Hasselblad 203FE and metered prism

nwinsley · Dec 23, 2020

Hi all, am strongly considering acquiring this Hasselblad model ( would be my first Hasselblad ). There is one for sale right now which comes with a PME51 prism. Call me naive, but why would a camera already containing a meter have a metered prism attached? Surely one just requires a non metered prism if one wants a prism? And with the PME51 attached, what info would one see displayed in the viewfinder - info from the body's meter or info from the prism meter? Thanks Neville.

NortheastPhotographic · Dec 23, 2020

Because the metered prism fits on the camera and it's the one the previous owner had laying around?

Sirius Glass · Dec 23, 2020

I use a 45 degree PME which is a meter prism and I am very pleased with it.

nwinsley · Dec 23, 2020

Sirius Glass said:
I use a 45 degree PME which is a meter prism and I am very pleased with it.

So, if your PME is on a metered body, what info is conveyed in the viewfinder - info from the body, or info from the meter? I am a little confused

cowanw · Dec 23, 2020

One does need a viewer with the blue stripes on it, which have a cutout older models do not.

Sirius Glass · Dec 23, 2020

nwinsley said:
So, if your PME is on a metered body, what info is conveyed in the viewfinder - info from the body, or info from the meter? I am a little confused

Across the bottom of the screen is a list of EV numbers and the EV is the one that is lit. The meter is self contained. No information is transmitted to the camera. One reads the EV and sets the EV on the lens. It was designed before the 200 and 2000 series.

itsdoable · Dec 23, 2020

The 203fe's meter display is in the body, at the top of the screen.

The PME51 displays EV at the bottom of the screen.

The PME51 has the cutout for the 203fe, so you can see both meter displays. You basically have a choice.

The 203fe meter does not work in "C" mode (or early versions did not) There is no EV read out for non-E lenses. The PME51 works better in C mode with those lenses

If you had a 500 series body as well, the PME51 would make more sense than getting a PM51 for the 203fe and a PME51 for the 500. I suspect most pros shooting with a 200/2000 body probably had a 500 body too.

The PME51 was introduced with the 205TCC, which only had a spot meter. This gave that body a center weighted average meter option.

Hasselblad 203FE and metered prism

nwinsley

NortheastPhotographic

Sirius Glass

nwinsley

cowanw

Sirius Glass

itsdoable

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