Hasselblad 201F and CF lenses plus light seal/flap behind mirror

[Andrew Moxom]

OKay, so I have a really good shape 201F that I am enjoying using. I just have a few questions on battery life when using CF lenses, and the little light seal/flap behind the mirror? I understand that the focal plane shutter becomes a blind and is the equivalent of the barn doors on a regular 500 series when using the CF or C lenses. What I don't know is whether the battery is used for this blind function when the body is set to use the CF lenses, and more importantly if it DOES use the battery power, how long it might last? Some of my work involves low light and long exposure times. I will carry a spare just in case, but it would not hurt to know how shots I might get etc.

Then there is the issue of the light seal/flap behind the mirror. It's part #105133 that was torn off and caught up in the springs on the gliding mirror mechanism. The service info at this link :-
http://www.scribd.com/doc/3011752/Hasselblad-service-info Page# 103 of 193 shows how it fits in. It states that ANY of the 200 series coming in for service should have this replaced. So my guess is is that it's a high failure part. I was lucky I caught it before it jammed into the focal plane shutter!!!

That said, I ran two rolls of film after I noticed this and shot them in really bright sunlight and had no fogging issues whatsoever. I am not sure if this truly is a super important part. Does anyone know about this 'feature' in their 200 series blad? Does this seal stop light hitting the film via the WLF area?? I have no idea what it's for.

Like I said, everything else with this camera is tip top. It shows hardly any sign of use.

Thanks Andy

 

[Q.G.]

With the focal plane shutter set to "C", it works fully mechanically, and does not need (or use) the battery.

You got the two thingies right:

The foil was changed to a more wear resistant version, because the older version could and needed to be improved upon, yes.

And yes, that is what it is for: to seal the gap between mirror and housing, stopping light coming in from above.

Have fun using your 201 F!

 

[Andrew Moxom]

Thanks QG, any idea how much it would cost to have it done, yet again I 'think' I could manage it myself I suppose?? I am not seeing anything on my film as a result of it being gone, and the two films I did shoot with, I took my eye away from the WLF to take the shots, so I am guessing I must be good to go at this point. In darkened room, I shine a bright LED flashight around the edges of the mirror with WLF removed and could not see anything coming through.

 

[Q.G.]

I don't know how much it would cost to have the foil replaced, no. Sorry!

If you don't notice any bad effects even in bright light, it's not something you need to be in a hurry for.
So shop around a bit, and see what repair shops would charge.

I haven't used any repair facility located on your side of the Atlantic, so i can't really say anything about which one (apart from Hasselblad - probably prohibitively expensive) could be recommended.