An old guy

[J. R. Weems]

Just an old film guy looking to full fill a desire to move into medium format. Need to be brought up to an fair speed in order to choose a Hasselblad that will meet my meager requirements. Need to be able to sort out the array of equipment available. Need not be new, but as they say, condition is everything. PM's are welcome, as well as any input that can be offered. May be too old to start this, but I will anyway. I believe I have found the right sopt here. THANKS!!

 

[polypal]

Lenses for 500 series cameras

Welcome at Hasselbladinfo forum.
To give you some idea of the difference between lens series produced for 500 series cameras here a description of the lenses for these cameras starting in 1956.

Keep in mind Carl Zeiss only makes two kinds of lenses:
Very good ones and better ones.

Of course lenses have been improved through the years although most of these improvements are ergonomically.

General advice for a user camera: buy one from the later series with the larger mirror: 501CM or 503CW.
Nothing against bodies with the earlier mirror just these later cameras can be found for quite reasonable prices now.
The same goes even more for film backs.
Backs are probably the part that wears most.

Age of bodies and film backs can be determinned from the following code:

V H P I C T U R E S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

Bodies magazines and other equipment carry a letter code with the number of the item.
RE means the part was made in 1989, SC means the year is 2005 and so on.

Any questions? Just ask.



Paul
Forum moderator





Lenses for 500 series:

The first generation lenses for the 500 series Hasselblad cameras were called "C" lenses after the name of the shutter : Compur.
The first C lenses were produced in 1956 a year before the 500C camera became available.
Starting in 1971 C lenses received an improved 6 layer coating called T*
All lenses are subcequently T* coated except superachromat versions.

C lenses were superceded by CF lenses in 1982 and later for some focal lengths.
The shutter was replaced by a Prontor one.
The F indicates these lenses can also be used with 200 series bodies that have a focal plane shutter.
To accomodate full functions of these cameras the Prontor shutter is not used when the lens is set to "F"
The lens stays open to allow viewing of the subject immediately after the picture is taken.
Winding the camera is not necessary. This is similar to any 35 mm SLR camera.

The CF series was improved in 1998.
Improved lenses were known as CFi models.
Improvements were: better anti reflection coating, different helicoid, better PC for flash or digital back and a new type mainspring to improve already very good reliability.

Some improved lenses also received data bus contacts for cameras of the 200 series that have built in light metering systems.
These lenses were known as CFE models.
Of course CFE lenses also function on 500 series bodies without the light measuring system.
Technically for 500 series bodies CFE and CFi lenses are the same.

To complicate matters some lenses are available now used as CF, CFE and CFi versions.

The 80 mm started life as a CF lens changed in 1998 into a CFE model and is now available as CFi lens.
Similar things happened to the 120 Makro Planar lens:
The lens started as CF changed over to CFi became a CFE and is now again available as CFi lens.
All CFE versions were dropped because the 200 series cameras were phased out in 2004.

For a user of a 500 series body there is no difference between a CFE or a CFi version.
Keep in mind the CF version is older and does not have the later improvements.
Still the CF is a very good lens.
The helicoid of the later lenses is ergonomically better although not everybody agrees on this.

Carl Zeiss also made an economy version of certain lenses.
These lenses are called CB and were available in four different focal lenghts: 60/80/120/160 mm.
Economy version as in 1700 euro against 1950 euro for the 80 mm lens.
Not a big difference and certainly not big enough to persuade buyers to buy CB lenses.
Production and supply of CB lenses stopped after a couple of years.


source: hasselbladinfo forum

 

[J. R. Weems]

Info

SUPER INFO! THANKS so MUCH!!

 

[Analog6]

There is also a good info source on lots of things camera that I found here he is an Aussie with a keen research mind and wide ranging interests.

 

[J. R. Weems]

More info

There is also a good info source on lots of things camera that I found here he is an Aussie with a keen research mind and wide ranging interests.

GREAT!! THANKS SO MUCH!! This link will keep me busy all winter. They are going to operate on my shoulder on the 10th, and I will be confined for some time. This link alone will keep me busy once I bookmark it on my lap top. I just can't THANK everyone enough. Sure am glad I joined here.

Best,
J. R.

 

[J. R. Weems]

Choice?

Would this be a good choice here?

500elm-- No lens though. Has some sort of 'thing'y' on the bottom? Film winder?
THANKS!!!

 

[polypal]

500 ELM or.....




This probably what you have seen.

This EL is the model before the ELM you mentioned but they look similar.

The unit under the camera body is a motordrive that transports the film and cocks the shutter immediately after an exposure has been made.

This camera is not the one I would recommend as a starter kit because it is best used on a tripod.
Bodies without a winder are suitable to be used both handheld and on a tripod.

Depending on your budget a later model without motor part is probably a better choice.
Buying a complete kit, body+lens+film back, may save you some money.





Later 501CM camera with 80 mm CFE lens and film back.
An extra film back on the right allows to reload fast or use two different types of film.

 

[polypal]

Lenses C/CF/CFE/CFi

I hope the surgery went al right but if there is time it may be usefull to read this summary of lenses produced by Carl Zeiss for Hasselblad V series cameras.


The first generation lenses for the 500 series Hasselblad cameras were called "C" lenses after the name of the shutter : Compur.
The first C lenses were produced in 1956 a year before the 500C camera became available.
Starting in 1971 C lenses received an improved 6 layer coating called T*
All lenses are subcequently T* coated except superachromat versions.

C lenses were superceded by CF lenses in 1982 and later for some focal lengths.
The shutter was replaced by a Prontor one.
The F indicates these lenses can also be used with 200 series bodies that have a focal plane shutter.
To accomodate full functions of these cameras the Prontor shutter is not used when the lens is set to "F"
The lens stays open to allow viewing of the subject immediately after the picture is taken.
Winding the camera is not necessary. This is similar to any 35 mm SLR camera.

The CF series was improved in 1998.
Improved lenses were known as CFi models.
Improvements were: better anti reflection coating, different helicoid, better PC for flash or digital back and a new type mainspring to improve already very good reliability.

Some improved lenses also received data bus contacts for cameras of the 200 series that have built in light metering systems.
These lenses were known as CFE models.
Of course CFE lenses also function on 500 series bodies without the light measuring system.
Technically for 500 series bodies CFE and CFi lenses are the same.

To complicate matters some lenses are available now used as CF, CFE and CFi versions.

The 80 mm started life as a CF lens changed in 1998 into a CFE model and is now available as CFi lens.
Similar things happened to the 120 Makro Planar lens:
The lens started as CF changed over to CFi became a CFE and is now again available as CFi lens.
All CFE versions were dropped because the 200 series cameras were phased out in 2004.

For a user of a 500 series body there is no difference between a CFE or a CFi version.
Keep in mind the CF version is older and does not have the later improvements.
Still the CF is a very good lens.
The helicoid of the later lenses is ergonomically better although not everybody agrees on this.

Carl Zeiss also made an economy version of certain lenses.
These lenses are called CB and were available in four different focal lenghts: 60/80/120/160 mm.
Economy version as in 1700 euro against 1950 euro for the 80 mm lens.
Not a big difference and certainly not big enough to persuade buyers to buy CB lenses.
Production and supply of CB lenses stopped after a couple of years.


source: hasselbladinfo forum

 

[J. R. Weems]

Choices

After my post I did a quick research or two. THANK YOU, I concur . The old saying, if it looks too good to be true, it might be. I have used motor drives in the past, and still have one for my F2A Nikon, but given what I do, I can take them or leave them. In those days I was photographing growing children.
I will continue to look. I still haven't figured out the price value differences for the different backs. Most look the same to my untrained eye??

 

[polypal]

Good from you to mention film backs.
They are thr part of the kit that wears most.
Generally it pays to go for the latest model, that is the one with the keeper for the darkslide at the back.

Of course there are also older models to be found with" low mileage"
It takes a trained eye to spot those. Signs of use on the face plate can be an indication of heavy use.

 

[cs_foto]

Carl Zeiss also made an economy version of certain lenses.
These lenses are called CB and were available in four different focal lenghts: 60/80/120/160 mm.
Economy version as in 1700 euro against 1950 euro for the 80 mm lens.
Not a big difference and certainly not big enough to persuade buyers to buy CB lenses.
Production and supply of CB lenses stopped after a couple of years.


source: hasselbladinfo forum

Polypal, are this CB lenses of less quality (optically) than their CF versions? specially interested in the 80mm

 

[J. R. Weems]

Good from you to mention film backs.
They are thr part of the kit that wears most.
Generally it pays to go for the latest model, that is the one with the keeper for the darkslide at the back.

Of course there are also older models to be found with" low mileage"
It takes a trained eye to spot those. Signs of use on the face plate can be an indication of heavy use.

This is great information. THANKS, once again. I am also, as I said trying to figure why such a difference in asking price for these. I see one that looks just like another to me, and it can be 1 to several hundred $ more.-- I do not expect something for nothing to be sure, but want a reasonable value for what I am getting. I can well see there is the potential for some costly errors here as well. I am however looking forward to working with a larger format.

 

[polypal]

There are two ways to go about finding a starter kit:

1. Set your budget and try to get the best within that budget.

2. Do some more research and find out what is important to you.
What are you planning to shoot, landscape, portraits.
Those areas will mean different lenses.

If you are after maximum resolution skip the 80 mm lens and try to find a 100 mm Planar.

If you do not use a flash torch or do not intend to go for the D40 Hasselblad flash with TTL flash control I would recommend a 501CM body, film back with keeper meaning 1996 or later.

Nothing against older bodies, I even use the classic ones from the fifties regularly, but the 501CM has all the upgrades and generally has lower mileage.

Lenses will follow after you are used to the 80 or 100 mm standard lens.


Paul