low dispersion lenses. Hasselblad says this combination allows the lens to deliver sharp, crisp images from the center of the frame to the corners while simultaneously suppressing chromatic dispersion.

“Its wide-angle focal length encompasses a wealth of scenic elements, providing photographers with ample space and composition,” Hasselblad says. “The f/2.5 large aperture, coupled with its excellent optical performance, ensures rich highlights and shadows are captured within every frame, even at dusk or after dark.”

The lens isn’t just a one-trick pony for wide, sweeping photos, though. Hasselblad says that the lens has a short 25 centimeter minimum focusing distance (9.8 inches) and a 1:5.8 magnification, allowing it to be effectively used to shoot still-life subjects like food or flowers.

V-series lenses are, as the company says, designed to have user-friendly functionality while not sacrificing “elegance,” and lenses in this series are denoted by an engraved “V” on the lens along with the “H” Hasselblad logo engraved on the focus and control rings.

While Hasselblad doesn’t support video production with its current cameras, the 25mm f/2.5V has a de-clickable aperture. That said, functions such as shutter speed, ISO, and exposure compensation, in addition to aperture, can be customized on the control ring, so de-clicking it may better facilitate those options for certain photographers.

Photographers can toggle between manual focus and autofocus by pushing or pulling the focus ring. While in manual focus mode, scale marks appear, which are designed to enable precise focus control. For autofocus, the 25mm f/2.5V uses a linear stepping motor and a small, light focusing group that the company says allows for responsive and fast focusing when paired with a Hasselblad X or V system that supports phase detection autofocus.

Thanks to the leaf shutter built into the body of the optic, the lens supports a shutter speed of up to 1/4000 second and enables flash sync at all speeds.

The Hasselblad 25mm f/2.5V is available starting today for $3,699.

Image credits: Hasselblad