Hasselblad (Film) User Group

Carl Hall

Carl Hall

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Carl
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I see that there is a user group for Mamiya, Bronica and Large Format users, but not for Hasselblads, so I thought I’d make one!

Ok, first question… lol.

I have a 500c/m with 80mm f/2.8 lens, and it has an issue. If I focus the lens to infinity, the split screen on the screen (standard screen, but I’m not sure if it’s genuine) doesn’t quite show infinity, the lines on the horizon almost match up but not quite. Recently I’ve been using the ‘blad wide open and I often miss focus when I’m shooting subjects a little further away. I guess this is because the lens isn’t actually focussed where the screen is telling me that it’s focused, but I’m not sure how to fix it. My ETRS had the same issue because the screen wasn’t sat in the body fully, but I’ve checked the Hasselblad and it’s sat flat.

Is this something that a general CLA would sort, or does it require an actual repair of some sort? If it's a non genuine screen then maybe I need a genuine one?

I used it in wales at the weekend because it’s so light, but as I was shooting landscapes I just focused to infinity and stopped down to f/16 or so to get a deep DoF. But now I’d like to get back working properly!

Cheers then!
 
The best way to check your focus is to fit a temporary ground glass (using tracing paper would do) across the film gate in your film back with the holder removed. You can then focus on the main ground glass and compare with the temporary ground glass to see if they both match. If they show different focus you would then need to focus infinity, or a closer object after you've measured the actual distance, using the temporary glass (as that's what will be exposed on the film) and adjust the main glass using thin shims or adjustment screws if there are any on the Hassie.
 
Thanks Steve :) I've been thinking about this and I'm not sure how well I'd be able to take the insert out of the back and put tracing paper in it's place, as the backs load from the side so it'll be hard to check focus. I'll have a go and see what happens! Not sure how I can go about adjusting anything but it does make me think that something definitely isn't right... if I can use some tracing paper to see that it's off, maybe I'll have to send it off for repair
 
Carl Hall said:
Thanks Steve :) I've been thinking about this and I'm not sure how well I'd be able to take the insert out of the back and put tracing paper in it's place, as the backs load from the side so it'll be hard to check focus. I'll have a go and see what happens! Not sure how I can go about adjusting anything but it does make me think that something definitely isn't right... if I can use some tracing paper to see that it's off, maybe I'll have to send it off for repair
Click to expand...
Have you checked that the focus screen is correctly fitted?
 
Carl Hall said:
I guess this is because the lens isn’t actually focussed where the screen is telling me that it’s focused, but I’m not sure how to fix it. My ETRS had the same issue because the screen wasn’t sat in the body fully, but I’ve checked the Hasselblad and it’s sat flat.
Click to expand...

RaglanSurf said:
Have you checked that the focus screen is correctly fitted?
Click to expand...

If it's flat as you said, presumably the only other option is that it's the wrong way up? Not that I've ever even used a Hassy, of course...
 
Carl, What makes you think that it is not a genuine Hasselblad screen? If this is the case then that may contribute to the problem,can you post a photograph of the screen,front and back out of the body.
 
Oooooh, a Hasselblad users thread. What goes on in here then? I have just had mine repaired. Unjammed, new clutch assembly, serviced, new seals. It now operates beautifully again. Gonna try and finish the first roll today. :)

Like Carl, mine is a 500c/m with 80mm F2.8.
 
I waited 40 years before I 'took the plunge' into Hassellblad then in 2002 got my 'retirement pension ' with small Lump Sum and decided. So I got a new 501CM from David S. H .Leung of Goodmayes the famous camera dealer and it had a 'special offer' of either another 12 -on back or a Pentaprism so I chose the free pentaprism as I wanted to get a 16-on back later --- SO -- I used it with 80mm f2.8 CFE Planar T* for some Press Work and scanned the colour negs then needed a wider-angle lens so had a voucher for £50 off if I used it in a certain time so back to David Leung and ordered a 50mm f4 Cfi Distagon T* -- it had a 'floating element' and you had to move a ring to the distance you were focusing to get 'best sharpness' -- well finally I got a second hand 16-on back from Mifsuds in Brixham in good condition but NOT 'cheap' and another much older 16-on from e-bay. I took Camera to Austria on Family trip and the Kodak Ektachrome film jammed -- I lost most frames ! Back to Hasselblad for warranty and I told them i had misgivings about the sharpness of the 50mm lens especially and the 80mm Planar was not so good at full aperture -- so they serviced the back and got out the jammed and crinkled up film and said they reckoned the lenses were OK . Then Mifsuds had a sale with 'special offer' on a 180mm f4 CFi Sonnar T* so i splashed out on THAT --- then on stop-over in Hong -Kong on way to my Wife's Family in Philippines the Hotel was right near lots of Camera Shops and I bought for about £ 70 a Hasselblad extension tube for close-ups -- at this time I was still using it for 'Business Purposes' so it was all 'Tax-Deductible' over several years. I got some sharp results with the 180mm and sometimes at full aperture with the 50mm but still cannot seem to get that 'Exquisite Sharpness' seen on Hasselblad photos in the Hasselblad Forum ( Now gone broke ! ) Magazine . I have good enlarging lenses, 80mm f4 Componon, LPL C7000 pro with colour head, Durst M601 ( given) and I have done E6 transparencies and sent them to my 'Agency'Topham Picturepoint over the years and they have earnt NOTHING and all my 'hard copy' transparencies have been sent back as the Agency no longer wants them only Digital Files taken on a 'Full-Frame' Digital Camera -- have you seen the PRICE of Digital backs for Hasselblad V Series !! Anyway -- I am now FULLY Un-Employed and retired as Freelance and HMRC sent me a note saying that i no longer have to submit Tax Returns ! So I just use my 'blad outfit for Camera Club use !! I DID get my money back on Camera + 80mm lens doing weddings and a little PR work but that has all gone now -- the PR work, Council work etc is done by 'The Girl in the Office With a Nikon Coolpix Digital Camera' -- all Staff Photographers have lost their jobs on all the local newspapers and I talked to some who were not at Retirement Age but who reckoned the only work they could get at their age was 'Shelf Stacking in Tescos' -----
Hasselblad 501CM Group.jpg
 
RaglanSurf said:
Have you checked that the focus screen is correctly fitted?
Click to expand...

I've taken it out a few times to check and I can't see any other way that it could be fitted except how it is now? There are four pins in the body that the screen rest on, and it seems to sit pretty flat against these, no rocking or movement etc, and the two tabs on the sides pop out freely over the screen so it doesn't seem like it's sat up high or anything.

ChrisR said:
If it's flat as you said, presumably the only other option is that it's the wrong way up? Not that I've ever even used a Hassy, of course...
Click to expand...

I think you can only really put them in one way, as they're made of curved sheet metal the underside has a sharp edge rather than a flat surface for the retaining tabs to sit against.

medwaygreen said:
Carl, What makes you think that it is not a genuine Hasselblad screen? If this is the case then that may contribute to the problem,can you post a photograph of the screen,front and back out of the body.
Click to expand...

I don't really have any reason to think it's *not* genuine, it's just a consideration as I've read elsewhere that this can cause problems. Having said that, I've never been able to identify which screen I have from manuals etc! Here's a photo of the front and back out of the camera (good job I cut my nails last night :D ), as well as a few of it in the camera

Hasselblad.jpg

Hasselblad-5.jpg

Hasselblad-2.jpg

Hasselblad-4.jpg

Hasselblad-3.jpg



gazmorton2000 said:
Oooooh, a Hasselblad users thread. What goes on in here then? I have just had mine repaired. Unjammed, new clutch assembly, serviced, new seals. It now operates beautifully again. Gonna try and finish the first roll today. :)

Like Carl, mine is a 500c/m with 80mm F2.8.
Click to expand...

Wow that sounds spendy! They are awesome cameras but they do seem to have more than their fair share of "quirks" I think
 
Carl Hall said:
I've taken it out a few times to check and I can't see any other way that it could be fitted except how it is now? There are four pins in the body that the screen rest on, and it seems to sit pretty flat against these, no rocking or movement etc, and the two tabs on the sides pop out freely over the screen so it doesn't seem like it's sat up high or anything.



I think you can only really put them in one way, as they're made of curved sheet metal the underside has a sharp edge rather than a flat surface for the retaining tabs to sit against.



I don't really have any reason to think it's *not* genuine, it's just a consideration as I've read elsewhere that this can cause problems. Having said that, I've never been able to identify which screen I have from manuals etc! Here's a photo of the front and back out of the camera (good job I cut my nails last night :D ), as well as a few of it in the camera

View attachment 68287

View attachment 68286

View attachment 68283

View attachment 68285

View attachment 68284





Wow that sounds spendy! They are awesome cameras but they do seem to have more than their fair share of "quirks" I think
Click to expand...

I have just compared the photo,s to my screen and it does look to be genuine,however in #4 the screen looks to be sitting a little lower than mine and also the retaining clip looks to have more space on the underside.

That could be the problem with focus, I do not know the solution,but,the screw head shown in #5 are at each corner and would seem to be there to bed the screen at the correct height,if these are turned down to low,then that would point to the focus problem.
 
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YO !! I 92 year old Fellow Camera Club member GEVE me his 1978 50C/M with 80mm f2.9 CT Planar and it has rotten mirror bumper foam -- leaves 'Bits' on the Focus Screen ! I have replaced foam in many cameras but with Hasselblad cannot access the foam strip as it is under a ledge -- any ideas Or it is an Expensive Professional Job?
Camera takes good snaps -- lens is good -- here is a Night Scene on ORWO film processed in FX-15 formula and I gave it 3 secs ' f8
Night Scene Smaller.jpg
 
pentaxpete said:
YO !! I 92 year old Fellow Camera Club member GEVE me his 1978 50C/M with 80mm f2.9 CT Planar and it has rotten mirror bumper foam -- leaves 'Bits' on the Focus Screen ! I have replaced foam in many cameras but with Hasselblad cannot access the foam strip as it is under a ledge -- any ideas Or it is an Expensive Professional Job?
Camera takes good snaps -- lens is good -- here is a Night Scene on ORWO film processed in FX-15 formula and I gave it 3 secs ' f8
View attachment 337441
Click to expand...
Good thread resurrection work Pete, if you do decide to go down the professional repair route I can highly recommend Jeff at Classic V, not cheap but quality work http://www.classicv.co.uk/
 
Many Thanks -- BOOKMARKED for future contact -- Peter
 
Ok -- here are a few more 1978 Hasselblad 500 C/M snaps all on outdated Fillum !
Zeiss 120mm f4 Makro=Planar at f5.6 Outdated 2005 Fuji Pro 160 s rated 80 ASA

Tudors 04 by Peter Elgar, on Flickr
1998 Outdated ORWO NP22 rated 50 ASA , same lens

Tudors 06 by Peter Elgar, on Flickr
Zeiss 50mm f4 Cfi Distagon T* 205 outdated Fuji Pro 160S
Burning Bush by Peter Elgar, on Flickr
outdated KONICA VX400 Super rated 200 ASA -- 120mm f4 CF Makro-Planar T*
Konica VX400 Super 20 by Peter Elgar, on Flickr
outdated KONICA VX 400 Super 80mm f2.8 CT Planar T

Konica VX400 Super 16 by Peter Elgar, on Flickr
 
Pentaxpete.

I may have asked this before but, how are you digitising your film?
 
I have a CANON 9000F Mk II Flatbed which i use with Medium Format exclusively now as I have a PlusTek OpticFilm 7200 bought in a car boot sale and given to me by a great Camera Club /Flickr Mate for 35mm. I scan ay 2400 resolution JPeg setting is 100% -- if I know I will do LOTS of 'Corrections; for really crappy film I use TIFF . I use Vuescan Pro won in a Photo Comp free + Free FastStone Image Viewer software to 'adjust colours and 'size' down a bit . you can get FastStone from www.faststone.org and download the 'Full Version' not just the 'Resize' one AND it does 'RAW' which my PhotoShop 7 does NOT. I did a sheet for Camera Club members 'How to Use FastStone Image Viewer' but there IS a huge explanation in it if you look .
 
I've used a few Hasselblads in my time but I mostly bought them very well used, apart from an almost new black 500C/M, which my wife gave me when she came into an inheritance.

I took it with me to Austria one year, realised that I was spending more time cradling the camera than taking pictures and sold it on. I actually made a small but welcome profit on the deal and my wife said, when I gave her the paying in slip, "Now you've got that out of your system, we can get on with our lives!"

That woman knows me far too well...

Camera Hasselblad 500cm Black TZ40 1010530.JPG

...and a couple of images from that trip...

Tyrolean Train Pertisau.jpg

Volkswagen Beetle near Achensea.jpg
 
Much as I've tried to get away from Hasselblad I always wind up back where I started.

I tried to find the "Magic" of Leica recently but they're just not my cup of tea.
 
soupdragon said:
I tried to find the "Magic" of Leica recently but they're just not my cup of tea.
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The only Leica that really rings my bell is the M3 and I caught a certain amount of grief in the Leica thread for saying that the digital ones aren't as nice. :naughty:

Mind you, Leicas haven't been Leica since they jumped into bed with Minolta in the 1970s, resulting in the CL rangefinder camera and the R series of SLRs. Then they tied up with Fuji to make their first Digilux and when that didn't work out they jumped ship and got on board with Panasonic to make the Digilux I which was released in 2002. They've been tied to Panasonic ever since.
 
pentaxpete said:
YO !! I 92 year old Fellow Camera Club member GEVE me his 1978 50C/M with 80mm f2.9 CT Planar and it has rotten mirror bumper foam -- leaves 'Bits' on the Focus Screen ! I have replaced foam in many cameras but with Hasselblad cannot access the foam strip as it is under a ledge -- any ideas Or it is an Expensive Professional Job?
Camera takes good snaps -- lens is good -- here is a Night Scene on ORWO film processed in FX-15 formula and I gave it 3 secs ' f8
Click to expand...
Did you ever get the foam replaced?
My 503cw is leaving bits all over the screen.
 
SOUPDRAGON : I have sent off the 1978 500 C/M with the lens to the Hasselblad specialist Jeff Fairbank info@classicv.co.uk-- cost over £200 ( Don't tell The Wife!! )
 
pentaxpete said:
SOUPDRAGON : I have sent off the 1978 500 C/M with the lens to the Hasselblad specialist Jeff Fairbank info@classicv.co.uk-- cost over £200 ( Don't tell The Wife!! )
Click to expand...
From what I've read your choice of service agent was the correct one.
£200 is a lot for a strip of foam though.

Please let me know how it goes.
 
My PM-5 Prism arrived today. Huge difference for close focus (i.e. not infinity) - just had to rotate the eyecup (damn left eye dominance)...

Has anyone tried using one of the focussing handle thingies? The throw on the 80 is mahoosive and I'm wondering if a handle on it might make it quicker/easier to manipulate. I know my hipster rating will plummet, but I prefer usability...
 
Harlequin565 said:
My PM-5 Prism arrived today. Huge difference for close focus (i.e. not infinity) - just had to rotate the eyecup (damn left eye dominance)...

Has anyone tried using one of the focussing handle thingies? The throw on the 80 is mahoosive and I'm wondering if a handle on it might make it quicker/easier to manipulate. I know my hipster rating will plummet, but I prefer usability...
Click to expand...
I too am left eyed which was always a pain when using digital slr systems.

The pm-5 is a nice classic looking accessory, how are you metering?

I had two of the focus levers for my C lenses as they were so stiff as to be unusable.
I'll have a look and see if I still have one, if so, it's yours for free.

I didn't like them as the lever was almost always in the way of something, plus they can damage the finish on your focus ring.
 
Harlequin565 said:
My PM-5 Prism arrived today. Huge difference for close focus (i.e. not infinity) - just had to rotate the eyecup (damn left eye dominance)...

Has anyone tried using one of the focussing handle thingies? The throw on the 80 is mahoosive and I'm wondering if a handle on it might make it quicker/easier to manipulate. I know my hipster rating will plummet, but I prefer usability...
Click to expand...
I have a focussing handle I dont use it much, mostly when I'm using the camera on a tripod. You're more than welcome if you'd like to borrow it to see if you get on with it.
 
soupdragon said:
From what I've read your choice of service agent was the correct one.
£200 is a lot for a strip of foam though.

Please let me know how it goes.
Click to expand...

~£200 is the cost of a complete body CLA, I had a body (a 503cx with a misaligned mirror) serviced by him last year and it came back perfect, everything was sharp and snappy. Definitely sending the replacement body to him when I get around to replacing the 503cx.
 
Well, seeing as this thread is alive again.
My new Hasselblad 150 CFi will be with me tomorrow.

1642422909079.png


I guess I should blither on about it in the "I have a new film related toy" thread.
 
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Lovely Jubbly LENS !! I have not got that 150mm as i got the 120mm f4 CF Makro-Planar off a Camera Club member for £250
 
I agonised between the 150 and 120 for many months.
In the end I got the 150 because I'd had such great results in the past with the CF type.
I did not realise how much easier the cfi focus ring moves by comparison to the C or CF lenses.
Improved helicoid I suspect.
 
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Do you use the digital unit much ?
 
Regarding final solution, I really want a 500mm CF.
The significant other half is going to kill me.
 
Is the one on the right a film unit or digital
 
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