Hasselblad 101

[KatFan]

Hello folks,
I'm new to the group and have very simple questions about this very complicated camera I purchased used several years ago and now interested in learning how to use. I am exploring a digital back option.
How do I identify the model of the Hasselblad camera I own? Two serial numbers on the body and back are:
UT 500705 Back
UT 185329 Body
I understand the date of manufacture is 1976. Would this be a 500-C model? Where do I go from here?

Thanks for all your input!

K

 

[BrianShaw]

Post a picture.

And look at this: http://www.hasselbladhistorical.eu/hs/hstable.aspx

 

[MattKing]

Duplicate thread deleted.
Welcome to Photrio. We hope you get your question answered, and that you enjoy your time here.

 

[KatFan]

 

[Sirius Glass]

Hello folks,
I'm new to the group and have very simple questions about this very complicated camera I purchased used several years ago and now interested in learning how to use. I am exploring a digital back option.
How do I identify the model of the Hasselblad camera I own? Two serial numbers on the body and back are:
UT 500705 Back
UT 185329 Body
I understand the date of manufacture is 1976. Would this be a 500-C model? Where do I go from here?

Thanks for all your input!

K

You must be very wise since you use Hasselblads.

Welcome to APUG Photrio!!​

 

[KatFan]

Hi Sirius Glass,
How would you recommend learning how to use this camera, it's like a fun house.

K

 

[Sirius Glass]

Hi Sirius Glass,
How would you recommend learning how to use this camera, it's like a fun house.

K

1. Hasselblad time line http://www.stefanheymann.de/501cm/zeitleiste.htm
2. Set the light meters to box speed,
   
3. read about or see about how to load the camera
4. Always make sure the camera body and the lens are cocked before removing or attaching lenses
5. How to unjam the lens http://www.dmin-dmax.fr/photoe2b.htm and https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/6325347
6. Go out and start taking photographs then
7. Come back and ask question

 

[KatFan]

Thanks! I'll do this. I appreciate the links very much
K

 

[Pitotshock]

Nice kit!

I would say that Youtube was a great help for me on in getting the basics down, as well as the processes to avoid a jammed body/lens, like mentioned above. Basic camera work is like any other mechanical camera without a light meter, if you know these things, the Hasselblad isn't terribly different from anything else really: load film, aperture/shutter speed, focus, press the shutter and advance film (wind mechanisms).

It still amazes me how many 'safeties' built into the Hasselblads and how effective they are at keeping you from inadvertently exposing your film to daylight. But, if you do something out of order it can end up in a mechanical jam, which needs a little knowledge to get out of.

With an older body, I would suggest you have a look at how the lens is functioning with the film back off the camera (camera works without a film back in place). Set the lens to a long shutter time of 1 second, then set the aperture to something like f16 (=EV of 8) and then watch the lens function from the film's perspective or the camera's back while pressing and holding down the shutter. You should see the aperture blades tighten down to a small hole and the shutter clockworks work away. Then after the 1 second exposure time, the shutter will close. You will also be able to view the 'barn doors' and the mirror movements from this position. Besides its just fun to watch all the stuff going on from this perspective. Release the shutter button, wind the body and repeat with half and quarter second shutter speeds.

The aperture and shutter actions should be crisp and immediate, old gummy oils/dirt etc could make them act differently and the pictures you take could all be at a different exposure than you set the camera to, and lead to much frustration after you get the film developed. If anything else than this happens, you may need some work done on the lens/ body. It is possible to take a video of the slower shutter speeds and then just measure the time, in video editing software, between open and close to get a feel of how accurate the lens is working, obviously there is a limitation on what you can achieve with something like a cell phone video recorder, but 1 second 0.5 second and .25 seconds should be achievable for most.

 

[KatFan]

Thanks Pitotshock,

I'm at the beginning with this lovely camera. When I purchased it in 2011, I was told to have the lens cleaned and to have the shutter speed adjusted and I think I brought it to a shop and did so, but it's been so long I can't verifiably remember. I don't want to deal with print film and really would like to first understand this camera and either work with negatives to produce positives or use a digital back which is a whole other endeavor I know. I don't learn well with manuals, I'm really a hands on person. I hope I don't get discouraged. I've always loved this format.

 

[Pitotshock]

I'm a visual learner, so if I can see someone else do it, I can do it too. That is why Youtube works so well for me, and why I like to suggest it.

I love the darkroom portion, which is why I wanted to do some medium format work. It just gives a great starting point for some great prints. Maybe someday I'll give large format a try to take one step further...

 

[KatFan]

I learn the same as well. I love darkroom processing (basics) but I'm doing mostly sculptural work now. My Canon is great for most purposes and I love the immediacy when I need to get something out fast. After I purchased this camera I intended to print my own images, took a couple classes to brush up and I bought a darkroom outfit nearby, kept it in the garage for a couple years and ended up selling it. I just couldn't get to it, too many other projects, etc...Not enough time in a single life it what it is.

 

[Pieter12]

It's not a bad idea for the foam light seals on the film back (where the dark slide goes) to be replaced or at least have checked. They go out pretty regularly, particularly with age.

 

[Duceman]

May want to consider getting a CLA. Within the past year or so, I've been sending off pieces of my Hassy kit for CLA as it had been at least 20 years since they'd been serviced.

 

[Kodachromeguy]

These articles by Ming Thein might be useful:

https://blog.mingthein.com/2013/07/27/fd-shooting-with-the-legends-hasselblad-501cm/

https://blog.mingthein.com/2013/01/26/intro-to-hasselblad-v-series/

 

[aoresteen]

Welcome to the Hasselblad world. All good advice above. The light meters shown in your photo concern me. I would check them against a modern Sekonic light meter to see if they are still are accurate.

Your body & back are from 1976. Here's the code to date Hasselblad cameras:

1234567890
VHPICTURES

Good luck!

 

[mcrokkorx]

1976 serial number range means your Hasselblad body model is 500cm (the 500c was discontinued around 1970, the last batch were actually early 500cms). Yours looks like it may have all been sold together originally as a complete camera kit: the waist level finder is matching '76 vintage, as are the A12 back and lens. The chromed fold out winding crank was an optional upgrade: in 1976 all 500cm bodies were originally equipped with a simple black winding knob.

The Hasselblad 500cm is a legendary classic camera of supreme quality, but as others have suggested you should check it out very carefully with and without film before attempting to shoot anything important. The one big "gotcha" with Hasselblad (that tends to get swept under the rug beneath all the praise) is they absolutely, positively *hate* to sit unused for any length of time. While this is true to a certain degree with every mechanical camera system, Hasselblad takes it to next-level spitefulness sometimes: if they sit idle for several years, anything and everything can get gummed up (esp the lens shutters). So do heed the suggestions above to test and exercise all the shutter speeds and apertures while looking thru the rear of the camera with the film back removed: if anything is amiss, you'll need to have it serviced again (even though you already did this back in 2011).

Pay particular attention to the small apertures like f/22: they should stop down instantly at slower shutter speeds like 1/4 sec (any sluggishness or drag will cause overexposure at faster speeds). Also keep an eye on the rear flaps: they should snap open and closed smartly, edges flush with no gaps. Note the flaps are controlled by the shutter button: get in the habit of keeping the shutter release pressed until you know the lens shutter has closed (if you let go too soon the flaps will cover the film before the lens shutter finishes the exposure, esp at slower speeds below 1/15th). Study the youTube videos until you're comfortable loading film properly, then shoot an entire test roll in bright outdoors settings: any stray light streaks or banding indicates the dark slide slot may need a new light seal (easy to DIY). Any problems with overlapping frames or other spacing issues should also be revealed by a test roll or two. Hopefully, your 500cm has remained limber in storage and will respond well to being used again with no issues.

Re digital backs: its a good idea to have your body and lens completely overhauled before using any digital back. Small mechanical errors concealed by film will be ruthlessly apparent on digital: the mirror alignment, body squaring, and lens shutter must be near flawless to make the expense of a digital back worthwhile. Some digital backs don't work very well with the original all-metal C lenses like your Planar, because their Compur shutter design doesn't trigger exposure consistently thru the flash sync system. Sometimes a lens servicing helps with this, but with some backs its best to use the CF and newer lens versions with Prontor shutter instead. On a tight budget, consider an older CCD back like Phase One P25: great color, larger sensor size than is common on newer backs (so less of the annoying crop factor). See the digital forums for lots more info: this is the film (analog) forum.

 

[Kodachromeguy]

Excellent advice above! If you do not have these accessories, let me suggest (urge):

1. Hood. You need the Bayonet B50 size.
2. For B&W film, yellow, green, and orange filters, and possibly red. These will be B50, and not too expensive.
3. If you already have 52mm color filters from another camera, get a B50- 52 adapter ring. I trust Tim at Filterfind.net for such items.
4. Cable release.

I will not go down the rat hole of whether you should use a "protection" filter.

Have fun!

 

[Sirius Glass]

1. Hasselblad time line http://www.stefanheymann.de/501cm/zeitleiste.htm
2. Set the light meters to box speed,
   
3. read about or see about how to load the camera
4. Always make sure the camera body and the lens are cocked before removing or attaching lenses
5. How to unjam the lens http://www.dmin-dmax.fr/photoe2b.htm and https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/6325347
6. Go out and start taking photographs then
7. Come back and ask question

Very important: every three months, remove the film back and fire all lens fifteen times on 1 second to prevent the shutter from becoming stuck or sticky. This is from my Hasselblad repairman.

 

[mcrokkorx]

Very important: every three months, remove the film back and fire all lens fifteen times on 1 second to prevent the shutter from becoming stuck or sticky. This is from my Hasselblad repairman.

I'm so paranoid about this preventative maintenance that I bought a cheap motorized 500ELX body just for easier quicker exercise of all the shutter speeds/apertures in all my lenses every couple months (if I haven't been using them). Its a lot easier than manually crank cocking repeatedly, OTOH the stress on my wrist from palming that dense heavy brick up to a bright window and pressing the electric shutter button 200 times an hour is probably not doing my tendons any favors.

To say nothing of the contortions I put my hands thru to exercise the leaf shutters in all my Maniya TLR and Mamiya Press lenses.

 

[KatFan]

It's not a bad idea for the foam light seals on the film back (where the dark slide goes) to be replaced or at least have checked. They go out pretty regularly, particularly with age.

Are the foam light seals costly to replace? What indication should I look for?

 

[KatFan]

May want to consider getting a CLA. Within the past year or so, I've been sending off pieces of my Hassy kit for CLA as it had been at least 20 years since they'd been serviced.

What is a CLA?

 

[Kodachromeguy]

What is a CLA?

This stands for Cleaning, Lubrication, and Adjustment. This is one of those terms that camera guys like to throw around. Unfortunately, it can mean almost any degree of maintenance (or non-maintenance) that a repair service wants to define as their version of a CLA. If you are in USA and send your camera to one of the better-known Hasselblad repair services or to Hasselblad-Bron in New Jersey, the CLA will be quite thorough.

 

[BrianShaw]

What is a CLA?

Overhaul; Periodic servicing

 

[KatFan]

These articles by Ming Thein might be useful:

https://blog.mingthein.com/2013/07/27/fd-shooting-with-the-legends-hasselblad-501cm/

https://blog.mingthein.com/2013/01/26/intro-to-hasselblad-v-series/

Thanks for the links, I'll watch them