Selling Hasselblad for Leica M

[lrochfort]

Ladies and Gentlemen, your advice please.

I've decided to sell my Hasselblad 500cm and move to a Leica M. I find the Hassy no longer suits how I take photographs, and my son is now 2 and the Hassy is too bulky to lug around with him in tow.

I have no idea how much the Hasselblad is worth, can anybody recommend somewhere near Berkshire/London UK that would give an honest valuation? Would people here be able to give a rough figure?

I'm going to start with a 50mm, but even after reading cameraquest am still unsure which body to go for. I recently handled an M2 and M6. I wear glasses and found the M2 finder clearer and framelines larger than the M6. The M2 film advance seemed smoother to me, is that typical? However, after years carrying a meter, the built-in meter of the M6 is appealing, as is the better rewind crank.

All and any thoughts very much appreciated.

Cheers,
Laurence.


My Hassy:

Hasselblad 500cm - Used, good condition, but working correctly
80mm C T* Lens
2x 12 exp backs
Waist level finder
45 degree non-metering prism finder
Split prism and matte focusing screens
Arm winder

 

[Toccata]

I think you covered the differences between the m2 and m6 accurately. If you want a meter the choice is all but made for you.

I usually use keh.com as a rough guide for bodies. They tend to be well above market for many m lenses, in my experience.

 

[FrankS]

You are still going to take pictures other than of your son. If you sell the Hasselblad, you may well miss it. If you can, keep it, and some other way come up with $700 for an M2 and a Jupiter 8 50mm f2 lens (with adaptor). Then get a Jupiter 12 35mm f2.8 lens. Thank me later. 😉

 

[jerrybro]

...I've decided to sell my Hasselblad 500cm and move to a Leica M. ...

Interesting, I'm considering the exact opposite. I inherited a complete M4 system a while back and, while it is wonderful hardware and optics, it does not suit my current style. For the price I can get for everything I can add to my blad system. Maybe even pick up a Mamiya 7 or a Rollei TLR.

Jerry

 

[georgie808]

^ I agree with Franks!!!
I had a hassy for a while, sold it for a new lens (m mount). Worst decision of my life!!! Im in the process of trying to sell the lens and save some up for a new hassy 🙁

 

[cosmonaut]

If you get the M2 it will leave more money for a good lens. Unless you need the meter. Personally I like the counter on the M3 better myself.

 

[redisburning]

Interesting, I'm considering the exact opposite.

Jerry

I did the same.

Then I bought a Sinnar. I figured since I was going to have to get new scanning equipment and spent a buttload, I might as well go full bore if I was going to buy a tripod camera.

@OP; Your kit is probably good enough to get an M2 and a lens or an M6. I say go for the M2. Load up 400 iso film and memorize a sunny 16 table, you shouldn't have any problems. I do sometimes like to play with a meter with T-grained film though, and I would suggest using one for slides, but for that I'd much rather have an incident meter than the one built into the camera.

my 2c.

 

[RObert Budding]

I went with AF SLR/DSLR when my sons started playing sports at about age 5. My older son is now 15, and there's no way that I'd be able to shoot indoor basketball with an AF DSLR (I'm usually shooting at ISO 3200 - 6400). I still shoot rangefinders, but they don't come close to covering all of my shooting.

 

[Richard G]

A lot of good suggestions here, starting with FrankS's. You don't need Leica 'glass' as so often is urged. The body is the thing. I could happily spend a weekend using only my M2 and I have never quite got used to the M6. Remarkable though its meter is, I too prefer an incident meter. So many of us are hankering after a Hasselblad. It's hard to buy into secondhand with confidence. It would be terrible if you wound up where we are, wanting to get in again. Think of the lovely square portraits of your son when he eventually he learns to stop running.

 

[lrochfort]

Thank you for your responses.

I do love my Hasselblad and am reticent to sell it, in fact my wife who isn't really into photography forbade the idea! I considered getting a MF folding RF later to stay with 120, but perhaps I should keep the 500cm if I can magic up some money.

I'm comfortable with Sunny 16 and would keep my Gossen meter, so the M2 probably does make more sense that the M6. I have seen some M3s for reasonable money; people rave about the rangefinder, is it much better than the M2 for 50/90mm? I wear thin glasses. I also far prefer the M3 style frame counter.

Interestingly, I have Jupiter 8s on my Kiev 4A and Zorki 4, I could probably use one of those to start with. Does anybody have good examples comparing the Jupiter and Leitz lenses?

 

[Richard G]

Your wife is right, as usual.

 

[segedi]

Sold my hasselblad 503cw without regrets, picked up a Mamiya 7II which is great. My advice is to try to trade your 500 for an M6 body as the prices would be comparable. And if you could get a lens in the trade, you win!

 

[denizg7]

Interestingly enough you might find an ultra mobile film medium format fuji complete set f3.5 at around 300 pounds

 

[Montag006]

Interesting thread, I am considering letting my chrome lens SWC (CLA'd 02-2011) go in the interest of Leica M lens/lenses, Barnack body....
By the way I love this website!!!!

 

[biscuitsmgravy]

keep the hassy! and find a cheap m2 and a jupiter i have $500 in my m2 and picked up a jupiter 3 , 8 , and 12 for really cheap recently ... deals happen ... but hasselblads are coooooool

 

[paradoxbox]

in my opinion if you're taking photos of your son you're likely to end up using high shutter speeds a lot of the time. in my opinion that tends to negate the usefulness of a meter as basically you know you need to use 250+ shutter speed and if you're indoors it's almost guaranteed that you'll need the fastest aperture you've got if using 400iso film.

however if you take a lot of portraits or outdoor photos where the lighting changes quickly (or shots in the evening) you may miss having a built in light meter.

these days when i use my leica M3 i just take a general light reading with my iphone/lightmeter app and use that reading for the next 20 - 30 minutes or so before taking a new reading.

 

[loquax ludens]

When I read your post, I didn't get the impression that your son was your only or primary photographic subject, but rather that the hassy and your son together were too much to manage at once. That could be true, but if you put the Hassy on a (comfortable padded heavy duty) strap around your neck, with lens and back attached, and stick a spare loaded film magazine in your coat pocket or a fanny pack, it'll certainly be bulkier than an M camera, but not appreciably more difficult to manage. Or so it seems to me, but then, I don't have to simultaneously manage a two year old, so I'll admit I lack experience to judge that.

Anyway, I'd suggest keeping the Hassy if you possibly can, and just add an M2 or M3. That gives you a 35mm and a medium format option. You might want to come back to the square format and larger film one day, and that Hasselblad is one of the finest ways of accomplishing that.

 

[mfogiel]

Buy an IPhone for your son, and keep the Hasselblad. The crucial question actually would be: how are you currently turning your Hassy negatives into prints? After you answer, it will be possible to answer your question.

 

[philipus]

I should apologise for the long post, first of all. I'm not sure my observations will be helpful at all, they're more ramblings.

Your wife is right, as usual.

Someone once recommended me never to doubt my wife's judgement, noting "look who she married" 😉

As for valuation of your 500CM, perhaps have a look at Ffordes.

I have seen some M3s for reasonable money; people rave about the rangefinder, is it much better than the M2 for 50/90mm? I wear thin glasses. I also far prefer the M3 style frame counter.

First of all, whichever body you get, make sure you don't pay for cosmetics. A beater body with good VF, RF and internals is better than a pretty body. Though there's something to be said for the M6 as a much more recent body (last ones made in 98 or 99 I believe), both and M2 and an M6 will likely survive you quite easily.

I should confess that I've never understood the M2 but there's got to be something about it because there are a lot of people using it. Still, the frame counter is beyond me. I want an automatically resetting counter. I have a Leica II which I love but the one thing that annoys me is the counter being connected with the film advance. Having taken a few shots without film in the camera, I often start a new roll on other than 0.

I have an M6TTL and an M4 and love both, though I prefer the former because of the meter. Metered or meterless, really, depends on your familiarity with Sunny 16, esp. indoors or at night. Plus how willing you are to carry a meter with you, as a second gadget.

I used an M3 earlier and found the VF to be very nice. The .91x magnification is quite different from the .72x of my current Ms. I wasn't sure about the .72x before I saw it but now that I have it I realise it is perfect for me. I found the M3's lack of 35mm annoying and I also like having 135mm framelines. If that applies to you you shouldn't, imo, go for the M2, but rather consider an M4 (or -2 or -P, which are typically cheaper). Focusing a 90mm lens is no problem on a .72x. I shot most of my surfers photos with an old Hektor 13,5/4.5 on my M6TTL and had no problem focusing. Btw, I also use glasses and have little problem seeing the 28 framelines in the M6TTL. They're basically the whole VF anyway so not always seeing them doesn't bother me. That said, I'm not a 28mm photographer so ymmv of course.

The quick loading of the M4 and later Ms is very nice. There are M2-Rs but they're rare and pretty costly, I believe.

As for the film advance, yes perhaps my M3 and M4 were/are a bit smoother than my (much younger) M6TTL. It's a very close call. Some people prefer the newer rewind lever of the M4 etc. I actually prefer the M3-style rewind (and have it on my M6TTL). I'm never in such a hurry when I change rolls.

Cheers
Philip

 

[ktmrider]

Traded an M4 for a blad about a year ago and just sold the blad as it did not get enough use. Have owned all the M's from M3 to M6TTL including a CL. Presently I am using the M2 and I may get an M5 if I decide to stay in film (X100 is amazing and may lead me to digital).

Anyway, the M2 is probably the purest incarnation of the M. I know some will object and say the M3. If you use mainly 50mm then get an M3. If you use 35mm, the viewfinder of the M2 is to die for (assuming you don't use 28, 75, or 135 focal lengths). If you want a built in meter, then the M6, M6TTL, M7, MP or even the Minolta CLE. And of course the Bressa's or Zeiss Ikon''s for something a bit newer and cheaper.

My favorite M combo is M2 with 35, a 90 in the pocket along with a small meter, and TriX. And the M2 covers 35/50/90 which for years was the standard photojournalist triad.