HASSELBLAD HCD 24mm F4.8

Review and Photo example of the HASSELBLAD HCD 24mm F4.8.

Gallery
Review
Specifications
Accessory compatibility
AF support
About FUJINON lens
Reference links
Update history
About Affiliate link

Gallery

Review

The Hasselblad HCD 24mm F4.8 is a wide-angle lens with a focal length of 24mm for Hasselblad H series cameras.
Since it is an HCD lens series, the compatible sensor size is optimized to 48 x 36 mm, and with a larger sensor of 53.7 x 40.2 mm, the image circle of the lens is insufficient and the peripheral area will be cut off.
Lenses with orange dots have a lens shutter with a maximum speed of 1/2000, while lenses without a dot have a lens shutter with a maximum speed of 1/800.
X1D, X1DII, X907, and X2D can use HCD lenses via X H Lens Adapter or XH CONVERTER 0.8.

When using the X H Lens Adapter, the focal length is 19.44mm.
When using XH CONVERTER 0.8, the focal length is 15.55mm.

However, the image circle of the lens is insufficient, so the edges are slightly vignetted. Phocus, the software for developing captured images, automatically crops the edges a little and displays an image with a focal length of about 18mm. You can check the full 15.55mm image before cropping by selecting [Uncrop] from the Phocus image menu. Since the four corners of the image format 4:3 are only slightly covered, you may be able to use it as is. Also, if you crop the image to 3:2, there will be no problem with the width of the image.

This lens is not compatible with the S-H adapter for using HC/HCD lenses with the Leica S series, and when this lens is attached to the LEICA S typ007 via the adapter, the power-on AF will work, but the aperture value will change. I couldn’t do that, so I had to shoot with the aperture wide open. Also, when I used it, the camera often froze. Since it can be physically installed, I would like it to be supported by a firmware update on the camera side, but as of 2024, when the S series has reached its end, that hope is unlikely to come true.

The example uses the X1DII and X2D, but this article can also be applied to the X1D and X907.
When I checked the lens information of the lens I obtained using X1DII, the firmware at the time of acquisition was 18.0.0 and the number of shutters was 4000. I updated the firmware to 19.1.0 to use AF on the X1DII.
I purchased this new lens with an orange dot on the lens barrel, after confirming that the maximum lens shutter speed is 1/2000 and that AF (hereinafter referred to as autofocus) can be used with the X H Lens Adapter* and XH CONVERTER 0.8.
The lens alone weighs 810g, and compared to the HC series wide-angle lens, HC 35mm F3.5, it is 25mm shorter in length and 165g lighter (slightly shorter overall length and lighter than HCD 28mm), making it easier to carry and shoot. The handling is very good.

The HCD 24mm is rarely seen on the used market, but using the XH-converter 0.8 allows you to obtain a maximum focal length of approximately 16mm, which is very convenient, making it a reliable tool when you want to capture a subject from a wide angle.
Even if you use two lens adapters/converters, you won’t notice any distortion or vignetting as long as you develop with Phocus. There’s no doubt that soft correction is used, as slight distortion can be discerned in the EVF during shooting, but you can still obtain images of sufficient quality.
The AF has a faster focusing speed than other HC/HCD lenses, and once you get used to the AF, the focusing accuracy is high, allowing you to get the shot you want at the desired focus position.
The weak points are that the minimum shooting distance is 38cm, which means you can’t get closer than the HCD28mm, and because you can’t use an extension tube, the close-up shooting ability is inferior to the HCD28mm. Since it’s a wide-angle lens, I think it depends on the photographer whether it’s necessary to get that close. The lens comes with a nice hood, but I rarely use it during normal use because it has sufficient backlight resistance even without a hood.

I owned the XCD 21mm, which has almost the same focal length, but I sometimes noticed more distortion with that lens even when using Phocus. Since it is a dedicated product, the XCD 21mm is lighter and easier to handle. AF speed doesn’t change much.

Specification

Item	Value	note
focal length(mm)	24.3
Maximum aperture	4.8
Minimum aperture	32
Lens configuration	11groups 14elements	retrofocus-lens focusing=rear focus
Minimum distance(m)	0.38
Lens length(mm)	99
Lens max diameter(mm)	100
Filter diameter(mm)	95
Weight(g)	810

HCD 4.8/24 lens specification PDF

Accessory compatibility

HTS 1,5 TILT AND SHIFT ADAPTER can be used.
The image circle of the lens does not cover medium format film (41.5 x 56mm).
Converter 1.7x (x1.7 teleconverter) cannot be used.
All expansion tubes (H13/H26/H52) cannot be used

AF support

For the orange dot lens, AF is available on the X1D,X1DII,907X and X2D, but it only works with the latest firmware 19.1.0, so if you have 18.0.0, you need to update the firmware. In fact, when I purchased the camera, the firmware was 18.0.0, so the AF did not work when I tried it. After purchasing the camera, I updated the firmware and was able to get the AF to work.
If you have firmware 17.0.0 or earlier, you cannot update the firmware because the firmware area is not enough for 19.1.0.
The AF speed when used with the X1D,X1DII,907X and X2D is not quite as fast as that of a professional SLR, but if you choose a high contrast area, the camera will focus without hesitation, which is easier to use than fast but confusing AF, and is sufficient for my needs.

About FUJINON lens

The HCD 24mm lens probably doesn’t exist as I have never seen the Fujinon brand on the market.

Reference links

Update history

2024.03.24
2022.04.05

Affiliate Link

Some external links are advertisements, and clicking them may generate income for the site administrator. I would appreciate your understanding and cooperation in maintaining my page.