hasselblad cft 80 2.8 not sharp?

[Donima]

I have a 500cm classic in close to mint condition. My wife bought it for me 5-6 years ago on my 62 birthday knowing i always wanted one. I have done many tests with it checking focus very carefully.It is in focus but it just doesnt seem to have the resolution it should have. When i say tests i mean that i have used my gitzo reporter tripod with mirror pre-release outside in high light conditions ,med-slow b+w films, different shutter speeds, f stops etc.. My scanner is not working or i would download a picture for you to see.I would not care so much but i became disabled a few years ago and i cant afford to have this lens fixed or replaced. I can use the camera in my wheelchair o.k. but i feel i'm wasting my time and energy when my negs don't have that edge they should have. I am writing this to see if any of you are having this problem or if i am the only one? I orginally got this camera so i could return to doing the darkroom work i have always loved but now i just dont know. I do have a nikon D70s that i can use but i much prefer wet printing. Anyway if any of you have a similar problem or solution please let me know. Don

 

[Anscojohn]

Is there a possibility the focussing screen needs shimming?

 

[André E.C.]

Or at 67, your eyes not being the same anymore?
Hasselblads aren't easy to focus.

 

[Philippe-Georges]

Have the mirror's inclination checked by an experienced camera technician. With Hasselblad, the mirror is 9/10 the problem when bad focusing is the issue. If the lens is not causing the problem of course.
The little bracket on witch the mirror rests is not the finest piece of machinery in a 500C/M body.

Philippe

 

[ic-racer]

.It is in focus but it just doesnt seem to have the resolution it should have.

Seems like it is not in focus. MF film has a tendency to not lie flat on the film plane.

 

[takef586]

Just shoot something distant with the focus set to infinity and the f stop to f 8.0. If the result is not sharp, then it could be the problem of the lens being out of collimation. If it is sharp, but the same sharpnes is not reproducible at closer distances, then the mirror or focusing screen are most likely to blame. This lens is very sharp already wide open, so you should get great results if focusing correctly.

 

[frank]

How are you evaluating the sharpness/resolution? Are you using a loup on the negs? Or did you get the negs scanned or printed by a shop? (The fault could be the shop.)

 

[Donima]

I want to thank all of you for you're help with the ongoing problem i am having with this lens and camera. I don't have any problem focusing my D70 manually or the hasselblad but it just does not have the sharpness it should have.
andre, youre right my eyes are not what they used to be but i'm still able to do custom B+w enlarging without much trouble and have used other friends hasselblads and haven't had this problem. I think takef586 idea of the lens being out of collimation might be right. I hope i can have a repairman look into this problem so i can get on using this camera. once again thanks to all of you for youre help. Don