553elx questions

<p>I've been offered a mint, mint 553elx and was wondering whether this has the mirror glide system that allows for use of longer lenses without obscuring the focusing screen. It's an insurance replacement for one that was stolen. It has had one roll of film put through it to test the camera out.</p>

<p>I believe it comes with the Acute Matte Bright screen?</p>

<p>I also believe this comes with the AA battery system. Any advantages/disadvantages to this?</p>

<p>Is the motor powerful enough to drive the camera over the long haul?<br>

The big question... "Would YOU buy one for yourself? I'm currently shooting with 50, 80, and 150 on a 500c/m.<br>

Lastly, what would be a reasonable price to pay for the camera with 80mm CF lens and A12 back?<br>

Any comments?<br>

Thanks</p>

<p>Gliding mirror system yes.<br>

The 553 ELX was supplied with AM screen. No guarantee the screen is still there!<br>

The camera uses AA batteries that will allow for a minimum of a thousand exposures.</p>

<p>Any motordrive Hasselblad camera is a handful when used without tripod.<br>

Motordrive Hasselblads are built stronger and last longer.</p>

<p>Price depends on condition:<br>

A set with low use in the hands of a careful owner may demand 1500 to 2200<br>

USD.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I have two elms, the older ones with nicads, shot weddings for 25 years with them, I love them.<br>

I always hear how you cant shoot handheld with ELMs.....never really understood why you cant. I prefer them handheld over my CMs, because of instant return mirror, and not having to look away from the subject to wind while shooting candids. But I guess you cant really shoot them handheld...... <br>

But again Hasseys best ever handheld camera the Super wide is also a great wedding candid camera, I guess I cant do that either....<br>

You know which of my cameras stay on the tripod the most at weddings? It is my CM because it does make less noise, use it for shots during the wedding ceremony.<br>

As good as I love the motor bodies, they do bring less money used, great for me as I bought them both used about 30 years ago.....never had any problem with either body. I think I paid about $250 each for body only..... a real bargin.</p>

 

<p>Paul,<br>

Thank you for the information... I've just purchased the camera and, indeed, there shows absolutely no usage whatsoever. Better yet, the AM screen is included!<br>

It's good to hear about the motorized Blads being built stronger and last longer.<br>

With regards to the batteries - I would assume there wouldn't be much difference between the regular nicads versus the ones that can be re-charged?</p>

<p>Russ,<br>

Although you may be quite right in being able to hand-hold the ELM, personally speaking, I plan on mounting the elx on a tripod. It's quite a hefty camera.<br>

$250 back 30 years ago represented a LOT of money. However, since you've used your cameras for that duration, it does represent a real bargain!<br>

Thank you both for your comments.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I almost exclusively shoot with EL/Ms and Xs (all but the 4x5 images in my portfolio here are with ELs). I love them. I like the options I have for mirror lockup and all. The motors are really over built, so it's unlikely you'll find a dead one. Mine are equipped with the 9v adapter because they hold their charge longer than the original nicads (that, and one blew up on me, taking out the battery compartment). AAs are a good option, though I think I'd prefer a 9v as it is probably lighter. There's no reason at all you can't shoot with them hand-held, but if I'm doing that, I usually take along a smaller C/M. I do wish I had the gliding mirror system for working with some of my lenses. That is a big plus for this camera.</p>

<p>H.C.<br />ELX bodies that take AA size batteries can be operated without any problem with rechargeable batteries.</p>

<p>Michael</p>

<p>EL/MX cameras do not have mirror lock up in the true sense of the word.<br />The mirror is always activated but can be left in the up position by changing the position of the RH selector.<br />The small 9V block battery is indeed lighter but does not make a lot of difference on the tank style built of the EL body.</p>

<p>Old style nicads that blow up during charging are not uncommon.<br />In most cases only the plastic lock needs to be replaced.<br />The battery lid itself can be damaged in heavy blasts. That does not happen often.<br />Use a good timer and do not charge longer than 14 hrs.<br />That is all it takes to prevent these incidents and operate safely.</p>

<p>The first EL series camera to receive the GMS mechanism for the mirror is the 500ELX.<br />Those bodies can be found for friendly prices. A couple of hundred USD will pay for a clean one.</p>

<p>So that it is clear (Wildi's book and Hasselblad's literature do not help, rather suggest something that is not true): the mirror in the EL-models is never fixed in the up position.<br>

It will always flap up and down. In AS and SR modes, the mirror flaps up again at the end of the sequence, so it is up when the next cycle starts. It never stays up between exposures.</p>

<p>When I shoot an image in the field, I rotate the RH dial forward one notch toward the lens and the mirror flips up. I then trigger the shutter when I'm ready, and the camera cycles, and the mirror comes back to normal again. This is not mirror lockup?</p>

<p>As for the battery incident, I had it plugged in for about 20 minutes after it was worn down, but not all the way out. At 14 hours, my house could have burnt down. Let's just say, after smelling the ozone for 10 minutes before it blew the battery door off, I wouldn't leave one plugged in while away. They're too heavy and flaky, and not worth using any more, IMO.</p>

<p>Q.G., what do you mean by the mirror is never fixed in the up position? Do you mean after it cycles it does not stay up, but does cycle back up again? True, that may not be real mirror lockup, but from a practical standpoint, I don't care so long as it stays up so I can expose the film.</p>

<p>Michael,</p>

<p>Mirror lock up is effective when the mirror is not activated at all after the shutter is released.<br>

Whatever position you choose for the RH control with EL cameras the mirror is always activated.<br>

Hasselblad cameras from the 2000 series have a mirror program that allows for mirror lock up.</p>

<p>Any attempt to charge a defective battery is potentially dangerous unless a charger with protection is being used.<br>

None of the Hasselblad chargers are equipped with such circuits.<br>

Most of the time older batteries show clear signs of deterioration that indicate they are no longer serviceable.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Michael,</p>

<p>From a practical standpoint, there is no way to prevent mirror shake in sequence shooting if you can't really lock the mirror up.<br>

;-)</p>

<p>The worst thing about this however is how it is written up in Wildi's books, suggesting that in AS mode the camera cycles faster than when set to A mode. That is accompanied with a drawing that might be taken to suggest the mirror only moves at the beginning and end of the sequence.<br>

The only real difference is that when you set the dial to AS, the mirror flips up. So there is some gain, because that doesn't need to happen before the first (and only the first) exposure is made. The cycle however takes that same amount of time longer to fimish, since at the end it happens again. What you gain at the front is added to the back of the sequence.<br>

Everything in between is exactly the same.<br>

Yet Wildi says <em>"the camera operates somewhat faster than in the A position: about 12 pictures in 9 seconds."</em><br>

Not true.</p>

<p>There is more not quite what it is made out to be on the EL models.<br>

The camera ready signal is no such thing. Just a white bit of plastic behind the little round window. Fake!<br>

;-)</p>

<p>Maybe the confusion here is that I don't use my EL's to shoot sequences. I use it for landscape and portrait work where I fire one shot at a time, using the camera to cock the shutter, reset the mirror, and wind the film. I simply move the selector to S, and it locks the mirror up for that shot, and I can fire one shot whenever I'm ready. It then cycles the camera and I do it again. I think you're saying that for action photography when you want the mirror to always stay up, it always cycles down at some point. That is true, but I'm trying to think of 35mm cameras with mirror lockup, and I think they only allowed one shot at a time, and you had to put the mirror down again to wind it.</p>

<p>The Olympus OM-1 allowed the mirror to stay up as long as you wanted it to.<br>

;-)</p>

<p>I don't know whether mirror lock up in rapid sequence shooting would be of great use. I have used the SR setting, having enough time to wait for the vibrations to die away before needing to press the shutter again.</p>

<p>Anyway, the thing that bothers me more about this is (like i said in the previous post) how they use a non-existing mirror lock up to suggest the camera can be made faster.<br>

More than the use of the words "mirror lock up" when only "mirror prerelease" is meant. ;-)</p>

<p>On a separate note:<br>

Not to give you a fright, H.C., but in my experience, the EL models are easier to break than the non-motorized models.<br>

That motor has some power, and will grind things to a schreeching halt whenever something goes a bit wrong. It will break gears, bend metal rods, and what not.<br>

The motor itself, or rather the release magnet, can have a mind of its own too.<br>

The metal rods meant to stop proceedings by blocking levers at the right point take some beating, and will bend. The motor will then keep running until you remove the battery cover and let the bateries drop out.<br>

The release button (and the release plate some models had) will stop working too, because the constant pushing they do becomes too much, and they get shorter until they are too short to reach.<br>

There is probably more (like the rubber feet that tend to drop off) that could be mentioned.</p>

<p>But do not worry: they are great cameras. I wouldn't have known the various faults they can acquire if i didn't like them, and used them so much!<br>

;-)</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Hi Paul,<br>

Thanks again... rechargables they will be then. :)</p>

<p>Hi Q.G.<br>

Since I shoot as a hobbyist, hopefully, I'll never run into the problems you've mentioned. But, in case I do, I do have a 500c/m for a backup.<br>

No, the list you've provided is more than sufficient for the moment. Thanks. :)</p>

 

<p>Well, Q.G., that's quite a testimony. I do use mine professionally. I've used two EL/Ms for over 20 years without a single problem, except for the bad battery, and having bi-yearly CLAs. No blown pistons, push rods, cranks, or oil pans. They always run. I've got 5 friends that use EL/Ms all the time too, and they don't have problems either. When I worked for the distributor of Hasselblad, I never heard of EL/Ms not running, so I'm not sure where the reliability comes into question, but maybe I was somehow shielded from it.</p>

<p>Michael,</p>

<p>Perhaps i was particularly unlucky (though some of the things are 'generic': the large release plate, for instance, is no good, and i have seen more that do not work, or do not work properly than ones that do).</p>

<p>Anyway, in my experience, the non-motorized cameras are a lot harder to break, because you do not have that motor to help you do it.</p>

<p>I can only second Michaels experience:<br>

I started using EL cameras, bought two ELM bodies upgraded to the 500ELX and now use two 553ELX cameras.</p>

<p>I have my second 555ELD.<br>

The first 555ELD was the only one bought used. That is also the only camera that gave problems.<br>

It turned out to be an ex rental with a long history of problems due to a fall.<br>

The 555ELD I bought new is excellent. It is used with a Sinar DB in a studio.<br>

All cameras are used daily.</p>

<p>Well, I took the camera out and shot with it for the first time today... with the new Acute Matte screen and the chimney focusing hood, it was a joy to focus!<br>

Normally, I would be out shooting with LF (4x5 to 5x7 to 8x10) and, at the end of the shoot, I could never really, really feel ABSOLUTELY sure of the focus. I didn't have this feeling of uncertainty whatsoever with the Blad.<br>

And, shooting the 6x6 format... it was like the first time I experienced tasting a bottle of 1982 Chateau Petrus. WOW!!! Almost an epiphany in "seeing" again! Everything fell into place!</p>

<p>[Can you tell I'm happy with the new setup? :)]</p>

<p>This is definitely a system I'll be keeping and building upon... 120 Macro next... followed by a 250 and a 350 (and, maybe a couple of extension tubes, filters, flash and... :>0)<br>

That should keep me plenty occupied for awhile!<br>

Cheers</p>

 

<p>H.C.:<br>

" And, shooting the 6x6 format... it was like the first time I experienced tasting a bottle of 1982 Chateau Petrus. WOW!!! Almost an epiphany in "seeing" again! Everything fell into place! "</p>

<p>I did not read a nicer compliment for an older used Hasselblad camera in a long time!</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

 

<p>Hello Paul,<br>

Thank you... sometimes, it's a challenge to put into words what the heart feels. :)<br>

Only a 61 Palmer might beat the Petrus but they're harder than hen's teeth to find!</p>

<p>One other comment on the 553ELX though... I went to put on an Arca plate to the camera mount only to find it wasn't the 3/8ths inch screw size found on the 500cm, which surprised me. I would have thought they would have used the larger screw on the 553elx due to it's larger size and weight.<br>

Anyway, it wasn't a huge issue since there was a store that had one in stock. Easy solution! :)<br>

Cheers</p>

<p>H.C.</p>

<p>You made perfectly clear what your first experience with this mint 553ELX kit is.<br>

You are right, there is emotion involved that is what I recognise with many V camera users.</p>

<p>The bottom end of Hasselblad cameras varies and is not always what we expect.<br>

I am glad that little problem is taken care of.</p>

<p>I wish good light any many fine images.</p>

<p>Hi Paul,</p>

<p>Thank you. :)</p>

<p>And, the best of light to you too.</p>

<p>Cheers</p>