I have not seen this mentioned at RFF yet, so FYI.
In 1967, Bengt Feldreich was granted a rare interview with Victor Hasselblad at his home in Råö on the Onsala Peninsula of Sweden's west coast. It was subsequently broadcast on Swedish National Television in 1967. Recently, Hasselblad made this footage available for viewing on YouTube so when I found out about it, I made a point of watching it. I found it a fascinating program which gave some glimpses into the man behind the famous cameras, and I think he was a fascinating person, too. As well as seeing inside his private home, I learned a bit more about him than I previously knew. And one or two bits of information about the production of the cameras I wasn't aware of either.
Some of this new information relates to the development of the reflex Compur shutter that was so well utilised in the lenses for the 500C and its derivatives. I have read in various sources that it was following its successful installation in smaller SLRs (notably Zeiss Ikon's Contaflex) that Hasselblad were motivated to try it in the new lenses for their 500 series. Chronologically, this is certainly how it played out, with the first Contaflexes being sold to their owners in late 1953, and the 500C not being released until (from memory) 1957.
Yet, Hasselblad himself revealed that this was not, in fact, how the SLR version of the shutter actually came to be. Rather, it was his own technicians who modified a standard Compur shutter, produced a prototype, and travelled to München with him to demonstrate it to Friedrich Deckel himself, in order to obtain Deckel's agreement for his company to commence its manufacture. Deckel concurred, on the condition his company retained the relevant patents, and this subsequently facilitated the use of smaller variations of the shutter in a number of cameras made by German manufacturers, including, of course, Zeiss Ikon, but also Agfa, Kodak (Nagel) and Voigtländer.
There are other interesting anecdotes. Such as someone's necktie getting stuck in the shutter of the brand new 1600F that Victor had brought to the USA to demonstrate to the American photo press, which had to be disentangled (successfully) at short notice, without damaging those notoriously fragile titanium foil blades. His run ins with the huge SKF bearing manufacturers, after they took issue with him recruiting too many of their technical staff. His observations about how the collaboration with NASA came about. And so on.
I've already watched the interview once (which is in Swedish, with English subtitles). But personally, I found it so absorbing, I'll be viewing it again soon. It's definitely one for Hasselblad fans, but also for anyone with an interest in the history and development of cameras, who ought to get something out of it. You can find it here.
Cheers,
Brett
In 1967, Bengt Feldreich was granted a rare interview with Victor Hasselblad at his home in Råö on the Onsala Peninsula of Sweden's west coast. It was subsequently broadcast on Swedish National Television in 1967. Recently, Hasselblad made this footage available for viewing on YouTube so when I found out about it, I made a point of watching it. I found it a fascinating program which gave some glimpses into the man behind the famous cameras, and I think he was a fascinating person, too. As well as seeing inside his private home, I learned a bit more about him than I previously knew. And one or two bits of information about the production of the cameras I wasn't aware of either.
Some of this new information relates to the development of the reflex Compur shutter that was so well utilised in the lenses for the 500C and its derivatives. I have read in various sources that it was following its successful installation in smaller SLRs (notably Zeiss Ikon's Contaflex) that Hasselblad were motivated to try it in the new lenses for their 500 series. Chronologically, this is certainly how it played out, with the first Contaflexes being sold to their owners in late 1953, and the 500C not being released until (from memory) 1957.
Yet, Hasselblad himself revealed that this was not, in fact, how the SLR version of the shutter actually came to be. Rather, it was his own technicians who modified a standard Compur shutter, produced a prototype, and travelled to München with him to demonstrate it to Friedrich Deckel himself, in order to obtain Deckel's agreement for his company to commence its manufacture. Deckel concurred, on the condition his company retained the relevant patents, and this subsequently facilitated the use of smaller variations of the shutter in a number of cameras made by German manufacturers, including, of course, Zeiss Ikon, but also Agfa, Kodak (Nagel) and Voigtländer.
There are other interesting anecdotes. Such as someone's necktie getting stuck in the shutter of the brand new 1600F that Victor had brought to the USA to demonstrate to the American photo press, which had to be disentangled (successfully) at short notice, without damaging those notoriously fragile titanium foil blades. His run ins with the huge SKF bearing manufacturers, after they took issue with him recruiting too many of their technical staff. His observations about how the collaboration with NASA came about. And so on.
I've already watched the interview once (which is in Swedish, with English subtitles). But personally, I found it so absorbing, I'll be viewing it again soon. It's definitely one for Hasselblad fans, but also for anyone with an interest in the history and development of cameras, who ought to get something out of it. You can find it here.
Cheers,
Brett
