LEICA S with HCD f4 28mm
The widest Hasselblad H lens for the Leica S.
A review of using the HASSELBLAD HCD28mm with the LEICA S typ 007.
Table of contents
Gallery
Review
To use the Hasselblad HCD 28mm F4 (hereinafter referred to as HCD28) with the LEICA S Typ007 (including S2, S-E, S typ006, S3), you need to use the LEICA S adapter H released by Leica, and use it in the following configuration:
LEICA S +LEICA S adapter H +HCD28
With the above combination, you can shoot with autofocus (hereinafter referred to as AF) with the LEICA S.
The combination of the LEICA S Typ007 and HCD28 has an AF speed that is almost the same as the HASSELBLAD X2D+ XH-Adapter, which is not particularly fast, but is a sufficiently practical focus speed. The focus accuracy is the same as other lenses, and it stops properly when aiming at a subject with contrast.
For the 45mm x 30mm medium format digital sensor used by the LEICA S, multiplying it by a 35mm conversion factor of 0.8 makes it a wide-angle lens with a focal length equivalent to 22mm.
There is no noticeable distortion in the captured image, making it easy to use as a wide-angle lens. Due to the size of the image circulator, the image quality in the peripheral area is slightly inferior to the HC 35mm, but this is a trade-off with the size of the lens, and the HCD28 is very attractive when considering its wider range and portability.
The HCD 24mm F4.8, which is a wider-angle lens in the same HCD series, does not work properly with the Leica S + S AdapterH combination. Therefore, among the HASSELBLAD H lenses, the HCD28 is the widest lens that can be used with the LEICA S. The widest wide-angle lens in the genuine LEICA S lens is the SUPER ELMAR-S 24mm, and the next focal length is the ELMARIT-S 30mm, so the focal length of 28mm is a focal length that is not available in genuine Leica lenses.
The HCD lens series, which has a compact lens barrel, would have had more varieties if development of the Hasselblad H system had continued, but unfortunately, since the H system will end in 2023, it will end with the three currently released.
When using the LEICA S typ007 with the LEICA S adapter H and HCD28, the camera sometimes freezes due to poor communication between the camera and the lens. I have not encountered this problem with older lenses, the HC 35mm and HC 80mm, so I think it is a problem specific to this lens or the lenses I own. Even if I report it to LEICA, there is almost no improvement, so I do not report it, and when it freezes, I remove the battery and reset the camera.
The old HCD28 without the orange dot should also be able to use AF when combined with the Leica S and S adapter H, but depending on the version of the lens firmware, the Leica S may not recognize the lens, so it is essential to check the actual product when purchasing. If you own the LEICA S adapter H, the HCD28 is a good option.
HCD28mm lens configuration diagram (taken from the official Hasselblad page)
Elmarit-S 30mm lens configuration (taken from the official LEICA page)
Specification
| Item | HCD 28mm | Elmarit-S 30mm |
| focal length(mm) | 28.9 | 30 |
| Maximum aperture | 4 | 2.8 |
| Minimum aperture | 32 | 22 |
| Lens configuration | 9groups 12elements | 9groups 13elements |
| Minimum distance(m) | 0.35 | 0.5 |
| Lens length(mm) | 102 | 128 |
| Lens max diameter(mm) | 100 | 88 |
| Filter diameter(mm) | 95 | 82 |
| Weight(g) | 850 | 1060 1140(with central shutter) |
HCD 4/28 lens specification PDF
Reference links
Update history
- 2024.8.30
- 2023.07.09:First draft
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