LEICA S typ007 with HC f4.5 300mm
A review and sample photos of the AF wide-angle lens HASSELBLAD HC 35mm used with the LEICA S typ007 digital SLR camera.
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Review
The HASSELBLAD HC 300mm is a telephoto lens for Hasselblad’s H-series cameras. A review of the lens using it with a HASSELBLAD X-series camera is provided on the linked page.
Hasselblad’s H-series lenses come in two main versions: the newer model known as the Orange Dot, and the older, unbranded models, including the FUJINON brand. When used with Leica S-series cameras, both new and older models can be used, and autofocus is possible as long as there are no problems with the lens.
This review focuses solely on use with the LEICA S typ007.
When using the HASSELBLAD HC 300mm with a LEICA S typ007, autofocus can be used with the Leica S-Adapter H, a genuine Leica accessory. When used with the 45mm x 30mm medium-format digital sensor used by the LEICA S-series cameras, the 35mm equivalent focal length is 240mm.
The combined weight of the lens and camera is just over 3kg, and since the volume of the camera and lens is larger than that of a regular SLR camera, it feels quite heavy.
The lens’s rendering is high-resolution and sharp enough. However, the focal length of 240mm is short for a telephoto lens, and is far too short for bird photography. Also, when using a HASSELBLAD HC lens with the LEICA S Typ007, you cannot use Hasselblad’s H Converter x1.7, which extends the effective focal length to 510mm, so it’s not quite powerful enough for photographing wild birds.
As is common with HASSELBLAD H series lenses, the autofocus speed of the HASSELBLAD HC 300mm and LEICA S Typ007 is slow, and the camera’s autofocus unit is old and not very accurate, so the AF operation is very slow, and even with seagulls and kites, it takes time to focus, making it quite difficult to focus.
I can manage something like an airplane because I know the direction it’s coming from, but the LEICA S typ007 has a limited continuous shooting capability, so I have to use manual focus to time my shots and take each shot.
Even though the maximum aperture is f/4.5, the 300mm focal length is hard to focus on at full aperture, and even a duck the size of a duck’s eyes are focused on, causing the surrounding area to gradually blur, making camera shake during shooting a serious problem. The HASSELBLAD HC 300mm weighs just under 4kg including the body, so it’s just barely possible to hold it handheld.
All of the samples are in landscape orientation, but since I don’t have a vertical grip for the body, I can’t hold this lens vertically and take stable shots, so I always use it in landscape orientation.
When using manual focus, it’s preferable to use a Microprism Matte, a focusing screen designed specifically for central focus, but since wild birds are almost always in the center of the frame, this isn’t a problem.
The minimum focusing distance is 2.45m, which is quite close for a 300mm focal length lens.
Specifications, considerations, etc.
The only autofocus-compatible telephoto lenses compatible with the LEICA S mount are this lens and the Tele Apotessar 350mm for the CONTAX 645.
As mentioned above, when using the HC 300mm with a LEICA S series camera and the S Adapter H, the H Converter x1.7 cannot be used. However, the Tele Apotessar 350mm for the CONTAX 645 can be used with the Mutar x1.4 teleconverter, allowing for an effective focal length of 490mm. However, it weighs 3.6 kg, so with the camera body and teleconverter included, the total weight exceeds 5 kg, making handheld use impractical.
When using this lens with a Leica S, the only difference between the new model known as the Orange Dot and the standard model is the shutter speed when using the leaf shutter. The Orange Dot model has a maximum leaf shutter speed of 1/2000, while the standard model has a maximum leaf shutter speed of 1/800.
In the end, I mainly use this lens with the HASSELBLAD X2D because the AF speed is faster when using it with the X2D, and because the X2D has image stabilization and can use a teleconverter (with some limitations, the image stabilization does not work when using a teleconverter with the HASSELBLAD X2D-100C firmware 4.1.1) so that an effective focal length of 510mm can be achieved.
| Lens name | HC300mm | Tele Apotessar 350mm |
| Focal length(mm) | 292 | 350 |
| Max apature | 4.5 | 4 |
| Min apature | 45 | 45 |
| Lens construction | 7群9枚 | 8群9枚 |
| Min distance(m) | 2.45 | 1.9 |
| Lens length (mm) Distance from mount surface | 198 | 273 |
| Max diameter(mm) | 100 | 114 |
| Filter size(mm) | 95 | 95 |
| Weight(g) | 2120 | 3610 |
| Release date | Old ver=2002 Orange dot=2018 |
Reference links
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Update history
- 2025.8.14
- 2024.8.31
- 2023.08.18:First draft
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