Walter Ulreich
Established
Dear RF friends,
my new old toy:
http://photnotes.blogspot.hu/2016/09/hasselblad-500c-from-1957-goes-digital.html
Thanks for looking,
Walter
my new old toy:
http://photnotes.blogspot.hu/2016/09/hasselblad-500c-from-1957-goes-digital.html
Thanks for looking,
Walter
ray*j*gun
Veteran
Yes but at $10,000 yikes not cheap.
sepiareverb
genius and moron
That was a fun read, thanks. Impressive foresight in that camera design.
Talus
pan sin sal
Perhaps we will see some other makers with a more affordable option someday. Or a possible Kickstarter campaign?
Walter Ulreich
Established
Hi ray*j*gun: Got a demonstration model with less than 800 shots, cheaper than you write and I am happy with.
Walter
Walter
FrankS
Registered User
Is the sensor size 6x6 or is there a crop factor?
Walter Ulreich
Established
Sensor is 32.9 x 43.8 mm therefore crop factor
To be fair, whilst the 50mm Distagon was not a fast lens even by 1950s standards it was: (1) fitted with a lens shutter, which never makes it any easier to produce a fast lens, and; (2) designed to cover the medium format not 35mm which also places constraints on speed v size and weight. So I'm not sure it would qualify as a slow lens, either. Considering the above points, it was pretty average speed wise, yes?
Hasselblad have been keen to promote the retro-compatibility of their backs with their classic V series SLRs for some years.
In November 2009, Buzz Aldrin was pictured on the cover of Victor Magazine. He had travelled to the Kennedy Space Centre as it had of course been forty years since the Apollo 11 flight and was photographed at an event there by Marco Grob. The cover photo was taken with a then-new Hasselblad CFV-39 digital back, fitted to one of the original cameras used for the Apollo astronaut photographic training. Frustratingly, the article doesn't say which model camera it actually was, but I would hazard a guess it was probably a 500EL since the EDC was based on that model. The current model back you have purchased continues a tradition of several years now of the company's older model digital backs also being able to be used with a number of early model film Hasselblad bodies.
Cheers,
Brett
Hasselblad have been keen to promote the retro-compatibility of their backs with their classic V series SLRs for some years.
In November 2009, Buzz Aldrin was pictured on the cover of Victor Magazine. He had travelled to the Kennedy Space Centre as it had of course been forty years since the Apollo 11 flight and was photographed at an event there by Marco Grob. The cover photo was taken with a then-new Hasselblad CFV-39 digital back, fitted to one of the original cameras used for the Apollo astronaut photographic training. Frustratingly, the article doesn't say which model camera it actually was, but I would hazard a guess it was probably a 500EL since the EDC was based on that model. The current model back you have purchased continues a tradition of several years now of the company's older model digital backs also being able to be used with a number of early model film Hasselblad bodies.
Cheers,
Brett
ray*j*gun
Veteran
Hi Walter.... I am the happy owner of a mint 500C/M and love that rig to death! i would love to get a digi back for it and am both happy that you got a good deal and a bit envious. My quote price was the latest number from B&H for a brand new back. I believe it was $9999. Enjoy that great camera!!
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Thanks for posting!
I have a Hasselblad 500CM with a nice trio of lenses and an SWC. I've been contemplating the CFV-50c as well ... I know I'd use the system much more if I had the digital back. The only things in the way are the question "how much would I use it?" combined with the price for the back. The notion of finding a demo unit at a discount is an interesting one.
We shall see...
G
x-ray
Veteran
I bought a CFV39 back when they came out. The performance was excellent as you would expect. i was very pleased with both the files and Hasselblads Phocus software. Overall it was exceptionall well designed. Integration with my 501CM was seamless. My Zeiss lenses were amazing and even Hasselblad said many of them, especially the 100 and 180, were comparable to the new H series lenses.
Where it fell short, the format was a horizontal / rectangular format which wasn't terrible but you couldn't easily use an NC2 prism, standard 90 degree or stovepipe finder. Only the 90 degree prism designed for the 70mm back was practical for shooting vertices.
One of the issues in using a standard 90 degree prism is the back extends farther out from the body. It's thicker and the standard 90 degree prisms don't extend out far enough to get your EPR up to it. In addition the latch was difficult to access with those prisms to remove the back.
The only solution was to get the 70mm prism. Unfortunately it's a bit more difficult to use and I found my eye has to be perfectly centered to use it but it did work. One other negative is it's rather large. On the U.S. side it has diopter correction built in and is 4x magnification which is a great help in focusing critically. I should note that there's no room for inaccurate focus with medium format digital.
I did enjoy using the system and did a lot of catalog work and as work with it. I even purchased a Linhof Technikardan 23 and several Apo lenses to do product and architectural work which was a pleasure to use.
The back was very versatile and produced beautiful files but I probay wouldn't buy another. It was slow and the prism / format issue wasnt optimum. I think I paid $13k for my back when they were introduced. That money would have gone a long way tword an H system or similar now. After using it for several years I conuded my Nikon D800 was 95% as good and much faster and easier to carry and use. Also by the time files were reproduced into print there was no difference. I finally sold it and haven't regretted it.
Where it fell short, the format was a horizontal / rectangular format which wasn't terrible but you couldn't easily use an NC2 prism, standard 90 degree or stovepipe finder. Only the 90 degree prism designed for the 70mm back was practical for shooting vertices.
One of the issues in using a standard 90 degree prism is the back extends farther out from the body. It's thicker and the standard 90 degree prisms don't extend out far enough to get your EPR up to it. In addition the latch was difficult to access with those prisms to remove the back.
The only solution was to get the 70mm prism. Unfortunately it's a bit more difficult to use and I found my eye has to be perfectly centered to use it but it did work. One other negative is it's rather large. On the U.S. side it has diopter correction built in and is 4x magnification which is a great help in focusing critically. I should note that there's no room for inaccurate focus with medium format digital.
I did enjoy using the system and did a lot of catalog work and as work with it. I even purchased a Linhof Technikardan 23 and several Apo lenses to do product and architectural work which was a pleasure to use.
The back was very versatile and produced beautiful files but I probay wouldn't buy another. It was slow and the prism / format issue wasnt optimum. I think I paid $13k for my back when they were introduced. That money would have gone a long way tword an H system or similar now. After using it for several years I conuded my Nikon D800 was 95% as good and much faster and easier to carry and use. Also by the time files were reproduced into print there was no difference. I finally sold it and haven't regretted it.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
That's a good use perspective as well, thanks.
Of course, one thing the CFV-50c has over earlier digital backs is Live View, which means that a lot of the viewfinder problems are relieved—you can just use a Hoodman on the LCD for tripod work. I mostly use the waist level viewfinder or the 45 degree prism with the A12 back, and with the 50Mpixel 33x44 back I can move to square 33x33 format (still 37 MPixels) and not need to worry about portrait orientation.
The only thing about doing that is that my lens range drops down a notch ... 50mm replaces 80mm for FoV, 38mm isn't very ultrawide anymore, etc. On the other hand, it means the 150mm and 120mm would have a nice bit more reach ... Makes the 150mm into the equivalent of a 135ish on 35FF (square format crop).
Trade offs. Lots to think about...
G
Of course, one thing the CFV-50c has over earlier digital backs is Live View, which means that a lot of the viewfinder problems are relieved—you can just use a Hoodman on the LCD for tripod work. I mostly use the waist level viewfinder or the 45 degree prism with the A12 back, and with the 50Mpixel 33x44 back I can move to square 33x33 format (still 37 MPixels) and not need to worry about portrait orientation.
The only thing about doing that is that my lens range drops down a notch ... 50mm replaces 80mm for FoV, 38mm isn't very ultrawide anymore, etc. On the other hand, it means the 150mm and 120mm would have a nice bit more reach ... Makes the 150mm into the equivalent of a 135ish on 35FF (square format crop).
Trade offs. Lots to think about...
G
Walter Ulreich
Established
@Sarcophilus Harrisii: Wide agle lenses were slow. For my Contax 1 I had a 8.0/28 Zeiss Tessar. The first Hasselblad wide angle, a Zeiss Distagon 5.6/60 was for the 1000F from 1954 on. The Distagon on my 500C came out in 1957 and was replaced in 1961 by a redesigned Distagon 4.0/60. Faster than 3.5 the Hasselblad 60 Distagons should never become.
Thank you for the Buzz Aldrin Information, new for me.
@x-ray: Thank you for your story. I never thought to shoot upright format, in most cases I cut the rectangular to a square again. But that is personal choice.
The CFV 50c has a CMOS sensor and allows ISO up to 6400, which is a good step to usability in little light situations too.
I use the CFV 50c also with 503CXi, 203FE and will test my 1954 SWA soon too.
Thanks for all your contributions,
Walter
Thank you for the Buzz Aldrin Information, new for me.
@x-ray: Thank you for your story. I never thought to shoot upright format, in most cases I cut the rectangular to a square again. But that is personal choice.
The CFV 50c has a CMOS sensor and allows ISO up to 6400, which is a good step to usability in little light situations too.
I use the CFV 50c also with 503CXi, 203FE and will test my 1954 SWA soon too.
Thanks for all your contributions,
Walter