Considering Hasselblad Purchase - CLA Cost?

DougVaughn · May 27, 2018

I'm considering the purchase of a Hasselblad 500 C/M from a friend who lives in another city. About 6 months ago, he sent it to one of the big camera stores for them to potentially purchase it, but they only offered $300. He didn't realize that I was into old film cameras and have been looking out for that setup.

He was in town today and brought it along for me to see. It's beautiful. I'd say Ex+ to Mint- if ready to shoot. The problem... it's been sitting in a box for 30+ years after being used only a few times. It absolutely needs someone to go through it and do a complete overhaul to ensure everything works perfectly. I'm trying to figure out how much I'm willing to pay, considering I have to put money into it. The package includes an 80mm lens, prism finder, single A12 back, and flash (which probably adds no value).

Any ideas what an overhaul might cost and who does the best work?

Oren Grad · May 27, 2018

http://david-odess.com/repair.html

btaylor · May 27, 2018

So you’re looking at about $500-600 all in. The good news is when you get it back it will run like new for years. If you’re going to shoot with it at all seriously you need to get it serviced. One way I look at it is if I could buy this new it would probably cost $10 to 15k in today’s dollars. $500 doesn’t look that bad after that calculation.

mshchem · May 27, 2018

Before I sent it off I would try it. Shutter is in the lens. If the shutter works, the whole thing may work? I did see a similar situation, a beautiful Hasselblad and a couple nice lenses came in to a shop. On closer inspection the camera had significant corrosion from being exposed to sea air.
United Camera Repair, Rock Island, IL These guys can CLA anything.

DougVaughn · May 27, 2018

I did fire it a few times, and everything appears to work, including the shutter. I only had a few minutes and didn't check all the shutter speeds to see if they sound even close to accurate. I wished I had brought my sensor loupe, which is great for a close look at a lens, but I held it up to a light, and it looked pretty clean despite a bit of dust. I'm guessing it's worth $1,200 to $1,300 cleaned up and ready to shoot, which means I need to be paying around $700. Unfortunately, I think he's hoping for $1,000 to $1,100 as it sits. His wife seemed less sentimentally attached, so maybe she'll nudge him more in my direction when they go home and talk about it. I won't pressure him to sell since I already waste enough on cameras.

jeffreyg · May 27, 2018

Why not run a roll or two through it at different shutter speeds and apertures. Develop or have the film developed to see if there are any obvious problems. i have used David Odess as mentioned. You can get an idea of cost from his website. The last work I had done was with Hasselblad in New Jersey last year. His workload was backed up and they were much faster and actually cost less. I don't recall the cost but it was less than $500. If it is only a light seal for the back, you can do it yourself in fifteen minutes and for the cost of the seal. Smell it for mildew. If all works well you can always have a CLA.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

Theo Sulphate · May 27, 2018

Does it have an 80/2.8 C lens or CF lens? The older C lenses are more likely to have issues with the slower speeds (and self timer), plus there may be fewer places that can repair them. The CF lenses are much nicer from an ergonomic perspective.

BrianShaw · May 27, 2018

Maybe I’m not watching the auctions carefully enough, but it sounds like your lowballing your friend. I haven’t seen kits like that in “just serviced” condition selling at the prices you cite. You can always do an eBay completed search for real sales data.

mshchem · May 27, 2018

DougVaughn said:
I did fire it a few times, and everything appears to work, including the shutter. I only had a few minutes and didn't check all the shutter speeds to see if they sound even close to accurate. I wished I had brought my sensor loupe, which is great for a close look at a lens, but I held it up to a light, and it looked pretty clean despite a bit of dust. I'm guessing it's worth $1,200 to $1,300 cleaned up and ready to shoot, which means I need to be paying around $700. Unfortunately, I think he's hoping for $1,000 to $1,100 as it sits. His wife seemed less sentimentally attached, so maybe she'll nudge him more in my direction when they go home and talk about it. I won't pressure him to sell since I already waste enough on cameras.

I recently bought a near mint 501cm, made in 2000, perfect kit camera ,lens perfect, new back, Acute-Matte D focusing screen (OMG! BRIGHT) 1700 USD delivered . I wouldn't let his problem of not servicing the camera become your problem. If he wants 1100 bucks ,it needs to be working very well with no defects. The camera is old, may need something you may not see . I would tell him to send it to the Hasselblad expert, have it gone through and fixed. Then you are both being treated fairly.
P.S. though not as sexy consider a Bronica SQ-AI, OTF TTL flash, lenses are great and very reasonable. I have picked these up complete camera lens back finder for 500 or less. Fabulous camera, I have 4 SQ-AI bodies, every lens, finder etc. HOWEVER with the 'blad you are holding perfection, pure, no battery, no substitute ! . Get a nice one, so no regrets .

mshchem · May 27, 2018

The 501cm kits came with a CB lens, 6 element instead of 7 with the CF. Also the CB lens isn't compatible with the 200 series cameras. I really like my 501cm. I bought a Like new latest non metered 45 degree prism and a grip. The Acute-Matte screen blew me away. I bet it's 2 stops brighter. The 80 CB is a great lens. Picked up a flawless 150 Sonnar CF from a friend in Japan for 400 US. The stuff dreams are made of.

Theo Sulphate · May 27, 2018

mshchem said:
...Also the CB lens isn't compatible with the 200 series cameras....

Actually they are, but not as intuitive as with a CF lens.

To use the focal plane shutter with a CB lens, set B on the lens and set the shutter speed on the body.

To use the lens shutter, set the shutter speed on the lens and select C on the body's shutter speed ring.

mshchem · May 27, 2018

Theo Sulphate said:
Actually they are, but not as intuitive as with a CF lens.

To use the focal plane shutter with a CB lens, set B on the lens and set the shutter speed on the body.

To use the lens shutter, set the shutter speed on the lens and select C on the body's shutter speed ring.

Oh no. Now I will want more cameras Thanks for the info!
Best Mike

Sgore · May 27, 2018

Theo Sulphate said:
Does it have an 80/2.8 C lens or CF lens? The older C lenses are more likely to have issues with the slower speeds (and self timer), plus there may be fewer places that can repair them. The CF lenses are much nicer from an ergonomic perspective.

It's not that there are fewer people who can repair them, it's that the reservoir of parts for those repairs is shrinking. That being said, the people who offer CLA services for C lenses probably have all the parts needed to effect a repair if it becomes necessary.

wjlapier · May 27, 2018

Definitely shoot the camera and see how it works. If it works fine I would wait on the CLA for when you really need it.

I have an older 500c kit I put together recently and it works just fine. Folks might say I should send it in and spend $500 for a CLA, but if its working now why fix it if it's not broken?

ac12 · May 28, 2018

The problem with a mechanical device that has not been used, is that the lubricant may have dried and is sticky on the mechanism.

The Hasselblad lens has 2 shutter speed mechanisms; slow and flash speeds.
I do not remember where they change from one to the other. It may be that 1/30 and below is on the slow, and 1/60 and up is on the fast. Maye someone on the forum know this.
It is possible for one to fail and not the other.

First exercise the shutter, to make sure things are working.
Fire the camera 5-10 times at every shutter speed.

Get the SLOWEST speed film you can find, like Ilford Pan-F at ISO 50
Then take a few shots of the same scene at equivalent exposure using the slowest shutter speed you can (try for 1/15 sec), and at 1/125 sec. Example 1/15 sec at f/22 and 1/125 at f/8,

You are trying to get one exposure on the slow speed mechanism and one on the fast speed mechanism. It is possible for one to fail but not the other.
The trick is to find a scene where you can shoot at both a SLOW and FAST shutter speed.

Have it developed and look at the negative.
The frames exposed at 1/15 sec and 1/125 sec should be identical in exposure. If they are not, one of the shutter mechanisms may have failed.

For me, price will depend on WHICH 80mm lens is in the kit; the early C lens, the later CF lens or the newer CFI or CFE lens.
I would pay more for the later lens, and less for the older lens.

Sirius Glass · May 28, 2018

wjlapier said:
Definitely shoot the camera and see how it works. If it works fine I would wait on the CLA for when you really need it.

I have an older 500c kit I put together recently and it works just fine. Folks might say I should send it in and spend $500 for a CLA, but if its working now why fix it if it's not broken?

I agree. Also some things that you should know:

Never remove or put on a lens unless both the lens and the body are cocked. Otherwise you can damage both.
How to unjam a lens. http://www.dmin-dmax.fr/photoe2b.htm
Fire Hasselblad lenses every three months at various speed. This will forestall needing CLAs.
How to load film
Always store Hasselblad cameras and lenses cocked. They were designed to be stored cocked and that also avoids violating #1.
Get a manual and read the instructions.

Please feel free to ask questions. We were not born with photographic knowledge nor the knowledge about particular cameras.

Enjoy.

DougVaughn · May 29, 2018

Thanks all for the information. I wish I had ready access to the camera, but he lives a pretty good drive from me, and we only cross paths about every 6 months. When I can take a closer look, I will definitely verify the lens model and check all shutter speeds.

He also has a Calumet 4x5 camera (same vintage as Hasselblad) that he was trying to make a package deal out of. It's a monster and looks pretty cool, but I'm sure I'd never get around to shooting it. He threw out a number of $350, but my knowledge of them is zero, and I have no idea of value. That's a lot to sit on a shelf and start conversations... just don't need it.

Considering Hasselblad Purchase - CLA Cost?

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