Mackinaw
Think Different
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How Hasselblads ended up on the moon
- Thread starter dourbalistar
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Godfrey
somewhat colored
Never saw a single pair of Bushnell binoculars when I was at NASA. ??
I saw mainly Zeiss and Leica binox.
G
Godfrey
somewhat colored
I have never had any of my Hasselblads (two SWCs, two 500CMs, as many as 10 film magazines... many many rolls of film) jam or otherwise malfunction at all.
As someone said before, NASA stripped and lightened the cameras to some degree, particularly for the flights after Wally Schirra's Mercury flight. Exactly how much weight was saved I don't know.
Towards the end of the Apollo program, Nikon Fs were used as well as the Hasselblads IIRC. Canon didn't have a competitive pro-grade camera available at the time. Nikon F2 and F3 cameras and lenses were still commonly in use at NASA when I worked there a decade and some later; I don't recall seeing any Canons or other brands of 35mm SLRs. Nikon F, F2, and F3 cameras were a good choice because they were very available, had easily acquired 250 frame film magazines and motor drives, had good lenses, and they were both durable and relatively inexpensive to service. They also had removable prism heads which allowed easy reconfiguration for different purposes.
G
Rob-F
Likes Leicas
I agree, the likelihood of the moon camera jamming is negligible. In addition to what has already been mentioned, each camera was fitted with either a 60mm Biogon or a 100mm Planar, so there was apparently no lens changing needed; further reducing the risk of jamming.
None of my three Hasselblads have jammed in the last 20 or 30 years. The last jam was, I think, sometime in the 1970's. I fixed it easily in a few moments.
None of my three Hasselblads have jammed in the last 20 or 30 years. The last jam was, I think, sometime in the 1970's. I fixed it easily in a few moments.
dourbalistar
Buy more film
If it did jam, they would have had a major space jam on their hands. And we all know that only Michael Jordan, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and the rest of their Tune Squad can fix a Space Jam. 😀
kingjon
Established
Very interesting article and the photos were outstanding. Don’t ever recall seeing those particular pictures. Stunning.
Jon
Jon
Richard G
Veteran
I’ve never seen before the bent foot plate probe in the famous photo of Aldrin. And the one of the command/service module seemingly close to the moon’s surface is remarkable. Even more so the Apollo 11 LEM and earth-rise all in the one shot.
On Apollo 8 they used a special thin emulsion Ektachrome 160 ASA for outdoor colour. This was made so as to get the maximum number of frames in the 70mm magazine. Likely they would have used the same for Apollo 11. References to Kodachrome in other sources are most likely a mistake. Too many reasons not to use Kodachrome. Having developed the special format thin Ektachrome there would have been no call to duplicate the task with slow high-contrast fussy processing Kodachrome.
On Apollo 8 they used a special thin emulsion Ektachrome 160 ASA for outdoor colour. This was made so as to get the maximum number of frames in the 70mm magazine. Likely they would have used the same for Apollo 11. References to Kodachrome in other sources are most likely a mistake. Too many reasons not to use Kodachrome. Having developed the special format thin Ektachrome there would have been no call to duplicate the task with slow high-contrast fussy processing Kodachrome.
dourbalistar
Buy more film
Looks like I had a mental jam. It is indeed Ektachrome, and any mentions of Kodachrome are my mistake. :bang: I'll edit my posts above, apologies for the confusion (or should I say chromefusion).
dourbalistar
Buy more film
Another article in a special series commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. No specific mentions of cameras or film, but featuring a few more fascinating photos:
https://www.npr.org/2019/07/17/735726446/seeing-apollo-through-the-eyes-of-astronauts
https://www.npr.org/2019/07/17/735726446/seeing-apollo-through-the-eyes-of-astronauts
Rob-F
Likes Leicas
I think that must have been the reason for developing the special 60mm Biogon. Its wide-normal angle of coverage apparently enabled them to shoot without critical aiming. After all, the Hasselblad was chest-mounted so he could have both hands free. And they had the 38mm Biogon along for some of the shots.
Richard G
Veteran
Here's a guy who made a replica of the first 'space' Hasselblad.
https://petapixel.com/2017/11/07/photographer-makes-100-accurate-replica-first-hasselblad-space/
https://petapixel.com/2017/11/07/photographer-makes-100-accurate-replica-first-hasselblad-space/
Richard G
Veteran
And the original:
https://rrauction.atavist.com/rrauction-the-first-hasselblad-in-space
Sold for $275,000 in 2014.
https://www.rrauction.com/The-First-Hasselblad-and-Zeiss-lens-in-Space.htm
https://rrauction.atavist.com/rrauction-the-first-hasselblad-in-space
Sold for $275,000 in 2014.
https://www.rrauction.com/The-First-Hasselblad-and-Zeiss-lens-in-Space.htm
someonenameddavid
Well-known
Canon AE-1 in space
Canon AE-1 in space
In space, no one can hear your shutter squeak
Canon AE-1 in space
In space, no one can hear your shutter squeak
Bill Clark
Veteran
Interestingly, NASA had numerous challenges to solve for the space program to be successful but decided to use film and cameras to make photographs, at the beginning and into the space program. Evidently they figured photographic film would work for their needs. Too bad they didn’t arrange a team to help develop and use digital capture as the link below outlines some snippits of the development of digital technology.
Back in my sales rep days, I worked with a company named Century Spring, located in Los Angeles on East 16th Street. They made a gadzillion different types of springs. I remember, during a factory visit, showing me the springs they supplied for the LEM which is still on the moon.
At any rate, here is an interesting read on digital photography development. Note how a couple of gents from Bell Labs helped with this trchnology.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_photography
Back in my sales rep days, I worked with a company named Century Spring, located in Los Angeles on East 16th Street. They made a gadzillion different types of springs. I remember, during a factory visit, showing me the springs they supplied for the LEM which is still on the moon.
At any rate, here is an interesting read on digital photography development. Note how a couple of gents from Bell Labs helped with this trchnology.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_photography
FrozenInTime
Well-known
It looks the part, but I don’t see mention of modifying the 80mm lens shutter to work like that in a MK or SWC , i.e. remain closed on re-cocking, which is essential if the rear auxiliary shutter , that makes that loud clack on 500 cameras , is removed from the camera ( also not called out ).
B-9
Devin Bro
That Ansco Autoset is super cool!
The finder for the Leica is interesting as well. Looks like it had a built in lamp?
Chuck Albertson
Well-known
Kodachrome wasn't made in 120 format then. Briefly in the 1940's, I believe, and then again for a couple of wonderful years in the 1990's.
And spare a thought for the Ranger spacecraft, which face-planted on the moon while broadcasting his-res (for the day) video of the moon's surface, which helped NASA pick landing spots for Apollo. Rumor has it that NASA used Summicrons for the Ranger cameras.
raydm6
Yay! Cameras! 🙈🙉🙊┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘ [◉"]
Happened across this interesting link from another forum. http://www.spacecamera.co/
nickthetasmaniac
Veteran
It never made it to the moon, but it's worth mentioning that the 38mm Biogon did make it to space, with the SWC flying during both the Gemini and early Apollo programs.
Richard G
Veteran
Apparently Mike Collins lost one of these into space during an earlier mission.
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