david_cummings1

<p>John -I loved - absolutely LOVED - my D700 for all my shooting until I got my D800e. Its files are so sharp and crisp that you can see deeper into the file up to 16x24. HOWEVER - if 12x18 is your maximum size, by all means save some dough and go with a D700. You'll see better high ISO performance and faster shooting and you'll be fine AT 12x18. If you might want the best possible 16x24s, it's a D800e on a tripod with shutter delay and good technique. However it sounds like you'll not need to do this for your type of shooting. Trust me, at 12x18 a D700 will float your boat just fine. </p>

<p>Quit it guys. go take pictures. </p>

hey everybody - why do we spend so much time answering such crap?

I echo Glenn's endorsement of the 60 and 150 pairing. I've had scads of the Hasselblad lenses, but on my two-week trips to distant places the 60 and 150 make the perfect kit for print film. You can crop to tighten the composition. And they don't weigh a ton. good luck.

I have owned three H'blad bodies and six lenses, and decided to pare down my kit to two essential lenses for my two-week overseas trips. After lugging a SWC and 503CX and 50, 80, 150, and 250 lenses to England for a couple of trips, I decided that the weight and hassle just weren't worth it. I have since spent two weeks in Egypt and a week in Prague with the 503CX and only a 60 and 150 lens. the combination was perfect. the 60 was wide but not uncontrollable, and the 150 was the perfect lens for isolating a subject. Of course I could have done with the wider or longer view provided by the other lenses, but the 16x20s are just fine and the portability and convenience of just fooling with one small bag and two lenses was well worth it. I also had 2 A24 backs for tri-x and Fuji 400 color. What a great sharp kit . Try it.

I began using Prof. Tri-X in 220 about 5 years ago to be able to take half as many rolls on a long trip. I almost gave up on it when I was almost unable to load the SS reels I bought for 220. Then I snuck some plastic reels and tanks into the house and had no trouble at all loading the 220 onto plastic reels. I have to hide them when people come over, because after all, I've been loading SS reels for 30 years. But all kidding aside, the plastic reels have saved my life and I'm not too proud to admit I use them. They work well with 220.

Many thanks to Peter at PR camera repair. What a great site that Sanjeev can get help instead of a hassle and a huge repair bill. I jammed my 40CF and Shift Mutar on a 503CX on my FIRST roll in Paris and wish I'd had help like that. But that's another story...

Don't worry about it. we all know Hasselblad has good specs. :-)

I've owned six Hasselblad bodies and eight of the lenses over the years, and the only time they have been 'unreliable' is when I did something wrong myself. They are strong, wonderful tools and with care and proper use, they are quite reliable. Most of the people complaining about them, in my experience, just haven't familiarized themselves with the necessities of proper operation. I have a friend who jumped into the system after years of an auto-everything 35mm camera, and just can't seem to load it, change lenses, and complete an exposure cycle without something jamming or not working right. I have had her come to my house for me to show her how to mount a lens all the way on, how to cock a lens from behind, and how to make sure the X sync tab is in the right place (older C lens). She's starting to grumble about it "never working right..." I think she should go back to her Canon.

I've flown across the Atlantic thirty times with Hasselblad equipment to photograph the cities of Europe. I"ve never ever wondered if I needed to use a cheaper system because my gear has never failed me. Oh, I take that back. I jammed my 503CX with a shift mutar and 40 mm lens in a church in Paris by releasing it incorrectly. Within the hour I had found a pro shop and had had it disassembled, fixed, and ready to go. They didn't speak English and I'm certain they didn't speak Bronica. If you get a Bronica you'll always wonder if you should have gone first class. David Cummings, DMD