Hasselblad Dark Slide When to Use It?

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i found the lindahl dark slide holder on my A12 back really really ugly and the prior user didn't even align it correctly. but thankfully, it was fairly easy to rip the thing off of the back.

so now the ugly thing isn't stuck to my camera anymore, but when do i need to use the dark slide, besides loading film when the back is separated from the camera? is it really necessary to use it between shots? i only have one back anyways.

thanks :)
 
The dark slide is only required to remove the film back. It has the positive side effect that prevents the shutter from accidentally firing when in place. It has the negative side effect that it presses on the back's light trap and it should really not be in place when the camera is stored (not used).

If you have a save place to store your dark slide, you do not need the back holder.
 
You only need it to remove the back from the camera, not between shots.I carried mine in my shirt pocket along with my pen and a pack of cigarettes.
 
This only applies to SWC series, but those fixed lens wide angle model has the rear element very close to the film plane, therefore, when you finish shooting the last frame, if you wind it completely without using dark slide, the film end (little paper attached to it) will hit the rear element and may cause slight scratches on it.

Of course, with regular SLR type hasselblad, there is a mirror in between, so there won't be any problem.

Hiromu
 
Come to think of it, you can change film without removing the back. So, those of us with only one back don't need the darkslide at all.

Hmmmmm.................
 
There is just one overlooked point handy about the darkslide. When carrying the camera or having it laying around with loaded film: you can not accidently press the shutter with the slide in place: it will not fire!
 
i dont mean to hijack this thread, but i think i bent my darkslide out of shape so much that it doesnt insert well. If anyone has a proper working darkslide for sale, please let me know:S
 
If you only have 1 back, the slide is not of much use. I don't know about others, but the only reasons i got a medium format camera was for the removable backs so i could swap films on the move, i have 3 backs, 1 with ISO 100 b&w film, 1 with ISO 640 b&w film and a third with ektachrome 100. The 2 extra backs would go in my back pockets, not great for sitting down, but very cool to have the option to change films all the time
 
Sorry guys, but the dark slide is a must if you wish to simply remove the back. Yes, you can load the back without removing it, but you can not remove the hood/prism, or the ground glass without removing the back (even if it is just to clean it). Hence, everyone should have a dark slide.
 
I haven't counted, but I probably have twenty backs, in 120, 220, and 70mm. Also five Polaroid backs, and twelve Single Exposure backs.

One downside of the Hasselblad lens, is the the bottom shutter blade in the Compur Shutter is under alot of stress, and blade does crack, and eventually fail. Before shooting something important I always check each lens, by removing the back, and firing the camera, while looking through the back of it. Got into this habit when I was shooting Weddings, never had a failure.

My Repairman David Odess recommends this procedure, on his website. He says it's surprising how often he replaces the cracked first-blade, when doing a lens overhaul.

This is actually a good thing about Hasselblad- You can test this mid-roll!
 
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I have a 500C/M and found that if I keep the dark slide in all the time and remove it just prior to shooting it works well. It also adds a little insurance against fogging when using fast film.
 
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