Hasselblad 503CW not focusing properly?

[obviouslygene]

Cocking the body moves the mirror from its full-up shooting position to its 45deg viewing position.

Any movement or mis-positioning of the mirror can affect the focus as viewed on the ground glass.
It will not affect the focus of the image on the film.

- Leigh

Is there a correct way to insert the ground glass? I notice 2 notches on one side.
I did not do anything and the issue came back, this time I flipped the ground glass to have the 2 notches on top and the issue went away.

 

[obviouslygene]

It sounds to me like something's fouled up.
Do you have another lens you can mount and see if the problem follows your lens or stays with the body? Or if not is there a shop or a friend nearby with a lens you can use to troubleshoot?

Short of that it seems like you need to get it looked at. If you're in the US i've sent my Hasselblad gear to David Odess, he does a great job with repairs and CLAs.

http://www.david-odess.com/

No affiliation - just a satisfied customer over the last 10 years or so.

I do have another lens, gonna test it this weekend. It's still under 'warranty' from the shop I bought it from.
Gonna have to send the whole kit to them if I cant isolate the issue.

 

[Leigh B]

Is there a correct way to insert the ground glass? I notice 2 notches on one side.

The screens are fully symmetrical (within manufacturing tolerances). They can be inserted any direction.
There is a slight possibility that the infinity focus might be off when you change screens, but very slight.
If it is, most likely you would need laboratory equipment to quantify the error; not visible to the user.

Two semi-circular notches in the aluminum near one corner identify the newer "acute matte" screens.

Compared with the original type, the AM screens are desirable (and more expensive).
The difference is noticeable, but not huge.

- Leigh

 

[obviouslygene]

The screens are fully symmetrical (within manufacturing tolerances). They can be inserted any direction.
There is a slight possibility that the infinity focus might be off when you change screens, but very slight.
If it is, most likely you would need laboratory equipment to quantify the error; not visible to the user.

Two semi-circular notches in the aluminum near one corner identify the newer "acute matte" screens.

Compared with the original type, the AM screens are desirable (and more expensive).
The difference is noticeable, but not huge.

- Leigh

Hmm okay. I guess I'll have to keep checking it out. TBH I'm not exactly sure what's going on since I've never done anything except use a blower on the internals of the camera.

 

[AgX]

I

Cocking the body moves the mirror from its full-up shooting position to its 45deg viewing position.

I asked as with many SLRs with self-returning mirror for returning of the mirror a spring is unlocked that pulls the mirror down onto an arrest. Thus the travel of such mirror is only controlled by that spring and an adjustable end stop. The mechanism of that Hasselblad, with its non-returningh mirror seems different.

 

[obviouslygene]

ok final update.
80mm/f2.8 has officially become a shaker.
it has a shaka shaka sound when you shake it...
its on its way back to the shop right now.

 

[BMbikerider]

When you mentioned just by wiping the lens the problem went away, it crossed my mind that the lens mount inside the lens body may be loose. As you now state that it 'rattles when shaken' reinforces my feeling that this is the problem (or something similar).

Incidentally did the original problem manifest itself with other lenses?

 

[obviouslygene]

It was confusing as when I mounted the 150mm, and remounted the 80mm. The problem would go away.
It didn't occur to me to shake it, until just now.

 

[Leigh B]

The mechanism of that Hasselblad, with its non-returningh mirror seems different.

Yes, it definitely is different.
In particular, it's not "self-returning". It stays up after exposure until you cock the body.

I expect the reason is that the mirror with its support structure is much more massive than in a 35mm SLR.

In the Hasselblad, you can watch the mirror move down as you turn the wind knob.
Internally it's driven by a hard linkage, the same mechanism that moves it up before exposure.

- Leigh