Flash for Hasselblad 500C/M, need help please.

[marius_finkenhagen]

Ive looked at the Hasselblad D40 flash and It looks great, but will

It work together with a 500C/M and a regualar CF lens? Ive read that

you need the CFE lens with built in TTL for it to work. Is there a

easy way to work around that?

 

If not or anyway, Is there any other good flashes and not to

expensive for me to use?

 

Thanks for any help!

[jay_.]

AFAIK the D40 is only designed to be used with the OTF-TTL bodies, there is no external auto flash sensor or variable power settings. If you use it on a non-TTL body it'll fire at full power every time. If you want a round-reflector type flash, Sunpak makes the 120J and 120J-TTL (the latter could be equipped with a Hassy TTL module but isn't necessary); and there's also a nice one made by Quantum. When I had non-TTL Hassy's I used Vivitar 283's with Lumiquest Mini-Softboxes or pocket bouncers.

[maktime]

I have a Hasselblad 503cw and was also thinking about getting the D-40 flash. But it

doesn't allow much control at all. Since you just plug it in and it does all the thinking for

you (TTL) I don't think you would be able to use the flash with the 500c/M ( please correct

me if I'm wrong guys)

 

But basically I bought a Metz 45 CT-4 and am using that now. Which is a much better

optoin for me. It plugs into the 503cw through the metz sca 390 adapter and relevant

cables for TTL. And I can also use the same flash with my Nikon F2 (which doesnt' have

TTL) with the normal regular cable.

 

I don't think the Metz 45 ct-4 is all that expensive. You can pick them up for around the

US 200 or so on ebay? Maybe even less.

 

Hope this helps

 

Berry

[dave_lewis]

The D40 will not work on a 500 C/M. It requires a TTL camera like the 503CW. Try the cheap route like Vivitar 283 -- or move up to a more expensive system like Metz or Quantum.

[picturesque]

I have the 503CW with a Metz 60 and 45, and a Sunpak 120J TTL with Hasselblad module. You don't need any TTL modules or adapters for your 500CM since it doesn't work in TTL. If you are going for compactness and ability to work off AA batteries (no cable or battery pack), a Sunpak 120J works fine and has the round reflector and bare bulb capability. It will sit in the cold shoe on top of the Hassy prism like the D40 and while some folks have trouble with their forehead bumping onto the flash body, I don't have that problem. Works great for me. If you get the 120J, you have a choice of the plain 120J (Auto Pro) or the 120J TTL with the standard (universal) module. Even if you don't have a TTL capable camera now, when you do, you can just buy the appropriate module. With the 120J or a Vivitar, you have 3 or 4 "available" auto f-stops to choose from. The Metz units have many more auto f-stops to choose from but are bulky and somewhat awkward to mount unless you opt for the flash being to one side of the lens and not above it. The Metz 45 can work with AA batteries (it takes 6) and even though Metz doesn't recommend the use of NiMH batteries, I use them all the time without problems. The least expensive is a Vivitar 283 or 285 and it will work just fine with the 500C/M. The Metz and Sunpak have more power and are more expensive but available used on ebay at reasonable prices--$200 and up.

[Aoresteen]

I've used a Vivitar 365 and Vivitar 283 flashes with a 500C and 2000FC/M for years with out problems.

[kparratt]

Marius, I bought a used Metz 45 years ago, primarily for use with my Hasselblad 500C and 500EL. It's a rugged piece of equipment which has never let me down. It came with both the rechargable battery cartridge and a cartridge for disposable batteries. There's a useful amount of power, even for many bounce situations. The flash head rotates whilst the sensor remains aimed at the subject.

 

A good, basic light meter with flash mode (I have a Polaris) will be your next purchase, if you don't already have one.

 

The camera support bracket of the Metz 45 will accommodate any almost other 35mm and medium format camera. I use it with a Leica M, variuos Minoltas, Nikons and 2 twin lens 6x6 cameras. I was recently asked to photograph people at work in a large open plan office interior. I hired a Metz 60 which I used (slaved) with the 45. The 45 on camera, with 60 tripod mounted. The clients were delighted with the result, so I didn't tell them that I had never done it before.

 

The Metz site is worth a visit. http://www.metz.de/ Click on 'English' at the top/right.

 

Kevin P. Oslo

[Ed_Ingold]

The 500CM has no provisions for use with flash, other than a PC jack on the lens. You can use any flash that has an "AUTOMATIC" setting, where a sensor built into the flash measures reflected light controls the amount of light emitted by the flash. I use a Nikon SB-80 or a Quantum T4D.

 

To use the AUTOMATIC sensor, set the same f/stop in both the flash and lens. If you have a prism, the flash can go in the dead shoe on top the prism. Otherwise you'll need a flash bracket. You will also need a PC-PC or PC-Shoe adapter cable.

[marius_finkenhagen]

Ok guys, this helped me out alot! Thank you very much. I will check out the different type's of flashes and let you what I go for!

Thanks again!

 

Marius

[richard_reddy]

A note to Kevin & others. Thanks for your input. Thought I would put

my 500 c/m back to work. The Metz (auto) flash has a good reputation; I

will be getting one of those.

 

Your input has been very helpful--Thanks.

[q.g._de_bakker]

Kevin,<br><br><i>"The clients were delighted with the result, so I didn't tell them that I had never done it before."</i><br><br>You should have, showing, as it does, that you are master of your craft: carried by 'expertise', you just (as opposed to needing extensive trial-and-error practice to be able to) identify and understand the 'problem', know what to do (the results and the client's delight with them attest to that), and how to do it! ;-)

[richard_reddy]

Excellent results with a Metz CL-45 unit. Highly recommended.

Pretty too.

[xavian_anderson_macpherson]

<p>This was the only thread in which the 500EL/M and OTF Flash was mentioned. So do I need to start a new thread to ask this question, or can it be answered here, somewhat off-topic?</p>

<p>Can the 500EL/M be modified to provide OTF Flash like the later models? Certainly there has to be a way to do it? It's not like Hasselblad created an entirely new camera with a completely new body for the later EL/series cameras.</p>

<p>Xavian-Anderson Macpherson<br>

ShingohiDao</p>

[q.g._de_bakker]

<p>The answer is "no".</p>

<p>Sure, in theory, it can be done.<br>

But it would involve grafting the camera shell (ISO dial + connector pin, and wiring) + all the innards (cell, ready light + wiring) onto the EL/M's motor housing.<br>

For that, you would need a working ELX...</p>

<p>So the answer is indeed "no".</p>