arthur_gottschalk

Thanks for that Orsetto. I will add that I had one CF lens repair declined by David for lack of parts, and that was several years ago.

I've been lucky with my Hasselblads, few if any problems other than my own operating mistakes and light leaks at the back. I've solved that with black masking tape over the dark slide slot. But in the past I've used David Odess for service. The problem with that was the increasingly long delays for service, sometimes up to three or four months as his workload increased. Now that David is no longer with us, I wonder who I might use for service. Any suggestions?

I am more likely to crop 6x7 to 6x6.

Simple answer? Yes.

I hope to was really cheap.

My non-expert observations: It's easier to hand-hold the 50mm or 60mm Hasselblad lens than anything longer, and the 45-degree prism helps to steady the camera by pressing it to your forehead just above the eye. But for various reasons, I find it easier to focus and hand-hold the Mamiya 6 or 7 cameras at low speeds, as the shutters seem to have minimal vibration, and being rangefinders there are no mirrors to bounce.

Unfortunately I don't yet have the dedicated bellows hood, and I'm finding that they are few and far between sold separately. Most seem to be sold together with the bellows. I haven't noticed any flare with my 120mm CF, but I don't think I've used it in the flare-prone situations you mention. And BTW, I'm also thinking of using my 150mm CF lens with the bellows as this apparently would provide a greater distance between the lens and the subject. But that of course would decrease DofF.

After some research, BTW, Freytag has the best instructions for using the bellows, although he doesn't include the latest model. Shell has some good information as well, but Wildi, rather surprisingly, has the least.

Thanks Orsetto. My bellows, which I bought years ago and put on the shelf, did not come with a hood or adapter so I guess I'll ne looking for one. Then again, I imagine that the regular hood I use on the 120mm lens might be adequate as well.

Can I use a 120mm CF lens with a late-model (single rail) Automatic Bellows Extension? And If do use the 120 lens, will I need an adapter to fit the adjustable lens shade?

It's called an opinion.

Thanks for the help. After some tinkering and, most importantly, READING THE MANUAL, the camera is working as it should.

Are you speaking from experience? I've bought several V-System cameras on Ebay and all have worked perfectly from the get-go. I've shot hundreds of exposures with them with our problems, except for a jam or two that I created by failure to follow proper procedure. I think you are exaggerating .

FWIW, I sold my 553 and bought a 555 on the advice of Ernst Wildi, who wrote that it is a worthwhile and recommended upgrade.

At this point, with the lens assembly removed, the shutter release mechanism will not travel. Perhaps there is some sort of interlock that is preventing this?