What digital back for Hasselblad 500 CM ?

[gianluca_faletti]

I would like to buy a digital back for my Hasselblad 500 CM, in your opinion what the model and brand with the best

quality/price ?

 

Thank you in advance.

 

Bye

[stevebri]

<p>Hi,<br>

You have two serious options I think, maybe three. If you go with a Hasselblad CFV back or their earlier form of this back, you have a back that looks nice and fits snugly etc.. However Hasselblad 3F files need Hasselblad software to open them... in a word or two .. not good. Earlier backs may still shoot straight to DNG (yippee) but firmware updates may have stopped this. Files look good though.<br>

I think your best option is a Phase One P20, fab files, best capture software out there and now very well priced.<br>

The third option would be a Kodak back, no longer made but they always punched above their weight and were well received.<br>

I'm assuming you want to keep the square format, hence the above examples, one thing to remember is the 1.5 crop factor, not good if you are shooting wide.</p>

<p>Hope this hepls, others with more info will ad no doubt.</p>

<p>S</p>

[Ed_Ingold]

<p>There are at least two suitable backs - Hasselblad CFV and Phase One P20. Both operate untethered with a self-contained CF card and battery and have 16 MP resolution. You can also use them with an external HDD storage unit or tethered and remotely operated from a computer. Untethered operation lets you use these cameras in any location, much as you would a small-format DSLR. Your choice should be based on the availability of support and service as much as any specific feature. For best reliability, the back should be synchronized using a cable to the PC port on the lens, not with any mechanical linkage.</p>

<p>It's most convenient to use a square format sensor, since the 200/500 Hasselblads are awkward to rotate. However, there are several rectangular backs which will fit, and which yield nearly twice the useable pixels when cropped 10 8x10 proportions. The inconvenience could be overcome to some extent using an L-bracket and 90 degree prism finder.</p>

<p>I have a CFV back, and find the image quality to be superlative. All RAW formats are proprietary, and there's no disadvantage of 3F vs the Phase One format. Hasselblad provides Flexcolor and Phocus for their format only, free for downloading. Phase One uses Capture One software, which also works with other RAW formats and costs $100 to $400, depending on the version. I keep the original 3F files, but make copies in DNG format for processing in Lightroom and Photoshop.</p>

<p>Phase One offers a two-shot mode in their "P" series backs, which doubles the resolution. It does so by shifting the sensor by one-half pixel width for the second shot. I perceive this to be of questionable value, similar to half-stepping a flatbed scanner or inkjet printer. Hasselblad has a 3-shot mode in several advanced sensors which uses only one filter color at a time. Hasselblad touts this as a 3x improvement in resolution. In reality, it only removes the slight loss of resolution due to Bayer interpolation.</p>

 

[wim_van_velzen]

<p>I´d get an somewhat older (2004) but very fine 132C or 528C: 22MP, untethered and quite affordable these days (I bought a 528C last week for less than 5000 euros from a reputable dealer).</p>

<p><a href="http://www.fotografiewimvanvelzen.nl">Wim</a></p>

[stuart_richardson]

<p>The Sinar backs will work. They are rectangular format, but you can rotate the back adapter mount, rather than the camera itself. So you can just put the back in portrait or landscape orientation without moving the camera. That said, if you don't mind the smaller megapixel count and the crop factor, most people who own the CFV find they really like it. </p>

[gianluca_faletti]

<p>Thank you to all, have you an URL of an online shop where I can find used items ?<br>

Bye</p>

[wim_van_velzen]

<p>Hi Gianluca,<br>

If you mail at info at fotografiewimvanvelzen dot nl, I can send you the address of a reputable private seller (in Belgium). He has some Ixpress backs for sale. I have good experiences with him.</p>

<p>Wim</p>