Hasselblad V Lens - Recommendation for Headshots

[sepiareverb]

Agree with X-ray and Godfrey on the 120. You might use the old gauze over the lens trick with certain subjects.

 

[x-ray]

Black mesh will help prevent co trash loss. A lot of soft focus filters cut contrast.

 

[x-ray]

The older version of the 120 f4 Macro Planar was the 120 f5.6 S-Planar. It's also an excellent lens but I can't remember how close it focuses without an extension tube. The commercial studio I apprenticed in in the early 70's had S-Planar that we used for portraits. I had one I used on my Rollei SL66 prior to my Hasselblads and the Macro Planar.

I also had a 150 Sonnar for both the Rollei and Hasselblads. I rarely used the -50 on the Rollei in favor of the 120 for all types of subjects from food to faces. I also rarely used the 150 on my Hasselblads so I wound up selling it. The 120 is my go to short tele.

If I could only own two lenses for my Hasselblad I'd pick the 120 f4 and the 60 f3.5.

 

[Nokton48]

I have the 70s 120mm F5.6 S-Planar T* it's amazing closer-up. Also I would recommend the 135mm f5.6 T* Planar-S Bellows lens which is superlative for portraits

For softness IMO it's hard to beat the qualities of the Rodenstock Imagon, but not on a Blad. Imagons diffuse highlights but do not affect low values or general overall sharpness.

Some just breathe on the filter. Lots of choices. I seldom seldom diffuse anything

 

[ChrisLivsey]

Nobody I know over here ever used Vaseline on filters at a wedding
Too much dust, dirt, heat, and activity to make such risks

Must be the cold norther UK climate then 🙄

 

[Larry Cloetta]

if I stick with the Hassy V system, I'll need it if/when I buy a CFV-50c digital back. In that event, the 80-150 pairing will be replaced with the 50-120 pairing. I haven't used the 50 just yet.)

G

A little off topic, but I just found out that the CFV-50c back has been discontinued. News is a couple of weeks old, apparently, but I'm a little behind.
Seems a shame, but maybe it makes sense to them.

 

[oltimer]

A little off topic, but I just found out that the CFV-50c back has been discontinued. News is a couple of weeks old, apparently, but I'm a little behind.
Seems a shame, but maybe it makes sense to them.

Larry I have been watching for one of those used. By the prices; it appears they are reading our threads. Lol

 

[Larry Cloetta]

Larry I have been watching for one of those used. By the prices; it appears they are reading our threads. Lol

Wish I'd have bought one when they were marked down to $9,000, new. If I'd had $9,000, which I didn't. Maybe those were closeouts instead of promotions, at least that's how it seems now. Wish they'd kept it around, just for something to daydream about, if nothing else.

 

[Godfrey]

A little off topic, but I just found out that the CFV-50c back has been discontinued. News is a couple of weeks old, apparently, but I'm a little behind.
Seems a shame, but maybe it makes sense to them.

Yes, I'd heard that some time ago. There are some still available new, used ones will be available, and I'm pretty sure that a new CFV back will be released sometime soon. I'm not ready to buy or I'd hunt one up immediately. But then in some ways I'd like to see a 44x44mm sensor back come out rather than 44x33m. No rush. An X1D is probably the better purchase for me anyway.

G

 

[pvdhaar]

Different system, similar situation. The 80mm on my 6x6 Bronica has a close focus of 80cm. I considered getting an extension tube to get closer for head/shoulders shots, but soon realized that the perspective would become very awkward. The 150mm by itself wasn't a solution either, as without extensions tube it focuses no closer than 150cm, giving the same magnification as the 80, albeit with a flatter perspective. In the end, the solution for me was a 2x tele-converter. With the 80mm mounted, the FOV is comparable to 160mm, but the close focus distance remains the same 80cm as that of the lens, allowing a 2x tighter crop. Downside may be that the effective aperture becomes 5.6 @ 160mm, but you'd have an aperture penalty for an extension tube as well. What's nifty again, is that you can focus from 80cm to infinity and back without removing tubes or diopters..

Not sure what the situation for Hasselblad is, and whether a matching 2x is available for your 80mm. (The PS2x Bronica converter was specifically designed for the PS80 and up, so the quality impact is minimal).

 

[aizan]

no exposure compensation needed with the proxars...and nicer perspective with the 150mm (or even 250mm).

just sayin'! 😉