LEICA S typ007 with the HC f2.2 100mm

A review and sample photos of the AF large-aperture medium telephoto lens HASSELBLAD HC100mm used with the LEICA S typ007 digital SLR camera.

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Gallery
Review
Specification and more
Reference links

Gallery

Photo examples using HASSELBLAD HC100mm and LEICA S Typ007.

1．Overview

The HASSELBLAD HC 100mm F2.2 is a medium telephoto lens for the Hasselblad H series. A review of the lens using it with a HASSELBLAD X series camera is featured on the linked page.

Hasselblad’s H series lenses come in two main versions: the newer models known as Orange Dot, and the older models, including those with the FUJINON brand. When used with the Leica S series, the lens can be used with both new and older models, and autofocus can be used as long as there are no problems with the lens.

This review will focus on use with the LEICA S typ007.

To use the HASSELBLAD HC 100mm F2.2 with the LEICA S Typ007 (including S2, S-E, S typ006, S3), you need to use the LEICA S adapter H, which is released by Leica, and use the following configuration:

LEICA S +LEICA S adapter H +HASSELBLAD HC 100mm F2.2

With the above combination, you can shoot with autofocus (AF) with the LEICA S.
The combination of the LEICA S Typ007 and HC100 has a decent focus speed, but the focus accuracy is not reliable, so I attached a microprism screen: 16001 to the camera and shot with manual focus. With the 45mm x 30mm medium format digital sensor used by the LEICA S, multiplying it by the 35mm conversion factor of 0.8 makes it a medium telephoto lens with a focal length equivalent to 80mm.

2．Usability

The HASSELBLAD HC 100mm F2.2 is a lens I’ve owned for a long time, and I used it with the Hasselblad X series.

When I started to become interested in the LEICA S medium-format SLR camera, I found out that I could use the Hasselblad H lens with the LEICA S adapter H.

It’s no exaggeration to say that I bought a Leica S body because I wanted to use this lens, and I used this lens almost exclusively with the first S body I bought, the LEICA S-E. After all, the clear view through the viewfinder of an SLR is the best part of an SLR body and a large-aperture lens.

The unmistakable depiction of the old Planar, which is simply a large-aperture version, is also attractive, but since the lens design is old, there are some difficulties with close-up photography, and although it falls short of the 0.9m close-up 10x rule, when using it with the LEICA S series, you cannot use the extension tube for close-up photography, so the problem of the minimum shooting distance cannot be avoided.

Regarding focus, there is no problem if you carefully adjust the focus position using manual focus, but if you leave it to autofocus, it may not focus or the focus position may shift from the photographer’s position. Regarding viewfinder screens, if you use a microprism screen, you can reliably adjust the focus position in the center. If you want to focus on the periphery, you should use a standard screen or grid screen.

3．Summary

In conclusion, to sum up the combination of the Hasselblad HC 100mm F2.2 and the LEICA S Typ007, the scenery seen through the SLR viewfinder is very clear and pleasant due to the brightness of the lens.

As for the focus position, shooting at full aperture presents some challenges, which come with a large aperture lens, but the only way to get used to it is to take more shots.

Specifications, considerations, etc.

Leica also has a large-aperture lens with the same focal length, the Summicron S 100mm. I introduced the Summicron S 100mm here. This lens is no longer available on eBay, so it may be becoming a legendary lens.

The Contax 645 does not have a 100mm focal length, but in terms of large aperture, the Planar 80mm f/2 is close, but I don’t own that lens so I can’t compare them.

Item	*HASSELBLAD HC 100mm F2.2*	SUMMICRON-S 100
Focal length(mm)	100	100
Max aperture	2.2	2
Min aperture	32	22
Lens Construction	6elements in 5group	7elements in 5group
Min distance(m)	0.9	0.7
Lens length(mm)	80.5(Lens only)	102(Lens only) 146(with Hood)
Lens diameter(mm)	87.5(Lens only)	91(Lens only) 104(with Hood)
Filter Size(mm)	77	82
Weight(g)	780	910(Lens only) 965(with Hood)
Release date	2018=Orange Dot	2013

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Update history

2025.6.15
2024.8.30
2023.07.09:First draft