Hasselblad swc/m in the White House.

Well we got back from Washington DC two days ago, the weather changed so often I am suffering with a bad cold.
The White House trip was superb, after all of the on line vetting and getting the pass, the security was still very high. We were identity checked twice and then X rayed twice before being allowed to wander inside. Two groups of people were refused entry in front of us for some reason. Anyhow, without a tripod images taken in there would have just been records. The wife took her cell phone, I still have a flip phone and do not want anything other than a phone !!!!! Have yet to look at her images, no flash was allowed.
I teared up standing below the portrait of JFK, I was right up against it. The woodwork of black walnut, rosewood and cherry was truly beautiful workmanship.
So all in all I did not miss taking my Hasselblad inside with me. But outside she was the perfect camera for that city. After hardly using my Rolleiflex 3.5F in the first two days i left her behind in the Hotel. The SWC/M was just the ticket for the monuments and my Nikon D300 did an excellent job on the colour work.
We also had a tour of the Capital and I took the Hasselblad in there, It was used but not sure if anything will be wall worthy as there were too many humans and waiting for a decent record was not going to be possible.
Take comfy walking shoes if you go there, you will need them.
 
They let me in with a Nikon D600 and a zoom lens. No tripods, though.

The problem with the SWC/M is the wide angle with all the tourists and visitors.
 
If the WH instruction isn't specific enough, I'd say call their public affairs office directly. That may not work since the SWC is pretty esoteric and not even all gearheads know it.
So then go to the last WH photographer. Email Pete Souza since he may know the instruction but he certainly knows the camera. He was well known for using all sorts of old, arcane film gear.

Phil Forrest
 
"If the WH instruction isn't specific enough"

WHEN IT SAYS "LENS NO LONGER THAN THREE INCHES AND MUST BE NOT BE REMOVABLE"

I would say that IS SPECIFIC ENOUGH !!!!!!!

Also remember you either walk back out or you lose the item. The Secret Service do not give a crap about anything other than detail to their instructions. And I was not going to miss the tour over a few images, let alone lose a Hasselblad.
If you think the TSA is tight, take a trip into the White House because being told to be there at 10.45am for an 11am tour, we did not get through security until 12.30pm, yes an hour and three quarters of tight security.
 
It also says "Compact Cameras...." While we would all consider the SWC compact by MF standards, I would imagine that you will be turned away from the tour with one. I just checked my Panasonic LX100 and the lens when fully extended is 3 ⅜ inches, even that doesn't meet the specs.
 
30 years ago I had an internship at a federal building overlooking the White House. For that internship I had to pass some gruelling security clearance. On the grounds of the WH I could see dozens of security personnel and also snipers on the roof. Seriously I doubt secret service would let you take that brick of an SWC inside. I had my FM2n and Vivitar Series 1 70/210 in my desk and tried to take photos of the WH and was told not to do that again!
 
Off the topic but still in relation. Five days in Washington, not the height of the season but still many tourists. In all of that time I did not see ONE FILM CAMERA being used. I got plenty of people questioning me about my Rolleiflex, no interest in the Hasselblad at all. I dropped $200 on film for this trip and my next one, going over to Kauai and Maui after Thanksgiving. It just makes me wonder how the film manufacturing industry makes a living out of us ?
 
You only see a fraction of the people around the city I am sure. Hard to make generalizations.

I love DC. Was there earlier this year on Chinese New Years - passing through but it snowed unexpectedly and luckily a friend let me stay with him for a couple days. Almost no one was around since it was in the middle of the week not near any US holiday, but a smattering of Chinese tourists around for vacation I guess.

Loved walking around in the cold and without so many people (last time I was in DC was during the July 4th festivities...).

Shot lots of film :).

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