Hasselblad 100mm Planar questions

kavandje · Feb 13, 2009

OK, so I have obtained a Hasselblad 503cx (from 1989) equipped with an A12 back (from 1970) and a Carl Zeiss Planar T* 100mm f/3.5 from 1981.

According to a data sheet I have downloaded from zeiss.com/photo, it has a "bayonet for Hasselblad Series 50".

The lens' outer diameter by the bayonet is about 58-59mm (I'm a couple of thousand kilometres away from my calipers, so this measurement is eyeballed...). The lens' serial number is 6362xxx. Do I have the correct datasheet? If not, where can I find exact information?

What I'm after is an adapter ring that lets me use my existing filters. Who makes it?

Thanks in advance!

Q.G. · Feb 13, 2009

If it says "Synchro Compur" on your lens (and it will), it will take bayonet 50 filters.
You have the correct data sheet.

The "50" in bayonet 50 is not the outer diameter of the filter mount, nor thread size, but the size (approximately) of the glass in the filter. Zeiss calls this size "Bayonet 58", after the size of the bayonet mount. So that's about the size filter you should look for.

Heliopan has an adapter in their program, but only to 55 mm filters (art.no. 332 Bay 50 H -> 55 x 0.75).
I'm sure other manufacturers, like B+W, will have something too.

Hasselblad Bayonet 50 filters are plentiful, and cheap enough to consider them instead of adapters.

edtbjon · Feb 14, 2009

E.g. Hama sells/sold a B50->52mm adapter, which lets you use normal 52mm filters. There are other brands including no-names too and none of them costs a fortune. They also let you use the standard Hasselblad lens shade, i.e. the outer bayonet isn't blocked by the adapter. (You do plan to use the shade don't you? It would be a pity of having the sharpest Hasselblad lens ever made (That should read "affordable Hasselblad lens...") ruined by flare.
But as Q.G. says, there are lots of B50 filters around. (Labeled "Hasselblad ... Made in Germany" so they should be of decent quality.) Try to find a stack of filters, which would be the cheapest way of getting all the filters you need and then some...

//Björn

Q.G. · Feb 14, 2009

52 mm filters will not work on all bayonet 50 lenses, being really a bit too small in diameter.

mikebarger · Feb 14, 2009

You can buy Bay 50 filters so cheap, it's not hardly worth the effort to move to another size. How many are you really going to use?

Mike

Ed Sukach · Feb 14, 2009

I've found the best source for step-up and -down adapters - and really filters themselves, to be Tiffen. Google them and give them a try.

John Koehrer · Feb 15, 2009

Q.G. said:
52 mm filters will not work on all bayonet 50 lenses, being really a bit too small in diameter.

Agree with this, I'd go to 55 or 58mm.

edtbjon · Feb 15, 2009

I've used a B50->52 converter with success (i.e. without any vignetting) on a Planar 80mm, so it should be fine on a 100mm. The advantage is that the lens shade will fit on the outside bayonet without problems, which wouldn't be the case with a bigger filter.
But again, it didn't take long before I found a stack with all the b/w filters I could use plus a couple of Softars and Proxars, after which the choice was easy...

//Björn

Q.G. · Feb 16, 2009

edtbjon said:
I've used a B50->52 converter with success [...] The advantage is that the lens shade will fit on the outside bayonet without problems, which wouldn't be the case with a bigger filter.

The Hasselblad bayonet 50 filters are bigger filters (58 mm mount), and the hood fits very nicely.

Philippe-Georges · Feb 16, 2009

As the Hasselblad filters are bayonet mounted, they do not stick like the common filter mount sometimes do, and, like Q. G. said, "...the hood fits very nicely..."!
And, if you find some Proxars, you can mount them between the lens and the filter and do some close up work, AND the hood...

Good luck,

Philippe

kavandje · Feb 16, 2009

As it happens, I was at a camera swap meet in Hannover the other day, and scored an original Zeiss Proxar f=0.5m for the bayonet (w00t), as well as a Heliopan adapter for B50 to 52mm *and* 58mm, both of which fit nicely under the lens shade, so that's convenient.

I don't want to go filter silly -- I'm over that -- but I do want to be able to share some of the more expensive filters I have. But yeah: if I find a cheap B50 that I want/need, I'll pick it up. I just wanted the versatility offered by the adapter.

One thing I've noticed is that the Hassy's bayonet doesn't have a 'click' stop like my Rolleiflex -- i.e., the filter doesn't click into place with a definite feel like on the 'flex. Is this normal?
I am gratified to find that the Distagon T* 50/4 that I found has a plain vanilla 67mm filter thread...

Philippe-Georges · Feb 16, 2009

Actually, on the T*50 mm, it is a series VIII filter, hold in place by the retaining ring or the original screw in hood you need, but that's the theory...

Philippe

kavandje · Feb 16, 2009

Actually, on the T*50 mm, it is a series VIII filter, hold in place by the retaining ring or the original screw in hood you need, but that's the theory...

That's strange. When I got the lens, there was a 67mm filter on it; it's tight, but it doesn't feel like it's binding the thread or anything. The Zeiss datasheet indicates an "adapter ring for Hasselblad series 63" as a filter mounting; how is this intended to work?

Perhaps I need to keep my eyes open for a Distagon lens hood...

Q.G. · Feb 16, 2009

The mount is indeed a Series VIII, which Hasselblad called Series 63.
The thread is close to metric 67, but not quite the same. That's why it's tight.

There is a Hasselblad adapter ring, allowing use of Series 63 filters on bayonet 50 lenses. And one allowing use of Series 63 filters on bayonet 60 lenses. No other. No adapter to fit other size/mount filters on Series VIII/63 mount lenses.
The "adapter ring" Zeiss mentions is the retaining ring Philippe mentioned.

Q.G. · Feb 16, 2009

kavandje said:
One thing I've noticed is that the Hassy's bayonet doesn't have a 'click' stop like my Rolleiflex -- i.e., the filter doesn't click into place with a definite feel like on the 'flex. Is this normal?

It is. The filter should sit tight enough not to need a click stop.
Though lens caps will sometimes fit tighter to the filter than the filter does to the lens ...

kavandje · Feb 16, 2009

The mount is indeed a Series VIII, which Hasselblad called Series 63.

That's because 6 + 3 = 9, and 9 is one better than 8, right?

Spinal Tap taught me that. ;-)

The thread is close to metric 67, but not quite the same. That's why it's tight.

So a cheap-a$$ "adapter" might take the shape of a ø67 skylight: tight enough not to come off easily on one side, silky-smooth filter thread on the other. Bonus: protects the lens. What's not to like?

Q.G. · Feb 16, 2009

Mind you: too much 'build-up' in front of the 50 mm lens will lead to vignetting pretty fast.

mikebarger · Feb 16, 2009

Real fast, I've learned the hard way. One B&W 67mm filter and the Hassy shade cause me grief.

I use the drop in filters with the shade, no problem.

Mike

Hasselblad 100mm Planar questions

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