Hasselblad : 500C/M, 501, 503 or 202FA ? For a newbie ?

4season · Dec 27, 2015

202FA: I think it will be much more expensive than you realize because you probably want latest lenses, finders and backs which have electronic contacts and LCD windows and those aren't common.

If I had to choose an affordable Hasselblad, this might be my ideal outfit:
2000FC/M or 2003FC/W body, WLF, A12 back
110/2 lens.

Yes, the infamous 2000-series with fragile titanium shutter! I've owned a 2000FC/M and it was fine, just don't poke your finger into the shutter. These later models automatically retract the shutter when you remove a film back, thus protecting it from harm. Lens compatibility is great: It works with both F/FE shutterless lenses as well as C/CF/CFi. And IIRC it also has the oversized mirror like the 503 and newer cameras.

I have never owned the 110/2 but I would have liked to: Relatively compact, fast, focuses close. You can't use this on a 500-series camera body because it does not have a built-in shutter.

2000-series advantages: Nobody wants to touch them because they are afraid of that titanium shutter, so you may be able to get one cheaply. Minor dents or creases in the shutter should not be a problem. With reasonable care, perhaps they will outlast the 200-series cameras which use rubberized fabric shutters.

2000-series disadvantages: The sound of the titanium shutter might wake the baby! But the only really quiet 6x6 Hasselblads are the SWC and SWCM.

Okay okay if I had to choose between the three cameras listed, I'd take the 503CW as it's newish, the price sounds fairly decent, and I happen to like the old 50/4 lens. That lens uses drop-in filters, but IIRC, I just screwed in a 67mm(?) rubber lens shade (try to find one with a plastic ring if possible) and that screwed in half-way. Diameter is a common one, but the thread pitch is different. The 500c sounds OK as well. 500c viewscreen can be replaced by a technician, BTW.

digital&film · Dec 27, 2015

See 500cm in like new condition.. I have a wlf that I'm not using..
http://www.david-odess.com/sales.html

Alan Gales · Dec 27, 2015

Sirius Glass said:
Actually a Hasselblad can be used for sports photographs. They have been for years.

Yeah, shot with TLR's too. Speed Grahics with 4x5 sheet film were used before that for sports.

I used to shoot sports with a 35mm camera and went on to digital. You just can't beat digital for sports photography. I mostly shot Fast Pitch Softball. Some games are played in the day and some at night under lights. The low light performance and custom white balance of digital trumps film. I could also check my photos (chimp) to make sure I got a great shot of each player when shooting games. The girls and their parents loved the photographs I took. Memories!

Digital is also a great teaching tool. When my daughter took pitching lessons and had a problem with her motion on a new pitch I would take a series of still pictures. When played back on the camera, her instructor could see exactly what was wrong and immediately correct it.

Film cameras and Digital cameras are each great tools. They also each have their advantages and disadvantages.

Richard Man · Dec 27, 2015

The "200/2000 would be a brick if the shutter fails" is a fallacy, IMHO. The fact is that all except the most manual cameras like the Hassy 50x fail that test too. May be APUGer are exceptions, but even most 35mm SLR shooters use "electronic" cameras. Your phone/GPS/car would die too without electronic. My 30 years old OM-4T still works great, as is the 20-year old XPan-II. Sure, servicing a 200/2000 camera is a pain since only Hassy official and one other US company that I found will touch them, but you are just playing the odds, and odds are that electronic Hassy do not have worst service record than other electronic cameras. Having a built-in meter is pretty cool, IMHO

Now also remember that my main camera is actually a 4x5, so it's not like I must have electronics.

BUT, having said all that, I do recommend get 503 since it's a good price. If you don't like it and want to try the 200/2000 later, you can almost certainly recoup most if not all the cost, assuming the camera is in good shape. If you end up losing some money, well, look at it as rental fee.

itsdoable · Dec 27, 2015

I have/had used the 203fe, 2000fc/m, 503cx, 500c, and a few other models less often. I mostly use the 203fe, and would be quite happy with a 202fa.

It depends on how you take pictures, I like having a built in meter, and I do not use a lot of flash, hence the preference for the 203fe. If you like fill flash and a hand held meter, then the 203 would be a waste of money. The 203fe and 2000fc/m can use all the V lenses, so they are quite flexible, but the cost is higher than an equivalent 500 body. In practice, I do not use the leaf shutter that much (which is why I'd be happy with a 202fa).

I'll echo the other posters, the 503cx you listed sounds like a decent deal, and if all mechanical, manual camera is your thing, it's a pretty easy decision.

Re: mechanical/electronic cameras - a lot more 500 series mechanical Hasselblads were made than the electronic 200x series, hence you will get a lot more people that prefer those. In my experience, electronic timed shutters are more consistent and require less (no) service. For instance, my C and CF lens shutters need a CLA to keep them accurate every 5~10 years, but the 2000fc/m shutter has never needed service or adjustment (I should knock on wood here). But it is true that electronic spare parts are much harder to come by then the mechanical 500 parts, partly due to the # of cameras made, but also due to the availability of the electronic components, which go out of date quickly (often with only one production run).

Luis-F-S · Dec 27, 2015

So now that you have all these opinions, what did you end up getting? Just curious.

aoresteen · Dec 27, 2015

4season said:
......

If I had to choose an affordable Hasselblad, this might be my ideal outfit:
2000FC/M or 2003FC/W body, WLF, A12 back
110/2 lens.

.......

I have the 110 f/2 and it's one reason why I still use my 200FC/M cameras. One heck of a lens. I bought my first 2000FC/M around 1989 and the 2nd one around 2002. No regrets. I am very careful with them. So far so good. If I had to replace them I'd look for a 200 series body with cloth curtains.

Theo Sulphate · Dec 27, 2015

Another vote against the 202FA is that, unlike other 2000 and 200 series bodies, the 202FA allows only the use of the focal plane shutter. If you have a C or CF lens, you can't make use of the lens shutter. For example, with the 205FCC you can use either shutter.

I consider the 501C and 202FA to be the result of a marketing effort that crippled features and functionality.

mristuccia · Dec 27, 2015

If you plan to use telephoto lenses (from 150mm to 350mm) frequently, then the 501cm and the 503cw are the only two mechanical "V" series cameras with the gliding mirror. This special longer mirror will avoid the obscuration of the top part of the viewfinder when using telephoto lenses.
And indeed this is another difference between the 503cw and the 503cx.

Sirius Glass · Dec 27, 2015

Welcome to APUG

I have the 503 CX and the 150mm, 250mm, and the 500mm lenses. On the 150mm the lack of the gliding mirror is not noticeable. On the 250mm the lack of the gliding mirror is barely noticeable and I do not ever notice it. I just got the 500mm lenses and I have not had time to take it out to see how it performs and what the effect of the non gliding mirror. There are not a lot of people using the 500mm lens so it is unlikely that you will buy one or ever use one.

Slixtiesix · Dec 28, 2015

As others said buy the 503cw. The price is a bargain. This is the latest camera. It will hold it´s value well and may serve you many years. The 50mm lens won´t be of much use for photographing your baby, but you can use the money you saved for adding an 80mm or 120/4 (an ideal lens for your purpose I think). You may also want to look for an 8 or 16mm extension tube. The motorized bodies are great too and having a burst mode may be useful, but they are somewhat noisy and might scare the baby (I don´t know! They could also create laughter. One has to try...).
The 202Fa is a neat camera but it only makes sense if you pair it with an 110/2FE or one of the other FE-lenses.

Sirius Glass · Dec 28, 2015

Adding the f/2.8 80mm lens will work well for photographing the baby. The larger f/stop will help in dim light. Later you might want to pick up the f/4 150mm lens. Do not use flash/strobe with a new born, their eye cannot take the bright light and it is painful for them.

Alan Gales · Dec 28, 2015

Sirius Glass said:
Adding the f/2.8 80mm lens will work well for photographing the baby. The larger f/stop will help in dim light. Later you might want to pick up the f/4 150mm lens. Do not use flash/strobe with a new born, their eye cannot take the bright light and it is painful for them.

Great advice. All of it!

mweintraub · Dec 28, 2015

Richard Man said:
When the kid starts to move, you will need the fastest autofocus with ISO 12800000000 to catch her.

MF would be impractical for that. OTOH, if you want more contemplative photos, yea, a Hassy would be so cool. Indoor you will have to use flash (yuck) or ISO 1600 films.

WHOOOO, There is nothing wrong with flash when done right!

Edit: I'm going to throw this out there, because I know Sirius loves it.

What about a Bronica SQ-A system?

Alan Gales · Dec 28, 2015

mweintraub said:
WHOOOO, There is nothing wrong with flash when done right!

Edit: I'm going to throw this out there, because I know Sirius loves it.

What about a Bronica SQ-A system?

I completely agree about the flash.

A little over 20 years ago my brother graduated from High School. After the ceremony everyone headed out to the front of the school in the harsh mid day sun to take photographs of the graduates. I took some photos of my brother and his best buddy with my Contax 35mm camera. I used a Sunpak 444D flash with the head turned around backwards and the big Sunpak umbrella attached. People were staring and my brother's buddy was laughing at my rig. He later told my brother that he saw a lot of graduation photos from that day but mine were the only ones that looked professional.

I also shot a very small wedding in a tiny church with that set-up. It was a freebie for my wife's sister and a second marriage for both bride and groom. The church was dark with very subdued lighting. Behind the pulpit were floor to ceiling windows. It had snowed and the bright sun was bouncing off the snow through the windows. A lighting nightmare, well at least for an amateur. That Sunpak flash/umbrella set-up worked great. The couple ended up thrilled with the photos and I ended up very relieved.

Sometimes flash is the only way to go.

Or the older EC and S2a Bronicas. We will get Sirius going!

SalchaM · Dec 28, 2015

I was in the same position in 1975. Ordered new 500cm kit (80mm t* A12) a few day before birth of first child. Loved it. Actually used it in the delivery room with third child with 400 film. Added a 150mm Sonnar t* later. Had to sell some years later for $$ reasons, but picked up a Rollei tlr 2.8f which I still have. I just loved my Hasselblad while the kids were growing up. Also had a Leica iiig for the action shots. Enjoy!

mweintraub · Dec 28, 2015

Alan Gales said:
Or the older EC and S2a Bronicas. We will get Sirius going!

If you really want me to get Sirius going, I can talk about how finiky the Hassleblad is like the Kiev 88CM I have.

Alan Gales · Dec 28, 2015

mweintraub said:
If you really want me to get Sirius going, I can talk about how finiky the Hassleblad is like the Kiev 88CM I have.

That would definitely do it!

Sirius Glass · Dec 28, 2015

With the 503 CX and the 503 CW you can use the body to sense the light coming off the film to shut off the flash. I do not shoot much flash so I use a Nikon SB-800 in the auto mode.

Sirius Glass · Dec 28, 2015

Alan Gales said:
Or the older EC and S2a Bronicas. We will get Sirius going!

When I was in high school I wanted the Bronica S. Nothing wrong with Bronicas or Mamiyas or Rolleis, I just like Hasselblad better. Now I can have the cameras that I could only dream about.

fdonadio · Dec 28, 2015

mweintraub said:
If you really want me to get Sirius going, I can talk about how finiky the Hassleblad is like the Kiev 88CM I have.

No, you can't be Sirius...

Sirius Glass · Dec 28, 2015

I am Sirius!

Luis-F-S · Dec 28, 2015

Sirius Glass said:
Adding the f/2.8 80mm lens will work well for photographing the baby. The larger f/stop will help in dim light. Later you might want to pick up the f/4 150mm lens. Do not use flash/strobe with a new born, their eye cannot take the bright light and it is painful for them.

Gee, and I shot a Blad for over 10 years with only the 80 mm lens! What's wrong with me? When I got the 150 Sonnar, I hated it and got rid of it. Then I bought the 50 Distagon, and hated that one also. Replaced those two with the 60 Distagon and the 135 S-Planar with the vario extension tube. Also bought a 250 SA which I recently sold; don't think I ever shot it. Also have the 100 Planar which I don't think I've used either now that I think of it. Used the 80 Planar for 95 % of my shots! The rest were done with the SWC/M!

Theo Sulphate · Dec 28, 2015

Luis-F-S said:
... Also have the 100 Planar which I don't think I've used either now that I think of it. ...

It's deteriorated now and is worthless. Give it to me.

fdonadio · Dec 28, 2015

Sirius Glass said:
I am Sirius!

That's why!

Hasselblad : 500C/M, 501, 503 or 202FA ? For a newbie ?

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