Hasselblad SW w. Schneider Kreuznach 47/f8 Super Angulon

[nickthetasmaniac]

Hi all, I thought this might be of interest!

A member of the Hasselblad Super Wide (SWC) group on FB recently posted about a peculiar camera in their collection - a Hasselblad Super Wide body with a Schneider Kreuznach 47/f8 Super-Angulon and a viewfinder matched to the 47mm lens. No serial number of the body. They even had the original invoice (which mentioned the S-A), and a letter from Hasselblad in the 90's discussing it's possible origins.

Has anyone come across something like this before?

 

[x-ray]

I worked for an aerial / remote sensing research company in the early 70’s. We wound up using Super Wides and 500 EL bodies with 70mm backs eventually but discussed custom bodies and optics with Hasselblad. Hasselblad wasn’t really interested in custom work but did do the contract with NASA producing the space Hasselblads. They produced a short run of the actual cameras, not the commemorative versions, and after the contract ran out Hasselblad sold off the remaining new cameras and backs.

To my knowledge they never produced custom cameras other than the NASA models. It’s possible the 47mm SA was a prototype and was sold but you’d have to research their records.

Hasselblad made the right decision with the Biogon. I used quite a few Super Wides with the Biogon and they’re great lenses. I owned a SWC/M but sold it in favor of the new model 40mm FLE. The SWC was difficult for me to do precise work due to the distortion in the VF. I still own the 40 FLE and find it as good as the Biogon for my type of work.

I also own a Brooks Veriwide based on the Graflex XL system. I like the camera but the VF suffers from distortion too and the 47 f8 SA isn’t quite as good as the Biogon but it’s still an excellent camera and lens.

 

[Vince Lupo]

I checked Richard Nordin's excellent 'Hasselblad Compendium' to see if there was any mention of an SWC with a Super Angulon, and there wasn't.

However, according to the book, there was an entire other subsidiary of Victor Hasselblad AB called HEAB or Hasselblad Engineering AB, which produced specialty and modified products such as the MK70, special film magazines and grips. Perhaps the camera was produced by them, though I can't imagine why you'd prefer the SA over the Biogon. But they did produce a pretty awesome-looking motorized SWC!