LEICA S with HCD f4 28mm
A review and sample photos of the AF wide-angle lens HASSELBLAD HCD 28mm used with the LEICA S typ007 digital SLR camera.
- Please see the disclaimer regarding advertising here.
- Italicized links in the text are advertisement links that take you to other sites.
Table of contents
Gallery
Review
The HASSELBLAD HCD 28mm is a wide-angle lens for the HASSELBLAD H System. A review of the lens using it with a HASSELBLAD X Series camera is featured on the linked page.
HASSELBLAD H System lenses come in two main versions: the newer version known as the Orange Dot, and the older, unbranded versions, including the FUJINON brand. When used with Leica S Series cameras, the lens 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 focuses solely on use with the LEICA S typ007.
When using the HASSELBLAD HCD 28mm with the LEICA S typ007, autofocus can be used by using the genuine Leica S-Adapter H. When used with the 45mm x 30mm medium format digital sensor used by the LEICA S Series, the focal length is equivalent to 23mm in 35mm format.
The combined weight of the lens, camera, and mount adapter is around 2kg, making it compact and light for a medium-format digital camera equipped with a 23mm wide-angle lens.
The focal length of 23mm is equivalent to a sufficiently wide angle, and the lens is easy to use without noticeable distortion in captured images.
Due to the size of the image circle, image quality at the edges is slightly inferior to that of the HASSELBLAD HC 35mm, but this is a trade-off between lens size and weight. Considering the wider range it can capture and its ease of portability, the HASSELBLAD HCD 28mm also has its own appeal.
When using autofocus with the LEICA S Typ007 and HCD28 combination, the focusing speed is not particularly fast but is sufficiently fast to be practical, and the focusing accuracy is the same as with other lenses, stopping at the intended point when aiming at subjects with high contrast.
The HCD lens lineup for the compact HASSELBLAD H system likely would have expanded if development of the HASSELBLAD H system had continued, but unfortunately, with the discontinuation of the HASSELBLAD H system in 2023, the current three HCD lenses will be the last.
When using the LEICA S-Adapter H and the HASSELBLAD HCD 28mm, the camera sometimes freezes due to poor communication between the camera and lens. I haven’t experienced this with older lenses, the HC 35mm or HC 80mm, so I think it’s a problem specific to this lens or the lenses I own. Even if I report this to LEICA, there’s almost no improvement, so I don’t report it. Instead, when the camera freezes, I remove the battery and reset the camera and continue using it.
The older HASSELBLAD HCD 28mm without an orange dot should also be able to use AF when used with a Leica S-series camera and the LEICA S-Adapter H. However, depending on the lens firmware version, the Leica S may not recognize the lens, so it’s essential to check the actual lens before purchasing.
Specifications, considerations, etc.
The HASSELBLAD HCD 24mm F4.8, a wider-angle lens from the same HCD series, does not work properly when used with a Leica S-series camera and the LEICA S-Adapter H. For this reason, the HASSELBLAD HCD 28mm is the widest HASSELBLAD H lens that can be used with a Leica S-series camera.
The widest genuine wide-angle lens in LEICA S cameras is the SUPER ELMAR-S 24mm, followed by the ELMARIT-S 30mm, so the 28mm focal length is not available in genuine lenses.
| Item | HASSELBLAD 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) |
Reference links
Affiliate link
Update history
- 2025.8.14
- 2024.8.30
- 2023.07.09:First draft
Leave a Reply