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Hasselblad 903SWC Test shots


jonee

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This is my first outing with the 903SWC. I know people on this forum love

looking at these photos so i thought i would post my first shots with it up.

This is on the Greek island of Santorini.<div>00H83H-30898584.thumb.jpg.e61449a19f9efc8548f39ea287140cb9.jpg</div>

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Jonathan,

 

Sorry for intruding but as a Photo Editor for more than 35 years I just couldn't help myself. I

think this version is stronger. (Also, I too love my 903 SWC and shot some special

landscapes on it last week. I can't wait for the lab to return the transparencies.)<div>00H8E5-30904084.jpg.4335fce8c358ca3cccca2a5e2e19bb9e.jpg</div>

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Q.G.

 

The SWC has a 91 degree angle of view. A 21mm on 35mm (24x36mm) has a 92 degree angle of view. Even when cropped, the 38mm Biogon is closer to the 21mm than the 24mm on 35mm. The 21mm and the 38mm are roughly equal in their respective formats.

 

I bought a Leica IIIf and the Voightlander 21mm and used that as a "poor man's" SWC. Recently I bought a Mamiya M645 and the Mamiya 35mm lens to replace the IIIf.

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Anthony,<br><br>You're comparing diagonals. The Biogon's diagonal angle of view is quite impressive, because the format is taller.<br>The horizontal anle of view, however, is not as wide, even, as that of a 24 mm lens on 35 mm. So unless you fit things in diagonally, the 38 mm Biogon is more like a 26 - 27 mm on 35 mm format.<br>Which, by the way, one would know if one would compare lenses, their use and limitations, instead of figures on spec sheets... ;-)
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" the 38 mm Biogon is more like a 26 - 27 mm on 35 mm format"

 

Isn't this a hollow debate? If you crop the 35mm negative to a square then the

Biogon's again the widest kid on the block. It seems a bit pointless to argue

the toss about angle of view between two formats with such different aspect

ratios.

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CPeter: When I viewed Jonathan's shot, I too felt it would be a stronger shot cropped somewhat as you did, but not as tightly in the bottom left corner as that crowds the boat somewhat. If one could reshoot, I would either move in a lot closer and a bit towards the left or right to create a more pronounced diagonal -- this would make effective use of the Biogon's close focus capabilities and provide a bit more punch.

 

Jonathan, for initial test shots you are doing remarkably well -- given the curvilinear, almost biomorphic nature, of Santorini's architecture you must have had a field day there with your 903. As you have found (or will find) out, one of the 38's beauties is that its wide angle effect is subtle yet 'there' when compared to retrofocus designs even when shooting close up. I use my SWC/M at between two-three feet of the main subject 3/4s of the time, and one generally has to do something fairly off-axis to get readily discernable distortion excepting circular shapes towards the edges.

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<i>one of the 38's beauties is that its wide angle effect is subtle yet 'there' when compared to retrofocus designs even when shooting close up.</i><br><br>That, and<br><br><i>one generally has to do something fairly off-axis to get readily discernable distortion excepting circular shapes towards the edges</i><br><br>of course does not depend on being a retrofocus lens or not. Only on focal length/angle of view.<br>;-)<br><br>Disortion (not the perspective related phenomenon mentioned above) is indeed better corrected in the Biogon. That means that, a.o, straight lines will tend to curve less than when using a retrofocus Distagon with not so good correction. Not that wide angle perspective is lessened.
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I prefer the un-croped version: the square format with extra neutral space has a strong

feeling of presence that is lost in the crop. Akin to the difference between being there and

looking to outside through a window.

 

For my SWC wishes to come true, many people need to sell theirs ( as the go digital ) so I can

get one at a knock down price post Photokina.

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...one of the 38's beauties is that its wide angle effect is subtle...

 

On both pictures, I spotted a lot of wide angle distortions, even at close range... look at the little white "tower" to the right of the boat. Perhaps the author did not level the camera!

 

On the first photo, the only perfectly "straight" subject is the tower, at medium plane. To its right and left, I see a lot of distortion.

 

BTW, the cropped example IMO is much better!

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Q.G.

 

Since I have never owned a SWC, all I can do is compare specifications. I do understand the difference between diagonal coverage vs. horizontal angle of coverage but it seems that the lens manufactures only state the diagonal specification.

 

When used with the 50mm Distagon, the 21mm seems right. The 24mm seems too close to the 50mm Distagon. That's why I use the 21mm and have been for 5 years. In 35mm I have 17mm, 21mm, 24mm, 28mm and 35mm wide angles. The 21mm seems to me to be the best companion wide angle to the 50 Distagon. YMMV.

 

Now that I have the Mamiya 645 35mm lens I hope to get a better feel for the medium format wider angles when used with the 50 Distagon. I just need to spend more time with it.

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I believe it does need the space to the left to keep the island in the background. But the

cloudless sky is of no value, so I prefer the letter box approach.

 

It's best to use the SWC frame to the full to get it's max advantage, but there is every

reason to use it as a panoramic whenever that is suited.<div>00H9cc-30946984.jpg.c48bae6303980ee15df842865f221809.jpg</div>

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