Doomed?

Antje · Nov 27, 2006

I sure am doomed - I bought this Rolleicord last week, shot a few rolls of film, bought some lab equipment and developed my first B/W rolls, and this weekend I suddenly found myself searching Ebay for a Hasselblad with back and lens... What am I doing here? I own a Canon 20D with all the lenses I could wish for that sees several hundred to thousands actuations each month. I shoot mostly macro and wildlife, and now I'm hankering after a system that would lend itself more to landscape, portraits and such. I saw this nice 501 at a camera store and couldn't keep my eyes off the big viewfinder... It even smelled nice. And then this beautiful 6x6 format...

Could someone please talk me out of it? I almost long for the days when I was a student and Hasselblads so expensive that I couldn't even dream of them. Now I could just go and buy one. I should have my husband hide my credit card for me.

And all of this just because I wanted to give this neglected little Rolleicord a nice new home. What have I done!

Sorry for the rant - I simply needed to talk about my new love.

Antje

arigram · Nov 27, 2006

You are doomed allright. Pretty soon you'll be using the Canon as a bookend and not being able to look at digital stuff anymore.

Magnus W · Nov 27, 2006

Yup, doomed.

hassy-owner -- MW

Steve Smith · Nov 27, 2006

You have now set the pattern for the rest of your life. If you want to stop yourself making instant purchases, freeze your credit card inside a large block of ice. Next time you want to buy something you have the time it takes for the ice to freeze to think about your purchase!

Steve.

A fellow Rolleicord owner. (and a Bronica ETRS, two Olympus XAs, Nikon FG, Nikon F601, Flexaret, Zeiss Ikon, Canon QL, Homemade 5x4, modified Polaroids, etc... etc... !!)

catem · Nov 27, 2006

Ah - no going back

Enjoy.

best wishes,
Cate

Antje · Nov 27, 2006

Thanks for your understanding, guys... I really needed a shoulder to cry on. Now where is that next cameraholic meeting?

I do see a pattern here. My dad has approximately ten zillion cameras of all kinds (and about ten MF, LF, pinhole, digital and other cameras he uses regularly). I never thought I could actually buy a camera just because it looked at me twin-eyed from a shelf, which is basically the way my dad acquired his collection. Seems like I just never met the right one until this moment! Must be something in my genes, as well.

Thankfully, I've been a very poor student long enough to be forever reluctant to spend - I think the prudent step would be shooting the Rolleicord for a while until I find out if that's really what I want.

That, and staying away from Ebay and every camera store in town.

Antje

juan · Nov 27, 2006

Soon you'll need an 8x10.
juan

Jerevan · Nov 27, 2006

In the long run you may be doomed, but as you say, a good few films through the Rolleicord is a good way to start!

It's possible to do a lot with it. I've done portraits, landscape, details in landscape, architecture and just about everything except pure action stuff with my Rolleicords.

jstraw · Nov 27, 2006

Whatya want for that 20D?

JBrunner · Nov 27, 2006

Yes, there is a cure to what is happening. Just go LF and get it over with. And BTW welcome to APUG.

Robert Hall · Nov 27, 2006

As they say... Macht's besser, aber net so oft.

Film vs Digi? There is a simple satisfaction one gets from the "feel" of film.

Also, hab keine Angst. The feeling will leave you for the 'blad and then you will be drawn to larger and lager formats. You may even have to sell your digi to get better film kit.

rpsawin · Nov 27, 2006

Antje,

Take comfort in the fact that you are not alone and many people world-wide have the same need for support (although it is more like encouragement on this site). We are here for each other every step of the way: 35mm, MF, LF...

Really, this is a great site full of extremely knowledgable and helpful people. Good luck with your shooting.

Bob

Rolleiflexible · Nov 27, 2006

Antje said:
I sure am doomed - I bought this Rolleicord last week, shot a few rolls of film, bought some lab equipment and developed my first B/W rolls, and this weekend I suddenly found myself searching Ebay for a Hasselblad with back and lens.

Antje

Antje, welcome to the Rollei world. My first real camera was a Rolleiflex 3.5E, a delicious camera that remains one of my workhorses.

Like you, once seduced by the Rolleiflex, I began to consider other possibilities, other cameras. Like you, I moved to a Hasselblad ... then to a 4x5 view camera ... then to a 5x7 view camera. And a variety of minor experiments in between. And now I've returned to a Rolleiflex (this time a Tele Rolleiflex).

I continue to use my view camera a lot. But in the end, the Rolleiflex remains my truest love. They are jewels of industrial design. The optics are peerless. They feel right.

If I were to do it again, I'd forget about the Hasselblad. They are crude tools by comparison with your Rolleicord. Me, I shoot 95+ percent of my work in one focal length anyway, so the sole advantage of the Hasselblad -- interchangeable lenses -- is of little value to me. The conventional Rolleiflex lens is a bit short for my portraiture, so I moved to the Tele Rolleiflex (there is a RolleiWide as well) and it fits me like a glove. If I were limited to one camera for the rest of my life, the Tele Rolleiflex would do it for me.

Enjoy your Rolleicord.

Sanders.

Bromo33333 · Nov 27, 2006

I am truly sorry - so few were ever able to pullback once the negatives get temptingly large.

mark · Nov 27, 2006

Sell the canon stuff to fund the hassy. That way you won't feel guilty.

THardy · Nov 27, 2006

Just buy it.

André E.C. · Nov 27, 2006

Sanders McNew said:
If I were to do it again, I'd forget about the Hasselblad. They are crude tools by comparison with your Rolleicord. Me, I shoot 95+ percent of my work in one focal length anyway, so the sole advantage of the Hasselblad -- interchangeable lenses -- is of little value to me.

I beg your pardon, Sanders!

It`s clear that the greatest MF system camera ever built, rejected the photographer!
Happens all the time , but I do agree the Rolleiflex it`s a fantastic tool, but a tad limited.

Antje, buy that Blad and be a happy individual.

Cheers

André

arigram · Nov 27, 2006

Sanders McNew said:
If I were to do it again, I'd forget about the Hasselblad. They are crude tools by comparison with your Rolleicord. Me, I shoot 95+ percent of my work in one focal length anyway, so the sole advantage of the Hasselblad -- interchangeable lenses -- is of little value to me.

If I knew of your blasphemic views regarding the Goddess of the photographic machines, I wouldn't stand by your deeply offensive and repulsive "images" of shameless women.

Rolleiflexible · Nov 27, 2006

Come to the light, Ari: Shoot a Rolleiflex! :-D

Sanders

Buster6X6 · Nov 27, 2006

André E.C. said:
I beg your pardon, Sanders!

It`s clear that the greatest MF system camera ever built, rejected the photographer!
Happens all the time , but I do agree the Rolleiflex it`s a fantastic tool, but a tad limited.

Antje, buy that Blad and be a happy individual.

Cheers

André

I agree with Andre. I wanted to by Hasselblad since early seventies when I spend six years in West Germany at the time with young family and no money it was a dream. I got my dream fulfilled I have two Blads now and if I want to shoot something important always take Blad with me. Even when I go out and shoot with my 4X5 or 8X10 Blad is always by my side. As Andre said Rolly is great but a bit limited.
BTW welcome to best site for traditional photography in the world.

Greg

poutnik · Nov 27, 2006

I also have to add that you're deep in the mud (or developer should I say )

My brother-in-law has also a Canon (350D). This friday he bought a Rolleiflex, on sunday we have been out trying it and developing the negs. When I took the negs out, he said the camera is definitely not going back to the seller (he has some time to try everything). And when we printed the first photo from this neg, he was totally caught. He said the 35mm film he was shooting ages ago was dead (sorry small format folks).

He is stuck so deep that today he went out and bought an enlarger and other darkroom stuff...

And I'm soooo happy that I have a similar soul around

Jiri

Shelly Grimson · Nov 27, 2006

Well I have a few old Rolleis and I must admit the 'T' is my favourite because it is almost weightless and the tessar is delicious. But the same thing happened to me. I actually picked up a 500 cm and smelled it! Am a crazy or what. It had a certain perfumey odour that was half femine and half mechanical. Well the rest is history...Now my wife doesn't know any of this so let's keep it on the QT shall we.
PS The photos from the camera can be terrific but that part of the equation seems to depend on the mind rather than the gonads. Enjoy your Hasselblad!

Rolleiflexible · Nov 27, 2006

poutnik said:
And when we printed the first photo from this neg, he was totally caught. He said the 35mm film he was shooting ages ago was dead (sorry small format folks).

One of the most poignant parts of the recent Diane Arbus: Revelations exhibit(I saw it in NYC) was the room where they displayed her 35mm Nikon alongside her Rolleiflex. The curators surrounded the cameras with excerpts of Arbus's letters to various people about how she felt as she made the transition from 35mm to 6x6. At one point, she said she felt as if she had not yet mastered the language of medium format, but couldn't go back to 35mm film.

I bet most MF and LF photographers can recall the first time they pulled a big negative from the fixer and had a look. It's powerful stuff.

Sanders.

poutnik · Nov 27, 2006

Sanders McNew said:
I bet most MF and LF photographers can recall the first time they pulled a big negative from the fixer and had a look. It's powerful stuff.

Sanders.

Sanders, you're right. I can not speak very loudly about that when my wife is around, but I already have 2 8×10" holders I got for free from my friend. And I am already envisaging the negs by simply holding the holders... Have only find a way to get a camera for the holders and not ruin my purse...

Jiri

poutnik · Nov 27, 2006

... I even have some lenses (thanks Ole, the 280mm Hugo Meyer is interesting on 9×12cm too ) to let the light on film in those holders...

Jiri

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