Hasselblad 20-35mm f3.2-4.5 Review: A Kiss from Heaven

In so many ways, the Hasselblad 20-35mm f3.2-4.5 E is one of the most perfect zoom lenses we’ve ever tested for Medium Format cameras. While you think that a variable aperture would be a problem, you’d be wrong. This lens is excellent in nearly every single way. It feels great too with a full-metal body. Despite that, it lacks the weather resistance levels that we crave so much. But even so, that’s not the most jarring issue. Most people who use this lens, however, might be able to look past our qualms.

The Big Picture: Hasselblad 20-35mm f3.2-4.5 Review Conclusions

The Hasselblad 20-35mm f3.2-4.5 is a joy to use. But to be very honest, I’ve liked many of Hasselblad’s wide-angle primes so much more. While this lens sings the song of sharp image quality, I simply just don’t feel as inspired with it as I do with Hasselblad’s non-telephoto prime lenses. However, the X2D 100C and this lens let you shoot down to a very slow shutter speed. That’s because of the leaf shutter. And so I’d sometimes shoot over 1 second handheld and not get camera shake. That’s really impressive — and if you plan on shooting wide-angle scenes without a tripod, this lens is an excellent option.

In fact, I don’t really have problems with the Hasselblad 20-35mm f3.2-4.5. It’s excellent, and I accept that there is someone out there who will find endless joy with a lens like this. Where I’d say that a Sony user might defend the dirt they eat, I think that a Hasselblad 20-35mm f3.2-4.5 user will experience photos that they really can’t get with another platform as easily.

With all this said, my problems aren’t with the lens. Instead, it’s with the Hasselblad cameras on the market. I, like so many others, have stopping using Adobe products. And Hasselblad RAW files aren’t supported in Capture One. Why? Every other camera manufacturer says that it’s the best photo editor out there. Once Hasselblad gets this feature, I think that Fujifilm will have a really big reason to be scared.

The Hasselblad 20-35mm f3.2-4.5 receives four out of five stars. Want one? Check them out on Amazon.

Pros

• Pretty small size
• Metal build
• Stunning image quality
• Leaf shutter means you can shoot at ridiculously slow shutter speeds without camera shake
• Internal zooming

Cons

• $5,929 is kind of steep for a lens like this; especially one that’s lacking fuller weather-resistance.
• One of the slowest focusing medium format lenses I’ve used
• We wish Hasselblad had Capture One support.

Innovations: What Makes the Hasselblad 20-35mm f3.2-4.5 Review So Special?

This is a bit of an odd one. Fujifilm has a constant aperture f4 variant of this lens. But with Hasselblad, you go faster on the wider end and slower on the longer end. So while the focal length isn’t exclusive to Hasselblad, the rest of the lens pretty much is. Specifically, Hasselblad says this is one of their “E” lenses. That stands for exclusive and is said to be their highest-end option with image quality rivaling their prime lenses. So overall, it’s not groundbreaking when it comes to innovation as lots of image quality issues can be improved with post-production, and Hasselblad isn’t doing anything with their sensors that make them unique. In contrast, Fujifilm does this with their processors in the GF series.

Gear Used

We used the Hasselblad 20-35mm f3.2-4.5 with the X2D 100C. Both units were loaned to us by Hasselblad. I used a Tiffen Pro Mist filter with this camera and loved every second of it.

Hardware

There is a lot to like about the Hasselblad 20-35mm f3.2-4.5. First off, it’s all metal and, therefore, feels great in the hand. My only issue with this, however, is that the Hasselblad doesn’t work to provide more comprehensive weather resistance to their lenses and cameras.

For example, the other day, my buddy asked to borrow a camera system that’s more weather-resistant than his Sony a7 IV. He’s heading to Japan for several weeks specifically in the most humid areas. He was concerned about weather resistance. So I loaned him my Fujifilm X Pro 3 because he wanted something very lightweight. Believe it or not, humidity can surely affect a camera’s performance. And even though Hasselblad does a lot to make this look and feel pretty, it’s ultimately a situation where the clothes make the person.

The Hasselblad 20-35mm f3.2-4.5 sports several rings — the control-type and not the high end jewelry you’d see on a rapper’s hands. These rings give you the control you need. And otherwise, there isn’t much else to this lens beyond the two control rings.

Oh yeah, it’s an internal zooming optic.

Protect Your Camera Gear

For years, here at The Phoblographer we’ve done tests on cameras, lenses, bags, computers, lights, and more. And we know that your warranty doesn’t always cover the damage. Plus, accidents can happen on set.

This is why we’ve created a Photography Care Program in partnership with Full-Frame Insurance. Now, photographers across the United States looking for extra security can get various protections to cover their craft. The Photography Care Program provides peace of mind; now you’ll know you can bounce back from a photoshoot gone awry, on-site or inside. We’re making it super easy to get it done, too! Better yet, there is coverage outside of the US and Canada when the photographer is traveling for short periods of time for business.

We’re able to do this through our partnership with Full-Frame Insurance, a company specializing in Small Business Insurance. Are you a Freelance Photographer? We’ll cover you. What about a freelance multi-media journalist? We’ve got you. The Photography Care Program will protect you.

Transform your focus from worry to creativity with the Photography Care Program. Whether it’s a light stand tumbling down, a telephoto lens shattering, or an unforeseen mishap, you don’t have to face the financial burden alone. Experience the freedom to capture stunning shots, knowing you’re protected. Whether you’re an amateur or a professional, secure your peace of mind – and protect your photography gear – with our affordable Photography Care Program today.

Focusing

Well, the autofocus is slow on the Hasselblad 20-35mm f3.2-4.5. But that’s fine as I’m not expecting to shoot really photograph lots of fast moving subjects with this lens. And if I do, I’d probably zone focus with it. Instead, the autofocus is better for portraits and landscapes. In fact, that’s who this lens is designed for. The focusing only really suffered in low light. But in bright lights, it worked perfectly fine.

Ease of Use

There isn’t much to discuss when it comes to this lens’s ease of use. It’s not a prime, so a zone-focusing scale is a moot point here. Instead, you’re just going to zoom in and out with it. That’s all. Point, focus, shoot, and enjoy. What’s really nice is the 1/2000th flash sync because of the leaf shutter. So if you’re shooting with a flash, then it will work really well.

Just a note, Hasselblad uses Nikon’s hot shoe. So you can use Profoto lights for Nikon really easily here.

Throughout this review, you’ll hear me talk about how sharp this lens is. And that’s partially because of the ease of use. This lens has a leaf shutter, so the camera shake is majorly cut down. I shot the image above at 1/15th of a second and kept the buildings super sharp. Cool, huh?

Hasselblad 20-35mm f3.2-4.5 Image Quality

Let me say this: I’m very impressed with the sharpness from the Hasselblad 20-35mm f3.2-4.5. Yes, I said that — the guy who doesn’t care about sharpness and how companies try to constantly measure up against one another. It’s even more impressive because of just how sharp and detailed the images can be due to higher resolution sensors. Combine this with the way that medium format renders light, and you’ve got a major winner on your hands.

Let’s Talk Art

In an effort to avoid being a tech-oriented website, I’m going to discuss the images below and explain why I like them. This will remind you of how important art is.

I’ve always been fascinated by the way light is rendered in medium format. It glows and renders scenes that look like some higher power is blessing us with an otherworldly and omnipotent kiss. Couple that with using a Pro Mist filter on the lens, and you’ve got yourself a vibe.

As I went around the world photographing with the Hasselblad 20-35mm f3.2-4.5, I looked for light that I knew would glow or things that I knew would be rendered differently. Though I had only a few short days with this lens, I really do like what I made with it. If Capture One has Hasselblad support, I feel like I could’ve made even better images using post-production. Still, I’m very proud of the work that I made.

Extra Image Samples

From day one, The Phoblographer has been huge on transparency with our audience. Nothing from this review is sponsored. Further, lots of folks will post reviews and show lots of editing in the photos. The problem then becomes that anyone and everyone can do the same thing. They’re not showing what the lens can do. So we have a section in our Extra Image Samples area to show edited and unedited photos. From this, you can make a decision for yourself.

Unedited

Edited

Believe it or not, we did all of these in JPEG. So we didn’t edit anything.

Tech Specs

The following specs were given to us by Hasselblad:

• Metal lens body
• 16 elements in 12 groups
• 3 Aspherical elements
• 4 ED Elements
• 16-27mm equivalence in full-frame 35mm vernacular
• Leaf shutter up to 1/2000th
• Stepping motor to make the focus silent

Declarations of Journalistic Intent

The Phoblographer is one of the last standing dedicated photography publications that speaks to both art and tech in our articles. We put declarations up front in our reviews to adhere to journalistic standards that several publications abide by. These help you understand a lot more about what we do:

• At the time of publishing this review, Hasselblad is not an advertiser with the Phoblographer. This doesn’t affect our reviews.
• Note that this isn’t necessarily our final review of the camera. It will be updated, and it’s more of an in-progress review than anything. In fact, almost all our reviews are like this.
• This review, and none of the reviews on the Phoblographer, are sponsored. That’s against FTC laws and we adhere to them just the same way that newspapers, magazines, and corporate publications do.
• Hasselblad loaned the camera and accessories to the Phoblographer for review. There was no money exchange between Hasselblad and the Phoblographer for this to happen. Hasselblad and several other manufacturers trust the Phoblographer’s reviews, as they are incredibly blunt.
• Hasselblad knows that they cannot influence the site’s reviews. If we don’t like something or if we have issues with it, we’ll let folks know. We were the first publication to inform about the issue with the Leica M10R and how it renders the color orange.
• Hasselblad shipped the camera to the Phoblographer and is paying for the return shipment. This is a standard practice in the world of reviewers.
• The Phoblographer’s standards for reviewing products have become much stricter. After having the world’s largest database of real-world lens reviews, we choose not to review anything we don’t find innovative or unique, and in many cases, products that lack weather resistance. We’ve also steered away from Micro Four Thirds and APS-C as they’re dying formats. This is a conclusion that even the other members of TIPA agree on. Unless something is very unique, we probably won’t touch it.
• In recent years, brands have withheld NDA information from us or stopped working with us because they feel they cannot control our coverage. These days, many brands will not give products to the press unless they get favorable coverage. In other situations, we’ve stopped working with several brands for ethical issues. Either way, we report as honestly and rawly as humanity allows.
• At the time of publishing, the Phoblographer is the only photography publication that is a member of Adobe’s Content Authenticity Initiative. We champion human-made art and are frank with our audience. We are also the only photography publication that labels when an image is edited or not.

More can be found on our Disclaimers page.