guido_puttkammer2

I worked with Arc- and FlexBody. The FlexBody could be a nice accessory (!) if you already own a 60, 100 and or 120mm lens. The 60mm lens gives you about 10mm shift even at infinity - not bad, this really helps in many situations. For sure the combination FlexBody/60mm is much better (and cheaper!) than the PC-Mutar with Distagon 40mm. The biggest drawback is the tricky use of the FlexBody: it's a must to put the dark slide into the magazine each and every time before you cock the shutter. And you have to do this in exact order. To close the shutter you have to press down the cable release veeeery... carefully. So the use of this "camera" is more complicated than any 6x7/6x9cm drop bed or monorail.

When it comes to the ArcBody - this camera was a lovely idea but poorly realised: tiny and tinny. The precision is absolutely not what one expects from Hasselblad. A Ebony SW23 with 45mm lens and 6x7cm magazine isn't much bigger and gives you more movements. The ArcBody doesn't allow the combination of rise and shift - something you need for many architecture shots. And the longest lens you can use on an ArcBody is 75mm, Ebony SW23 accepts 150mm (longer with accessory). And sooner or later you will also need longer lenses with shift, believe me! Even the price is very similar. Or go for the small Cambo/Calumet 23SF, it's a good monorail for fairly little money. Nobody should be afraid of using a real adjustable "large format" camera - it's no "Black Art", it's simply logic.

Hello!

Because of all my experiences: Go for the Hasselblad 503CW, forget the

203FE. With a 203 you will not get better quality, the 200 system is only a little bit more "comfortable", but also much more

delicate. Keep it simple and spend most money for the lenses (i.e. CFi 100 instead of CFE 80, Superachromat's etc.)!

This makes a difference.

Best regards,

Guido Puttkammer

Originally the Macro-Planar CB 120mm is a cheaper version of the CFi 120 made for the Chinese market, only.

It's mechanical simplified (there's no F-function of the shutter and no EV coupling), but the optics are the same.

Hasselblad has sold the overstock of the CB 120 to some

dealers in the US.

Guido

Try Kodak's own Microdol-X at 1:3!

This gives you moderate contrast, subtle tonality and fine grain.

If you use the Microdol-X stock solution, the contrast gets higher,

the grain even finer but the tonality isn't perfect anymore.

Plus-X and Microdol-X are my favorite combination. And I tested

a damn lot of films/developers!

Guido