Hasselblad

..

No offence taken. If you look further up in this thread I too have a problem with the way some people just throw their money around. In my case I was a working professional for a number of years and now only shoot pics for my own amusement. If others like it, all the better. One rule I have is that I can't buy another peice of camera equipment like a body or lens unless I have either "paid" for it through the sale of prints with my existing equipment or I have sold something I don't use anymore to pay for it. I'm a terrible pack rat so have to put some guidelines down for myself.

As far as the blad equipment I don't buy it to impress anyone. I buy it because it's darn good and there is lots of it cheap on eBay these days. I also do a lot of travel and find it just as easy to pack etc. as a complete 35mm system. In most cases lighter and easier to pack. I find I don't get the quality I want from any 35mm system, and I've used them all, so I've sold off all my Nikon stuff except for a few basic things (just in case) and gone totally MF for travel.

Beyond that I have rediscovered my love of LF and have immersed myself in that over the past year. It was a 30 break from LF but it's nice to get back to it.

I hope you enjoy your RB, it's a great camera. Just to big and heavy for travel. One of my all time favorite SLR MF cameras was a Bronica S2A with Nikkor optics. Got it cheap, was able to buy all kinds of lenses, backs, bellows for macro, and a 90 degree finder for less than at that time 1 blad lense. The darn thing just wouldn't die and took amazing pics. Made lots of money with it over the years. Because some of the art directors thru their own ignorance would check your chromes for the blad notches and if they weren't there would reject your stuff outright so I filed some notches into my backs and they weren't the wiser.

Ended up giving the system to a struggling commercial photographer and from what I hear she has done very well for herself.

Welcome to our community and I look forward to having you as a neighbour.

Eric

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (harry @ Mar 19 2003, 06:23 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>That makes it a little harder for me to take when I see someone who buys one either as a status symbol or because it's the most expensive camera in the shop, believing it will make them a good photographer when they otherwise aren't.&nbsp; </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
I know *exactly* what you mean.

There are significant reasons for owning a "fine" camera ... for the same reason that a "fine" carpenter will probably own a "fine" hammer. The finest hammer ever made will *NOT* create a "fine" carpenter - and the same principles apply to photography - and a whole spectrum of other human activites.

Once I succumbed to the "lure" of having a "prestigious" camera around my neck ... and, sad to say, I think I let that camera have a very bad effect on me. I finally realized ... I'm not the fastest learner in the world ... that there was a pompous, arrogant, coarse OAF - who really did not know much about what he was talking about entangled in the loop formed by that camera strap. I caused grief to others ... something I've sworn to myself NOT to do again.

- Ahhh ... enough!

I tried nude photography. I damn near froze!!!

Good point there. A tool is only as fine as it's user.

A fact that often goes unnoticed it seems among the equipment snobs.

I must agree with all of you who question Hasselblad's reason for their 645. There have been magazines in the 645 formar for years. It's all marketing. I was shocked when they came out with the "colored" Hasseys. It's a way to make a few more bucks. What hassey user with a yellow camera will EVER use a blue back? That means more sales of new backs. Frankly I am a little disappointed with hasselblad and their "new items". I've been a hassey user for over 40 years and have just about all of their lense's as well as their acessories. I'm very proud of my black bodies and I am always happy to talk with those that see my cameras know that the name as always meant quality.

I'm not a dedicated preacher (I'm a Bronica user, but don't really care about cameras).

Having used 645, I quite like it. I recently saw the new Hasselblad 645 and it looks rather nice. Personal preference I suppose.

I think the best thing is to let your pictures define your work not your camera.

There is a guy at my local group who shoots nothing but 4"x5" and 6x9 and scans it all with lots of super expensive gear. Yet I know a seventeen year old art student using a "cereal box" APS camera that takes photos 200x more interesting than the aforementioned LF junkie.

Just find what works. I wouldn't worry - Hasselblad are just branching out and covering more markets - and, ultimately, competition helps. 645 is a pretty competitive market - you've got Bronica, Pentax, Mamiya and now Hasselblad, but it has it's truly dedicated users (I love it, but I like 6x6 also, and am always trying to "borrow" my father's SQA!)

Whatever works is cool, and I think the new Blad has potential.

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (fotobob @ May 1 2003, 07:11 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> I was shocked when they came out with the &quot;colored&quot; Hasseys. It's a way to make a few more bucks. What hassey user with a yellow camera will EVER use a blue back? That means more sales of new backs. Frankly I am a little disappointed with hasselblad and their &quot;new items&quot;. </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
Hey!

As a yellow Hassy owner, I'm not sure how to respond here.

First, I haven't been a pro or anything and haven't been a photographer quite as long. Only about 19 years since I was 12. To me photography is my escape from the corporate world that I live in.

I have always wanted to own a Hassey since I was a kid and a friend's father showed me his Hassey.

When the coloured ones came out they appealed to me - young, professional, wanted a great camera. Prestige, status - sure! Why not? Will it make me a better photographer - maybe - only because I love photography that much more now that I have this great piece of machinery in my hands.

Something you may want to consider is that HB is looking to a new generation of users who will use this camera for the next 40 years. Its not just for the old guys you know?

Boy, those tan Linhofs of the two-tone patent leather shoe era really look dated, and I suspect the colored Hassys are headed that way too. I love my Tech V, but eventually that tan leatherette has got to go (and it will when I stop gluing it back on every time the panels come loose).

black or chrome never seems to go out of style nor does it draw as much attention as a big bright box. I don't mind the new blad's. If it draws a few more into photography and specifically MF then I think it is a good thing.

And to think that I thought the little embossed "M"s on the leatherette of the C220 was cool. (at least they had no pretensions about what they wrapped the camera in, and I don't have to neat's foot oil it as well)

Ladies & Gentlemen!

The bottom line is this one, you want style? Buy an Hasselblad!
You want beauty? Buy an Hasselblad!
You want a full and reliable system? Buy Hasselblad!
You want good service? Buy Hasselblad!
You want performance? Buy Hasselblad!
Whatever the reason you might buy an Hasselblad, just buy it and enjoy it!

Cheers

André

Juba said:

Ladies & Gentlemen!

The bottom line is this one, you want style? Buy an Hasselblad!
You want beauty? Buy an Hasselblad!
You want a full and reliable system? Buy Hasselblad!
You want good service? Buy Hasselblad!
You want performance? Buy Hasselblad!
Whatever the reason you might buy an Hasselblad, just buy it and enjoy it!

Cheers

André

Click to expand...

Well, that just about sums it up, now, doesn't it? haha

As for those different colored Hassys... I love 'em! I'd love to have at least a red one and a blue one for sure! Do they make an orange one??? I mean orange is just about my most favorite! Yeah... orange hassy. Now THAT's cool!

BWGirl said:

Do they make an orange one??? I mean orange is just about my most favorite! Yeah... orange hassy. Now THAT's cool!

Click to expand...

Check here, if you don't mind a little do-it-yourself ...
http://www.cameraleather.com/colors/
I'm tempted myself as my Hassy is already lacking some leatherette. But I think I will go with verdigris kid skin.

Or maybe dark brown lizard.

decisions, decisions -- MW

Why not use both? One color one one side... another color on the other side... and one really freaky- (or groovy) looking 'blad...

Juba said:

Ladies & Gentlemen!

The bottom line is this one, you want style? Buy an Hasselblad!
You want beauty? Buy an Hasselblad!
You want a full and reliable system? Buy Hasselblad!
You want good service? Buy Hasselblad!
You want performance? Buy Hasselblad!
Whatever the reason you might buy an Hasselblad, just buy it and enjoy it!

Cheers

André

Click to expand...

You forgot:
If you want to spend too much money on one lens, one body, and one back Buy a Hasselblad

Magnus W said:

Check here, if you don't mind a little do-it-yourself ...
http://www.cameraleather.com/colors/
I'm tempted myself as my Hassy is already lacking some leatherette. But I think I will go with verdigris kid skin.

Or maybe dark brown lizard.

decisions, decisions -- MW

Click to expand...

Well, now.... how cool is that??? I'd have to go with the red kid skin as there is no way on this earth I would want to touch ANYTHING that even LOOKS like reptile skin.

Yep, Mark, you're right... they are pricey... but they are just so darn cool.

cool, and every bit as good as a kowa 66, (have both)

Mike