Fun with the Hasselblad 907x

Godfrey said:
That's good to hear!

The Summicron-R 90mm v1 definitely has fall off even on FF 35mm format, when near wide open. Once down to f/4, the fall off is gone on FF35, but it takes another stop to disappear on the 907x sensor. It is the usual case with faster lenses... just a stop or so less in maximum aperture and the same focal length lenses otherwise are typically more even in performance wide open.

On the 907x, for evenness across the frame, I'd keep it to f/4 or smaller apertures ... but it can work beautifully even wide open for some purposes, so what the heck? :)

G
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The 65 Elmar 3.5 M is also fine on 4X3.
 
Godfrey said:
Congrats on the AIR program! I hope there are no obstacles in the way of that.

To be sure, I prefer using the 907x with XCD lenses. However, I have the adapters so that I can make use of other lenses ... Not so much because I think they're better or interesting, but because I have them and I can see from using them what might suit me better were I to buy another XCD lens.

I did some testing with the Summicron-R 90 this morning...
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I taped a color chart and a tri-tone chart to the wall, set the camera up on a tripod at 6.75 feet away, and did two sets of test exposures at all f/stop settings ... One with the lens hood collapsed and the other with the lens hood extended. I used a Fotodiox Pro Leica R to Hasselblad X mount adapter and manual exposure (metered with my old faithful Sekonic L358).

For processing, each frame was slightly different on color balance, so I used the white balance eye dropper to normalize them, picking the white tone in the tritone chart. Exposure was slightly under what I'd prefer, so I set all exposures up by +0.9EV. Also, because I used lighting through the window at the left of the target, I applied the same gradient filter to all exposures to even out their density from left to right.

First three of just snaps of the camera with the lens and adapter mounted, taken with the iPhone 11 Pro on a tripod:

50587877301_6b8d58a42f_b.jpg

907x_Summicron90-1

50587998952_bed72b6391_b.jpg

907x_Summicron90-2

50587998947_da7e1ff817_b.jpg

907x_Summicron90-3​

Evaluation of the frames showed no differences between the set with the hood collapsed and with the hood extended, so the following is a frame comparison across the set:

50587131383_7bce2e7a7b_o.jpg

907x_Summicron90-4​

There's some corner/edge falloff at f/2 to f/4, then from f/5.6 to f/16 illumination is very even across the entire frame, and virtually indistinguishable at all four of those lens openings.

I include a full frame capture of the f/5.6 frame as being indicative of what one might expect using this lens on 33x44 format.

50587131378_b83130dacf_o.jpg

907x_Summicron90-5​

Summary: This is a nice adapted lens on the 907x. It performs well—even the falloff at f/2-f/4 is pleasing for some kinds of photographs. The resolution becomes sharpest at f/5.6 and beyond, and the bokeh at larger apertures along with the falloff can produce beautiful results. The slight softness wide open makes it a terrific lens for portraiture...

Hope that proves fun for you!

Enjoy,
G
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I really enjoy your posts. I even now consider to buy an own 907! I also really like your colors, they are somehow pastel. It gives your pictures a special impression. Do you have your own color profile?

But I also have some questions. What are the straps with red buttons attached to the camera above? Is it some kind of "anti lost strap"?

I also is curious how the camera react with moving objects? I have read that the focus is not always fast. Is it possible to use the camera for moving people or animals? How about hand-held, is it possible to hold the camera by hand and get sharp pictures? Or do you always recommend using a tripod?
 
Some florals .. Finally, I can walk with the Hasselblad again! My shoulder has recovered enough from surgery to let me carry this much weight and hold it steadily again. I'm happy!!


A Place to Sit - Santa Clara 2020


Leaves on Stone Wall - Santa Clara 2020


Palm - Santa Clara 2020


White Flowers, Green Leaves - Santa Clara 2020


Orange Tree - Santa Clara 2020

All with the Leica Summicron-R 90mm f/2 lens fitted via Fotodiox Pro mount adapter onto the Hasselblad 907x.​

Enjoy!
G
 
Nice to know that you can go out and about again!

One question that Borge asked was about using the camera handheld - I've never had an issue with it, and there seems to be this online myth that this camera is better suited to a tripod. Not sure where that idea came from, but the camera can certainly be used handheld without any trouble. Having said that, there is one YouTube reviewer who is shown using his 907x on a tripod with the accessory grip, which doesn’t make entire sense to me. Ah well, whatever works I suppose.

As far as 'action' shots go, I personally haven't yet been in a situation that required quick focus and reaction, so I can't speak to it. I'm sure it would be fine. True, the auto focus isn't necessarily the fastest out there, but I don't really think that's the point of this camera.
 
Vince Lupo said:
Nice to know that you can go out and about again!

One question that Borge asked was about using the camera handheld - I've never had an issue with it, and there seems to be this online myth that this camera is better suited to a tripod. Not sure where that idea came from, but the camera can certainly be used handheld without any trouble. Having said that, there is one YouTube reviewer who is shown using his 907x on a tripod with the accessory grip, which doesn’t make entire sense to me. Ah well, whatever works I suppose.

As far as 'action' shots go, I personally haven't yet been in a situation that required quick focus and reaction, so I can't speak to it. I'm sure it would be fine. True, the auto focus isn't necessarily the fastest out there, but I don't really think that's the point of this camera.
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Thanks, it is great to be near-fully functional again! :)

I have no problem hand-holding the 907x with or without the control grip. With the control grip, I prefer the shorter lenses (21 or 45) and use the OVF a good bit. With longer lenses like the Summicron-R 90, I use the LCD a lot more for precise focusing and framing and the control grip sorta gets in the way

Hasselblad 500s and SWC have always worked very nicely for me using a tripod, however, and I generally prefer to use them that way to maximize what I get out of the big film or big sensor format (and the great lenses). The 907x is no exception to that. Even with the control grip in place, I often fit a tripod plate and fit it to a tripod anyway; without the control grip, I have an excellent L bracket.

AF ... Convenient when appropriate, for me speed is irrelevant. I tend to want to be in control and I have the best control when focusing manually.

Love shooting with this camera, just like I always have with the 500CM. But just like a Leica M or a Nikon SLR aren't the best cameras for all purposes, neither is a Hasselblad. It's why I have so many different cameras, they each bring their specific capabilities to the game.

G
 
few more exposures made the other day on my walk, which I roughly group together under the notion of "abstracts"...


NO - Santa Clara 2020


Construction Fence - Santa Clara 2020


Together - Santa Clara 2020


It Is Unlawful - Santa Clara 2020


No Parking - Santa Clara 2020


Chairs and Tables - Santa Clara 2020

All made with Leica Summicron-R 90mm f/2 on Hasselblad 907x.​

Enjoy!
G
 
Borge H said:
I really enjoy your posts. I even now consider to buy an own 907! I also really like your colors, they are somehow pastel. It gives your pictures a special impression. Do you have your own color profile?

But I also have some questions. What are the straps with red buttons attached to the camera above? Is it some kind of "anti lost strap"?

I also is curious how the camera react with moving objects? I have read that the focus is not always fast. Is it possible to use the camera for moving people or animals? How about hand-held, is it possible to hold the camera by hand and get sharp pictures? Or do you always recommend using a tripod?
Click to expand...

Sorry, I missed your post in the last week. :)

color profile
Most of what I've posted so far has been processed using Lightroom Classic and the Adobe camera calibration profile. ON top of that I often tweak a little one way or the other depending on what I'm going for and what my eye is telling me.

red buttons
I use the Peak Design Leash camera strap on most of my cameras, those buttons are the anchor bits that the strap ends connect to. It's a quick-release strap system and very handy (because I can remove or attach it in just a couple of seconds), as well as comfortable.

moving subjects, hand-holdability, etc
I always recommend using a tripod whenever possible, with any camera, because, as I am fond of quoting: "My sharpest lens is a sturdy tripod." It's an inescapable truism that anything you can do to stabilize the camera more will always net sharper images, and a good tripod is nearly always steadier than hand holding can be.

But of course, not all photographs can be made using a tripod or camera stand. :) The 907x is eminently hand-holdable ... you just have to learn how to hold it steadily and work the controls. It's not terribly heavy and the "little box with a lens on the end" shape works pretty well for many picture taking situations. You can also use the accessory control grip, or make your own simple grip, if you want something further to hold it with; I do both when I feel it an advantage. Just like I sometimes use only the LCD and sometimes use the OVF supplemented by the LCD for focusing and framing.

By focusing and moving subjects, I presume you are speaking of autofocus. I'm not a good judge of autofocus speed because I so rarely use autofocus ... for me it's a useful convenience for some kinds of work, not an essential. I've been shooting moving subjects with manually focused cameras since 1969, I guess I just don't see the problem: It's all a matter of using the right technique for the type of subject matter and motion you need to deal with... If you're trying to make pin sharp, individual-focused sequence frames of racing cars cresting a ridge at speed on a closed circuit track, a medium format camera like the Hasselblad is probably not the best pick of equipment for that purpose, but I bet someone will try and even succeed at some point. LOL!

The AF is fast enough for my needs, when I've used it. I tend to shoot people and other moving subjects in a more studied way using manual focus, by pre-focusing and working the depth of field limits, watching and waiting for the right moment to release the shutter. AF snaps of people are generally just that for me ... snapshots better dealt with using my iPhone. (No disparagement of the iPhone or the photo category there ... you can make some amazing AF snaps with an iPhone!) I haven't had much opportunity to photograph animals other than the occasional dog or cat of late, but I did catch a couple of nice photos of birds and squirrels the other day ... all manually focused with the Leica Summicron-R 90mm lens.

In sum, the 907x is not a fast sequence or sports camera, for the most part. It's strengths are in landscape, still life, portraiture, copy work, close up work, etc, where you can take advantage of the huge dynamic range and super resolution to produce breathtaking results. For sports and AF sequence work, I pick other cameras that are more pointed in that direction (my Olympus E-1 and E-M1 with the Olympus AF lenses fitted are more attuned to those kinds of uses).

Hope that helps!

G
 
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