douglas_fairbank

No way.

<p>There is not enough information to diagnose the fault but my guess is that there is a broken part in the body but as I am sure you realise the symptom is just a clue to the problem and a fault with the lens is a possibility. To unjam the camera you will probably have to detach the drive from the lens.</p>

<p>I am a little confused about the lenses you already have, are they CF or F lenses, (F lenses would be f2.8). If they are CF lenses as I suspect then there is no optical advantage in using the 203. The mirror damping of the 501C and 503CW may be slightly better than the 203 but there are more important features to consider in my opinion. The 503CW with winder would give you more tethering options but as you are not studio based this may not be a factor for you.<br> I don't recall that it is necessary to use a sync cable with a CFV back but don't take my word for it, check the manual, downloabable on the Hasselblad website.</p>

A check like that may show a large error but the best check is to focus on an inclined plane and compare the film image to the point that you focused on the screen.

<p>There are a number of lightseals throughout the camera but it is the darkslide light seal that is most prone to wear. The mirror is cushioned with a material that is similar to the light seals and in my opinion this the next most likely area for there to be a problem. <br> Look for light entering where the slide goes and also perform a focus check to see if the image plane and screen focus agree.</p>

The feel of a 200 series camera is different to a V series, the last part of the motion is harder. Having said that if the camera is in need of a clean and relubrication the action may be harder than expected.

<p>It can be a slide damage problem, flip the slide over 180 degrees and try again. Maybe get a new slide or find another Hasselblad user nearby. </p>

The flash is triggered from the lens so you will need to get one of those. The count for the flash is readable from the grip display and shows the activations of the built in flash, the count could be very low, even zero as not many Hasselblad users actually use the built in flash. The eyecup is user replaceable, it is retained by two screws under the rubber. All the Hasselblad users manuals going back to the very earliest models from the 1940s are downloadable from their website, can anyone name any other manufacturer that does that?

In the USA you could send it to Hasselblad Bron in New Jersey. The USA also has independent repairers that seem to have good reputations, see some of the other postings.

What part of the world are you in?

<p>Obviously when I said that Hasselblad were capable of springing surprises it was not the Sony rebadge cameras that I had in mind. I don't want to get drawn into a discussion about that and history will judge whether it is a good collaboration like the Xpan or not. I have a unique perspective with regard to Hasselblad owners and my experience is exactly as I have stated, many experienced professional photographers love their craft and still have the cameras that they learnt on or have gone out in the market and collected good examples to use and enjoy. They also enjoy using the skills they have developed with digital backs but on a fully manual camera and one of the most frequent questions I get asked is can I source a good used CFV back. Some digital users of V system cameras are using their cameras to such an extent that the lens shuters are rapidly becoing exhausted despite regular servicing, hence my wish that new lenses might become available, like the Zeiss ZV range. Nobody has to like or agree with the points I make here but I think that secondhand values speak for themselves. I have no idea what direction photography is going and it would seem that I am not alone.<br> As an afterthought while I was still part of Hasselblad I was interested to see what settings photographers had their H cameras set to. My impression was that approx half were set to manual exposure! I am not sure what conclusions can be drawn but to me is says that the photographers preferred to be totally in control.</p>

Hasselblad V system does have some unique selling points that make it an interesting prospect. While it is true that many V users moved to Hasselblad H they probably held on to the old cameras and I see a lot of people returning to their old cameras to remind them of the old days. It still remains the camera of choice for many colleges. The huge popularity of the V rear mount means that anybody who has one does not limit themselves to film alone, there is a large choice of digital backs that fit. I don't think it is fair to say that Hasselblad killed of the V series, the CF adapter for the H cameras and the various digital backs that they make even now plus the fact that they still offer servicing suggests otherwise. But I would like to see more active selling Rollieflex style and I also would like to see an initiative to create a new line of lenses using some of the new lens designs for the H system, maybe with an electronic shutter. Hasselblad often surprise us so I will keep my fingers crossed.

<p>Most but not all parts are available. Servicing is still available at this time from Hasselblad and independents! S/H values are going up (UK prices). Great bargains can be had on ebay but always be prepared for the possibility that an item like a Hasselblad may be described as "working" by the seller in good faith but may require repair/service/cla to make it perform to specifications.</p>

John is right, a soft metal cable hook.

Avoid the early lenses, serial numbers below 3######, they have 6 element designs. Late C lenses from around 1980 with T* coated optics offer great value for money. Early CF lens shutters are not as good as later ones, later CF lenses have better flare prevention, late CFE and CFI lenses have excellent light action focus mounts. Good luck.

You can still get C and CF lenses repaired it is simply that the older the lens the less chance there is of spare parts being available. Optically there is little difference between the C and CF lenses of similar age, however an old C lens is very different optically to a late C lens, it is also true that early and late CF lens have differences in the optics, this is especially true with the 50 and 40mm lenses. The main differences are the body of the lens, CFs only have X sync and so self timer, the focus mounts can be lighter, the link between iris and speed ring selector is normally off, the opposite to C lenses, stop down preview is easier to use. They also an F setting on the speed selector to enable iris only operation for use with 2000 and 200 series cameras, later CFE lenses also have iris data transfer for use with 200 and H series camera (yes CFE lens electrically connect to H cameras). There is more to tell but at this stage it would be useful to know which focal length you are considering.

<p>There is no question that the T* coating is a big improvement however it should be bourne in mind that the optical design is just the same unless it is one of the very old lens, serial number starts lower that 3######.<br> If the price is right and the condition is good I would say that the older lens will perform very well indeed in situations where flare is less likely.</p>

<p>Fresnel lens goes in first with the rings facing up, then the glass with the ground glass facing down. You can only get the calibration perfect using factory tools but try to have all the screws at the same height and use a loupe and known good lens to calibrate. That distant object people talk about should be a mile away!</p>

I agree with David, it sounds like the drive gears in the magazine are faulty.

<p>Good thinking Michael, the light leak is primarily within the frame area therefore it is in front of the gate. This sort of deduction is required for tracing a light leak and the shape and intensity of the flare are also clues. In the images that are shown here I can say with total confidence that the slide aperture is the place that the light is getting in, if it was the body shutter there would be more horizontal features to the flare. The spacing is close, I would recommend a service (CLA).</p>

<p>They are not tiny allen keys! The body needs to dismantled a little to reset the key angle and there is a Hasselblad service tool to do this, I would not consider this to be an end user job. When you know how, it is a simple adjustment to put it right but I would always look to see why the body had gone out of adjustment if the first place.</p>

Edwards' advice is good!

<p>You are correct to assume that the extension tubes can have no effect on the synchronisation of the flash. However the synchronisation of the shutter release may not be correct with this combination. Look through the back of the camera with the magazine off to see if the shutter of the CF120 is working when it should, it is possible that it fires before the body shutter opens or later than the body shutter opens. In both cases the flash should still fire, after all it is just a switch, but there may be no exposure on the film.<br> Trial and error may be able to help you find what item(s) is/are the cause of this.</p>

<p>In my opinion it is not a problem, marks like that are commonplace on the H series.</p>

<p>The 120mm CF is one of Hasselblad's best and does not have a flare problem except when there is a blade breakdown and the inner surfaces have dust deposits.<br> This is not a common problem but I have seen it enough times to make it a priority test on all 120mm lenses I receive. The good news is that if you are unlucky enough to have this problem a CLA + new blades will fix it!</p>