500C Interchangeable focus screen

[charlessalomons]

Dear fellow Hasselblad users,

 

Got a 500C a while ago and the I am having a great time with it.

 

The body is from 1971, and has an interchangeable focus screen that is scratched and I would like to replace.

 

<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5572/14718240368_277761b09d_b_d.jpg">

<a

href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/charlessalomons/14718240368/">https://www.flickr.com/photos/charlessalo

mons/14718240368/</a>

 

I tried some other screens from ebay, but they don't fit because the metal holders surrounding the screen have

raised feet on the corners which raise them higher. Anybody any idea what part number to look for a new

screen (with a split screen in the middle) at reasonable cost ?

 

Many thanks, Charles

[johncox]

To my knowledge the 500c didn't take interchangeable focus screens. That was the major advantage of the 500cm. Are

you certain of your model?

[leicaglow]

Later 500c's did have interchangeable screens, just not labled CMs yet. There were also

conversions, including some that were non Hasselblad screens. The 1970 would have been the tail

end of production for the c, but some were produced with interchangeable screens. Another

thought.... even though older c's were not interchangeable by the user, they could be changed out by

a technician. I used to see 500c's with shims under the focusing screen. Any chance one is lodged

in there still?

[ken_wayne1]

<p>Charles, <br /><br />As Michael said - you definitely have a 500cm body which was labeled 500c. Seems I've read that some people suggested the reason to be that they kept labeling them 500c was just to use up the remaining labels. But if yours has the clips and removable screen it is definitely a 500cm body and there should not have been any shims or anything else in there. But it's worth looking as Michael suggested.</p>

<p>Those other screens you bought should fit unless you bought some kind of odd knockoff that I've never heard about.<br /><br />Something definitely weird going on there. Any screen that is a Hasselblad brand should work.<br /><br />Let us know what you find out.</p>

[charlessalomons]

Ken, Michael,

 

Thanks for your replies. Here are some more images, I think there are no shims,

 

<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5576/14915403065_ff7e2d15c1_z_d.jpg">

 

<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3858/14915403595_df4b7e5520_z_d.jpg">

 

<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5551/14915404225_4fc7cf5554_z_d.jpg">

 

<br>

This is a pic of another focus screen hat fits but has no split screen and so I find it very hard to focus accurately when shooting wide open. Like the split screen on, it has no "feet"

<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5596/14728742719_ea779a54a8_z_d.jpg">

[ken_wayne1]

I've never known the "feet" to matter Charles. If you lay one with the feet and the one without the feet side by side on a

flat table are they the same height?

[charlessalomons]

The one that I tried did, and I assumed that was the case in general. Let me see if I can borrow another one to compare

[leicaglow]

The screen you show looks a little thicker than most. By feet, do you mean where the sides, but not

the corners, are indented. Maybe a shot of the screen laid upside down would help. Like this one.<div></div>

[leicaglow]

Shaped edges...<div></div>

[charlessalomons]

Michael,

Thanks, here are the pics of the backside of my screens, they don't have the indents or shaped edges

<br>

<br>

This is the back of the standard screen with the cross like yours<br>

 

<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3913/14731838797_a5e0d3e317_z_d.jpg">

<br>

<br>

This is from the screen with the split screen<br>

 

<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3925/14731736960_fa54a88e8f_z_d.jpg">

<br>

<br>

and another pic from a different angle showing it doesn't have the indents / feet /shaped corners etc.

<br>

<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3922/14731802978_e63a813e96_z_d.jpg">

[douglas_fairbank]

Over the years there have been different designs for the frame as well as the screen it holds. Some frames can be spot

welded or some are folded, both are illustrated here. The thickness of the screen can vary, what is important is that the

focus plane is the same height. Some third party screens can be very good but some may not focus in the right position.

[ken_wayne1]

<p>Yeh I think the screen you had was the problem. Not the camera body.</p>

[owen_omeara]

<p>I think John Cox is correct. The first Hassy I had with an interchangeable screen was the 500 CM.</p>

<p>-O</p>

[brett_rogers]

 

<blockquote>

<p>I think John Cox is correct. The first Hassy I had with an interchangeable screen was the 500 CM.<br>

-O</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Michael Axel nailed it with his first post. The first C/M bodies were still badged 500C. It's a matter of historical fact. Whether you want to call them a 500C with the clips for user replacement of focus screens, or a C/M badged as a C, bottom line is, they were sold like that in 1970. They still turn up on eBay regularly, in their ex-factory specification. As a matter of fact, here's one I found in two minutes of looking. There are probably others.<br />http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Hasselblad-500C-late-Model-same-ss-500CM-Medium-Format-Camera-READ-/111433779784?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19f1f88a48</p>