Hasselblad v. Fuji

[hassie_lass]

I am a totally obsessed MF amateur looking to buy my first panoramic to take on a trip to Fiji. Can anyone offer advice? (My b-friend and I are duking it out -- we decided to let you decide!) Cheers and thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

 

[Tuolumne]

They are the same camera. Just different brand markings.

/T

 

[Athos6]

I wanted a panoramic camera until I found photomerge in Photoshop CS3. Any digial camera becomes a panoramic camera. I just take as many photos as I can back and forth and let CS3 do the work. I've made pictures 50 some odd inches long and 20 some odd inches high. CS3 will be cheaper too.

PS. as long as you set a manual exposure for all the pictures it will be seemless as well.

 

[Ben Blacket]

I actually prefer having the lesser known Fuji than a camera with a Hasselblad badge on it - it's more inconspicuous.
If looks matter to you, I think the Fuji labelling is nicer.
Get whatever's available or cheaper.
Get the Hasselblad if you're a poser!
Oh, I just happen to have the Fuji for sale in the Classifieds!
Also, look into the Noblex 135 - not as expensive, or the cheap Russian version, Horizon 202 or s3.

Stitching depends on your style. For documentary photographers like most around here, it's no good.

 

[Turtle]

make your decision based on price. Same cameras and lenses, only different colour bodies.

 

[sjw617]

If you are a medium format user check into panoramic backs or inserts. Mamiya 7 has an insert available, Bronica has panoramic backs. They use 35mm film but use your existing equiptment. Of course shooting MF, scanning and stitching together will make awesome panoramics.
I found the Xpan transparancies to be so small compared to my 617 transparancies. MF is just so wonderful.

Steve

 

[pagpow]

I actually prefer having the lesser known Fuji than a camera with a Hasselblad badge on it - it's more inconspicuous.
If looks matter to you, I think the Fuji labelling is nicer.
Get whatever's available or cheaper.
Get the Hasselblad if you're a poser!
Oh, I just happen to have the Fuji for sale in the Classifieds!
Also, look into the Noblex 135 - not as expensive, or the cheap Russian version, Horizon 202 or s3.

Stitching depends on your style. For documentary photographers like most around here, it's no good.

I was leaning towards the Fuji myself in my recent search as I sometimes like to imitate a catfish -- bottomfeeder -- and w and was happy to reap the benefits of the lower price. I was scared away from that by suggestions here at RFF that Fuji USA did not support the camera and that they never even responded to inquiries when I tried to conform. But maybe that is all irrelevant now -- or there is another option for Fuji service.

 

[Bill58]

I've found a nice, helpful guy named Wilco Jansen in the NL who will do Hassy/ Fuji repairs and has parts too. You can reach him at: hassel@zonnet.nl

He's told me that the stap lugs coming loose are often a problem because Fuji just put thread-locker compound on the heads of the retaining screws, instead of the threads, and the eye-piece assembly is fragile and breaks. He can fix the former and has parts for the latter.

Bill