Hasselblad Flex body experiences

eli griggs · Nov 29, 2019

I have a new to me Flex body, and while I have used plenty of view cameras in the past, I'd like to hear any tips or 'tics" that camera presents.

Do you love or hate it and do you feel there is enough movement and coverage with this interesting body?

Cheers.

alentine · Nov 30, 2019

Hello eli,
It has its movements only on the rear standard.
Rear tilt, which is generous because it does not consume image circle.
Rear fall/rise, which is limited for some applications because of limited image circle of hasselblad lenses.
Swing can be achieved by tilting the camera only.
If you use 645 format(or 4x4 mask), it's more than enough for most applications.
6x6 coverage is just enough.
For a photographer who came from large format zone, the available movements on flexbody are limited(but enough for the format) compared to large format cameras.
The sequence of operations of flexbody is the only bad thing imo.
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/hasselblad-flexbody-tilting.162313/#post-2112783

eli griggs · Nov 30, 2019

Cheers, Alentine, I do have an A16 back and will cut a mask for 4cm x 4 cm for use with the movements of this camera.

This information is helpful to me, thank you for taking time to message me.

ic-racer · Nov 30, 2019

I don't use the flexbody, but I use a Horseman medium format veiw camera for landscape. I'd estimate that 90% of the time the movement I use is front rise. Maybe because the 6x9 format does not include that much foreground compared to square, but front or rear tilt is not needed as often. I also use the special Horseman magnifier (which touches the ground glass) to focus, due to the small size of the image.

Philippe-Georges · Dec 22, 2019

Almost all, but not everything, can be done with the Flexbody, as long you respect the image circle of a specific lens, use that lens at F16 and how far/close you are from your subject. Even the scheimpflug movements can be done, then the baseline has to be tilted. Anyway, the level bulb (niveau à bulle, I don't know the correct English term) is very important and in some situations it should be in perfect level.
When the back is out of level, then the subject wil show oblique deformations or the scheimpflug sharpens will be not that good because here the sharpness is done by the lens mouvement, see, as an example, the picture I made with the S-Planar 120 mm, in attachment, this is set for table top.
See the manual too, the Flexbody is a fine tool...

BTW, trial and error might be your best teacher...

eli griggs · Dec 22, 2019

Cheers!

eli griggs · Jan 30, 2020

Update, help needed.

I have found the FlexBody has a noticeable back-swing of three millimeters of the back standard, and can no for the life of me, figure out how that swing was introduced.

The camera is vertical, and there is no pivot point for introducing such a movement, that I can recognize..

Have any of you see this in your own FlexBody cameras and is there an adjustment I can no see.

The Camera has no been dropped or yanked about and I really wanted to use it on the morrow.

Cheers

Philippe-Georges · Jan 31, 2020

On several points there are Allenscrews. These can be used to adjust.

eli griggs · Feb 2, 2020

Thank you.

Do you happen to know which of these need adjusting to bring the vertical, no tilt or fall back frame square with the vertical front frame?

eli griggs · Feb 9, 2020

Up-date.

The issue turned out to be, that somehow the back right of the camera, was pushed in giving the aspect of a back almost 5mm out of alignment.

The friend that gave me this camera had remarked he could no get it to take a goo photo, and I believe this is why.

Now that it is aligned correctly, I can give it a proper whirl, and see what it can do for me.

Cheers.

Philippe-Georges · Feb 10, 2020

Dear Eli,
I do apologize for not having answered you previous posting, but now I am happy to see that everything is allright now.
Have fun with you flexbody, it's a fine tool!

Hasselblad Flex body experiences

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