The 45mm in the XPan lens lineup
In the line up of the Hasselblad Xpan lenses the 45mm f4 is considered the standard lens. The one lens that you will get when you purchase the camera. However, unlike many other “kit" lenses that come with a body, this one is phenomenal.
The 45mm f4 Hasselblad xpan lens is equal to more or less a 24mm lens on a 35mm film camera in width, when used in panorama mode. While the height will still be limited to a 45mm. This mind-boggling conversion is often hard to understand, but definitely true. More on this later.
Next to the Hasselblad XPan 45mm lens there are two other lenses. The ultra wide 30mm lens is a rarity in the world and apparently exceptional as well, it comes with its own separate rangefinder. Then lastly, there is the 90mm lens, a beauty for compressing depth of field and bokeh. Compared to these two other lenses the 45mm is the most versatile and loved.
Size and Ergonomics
Taking everything into consideration, the Hasselblad XPan is already relatively small for a camera that can take 65mm wide format photos. You would expect the lenses to be relatively big and heavy, but the opposite is true. The 45mm lens is quite small and with the lens hood attached is still very compact.
The size of the camera makes it a great travel companion, whether you use it when roaming the streets whilst doing street photography or in the mountains it does not matter. It is a perfect travel size camera in my eyes as it does not stand out too much nor does it take up too much space.
Build Quality and Design
The 45mm Hasselblad XPan lens is very solid and has a robust construction. They packed a lot of quality in such a small lens, which is true to Hasselblad’s and Fujifilm’s standards. The hood of the lens is unique in its design and makes it obvious that the camera is designed for panoramic images. Although nowadays seen more often, I believe back when this camera was made it was not a standard lens hood design. Even though the hood does block out light from anything far out of frame, it does allow flares to happen when the light source is near the edge of the frame. The hood has its limitations and has proven to be lacking more than once in my experience.
The 90mm lens comes with a container in which the 45mm lens also fits. It’s quite practical to store the lens in the container when not in use as it protects the camera from humidity and provides extra protection.
With the aperture ring at the front, giving solid feedback when in use, the lens is a joy to work with. Additionally, the focusing feels very smooth. Enough resistance to make you not overshoot the focus at any point, nor too much to make you work for it. Make sure to maintain the lenses properly as they are getting old and it can affect the way they work.
Focal Length in Practice
A 45mm does not sound wide, but practically speaking the field of view in width in panorama mode with the Hasselblad XPan is more or less equal to a 24mm on a full frame digital camera. That is because the 45mm is an indication of what it will look like on a normal 35mm film camera. However, when the camera is set to panoramic mode, the width is almost 2x the normal 35mm film size therefore making the lens almost equal to 24mm.
This in combination with the superb lens quality allows you to use it in tight spaces without drastically altering the subject or the space. In combination with the short focussing distance the lens make a lot look natural. For those reasons the 45mm f4 Hasselblad XPan lens is excellent for things like streets, portraits and obviously landscapes.
Image Character & optical performance
All things considered it is quite unique that this lens is this wide and comes without much distortions. Although present, but barely noticeable, the distortions are kept to a minimum. Like with any wide angle lens, objects near the lens might appear bigger than they actually are, so be careful there or use it in your advantage.
The lens renders natural colours and normal contrast and when combined with the right film delivers beautiful natural results. The 45mm Hasselblad xpan lens is perfect for a classic film look. However, the only downside to the lens is that it can create flares when a light source is near the edge of the frame. As mentioned above the lens hood does help, but even then flares can appear if the source is just out of frame. Beyond that there are little to no issues with flares.
All in all, there is not much to complain about and for that reason lots of people praise the Hasselblad XPan “kit” lens, including me.
Use Cases: Travel, Street, and Everyday photography
As can be concluded from the sections above, the lens is of superb quality and can be interpreted as a great travel lens and I can vouch for that. I have brought it to the Philippines, Japan, Norway, Peru and many more places. The 45mm f4 Hasselblad XPan lens is lightweight, versatile and makes the camera relatively small, therefore ideal for traveling. Walking around with a Hasselblad in hand during holidays might not be the preferred way depending on the country, but then at the same time, the camera more often confuses people than that it attracts attention. Due to that, the camera is an ideal option for discreet candid shots. I have traveled through many countries without any issue. The camera is different enough to not be perceived as an eye-catcher, therefore allowing me to take many candid shots without being an obvious photographer.
Comparison the 45mm with the 30mm and 90mm Xpan Lenses
For the camera there are three different lenses available of which the most known is the 45mm, as discussed in this article. However, there are two more. The 30mm ultra wide lens, which is apparently a beauty on its own. That lens is heavier, bigger, and requires a separate attachable viewfinder. Considering the price of the lens, probably worth it, but can’t speak from experience.
Then there is the 90mm Hasselblad XPan lens. This is a highly underrated lens! It is more difficult to use and is less versatile, but the images shot with this lens always surprise me. I love to use it for portraits, but can also be used to compress the foreground and background in a landscape.
Considering the two other options, the 45mm is the “always mounted” lens, I can almost always get a decent shot with it and when necessary I will swap it for the 90mm lens.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of the 45mm
As the lens captures such a wide composition, but is limited in height, it is highly recommended to use lines to guide the viewer through the photo. With the width, you can easily use the environment to create interesting fore-, mid- and background, allowing the eye to easily glide between the three and understand the full picture. Obviously you can use your aperture in your advantage when it comes to attracting attention to specific things in the image.
Why the 45mm is My Go-To Hasselblad Lens
I rarely leave the house without the 45mm lens. It fits my shooting style, and my creative eye has adapted to the width and height and often knows exactly what will fit in frame even before I raise the camera to my eye. The excellent quality and small size allows me to use it in most situations. Although it might feel too long sometimes and might require me to distance myself more from the subject, it will always capture the subject in high quality.
Knowing exactly what I got at hand and how to use it is a strength and a weakness. Even though it is just a tool, by using it to extreme extends, I know exactly how I can use it in my advantage. That knowledge with such a reliable camera is worth a lot to me.
The Versatile Heart of the XPan System
The 45mm is not just the lens that came with my XPan. It is the lens that has shaped the way I see. Its width feels natural enough to disappear, yet wide enough to open space for stories to unfold across the frame. Over time I have learned to anticipate what will fit before I even raise the camera, and in that sense the lens has become an extension of my eye.
What keeps me reaching for it is not only its versatility or compact size, though those things matter. It is the way the 45mm encourages me to slow down and look for rhythm and flow in the world around me. Whether I am walking through unfamiliar streets or standing in a quiet landscape, it gives me a way to tell stories in a stretched and cinematic space.
Every photographer has a tool that feels like home. For me that is the 45mm on the XPan. It is not perfect, but its imperfections are part of its charm and part of why I trust it to carry my vision. In the end the lens is just glass and metal, but the stories it helps me tell are what remain.
