attaching 6x4.5 viewfinder mask to Hasselblad 500cm

[ewgrow]

Hi everybody,

 

I just got a 16 back for my Hasselblad 500cm and I'm trying to attach

the mask that goes on the viewfinder. It's a clear plastic mask,

with marks for the 6x4.5 format and a square opening for the 4x4

superslide format. I have a standard waist-level viewfinder and the

standard old ground-glass screen. How does this mask go on?

 

If I put the mask on before the viewfinder, it pushes a couple pins

back which then pop out some other pins which block the viewfinder

from sliding on. If I put the viewfinder on first, I can't get the

mask down inside of it to fit onto the screen. I've also tried

putting the mask under the viewfinder and then sliding them on

together, but to no avail. I'm starting to think these parts just

aren't compatible, like maybe the older viewfinders were designed

before these masks were introduced. Can anybody help me out with

this? Many thanks in advance.

 

Oh yeah, it doesn't seem to go under the ground glass either, I tried

that too.

[ewgrow]

Well, in answer to my own question, I guess I could cut out the sides of the mask where it overlaps the pins. That looks like it would work. Still, if anybody knows the real solution, since there must be one, I'd love to hear it.

[hasselblad technician]

Erik,

 

The mask should lie flat on top of the focusing screen. The problem you are experiencing is because you have the older style mask, without the two cut-out notches (one on each side)to accommodate the two silver tabs on your camera body.

 

The original mask (that you have) was designed for the 500 C and 500 EL camera bodies, and this mask does not have a cut-out notch on each side. This is because it didn't need the cut-out notches, as these camera bodies do not have the silver tabs.

 

Once the 500 C/M and the 500 ELM were introduced, a new version of the mask was introduced. Because the 500 C/M and the 500 ELM cameras have interchangeable focusing screens, a silver tab (one on the left, and one on the right) were added, to hold the focusing screen in place. So the new style mask had to have a notch cut into the left and right sides to accommodate the two silver tabs.

 

The mask that you have (product code 42080) was designed for the 500 C and 500 EL cameras, that didn't have the two silver tabs to hold the focusing screen in place. That's why it won't lie flat on your focusing screen.

 

So, you have two options:

 

1. You can cut a notch in the left and right sides of your mask to accommodate the two silver tabs on your 500 C/M.

 

2. You can purchase the new style mask designed for your camera. The product code is 42145. It looks just like the one that you have, except that it has the cut-out notches on the left and right sides to accommodate the two silver tabs on your camera.

 

David Odess

 

Factory trained Hasselblad technician

 

www.david-odess.com

[ewgrow]

Aha, I suspected it was something along those lines. Thanks for the in-depth answer, David. I think I'll just cut the notches out of the sides then, since that seems like a pretty easy solution. Thanks again.