richard_lane3

I had a situation when the body was not cocked (and the lens that was attached couldn't be taken off the body). I (successfully) followed the instructions shown on this link to cock the body ... http://www.dmin-dmax.fr/photoe2b.htm Good luck! :-) ... MomentsForZen (Richard)

I'm not sure if these issues are "old wives stories" or true, but I have heard of some people having issues with the use of cans of compressed air with sensitive camera components ... 1. That many brands of compressed air expel small amounts of a liquid that are deposited on surfaces. 2. That sensitive surfaces (i.e., coated surfaces and highly polished surfaces) can be damaged by particles blown across them at high pressure by the compressed air out of a can. I use Arthur's method (i.e., a rubber air blower - e.g., Giotto Rocket Blower). :-) ... MomentsForZen (Richard)

Very wise and sage advice, Edward. I have a Hasselblad 500C/M body and got into digital with it when I bought a second- hand CFV II 16MP digital back. Given the similarity of my thoughts and gear with yourself, I am interested which "small format camera" finally took your fancy in comparison with a 16MP CCD back. Hope that you can share the answer!! :-) ... MomentsForZen (Richard)

Hi there Ian. Following are some links to photographs that I have posted on Flickr. I have never had the slightest hint of the sensor heating up over that period of time. And I probably would have because the air temperature always seems to be around the freezing point (zero degrees Celsius) and a nice "handwarmer" at the end of a 34 minute exposure would have felt very nice!! Examples of 34 minute star trails ... And for good measure, an example of a "point star" image with a relatively short exposure ... And the Moon with a "daylight" length exposure ... :-) ... MomentsForZen (Richard)

Sage commentary, Edward. If you fire the shutter before the allotted time is up, I get a multiple exposure - interesting in a very trendy / Instagram vein, but not really my scene. You can adjust the maximum exposure time as the situation dictates. For example, in a regular shooting situation, I might set a maximum of 2 seconds. When doing a star trail exposure, I use the maximum setting of 34 minutes. xThe status light blinks orange/red until the time is up, when it turns to green. Also, the audio chimes, and the image is sent to the display when the time is up. :-) ... MomentsForZen (Richard)

Not much that I can add to your question, Simon, I'm afraid, as I have no experience of studio work. I just wish to make a minor correction - Edward - You mention that the CFV-50c has a maximum of 32 seconds for exposure. This was the case for the CFV and CFV II CCD digital backs, but the CFV-50c CMOS digital back has a maximum exposure time of 34 minutes. Simon - I share your passion for the 500 series cameras because of the way that they make you feel (as much as they might actually perform in a photographic sense). I am an amateur, so I can indulge my passion of using a 500C/M with a CFV-50c digital back simply because I like the way that it feels in my hands. The photos are a bonus. :-) ... MomentsForZen (Richard)

Hi there @RobertDeas Thanks for those prices - they add great clarity in what was a price vacuum. :-) ... MomentsForZen (Richard)

What are the ball park costs for the various screens mentioned here? Everyone is jumping around with different options. I don't have any idea - everyone has a different and personal view of prices and price differentials, so I don't want to assume anything based on the tenor of the comment. Thank-you. :-) ... MomentsForZen (Richard)

;-) Ian - My apologies if I did not express myself very well - I did not mean to imply that you would be using the Hasselblad under "active subject" conditions, nor that you would have the same issues with focusing that I can have. The CFV-50c has such wonderful resolution and it shows the flaws in my technique if I am not very careful. But that is one of the reasons that I like this back - one of the challenges for me is to try to utilize its capabilities as broadly as I can, whilst recognizing and working with any of its shortcomings. I know that it is possible to swap to other camera/sensor systems that provide auto exposure, auto focusing, etc. if I wanted to produce more consistent and reliable results, but given that photography is a hobby not my source of income, I can indulge and challenge myself with a predominantly manual system such as the V-series. If I mess up, the only person affected is me. :-) ... MomentsFrZen (Richard)

Hi there Ian. If it were me, then photographing kids running around with a manual camera and high-resolution back would be a very certain failure - focussing is "delicate" at the best of times! Great assessment of the CFV-50c Daniel. Right down to the detail that the card slot is too close to the hinge on the cover - that annoys me, too. And the genius (or serendipity) of making the status light blink during the image capture period. One question for you though, Daniel, if I may. You mention that you can use the PME-90 with the back. I agree that it fits. But how do you access the slide at the top of the back when the PME-90 is fitted? You can't get your finger in there to do it. The gap between the bottom of the PME-90 and the top of the digital back is only a few mm. :-) ... MomentsForZen (Richard)

Hello Ian. This is a tough assignment - the 5DMK3 and A7 rII are top players, especially in natural light. I have no experience with portrait photography, so forgive any "strange" questions and comments from me. I am pretty sure that the CFV-50c is the only Hasselblad digital back that you can use with your 503CW that has a ghost of chance for this role. The CFV-50c has a resolution advantage over the 5DMK3, but the A7 rII is more or less on a par with it in terms of resolution. Can you define "make my images look better" ? This would make it easier for me (and possibly others) to make suggestions. Is the manual focus for your 503CW versus auto-focus for the competition an issue?? Can you describe the nature of your sessions - i.e., what happens in a typical session? :-) ... MmentsForZen (Richard)

Hi there. I've had experience with both a CFV II 16MP back and the CFV-50C with my 500C/M body. I love the experience of photographing with this masterpiece of engineering and craftsmanship. Under very controlled conditions, the CFV II was lovely - the colors from this CCD sensor were so very vibrant, and the resolution was seemingly so much better than with other "16MP" sensors (where smearing/filtering of the image reduces the information from a true 16MP with each pixel independent in content from its neighbors to an effective 10-12MP or so). However, the noise was unbearable for ISO 200 and 400 - i.e., only the results for ISO 50 and 100 were acceptable. Hence, my comment that this was OK with controlled lighting. And then there is the CMOS CFV-50c digital back. The resolution and detail is truly breathtaking. Very good color, but not quite as nice as the CFV II, though this is a comparison with a very high achiever. Focus can be problematic with 500 services bodies, but when I get it right, the detail amazes me. The ISO performance is very good up to 1600, and sometimes to 3200, making this back far, far more versatile in different lighting conditions and in allowing me to chose the aperture and shutter speed based on artistic desire. The CFV-50c also has a maximum exposure time of 34 minutes compared to the 32 seconds of the CFV II - an enormous difference in very low light conditions with static subjects (which I photograph a lot). Both backs have a very simple screen and menu system. They are both relatively "dumb" backs - ISO and time are the only pieces of information that can be recorded. I'm not a pixel peeper having grown up in the world of film cameras which is fortunate because I wouldn't want to use the screen to decide if I had the optimum focus or lighting. It only tells me that it recorded an image that has some resemblance to the scene in front of the camera! In sunlight, the screen is very difficult to see indeed. But as I said, I'm not fussed about that. The CFV II showed me that the V-series has a place in the digital world. The CFV-50c has been very much worthwhile for showing me that results equal to anything out there can be matched under good and moderate conditions. It is not just a toy / curiosity. :-) ... MomentsForZen (Richard)

Hi David. I use a 500C/M but I am not at all technical. Still, I admire the aesthetics of the Hasselblad engineering and the feel of the mechanisms in these cameras. In essence, I use the camera because I like the look and the feel of the mechanisms - it is a beautiful manual instrument. I cannot make too much sense of your FAQ, but I found it fascinating from the perspective of a commentary on human behavior - i.e., the progression of incremental improvements, leading to a far superior product. But then to have this thwarted by the mistrust of the recipient of the improvements - to the point that they sabotaged the good work. The stuff of classical literature or the plot for a Shakespearian play. Thank-you for posting it. :-) ... MomentsForZen (Richard)

Hi there Eric. I would agree that Hasselblad have a good understanding of the 50MP Sony sensor. I hope that they go for quality improvements on future sensors rather not than increasing the MP count - my shooting technique and the nature of the lenses would make it hard for me to benefit beyond 50Mp in resolution terms. 2 definite and 1 promised lens is a small native inventory to jump to right now. I have a stack of V-series lenses, but the thought of V-H and then H-X converters would ruin the beauty of this X1D body ! I would think it unlikely that we would see other manufacturers develop "native" lenses in the next 12 months. My guess would be a max of 5-6 native lenses bu the end of 2017. I would be still betting on an X2D (logically ;-) by then. Oh the agony of it! :-) ... MomentsForZen (Richard)

Hi there again Benjamin. Thank-you SO MUCH for your comments. It is so much better to get the view of photographers such as yourself - so much more authentic and realistic than most of the material that is out in the various websites/blogs/forums. Really appreciate it. My immediate reaction is to "want one" even more. But my logical reaction says to wait for an X2D to be developed and released - history says that the 2nd generation of a new line of cameras is far more solid. Also, by then, the range of native lenses should have expanded. Now, I just don't know whether emotion or Logic will prevail !?! :-) ... MomentsForZen (Richard)