Hasselblad PME-45 Question

Jager · Sep 26, 2015

Just received my PME-45 from overseas, purchased off the auction site. It looks exactly as advertised (near mint) and seems to function fine... except that when peering through the viewfinder the LED panel at the bottom, below the optic image itself, is only bright at the very right-hand side. Any information in the middle of the screen and towards the left is very dim. You can make out the characters, but just barely. (There is a self-test mode that illuminates all the characters on the LED screen and makes the illumination fall-off very apparent). It's like there are several "bulbs" comprising the LED screen and only the one on the far right is working.

Just confirming... 1) this is NOT normal behavior? and 2) anyone know if this is easily repairable?

Thanks in advance...

itsdoable · Sep 26, 2015

1) Not normal.

2) Check the battery first, the circuit for brighter light values may draw more current

Sirius Glass · Sep 26, 2015

Both batteries need to be the same age and usage.

Jager · Sep 26, 2015

I don't have a volt meter at hand, but have tried another couple of batteries. All three have been new (with expiration dates a la 2022), straight from the packaging (only takes one battery, SG, a CR-2). Behavior consistent with all of them. Contacts are pristine.

Ah, well. The optical view through the viewfinder is crisp and clear and very much affirms that I'd like one of these things - one that works in all respects.

I guess this one will be going back to the seller.

cuthbert · Sep 27, 2015

Out of curiosity, are any of the Hasselblad metered prism coupled with the camera or do you have to set up aperture and shutter speed manually on the basis the of the reading?

Sirius Glass · Sep 27, 2015

cuthbert said:
Out of curiosity, are any of the Hasselblad metered prism coupled with the camera or do you have to set up aperture and shutter speed manually on the basis the of the reading?

No, but you set the camera to the EV and then rotate both the shutter speed and aperture rings together to the desired setting. One inconvenience is that when you change a lens the maximum aperture must be reset on the PME and that can be easily missed.

cuthbert · Sep 27, 2015

Sirius Glass said:
No, but you set the camera to the EV and then rotate both the shutter speed and aperture rings together to the desired setting. One inconvenience is that when you change a lens the maximum aperture must be reset on the PME and that can be easily missed.

Ok then it works like the Kiev TTL pentaprism...no way, Hassies and clones are slooow cameras.

Sirius Glass · Sep 27, 2015

cuthbert said:
Ok then it works like the Kiev TTL pentaprism...no way, Hassies and clones are slooow cameras.

In which universe? Hasselblads et al are not slow. With the 45 degree PME is can shoot about as fast as I can with a 35mm SLR but not as fast as a 35mm SLR with AF and in the program mode. 4"x5" on a tripod is slower.

cuthbert · Sep 28, 2015

Sirius Glass said:
In which universe? Hasselblads et al are not slow. With the 45 degree PME is can shoot about as fast as I can with a 35mm SLR but not as fast as a 35mm SLR with AF and in the program mode. 4"x5" on a tripod is slower.

In the universe where you have an uncoupled lightmeter. As a matter of fact nobody uses H cameras for street photography and this is a good answer for that.

It appears the only "fast" Hassys are the 200 series with coupled lightmeter inside the body, and I see the command a high price for it.

Jager · Sep 28, 2015

Indeed, having an uncoupled lightmeter, whether handheld or resident within a prism finder, is inevitably slower than having it otherwise.

IMO that's, mostly, a good thing. It forces one to see light. To evaluate it, to estimate its quantity, to appreciate its direction. Something that's a little bit of a lost art to many modern photographers.

bdial · Sep 28, 2015

It is slower, but not by much in practical terms, and the PME is faster than dealing with a hand-held meter.

In conditions where the light is consistent, whether a city street, or out in the woods, there is rarely a need to meter every frame. If you just need to confirm what your eyes think is going on, the PME finder is as fast as anything else.

Hasselblad PME-45 Question

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