Hasselblad's fast FE wide-angle — the Zeiss Distagon FE 50mm f/2.8 for focal-plane-shutter V bodies.
The Carl Zeiss Distagon FE 50mm f/2.8 is the fast wide-angle lens made for the focal-plane-shutter Hasselblad V bodies, the 2000- and 200-series cameras rather than the leaf-shutter 500 line. FE lenses have no built-in shutter and add electronic data contacts for the metering bodies, and this Distagon was the wide member of that faster, shutterless family.
This is a manual-focus Hasselblad V lens without a leaf shutter, relying on the body focal-plane shutter, so it fits the FE-compatible bodies. Its maximum aperture of f/2.8 is a stop brighter than the leaf-shutter 50mm f/4, giving a brighter finder and more light for the film. It is a retrofocus Distagon covering the 6x6 frame rectilinearly, with the electronic contacts that let the FE and later 200-series bodies read the lens.
The extra speed makes this 50mm useful in lower light and for a brighter viewing image, while the wide-but-natural field suits landscape, architecture and interiors on the square format. Because it lacks a leaf shutter, flash sync is limited to the body's focal-plane sync speed, so it was chosen where the wider aperture mattered more than high-speed flash. It pairs specifically with the motorised FE-series cameras.
FE-series lenses are less common than the CF line and appeal to owners of the focal-plane bodies. Confirm the lens is the FE type intended for your camera and that the electronic contacts are clean and undamaged. Check the glass for haze, fungus and separation, verify the aperture blades are dry, and make sure focus is smooth. Since these depend on the body shutter, test operation on a working FE or 200-series camera before buying.