donald_ingram1

February 17, 2011

It's been perfectly clear for several years that the V system, while not technically discontinued, is only available until stocks are exhausted.

Items like lenses are no longer being ordered from Zeiss..

Even cheap things like straps are gone and not being re-ordered.

February 13, 2011

First to strike is the 110mm : it's shutter-less so not for the 500 series cameras.

The 50/100 is the perfect combo for the architectural bias : The 100mm is practically distortion free and the 50mm has the least distortion of the wides ( bar the 38mm SWC )

However for a single lens walkabout I prefer the 80mm over the 100. The 80mm's distortion is less than the 50's.

You will find all the datasheets here: http://www.hasselbladhistorical.org/HW/HWLds.aspx

October 16, 2009

If you want to do a personal project then the hasselblad 38/40/50 are all great.

I sold my 40mm FLE for a SWC because it's more compact and lightweight i.e. a great travel camera.

However accurate full frame alignment and full frame printing including the rebate is rather difficult with the OVF alone.

The 41050 view screen adapter is discontinued - it took me 6 months to track one down.

As you are quoting ffordes prices and they don't have a SWC at the moment ( it would cost £1500+ ), it's probably academic anyway.

I would go with the 50mm - it's certainly better if in your project you want to take people or groups in their environment.

The 38 and 40mm need the right subject - for groups you will probably end up cropping to 6x45.

If your are seeking commercial income from interior photography, you are probably better starting with a DSLR and a lens in the 14-28 range coupled with the option of digital stitching.

October 1, 2009

If you want it badly enough i.e. $2K : it's possible

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/621064-REG/Silvestri_1152_Hasselblad_Lens_Actuator_for.html

Another option, if you can live with the restricted movements it has, is to track down a hasselblad flexbody.

September 20, 2009

Slightly off topic, but HC Lim's photo reminded me of Phil Borges' Mongolian work - have you seen his work - very much specializing in environmental portraiture http://www.philborges.com/sp/mongolia/5.html I read he uses a Hasselblad, mainly 150mm and daylight balanced with fill in flash with a large diffuser. Co-opting a local assistant to hold the flash or reflector would eliminate the need for a tripod. With the M7, P67 or Hassy, leaf shutter lenses are available. A big advantage of a Hassy over the other two is the polaroid back for proofing.

September 14, 2009

Dan, just thought I would ask what makes you unhappy enough with the 50 CFi on your 202/203/205 to consider spending $1K-$2K on a duplication of lenses ?

I don't really consider it too much of a burden to manually meter when using mine on my 203FE.

Auto with the 110FE is quite useful, but with the wide I tend to need to tilt down and AE lock so much that manual exposure works out quicker and more reliable.

September 14, 2009

No CFE version of the 50 f/4 CFi FLE.

There is a 40 CFE FLE or a 50 f/2.8 FE which has automatically floating elements ( no need for a separate ring to optimize performance )

http://www.zeiss.de/C12567A8003B8B6F/EmbedTitelIntern/Distagon2.8_50mm_FE_104923_e/$File/Distagon2.8_50mm_FE_104923_e.pdf

September 5, 2009

Suspect your lens and film combo will be too slow to capture much fine detail - more of a glow if you give it long enough.

Some useful times are posted here : http://www.ptialaska.net/~hutch/aurora.html

It's also a solar minimum so the odds are further stacked against you

September 2, 2009

If you want to print uncropped showing the film rebates and hasselblad pips, then in camera correction and framing is the way to go.

Although you could cheat in photoshop and re-install the rebate after perspective correction/cropping, nothing beats the satisfaction of a perfectly composed and aligned optical print.

September 1, 2009

The crop factor means you never get that wide even with the 40mm, but accepting that, it's very satisfying having nice squared off buildings with a better/lesser proportion of foreground.

It is not so brilliant when used handheld with a 500 series camera : I made a pair of pins to replace the double cable release to make it a bit more portable. It would be great with a focal plane 200 series camera.

I sold mine a few years back, and now have a flexbody. The newer 50CFi can he shifted 12mm to give about the same vertical coverage as the 38mm SWC, so for me it's a better if restricted to tripod solution.

August 26, 2009

The Historic Datasheets on the Zeiss website show distortion as well as MTF figures for all past and current lenses.

http://www.zeiss.com/c12567a8003b58b9/Contents-Frame/5ed01eb620d0b1cec12570f80033cada

August 17, 2009

Yes your are not alone ! I've resolved to order an couple of new Hasselblad straps:

For many years my 501C was my main travel and walkabout camera - I tended to stick to just the 80mm lens so I carried the camera around everywhere over my shoulder.

Now all the the anti-slip rubber that's woven into the strap has worn off, such that it's bare nylon.

As this slips around and off my shoulder too easily : next time I'm in Calumet, I must order a replacement and a spare.

Currently I'm at 501C,201F,203FE,SWC/M and only two straps - one of which is now rubber less :-).

August 16, 2009

It certainly works with the 203FE I have with me today - a one cent coin stays put.

I will need to check the 501 later - it's rear light shield doors certainly make a loud clap.

August 16, 2009

I will jump in again and agree with David, a tripod is something I seldom consider necessary - I probably only use one about 1 time in 100.

There is a lot more to medium format than resolution: that larger negative provides better tonality and less grain.

Tri-x and NPH/Pro400 are my staple film choices ( and look miles better than the same films on 35mm)

Here's a video which shows how well balanced and vibration free a hasselblad is :

However if you do want large fine grain prints, and use Velvia at the edge of the day ( possibly with ND grades ) then you are much more likely to fall short of your expectations without a tripod.

August 16, 2009

Handheld with the 500/501 etc. it's worth adding the slide on bubble level.

Once it's in place, you can more easily pre-release the mirror and by keeping your eye on the bubble, maintain framing.

ISO 400 film also helps.

August 16, 2009

There's nothing wrong with the 80mm lens - if you intended to have only one lens for a while, it's probably the better choice ( slightly wider ).

Stick to CF (or the new C that came with the 501C) and avoid the CB that often came with the 501CM.

Better to pick a newer ~1990 or later A12 ( less chance of light leaks ) than two older ones.

The 501C, 501CM and 503CW all came with Acute Matt screens, WLF and rapid cranks - if they have been split from any of those it's more likely to have had a hard professional working life - similarly unmatched backs.

The 501C will save you some money - the only difference from the 501CM/503CW is the shorter mirror ( i.e same as used on the older 500/503CXi ) which is supposed to cut off a little with lenses above 150mm.

August 10, 2009

Stuart - great pictures ( models and dried fish : can only be Iceland )

And for anyone else who has not looked, a visit to Stuart's website is a must : http://www.stuartrichardson.com/

August 10, 2009

The thread in the B&W forum http://www.photo.net/black-and-white-photo-printing-finishing-forum/00UAIe pointed towards bubbles from over agitation.

So I will first try a more gentle approach to tank inversion and see how it goes.

Your jacket shot shows better bokeh - is that down to having nothing in the middle distance ?

Somewhere I read that the older lenses, without the rear baffles of the newer FEs, might have cleaner bokeh.

My FE lens has the square baffles near the lens mount.

As the F lens I looked at is at a good price, I might still buy it to compare. If there is no different, I can always sell it on.

August 8, 2009

I had thought it might be wetting agent - was there a RFF thread recently ?, but I scrubbed the reels and the ball bearings then washed the tank, lid and everything before I did these film.

It's happening on both reels in the tank in the same manner. Both films have the marks on the opposite side from the pips but I will have to check what the up-side on the film is before I take them off the reels next time.

Maybe it's just time to try new reels - I don't want to ruin any more films.

August 8, 2009

The depth of field is nice and narrow, but the bokeh is not as nice as I would have hoped for.

But my B&W development process has a serious flaw, that I noticed a few films ago but it now beyond a joke. I scrubbed the paterson reels thinking it was contamination, but the marks on the RHS look worse than ever :-(

Any clues ? ( I will also post this in the darkroom forum - to see if anyone else has seen such marks )

August 7, 2009

Stuart, The 203FE and 110 FE arrived today - it's stunningly nice :-) a SS body that looks like it's never had the back taken off; lens removed; lens hood or filter fitted in it's life.

However the manual shutter speed ring misbehaves above 1/500s - sometimes jumping to 1/8s or 1/750s instead of 1/1500s or 1/2000s.

So it looks like I will need to keep, the old well worn but cheap, 201F, that I bought last week before this 203FE came up, as a backup once it's back from it's mirror repair. Then I can send the 203FE away for it's warranty repair.

Getting to a 110F lens has not been cheap ... hope it was worth it ... now I will go and develop this lunchtime's film ... and see.

August 6, 2009

The clean was finished by the shop before I had called them : so I will go up and see if the mark is on the aperture as described.

I had waited for ages for a 110 F to appear secondhand, so put a deposit down on this one before the clean up.

Now last night I came across an as new 110 FE + 203FE + E12 (all for less than the cost of a new 80 CFE ) which had just arrived in another shop.

Now I have first options on two, so can now be a bit more picky :-)

August 4, 2009

Hi,

I've got an old F series 110mm lens lined up, but it has what might be some and dirt and what might be some slithers in the center of the lens.

Google lead me to the service info pdfs, but I have a few questions that would be useful to know before I ask to have the lens serviced:

1.. It's an old F lens that I'm looking at - are these notes relevant

Is TCC used generically for F series here or specifically for post F lenses > 1990 now known as FE ?.

Only later F lenses can be upgraded to TCC/FE - was this a fault introduced at the same time ?

2.. Anyone had this done to their lens or had an aperture fail and be repaired ?

3.. How much do you think the parts would cost

August 1, 2009

It was back to it old sticky ways this morning : so x100 operations did not do that much.

I will send it back to Leicashop Vienna ( where it came from ) and ask them for a CLA and spring replacement.

The mirror starts parallel but goes askew as moves to the point show - so I think the springs are unbalanced ?

However it did serve it's intended purpose today : A couple of weeks ago I found an old F series 110mm f/2 lens hiding away in a local Edinburgh camera shop.

When I went back this morning, they still had it, so was able to test it on a F body before I bought it.

It's all slowly coming together ... just need that CLA now.

July 31, 2009

Dave, the camera looks like it's in good external condition, but has lots of wear marks on the rear magazine plate and inner lens bayonet: I guess it's had a professional working life. With a bit more investigating, I'm beginning to think that springs on the underside of the mirror, which seem to connect to a fulcrum/balance might be stretched.

I've fired the shutter a few hundred times now - and let it sit fired up-side down for a while and it's actually getting better - so might be that it has been sitting idle on a shelf for too long.

( Photo is a rough blend of two focus zones ) <img src="http://www.donaldingram.com/ForumImages/Hassy201F_mirror.jpg" alt="" />

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Posts posted by donald_ingram1