Hasselblad flex vs arc bodies

[mark_ng]

I'm sure there are fans of both types. Let's hear what you gotta say about each

[Aoresteen]

Both expensive. Both rare. Both discontinued. Both very hard to find.

 

I bought a Cambo SF23 view camera instead. With the money saved my wife and I are going to France this summer.

[Ed_Ingold]

Neither acts as a true view camera. Check around. There seems to be a spate of 6x9 view cameras available now - a better deal IMO.

[db1]

The flexbody is not so rare. They are often listed on ebay and sell for around $2000.

 

I own one and will never sell it.

[kerkko_kehravuo]

Flexbody, if I have understood right, is not discontinued. Or at least it has been available still recently. I did buy mine when it came to market. It has it's limitations, of cource, as any device, but is for many jobs highly usable. And it is cheap, not too much more expensive than bellows unit only. I have been using it for product photos in studio with 150 mm CFi Sonnar with whole 15 mm shift. I know, it is not much but clearly better than without any. For architecture i have been using Flexbody with 50 mm CFi Distagon with maximum shift of 12 mm with out shade or filter. Instructions say 5 mm only for 50 mm CF. With that shift view upwards is wider than with Superwide. I have been able to take photos of 8 floor houses in downtown easily. Some kind of problems are, as everyone knows, limited shift (max. 15 mm or depending on lens) and permanently fixed directions between shift and tilt. Also when turning Fbody on it's side for altering shift and tilt direction with 90 degrees that good RMx (or something like that) finder comes unpractical and standard waistlevel finder has to be used. Unfortunately you can not fit finder 90 deg turned. From internet I did found a report of a guy (maybe Australian) who had his Fbody modified for uncombined fixment of shift and tilt. Interesting but maybe not worth of work and expences.

 

Kerkko K.

[db1]

Flexbody has been cancelled.

[keith_laban]

<a href="http://www.keithlaban.co.uk">Keith Laban Photography</a><p>Both the ArcBody and FlexBody have been discontinued.<p>The overriding reason why I chose the ArcBody was because it uses large format lenses with far greater coverage than the Hasselblad Zeiss lenses and therefore less restriction of movements. I wanted a go anywhere lightweight and compact system and the ArcBody has certainly met these needs. Unless you have seen and held this camera it's difficult to appreciate just how light and compact it is. I even know of someone that used to carry it around in his coat pockets.<p>Apart from the practicalities of size and weight the most compelling reasons I chose the ArcBody rather than a conventional view camera were reflex viewing using the RMfx finder and the convenience of helical focusing with full DOF information. Having used Zeiss lenses I was a little apprehensive about how the Rodenstock lenses would compare but I needn't have worried, they are absolutely superb! The FlexBody and Zeiss lenses offer good control over DOF but have very limited rise and fall movements to correct perspective in comparison to the ArcBody and Rodenstock lenses.

[mark_ng]

So someone said that the flexbody runs $2000. How bout the arc?

[edlaurpic]

I have an arcbody and would never sell it... using it now both with film and

digital with an Imacon 132C.

 

About a week ago I saw one for sale at Glazer's camera in Seattle (206 624

1100 - ask for medium format dept). It had been in their rental department. It

includes the 45mm lens and the other accessories in the pelican case.

 

By the way, it took me a little while to figure it out how to use it after I got mine,

but the manual that comes with it is excellent. After a full day or playing

around, I figured it out and I love it.

 

Good Luck.