Hasselblad: How complete is your camera?

[RezaLoghme]

How complete is your camera?

Do you have several bodies but only one viewfinder that you swap between cameras?
Do you still have the original invoice, box, etc.?
What about the small stuff like front/rear covers, are they OEM or from 3D-printers in China?

I am in the process of completing my cameras with OEM parts, and, looking at the period brochures, they always came with a lot of small accessories.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Both my Hasselblads have the appropriate Hasselblad parts and components.

 

[RezaLoghme]

That is good to know. If you need some help or advice on all things Hasselblad, i would be happy to be your mentor.

 

[MattKing]

You may find it useful to review how comprehensive Sirius' Hasselblad knowledge is - just read through his more than 48,500 posts over 17 years to get a good idea of that!

 

[Nokton48]

How about the catalog which list every gadget. I use one from 1974 as a reference for my cameras. There are clear pictures, catalog numbers, etc.
Nearly a hundred accessories I will wager.....

Build what you want to build. There is little I want that I don't have, I collected from camera store boxes of stuff and some on Ebay here and there. for the 500C/M and EL/M bodies and period lenses same vintage, there is little I want. One thing, is the 500 expsoure 70mm back. I bought one but returned it as defective. I have a complete blimp EL/M setup, and the Gunstock I use with the 350 & 500mm lenses. What do you want to build?

 

[RezaLoghme]

Yeah, thats another view, the completeness of V-series product portfolio at any given time. Different to owning the correct boxes and instruction manuals of the one V-System body you own.

So we have micro and macro levels and angles of completeness. Maybe an interesting addition to existing Hasselblad academic research.

 

[4season]

I collect the bits which appeal to me. To be more Hasselblad 500x-specific, I own a mishmash of modern Chinese caps, a vintage original rear body cap, my 500c is equipped with a 3rd party bright focusing screen, and I plan to replace the shrunken leatherette body coverings with 3rd party product, there being no source for newly-manufactured factory parts.

Boxes, lens bubbles: None to date (maybe if I had a really early camera?). Standard-issue packaging generally doesn't excite.

Once in awhile, I encounter photography-related "ephemera" (manuals, brochures, advertising, etc) that I really like, but this is rare.

 

[eli griggs]

I collect the bits which appeal to me. To be more Hasselblad 500x-specific, I own a mishmash of modern Chinese caps, a vintage original rear body cap, my 500c is equipped with a 3rd party bright focusing screen, and I plan to replace the shrunken leatherette body coverings with 3rd party product, there being no source for newly-manufactured factory parts.

Boxes, lens bubbles: None to date (maybe if I had a really early camera?). Standard-issue packaging generally doesn't excite.

Once in awhile, I encounter photography-related "ephemera" (manuals, brochures, advertising, etc) that I really like, but this is rare.

You might want to take a look at the "Circuit" "Maker 3" cutting machine, which has the ability and thin, third party leathers and vinyls that could become parts of your kit.

Seeing how you've a number of items to work with, I suspect you're a good candidate for buying one and making what you need, including a bright yellow camera cover.

Best of Luck,
Eli

 

[RezaLoghme]

I draw the line at boxed and box-boxed, but I am keeping an eye on the protective covers, often the lenses and cameras come without them.

 

[eli griggs]

I draw the line at boxed and box-boxed, but I am keeping an eye on the protective covers, often the lenses and cameras come without them.

This is an area where I am blessed, seeing how my system came with a number of OEM darkslide, and back plates, plus at least one or two camera 'corner peek hole' plates.

The 50mm, 150 and 500 that I've bought over the years and the F series 2.8 50mm I was given for a parts/practice repair lens all had the front caps, and I believe at least three have lens caps, though they remain with each lens.

My friend that gifted the System to me believed, as I do, that having spares is crucial in the field, as, for example the lens back cap might just be blown of a car top or a wall, etc, into that dimension where washer/dryer socks go, never to be found again, on a windy day or by traffic.

I'll still buy or trade for a Lens Cover or other spare kit piece, when I see a deal in an area I want to be prepared for, like the 500 "V" body level for sale now, which at the moment, is out of my budget, or the lens hood mounted flash shoe, or a spare Rapid Tripod Mount, as these pieces are very likely to go walkabout when photo road trips, as my last long weekend trip demonstrated, while trying to make a shot, that required the rapid release, which I was unable to find.

Finding it required a search that discovered it in a completely wrong packing bag.

To me, that piece is a good example of kit I do not want to leave on a tripod or monopod, nor the camera, but use often enough to be part of my mandatory field kit.

Onice acquired, I won't trade or sale a spare, simply because of the difficulty of finding and needing duplicates, in the field or online.

If you run up on an affordable piece. grab it if you're able. You never know when it'll come to be critical to your next outing.

 

[4season]

You might want to take a look at the "Circuit" "Maker 3" cutting machine, which has the ability and thin, third party leathers and vinyls that could become parts of your kit.

Seeing how you've a number of items to work with, I suspect you're a good candidate for buying one and making what you need, including a bright yellow camera cover.

I've thought about buying a Cricut or laser cutter, but as you know, these things can be "more mouths to feed"! Especially the Cricut, with it's proprietary cutting blades, media and cloud services.

For one-time projects, it's probably more economical for me to buy pre-cut leatherette.

 

[bags27]

All is original equipment, but not necessarily original to this particular 500 c/m...except for extra Chinese caps I load up on, and a new rubber eyepiece for the 45 prism.

 

[eli griggs]

I've thought about buying a Cricut or laser cutter, but as you know, these things can be "more mouths to feed"! Especially the Cricut, with it's proprietary cutting blades, media and cloud services.

For one-time projects, it's probably more economical for me to buy pre-cut leatherette.

Yes, it would be silly just to buy an expensive Circuit or Laser cutting machine if all you need is to cut only a few camera leathers, but if you are also interested in making signs, bumper stickers, silkscreen patterns, cup decors, paper, plastic, vinyl, thin wood or leather or items, or embossed thin metal, heavy embossed paper and patterns, then it'll be a really nice tool to work with.

It can also be used with pens of conductive inks to make circuits or some of the many types of pens for drawing, painting, signs, inside or outside, for many materials.

Chances are good, if you buy a leather or vinyl camera or lens cover, it'll be made with a cutting machine that can handle the material.

It might be that a paper or vinyl pattern or leather for a bellows is also within its portfolio, but someone whom has done this would be helpful in speaking up to their own experiences.

Cheers,
Eli

 

[RezaLoghme]

How about straps? Who uses the painfully narrow original strap? On a EL model?

 

[eli griggs]

How about straps? Who uses the painfully narrow original strap? On a EL model?

For too many years, I carried a large, heavily loaded Alice Pack, mostly art supplies, including a "French" easel, some camera stuff and 'whatever' the result being a painful off set "S" Curve in my spine, but, no matter how many stairs I climbed or miles walked with that thing, i was never ever even once, close to becoming Masochist enough to use the Hasselblad strap on a 500 CM with a moderate weight lens, much less a 500 EL!

I've never taken the "new" thin leather OEM strap out of its clear plastic bag, but, I do use the same width wrist strap, every time I have the camera out.

Unless you're wrapping that strap securely, to a heavy tripod to make it too awkward to grab and run away with, just pick up the wide strap that feels best to you and will stay on your shoulder, Summer, Winter or Disney World!

Cheers.

 

[RezaLoghme]

Gone are the old days when very wide straps with a woven-in manufacturer's logo were in fashion (like guitar straps).

Nowadays Popeye the Sailor's best are en vogue, all those funny coloured ropes. I have never seen one on a Hasselblad.

 

[eli griggs]

Lots of those old straps are still in circulation, I've got several from simply bumping into them at yard sales, given with old cameras, etc, and guitar straps will also serve, IIRC.

I also think they are still being made, somewhere as I recall seeing some in a store not long ago.

"Michael's" craft stores in this area sell what is a wide, basic strap of leather for making belts which is not too expensive and though these cow hide strips of leather is raw cut, the edges need burnishing, the stores sell the basic wood tool for round edging and burnishing those edges into professional looking smoothness.

Grommets, hole punchers, dyes, and tooling tools are common and generally cheap to hobbyist and I think your local Michaels, etc. craft store, probably have leather crafting classes or workshops, where you can learn and work with others on your new, leather shoulder strap.

Post pics, please.

 

[eli griggs]

Gone are the old days when very wide straps with a woven-in manufacturer's logo were in fashion (like guitar straps).

Nowadays Popeye the Sailor's best are en vogue, all those funny coloured ropes. I have never seen one on a Hasselblad.

You can make fiber straps using an "Inca" or Inkel belt loom, like this example was made on and, if you're not interested in doing it yourself, perhaps someone else in your family or friends, would like to give it a try.

Looks are simple, just follow the steps all the way through, until the fibers says "No Mas!", and it's long enough to finish off.





Cheers.

 

[RezaLoghme]

I still prefer the wide rubberized OEM strap.

 

[guangong]

After death of my 1000F, my MF cameras were Rollei and Super Ikonta B. In c1980 I bought a new 2000FCM from Ken Hansen and a 60mm Hassy lens from a friend. I continued to use backs from 1000F for decades, only replacing them with modern backs as they died. By having Hasselblad mounting blocks machined into adapters, I was able to continue using my Zeiss, Leitz, and Nikon lenses on 2000FCM. I hit the jackpot on eBay. I made an offer on one lens. The seller was handling an estate sale and asked if I would take all three lenses for my offer. So I received 3 for the price of one. I then bought a usedCM body. I do have a prism finder, a chimney finder, and a meter knob.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

complete with receipt and warranty card; bought in 1988 and still working fine.

 

[MattKing]

I sold a wide Kodak strap for $2 at a Camera show and Swap last weekend .

 

[Sirius Glass]

I use the wide Hasselblad straps on my 503 CX and 903 SWC.

 

[Nokton48]

Out in the field I use the "V" series wide straps.

 

[RezaLoghme]

I have just bought the original 553ELX (silver) manual a n d original sales brochure (rather a 4 page folding leaflet).