A Hasselblad, more than 40 years after first looking.

[Nokton48]

Keep testing it, send them what is not playing nice.

 

[Retro-Grouch]

Perhaps check with your repair person first to see what he would like you to send. My repair guy asks me to send in my whole system whenever anything in the body needs servicing. Now, he is rather obsessive (a good thing), but his reasoning is that Hassies are so complicated, with so many linkages and interlocks, that everything needs to get adjusted as a system. Of course, shipping costs could rule that out for you.
To put it bluntly, welcome to the world of ageing Hasselblad ownership. I love mine, and will do everything necessary to keep them going, but repairs are a very regular fact of life. I suspect that this was always true, but, back when they were the MF camera of choice for pros, there was an entire ecosystem of repairs and rentals to soften the blow when something went wrong. Not so for us amateurs these days. And note that I referred to my cameras in the plural; having a backup is invaluable. No, I'm not filthy rich! I was just lucky enough to snag my equipment about 15 years ago, during the Great Extinction of film cameras.

 

[Nokton48]

I'm not filthy rich either, there was a time when it was worth the time and trouble to load up the truck. Blads need periodic expensive service, much more so if they are not exercised regularly. They get sticky inside if they just sit around.

 

[Richard G]

Thanks very much guys. Two pieces of good news I think. The other magazine is working as is now the first one I was using. The 80 planar is working fine and the 150 Sonnar. The 60 Distagon is still misbehaving. It did fire properly with the shutter closing, opening and closing for the prescribed duration just once or twice. But after those one or two releases it returned to its rogue behaviour of closing on depressing the shutter button and only opening for the set duration after release of the shutter button.

I wonder if my dropped extension tube somehow jiggered something inside.

The Camera Clinic, closed by the government's severe restrictions on commercial and amateur activity at the height of the pandemic, had a great and well deserved reputation for all repairs. They re-opend one month ago under the name of an associated business and will return to warranty and other work for all Leica equipment, and professional Nikon equipment, but no other brands. But they also list

"Lens service and restoration of all manual focus lenses, Cine lens mods,
de-clicking, focus and aperture dampening, bayonet mount replacement."

They had a good reputation for Hasselblad service before so hopefully they can look at the Distagon and get it back in spec. I will call Monday.

They list other services like dealing with any equipment from school and universities, but ring first.

Here's a link to the list for Melbourne and Australian and New Zealand viewers.

Services

Camera repairs and service, Nikon Canon, Sony, Leica Film cameras, Optical design and repairs, Creating Complex Imaging Solutions

imagingbydesign.com.au

 

[Retro-Grouch]

Thanks very much guys. Two pieces of good news I think. The other magazine is working as is now the first one I was using. The 80 planar is working fine and the 150 Sonnar. The 60 Distagon is still misbehaving. It did fire properly with the shutter closing, opening and closing for the prescribed duration just once or twice. But after those one or two releases it returned to its rogue behaviour of closing on depressing the shutter button and only opening for the set duration after release of the shutter button.

I wonder if my dropped extension tube somehow jiggered something inside.

The Camera Clinic, closed by the government's severe restrictions on commercial and amateur activity at the height of the pandemic, had a great and well deserved reputation for all repairs. They re-opend one month ago under the name of an associated business and will return to warranty and other work for all Leica equipment, and professional Nikon equipment, but no other brands. But they also list

"Lens service and restoration of all manual focus lenses, Cine lens mods,
de-clicking, focus and aperture dampening, bayonet mount replacement."

They had a good reputation for Hasselblad service before so hopefully they can look at the Distagon and get it back in spec. I will call Monday.

They list other services like dealing with any equipment from school and universities, but ring first.

Here's a link to the list for Melbourne and Australian and New Zealand viewers.

Services

Camera repairs and service, Nikon Canon, Sony, Leica Film cameras, Optical design and repairs, Creating Complex Imaging Solutions

imagingbydesign.com.au

My 60 Distagon C was doing much the same when I purchased it in mint condition. A CLA got it working perfectly. Of course, the C and CF, though optically identical, used different shutters. I don't know which one you have.

 

[Richard G]

Thanks. That's interesting, and in a way reassuring. Mine is a 1993 CF. I'll probably be advised to bring the lens on the camera with the back for testing.

 

[Nokton48]

OBLIVIONFIRE1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

• Hasselblad 500C/M 80mm F2.8 black Zeiss Planar T* Vivitar 283 XTC Softbox Fuji 800 color neg

 

[Richard G]

That looked like a lot of fun and certainly the color neg film and flash tamed those coloured spots.

 

[Richard G]

My 60 3.5 is on its way back from repair by a Hasselblad trained expert in a neighbouring state of Australia. New shutter blades and focus and flash sync checked. Seems the extension tube was working fine and has been lubricated. I will be very pleased to have this lens back and working to its original specification. Thanks very much to a kind RFF rescuer from a different neighbouring state who put me in the right direction to get this fixed, and in good time. The main delay was me finding the time to get to the post office in hours.

 

[Retro-Grouch]

My 60 3.5 is on its way back from repair by a Hasselblad trained expert in a neighbouring state of Australia. New shutter blades and focus and flash sync checked. Seems the extension tube was working fine and has been lubricated. I will be very pleased to have this lens back and working to its original specification. Thanks very much to a kind RFF rescuer from a different neighbouring state who put me in the right direction to get this fixed, and in good time. The main delay was me finding the time to get to the post office in hours.

Congratulations! I'm sure you will love this lens. It's my favorite on the Hassy, and the lens I would choose if I were limited to only one.

 

[Nokton48]

Battle of the Bands Hasselblad Fujiroid by Nokton48, on Flickr]

Battle of the Bands. Hasselblad 500EL/M 350mm F5.6 Tele-Tessar Fuji 400 Instant Film (came from Japan). Always liked this one, instant photography is so much fun. Nobody there had ever seen it before. BTW our Band won the competition.

 

[x-ray]

I gotta say I really miss Fuji and Polaroid film. I was going through my Sinar case this week and pulled out my 4x5 Polaroid pack holder and there are 5 or 6 exposures left in it and also found an unopened pack of Fuji color pack 3x4 film. I’ll probably shoot the4x5 but will keep the 3x4 pack.

Someone please start producing pack film and 55PN again.

 

[Nokton48]

OBLIVIONFIRE2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Oblivion Fire performing at the Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival. Hasselblad 500EL/M 350mm f5.6 (non T*) Tele-Tessar Hasselblad Polaroid Back Fuji 400 ASA B&W Instant Film (ordered from Japan). That's my Son playing his electric bass guitar. Of course I also shot regular B&W roll film, but these instant film photos are just so much fun to produce.

 

[Richard G]

Got the 60 3.5 back on deck. Thanks to Brett. Here is one of the last photos before it failed. Ektar 100 32mm Extension tube. Probably carelessly tripped the shutter with cable release without locking the mirror up first. No matter.

 

[Richard G]

Here is an exercise for an exhibition. Planar 80 with the extension tube on Ektar.

 

[Vince Lupo]

Nice one Richard - I could definitely see that as a large print.

 

[Richard G]

Thanks Vince. A1 size in the exhibition. An improved version.

 

[Vince Lupo]

I went to a house party yesterday evening for a colleague of my wife's who was retiring. I brought my 500C/M with the CFV II 50c back and an 80mm lens, as I thought it was an opportunity to take some candid shots and I haven’t used the digital back on my film Hasselblads very much. I knew a couple of people there, but really for the most part I was able to move around without people taking notice or really caring. We only stayed just a little over an hour, but I think I got a few decent shots. My only regret is that I only brought the one lens, so the perspectives are mostly the same.

These were mostly shot at ISO 1600, so generally 1/60th @ f/2.8. Who knew that a 500C/M could be an available-light party camera?

 

[Vince Lupo]

Sunday morning backyard wandering, with the 500C/M, 80/2.8 Tessar and the CFV II 50c back.

 

[Vince Lupo]

Another with the 500C/M and the CFV II 50c back.


Late Day in the Kitchen by Vince Lupo, on Flickr