Difference between Hasselblad 500C & 500C/M

Hello All,

Is there a difference between the two besides the interchangeable focus screen feature (and age)? Thanks.

Several minor ones, depending on age and service status.

For instance, the early 500 C/M had (as did the 500 C) an auxillary shutter PC synch contact and a cable hook socket on the left side. Later ones only the cable hook socket. Still later ones neither of the two. The shape of the chrome trim changed during the 500 C/M production period. The wind knob was replaced with a foldable crank. The folding hood design changed. The lens mount was redesigned. Etc. Not just a difference between C and C/M: the early and late 500 C/M cameras are far from identical. These are visible changes. In the interior, parts have been redesigned (or removed) regularly. Those interior changes may have been applied to older models whenever they came in for service.

Same goes for interior upgrades of 500 C models. Things changed, and changes may have been applied to older cameras.

'Functionally', the focussing screen and the body synch contact are the important differences. Apart from those two items, you can do everything equally well on either 500 C and C/M models.

[...] the interchangeable focus screen feature

The user-interchangeable focus screen feature was added to late-production 500C bodies, which can sometimes be found at a discount over bodies with the 500CM badging. These late 500C bodies have newer internal mechanics more like the 500CM than the original 500C, but not as new as very last 500CMs with the palpas coated rear flaps.

Good Hasselblad service techs would routinely update parts per Hasselblad service bulletins, so some 500C bodies can have newer internals than the outside would indicate. But thats difficult to discern without documentation, so the rule of thumb would be buy the newest body you can afford from a vetted seller. If it comes with papers verifying a recent service, so much the better. Or, pay less for an older body and send it in for an overhaul.