Hasselblad 503CW

I have been using a Mamiya C330 for the past two years. I have always enjoyed working with medium format. I recently got a Hasselblad 503cw as a gift. The camera seems to be in great shape but it hasn’t been used for 4 years. Just wondering since it has not been used for 4 years, does that mean it needs a CLA?

 

Also another question I have I’m not used to the upside down viewfinder on the 503cw. What kind of prism finder do I need in order be able to view the image right side up and be able to focus more easily?

 

Thanks in advance

The WLF image is reversed left to right, not inverted.

 

I prefer a 45 degree prism, because I can use it from ground level to nearly eye level. The newer PM45 versions have a focusing eyepiece. The PME45 has a built-in meter, which can be very useful. The image is not reversed, and it is a big, beautiful view, corner to corner, with 3x magnification.

 

Another useful finder is the "chimney" style. The magnification is 4.5x, and it has a focusing eyepiece. That's important not only if you wear glasses, but to focus on the grid lines so you aren't confused focusing the camera on a virtual image (through the glass).

A Hasselblad 503cw is one heck of a dramatic, insanely generous gift! I certainly hope you at least took the person who gave it to you out to a nice dinner: a 503cw with A12 film back, waist level finder and 80mm lens averages close to $2000 on eBay and at used camera dealers. The kit not being used for at least four years may or may not be a potential problem. The likelihood of a used Hasselblad requiring service IS much higher than something like your Mamiya C330, but once serviced a Hasselblad should stay good for at least 10 years of amateur use. The 503cw body itself is probably fine: this was the last all-mechanical Hasselblad body (mfd 1996-2014 approx), with some internal improvements that make it less likely to need age-related servicing than older bodies like 500cm.

 

Most Hasselblad problems center on the lens shutter. It is a much more complicated contraption than the otherwise-similar leaf shutter in your Mamiya C330 lenses. The older the Hasselblad lens, the more likely it is to need a shutter overhaul after sitting unused for several years. What does your lens look like? Is it completely metal, marked Synchro-Compur, with a serrated metal focusing ring? Or does it have a rubber focusing ring grip, like most modern camera lenses, marked Prontor? The older all-metal lenses have shutter mechanisms that get gummy and sticky if left on a shelf unused for more than a few months: they were designed to be used hard and serviced every couple years. The newer lenses tolerate sitting unused a bit better, but they still need to be overhauled once every ten years or so: if yours has never been serviced, sooner or later it will act up and need a CLA. The first thing to go is usually the slowest shutter speeds, which will either drag or hang open. If left untreated, further problems can develop with the aperture stopdown mechanics.

 

The easiest way to check the lens mechanism is to remove the film magazine, wind the camera, and look thru the back opening as you fire the lens at each shutter speed. Keep winding and visually checking each speed, once with the aperture wide open, and once with the aperture set to the smallest opening (f/22 etc). They should operate similar to the same speeds set on your Mamiya C330: if so, the lens is OK for now and you can shoot with it. But if the slow speeds drag too long or hang open, the lens needs service. If you see a starfish shadow pattern instead of a bright circle when the lens fires wide open at 1/8,1/15, and 1/30, it needs service. If the smallest aperture doesn't stop down immediately as the shutter fires, it needs service. Tho that last one you can often postpone almost indefinitely: I've lost count how many Hassy lenses I've used that had sluggish apertures when set to f/32, but were fine at all other apertures. The minimum cost nowadays to service a Hass lens is $275 no matter what exactly is wrong with it, so no point in repairing a minor glitch in the minimum aperture setting until the shutter itself also requires service (then get both repaired at the same time).

 

Aside from the lens shutter, the most common Hasselblad issue is light leaks in the film magazine. This is is almost always due to the light seal in the dark slide slot breaking down. If you see streaks and overexposed areas in your images, the back needs a new dark slide seal (aka light trap). The light traps are fairly easy to DIY replace: spare foams and mylar covers go for about $15 pre-cut or you can make your own for pennies apiece. The hardest part is removing the umpteen screws that hold the magazine mounting plate over the seal. If you're leery of DIY, most camera techs will replace the seals for about $50-$60. A new seal should last up to four-five years depending how often you use the dark slide. Occasionally a film back will develop a frame spacing issue: not common but it does happen, requiring a couple small worn parts to be replaced. If you start seeing frames with wildly uneven spacing, or overlapping frames in your developed film, the back definitely needs service.

 

I'm surprised you find the Hasselblad waist level image "upside down": it should look the same as the waist level image of your Mamiya. Are you using a prism finder on your Mamiya C330 instead? If so, you'll need a similar prism for the Hasselblad. The smallest. lightest, least expensive prism is model NC-2, which can be easily found well under $100 if you can live with some cosmetic paint wear (flawless black paint will cost closer to $100). The newer prisms suggested by Ed_Ingold are equally good, but bulkier and more expensive.

 

The two best ways to keep your Haasselblad working perfectly: exercise the lens shutter speeds once a month (even when not shooting film), and store the magazine with the dark slide removed if it won't be used for several weeks (storing with dark slide inserted wears out the seal faster).

Thank you Ed_Ingold & orsetto

 

I will post some pictures of the camera/lens tonight when I get home. I will also post images of the viewfinder. The exterior of the camera is in perfect condition. So I'm assuming the person that used this before took a really good care of it. I will test the lens tonight and hopefully shoot my first roll next week. Hopefully I can save for a digital back.

Don't rush out and buy a new prism. Yes, the image is reversed, but it's not difficult to get used to. Otherwise, it's more money and more big pieces of stuff to carry around.

 

And don't necessarily get a CLA yet. If it's not broke, don't fix it. Remember that the back is its own thing: it may need work if the framing is very uneven. A Hasselblad back in good adjustment should have pretty consistent frame spacing.

Be careful of light leaks in the film back. Easy fix is a strip of black masking tape over the dark slide slot.