HASSELBLAD HC 50-110mm F3.5-4.5

Large aperture AF zoom lens for medium format cameras

A review and Photo example of the HASSELBLAD HC 50-110mm F3.5-4.5.

Usage
About lens
Accessory compatibility
AF support
About FUJINON lens

Gallery

The sample photos were taken with the X2D and X1DII

Review

Usage
About lens
Accessory compatibility
AF support
About FUJINON lens

1．Usage

The HC 50-110mm F3.5-4.5 was the last HC/HCD lens I purchased, and although it was second-hand, it was in good condition with 1254 shutter cycles.
The lens is an old lens without an orange dot, the maximum shutter speed is 1/800, and I purchased it after confirming that the firmware (10.0.0) does not allow autofocus (AF) with the XH Lens Adapter* and XH CONVERTER 0.8*. There are no problems with the shutter drive or other functions when using manual focus (MF) with the Hasselblad X series.

However, what I did not expect was that the lens was not recognized when attached to a Leica S series via a genuine Leica S-H adapter. If the lens was recognized, it should have been usable with AF, so I don’t know what’s wrong, but it’s unfortunate. The only lens I own that has this symptom is the HC 210mm, which is also not recognized by the Leica S series.

The maximum aperture is F3.5 at the wide-angle end of 50mm, the same as the HC 50mm prime lens, and F4.5 at the telephoto end of 110mm, making it a relatively bright lens.

The shutter of the lens I own is an older model with a shutter speed of 1/800, but the low, subdued shutter sound is pleasant.

Only when using the X1DII and XH CONVERTER 0.8 in combination, a lens recognition error occurs occasionally, but I can ignore the error and continue to use it as is. I can use the X2D without any such errors. Even when using the XH CONVERTER 0.8, there is no vignetting at the periphery, and the image circle is sufficient for medium-format film size.

The lens diameter is 100mm, and it is an intimidating lens that looks out of place when held in the city, and people who see it for the first time seem to be confused.
Both the focus ring and zoom ring are wide enough to allow smooth changes in focal length even with manual focus, and the focus peak when viewed through the EVF is easy to grasp, so there are no problems with focusing.
From my experience using the HCD35-90, I can say that the AF function is definitely useful for zoom lenses because it allows you to concentrate only on changing the focal length.

The image is amazingly distortion-free, which is hard to believe for a zoom lens, and it shows that the size of the lens is what matters most. With a focal length of 2x and a low zoom ratio, it’s fair to say that the image quality is comparable to that of a prime lens. If you can stand the weight, it’s very convenient to be able to cover the equivalent of three lenses: 50/80/100mm.

According to the official guide, if the lens is stored horizontally for a long period of time, the lens core will shift, so it is recommended to store the lens with the tip facing up. In the case of used products, it is not known how they were used, so it is best to check the operation of the zoom ring and focus ring and avoid those that are stiff.

2．About lens

The HC 50-110mm F3.5-4.5 is a 2x zoom lens covering focal lengths from 50mm to 110mm for Hasselblad H-series cameras. Of the two rotating rings, the one at the front of the lens is the focus ring, and the one at the back is the zoom ring.

The lens length changes when zooming and adjusting the focal length.

The same zoom lens, the HCD 35-90mm, uses inner focus and inner zoom. As you can imagine from its chunky appearance, this lens is heavy, like a block of glass, and weighs 1.65kg, second only to the HC 300mm.

When used with X-series (X1D, X1D-2, X2D, X907) cameras, the focal length is as follows when used via the X H Lens Adapter or XH CONVERTER 0.8.

When using the X H Lens Adapter*, the focal length is 40mm to 88mm.
When using XH CONVERTER 0.8*, the focal length will be 32mm to 70mm.

3．Accessory compatibility

Converter H 1.7x (x1.7 teleconverter) can not be used.
Extension-Tube-H (H13/H26/H52) can be used.
HTS 1,5 TILT AND SHIFT ADAPTER can not be used.
Image circle covers up to medium format film size.

4．AF support

There are several conditions to attach HC/HCD series lenses to X1D, X1DII, X2D, and 907X via a mount adapter (X H Lens Adapter, XH CONVERTER 0.8) to drive auto focus (hereinafter referred to as AF).

The most important thing is the lens firmware. If the lens firmware cannot be updated to 19.1.0, AF will not work.

In order to update to lens firmware 19.1.0, the lens must have firmware 18.0.0 or later.

All lenses with an orange dot are capable of AF.
- However, AF does not work on the HC120 and HC120-II. This is a lens limitation imposed by Hasselblad.
For non-orange dot lenses, it’s a bit more complicated.
- If AF is possible
  - Lens with lens firmware 18.0.0 or later.
  - Lenses from 2010 or later with serial numbers starting with V and firmware 18.0.0 or later.
- When AF is not possible
  - Lens with lens firmware earlier than 17.0.0.
  - Lenses manufactured before 2010 with serial numbers starting with S.
  - Fujinon brand lens.

5．About FUJINON lens

There are HC lenses from the Fujifilm brand SUPER EBC FUJINON that can be used with the HASSELBLAD HC camera, but only lenses with a maximum shutter speed of 1/800. Compared to the latest maximum shutter speed of 1/2000, the range of expression is narrower. Also, because the lens firmware is old, it is not possible to apply HC lens firmware 19.1.0, which is required to use autofocus (AF) on XCD mount cameras X1D, X1DII, 907X, and X2D.

Therefore, AF cannot be used even if it is attached to an XCD mount camera via two types of mount adapters, X H Lens Adapter, and XH CONVERTER 0.8.

Fuji Film brand HC lenses are not covered by Hasselblad’s repair support, and since Fuji Film no longer provides repair support, there is nothing that can be done in the event of a breakdown. Fuji Film brand H lenses are sold cheaply, but you need to be aware of this when purchasing.If it is a Hasselblad brand HC lens, even old lenses can be repaired at Hasselblad for a fee.

Since HC lenses are manufactured by Fujifilm, a mount adapter (H MOUNT ADAPTER G) is also available for the Fujifilm GFX series, which has the same sensor size as the X1D, X1DII, 907X, and X2D. This is for MF (manual focus) only, but you can use not only the camera’s mechanical shutter but also the lens shutter.

Specification

Item	Value	note
focal length(mm)	50 to 110
Maximum aperture	3.5 to 4.5
Minimum aperture	32
Lens configuration	14elements in 9groups
Minimum distance(m)	0.7
Lens length(mm)	152
Lens max diameter(mm)	103
Filter diameter(mm)	95
Weight(g)	1650