Creative selective focus, tilt/shift with a Hasselblad 500cm

<p>Hello all,</p>

<p>I'd really love to do some creative selective focus work using whatever methods are available for a Hasselblad 500 cm. I love the work of Keith Carter, but cannot afford a flexbody from the prices I have seen on e bay and keh. In a documentary on Keith Carter, he mentioned one of his cameras that has a modified fixed lens (that was glued on or something) for more portable effects similar to the flexbody. He didn't really say what modifications it was, but it was a cheap looking lens, possibly not a Hassy. I'd love to do something similar, but I am not sure where to start. Searching the forums, I saw that someone created something called a plungercam, but the link no longer works and googling returns nothing useful for me.</p>

<p>I would try this myself, but researching this, I see that it won't work separating the lens from the body with the 500cm. The separation would not allow the shutter to fire in the lens.</p>

<p>So does anyone have any creative suggestions? I have a Holga that gives me great shots for certain photos, but I'd like to try something a little different where I can have a bit more control over what I am focusing on.</p>

<p>Thanks,<br>

Cody</p>

<p>Have you considered a monorail camera? There are plenty around for not too much money, and will give you a large range of movements.</p>

<p>Cody, It wouldn't be for your Hasselblad, but my friends at Lensbaby (.com) make some really cool optics that give some great results. The biggest drawback with doing something unique with a Hasselblad 500 series camera is that it requires a shutter (at least in daylight work). Another option is software. Here's one of my images I tweaked to give the toy look. With some knowledge of PhotoShop, you don't really need another software program.</p><div></div>

<p>And for reference, here is a very simple shot using a lensbaby (which you can use on most film or digital cameras).</p><div></div>

<p>Thanks for those replies.</p>

<p>I have considered large format photography, but I already invested a lot into my Hasselblad kit and was hoping to stick with this format. I love the square format and am not ready to step up to large format as far as gear and developing.</p>

<p>I have also messed around in photoshop for tilt/shift effects, and while I did get some neat results, I wanted to do this in camera for darkroom printing.</p>

<p>The lensbaby lenses look really neat, but as mentioned, they are not for the Hassy. Even then, while the effect is definitely cool, it almost gives me vertigo. There is a sense of motion that messes with my eyes. Nevertheless, those are very nice images.</p>

<p>I guess I just really want this effect:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.keithcarterphotographs.com/morningWalk.html">http://www.keithcarterphotographs.com/morningWalk.html</a></p>

<p>If I remember correctly, this was the image shown in the documentary that was not a flexbody shot. It may have been with the fixed lens that was modified. Cannot be sure. But isn't that a great shot? ;)</p>

<p>Cody</p>

<p>It may not have anything to do with a special lens. Perhaps just out of focus, over exposed and developed for high contrast.</p>

<p>The Carter image looks like he's using a lot of tilt, so he has placed his plane of sharp focus more or less parallel to the ground. Everything above and below it is blurry.</p>

<p>A cheap and easy way to get a similar effect would be with a medium format Graphic, like a '23' Century, Crown, or Speed Graphic. The front standard of these very simple cameras has the capacity for a lot of backward tilt, and tilting it ten degrees or so might give the effect you want. (The backward tilt was built into these cameras for a different purpose.) </p>

<p>You would have to do some experimenting to get the results you want, but when I think about it, you wouldn't have to be too fussy about focusing. Presumably that layer of sharp focus four feet off the ground extends out to infinity!</p>

<p>If you want to use your Hasselblad, it would be a pain, but you might be able to do some creative lens hacking with a tilted press or view camera lens on a focusing helix or bellows. The interlocks on the Hasselblad might prevent you from doing this, so it might be a dumb idea. </p>

<blockquote>

<p>I see that it won't work separating the lens from the body with the 500cm. The separation would not allow the shutter to fire in the lens.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Hi Cody,</p>

<p>The item you seek is called a PC-Mutar (made by Zeiss). There are two of them on the bay at the moment.</p>

<p>This device combines a 1.4x teleconverter, which accommodates the increase in lens-to-film distance, with a rise/fall mechanism . It's designed to work with the 40mm lens, and will work with lenses up to 80mm. Longer lenses will vignette. It provides vertical shift of +/- 16mm, although the full shift is not available with the 80mm lens.</p>

<p>It requires a dual cable release, one of which fires the lens while the other fires the body. This is a bit of a kudge (also used on the non-automatic bellows), but it does work once it's properly adjusted. The lens is cocked manually using a lever on the device.</p>

<p>Not an ideal solution, but a usable one. Mine works fine.</p>

<p>- Leigh</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Leigh,</p>

<p>You must be selling a PC-Mutar. (Only kidding. But are you? ;-) )</p>

<p>A PC-Mutar will do absolutely nothing to get the effect Cody wants.<br>

All it does is slide the image up and down a bit (and decrease the angle of view to make that possible).<br>

Not the thing you want, Cody.</p>

<p>Hi Q.G.,</p>

<p>Nope. Not selling it. It does work for perspective control, within limits.</p>

<p>I don't know of any way to do what the OP wants to do with standard Hasselblad products other than the Flexbody or the ??Arc?? whatever they call it, unfortunately.</p>

<p>That's why I also shoot a view camera. I can glue a Hassy logo on the back and pretend. ;-)</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>- Leigh</p>

<p>Is there a converter to attach canon lenses to your hasselblad? Maybe you could try a canon tilt shift? rent one?<br>

I love his work too :)</p>

<p>Even if there were such adapters, that will not work, Stacy (which is why there are no such adapters ;-) ). The lens to film distance of a Canon is far less than that on a Hasselblad (i believe someone already mentioned that?). </p>

<p>Hi Leigh,<br>

You're right: the only Hasselblad cameras (or accessories) that can do what the OP is after are the Flexbody and Arcbody.<br>

I would also recommend getting a 4x5" camera with movements, perhaps with Hasselblad back adapter, perhaps with 6x9 roll film casette. That will work. And is much cheaper too.</p>

 

<p>One possibility just showed up on the bay... an adapter to mount Hasselblad lenses on a Sinar view camera.</p>

<p>This is not a bad idea at all. I use Hasselblad because of the lenses (and the digital back), not for the body or the film magazines.</p>

<p>Sinar has been around for a long time, so there are plenty of used cameras available, and they should be reasonably priced (I haven't checked). I'm sure 6x9 roll film backs are likewise available.</p>

<p>This would allow the OP to use his Hasselblad lenses, which are of very high quality and represent a substantial investment, without breaking the bank. It's a perfect match since view camera lenses require shutters, which the non-F* Hassy lenses have.</p>

<p>- Leigh</p>

<p>Thanks for all these responses. I guess I have my choices listed. I will look into these options. I would love to stick with 120 format, but I will determine if investing in a larger format will better suit my needs. I do have a 35mm I could sell to help out. Hardly use it anyway.</p>

<p>Thanks again.</p>

<p>You can stick to using roll film, by putting an inexpensive roll film back behind an equally inexpensive 4x5" camera with movements.</p>

<p>Using Hasselblad lenses on a 4x5", Leigh, i do indeed find a bad idea. The lenses barely cover 6x6, so then severely restrict what you can do (no 6x9!).<br>

And a lens that will cover the full 4x5" will cost not much more (if anything at all) than the adapter.<br>

And as far as i can remember, the Sinar adapter did not allow using the shutter in the lens, but needed one of the Sinar behind-the-lens shutters.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Using Hasselblad lenses on a 4x5", Leigh, i do indeed find a bad idea. The lenses barely cover 6x6, so then severely restrict what you can do (no 6x9!).</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I never claimed it was an ideal solution. In fact there is no ideal solution to the OP's question.</p>

<p>However, you can certainly use the Hasselblad lenses to produce a 6x6 or smaller image using a 6x9 roll film back.</p>

<p>By selecting a focal length that restricts the area of interest to the central part of the frame, possibly 5x5 or some such, the desired effects could be achieved using the suggested method.</p>

<p>If the OP simply wanted to move to 4x5, that would eliminate all the discussion in this thread.</p>

<p>He said he did not, so my intent was to present options that might partially achieve the goal, i.e. allowing use of the existing Hasselblad lens inventory.</p>

<p>- Leigh</p>