Hasselblad lens pricing (CF Series)

[Grim Tuesday]

Favorites, for the right situation 30mm Fisheye, 38mm SWC and 100mm.
Most used: 50mm, 80mm, 100mm, followed by SWC and 250mm and SWC.
Least used 150mm because I do not take portraits.

Sirius, have you ever had a 60? I have the 50FLE, 60, 80, 150 and 250 (and have had-and-sold the 100 and 120) and I sometimes catch myself thinking about selling all my lenses except for the 60 because I like it so much.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Sirius, have you ever had a 60? I have the 50FLE, 60, 80, 150 and 250 (and have had-and-sold the 100 and 120) and I sometimes catch myself thinking about selling all my lenses except for the 60 because I like it so much.

No, the 60mm lens is too close to the 80mm. I recommend:

• 50mm, 80mm, 150 or 180mm, 250mm OR
  
• 60mm, 100mm, 180mm, 250mm

 

[AndyH]

No, the 60mm lens is too close to the 80mm. I recommend:

• 50mm, 80mm, 150 or 180mm, 250mm OR
  
• 60mm, 100mm, 180mm, 250mm

I have the 50, 80, 150, and 250. Thinking about a 40 as my next acquisition. The 50 and 150 are my most used.
Andy

 

[Sirius Glass]

I have the 50, 80, 150, and 250. Thinking about a 40 as my next acquisition. The 50 and 150 are my most used.
Andy

I recommend the SWC over the 40mm because the SWC is rectalinearly correct. I have found that one feature is worth the greater cost.

 

[AndyH]

I recommend the SWC over the 40mm because the SWC is rectalinearly correct. I have found that one feature is worth the greater cost.

Thought about that as well. But really want a lens that will fit and focus on my 500 body without switching to the separate finder SWC. Do you have any experience with the 40 you’d like to share? !


Andy

 

[Grim Tuesday]

I had a 40 T* (compur shutter, black, non-FLE) briefly. It's a very sharp, very good lens. Especially stopped down a bit. I am not sure what Sirius is talking about, because it is rectilinear (unlike the 30mm fisheye). But it is not fun to use on a 500C. The balance is way off, it is so huge. Mine was a beat up, cheap copy with a hairline scratched front element, schneideritis and screw rolling around inside the barrel that I got for $320. There's a thread about it on this forum somewhere. I ended up returning it and I regret that, because optically and functionally it worked fine and was a cool focal length. I took the money and put it towards a 50FLE instead. I'm not certain that was actually a good choice because I find the 50 a bit too close to my 60, and I strongly prefer the 60. If I ran across another 40mm in that condition for $320, I'd buy it for sure. Just because of the handling issues, I wouldn't spend $500-800 on one which seems like the going rate on ebay. It is, however, significantly cheaper than a SWC. If I had the money, I'd buy the SWC over it because it's so much more portable and is optically superior.

 

[GLS]

The 40mm FLE is better than the older 40mm, judging by the MTF curves.

The later 40mm IF CFE is significantly higher resolving again than the 40mm FLE, especially in the central 75% of the frame, but has more distortion (albeit with much less moustache character) and is insanely expensive.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Thought about that as well. But really want a lens that will fit and focus on my 500 body without switching to the separate finder SWC. Do you have any experience with the 40 you’d like to share? !


Andy

The SWC is very light and takes up very little space. The 40mm is large and heavier, when I handled it in the stores I found the distortion much greater than the SWC and much less useful. Do not underestimate to SWC's rectalinear optics which makes it much more useful than the 40mm lens. I can afford both and have passed up on great opportunities to buy the 40mm lens a number of times.

 

[AndyH]

The SWC is very light and takes up very little space. The 40mm is large and heavier, when I handled it in the stores I found the distortion much greater than the SWC and much less useful. Do not underestimate to SWC's rectalinear optics which makes it much more useful than the 40mm lens. I can afford both and have passed up on great opportunities to buy the 40mm lens a number of times.

Thanks! I appreciate the perspective (pun intended)….

Andy

 

[Sirius Glass]

Thanks! I appreciate the perspective (pun intended)….

Andy

Ah, but it is all about perspective.

 

[Arthurwg]

Sirius, have you ever had a 60? I have the 50FLE, 60, 80, 150 and 250 (and have had-and-sold the 100 and 120) and I sometimes catch myself thinking about selling all my lenses except for the 60 because I like it so much.

My 60mm lens, a CB version, is my favorite too. Very easy to use hand held and very sharp under all conditions. But I still want all the others. As far as I'm concerned, the only other one I actually need is the 120mm.

 

[fdonadio]

I had nothing to do, so I started looking again for Hasselblad lenses on eBay. The 80mm is even more expensive now, just one year later. I still want to replace my old 80mm C T* with a CF one. KEH and Roberts Camera have none.

 

[Grim Tuesday]

I had nothing to do, so I started looking again for Hasselblad lenses on eBay. The 80mm is even more expensive now, just one year later. I still want to replace my old 80mm C T* with a CF one. KEH and Roberts Camera have none.

It's amazing, and almost makes my want to sell my 80mm CF that I got for $250 three years ago, and switch to the 60mm permanently. Maybe if I sell it and commit to saving the money I can finally get a Mamiya 6...

 

[Sirius Glass]

Buy as soon as you find a good one, since the price is only going up for the foreseeable future. Heck buy two or three and then sell the lessor ones off in a few years to lower the final cost of the best one. That would keep the lenses from the hoarders.

 

[Sirius Glass]

@Sirius Glass you are only half-joking here. these are truly appreciating assets, so technically speaking emptying one's savings account on Hasselblad gear is a smarter move, financially, than keeping your money in the bank. My portfolio is fairly diversified as my savings are spread across US stocks, bonds, bitcoin and Hasselblad backs.

My portfolio is strongly diversified as my savings are spread across US stocks, Hasselblad lenses, Hasselblad backs and discontinued film of all sizes.

 

[fdonadio]

It's amazing, and almost makes my want to sell my 80mm CF that I got for $250 three years ago, and switch to the 60mm permanently. Maybe if I sell it and commit to saving the money I can finally get a Mamiya 6...

Unfortunately you’re not selling it for the same $250 you paid back then or I would be running to wherever you are!

 

[fdonadio]

My portfolio is strongly diversified as my savings are spread across US stocks, Hasselblad lenses, Hasselblad backs and discontinued film of all sizes.

My portfolio is fairly diversified as my savings are spread across US stocks, bonds, bitcoin and Hasselblad backs.

I’m seriously thinking about following your investment tips, guys...

 

[eli griggs]

So far as I can tell, the 150mm C, CF lenses are the cheapest of the V Series lenses.

The 50mm seems a close second.

The 80mm is/does, the lyon's share of Hasselblad film photography, and is the starter lens for most folks.

IMO.

 

[GLS]

This kind of sucks because the 80mm is smaller and cheaper than the 100mm.

The 100mm is a far better lens though.

The 60mm is one lens conspicuously absent from my collection. I would like to pick one up but the prices are going a bit crazy now (exceeding the 100mm in many cases). I already have the 50mm CFi, and very rarely use the 80mm these days.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

For what it’s worth, there have been a couple used 250mm CF on display for ages (and not selling) at the local store here in Munich, each for about 300 euros.

And to add a data point to lens useage statistics : in my case 120, 180, 60, 80, 50, 100, 250, 150 (from most to least used). I place the SWC in a different category and use it in parallel to those. I rarely go out with both the V-series and the SWC, it’s a either/or for me, partly to limit weight, partly as I see them as different cameras for different purposes.

the 180 is asupersharp lens and often overlooked.

 

[Kodachromeguy]

The 100mm is a far better lens though.

That is the standard internet cliche. Can that really be demonstrated in online posted pictures or optical prints? Most of this xxx is "sharper" than yyy is a bunch of online nonsense.

 

[GLS]

That is the standard internet cliche. Can that really be demonstrated in online posted pictures or optical prints? Most of this xxx is "sharper" than yyy is a bunch of online nonsense.

I own both lenses and it is definitely not nonsense. The 100mm is a noticeably better performer, especially outside the center of the frame, and has much lower distortion. The 80mm also suffers from horrendous coma at wide apertures. Does all of this make the 80mm a bad lens? No, it is still quite capable of making stunning photographs. But the 100mm *is* technically a much higher performer, and no amount of scoffing will change that.

 

[CJG]

This is from Gil Ghittleman who used to service my Blads:

80mm vs 100mm
While most Hassy users begin their system with the "normal" 80mm lens which is often part of a package being offered, many knowledgeable users opt for the 100mm lens which was originally used in aerial work and is considered one of Hasselblad's sharpest optics. Some argue that the lens is too sharp! Wedding photographers with limited space have used the 100mm for portraits. While we agree that the 100mm is a great lens and if we had a three lens system it would be the 50FLE-100-180, we don't think the 80mm should be thrown overboard. It's a great all around lens and the images we've seen taken with the 80mm makes the debate more interesting. If price is a consideration (and at these prices it should be) we would stick with the 80mm and not feel we're giving up anything. On the other hand things don't get much sharper than the 100mm. Confused? Rest assured you're not alone.

 

[Sirius Glass]

So far as I can tell, the 150mm C, CF lenses are the cheapest of the V Series lenses.

The 50mm seems a close second.

The 80mm is/does, the lyon's share of Hasselblad film photography, and is the starter lens for most folks.

IMO.

Most of my lenses are CF. Two, the most extreme are Cs because they were offered at such a low price I could not say no.

 

[Sirius Glass]

That is the standard internet cliche. Can that really be demonstrated in online posted pictures or optical prints? Most of this xxx is "sharper" than yyy is a bunch of online nonsense.

Duh, read the MTF curves:

See how the 100mm lenses curves are flatter and the distortion in #3 is less?

That is the standard internet cliche.

It is not.

Can that really be demonstrated in online posted pictures or optical prints?

Yes, you can search that out yourself.

Most of this xxx is "sharper" than yyy is a bunch of online nonsense.

Just proved you are wrong.