Question for Hasselblad owners- need wide angle lens

[Pirate]

I'd like to grab a wide angle for my Hasselblad and I'm looking for recommendations.

50mm or 60mm?

I'm a standard 80mm user and want something more, but I don't want Super Wide. Looking to use this more in/around-town and maybe touring a few castles... the Colosseum, Eiffel Tower... on my vacation next month.

Don't think I'll need more than a 50, so what do you guys think/prefer? 50mm or 60mm? I'm leaning to the 60mm right now.

Thanks,
P^)

 

[payasam]

For architectural work the 50mm will be better.

 

[ferider]

50/80/150 is the perfect combo 🙂 You can always crop down to 60, or use 50 easier as a wide with super slides or 6x4.5 masks.

 

[Gumby]

The 50 is the classic option. To be honest, it seems like the highly-desired FLE might be rather slow to use... but I've never used one so that is just an impression I have. The 60 seems to be a bit more of a bargain. As I contemplate the same question I keeep thinking that 60 might be too close to 80. So for me, I'm more likely to go shopping for a 250 instead.

 

[PentHassyKon]

I have the 60mm. I find it somewhat similar to a 35mm on 35mm format.

I think the 50mm is akin to a 28mm for 35mm format.

 

[Pirate]

Thanks gang. I have a 50mm and 28mm for my Nikon SLR's and don't much care for the 28... only once in a while. I'm looking or something more like a 35mm, so the 60mm may be my choice then.

 

[Pirate]

Another question about that 60mm -- what's the barrel distortion like?

I'm looking at this one here:

http://www.keh.com/camera/Hasselblad-Fixed-Focal-Length-Lenses/1/sku-HH060000137500?r=FE

 

[andredossantos]

When I had my Hasselblad I used the 60mm exclusively. It's a wonderful lens and equivalent to a 37mm in 135 format. I also don't personally care for the 28mm perspective. Id say get the 60mm.

EDIT: That is the exact lens I used and yes, there is definitely some distortion. It didnt bother me too much, YMMV. Here is a link to a bunch of the pics I took with that lens:

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=hasselblad&w=9286123%40N04&z=e

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I have a 50 and for some stuff for me it isn't even wide enough. I want to get the 40,, FLE but my God, its expensive!

Anyway, the 50 is a great all around wide angle though, I think a 60 wouldn't be wide enough for most everyday work. I have the 50mm FLE. I tried a non-FLE CF 50 and it was extremely soft near the edges, but I think I had a bad sample, because I've seen others with that lens do great work. My FLE is a lot sharper than the bad non-FLE but I don't know if its much better than a good sample of the regular CF-50.

Hasselblad 50mm CF-FLE at f16, 1 minute exposure on Fuji Acros.

 

[Jamie123]

Before I sold my Hasselblad I had a 50mm but I always sort of regretted not getting a 60mm. The 50mm is really a wide angle and you have to watch out to keep it level so you don't get any dramatic perspective effects and you also can't get too close to people with it or you'll get unflattering distortion.
The 60 is just sort of wide-ish, perfect for environmental portraits or as a walk around lens.

When you shop around for a 60mm, don't shy away from the 60mm CB lens. Unlike the 80mm CB, which has a technically inferior lens to the CF/CFE line, the 60mm CB has the same quality as the 60mm CF/CFE.

 

[Pirate]

Thanks for all the help gang, looks like I'm going with a 60mm.

Chris, that's a great shot!!


Thanks,
P^)

 

[Olsen]

Pirate,

You are a rare kind of guy; a German Hasselblad user. I have met many German tourists here in Norway using MF cameras. But only Rollei.

I have both the 500C/M and the 203FE and have a 50 mm for both of them. Please notice that this is the widest lens for MF SLR cameras that produces close to no distortion. Like the SWC. I will strongly advice you to buy a 50 mm. This is an excellent lens that is both cheap and easy to find today. Two are for sale here in Norway today for NOK 5000 each.

 

[Pirate]

I'm sure I'll get a 50mm soon, probably in the next year, but right now I'm looking for that "wider than an 80mm" and a walk-around lens. I think the 60mm is what I'm looking or now. This is for my 500C/M which is the anniversary edition with Victors name etched into a silver plate on the side of the body. I love this body. My 1600F is my favorite but it recently broke. I can't find any shops that will repair it (or even know how) so it's now a project for "one of these days".

 

[Olsen]

Hassellbad 1600F

Hassellbad 1600F

I would contact the Hasselblad factory to help you out. They might know workshops or qualified people that can repair it. You sould carefully look after this 1600F. They are rare collectors items today. But their reliability is far from the 500/500C/500CM series. Possibly The Most Reliable Camera Ever Made.

 

[Livesteamer]

I have the 50 FLE and it is a fine lens. It is a little big on my 500CM. I have an old Russian 60mm for my Kiev 60 and I find I use it more as I like the images it makes and it's a much easier size to carry. I like the 500CM much better with the standard 80mm. Joe

 

[Waus]

Perhaps this guy can help you with the repair of your Hasselblad:
http://www.hasselblad-reparaties.nl/

 

[Todd.Hanz]

get the fitty'...

good for portraits...

it's sharp...

and has nice bokeh...

good luck, you really can't go wrong whichever choice you make.
Todd

 

[jan normandale]

FWIW I've a 50MM Distagon. I think the 60mm is a better lens but having said that I’d do a search for images on flickr showing the 50mm and 60mm lenses and decide for yourself.

http://www.flickr.com/search/groups/?m=pool&w=32208033@N00&q=50mm

http://www.flickr.com/search/groups/?q=60mm&w=32208033@N00&m=pool

Both are excellent but overall I think the 60 might be a touch better lens.

 

[twopointeight]

The 60mm is the more useful lens. It can be made to look normal, that is without any distracting wide-angly effect. The 50 brings attention to itself, like a 28mm on 35 format.

 

[Rob-F]

I use the 40 FLE, 50 FLE, and 60mm in the wide-angle category. Between the 50 and 60, as a general-use lens, you can't go wrong with either. On a 35mm camera, the 40mm focal length has gained some popularity as the general walk-around lens. The hasselblad format and the 35mm format don't equate exactly, owning to the difference in format. But if you look just at the horizontal angle of view, the 60mm Distagon has the same angle of view as a 40mm on a 35mm camera. The 50mm Distagon's horizontal angle is about the same as a 33mm on a 35mm camera. That's still pretty good: a lot of us like that focal length on our 35mm cameras.

However, because the square format covers more height compared to 35mm, the 50mm Distagon begins to look distinctly wide-angle, where the 60mm Distagon is still wide-normal. My Hasselblad often comes out of the bag wearing a 60mm. Then I change up or down depending on the scene.

I would not be very happy being limited to a 60 at the wide end, though. I would think, "I bought this lens, and it's still not wide enough for a lot of what I want to do." My first wide lens was the 50. Then I filled in with the 60. Later, I added the 40. either choice you make will be right, but you might consider whether 60 will be wide enough to open up many new possibilities for you, pictorially.