petelo

It happened to me too on my older 500 C/M. I pre-released (as I mostly do) and that was it. No releasing nor removing the lens or back possible. Completely jammed.

I didn't push it either way as it was one of my last shots on a last day of my trip to Senegal. So I was quite lucky it didn't happen earlier and left it jammed in my bag until I handed it over to the H'blad service back in Europe. Eventually, the service guy told me that one of the springs in the body caused the problem.

I bought the body as a second hand piece and never let it trough a CLA. And then, in that bit rougher environment, it let me down (though with luck). Thus I learned the lesson: to keep the equipment maintained/services regularly, to have it checked before major trip and to travel with 2 bodies to those corners of the world where one would search/wait for qualified service for weeks.

I wouldn't worry about that at all. The new screens made for Hasselblads by Minolta are one of the bes ton the market. You can use them with no significant problems with WLF and lower lenses. I have my CFi 5.6/250 and can see clearly what I need to when it comes to focusing. I am not sure it is requirement for WLF, it dependws on your sight. The older version of the Acute-Matte screens were good too. But the newer Acute-Matte D are jsut unbeatable.

In case you are gonna buy a new body you'll get the newest D screen with it. If you are after used one you may want to check the type and status of the screen as the old pre Acute-Matte screens were pretty dark and grainy.

Also, as always when buying optical device, check how it works for you (your eyes) with the lens you plan to own and use.

My 2 cents...

1. Rollei makes SLRs too (the excellent 6000 series cameras with the very same Zeiss lenses that you get for Hassies)

2. keeping in mind the price you've indicated I'd go for Bronica SQi piece. New series of Zenzanon lenses are of very high optical and mechanical quality. And are much more affordable, than Zeiss (but guess you know that already ;-)

3. as an option I'd consider Mamiya (although it is 6x7 body - thus bigger - you can use 6x6 mags)

I found Mamiya less smart in design and less handy in handling compared to Bronicas. And heavier. I found Bronicas bodies reliable if handled with care and cranked without overpower on your fingers. No camera is heavy duty as long as your hands are harsh on it and you push too much on crank for that matter. Things break, tear off and fall apart. It is just matter of amount of money you've invested in the equipment that will set the level of your sorrow when it must go to repair shop. And as stated in many on-line discussions here and elsewhere, the more expensive stuff you have, the more you are likely to pay for repairs. And that one day every piece will need repair, clean-up job or overhaul.

Have been using Bronicas for 6 years with no defect, no problem and good results. Mostly in rough, muddy, shaky and dusty construction site conditions. The only things I needed once in a while was professional lens cleaning (front and rear glass surface, not inside) as I didn't feel very competent to do the thorough clean job myself. I did regular lens cleaning/blowing after every shooting though. The rest was just fine.

But: I never dropped it, never let rain on it, never let other people using it and never exposed it to extreme temps as there is some plastics and electronics in it. No roughing, smashing and trashing whatsoever. In last two years of my usage I always carried the gear in R.A.P.S. wraps from RoadWired to gain more protection for the electronics and fine mechanics inside. And I never drove in the car with my photo bag/case in the trunk or on the floor of the car. Always on the seat buckled up. Yep! ;-)

[sorry for the bit of off here, but it illustrates some background of my positive experience with Bronica. Also, I believe it is not always the actual use of the camera that causes the deterioration/tear/wear of its parts. It is often the way it is put down on table/ground, how attached to tripod, how the tripod with camera mounted is put on the ground, the way it is transported between locations etc.]

Bronicas got excellent focusing screens, very good TTL metering (although as a matter of photographic practice I prefer manual hand held metering) and reliable lens mechanics. Focusing was smooth all those years, shutter kept exposure times precise (incl. the long ones) and no heavy tear or wear was noticed. I did some 5 to 7 thousands shots/exposures a year.

This is my first-hand experience. I did much less work with Mamiya RZ67. Thus the reliability is not what I can measure/compare here. Just the handling that I didn't find satisfying and few design flaws were putting me off from using it more or investing into more accessories.

Just my 2Cs /

Pete