Do I really want a Hasselblad 500c/m?

[mooge]

a few things to consider for hassy street shooting-
-270 degree focus turn from infinity to 1m on the 80mm.
-1m min. focusing distance
-takes forever to reload (at least it takes ME forever)...

it's cool for sure though.

 

[juno_lau]

I wanted a Hassy so much a few years ago,
but someone warned me about the WLF is reverse in left right...
so I ended up trying a Minolta TLR as many people suggested.

I love the larger pictures i got, especially for slides,
BUT, I HATE the left right problem...
so i sold it...

i think i still want a hassy... just to try operating it

 

[JamesFromSydney]

Don't listen to people who say it's the wrong camera for street. People used to hand-hold 4x5 on the street.

The Hassy will lend itself to a slower & more formal style -- every camera is different, not necessarily better or worse.

Have a look at Mike Peters work on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikepeters/

 

[---f]

Fireboy, what is that lens you have attached? Holy moly...I don't think I want to carry that around! 😀

that's a 150mm f4 C Sonnar. Don't worry, the 80mm you're thinking about is MUCH MUCH smaller. BUT, this 150 isn't as heavy as it looks. Mostly I leave the hood off, and it's really easy to use.

 

[filmfan]

I always pick my 500c/m over my other MF gear, such a beautiful camera to use. Drives the ladies wild as well 😉

Not nearly as much as what a Rolleiflex does to them (FACT).
I would go Hasselblad (even though I use a Rolleiflex) due to the ease of using different filters, lenses, etc.

 

[pixelatedscraps]

I owned a four lens kit 500CM with an Acutte Matte D (paramount) for about a year: 50/4 Distagon T*, 80/2.8 Planar C, 120/4 Makro-Planar T* and the 150/4 Sonnar C with dreams of using it as my main camera. As much as I was enthralled by almost everything about the camera; from the awesome kaa-thwunk of the shutter slap to the reverse angle waist-level finder, the chrome finishing and the really intuitive modular system, I just didn't use it anywhere near enough to justify owning one.

I had this big, beautiful - and cumbersome camera that rarely got use. I travel on holiday a lot - 5-6 times a year - and I could never lug it with me. It was always either the Mamiya 6, an OM-1 and then once I got an M4....I sold off the Makro Planar, Sonnar and Distagon and pared it down to the 80mm Planar, took it out for one last spin in the depths of Hong Kong and bade my own farewell to it; cursing slightly as I tried to load film in a dank, sweaty alleyway, aiming my Sekonic L-758 up at a range of housing estate blocks before fiddling with shutter speeds and cursing myself after forgetting to remove darkslides.

Yep: I had an awesome last day with it. But am I glad I sold it and put the money toward a complete CLE kit? You bet.

Do I miss it sometimes with rose-tinted nostalgia? Definitely.

 

[Frank Petronio]

I think he should get an $8000 Alpa like Roger. Or the $200 American version, the Graflex XL ;-)

 

[FrozenInTime]

Blad's have miserably dark finders.

Once you get to the 501c and newer, you get the Acute-Matte screens as standard.
My 501c with 80/2.8 is brighter indoors than my OM1n with 50/1.2.

 

[typhillips]

Full disclosure: I don't own and have never used a Hasselblad. I have used a Bronica SQ-A and several different TLRs with waist level finders fairly extensively.

I think you'd be wise to experiment with a waist level finder (borrow a MF TLR or SLR from someone???) before shelling out all of that cash on a Hasselblad. I personally find waist level finders a bit of a hassle when you're used to the elegance of framing at eye level with a Leica. They do have some advantages for sure, but are SLOW in my humble opinion.

I guess it depends on the type of street shooting you do. For me, nothing beats a Leica. I'd rather "get" the shot on 35mm then miss the shot on 120.

Just my 2 cents. Take it for what it's worth.

 

[keepright]

You know that bumper sticker that you'll sometimes see on unremarkable cars that say "My other car is a ____________"? Well, my other camera is a Fujifilm GX680iii. This is my 500c/m and 150mm lens sitting on one of the fuji's film backs:

I bought the `blad as a compact travel camera. It doesn't really take up any more room in the bag than my Ikon with the 85/4 or my GH1 with its 7-14, and it weighs about the same as a D700 and 105VR. So from a size perspective, it's really not that unreasonable.

The biggest challenge that I run into is focusing and depth of field; an f/5.6 lens likes a lot of light, and it sees like an f/2.8-ish lens on 135, so there's not much margin to squeak through. But the camera is basic and straightforward now that I've learned its quirks – I figured out how to unjam the shutter on my first day with it.

I also use my Ikon and Nikon F100 for 35mm film, and either of those cameras is easier for quick and agile photography. But using the Hasselblad has a charm of its own, and the big negatives make me happier than the little rectangular ones do.

 

[dacookieman]

I own a Hasselblad as well, and I love it for its superb Zeiss optics, its classic chrome charm, and the whole modular system. Sure, its been called many names, like Clunky, a Hassle! or what my gf calls it, a waterbottle. But all cameras have their limitations, and sure..it has the loud thwack of the shutter, magazines don't load as swiftly, and its not a RF😛 But the resulting images I get out of it on slide film is nothing short of astounding🙂

My advice is similar, cure the gas! Go out and get one and feel how it is on your hands. Enjoy the camera. if you like it, great, keep it! If not, you can always offload it to a loving home and won't lose much in the process.

Here's an idea of how the 500C/M looks like with a 80mm mounted:

 

[Haigh]

I have never liked most of the shots I took in Paris but when I looked through them again the ones that were most interesting ( and I exhibited them ) were hand held withe the 500c. You might just for interest look at Jason Langer's images some of which were shot with a 500C. Looking at the ground glass 6x6 does inspire me. Also, you are not looking directly at someone but at the screen.

 

[Keith]

I own a Hasselblad as well, and I love it for its superb Zeiss optics, its classic chrome charm, and the whole modular system. Sure, its been called many names, like Clunky, a Hassle! or what my gf calls it, a waterbottle. But all cameras have their limitations, and sure..it has the loud thwack of the shutter, magazines don't load as swiftly, and its not a RF😛 But the resulting images I get out of it on slide film is nothing short of astounding🙂

My advice is similar, cure the gas! Go out and get one and feel how it is on your hands. Enjoy the camera. if you like it, great, keep it! If not, you can always offload it to a loving home and won't lose much in the process.

Here's an idea of how the 500C/M looks like with a 80mm mounted:

I do find focusing a little tedious with the heavily damped long throw ... does that lever help much with that issue?

 

[dacookieman]

Keith: yes it helps to a certain extent. Makes focusing easier and slightly faster. It's more comfortable using that than gripping the ring. However I believe later versions of this lens like the CF and beyond have a larger focus ring that makes for smoother and faster focusing.

 

[curmudgeon]

I love my 500 C/M with the WLF and 80mm lens for street photography. With a fast film (lately I've been shooting Delta 3200 at ISO 1600) I stop down enough for zone focusing and never have to raise the camera above chest level. It's very unobtrusive. The noise has never been a problem for me.

--Doug

 

[David R Munson]

I used a Hasselblad in the way you described (available light, no tripod, walking the streets, etc) for a while and I LOVED it.

Out of curiosity: why did you stop?

 

[padraigm]

Well to chime in. I have a Rollei 2.8e and a 500 CM and since I got the Rollei the Hasselblad has not been used once and I plan on selling it. There is no situation where I could not do what I wanted with my rollei. Closeups got my rollinars... Perhaps some wide angle would be a limitation but I don't really shoot that way so it's not an issue for ME. Now having the different backs is a huge plus, but the mobility and quiet shutter can't be beat.IF you want to be mobile the Rollei is the way to go. Hasselblad is loud and hand holding can be a problem. Of course they are both fine systems and image quality is equal so thats not an issue. But for my style of shooting the Rollei won hands down. Love it.

 

[dan_sutton]

I found that I could never reliably focus a hasselblad quickly. That sent me to the fuji rangefinders. The gw690iii is about the perfect camera. It handles so well and since it is a rangefinder, I can focus it very quickly. I also just sold it. The 6x9 negs were too big for my vc67 enlarger. The 6x7 version will be owned by me shortly. I've found for me it's the best medium format camera.

Light, focusable, quick, intuitive, etc. The hassy is nice, but only if you have time or want to shoot at f/8 - f/16. I'm a wide open guy and the hassy is not a wide open camera. Or at least for me.

 

[dtcls100]

I wanted a Hasselblad for years. But then I got a Mamiya 6 and a full set of the three available lenses. The light weight, easy handling, almost silent, shock free shutter, easy focusing and outstanding lenses have stopped any thoughts about getting a Hasselblad.

 

[Nokton48]

Hasselblad really shines as a system. I have picked things up for very reasonable prices, and have built up an entire system. Four bodies, 22 backs, 30,40,50,60,80,100,120,135 bellows,150,250,350, and 500mm lenses, plus most of the original accessories. What a workhorse/erector set of photography! What's not to like?