LEICA S with HC f3.5 35mm

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
Specification and more
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Gallery

1．Overview

The HASSELBLAD HC 35mm F3.5 is a wide-angle 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 models known as Orange Dot, and the older models, including the FUJINON brand. When used with a Leica S-series camera, it can be used with both new and older models, and autofocus is possible as long as there are no problems with the lens.

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

To use the HASSELBLAD HC 35mm F3.5 with a LEICA S Typ007 (including the S2, S-E, S typ006, and S3), you will need the official Leica S adapter H, configured as follows:

LEICA S + LEICA S adapter H +HASSELBLAD HC 35mm F3.5

This combination allows for autofocus shooting with a LEICA S. For the 45mm x 30mm medium-format digital sensor used by the LEICA S series, multiplying by a 35mm conversion factor of 0.8 results in a wide-angle lens with a focal length equivalent to 28mm.

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

2．Usability

The HASSELBLAD HC 35mm F3.5 is a huge lens that is different from the 35mm focal length lenses of general SLR cameras, and it has the feel of a medium-format wide-angle lens.

The HASSELBLAD HC 35mm F3.5 I own is a FUJIFILM brand lens with SUPER EBC FUJINON, and because the lens firmware is old, I cannot use autofocus with X series cameras such as the HASSELBLAD X2D.

However, S series cameras such as the LEICA S typ007 introduced here can use autofocus, and both the focus speed and focus accuracy are quite satisfactory.

Every time I attach this large lens to my camera, I sometimes wonder what it would be like if the smaller HCD35mm had been released. HC lenses are lenses that cover the image circle of a 645 sensor, while HCD lenses are lenses that are compatible with the image circle of a smaller 44mm x 33mm sensor, so HCD lenses are smaller than HC lenses.
If the HC35mm had existed, it would have fit into a lens barrel of the same size as the HCD28mm, and the presence of the HCD lens series would have increased as one of the three HCD wide-angle brothers.
However, the HCD35mm never came to fruition, and was swallowed up by the wave of zoom lenses as the HCD 35-90mm zoom lens.

35mm is a focal length that does not exist in XCD lenses, and it is interesting to wonder whether 35mm is the ultimate or forgotten focal length for Hasselblad. This lens has many features, such as a large barrel like a giant ship, a large front lens that does not sacrifice peripheral light, and high-speed drive with rear focus, but the old HC35mm model is quite cheap on the used market.

It was not renewed to 2 type, and it is an inconspicuous lens, but it has a definite presence when you use it. I hope that FUJIFILM G users will also use it without being intimidated by the size of the lens.

3．Summary

In conclusion, to sum up the HASSELBLAD HC 35mm F3.5, it is a wide-angle lens with a wide image circle that covers 645 print, and produces pleasant images without distortion even at the edges.

Its biggest drawback is that it is large and heavy, so if I were to take out a 35mm focal length, I would choose the zoom lens HASSELBLAD HCD35-90mm F4-F5.6, if I wanted something lighter, the DISTAGON 35mm, or if I wanted width, the HCD 28mm or HCD 24mm.

Specification and Competitor

The HASSELBLAD HC 35mm F3.5 can be compared to the CONATX 645 DISTAGON 35mm and the SUMMARIT-S 35mm F2.5 ASPH. (11064 | CS: 11050).

The three medium-format lenses I own with a focal length of 35mm are the HASSELBLAD HC 35mm F3.5 , the CONATX 645 DISTAGON 35mm, and the HASSELBLAD HCD35-90. Comparing the results, I feel that the image quality is HASSELBLAD HC 35mm F3.5 >CONATX 645 DISTAGON 35mm=HASSELBLAD HCD35-90mm F4-F5.6. The 35mm range of the CONATX 645 DISTAGON 35mm and HASSELBLAD HCD35-90mm F4-F5.6 shows a little distortion at the periphery of the shot, but the HC35mm’s shot shows a pleasant depiction with no distortion even at the periphery, and the size of the HC35mm is not just for show.

Unfortunately, the SUMMARIT-S 35mm costs nearly 1 million yen, so I don’t think I can get it and use it with my personal income. As of 2023, the SUMMARIT-S 35mm lens is no longer on sale, so you will have to look for it on the used market. In a desk-based spec comparison, the SUMMARIT-S 35mm is heavy and large, as shown in the specifications and comparison. However, the lens specifications are excellent, with an aperture value of F2.5, which is one stop brighter, and a lens configuration of 9 groups and 12 elements with aspherical lenses.

The focus of the Elmarit S uses a rear focus method that moves the small rear group of glass to focus quickly, just like the Distagon 35mm and HC 35mm.

In a comparison of MTF charts, Leica’s is listed up to 27mm, while ZEISS’s is listed up to 35mm, and the display range is different.
When comparing the Elmarit S and Distagon in the range up to 27mm after correction, the Elmarit wins by a landslide in the graph line diagram. The Elmarit S was released recently and uses the latest design, so its high price is understandable.

The filter diameter of the HC35mm is 95mm, the same as the Distagon, and the maximum diameter of the lens is almost the same. However, the Distagon 35mm has a shorter lens length, a slimmer focus section, and is about 100g lighter. This difference is due to the fact that the Hasselblad HC35mm has a complex lens structure and a shutter mechanism.

Lens name	HASSELBLAD HC 35mm	CONTAX DISTAGON 35mm	LEICA SUMMARIT-S 35mm
Focal length(mm)	35.8	35.5	35
Max aperture	3.5	3.5	2.5
Min aperture	32	32	22
Lens Construction	11 elements in 10 groups	11 elements in 8 groups	11 elements in 9 groups
Min distance(m)	0.5	0.5	0.55
Lens length(mm)	124	108	122
Max diameter(mm)	100	102	88
Filter Size(mm)	95	95	82
Weight(g)	975	877	930/1030(CS)
Release date	?	1999	2013.10.10
Price	Y2023 Used price ¥150,000〜	287,000円 Y2023 Used price ¥70,000〜	847,000円 979,000円(CS)

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Update history

2025.8.14
2025.6.3
2024.9.13
2023.06.27:First draft