Hasselblad Lens Advice

emanded · Apr 30, 2009

I've been looking around for a long lens for my 501CM recently and have come across a decent 350mm CF - Anyone any views on this lens?
I need the ability to primarily a) isolate parts of a landscape and b) compress long distance views.
How does a Mutar 2x on a 150mm CF compare.
Only shoot B&W.
I'd appreciate any feedback

aoresteen · Apr 30, 2009

The 350 is a nice sharp lens. You will need a tripod. It doesn't get the 'super-telephoto' compression look but it was popular in the 80's & 90's with fashion photographers.

Your options are limited to the 350 or the 500. Since I use the 250 I'd get the 500. But that's me.
The 350 is roughly equal to a 200mm on a 35mm camera, the 500mm is roughly equal to a 300mm on a 35mm camera.

With the Mutar you end up with a 300mm f/8 lens - but I've never used the Mutar so I don't know about quality.

Are you near a store that rents Hasselblad? If yes, rent the 350 for a day then rent the 500 and then decide if either fits your photographic style, if any.

I have thought about getting a 500mm for my 500C but I will just get a 500mm for my Mamiya 645 1000s for about $500 used.

stealthman_1 · May 1, 2009

I'll finish scanning some rolls of Velvia tonight of my first shots with a 350 f5.6. Mostly hand held dog-at-the-lake kinda stuff, but I played around shooting butterflies as well as some 'macro' work done with it with a 56mm extension tube.

emanded · May 1, 2009

stealthman_1 said:
I'll finish scanning some rolls of Velvia tonight of my first shots with a 350 f5.6. Mostly hand held dog-at-the-lake kinda stuff, but I played around shooting butterflies as well as some 'macro' work done with it with a 56mm extension tube.

Thanks - I'd be interested to some examples.
I've got until Tuesday next week to make my mind up.

stealthman_1 · May 3, 2009

Here are some from a few weeks ago with the 350mm, f5.6.
Hand held, Velvia 50

Transmission tower around 800 feet away, Fuji NPZ800

100% crop of insulators...

With 56mm extension tube off tripod...Velvia 50...I should add, minimum focus distance with the 56mm tube drops all the way down to like...8 feet...

100% crop...

I wouldn't represent these as the best the lens is capable of, just what I got the first few days after it arrived.

emanded · May 4, 2009

Thanks Stealthman 1, the clarity looks to be up to Hasselblads usual high quality and I like the dof achieved.
I don't know why I was concerned - Hasselblad wouldn't produce a lens that wasn't up to the job.
I particularly like the macro with the extension tube, never thought of using a long telephoto for this.
I look forward to getting my hands on one this week!

aoresteen · May 4, 2009

emanded said:
..... Hasselblad wouldn't produce a lens that wasn't up to the job.....

Well, I had ONE (out of 14 Hasselblad lenses I've owned over the years) bad Hasselblad lens that was a dog. It was a chrome 50mm f/4 Distagon C, mid 60's vintage. I thought it was my body at first but I tried it on three different bodies and it was very soft. A Yashica D with a 3 element Yashicor was better!

I have a black 50mm f/4 Distagon T* C lens that is 100 times better than the chrome 50 was.

BTW, the 250mm f/5.6 is the most overlooked lens in the line up. Very cheap and very good!

Stealthman_1, nice photos!

mike c · May 4, 2009

I agree with the 50mm lens its about my favorite,250mm nice too.

mike c.

Hasselblad Lens Advice

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