How Good Hasselblade Cameras Are

[rashed]

<p>This afternoon I went to a place in Pattaya/Thailand to shoot another my second film on the 503CW with the 50MM Lens, I used a Silk Tripod, Metered prism finder and a spiret level attached to the flash sho on the prism finder.<br /> As soon as I looked through the finder I found a large spot and that was humidty formed, I cleaned the lens and the rear finder eye screen but no changes taken place, then I had to remove the film back and the prism finder and the humidty was formed there, I cleaned it and placed in position and again the same thing happen, it taken me several time to clean that finder.<br /> If hasselblade cameras can leak in humidty, and can have serious problem with the lenses juming and even the leather on the body wear off, the film backs leaks light and humidty and destroying the film, how could hasselblade camera can be and for their money value ?</p>

[scott_murphy_photography]

<p>I can't speak for your camera, but I live in Florida, one of the most humid states in the US where we live by the 95/95 (95º and 95% humidity) rule in the summertime. I have had my 500C/M for 20 years (serno. RC 1299XXX, meaning it was born in 1985), a 45º NC2 finder that predates the body, and C and CF lenses from 40mm f/4 to 150mm f/4, some of them since the 80's (my 150mm Sonnar was made in 1975 by it's serno) and have never experienced any of the problems of which you speak. I use them professionally but also take very good care of them. And my lenses are so sharp I have to wear <em>leather gloves</em> just to handle them so as to keep from cutting myself!</p>

<p>It sounds to me like the problem may be specific to your camera or finder or whatever, and it needs to go to the repair shop. <em>Everything</em> mechanical is subject to eventual failure, and Hasselblads are no exception. They just fail <em>a whole lot less</em> than most.</p>

<p>Did you get it used? How old is it? Did you buy it used from a professional photographer, who may have run it to hell and back? These are all questions you have to find the answers to. Use this guide to determine how old your camera and lenses are <a href="http://www.hasselbladhistorical.eu/HS/HSRM_P1.aspx">http://www.hasselbladhistorical.eu/HS/HSRM_P1.aspx</a></p>

[paul_gardener]

<p>You buy a new car hit a tree with that car and complain about the quality of the car?<br>

Maybe first try to learn how to drive.</p>

<p>Tropical conditions with high temperatures and high humidity are difficult for any camera gear.<br>

Maybe learn how to handle cameras in tropical conditions before you question the quality of Hasselblad cameras?</p>

[rashed]

<p>My friend I bought both of them recently few days after I arrived to Thailand for my holiday, yes my friend from a pro. who possibly used them so much, but to have humidty going through the prism finder , this has nothing to do with the user or age, it is the clearances between the finder and the attachement holder of the camera body.<br>

The camera mechnically in a good shape but I did see also some of my friends having problem with the body leather and some of the lenses, I bought 4 lenses with these two cameras and taken them for servicing and they sound ok so far but both films I shoot still need be processed to know how good my cameras is, this might need 2 more days time as I did send the film to bangkok for the processing.<br>

Did you try , please your camera on a very humid day and checked weather or not humidty get there though the finder or not ?</p>

<p>Thank you my friend.</p>

[scott_murphy_photography]

<p>Rashed, I use my Blad and lenses <em>all the time in very high temperatures and humidity</em>, and have never seen the problems you describe. Granted, I learned from experience <em>not to run the air conditioning on the way to a shoot</em>, as then the front element of the lens and viewfinder window fogs up as soon as I take the stuff outside my car, but that is no fault of the lens or the camera. <em>A cold glass of water does the very same thing</em> and what could possibly go wrong with a glass of water?</p>

<p>You are aware, that if you remove and replace the finder on any Medium format camer (or for that matter, my 35mm F2's) that you will experience <em>wear?</em> The tolerances when that Blad leaves Victor's house are so tight they <em>squeak</em>. Go take the camera to a repair shop and get it fixed.</p>

[rashed]

<p>dear Paul, I do understand how I use my cameras and my photos shows that, can you please show me yours ?</p>

[rashed]

<p>My friend Scott , I have experinced this not only with my 500cw but earlier with the C330 also but the C330 my friend is made by mamiya and the 503cw by haselbalde , I did not really expect to see humidty get through the prism finder, the same condition and worse in qatar I used both the RB67 and the RZ67 my friend and never really had any problem of this kind, but I will take your word my friend and I will take the camera to be checked tomorrow, it is better here than going back home with it un repaired.</p>

<p>Thank you my friend Scott, I really approciate your input a lot.</p>

[jeff.grant]

<p>In all my time shooting on beaches with a 503CW and PME45, I never had a problem with humidity at all. I have been out plenty of times where moisture condensed on everything with no problems.<br>

Living in a very humid area, I now keep my gear in a dehumidifier when I 'm not using it. I think your problem is not typical of Hasselblad.</p>

[ken_kuzenski1]

<p>When things are hot and humid outside (like EVERY time I go to south Louisiana, no matter what time of year), I keep cameras and lenses in sealed Ziploc plastic bags. When I can, I leave the cameras outside, at least for a few hours, before I use them outside--to let the temperature equilibrate. If the cameras are at the outside temperature when you take them out of the plastic bags, you will not get condensation on them.</p>

[rashed]

<p>Dear Jeff, thank you but what I should look for please, the finder itself or the housing of the finder, please, if you and scott operating under the conditions then there should be something else causing this problem with me my friend.<br>

Would this not happen if you take your camera from an air-conditioned please to a hot and humid out door location ?</p>

[rashed]

<p>Thank you a lot my friend Ken, you have touched the cause of my problem in a perfect form, thank you.</p>

[jeff.grant]

<p>Rashed, Scott has described it very well. Going from an air conditioned environment to a high humidity environment will always get that result. If you can leave the camera outside for a while to acclimatise, clean it, get it into a camera bag, and go easy on the aircon on the way, you should have much better luck. <br>

My normal practice is to have the camera in a bag in the car. It seems to be less affected by the car aircon that way. You will get condensation going from hot to cold as well as dry to humid. When I'm shooting in snow, I take the camera to a cooler location before stepping outside.<br>

If you bought the camera from a pro, he may well have had it in a humidifier, or aircon all its life, and never taken it out of his studio. You may be experiencing acclimitisation as the parts take on some moisture.</p>

[rashed]

<p>Thank you my friend Jeff, I will do this the next time, I just hope they this did not damaged my films also.<br>

I bought them both the 503CW and the 500 C/M as a set with the 4 lenses, the lenses I did send to a technission and they are ok but I did not send the cameras.<br>

Problem I am spending my holiday in Pattaya and there is no place to process the films here so I sent them this morning to bangkok, I will have to wait for them before I shoot more films.</p>

<p>Thank you again my friend, you all been too kind and helpful</p>

[rashed]

<p>Dear friend Jeff, you have beautiful photos here, not just beautiful but very beautiful and you deserve been on the list of POW, for me I have a problem with my heart since I was a little kid and every thing I do makes me tired too quick, but I love photography and I practice it all of the time and do try to learn from others.<br>

Thank you my friend, looking at your images did make my day.</p>

[jeff.grant]

<p>Rashed, the strongest possibility is that you are experiencing an environmental problem. I must admit that I have never seen anything worse than a fogged lense. Is there a chance that you can talk to the guy you bought it from? He may be able to offer some insight.</p>

[rashed]

<p>I will try to contact him my friend, he did say that both cameras are in a great shape when I bought them, I also shown it to a pro here and he cranked the cameras for several times and he said both are ok, but I will take them to some one who can test them good for me, the man also repaired my 75MM shit lens for the RZ67 camera, he is a good tech. person.</p>

 

[Ed_Ingold]

<p>Any time the camera, or parts of the camera, are below the ambient dew point you WILL get condensation. If you keep the camera in an air conditioned room or automobile, it will fog up when you expose it to an humid environment. Not only cameras are affected. If the dew point is higher than 86 deg F, it will condense on your skin even before you have a chance to sweat.</p>

<p>The trick is to keep your gear warm, or warm it up above the dew point before exposing it to humid air. I don't usually care to store the camera outside when I sleep, but I have been know to drive with the windows open when I'm expecting to take pictures. Things warm up pretty quickly when my black camera bag (which looks like a camera bag) stands in the sun for 15 minutes. I prefer containers which will breath, as opposed to plastic bags which trap moisture when you go back inside.</p>

[paul_gardener]

<p>Rashed,</p>

<p>Why do you ask questions here when you already know the answer?<br>

Thank you for the invitation to upload images. What do images proof?<br>

Read my other posts if you doubt my expertise. </p>

[roland_schmid]

<p><em>"75MM shit lens for the RZ67" </em>Why shit lens? I always thought that Mamiya lenses are of very good qualitiy.</p>

[rashed]

<p>

<p><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.photo.net/photodb/user?user_id=505418">Roland Schmid</a>, sorry my friend, I did not mean shit lens but shift lens, again sorry for my poor English, I use Mamiya RZ67 a lot and I am very happy with its all lenses, the 75mm shift lens broken while in shippment that why I had to bring it with me on my holiday here and already been repaired.<br>

Iam so sorry again with my English.</p>

</p>

[rashed]

<p>Dear Paul, I always ask to learn and make sure I do the right thing.<br /> I understand taken a camera from an air-condition place to a hot place and so humid like Thailand do cause such problem but I was not refering directly to this where the misure would cover my outer parts surfaces but I was seriousely wanted to know why it get inside the prism finder glass, this is why this finder and the camera body are not so well sealed to over come such problem.<br /> It is also interesting my friend to see your images and learn from them, they also show the different between just a brand name dealer and a friend loving photography himself, I mean not pormoting equipment.</p>

<p>I am still like to see your expertise my friend through your photography, how good is it to talk about a high quality cars if you can not drive one of them.</p>

<p>Please my friend, I do have a great respect for you as a friend on this site and please take no hard feelings, I wish you all of the best my dear friend.</p>

[rashed]

<p>My friend <a href="http://www.photo.net/photodb/user?user_id=419409">Edward Ingold</a>, for today I have the F5 camera already in the room with the A/C switched off for the last 2 hours, I did learn through you people out of my mistake, I do approciate your input and I thank you all of that.</p>

[carlwakefield]

<p>Hello Rashed, Just a quick thought. When you take the camera to the technician get him to check the light seals in the body and film magazines. It might save you time later. Worth getting them checked. Kind regards Carl</p>

[rashed]

<p>My friend<a href="http://www.photo.net/photodb/user?user_id=2337233">Carl Wakefield</a>, thank you very much for this advice, I listed this now on a piece of paper to make sure he understand what I mean as English here in Thailand is worse than my poor English, thank you my friend a lot.</p>

[ondebanks]

<blockquote>

<p>Any time the camera, or parts of the camera, are below the ambient dew point you WILL get condensation.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Edward is spot on. And the problem is not just when taking an air-con cooled camera out into the hot and humid tropical air; in many countries, it's the other way round - taking a room-temperature camera out into very cold conditions for an extended period. The camera cools below the dew point after a while, and you get condensation (and then even frost). This is particularly a problem at night, when temperatures are falling but the moisture content of the airmass may be unchanging. That's why we get "morning dew".</p>

<p>In long-exposure astrophotography, with the ground layer rapidly radiating its heat into a clear night sky, we are particularly vulnerable to dewing. That's why we wrap 12V/battery powered electrical heating systems around the front of our lenses - either home-made or commercial ("DewBuster", "Dew-Not", "Kendrick Dew Remover", etc.). They apply a few watts of gentle resistive heat - just enough to maintain the lens above the dew point, but not so much as to cause air convection which would degrade the image. I use a "Dew-Not" dual channel controller with four outputs - one each for the lenses on my three Mamiyas which I shoot simultaneously in parallel, and one for the objective of a guiding refractor telescope. http://www.dew-not.com/dnc01.htm</p>

<p>I think that any other form of tripod-bound photography in conditions that are prone to dew/humidity would benefit from a similar approach. Or you could, for example, have a dew remover running in your car (all anti-dew systems have 12V cigarette-lighter socket fittings) to keep the lens warm, while you simultaneously have the air-con on to keep yourself cool.</p>

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