Best macro option for X2D

[Mads Bjerke]

I have recently migrated from Fujifilm GFX100 to the X2D.
On the GFX I used the GF120 f/4 for studio product work. Now I am looking for the best Hasselblad alternative.

There seems to be two options; XCD 120 or HC 120.
If I understand correctly the HC 120 is capable of 1:1 and the XCD 120 is 1:2?

Do anyone have any recommendations and practical comparisons between the two?
The HC 120 can be purchased at a much lower price.

I appreciate any input.

Mads Bjerke
www.madsbjerke.com

[polychloros]

I think you need to decide how important 1:1 is to you. The 1:2 of the XCD 120 is a significant disadvantage IMO for studio work unless you are happy to mess with third-party extension tubes or close-up filters. The HC 120 is of course significantly larger and heavier (even without the XH adaptor) but does have the advantage that the XH adaptor can be mounted on a tripod ring to provide a more balanced set-up.

A couple of things to note about the HC lens (in case you weren't aware):
The version II of the lens was designed for improved performance with digital sensors - reduced chromatic aberrations, etc. There is no AF with the HC 120, even with the most recent orange dot version II.

[pdprinter]

I investigated the HC 120 and both versions do not allow focus bracketing (confirmed by Hasselblad customer support) which I think is an indispensable tool for macro photography. I rented the XCD120 and tried with the NiSi 77 achromatic close-up lens which gave me 1:1 but I decided not to get one as it is just too heavy and slow for outdoor use but in studio on a tripod it would be acceptable.

[Bob Foster]

I have and use both the XCD 120 and the HC 120 Macro II (orange dot). As often as not I use focus bracketing (stacking) with both lenses.

First, the original HC 120 Macro was superseded by the HC 120 Macro II. The redesign minimized a number of problems, most significantly (to me) chromatic aberration was greatly reduced. A few years later a new electro-mechanical shutter system was introduced and fitted to later copies of the HC 120 Macro II. During the last few years of production of the HC 120 Macro II the lenses were marked with an orange dot.

Second, on the X2D none of the HC 120 lens family will autofocus. I'm an old man. I have yet to meet an experienced pro macro lens user from either the full frame or the medium format worlds that has not found that as magnification is increased evaluation by the human eye becomes more reliable than autofocus. This is doubly true when the camera is tethered to a large screen. Don't mistake me. Autofocus is highly useful in the most common photographic situations, it is simply not optimized for macro work.

Third, some HC 120 Macro II lenses without an orange dot do allow focus bracketing (stacking) by the X2D. If an HC 120 Macro II without an orange dot will accept lens firmware 19.1.0 focus bracketing will work with the X2D. If I recall correctly the firmware for HC lenses starting at about version 18.0 became too large to be stored on the memory chip within early lenses. All HC 120 Macro II lenses with the orange dot will accept lens firmware 19.1.0 and will allow focus bracketing with the X2D.

Much of the section of the manual for the X2D dealing with focus bracketing in the X2D manual was cut and pasted from the X1D II manual. This has led to some gross mistakes. For instance, the pixel pitch of the X1D II is about 5.3 microns, that of the X2D is about 3.76 microns. The circle of confusion of the X2D is thus smaller. To get optimum quality in a stack each step made by the X2D must be smaller than that of the X1D II given that the same increment labels (extra small, small, medium, large and extra large) are set on each camera.

I will not speculate on why the Hasselblad rep told pdprinter that focus bracketing won't work on the X2D with any version of the HC 120 Macro. I'll reiterate: insofar as I know those versions of the HC 120 Macro II without an orange dot that will accept lens firmware 19.1.0 allow focus bracketing on the X2D and all HC 120 Macro II with the orange dot (provided that lens firmware 19.1.0 has been installed) allow use of focus bracketing by the X2D. Insure that the camera firmware is also current.

Not surprisingly the newer XCD 120 is a better lens optically than the older HC 120 Macro II. If you are not pixel peeping (or looking at a print from far too close a distance) the visibility of the difference can sometimes be difficult to spot; as an image approaches 1:1 magnification cropping the .fff produced with the XCD 120 is often a better option for IQ than the use of a supplementary lens, in either case the HC 120 Macro II will usually produce a better result at this magnification.

Where possible I usually prefer not to stop either lens down past f6.3. I can spot a bit of diffraction at f8, images are clearly becoming softer at f10. I'll also note that diffraction can be another tool in your bag; here and there a subject can benefit from the hazy look produced in an image made by stopping down to f16.

I too shared pdprinter's experience with use of the X2D with the XCD 120 Macro hand held outdoors. However, if age has taught me one thing, it is patience. First let's note that the XCD 120 Macro weighs 970 grams. This is the same as the 55mm Zeiss Otus. Mounted on a Nikon D850 the Otus is a bit heavier than is the X2D with the XCD 120 Macro. For me, the difference in balance is more consequential than the difference in heft. Taking a couple hundred pictures hand held whilst "chimping" each one, both the whole photo and at 100% was a positive learning experience for me. The difference of just 110 grams (about 1/4 pound) in camera weight and the difference in weight distribution between the two lenses necessitated my adopting small changes in how and I held the lens.

For an outdoors single shot I'd call a close up, but not approaching the  1:2 limit of the XCD 120 - provided that I roughly prefocus the XCD 120 Macro - autofocus is usually pretty quick without the lens "hunting" for focus. Exception: the wind. It will move the subject and sometimes the photographer too.

For stacking outdoors I've always used a stout tripod. If it is not perfectly calm I've used everything from umbrellas to a small translucent tent, various props, clamps and makeshifts to assure steadiness of everything involved in making the photo. For what it's worth I'll note that for some delicate subjects (e.g. flowers) a convection current (warm air gently rising) in a studio can cause artifacts to be produced by every stacking software I've used.

Bob

[Mads Bjerke]

Thank you all for the invaluable information. I am new to the Hasselblad system and this has been really helpful.

Focus bracketing is very important for me.
More so than 1:1

Autofocus is not important for the studio work as I will always manually focus here, but the option of AF when using it as a portrait lens will be useful.

This will then steer me towards the XCD 120.

The price savings for the HC 120 are probably not big enough, if any, when I factor in the XH adapter and exclude the older HC 120 V1.

[Bob Foster]

If portraits are a significant portion of your work I'd recommend the evaluating the XCD 120. Autofocus is slower than on a full frame camera, and slower than on a GFX. However, the recently added "face detection" feature of the X2D works well, and is reasonably quick. Though Hasselblad does not claim to have eye detection as implemented in the X2D, what "misses" I've seen (in the neighborhood of 5%) are usually selection of the "wrong" eye.

With the XCD 120 you may (or may not) find that roughly manually focusing prior to engaging autofocus plus face detect for head and shoulders shots can speed things up. For half, three quarters, or full length portraits using face detect I have found no repeatable gain in speed when using a camera stand.

If you're using monolights or a pack and head setup in the studio you'll find that increasing the ambient light level in your studio to a level similar to that used in an office also helps quicken the X2D's autofocus, particularly when using this lens or the XCD 90/3.5. Here the capability of a leaf shutter to sync at far higher speeds than a focal plane shutter can be a real plus in creating the look you want. If a dim background is desired the inverse square law remains a photographers friend even when a great deal of light is output by the flash units.

I'd recommend renting the XCD 120 for evaluation before you purchase. If you have not done so I'd also consider the XCD 90/3.5 and the XCD 135/2.8 for use as portrait lenses.

Bob

[Mads Bjerke]

If portraits are a significant portion of your work I'd recommend the evaluating the XCD 120. Autofocus is slower than on a full frame camera, and slower than on a GFX. However, the recently added "face detection" feature of the X2D works well, and is reasonably quick. Though Hasselblad does not claim to have eye detection as implemented in the X2D, what "misses" I've seen (in the neighborhood of 5%) are usually selection of the "wrong" eye.

With the XCD 120 you may (or may not) find that roughly manually focusing prior to engaging autofocus plus face detect for head and shoulders shots can speed things up. For half, three quarters, or full length portraits using face detect I have found no repeatable gain in speed when using a camera stand.

If you're using monolights or a pack and head setup in the studio you'll find that increasing the ambient light level in your studio to a level similar to that used in an office also helps quicken the X2D's autofocus, particularly when using this lens or the XCD 90/3.5. Here the capability of a leaf shutter to sync at far higher speeds than a focal plane shutter can be a real plus in creating the look you want. If a dim background is desired the inverse square law remains a photographers friend even when a great deal of light is output by the flash units.

I'd recommend renting the XCD 120 for evaluation before you purchase. If you have not done so I'd also consider the XCD 90/3.5 and the XCD 135/2.8 for use as portrait lenses.

Bob

Thank you.

At this stage I am pretty certain the XCD 120 is the better choice for my product work.

I have the XCD 80/1.9 that will do the portrait duties for now.
My studio is rather small and the XCD 80 is probably the longest I can use in that environment.

Mads