hasselbald 2003 FCW question

any views on this model, as compared to, say, 203 FE? thanks.

I own both. The 203FE is infinitely superior. The 2003FCW could be viewed as one of the prototypes of the 203FE.

 

The 2003FCW has a titanium curtain shutter, whereas the 203 FE has a cloth shutter. The cloth was introduced to reduce noise as well as any other advantages that may be associated with it. The big leap in technology is the digital technology built into the 203FE which makes it digital back ready as well as having built in AE with aperture priority.

 

I may consider selling my 2003FCW as I rarely use it now I have the 203FE. After all, how many bodies can you use at once? I also have a 500ELX and a 503CX available, but I assume you are not interested in them.

The 2000-series' metal foil shutter curtains were replaced by cloth in the 200-series to get rid of the vulnerability problems that plagued Hasselblad's focal plane shutters ever since their first focal plane shutter camera appeared in 1948, the 1600 F. They had been considering other options even before that camera was launched, yet (and obviously) without result.<br>And they kept looking for better materials, not only before and during the 1000-series era, but also after the 1000-series and its focal plane shutter had been discontinued in 1957. Ironically, they tried rubberized cloth, the thing used in the 200-series, but dismissed it because of fear that the sun might burn holes in it (i believe Leica owners will recognize this).<br><br>This search for a better shutter kept the focal plane shutter out of the Hasselblad system for much longer than Victor liked. The focal plane shutter was needed, not just to get faster shutterspeeds than leaf shutters are capable of (Victor being a keen bird photographer, he wanted fast shutterspeeds. Hence the 1/1600 of his first model), but also because a shutter inside the body would offer opportunity to control it by inputs from other thingies. A lens based shutter, particularly in removable lenses, would be very much harder to control from inside the body (Hasselblad solved that problem only very much later, in the electronic (!) shutter used in teh H-System lenses).<br>These inputs that would be fed into the shutter timing mechanism would be from the lens (aperture data), the film magazine (ISO value) and a meter. Not long before the 2000 FC appeared, Hasselblad had a fully developed camera, in which mechanical (!) inputs from magazine and lens were combined with the electrical input from a built-in meter, and then fed to the shutter timing mechanism: an mechano-electrical automatic camera. Meanwhile, however, the shutter curtain material issu had not been solved yet. So they used corrugated metal foil again. They changed the material from stainless steel (1000-series) to titanium.<br>This mechano-electrical automatic camera did not make it into production however, because by that time "electronics" had become the begin all end all buzz-word.<br>So the mechano-electrical automatic features were dropped, and a fresh start was made, redesigning the thing to be a fully electronical automatic camera. We know the result as, first, the 205 TCC, and other 200-series cameras later.<br>Having waited so long (since 1958...) alreay, Hasselblad decided the 2000-series camera, stripped from all automatic features, should be released: the 2000 FC appeared.<br><br>So, to make a long story short: the change from titanium to cloth was to reduce vulnerability problems.<br><br>The "big leap in technology" was that from manual to mechano-eletrical, later fully electronical automation.<br>The 203 FE is <b>not</b> "digital ready" any more than any other V-System Hasselblad, less so than an 555 ELD. There is nothing inside the 203 (or other 200-series cameras) that is put there to make it digital-ready. In fact, the focal plane shutter makes the 2000- and 200-series even less digital-ready than 500-series cameras.

QG,

 

Interesting info you provided re the history of the development. Thanks for that. If I may, a slight correction where you wrote:

 

" In fact, the focal plane shutter makes the 2000- and 200-series even less digital-ready than 500-series cameras."

 

Strictly speaking not true. 2000 and 200 series, equipped with CF or CFE and CFI lenses are equally ready as 500 series, but not more so. You probably meant that the 2000 and 200 series have no greater advantage over other series because of the elec tech stuff, wrt to digital, thus correcting my original assertion. Hope I have it correct now!

John,<br><br>Yes, with shuttered lenses attached, the focal plane shutter cameras are just like 500-series cameras. Except...<br>Warning were issued about sensors in some backs protruding and damaging the focal plane shutter in 2000- and 200-series cameras. No such problem with non-focal plane shutter Hasselblads...<br>;-)

QG,

 

Thanks for the warning re Digi-backs on my 203FE etc, but it will probably never be an issue for me. Finances (lack thereof) will 'protect' me from that risk! :-))