Hasseblad Zeiss Lenses Line-up - 50/60/100/120/150mm - Which 4 lenses to Keep?

So far I have 5 lenses in my Hasselblad lineup - 50/4 CFi, 60/3.5

CFi, 100/3.5 CFi, 120/4 CFi Makro and 150/4 CFi. I plan to sell one

of these lenses to raise funds for other purchases.

 

My main interests in photography are : portraiture, landscape,

travel photography and sometimes architecture and macro.

 

The 50mm is one of my favorite. Great for landscape! I intend to

keep it. The other four lenses I am not sure.

 

I realize the classic 3 lens lineup is: 50-80-150 or 60-100-180.

But I don't plan to get the 80mm since I have both 60 and 100mm.

However, the 100mm and 120mm and 150mm are too close in focal length.

Is 180mm a better bet for portrait and compressed landscape?

 

Thank you for your feedback.

Go classic: 50-80-150. Sell 60, 100 and 120 and buy an 80. The simpler your system is, the more you can concentrate on just using it!

Sell the 60mm Distagon and 120mm M-Planar, then go to buy a 250mm Sonnar.

Based on your interests, I'd say if you had to sell one lens, it would be either the 60mm or the 150mm. I wouldn't sell any, if it were me, but if forced, it would be the 150mm.

 

You already know the 50mm is great for landscapes, but the 60mm is great for group portraits and is the equivalent to a 35mm lens on a 35mm camera, which is the classic street photography focal length--great for travel, along with the 120mm for quick portraits in travel situations. The 100mm is supposed to be a great lens for architecture, with very little distortion, and the 120mm does just fine for portraits and is spectacular for macros. I don't know about compressed landscapes, but the 180mm is good for close-up portraits, but gives a little too much compression for my taste otherwise.

Sell the 60 and 150 and get the 180. Not a big difference between the 50 and 60, and you plan on keeping the 50 anyway. The 120 is for macro, which you do from time to time, and the 100 is because it's a great lens. The 180 gives you a slightly better perspective for the regular head shot and a different perspective for landscapes. It's also a much better lens than the 150. Later you may get a 350 or a 500 to cover the long range.

Based on your interests, I'd sell the 60 CFi.

 

- WR

Like Fast Primes said - go classic 50-80-150 .

 

The 60 and 100 may be technically better than the 80, but without the 80 a minimalist one

lens walk-around setup never really seems to work. Even two lenses can sometimes be too

much kit and a hinderance rather than a benefit.

 

Alternatively, if you want to try something interesting - add a PC Mutar X1.4 to your kit,

and leave some intermediate lenses as home. It will really increase compositional

awareness especially if you are a proponent of printing full frame with rebate.

Except for the macro, you have the same interests in photography as me. My line-up consists of 38, 50, 100, 150, 250 and 350 lenses.

 

I find my CF 50 FLE a wonderful lens for environmental portraits. No distortion, very sharp.

 

The 60 is ofcourse an extremely good lens. However it is very close to 50. Keeping this lens instead of the 50 might keep you longing for a wider lens sometimes I guess. The 100 is extremely good. Since you do macro I would keep the 120. Also very good for portraits.

 

Maybe it is a good idea to sell the 150 together with the 60 and get a 180. Also possible is selling the 150 and get a 250. I have a silver C 250 without t* coating and the quality on slides is stunning. Makes you wonder what a more modern version is capable of. This way you have 2 wide angle lenses as well as 2 telelenses.

 

I guess it is a difficult choise. Maybe you should consider which lens you have used the least and just sell that lens.

 

Good luck with your choice, Frank

Thank you for your advice so far. It's indeed a tough decision to make. Maybe I should continue to shoot them and figure out which lens I use least.

 

The SWC is too much money for me. So I guess the widest lens I would have is 50mm. Regarding the telephotos for portrait, which lens/focal length is the best ? - 120mm or 150mm or 180mm?

 

Thanks.

What I did was buy a SWC & use it as my incredible wide angle camera with my Leica M3 w/50 Summicron & 90 Elmar. I'm not looking back!

I would keep all of them and buy the 180CFi + the 80CFi. Your Hasselblad's lens collection, would be almost complete.

keep the 50, 150, dump the others and get a 80mm. If you do macro keep the 120, or just get proxar set. Forget the 180 for portraits, nice but its not as versatile as the 150.

 

Its not how many you can afford, but how you use them.

I have a like new 80mm CFE, if you wish to exchange (+ cash differences), I'd be interested in getting your 100mm CFi. Where are you located btw? That way, you can get rid of your 60mm & 100mm get the 80mm, and I get my 100mm :)

Yeah... Get rid of both the 60 mm and 100 mm and get an 80 mm instead.<br>This is getting beyond silly...<br><br>Rich,<br><br>My advice would be to keep what you have.<br>But if you really must sell one, sell the 120 mm. You do not need a 'gap filler' between the 100 mm and 150 mm, and for "sometimes macro" the 100 mm will do just fine (in fact, it will do very well).

I'd keep what you have and add. Don't rob Pete to pay Paul. For landscape your next lens could be a 40 and for portraiture you could get the 180 or 250.

 

Art.