Hasselblad telephoto lenses

RalphLambrecht · Dec 27, 2023

Paul Goutiere said:
I am considering a telephoto lens for my 501CM. At this point I have a 80mm and 150mm but perhaps I may add something longer. Maybe a 350mm or even a 500mm. Does anyone have any experience with a Hasselblad telephoto they would like to share?

I have both, the 180 and 250CF. Both are great lenses. the 180f/4 counts as an exceptionally sharp portrait lens! The 250 has a max aperture of f/5.6, which is a bit limiting and with a2xextender it is a bit soft.

guangong · Dec 27, 2023

I have a 300mm Olympic Sonnar that I use on my 2000FCM. The weight of this lens would not be disturbed by wind. Only a comparative weightlifter would be able to hand hold this lens, so strictly for robust tripod only. I have the means for attaching a Leitz 400mm to same camera, but never felt the need (lens covers 66, why didn't Leitz market a MF camera?).The 250mm Hassy lens is about the extreme limit for hand held for me.

Hassasin · Dec 27, 2023

guangong said:
I have a 300mm Olympic Sonnar that I use on my 2000FCM. The weight of this lens would not be disturbed by wind. Only a comparative weightlifter would be able to hand hold this lens, so strictly for robust tripod only. I have the means for attaching a Leitz 400mm to same camera, but never felt the need (lens covers 66, why didn't Leitz market a MF camera?).The 250mm Hassy lens is about the extreme limit for hand held for me.

Agree 250 Sonnar is border line hand holdable, and that is without 2x Mutar.

Why the 350 Tele-Tessar never had a tripod collar is beyond my comprehension. I have an off-brand collar, but as lens was never designed to accept one, it cannot be mounted in a correct position. Then add non-IF design, lens extends by about 3/4 inch, and things get worse. The lens mounted directly to body and rested on body's foot plate is so front heavy, I'm worried about distorting the mount or body itself.

Tele-APOTessar 500 CF has a foot plate and with that it is so much better in use than the 350.

The Variogon 140-280 is just as big and as heavy as the 500, its first C version with Compur shutter had no tripod mount, but Hasselblad made a plate with thin metal band to go around the barrel. It's OK, better than nothing, but I was never in agreement with how narrow that band was and potential stress it would exert on the barrel. So finally have found the CF version with more proper collar by design and that is much much better.

But the 350/500 are great to shoot with. None for sports or action shots due to long throw (slow) focusing (absolutely forget zone focusing), but for right reasons that's where that long throw shines with very precise focus.

bags27 · Dec 27, 2023

I just scored a 180 that, with first shots, I really loved. Also got a 2x Mutar. I've used it with a monopod. I find that a monopod is a really easy compromise between handheld and tripod. Certainly not as much stability but massively more mobility.

Kodachromeguy · Dec 27, 2023

Hassasin said:
Agree 250 Sonnar is border line hand holdable, and that is without 2x Mutar.

Why the 350 Tele-Tessar never had a tripod collar is beyond my comprehension. I have an off-brand collar, but as lens was never designed to accept one, it cannot be mounted in a correct position. Then add non-IF design, lens extends by about 3/4 inch, and things get worse. The lens mounted directly to body and rested on body's foot plate is so front heavy, I'm worried about distorting the mount or body itself.

Tele-APOTessar 500 CF has a foot plate and with that it is so much better in use than the 350.

The Variogon 140-280 is just as big and as heavy as the 500, its first C version with Compur shutter had no tripod mount, but Hasselblad made a plate with thin metal band to go around the barrel. It's OK, better than nothing, but I was never in agreement with how narrow that band was and potential stress it would exert on the barrel. So finally have found the CF version with more proper collar by design and that is much much better.

But the 350/500 are great to shoot with. None for sports or action shots due to long throw (slow) focusing (absolutely forget zone focusing), but for right reasons that's where that long throw shines with very precise focus.

Hassasin said:
The Variogon 140-280 is just as big and as heavy as the 500, its first C version with Compur shutter had no tripod mount, but Hasselblad made a plate with thin metal band to go around the barrel. It's OK, better than nothing, but I was never in agreement with how narrow that band was and potential stress it would exert on the barrel. So finally have found the CF version with more proper collar by design and that is much much better.

How do you find the optical quality/character of the Variogon? Do you like the results?

Hassasin · Dec 27, 2023

Kodachromeguy said:
How do you find the optical quality/character of the Variogon? Do you like the results?

Variogon is my latest acquisition, yet to finish first roll with it. I went half-blind into it having seen few photos taken with one. But a friend of mine used one for a while and liked the results, no less than with any other Hasselblad kens. Except of course it is a brick to lug around.

Zoom drew me in for more precise framing without moving the whole rig, which sometimes is not even possible in places I often visit.

From first impression feels and looks like a substantial and premium piece of gear, as expected.

Once I get some time with it I will talk more on handling, focusing, and results.

jeffreyg · Dec 27, 2023

I designed my own custom collar for my 350 It is adjustable and can handle the 350 with a 2X It can center the weight over the tripod and is made of aluminium A machine shop made it for $60

Hassasin · Dec 27, 2023

jeffreyg said:
I designed my own custom collar for my 350 It is adjustable and can handle the 350 with a 2X It can center the weight over the tripod and is made of aluminium A machine shop made it for $60 View attachment 358016

Problem is that lens changes its length with focus change. Looks like what you have will work, but my point is not that proper after market rig could not be made. I will never understand why Hasselblad missed that. 350 alone without tripod mount is a major engineering/design miscue.

Eventually I'll have my own version that will give me what I want, with smooth extension/contraction during focusing. And yes, given the bad barrel design, there is hardly another way but to have two point support of lens/camera with allowance to change length.

Note that I am discussing CF version, not C 350.

jeffreyg · Dec 27, 2023

The photo doesn’t show it but the collar is tapered to match the lens and has a bolt that slides with the lens and can be tightened after focusing as can the quick Hasselblad connector. The top and bottom of the collar are separate and connect with the bolts as shown. The middle connector is the connector to the tripod and doesn’t touch the lens. The lens is a 350 TeleTessar. It does work. I’ve used it with the lens plus the Mutar 2x as well. Because of the lens taper it was designed for that specific lens

Steven Lee · Dec 28, 2023

@jeffreyg This is awesome. Well done Sir!

jeffreyg · Dec 28, 2023

Thanks Steven. Here is another view The camera connector can move independent of the collar and also be tightened down to the bar.
.

Nokton48 · Dec 28, 2023

Battle of the Bands Hasselblad Fujiroid by Nokton48, on Flickr

Battle of the Bands. Hasselblad 500EL/M 350mm F5.6 Tele-Tessar Fuji 400 Instant Film (came from Japan). Always liked this one, instant photography is so much fun. Nobody there had ever seen it before. BTW our Band won the competition.

GLS · Dec 31, 2023

Of the regular Hassy teles, the 180mm is the best in terms of optical performance.

The pinnacle is the 250mm Superachromat, but be prepared to pay dearly for it.

Arthurwg · Dec 31, 2023

Nokton48 said:
Battle of the Bands Hasselblad Fujiroid by Nokton48, on Flickr

I like the composition.

Hassasin · Dec 31, 2023

I think we should differentiate between "hardly" a tele 180 and a 250 or higher. Superchromat lenses may well be vastly superior optically, except that performance is hardly due in most applications. I'd leave them to those who need the bragging rights in order to survive.

But my main point is that it is beyond unfair to compare a 180 lens, one that is far easier to handle in shooting, and long teles, which require unwavering attention to a number of handling practices. They are a lot harder to master, than a 180, or anything shorter. The 250 is just a start, difficulties grow fast the longer we go,

All of these longer Hass lenses are often judged as inferior in output. Problem is that while mishandling of a 180 can still go undetected in an image, same miscue will show easily when a 350 or 500 is used.

Arthurwg · Dec 31, 2023

Hassasin said:
But my main point is that it is beyond unfair to compare a 180 lens, one that is far easier to handle in shooting,

Unfortunately I did not find the 180mm lens easy to handle in shooting. Very front heavy and awkward, impossible to hand-hold adequately. Sold it.

Nokton48 · Dec 31, 2023

Arthurwg said:
I like the composition.

Thanks Arthurwg! I like this one a lot too. Al Kaplan told me "I can hear the music coming out of it" NICE. The point IS, is the lens usuable without support? Of course some are sharper than others. That makes no difference to me, I have a complete set of black T* lenses, excepting the 105 and the 250 Achro. And they all are stellar for what I do with them. If I want a billboard, I pull out the larger format stuff. With Hassy about 16x16" is all I never need to go; mostly 8x8 and 10x10 at the most of the time. The only one I own that needs support just to use, is the 500mm Tele-Tessar.

Nokton48 · Dec 31, 2023

Another.

OBLIVIONFIRE2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Oblivion Fire performing at the Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival. Hasselblad 500EL/M 350mm f5.6 (non T*) Tele-Tessar Hasselblad Polaroid Back Fuji 400 ASA B&W Instant Film (ordered from Japan). That's my Son playing his electric bass guitar. Of course I also shot regular B&W roll film, but these instant film photos are just so much fun to produce. You can make some great pictures if you learn how to best use it. Best determined by direct use, not by opinions from the internet.

Nokton48 · Dec 31, 2023

CFV16 500CM 250 C T Star Sonnar EI 200 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Handheld 500C/M CFV16 Digital Back 250mm f5.6 black C T* Zeiss Sonnar, EI 200 Metered with the Olde CDS Meter Prism, set the EV on the lens, this is the result.

500mm Oberkochen 500ELM CFV16 EI 200 EV 14.5 by Nokton48, on Flickr

This is the first test of the 500mm F8 Oberkochen Opton Hasselblad lens. EL/M Body with Olde Hasselblad CDS Meter Prism indicated EV14.5. Set that on the lens, this is the result. Hasselblad CFV16 Digital Back set to Ei 200, camera/lens mounted on a Plaubel Peco 2 Way Head, attached to sturdy Manfrotto legs. The pretty new Magnolia tree is our yard was blowing visibly, the 500mm shutter seems to have frozen it, there was a lot of leaf movment in the breeze. It is fun to play with the new digital back and I am loving the saturated colors I'm getting. Hasselblad says it's the fat pixels, but also how much space is around each pixel. Anyways I'm loving the color right out of the camera. Shooting distance was 28 feet, the absolute minimum focus distance on the lens. So I will add extension tubes if needed.

Hassasin · Dec 31, 2023

Arthurwg said:
Unfortunately I did not find the 180mm lens easy to handle in shooting. Very front heavy and awkward, impossible to hand-hold adequately. Sold it.

This may well be. I stopped at Tessar 160 on that road and resumed journey at 250. If I see 180 CFi reasonably priced, I'll likely get that, so at least I can remove the "out-of-stock" sticker

Nokton48 · Jan 1, 2024

Soccer 350mm 500CM FUJI 800 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Soccer 350mm 500CM FUJI 800 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

eli griggs · Jan 2, 2024

Arthurwg said:
Unfortunately I did not find the 180mm lens easy to handle in shooting. Very front heavy and awkward, impossible to hand-hold adequately. Sold it.

Did you try a monopod to steady the camera while handholding it?

Arthurwg · Jan 2, 2024

eli griggs said:
Did you try a monopod to steady the camera while handholding it?

I'm sure that would have helped.

Hassasin · Jan 2, 2024

Arthurwg said:
I'm sure that would have helped.

Wouldn't monopod cancel "handholding" though ?

Arthurwg · Jan 2, 2024

Hassasin said:
Wouldn't monopod cancel "handholding" though ?

Well, yes. But maybe "semi-handholding"?

Hasselblad telephoto lenses

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