Have a question

[tyler_pearce]

Hey guys. I have a question. I have a Canon 20D. I am about to

buy all the accesories for it, including the 16-35 lense along with

the 85mm L prime. My plans were to buy the 35mm L also. I was

thinking about substituting the 35 (for now) and buying a complete

Hasselblad 500 series kit. I only have a my old pentax film camera

for a back up right now, and I wanted to start with MF. Comments

please?

 

Thanks

[picturesque]

If you can get along without the 35mm L for a while, seems like a good idea to me, keeping in mind that you will have to bring along enough 120s/220s to do a complete wedding if the Hasselblad is to be used for back up. In the summer months, keeping a supply of film fresh over a period of time can be a problem. You can't just leave it in a hot, parked car all day.

[gary_woodard]

tyler, keep the film in a small cooler, you will love the quality of the

Hasselblad, in tonal depth and ability to crop and enlarge, your 20D may end

up on e-bay though.

[djphoto]

"your 20D may end up on e-bay"

 

Personally, I think that once you print some 16x20s and 20x30s from your 20D, you'll throw rocks at the Hasselblad. My Fuji GX680 (no slouch!) is long gone, and you can find my Pentax 6x7 in the photo.net classifieds if you care to look. I plan to order my second 20D next week.

[al_kaplan1]

Two 120 backs for the 'blad is plenty for doing weddings. You can quickly learn to change film rapidly! A belt pouch is nice to have. Shooting medium format is a different experience, more contemplative, and you tend to put more thought into the TAKING of the photo, rather than just banging out a rapid fire burst of "hope one of these works!" images that "I can always fix in Photoshop". It's a whole other way of working! Some folks can do it, others can't.

 

You might also consider picking up a used TLR as back-up such as a Rolleflex, Yashicamat or Minolta Autocord. They also have the advantage of being about as close to silent as you can get. Hasselblads are nowhere near as quiet!

[EricM]

why would you need MF to be quiet? There's plenty of noise going on during the formals.

 

120 Film and an Epson 3200 scanner are great. But i think you're going a bit backwards and would either wait for MKsII 's to come down in price or rent it for the time being. Have you shot RAW and printed a 24"x48" image from your 20D yet? You might not want that Hassie....

[casey mcallister]

I appreciate your wanting to do MF.

 

Toting both systems around would be a little cumbersome. While it is a compromise in negative size, getting a nice Canon film body to use with that superb glass is another option to consider.

 

My backups are an Elan 7NE and a dRebel.

 

You can't beat a 35/85L combo...get the wide angle and plonk down for an Elan 7NE or better.

[beauh44]

I've got a 20D and a Hasselblad system. The latter is for sale. ;-)

[todd frederick]

Tyler,

 

Would you consider giving us some idea of what type of photography you are doing and what your image requirement are within that context?

 

Your question does not give us a clue what you are photographing!

 

I ask this because many of us are doing very different types of photography which requires different equipment needs.

 

I mean no offense by saying this (because I've been there), but I get the feeling that you are into a buying frenzy!...step back and ask yourself what you *really* need.

 

Sometimes the simple solution is the best solution...that is, downsize rather than increase your eauipment inventory.

 

I am now down to two digital cameras, two flashes, and two cameras for my weddings...I can handle that!

 

IMO, the 20D, with a very few (maybe 2) lenses, and flash, will meet all your needs. You need a similar back-up camera if you're doing weddings or events.

 

For example, when I photograph a wedding, I want only one camera and one lens, with one flash, around my neck.

 

It all depends on what you need to do.

 

What do you need to do? Maybe we can help you better if you let us know what you're photographing.

[pavelp]

<i>why would you need MF to be quiet? There's plenty of noise going on during the formals.</i><br><br>

 

I think Al meant that Hasselblads are actually pretty noisy (as any MF SLR) while TLRs are generally pretty silent (except for the DING! sound of Mamiya TLR lenses).

[al_kaplan1]

Exactly, Pavel. Since he's getting this in addition to the 20D that he has and makes no mention of a backup I have to assume that the medium format kit might be pressed into service in an emergency for something other than formals. You can get away with a leaf shutter TLR during the ceremony but when a Hasselblad shutter is tripped in an otherwise quiet church everybody hears it loud and clear. Actually a good used TLR would be more than enough for all your formal shots. We used to shoot entire weddings with them not that many years ago. (No wise cracks about my grey hair please!)

[tyler_pearce]

Hey guys. Todd, thanks for asking...I shoot weddings, and I want to get into landscape photog. Right now I have my 20D Kit, I am buying all the neccesary accesories soon. (flash, bracket, cards, batteries, some L primes and 16-35 L) I have a film pentax ZXL which got me where I am today, but I feel that even as a backup it is holding me back (if that makes sense) I will still bring it as a back up however. I was thinking about either getting another 20D or a digirebel.

[photobyalan.com]

If you want to shoot landscape, get a 4x5 camera and a 90mm Super Angulon. At least that will outperform a 20D instead of merely competing with it.

 

Otherwise, stick with the 20D. Trust me, you don't want to use film as a backup for a 20D, no matter what the Leica set may want you to believe. You'll end up dragging 20 rolls of film with you on 20 weddings and never using them, finally tossing them because they are beyond their expiration date. As bad as it would be to drag a whole 35mm outfit for a backup, think of how bad it's going to be to have to lug a complete MF kit including lenses AND film on every job, and probably never use it. What a waste.

 

Heck, if you insist on using film backup, the least you could do is get an EOS film camera so you don't have to carry redundant lenses and flashes and other accessories with you.

[brad_hersch]

Think long and hard before investing in Hassy. Got rid of most of my Hassy equip before digital. Today it's hard to get rid of it. Only buy it used otherwise you'll lose your shirt on it. Also bear in mind if your used to AF which amazes me how accurate it focuses you'll hate focusing a manual focus Hassy. My $.02 of course. I just bought 2 complete outfits based on two Canon 20d bodies. I duplicated everything as my 22 year old son is going to work as my assistant plus of course you have to have backup equip.

[stacy]

Tyler- the 85mm L is my dream lens...I settled on the 85 1.8 hoping it satisfy me- and it's great- but I still want the 85 L. Enjoy it and post loads of photos!

[halina_gross]

Get another 20D. Take it from someone who's been shooting Hassy for 15 years.

 

Halina

[rich_deferrari1]

#1 - what Al said

#2 - I think it's nice to have the same "back-up" gear as primary gear -it makes it easier to make the transition if you do have a problem

#3 - Now that I have been playing with digital as well as my Hasselblad I see that both are very capable of shooting a wedding -in the right hands. A superior camera does not make a better photographer. Whatever you choose -master it. I never understood before when folks talked about the different look of film/digital until I had shot comparisons with both. They do have a different "look" Go with whichever YOU prefer.

For the most part -most clients don't care if you shoot film/digital/35mm , or 2 1/4. Lately though I have had a few {through EP-online} ask me which I used. After I explained what I did I asked them why they asked - no one could answer that. Funny. Thank you and best regards -RichD

[djphoto]

The Canon 85mm f1.2L lens is indeed a fine lens. But it is *very* heavy, and it is *very* slow to focus. Furthermore, it is effectively a 135mm lens on the 20D. How much have you used that focal length in the past on your film cameras? I would suggest you think long and hard before you lay out that much money for a lens that may have less utility than you now think.

 

OTH, if you have liked the 85mm focal length on your film cameras, save a ton of bucks and get a 50mm f1.4. On the 20D, it is equal to an 80mm lens and is light, fast, and sharp.

 

If you really want an 85, take another look at the f1.8. I've owned two of them (made the mistake of selling the first one, which I remedied quickly!), and it is compact, fast, and as sharp as you could wish.

 

I've been in the photography business long enough to have acquired a fair number of lenses, and enjoy using them. But I would not be at all handicapped if I had to cover a wedding with just my Sigma 20/f1.8 and Canon 50/f1.4 and 85/1.8.

[tyler_pearce]

Hey Dave, which 50mm are you talking about? Is there a L series 50mm prime? I cant find it online at all. The 1.4 that I saw was 300 dollars. I see a lot of people buying and liking this lens, this is also going to be part of my gear. Thanks