Total newby question on digital Hasselblad back

[peter_dorr]

Hi,

 

I am a total newby in the world of Large Format. I am intrigued though to try.

I own a Hasselblad digital camera H series with a detachable back.

I know I need a mount/adapter for the LF cam I eventually will buy, but then what?

Do I connect the back to my laptop to make a picture or is there some form of digital shutter I need to press or connect?

 

Sorry again, total newby.

Thanks for your help.

Peter

[howard_m]

<p>you might be interested in something like an Alpa camera body or such but it depends on what you want to do w/ it all.</p>

[peter_dorr]

<p>Thanks for your suggestion. I am planning to do Product/Food and Macro shoots only. I would be considering buying a second hand like:<br>

Toyo G 4x5" or<br>

Sinar F2 4x5" or<br>

A Cambo or<br>

Arca Swiss F-Line Classic<br>

any thoughts?</p>

[Aoresteen]

<p>It is possible. Cambo makes backs that accept the Hasselblad H digital backs. Check out the Ultima 23 Camera system.</p>

<p>You will have to interface the lens shutter with the back. It's usually done using the X-sync connection.</p>

<p>Bring your checkbook - these systems are not cheap.</p>

<p>http://www.calumetphoto.com/product/cambo-ultima-23-view-camera/CB4018/?tracking=|searchterm:cambo|ultima</p>

 

[tjfuss]

<p>The Cambo Ultima system works very nicely, I use it with a Leaf Aptus back with the Mamiya mount. The downside is that the accessories are hard to find. It's taken a couple of years scanning fleabay internationally to scrounge together a nearly complete system.</p>

<p>The Linhof M679 looks like a current solution in the Porsche / Ferrari class (drool).</p>

[brian_woolf]

<p>I am unfamiliar with the Hasselblad digital backs, but know Leaf and Phase. To make a picture you hook your sync from the 4x5 lens to your digital back just like with your Hasselblad camera. So you will need to buy one or two 4x5 lenses.<br>

There are a few concerns, you need to have a camera system before you get the adaptor plate, it makes more sense that way. There is a universal adaptor plate that fits almost all 4x5 systems but you still need the adaptor plate from it to your digital back. You need to remove your ground glass to put the digital back in place. You would be better served with a sliding back, going from a ground glass to your digital back. It does protect the digital back from the elements and makes setting up the photo and focusing easier and faster. you still need an adaptor plate to go from the sliding back to your digital back. You can check out the Kapture Group for sliding backs, almost every digital back maker does make their own brand of sliding backs.<br>

If you use a sliding back, they are quite heavy with the digital back attached, so the stronger, more robust the camera system you can buy the better. All your choices are entry level and the sliding back plus digital back will stress them but it can work on any of them. You would be better with an old Sinar P 4x5 or even the Sinar C 4x5 (the C has a P rear standard and an F front standard) The self locking focusing knobs on the Sinar P allows easier focusing corrections, as you don't have to unlock and relock your rear standard to focus. This will probably help a huge amount in your macro work. You will also need very long bellows to do macro work and two bellows with a Sinar F standard in the center will help a lot.<br>

If your digital back has a screen on the back, you can use it just like you do on your Hasselblad camera, as long as you are comfortable. Most of the digital backs that I used had to be tethered to a computer and I am guessing that the software that came with your digital back will allow that. Good Luck!<br>

Brian Woolf</p>

[brian_woolf]

<p>I am unfamiliar with the Hasselblad digital backs, but know Leaf and Phase. To make a picture you hook your sync from the 4x5 lens to your digital back just like with your Hasselblad camera. So you will need to buy one or two 4x5 lenses.<br>

There are a few concerns, you need to have a camera system before you get the adaptor plate, it makes more sense that way. There is a universal adaptor plate that fits almost all 4x5 systems but you still need the adaptor plate from it to your digital back. You need to remove your ground glass to put the digital back in place. You would be better served with a sliding back, going from a ground glass to your digital back. It does protect the digital back from the elements and makes setting up the photo and focusing easier and faster. you still need an adaptor plate to go from the sliding back to your digital back. You can check out the Kapture Group for sliding backs, almost every digital back maker does make their own brand of sliding backs.<br>

If you use a sliding back, they are quite heavy with the digital back attached, so the stronger, more robust the camera system you can buy the better. All your choices are entry level and the sliding back plus digital back will stress them but it can work on any of them. You would be better with an old Sinar P 4x5 or even the Sinar C 4x5 (the C has a P rear standard and an F front standard) The self locking focusing knobs on the Sinar P allows easier focusing corrections, as you don't have to unlock and relock your rear standard to focus. This will probably help a huge amount in your macro work. You will also need very long bellows to do macro work and two bellows with a Sinar F standard in the center will help a lot.<br>

If your digital back has a screen on the back, you can use it just like you do on your Hasselblad camera, as long as you are comfortable. Most of the digital backs that I used had to be tethered to a computer and I am guessing that the software that came with your digital back will allow that. Good Luck!<br>

Brian Woolf</p>

[brooks short]

<p>You might take a look at Hasselblad's tilt/shift adapter for H series lenses. <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/607602-REG/Hasselblad_75020359_HTS_1_5_Tilt.html">http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/607602-REG/Hasselblad_75020359_HTS_1_5_Tilt.html</a></p>

<p>It's pricey, like all Hasselblad equipment, but it's a much more efficient and convenient way to achieve the tilts and shifts that you're looking for.</p>

<p>Another option would be to buy the Nikon D800 36mp camera and Nikon's 85mm tilt shift lens which would provide tilts and shifts and allow you access to a larger selection of focal lengths unavailable from Hasselblad.</p>

[ethan_pines]

<p>You can definitely put the H digital back on a 4x5. Before you buy a 4x5, make sure there are adapter plates for mounting the H back on it. (For example, do a search for Sinar to Hasselblad adapter plate, and make sure it's for the H system.) Many 4x5 cameras have a universal adapter system called Graflok; if you can find a Graflok to H adapter plate, it will fit a variety of cameras.</p>

<p>However -- due to the tight tolerances required by digital backs, if you're looking for the optimum in quality, you'll get greater accuracy by putting the back on a 2x3 / 6x9 system such as the Arca Swiss 69 / 69FC (which I use), or, for more money and greater accuracy, the Arca Swiss M-Line 2, or any of the modern pancake technical cameras by Arca Swiss, Alpa and Cambo. Check places like Capture Integration and Badger Graphic to look into these further. You get into serious money with these setups. The advantage of the Arca Swiss 69 / 69 FC, or a 4x5 camera, is there's no need to have the lenses mounted in expensive helical focusing mounts. </p>

<p>Hooking the lens to the back is easy. You run a PC sync cord from the lens's PC connection to the "in" port on the back. Make sure the back's "camera" configuration is set to X-Sync <1/8sec. </p>

<p>A great online resource for further info is the medium-format-digital forum on Luminous Landscape. </p>

[bob_salomon]

<p>Linhof makes a Hasselblad H to 45 Graflock back adapter plate that will mount that back on any camera with a 45 graflock back.<br>

The big question that you did not ask is what lenses will I need and can the cameras that I am looking at capable of using them. Remember, the normal lens for a Hasselblad digital back is a very wide angle lens for a 45 format. Second question will be are the controls and movements on that film type view camera precise enough for digital work?</p>