Hasselblad shutter doesn't hold it's time under 1/8 sec

Is there anything you could do to fix this?

I have been offered a 500C/M with a 100mm planar 3.5 in excellent condition.

The only problem is that it doesn't hold it's time under 1/8. The guy asks £824which I think is pretty fair, if it works perfectly, since the lens is pretty expensive. don't you think?

But is there anything to do about this problem?

any help is appreciated!

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A common problem in an old lens, due to lack of service. (How can it be "in excellent condition" when the shutter doesn't produce correct speeds?)
Having the shutter cleaned and relubed will probably all that is needed to fix it.

That will cost a bit, and it may be a good idea to negotiate a rebate because of it.
The thing of course also is that if this lens needs a CLA because of age and/or disuse, so will the magazine. The body perhaps too.

(Though not too bad, £824 already is at the top end of what could still be considered a good price. But you get a tube and metered knob (does it still work properly?) too, so really not too bad.)

This happens with lenses which have not been used much for a while. The camera shutter needs servicing. The old lubricant has to be removed and replaced with new. Many camera repair shops specializing on Hasselblad can do this. However, consider the age of this equipment and the use of this non-standard lens for your needs. Price-wise, this is fair but not a steal, unless the other lens pictured is part of the deal. Ask the seller to go halves on the lens service charge. If the other lens is as old as this one, it will be next soon.

Another thought- although the lens probably will do fine with just a CLA (clean, lube, adjust), it is of sufficient age that Hasselblad no longer produces repair parts for it. Should it break during or post-CLA, you may find yourself with a dead lens. Overall the probability of this happening now is most likely quite low, however, it will only increase with time. Inactivity can be even more deadly to a camera than over-use sometimes. I would definitely argue the price down on this, or do a little shopping around first and see what something comparable costs from a dealer who will offer some kind of warranty.

The 100mm Planar is indeed more expensive than the 80mm, but even though the camera is in very nice condition the price is quite high, even without a mal-functioning shutter. (Something similar with a black T* 80mm should be about £350-450, at least in my mind. So you are paying more or less £500 on top of the 80mm to get the "famous" 100mm.) I'm not trying to rub anything in, but even though the 100mm is supposed to be extremely sharp, it's optimized for infinity. I.e. it's only sharper than the other lenses at long distances, like airplane photography etc. Having said that, the 100 still performs well at closer distances, but not better than the 80. Another reason which I find more appealing is to have your focal lengths more evenly spaced. I.e. having a 38-60-100-150 combination vs a 50-80-120-180 combo.
If you go ahead with the purchase, you must know that most of your money goes into a lens with a currently broken shutter. As TheFlyingCamera points out, some spare parts for C-type lenses are hard to source. Please do see to that the seller either have the lens CLA'd before going through with the deal or that you have a money-back guarantee if the shutter is broken.

(My personal choice would actually be a 110mm as I shoot with a 2003FCW. But that is because I'm in that "wide-open" phase of life at the moment. We'll see if I find one at the right price before I recover. )

//Björn

I agree with Björn. Try this argument. If you buy the camera alone, what is the value of the left-over non-functioning lens? Why should you pay that much for a 'dead' add-on? Also, would it be worth to buy the camera, have the lens serviced and then sell it separately reconditioned? Would the lens achieve a reasonable price after repair, amortizing the CLA? If not, don't buy it.

Well, it just got sold. Thank you so much, for all of your inputs though. I think I'll go search for a fully working one, with an 80mm.

Watch your local ebay site and see what sort of prices the gear is being sold for. Ignore the pie-in-the-sky hopefulls wanting $3000. If you are buying privately, you then have some ballpark figures to work with and could negotiate a lower price if no warranty is offered. With local shops, it is often worth offering a lower price, especially if the kit sits in the window for weeks on end.

nkbitsch said:

Well, it just got sold. Thank you so much, for all of your inputs though. I think I'll go search for a fully working one, with an 80mm.

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I don't think you missed much. A better deal is just around the corner!

This would be a good time to take a deep breath and relax.
Try not to become emotional about the Hasselblad, a little anxiety can hurt the decision making part of your brain. The right combination of camera & cost will come along in time.
You may pass up a couple before you get there, but don't let it get to you. You've passed on two of them but neither were great deals & one would have needed service. Thats another $100 to throw at the camera.

`you guys are right.

I'll take a deep breath and just keep looking at ebay. Hopefully a nice deal will popup soon. (i'm watching 8 camera's right now).

Once again, thank you so much for taking your time

Unless you are in a hurry to find any Hasselblad, your camera will soon come to you. Be careful and fuzzy about what you buy as it's a buyers market. The usual thing to say is that "you get what you pay for", but sometimes you can get lucky. If you are prepared to pay in the vicinity of £1000 you should end up with a very nice camera. (I'd say at least a late 500C/M with a 80mm CF Planar. Possibly with an extra magazine and some other extras too.) Just remember that patience is your greatest virtue right now. You may have to let these 8 and another 20 go before your camera turns up. (I had my limits on a Jobo CPP2/CPA2 processor and after letting lots of processors go for almost 6 months, I suddenly got lucky. The same goes for my 'blad SWC with a black T* lens, which I found for about £600 and a lot of patience.) Once the opportunity turns up you'll know it and then you have to go out and get it.

//Björn