XCD 30mm vs HCD 28mm or 35mm

[pflower]

Seeing Michael Cothran's thread regarding the HC 120 vs the XCD 120, I thought I would ask a similar question regarding the 30mm.

75%-80% of my work is with a 35mm lens (Sony A7RII) or the 45mm with the X1D.  Occassionally I want something a little wider or a little longer.  I already have the HC 80mm which, on my H3D-39, is perfectly satisfactory.  I will certainly buy the XH adapter when it arrives and use the 80mm.  But I have never actually used either the HCD 28mm or 35mm.  However both are available second hand for less than 1/2 the price of the 30mm. They also seem reasonably compact and light.   I know the consensus on both the 90mm and 30mm lenses is that they are exceptional, but given the limited use they would have in my hands, has anyone any thoughts as to the wisdom of just going with one of the 28mm or 35mm lenses and if so, which?  Frankly for my purposes the difference between 28mm and 35mm is pretty insignificant.  Oh and 90% of what I do will be handheld not on a tripod.

Thanks for any observations or comments.

[docmoore]

I debated the 28 as an alternative to the 30 XCD. My XH adapter arrived today ... the 30 XCD will arrive tomorrow.

Native lenses are much easier to work with than adapted ones ... I shoot 95% manual focus with all of my lenses but the difference in size, lens designed for the
camera and sensor, and firmware related to both being more likely to be updated in addition to the lens correction software which might work better on the native
lens led me to choose the 30. I knew that if I bought the 28 I would more than likely upgrade within a year of two.

Then other factor is the leaf shutter on the 28 unless it is new will not sync to 1/2000.

My desire for the XH will be for lenses that may not be seen in XCD form for years ... like the 210 and 300 HC lenses.

I have adapted lenses to the Leica S system and while they worked ... they were nothing like the native lenses. At times even exposure and
metering is off ...

But the discount is significant ... probably more so for someone who has a lot of HC glass.

If you are comfortable with a capture which may be less that the best possible ... no problem. But at this level you have already made a choice for
a stellar imaging pipeline ... only you can decide if the compromise is worth it. For me it was not.

Bob

[docmoore]

The 30 arrived this afternoon ... late but I had time to shoot maybe 10 pictures ... and have to say it looks stellar ... on the order of my old Leica 21 SEM. Doesn't get
better than that unless you move to a tech camera and Rodenstock or Schneider lenses.

Smaller than I imagined and the filter at 77 means it is much smaller than the HC lenses.

If you can swing it ...

Bob

[hcubell]

The HC 35mm lens is generally viewed as the weakest lens in the HC lens lineup. Ok in the center as you stop down, but the corners are quite poor and are never really sharp at any aperture. I had a copy and sold it several years ago.