These are the best Hasselblad lenses for portrait photography, chosen for how they deliver flattering rendering, neutral color, graceful falloff, and leaf-shutter flexibility for strobe work across the modern X system and the classic H and V platforms. Portraits are about separation and control: focal lengths that shape faces and silhouettes, fast apertures and long focus throws for precise eye placement, coatings that keep skin tones clean under mixed light, and shutters that sync flash anywhere you need it outdoors. On X bodies, start with the XCD 80mm f/1.9—the cinematic portrait flagship with lush falloff, crisp micro-contrast, and eye-magnet sharpness for beauty and editorial; add the XCD 90mm f/2.5 V for fast, compact tele-portrait work with modern AF and lovely color, and the XCD 135mm f/2.8 (optionally with the X Converter 1.7) when you want elegant compression from headshots to fashion detail with consistent rendering. The XCD 55mm f/2.5 V and XCD 45mm (P or 3.5) cover environmental portraits and three-quarter looks with rectilinear discipline, while the XCD 38mm f/2.5 V brings a wide-normal, editorial vibe; for close-up beauty and accessories, the XCD 120mm f/3.5 Macro is a secret weapon—flat-field sharpness, gentle skin handling, and a working distance that leaves room for flags and reflectors. If you want zoom flexibility without leaving the medium-format look, the XCD 35–75mm f/3.5–4.5 intercuts seamlessly with primes for look-to-detail coverage. Step into the H lineup (natively or on X via XH) for leaf-shutter legends: the HC 100mm f/2.2 is a portrait workhorse with creamy separation and polished tonality; the HC 150mm f/3.2 adds long, flattering compression for editorial and runway portraits; the HC 80mm f/2.8 is the classic normal with balanced skin tone rendering; and the HC 210mm f/4 stretches to distant candids with subtle background melt—pair any with high-speed leaf-shutter sync to darken skies and keep highlights under control on location. V-system shooters—and X users via the XV adapter—have timeless Zeiss options that defined the medium-format portrait look: Planar 80mm f/2.8 for neutral, elegant rendering; Sonnar 150mm f/4 for graceful compression and buttery transitions; Sonnar 180mm f/4 when you want a touch more reach; and, for focal-plane 200-series bodies (or adapted to X using electronic shutter), the cult Planar 110mm f/2 with iconic velvety falloff and dramatic separation. Image priorities for the best Hasselblad portrait glass are clear: neutral color and high micro-contrast for clean skin and fabric texture, controlled longitudinal CA so speculars don’t fringe, modest focus breathing for natural video pulls, and mechanics that make tiny focus trims repeatable when shooting wide open; leaf/central shutters (XCD/HC and many V lenses) keep daylight fill effortless at high sync speeds, while the X2D’s IBIS steadies handheld editorial frames with unstabilized glass. Technique finishes the look—pose subjects away from busy backgrounds to give bokeh room to breathe, favor f/1.9–f/2.8 for headshots and f/4–f/5.6 for three-quarter/full-length to keep garments crisp, add a slim CPL to tame glare on patent leather or glass, and standardize front diameters with step-up rings for diffusion/ND; for video, set a 1/50–1/125 “cinema” shutter and lean on the quiet, fast “V” series primes for smooth racking. The practical kit recipe is simple: anchor with XCD 80/1.9 for beauty and shallow-depth portraits, add XCD 90V for travel/editorial agility and XCD 135 (plus 1.7×) for long, elegant compression, keep XCD 120 Macro for accessories and skin detail, and round things out with the XCD 35–75 when you need flexible framing; H shooters can run HC 100/2.2 + HC 150/3.2 for the classic leaf-shutter portrait combo, while V shooters pair Planar 80 with Sonnar 150 (and 110/2 on 200-series) for the definitive medium-format look. Whether you’re crafting studio beauty with big soft sources, sun-splashed resort editorials with noon-day fill, or moody window-light portraits on location, the best Hasselblad portrait lenses deliver the tonality, separation, and flash-friendly control that make faces look luminous and intentional straight out of camera.