gary_boswell

ANASTAS:I have both a 50mm f2.8 F and 150mm f2.8 F series lens. Both are probably heavier than your lenses. In outdoors photography, the secret I have used for years in handholding is to always shoot at 1/250 second, nothing less if possible. This rule came about from a study done by Ansel Adams and is discussed in his book "The Camera". If you are pretty steady naturally, this speed will eliminate the potential blurring caused by hand holding. I don't mean to argue with Q. G. de Bakker's comments that a handheld shot will never equal a tripod shot, but that's not my experience when using this method. Some of my hand held shots are astoundingly sharp. A view through a high power lupe proves it. However, I suppose that you could obtain a higher ratio of high resolution shots using a sturdy tripod matched to the size/weight of a Hasselblad 6x6 system.

Max: I have the 50mm F 2.8 and would recommend that you chose it not only because it was designed specifically for your 201F, but because it will focus closer and allow you to shoot handheld with the 100 ASA speed films where the shot might require a tripod with the 50mm CF FLE. Also, remember that Ansel Adams was very high on the 2000FC/FCM cameras (predecessors of your 201F) because he had to have accurate calibration of only one shutter, the focal plane shutter in the camera. The 201F has very precise shutter speed calibration. Ansel didn't have to worry about the calibration of the leaf shutter in each lens as he had to with the previous Hasselblad camera system's he owned. And, the mainspring in the 50 mm CF FLE lens is not made from Nivarox (providing reliable operation three times longer according to 6th edition Hasselblad Manual) as were all subsequent CFI and CFE lenses. Of course, Ansel's interest was outdoor landscape photography and if your use would be more for landscape than indoor or flash photography, I would recommend the 50mm F lens, which, as you probably know, will handle flash up to 1/90th second.

Going back to Patrick's original question of where this will end, I'd like to mention that in their June 2004 issue, Popular Photography tested the new Zeiss Distagon T* 40mm f/4 IF CFE and said, "The best ever tested for a medium-format lens of this type." The resolution table provided in the article said it all. I have a very fine (I think) Zeiss 50mm f/2.8 F series lens and happen to have saved the lens test results and this new lens delivers higher L/MM. So, while we all bemoan the inroads digital has made, not to mention Fuji, here is a superb new Zeiss product for the V system that appears to be head and shoulders above anything else out there. I am keeping the faith.