Hasselblad 180mm Sonnar - Talk me in/out of purchasing it

[FujiLove]

Also, I LOVE your book. The best darkroom related book I own and I own a few

Me too. I'm currently re-reading it from cover to cover and enjoying every word.

 

[etn]

Count me in as admirer of that book. Thank you Ralph! Unfortunately I could only read a few pages so far... I ordered it a couple weeks ago after reading about it here, but had to return 3 copies back to Amazon. The packaging was so miserable (read: toss the book into a large box and ship it without any sort of padding) that every single copy arrived damaged. I still wonder how I had the patience to go through 3 returns. Now I ordered one from another supplier, let's see how that one arrives, it's waiting for me at the post office...

 

[Sirius Glass]

All this talk of the 180, made me get one . Too late to talk me out of it

Impossible to resist the pressure of G.A.S. so give into it and enjoy.

 

[Charles S]

Impossible to resist the pressure of G.A.S. so give into it and enjoy.

I did. I t arrived on Thursday and I have been testing it over the weekend. It behaves like described in the thread

 

[Sirius Glass]

Hi all,

I just recently got back into the Hasselblad system after a few years of shooting 8x10. I've put together a really nice little kit of a 503cx and a 553elx with the following lenses:

• 50mm FLE
• 80mm CF
• 120mm Makro CF
• 150mm Sonnar CF

I also have the 8, 16, 21 extension tubes. I'm using the camera almost exclusively on a tripod and for portraiture. Even though the kit has been really great for covering a lot of situations thus far, I've seen a 180mm Sonnar that I think I can grab at a really good price and I'm debating getting it. Either that or maybe a 250mm.

Given what I'm using the camera for, does anyone have some personal experience to add as to whether adding a 180mm lens is foolhardy or just kind of a good idea? I'd love to hear what anyone here has to say!

Thanks!

Lets get one thing straight here. We are here to enable others to buy more equipment, not to discourage them. It is analogous to going to a bar tender and asking about getting a sober life.

 

[logan.egbert]

Well, I shot a few shots of the pup with the 180 and I'm very impressed with the results. Very, very sharp and pairs insanely well with the 16mm tube for some up close work.



Very happy with the trade! Do recommend this lens.

 

[etn]

Nice pics- I particularly like the 2nd one.

 

[logan.egbert]

It IS possible to get over G.A.S. I did it. I'm free. I have a Retina IIa, a Nikkormat FT2, and a Medalist II. And a junk Horseman 8 x 10 I modified to get rid of that anvil rear "L" arm, and it's more than enough gear. Heck, the Medalist is more than enough. A rich man's Hasselblad x 10, since you can find one for a couple hundred dollars. You can own the camera AND your money. The Hasselblad was built by a Swede trying to show his good German buddy he could pull a legacy out of his hat too. Only incidentally did NASA choose it as the best for the job at hand, 12 years later. But for walking around photographing barns and such here on earth, the Medalist kills the Hass. And it's more prestigious. I can walk around and shoot an old air show with the Medalist, in peace. After all, nobody is going to walk up to me and talk my ear off about photography when he finds out I'm using a Kodak.
They are unimpressed. I'm the smart one (quietly). After all, I got rid of them so I could go back to taking pictures of airplanes of better quality than a Hasselblad or such. I forgot to mention I also have a really nice Super Graphic. But the Medalist II, is one heck of a piece of iron. I found out about it right here on this site. Imagine 50 years in photography before finding out it even existed.

Interesting thoughts, but pretty irrelevant to this particular thread.

 

[kobaltus]

Buy it or leave it, its your money. I am satisfied with my sonnar aus jena 2,8 180 for P6. Cheap and sweet.
APUGuser19 thougts are relevant for this thread in my opinion.

 

[Ai Print]

Buy it or leave it, its your money. I am satisfied with my sonnar aus jena 2,8 180 for P6. Cheap and sweet.
APUGuser19 thougts are relevant for this thread in my opinion.

Whatever, it's this kind of pointless chest pounding that drives away some people who might be new to film and film cameras from even trying them in the first place.

We are talking about Hasselblad here, a brand that has long been held in high regard for a reason and with brilliant new additions to the modern product line up that make stellar use of that 180mm lens in discussion, it will remain at the top for a long time to come.

The Hasselblad system is the most powerful one I have, and I own a lot of gear for my work.

 

[rulnacco]

If I may ask, what are the reasons which make you want to upgrade to CFi?
Not to talk you out of it by any means, but as far as I am concerned, I decided that for me the sweet spot in features,
handling & price were CF lenses. The only thing that would make me change is the smoother CFi focus ring,
but it's not worth the extra cost to me. Besides, I like the CF looks better
I am always interested to hear different opinions!
Thanks!

Sorry to resurrect an ancient thread--but I was reading up on Hasselblad 150 and 180 lenses, and this is why we archive them: sometimes, a discussion from years ago can inform someone's decision today. So, in that vein:

For anyone considering CF vs. CFi lenses, one thing in regard to the focusing ring is this: on the 150mm CF--and it appears to be the same on the 120mm and 180mm CF as well--there is a plastic trim ring right behind the focusing ring, which serves the practical purpose of keeping the focusing ring rubber in place as you use it. Without that plastic ring, the rubber collar slides down the lens barrel while focusing. And apparently, that plastic trim ring is a bit of a weak point, as it seems that it's not uncommon for that ring to crack through after several years--which interferes with the full use of the lens. The CFi lenses changed the design of the focusing ring so that is no longer a problem.

I actually bought my 150mm CF very cheap, as it had that exact flaw. (I was lucky to get very good deals on the 120 and 180 in CFi.) Eventually, when I got tired of it frequently breaking again--epoxying it did not work as a long-term solution--I took the ring to a 3D-printing service. (I had messaged David Odess, RIP, to see if he had one in stock--he did, but wanted $128 plus shipping for it back in 2016. Not unreasonable given their probable rarity, and that he would have wanted to keep them for servicing lenses sent to him. But for me, that was a bit much for a piece of plastic.) It took them about three tries to get the ring exactly right in terms of fit--they didn't charge me for the unsuccessful prototypes--and it's not as glossy as the original, although it isn't at all obtrusively noticeable, But it's worked great ever since.

It cost me about $70 for the design and printing, so much less than buying a replacement part. And I defrayed the cost of that: my favourite London dealer did a free service on my Leica M3 in return for giving them permission to use the design I'd commissioned and putting them in touch with the printer, as they said they often took in lenses for repair with that problem, and the rings weren't readily available for them.

So the point of all this? 1) The CFi do have, in addition to their other improvements, more durable focusing rings. 2) You can quite possibly get a very good price on a CF version of the 120-180 lenses, if you're willing to buy one with the cracked trim ring problem. And 3), it is possible to obtain replacements to bring the lens back to full functionality if not 100% original cosmetics, by using 3D printing; I'd not be surprised at all if there are now pre-existing files online you could download and take to a printer to fix the problem. So all those things may inform folks considering the purchase of the lenses in question, and the various versions of them.

 

[Steven Lee]

@rulnacco Maybe 3D printing is not the only option. I called Hasselblad NJ in 2022 right before they moved to CA and they sent me a brand new ring for something like $19-39 (don't remember the exact price, but definitely less than $50). In fact I ordered two just in case. Still have them in factory packaging. If anyone needs that ring maybe just call Hasselblad?

 

[GLS]

And 3), it is possible to obtain replacements to bring the lens back to full functionality if not 100% original cosmetics, by using 3D printing

I have seen people selling replacement focusing rings (probably 3D printed, as you say).

Here is one example now, although it doesn't look like a great fit for the lens:

Hasselblad 150mm CF lens focusing snap ring replacement | eBay UK

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Hasselblad 150mm CF lens focusing snap ring replacement at the best online prices at eBay UK! Free delivery for many products!

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[rulnacco]

@rulnacco Maybe 3D printing is not the only option. I called Hasselblad NJ in 2022 right before they moved to CA and they sent me a brand new ring for something like $19-39 (don't remember the exact price, but definitely less than $50). In fact I ordered two just in case. Still have them in factory packaging. If anyone needs that ring maybe just call Hasselblad?

Nice to know! That's certainly a lot cheaper than David Odess was parting with them for--and that's not at all unreasonable, if they still have them in stock.

Hasselblad moved to California? I wonder if they took their repair techs and everything with them. It seemed that some of those guys were a bit older and had been around for a minute, I'm not so sure that they'd be keen on packing up and moving to Cali from NJ. That was one nice thing about Hasselblad--their repairs were pretty reasonable, and you got your gear back quickly. I had one or two issues with things not being fixed *right* initially, but in the end they sorted everything out for me each time I used them.

 

[rulnacco]

I have seen people selling replacement focusing rings (probably 3D printed, as you say).

Here is one example now, although it doesn't look like a great fit for the lens:

Hasselblad 150mm CF lens focusing snap ring replacement | eBay UK

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Hasselblad 150mm CF lens focusing snap ring replacement at the best online prices at eBay UK! Free delivery for many products!

www.ebay.co.uk

Ooooo, yeah--that looks a bit savage, lol. What they did is just printed a combination focus/trim ring, with no differentiation between the two. That looks hideous!

Mine isn't the most beautiful thing ever, but it's a lot more elegant than that.

 

[Sirius Glass]

@rulnacco Maybe 3D printing is not the only option. I called Hasselblad NJ in 2022 right before they moved to CA and they sent me a brand new ring for something like $19-39 (don't remember the exact price, but definitely less than $50). In fact I ordered two just in case. Still have them in factory packaging. If anyone needs that ring maybe just call Hasselblad?

That was my experience years ago before the move from New Jersey for more than one size lens.

 

[chuckroast]

Ooooo, yeah--that looks a bit savage, lol. What they did is just printed a combination focus/trim ring, with no differentiation between the two. That looks hideous!

Mine isn't the most beautiful thing ever, but it's a lot more elegant than that.

Speaking of which .... I have this really nice 250 CF T* here. The trim ring behind the focusing grip has cracked and fallen off.

Is this trim ring just cosmetic or is it actually necessary for some reason?

 

[rulnacco]

Speaking of which .... I have this really nice 250 CF T* here. The trim ring behind the focusing grip has cracked and fallen off.

Is this trim ring just cosmetic or is it actually necessary for some reason?

If it works the way it does on other lenses, it keeps your focusing ring from sliding back toward the base of the lens as you focus. If you're focusing ring is nice and tight, you may not notice any problems. But if you're using it pretty heavily, especially in warmer conditions, you'll see what happens.

 

[chuckroast]

If it works the way it does on other lenses, it keeps your focusing ring from sliding back toward the base of the lens as you focus. If you're focusing ring is nice and tight, you may not notice any problems. But if you're using it pretty heavily, especially in warmer conditions, you'll see what happens.

If I were able to get a replacement, is it possible to install it myself or does it require lens disassembly?

 

[Photomultiplier]

If i remember correctly (has been a while since i did it on my 150mm), the "snap-ring" can be installed without any disassembly.

 

[chuckroast]

If i remember correctly (has been a while since i did it on my 150mm), the "snap-ring" can be installed without any disassembly.

That confirms what I see here, thanks! Now if only I could find a replacement. Mine is broken in one place, so I suppose I could use some sort of glue or silicone to adhere it to the lens barrel, but that feels sort of icky.

 

[Photomultiplier]

I think my technician ordered some a while ago. If this holds true, they are available as spare part at Hasselblad.
But i do not know when he purchased them.

 

[Steven Lee]

@chuckroast send me a DM and I'll ship you a replacement. I have two and I doubt I'll ever use the 2nd one.

 

[Arthurwg]

Are we still talking about the 180mm lens? Yes, it's sharp on a tripod but I sold mine because it was quite heavy and front weighted, making it awkward to use.

 

[rulnacco]

If I were able to get a replacement, is it possible to install it myself or does it require lens disassembly?

No disassembly required. Just slide the focusing ring as far forward as it will go--there's a metal lip that keeps it from sliding any further toward the front of the lens--then slide the plastic collar on after it until it snugs up against the focus ring, and the metal ledge at the back of the lens. Just do it gently, and it's easy peasy!