All rights reserved. Ken Rockwell's site is one of my first stops when deciding to purchase any camera equipment. Choosing the 'best' Hasselblad lens is going to ultimately depend on your own personal preferences and shooting style. . Extension tubes in numerous lengths allow us to focus far closer than the minimum focus distance if the situation requires. That is a camera that although digital slows you down the same way as the old Hasselblad cameras does, and I appreciate that. My Nikon D810 is my workhorse. Ive been enjoying the Leica M5 as a street camera, yet to really find a digital workhorse, but Im not a jobbing photographer so can shoot mostly for pleasure for the moment! The Fujifilm X-T5 is the company's latest classically-styled APS-C mirrorless camera. At the time of writing the most current iteration is the 50MP Hasselblad CFV-50c, which was released in 2014 and uses a 48.832.9mm sensor (very close to a 64.5 aspect ratio). However, anyone who is interested in purchasing a Carl Zeiss lens can trust that the quality is going to be above and beyond almost any other lens ever made. The 100MP Hasselblad X2D with a the XCD 55mm f/2.5 lens. Sonnar, Planar, Distagon and Tessar optical designs, Best lens collection for your shooting style. it would be nice to have 1000 or 2000 so I could shoot at f4 or 5.6 in brighter light instead of 16 I might have to find a hasselblad 2000 fc in the future. Actually I sold my first Hasselblad in my late twenties to go for 67 (Pentax 67 and a Plaubel Makina 67 for mountaineering), but a few years ago when I decided I couldnt only shoot digital, I bought back into the Hasselblad system. If you broaden your horizons even further, the three available Hasselblad lens adapters open your options up to include 3 panoramic XPan lenses, 12 modern Hasselblad H System lenses and over sixty legacy C, CB, CF, CFI, CFE, F and FE lenses. The 35mm equivalency is ~ 200mm and 300mm respectively. You must log in or register to reply here. They require occasional but expensive tune ups by someone who knows them well i.e not a generic shop. This article will primarily focus on C and CF style lenses as they are the most commonly found,cost effective, and best suited for today's average film photographer. Its core is comprised of a body, viewfinder, focusing screen, film back, winding handle and lens. Those ELXs look like real beefcakes sounds like the shotgun of the camera world when the fire and wind sounds go off! I just love the 500 CM. In this buying guide weve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing around $2000 and recommended the best. Thats a fair chunk of change, especially when we consider that a similarly modular Mamiya 645 system can be had for about half the price. If you dont then turn the handle to lower the guide over the film, the magazine will not sense when you get to frame one, and you will waste the entire roll of film. The Canon 6D Mark II is a substantial improvement over its predecessor, and we spent a couple days in sunny San Diego to test it out! Copyright GETDPI 2020. Just dont expect it to come cheap. A huge advantage to these first C lenses is that they all have self-timers built into their shutters so, along with the TIME exposure abilities of the HASSELBLAD bodies, you never need to use a cable release for vibration-free exposures of any length. Today, if you're not trying to use TTL flash or motor drives etc. Hasselblad literature states that this lens hasimproved ergonomics on the setting rings, more precision in focusing, and a more durable camera connection bayonet. I realize this was written in 2019, but you might want to edit the prices. Focusing distance ranges from 0.4meters (19 inches) to infinity. The 50, especially the older chrome model, is a very affordable lens with almost no . I got this lens as a bundle purchase with my body, the 80mm, and other accessories. Any time you buy somethingused, especially a 40 year old lens, you run into the risk of having it break and the cost of repair being more than that of the lens. The shutter fires off with a satisfying ker-thunk. Hasselblad has just released three gorgeous new prime lenses for its X System: the Hasselblad XCD 2,5/38V, Hasselblad XCD 2,5/55V and Hasselblad XCD 2,5/90V. CFE are like CFi, but add electronic contacts for use with HASSELBLAD's electronic cameras, leading us back to square one: unless you're using an electronic magic auto zone-system calculating HASSELBLAD, any working C or CF lens has the same spectacular optics for a lot less money and does the same things as the newest lenses. Sorted, just equip the 105mm S-Planar and the bellows accessory for complete control of framing. A 500-series Hasselblad really is a lovely little camera, significantly smaller with its standard 80mm f/2.8 Zeiss Planar than many monster modern SLRs, be they digital or 35mm. The Hasselblad V-System Master Guide. This is most likely due to their new age and therefore better condition, but the market is flooded with these things and a quick view of the previously sold page on eBay reflects that the price way more than it should be. Table of Contents Hasselblad XCD Lens Terminology Even the models used by NASA for space missions arent unrecognizable compared to their brethren made for public consumption. I need to keep an eye out for one of these to try considering that I love wide angle andthe 50mm is my favorite lens. The 503 CX is another great choice. . 80 CF/e 50 CF or the CFi (if you have the budget) and lastly, the 180mm CF. its probs good to get a cla on it since the timer stopped working and the slow speeds started becoming a little slower. Whats the best camera for around $2000? I do not agree with some aspects of his Hasselblad review, and think some of the information may be inaccurate, but I referenced him above so it is only fair to reference him. Jun 20, 2022 at 17:52. The CFE is simply a CFi lens with the electronic contacts that are compatible with the 200F series cameras. ], Aaron Stennett is a writer and photographer from London, England. I am going to repeat some of these tests in the near future, as my comparison for the shots at wide open apertures failed and I want to see if I can repeat the same results only this time using a tripod to eliminatecamera shake errors. Still shooting film and enjoying it. Prices reasonably range from $400-$800. I pair the ELX frequently with an ancient Sinarback 54M, which produces an exquisite 22 MP image. You will need the worlds smallest screwdriver for this job. With today's image stabilization technology that we have now become accustomed to, the results from old telephoto lenses seem to underwhelm. Price: $250-$800 with the average falling around $300-$500, but for the premium price you can find some mint condition lenses being sold from Japan. I live at the beach and take pictures out there a lot. If you find one of these in good condition for under $1,000 it is a steal. If not twiddle the screw. The 200F series body alone costs over $2,000 and thus prices its self out of most hobbyphotographer's budgets. Almost one year ago, DJI debuted its Mavic 3 standard and Cine drones featuring a dual-camera setup. Although a lot of people only upload images to Instagram from their smartphones, the app is much more than just a mobile photography platform. The 50mm distagon cfi is wide enough and the 150mm sonnar cf is long enough or my needs on square format. The C model lens has a self timer feature which Hasselblad did away with when updating to the CF models. Here are three examples where I stood as close to the object as the focus would allow. Selenium LV 4 ~ 17, 1.9 oz./54g (2.9oz./82g in carry case). loved it. Being equivalent to the 30mmin full format/35mm photography, it starts to enter the range of what most would consider to be wide angle yet does not exhibit any noticeable barrel distortion. Youll have to feed the backing paper around the back of the magazine to the take-up spool, which feels counterintuitive. Initially, these little hangups will have new users staring blankly at their camera and wondering if theyve acquired an expensive paperweight. I see ads mentioning that as a plus. The 80mm turned out to be much sharper than I expected and actually sharper in the corners than the 50mm. Equivalent to 50mm in full frame/35mm cameras. But you are probably right I honestly would just like to get one with a split prism in it. Hasselblad 500C (1957) Hasselblad 500EL (1965) Hasselblad 500C/M (1970) Hasselblad 500EL/M (1971) Hasselblad 2000FC (1977) Hasselblad 2000FC/M (1981) Hasselblad 2000FCW (1984) Hasselblad 500ELX (1984) Hasselblad 2003FCW (1988) Hasselblad 503CX (1989) Hasselblad 553ELX (1989) Hasselblad 205TCC (1991) Hasselblad 503CXi (1994) Hasselblad 201F (1994) Hasselblad 501C (1994) Hasselblad 203FE (1994) Hasselblad 205FCC (1995 . Need to shoot the Earth rising over the horizon of the Moon? The 40 is huge and heavy and has a pronounced "Wide Angle" look (like a 21mm on 35mm) which I love, but not for everyday shooting. Example of street photography shot with 80mm lens in Aguas Calientes MX. HASSELBLAD introduced minor cosmetic changes along with marketing fluff like blacker black paint inside to try to scare amateurs into buying new lenses, while pros all knew they had identical optics and just serviced and happily shot their decades-old lenses. Being equivalent to the 50mm prime in full format/35mm photography, it offers the field of view that photographers consider 'normal'. Today they've released their Classic, a less expensive single-camera sibling. Bare-bones Russian cameras cost pennies on the dollar (or ruble?) Before moving on, I will briefly touch on the CB, CFi, and CFE lens models. These come with a larger aperture (and price tag) compared to their leaf shuttered equivalents. These are both 5 bladed leaf shutters, with the latterhaving a hardier spring and thus needing less maintenance andlonger life expectancy. I think the Hasselblad takes a good while to get used to, but once you really begin to nail focus with it its hard not to love. I think for me the next accessories I will pick up will be an old back of some sort, as well as a prism finder. The HC 150mm is excellent, focusses very fast and very easy to find used for cheap. The 200F series is completely different in that the shutter is in the body of the camera where as the 500 series body is a simple mechanical box with a mirror and winding crank. Every single component of the camera can be stripped out and replaced with something else to suit our needs. As the Hasselblad is a system which rewards patient shooting over speed, I have never had a major issue with missing photos because of the failsafes. Hasselblad states that this lens is free from distortion and has superior sharpness throughout the entire frame even when shooting wide open. All share the same maximum and minimum apertures, f/4 to f/32, with half-stop detents. One key reason why the 500 C is often significantly cheaper than the rest is that it does not have interchangeable screens. Interestingly Hasselblad still supports the all electronic H1/2 etc cameras but those are 645 and plastic, not the gorgeous build of the V series. It rewards users who park it on a tripod and take their time to find the best composition before making a photo. The definition, clarity and resistance to flare immediately made the V system stand out from its competitors. 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Focusing distance ranges from 0.9 meters (~3 feet) to infinity. Most take Bayonet 50 filters, while the SWC and 50mm lenses took Series 8. C stands for Central (leaf) shutter, a completely new system from the earlier F (1000F and 1600F focal-plane shutter cameras) from the 1940s. This is the Hasselblad kit lens and by far the most common lens being sold on the used market. With over sixty lenses with focal lengths from 30 to 500mm in the V System, the XV Lens Adapter represents expansion of the X System and capabilities of the world's most compact digital medium format camera. To see the photos frommy lens comparison test (80mm C, 50mm CF, and 150mm CF) you can jump to the results here. Others say that using the lens hood on the non multi-coated will compensate for flare well enough. This helps Casual Photophile produce the content we produce. Optically speaking, the number of elements and design are the same as the older models. The better CF version runs around $500-$600, while the C version can be found more much cheaper averaging $200-$400. The C lens has a Synchro- Compur shutter and the CF has a Prontor shutter. You can see more on http://www.facebook.com/bobelvedere. The HC 300mm is excellent but quite large and heavy. It is a heavy (1kg) lens and combined with the need for a tripod, many people seem to be disappointed by it, yet others say it is highly underrated. The designs and number of lens elements can affect distortion characteristics and tendency for flare as more air to glass surfaces are added within a lens. that people rarely use today for what we shoot with film in HASSELBLADs, all the bodies are all the same for practical shooting.. If I am going on a trip where I want to bring home my best images to print and hang on the wall, this lens usually gets left behind. I don't know. Decide based on the condition of the lens, and if you are interested in the chrome, it may take longer to find one in the condition you are looking for, but they are out there. Oct 12, 2010. Interesting question of what exactly is the "V" series Hasselblad. Hasselblad 250mm f/5.6 Sonnar C Lens for Hasselblad 500 Series V System, Chrome {Bayonet 50} $112.14 - $292.05 View Details Hasselblad 250mm f/5.6 Sonnar C T* Lens for Hasselblad 500 Series V System, Black {Bayonet 50} $139.48 - $233.51 View Details Hasselblad 250mm f/5.6 Sonnar CF T* Lens for Hasselblad 500 Series V System, Black {Bayonet 60} and arent as bare-bones as people like to imply. Hasselblad's made-for-digital H System lenses are available in a huge range of focal lengths from the ultra-wide 24mm to the telephoto 300mm. And when I say modular, Im not talking about a few lenses and the odd viewing screen. Expect to become addicted to the magical moment when a subject pops into focus in the viewing screen (this is especially true on models with the improved focusing screens). Avoid the CB (Basic) lenses. I also find hand holding the 150/4 quite difficult at times, might be even harder with the 180mm. 12 watching. With HASSELBLAD, it all works together - no need to buy anything new. A little of topic, I recently added a digital Hasselblad, a X1D mark II and a 45mm f4 to the equation. Ken Rockwell's site is one of my first stops when deciding to purchase any camera equipment. Shedding some light on the sources of noise, Canon RF 135mm F1.8 L IS pre-production sample gallery, Fujifilm XF 30mm F2.8 R LM WR Macro sample gallery, Fujifilm X-T5 pre-production sample gallery (DPReview TV), DJI Mavic 3 Classic review: A more affordable entry into the Mavic world, DPReview TV: Canon EOS R6 Mark II initial review, Best cameras for landscape photography in 2021, Best video cameras for photographers in 2022. . Dec 29, 2015. The F in CF models indicates that the lens is compatible with focal plane shutter bodies such as the Hasselblad 2000FC, butthe lenses for those cameras are never compatible with the 500 V system so avoid any lens that has a F, FE, or FLE only designation. These lenses, which . From 1996 to 2006 Hasselblad created a slightly redesigned, cheaper kit lens for the 501C & CM bodies. I would recommend picking up the spirit level and never removing it from the camera again. The difference between the two lens styles is that the C model defaults to the locked position requiring a lever to be pressed forchangingsettings separately, and the CF version defaults to independently rotating wheels with a button that can be pressed to use the interlock feature when desired. This scale is for reference only, but can be used to determine the number of seconds one must keep the shutter open for to achieve a particular EV setting per the corresponding aperture. All content, design, and layout are Copyright 19982022 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved. These capable cameras should be solid and well-built, have both speed and focus for capturing fast action and offer professional-level image quality. Top 5 Hasselblad Lenses Hasselblad XCD 135 mm f/2.8- Best for portraits Hasselblad XCD 120mm f/3.5- Best for close-up work Hasselblad 100mm f/2.2 HC Auto- Best for low-light situations Unfortunately my specific 80mm lens is not the sharpest Carl Zeiss Hasselblad lens that I own, but this may be due to it being my oldest lens as it compares to the other. All of the sounds of the Hasselblad combine beautifully to give the impression of an exquisitely tactile machine. As with other classic camera designs, Hasselblad V series cameras manage to be both functional and extremely beautiful at the same time. Winding the camera cocks the lens,sequencesthe film, and opens the aperture to maximum. mine is a hair rough but a good user that had a cla. My goal is mainly portraiture and the 160 CB is half the price of the others! What are the practical differences between C and CF lenses? My personal experience with my C lens is that the shutter works just as well as those on my CF lenses. In Carl Zeiss lenses, these designations are specific to the focal length of the lens, and thereforeno extra decision making or in depth knowledge on optical designis required when making a purchase decision. Just set your ASA dial as needed to get the correct reading; no need to send it out. Sadly, the Stellar was put out in 2013 at about 4x the RX100 price, while Sony had already moved on to the RX100II. maybe a grid. they are hard to find for a good price compared to the 80. I have no intention to sell, and did not buy it as an investment, but the prices in this article have gotten way out of date since it was published. The screen is good thats in it. An inverted horizontal perspective and the long focus throw on all of the lenses mean that Hasselblad V series cameras are slow and deliberate cameras. The most significant difference between the two is in the shutter. The aperture settings are the same per focal length. My specific 150mm lens is very sharp but not quite as crisp as my 50mm. An army of accessories complete the package. mine was the one from the 70s. I have the 3 basic lenses, 80mm, 50mm and 150mm and theyre all I need. As the years went by, Hasselblad periodically improved their lenses. And the new Zeiss Classic lenses greatly extend its versatility. C lenses were manufactured from 1957 - 1982 and CF lenses from1982 - 1998. 40mm Distagon f/4 . Hopefully I can find more info. One direct result of Hasselblads success was the demise of their rivals, Rollei. Here we have the 65mm. Can you mention something about the importance of matching backs? We demand that what we buy doesn't have to be replaced every 10 or 20 years. The build quality is unmatched, the customization options practically limitless, and the image quality is outstanding. Likewise, the Mamiya 6 provides a square negative in a more compact form factor. The original one. This lens is more expensive and harder to find than the 50mm yet people say if they found one for a good price they prefer the 40mm. In this guide we've chosen a selection of cameras that make it easy to shoot compelling lifestyle images, ideal for sharing on social media. Interesting question of what exactly is the "V" series Hasselblad. Would you say that these older backs are still worth it in this day and age? HASSELBLAD never let amateurs on to this, but the Zeiss optics for most lenses like the 80mm f/2.8, 150mm f/4 and 250mm f/5.6 were so perfect at their introduction in 1957 that, except for the very minor improvement of adding T multicoating in the 1970s, their optical designs never changed through 2013! The minimum focusing distance of 19 inches allows my to step in closer to an aircraft, or landmark and capture crisp details while simultaneously composing a shot that includes a large part of the subject. Its possible to find C-series lenses at very good prices, but there is a good reason for this. I sometimes will use the lenses on my Nikons toojust for fun. I will also try to avoid getting bogged down in technical details. These 200 and 2000 series came with focal plane shutters, though they could be used with the C and CF series lenses. While I can easily mount and use Nikon lenses on my A7ii and A7Rii, none are really "pixel sharp" on that camera, nor I suspect, with a Nikon D810. Don't let the focal length fool you - this lens has a 104-degree angle of view, which is slightly more than the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L lens at 16mm. The minimum focus distance is 0.8 meters which provides a ratio of 1:4.5, an extension tube is available to get you as close as a 1:2 ratio. The C model lens has a scale of green numbers to the left of the B (bulb) setting. The question is whether or not the Hasselblad is worth that premium today. In this photo at f4everything that's 10 meters to infinityfrom the photographer will be in focus. The lefthand side of the camera features an accessory rail which allows us to mount many of these add-ons. 250mm Sonnarf/5.6: Hasselblad advertises this lens for portraiture, sports, and stage photography. Id definitely prioritise the screen over the meter knob! Grab the 150mm Sonnar, a prism finder and a winder grip, and were ready to go. HASSELBLAD remained in this spot, a spot so high that it gave LEICA owners a camera about which to dream, until this line of HASSELBLADs was discontinued on 29 April 2013. Instagram and social media means that people are more accustomed to the square frame than arguably any other time before, which is both a blessing and curse. Need to get close for some product photography for a client? HASSELBLAD has been the world's most coveted professional camera ever since the 1950s when Ansel Adams and almost every other top commercial photographer started shooting them. I also bought a 645 back for it and like using that. If youre shooting professionally day-in day-out, this adaptability may make the Hasselblad perfect for you. For those of you who don't speak Hasselblad, that's a 38mm f/2.5, 55mm f/2.5 and 90mm f/2.5. I can't find a definition but I think of the "V" series as all post 1957 'blads as many of the modular components are interchangeable. It also includes a selection of actual data sheets on almost every lens. The geared winding handle of the film magazine whirrs as we load and unload roll after roll. When I first entered the world of medium format photography, these labels stood out to me as a clear indication that I was in over my head . If you're looking for the perfect drone for yourself, or to gift someone special, we've gone through all of the options and selected our favorites. 105mm UV-Sonnar f/4.3: This is a specialty lens that captures light perfectly though out the visible and UV light spectrum designed for technical and scientific photography. Unless you are planning on making large prints,doing gallery shows or just have lots of excess cash, the 80mm should suffice for most analogue geeks today. But if you have a clear vision for what youre trying to achieve with your photography, the V series can be configured to help you do the job (any job). Also, any idea if there is a crop factor on using Hasselblad lenses? Sorry to gush, but they are damned good pieces of kit. Also it is next to impossible to get the electronic ones repaired as support has dried up for them the 2000 series cameras and the ones w the built in motor drives. we will see if I can start shooting in a few days when It gets here. Where can I buy a V system with Digital back? Simply cover the cell and see if the needle goes down to zero. I, on the other hand, completely disagree. These also work with HASSELBLAD's newer electronic focal-plane shutter cameras (but not the ancient 1000F and 1600F), thus the name "CF.". For 200 series bodies, 50mm 2.8 and 110 F/2 are most used followed by the 150 and the 250. As an all around wide-angle the 50 is by far my favorite. Copyright 2014-2022, F Stop Cameras LLC, All Rights Reserved. Being equivalent to the 93mmin full format/35mm photography, it makes for a good portrait lens. Keep shooting everyone. Beyond the improvements listed above, the only advantage would be in purchasing alens that is perhaps in better condition and has a longer life ahead of it. The newest 503 CW with digital back could be matched to an ancient silver chrome C lens.