Hasselblad - 204 ???

[dan_roe1]

I'm going to buy a Hasselblad. The only question is 200 or 500

series. The 205FCC is a great camera with an out of sight price. I

hear that there might be a 204 on the horizon, sort of a compromise

between the 203 and the 205. Does anybody have any facts (rumors) on

this topic?

 

Dan

[john_tanner]

I would just buy the 205. It can be had at a good like new or demo for 3,250. The lenses and other items are the same. Keh and others have a good supply of these cameras.

[dan_roe1]

To Josh,

 

$3270 is a fantastic price. I've looked at KEH many times. Best price there is about $4300 for a 205FCC with a "like new minus" rating which means no box, no accesories, 60 day warranty. Do you know something I don't?

 

dan

[squareframe]

why not a brand new 203FE for $3275 from any dealer?

[john_tanner]

There is an excellent plus one at KEH now for 3250. I think that if the body is good upon delivery it will be fine. Hasselblad will get you a manual. I have a box for my camera somewhere not sure where but the box is not something I think about. I would say that a person may trust these folks, they offer a full return policy. But the lenses are the really critical part. The camera body should be fine if it is excellent plus condition. The camera should last a lifetime. The fact is there are many bodies that have seen next to zero use.

[dan_roe1]

John,

Thanks for your help. I see a 205TCC for $3520. How does that differ from a 205FCC? I believe the TCC is the first version. What changed when they went to the FCC?

 

I'm after the FCC (or TCC?) for the 1% spot meter which I think the 203FE does not have. Is this correct?

 

Dan

[bill_mussett1]

The 203FE does not have a spot meter, it's a 20% coverage

meter. I also considered the 205FCC but the price difference

was too much for me so I purchased a 203FE and a Sekonic

L-508 light meter which has a 1% to 4% zoom spot meter and an

incident meter. But what really sold me on this meter is it's low

light reading limit is approximately 34 minutes, almost the same

maximum exposure time as the 203FE electronic shutter. (No, I

haven't taken a 34 minute exposure, but the versatility is one

reason I bought the 203FE).

[cameron_ertman]

Since you can simply "move in" and meter with the 203 to take a spot like reading, or use a longer focal length lens to effectively narrow the meter's reading area for longer distances, I really do not see the big advantage of the 205 over the 203 for that reason alone. However, the 205 does have the Zone System mode for taking multiple spot readings within the scene and may be worth it to you for that reason. When I am doing critical zone work, I find it easier to simply use a hand held spot meter to take multiple readings and leave the camera on the tripod.

[john_tanner]

So Dan what have you discovered on the camera? What was your decision and finding in prices? I would think that if Hasselblad just made the 205 not the 203 and dropped the price down because they would be spreading the costs over many more units-- that they would see a huge and lasting boom in buisness.

 

I see good items on ebay that are from Japan very cheap. These guys must be ok they have tons of positive feedback.