Hasselblad 80mm Planar or 60mm Distagon CF for urban documentary project

RezaLoghme

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For my upcoming urban documentary project (capital city in Central Asia, Ara Güler style, available light, no tripod, B&W ASA 400 film) would you use a 80mm Planar (chrome version) or a 60mm Distagon (C, black), or should I buy a CF version of either of these?
 

GLS

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Why not both? If it must be just one I would go with the 60mm personally, as it is a more versatile lens for environmental stuff. The 100mm Planar would then be a very good second lens (far superior to the 80mm) if you have the budget. CF version(s) would be preferable from an ergonomic and longevity point of view.
 
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RezaLoghme

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Thank you!
Yes it should be one lens only, I want to put some deliberate limitations on myself, and the idea is to create a fictional scenario of "only this camera survived, so that is what I. have to work with".

I also like the whole notion of "toss the camera in the bottom of a duffel bag":

What is "enough" in a camera for you?

For a walk, any Hasselblad is a good way to burn some fat, I know. Re Rolleiflex weight difference - a pity to let such a nice camera go, but I fully understand the charm of downsizing, math-maths and trying to simplify one's life. For me, that usually ends in buying more things.
www.photrio.com

So the antitheses of being "that photographer guy" with a flyfisher vest and a huge kit.
 

loccdor

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If I was going to be taking any shots of people where I wanted some shallowness to the depth of field, I'd take the 80mm, if the environment itself was more of the focus, you are probably better off with the 60mm. Although for shooting down narrow alleys, I actually like a longer lens for the compression effect.

If you expect to be on the move and not have tons of time to set up each shot, the 60mm has the advantage in hyperfocus.
 

Dan Daniel

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No way to really answer this for another person. Me, I'd do the 60. I like the slight wide angle and I am not a fan of so-called normal perspective because I find it too tight but not tight enough. Ara Güler seems to like wide and showing the environment around people, etc.

Here's one thing to think about- where do you want to be and where do you want the viewer to be? Close, almost part of the scene? Or a bit more detached, studious? Winogrand or Cartier-Bresson?
 

guangong

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When I purchased my 2000FCM c1980, the only affordable lens for me was a used 60mm (now apparently a collectors item). My other lens for many years was a Kilfit 90mm Macro Kildare. An 80mm C lens was a much later purchase. However, regarding your situation, since choice of lens is so personal, I would ask myself which lens feels most comfortable. The great movie director Ozu used only a 50mm lens for all his films, because it reflected a natural perspective on 35mm film.
in other words, go with your own experience. For this reason I am reluctant to express MY choice. (Of course whichever you choose there will be moments of regret.)
 

RalphLambrecht

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a50mm f/4 Distagon CF would be perfect for that job!
 

GLS

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The main advantage of the CB/CFi/CFE lenses in my view is the nicer feeling helicoids. Other than that the differences vs CF are quite minor, apart from the inability to use CB lenses with F-series bodies.
 

guangong

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GLS said:
The main advantage of the CB/CFi/CFE lenses in my view is the nicer feeling helicoids. Other than that the differences vs CF are quite minor, apart from the inability to use CB lenses with F-series bodies.
Click to expand...

The C lenses can be used on 2000FCM. I have no experience with other F Hassy cameras.
 

chuckroast

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I consider the 60mm f/3.5 Distagon to be the most versatile 'Blad lens of the lot. It's small enough to carry (for a while anyway), tack sharp, and has the right angle of view, especially for reportage type shooting.

I own too many 'Blad lenses and my 60mm CF T* gets most of the work, most of the time.

That said, I'd never travel any distance for once-in-a-lifetime shooting with only one back, one lens, and one body. If anything fails, you are up a creek. At a minimum a second shooting system is mandated, even if it, say, is a smaller format. DAMHIKT
 

bags27

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I don't own a Blad 60mm (the 50, 80, 100, 120, and 180). But for my Mamiya 7, I have all but the 50, and when I travel with one camera/one lens, it is always the Mamiya 7 and the 65 (which is close to the Blad 60). It's just the most useful all-around focal length. You can always crop to the equivalent of the 80, but you can't go the other way...unless you're using the latest version of Photoshop AI.
 

Sirius Glass

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I prefer the CF lenses or later over C lenses. I find the 60mm lens is too close to be useful for me, so I have use the 50mm CF and 80mm CF lenses for most city street type work. I have felt this way from the start, and now that I have the 30mm C Fisheye, 38mm SWC CF [903], 50mm CF, 80mm CF, 100mm CF, 150mm CF, 250mm CF and 500mm C lenses, I still feel that same way.
 
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RezaLoghme

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Besides other aspects, as I own a 50mm C already, I am interested in the ergonomics. I find the sawtooth pattern on the focus ring quite un-Hasselblad-y, although some people say that his robust full metal focus jacket kind of thing is "prime Hasselblad".

Therefore I am interested in CF and(!) CB designs.
 

chuckroast

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You need more lenses and bodies (says the guy who just bought a second just-in-case body) ...
 

chuckroast

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Philippe-Georges said:
A 'simple' C (T* or not) would do...

More than half of the pictures for this book are shot, handheld, with a Distagon 60mm, the rest with a Biogon 38mm, all 1980's C T*'s:
Click to expand...

I agree that the C lenses "will do" and they're good in their own right.
But they suffer from a number of disadvantages.

1. They optical formulations for the T* and CF lenses is often an improvement over the original C.

2. The T* coating is a real step up from the C coating.

3. The C lenses are old and getting shutter parts for a CLA can be difficult. This is less of an issue with CF T* and CFi lenses.
 
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RezaLoghme

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Besides other aspects, as I own a 50mm C already, I am interested in the ergonomics.
 

Arthurwg

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The 60mm is my favorite lens and I use it extensively. I also travel with the 120mm lens, but that's about it. Although I have others, I find that these two are all I need most of the time.
 
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