Help! Hasselblad 80mm CB Shutter Problem?

[brent8927]

I just bought a Hasselblad 501CM with an 80mm CB lens. I've noticed that when I hit the shutter release button the shutter closes quickly, then opens for the normal exposure time, and closes again. I never paid attention to my 80mm CF when I tripped the shutter, but this just doesn't seem right. Am I wrong, and is this normal? I bought the camera from someone who hardly used it (and was the original ownder) so I'm thinking (and hoping!) that this might be normal. Thanks in advance.

Brent

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

What should happen when you trip the shutter is: 1. The mirror swings up and the blind opens and the iris shuts to the pre-selected aperture. 2. The shutter fires and the blind closes.

 

[Ed Sukach]

I just bought a Hasselblad 501CM with an 80mm CB lens. I've noticed that when I hit the shutter release button the shutter closes quickly, then opens for the normal exposure time, and closes again. I never paid attention to my 80mm CF when I tripped the shutter, but this just doesn't seem right. Am I wrong, and is this normal? I bought the camera from someone who hardly used it (and was the original ownder) so I'm thinking (and hoping!) that this might be normal. Thanks in advance.
Brent

I must be missing something .. This is the first time I've heard of a "CB" lens... could be, but ... Are you sure of that model?

Anyway... In the "C .." lenses - with between-the-lens shutters, the shutter *must* first close before anything else happens; if it did not, light would reach the film during some of the necessary activity - diaphragm closing, mirror swinging out of the way, rear film plane "vanes" in the process of swinging out of the way.

This initial shutter closing, is in all my "CF" lenses, *very rapid* ... faster than the eye can perceive the motion.
To see what happens, in the 500 series 'Blads, directly under the boss on the right side, where the winding knob is mounted, there is a "mirror release" latch. If this latch is "lifted" with a cocked shutter, the shutter will close, the mirror will retract and the rear vanes open, but the shutter will not reopen for the exposure (a feature to be used to eliminate mirror, etc., shock in critical exposures). Try it with the lens mounted and the back removed. It should happen*VERY* quickly .. If it does not, the shutter is sluggish,and probably in need of cleaning, and timing.

After using this mirror release, the shutter release button must be pressed to activate the shutter, and complete the exposure, before anything else can happen.

 

[brent8927]

Ed,

The CB lens is a newer model than the CF. It is like the CFI (or is it CFE?) lens but it has one less element and no "F" setting for use with focal plane shutter cameras, so it was a much more affordable Hasselblad lens. Of course... an affordable Hasselblad lens isn't exactly that affordable. I actually bought the camera because it was such a great price. I used to have a 501c with a CF lens and I was quite happy with it, but I had to sell it to move up to large format.

I did think more about the shutter closing and after looking at a view camera lens, I thought that just must be how leaf shutters work (and you point this out when using the mirror lock up, essentially the camera is working like a view camera lens). However, the initial shutter closing is not "very rapid" as you desrcibe it (though I would still call it rapid), but when I look through the back of the camera, with the back off so I can see through the lens, I do not see the shutter close, open, and then close again, so even though I notice the shutter initially closing when I look at the front of the lens, that moment or so before it closes is not allowing light to hit the film.

Thanks for your response, and if anyone out there uses a CB lens, especially an 80mm one, I'd really appreciate hearing from you if your lens is the same.

Brent

 

[gr82bart]

C and CF lenses are the older lenses that don't have the outer latest body design.

The CB, CFI and CFE lenses have the latest body design and are all the same except for a slight differences:
CB - has a cheaper shutter mechanism, no 'F' setting, no electronic contacts - discontinued
CFI - has newer shutter, has 'F' setting, no electronic contacts
CFE - has newer shutter, has 'F' setting and has electronic contacts

Art.

 

[Ed Sukach]

The CB, CFI and CFE lenses have the latest body design and are all the same except for a slight differences:
CB - has a cheaper shutter mechanism, no 'F' setting, no electronic contacts - ...

Threw me for a moment - until I realized that "no electronic contacts" referred to the contact array necessary for the 200 Series automatic exposure business. The 200 Series have focal plane shutters, don't they?
At first glance, I thought "no eletronic contacts" meant "no flash synchronization".

Aren't all those "newer lens designs" equipped with a locking PC socket, and missing EV scales and an IR reference mark?

At any rate, The initial shutter closing in my lenses is faster than the eye can perceive. I would think it strange that Hasselblad / Prontor would design something significantly slower.

 

[gr82bart]

The 200 Series have focal plane shutters, don't they?

Yes

At first glance, I thought "no eletronic contacts" meant "no flash synchronization".

Taken verbatum from the Hasselblad website:
"The "E" in the CFE designation stands for Electronic, indicating that the CFE lenses, in addition to all improvements of the CFi lenses, also feature databus connections for transmitting lens data to the metering system of the 200 series cameras."

Aren't all those "newer lens designs" equipped with a locking PC socket, and missing EV scales and an IR reference mark?

Yes, no (it has EV scales), and yes

Additionally from the Hasselblad website, CFI/CFE lenses have:
· New internal design and new anti-reflection materials reducing stray-light to a minimum, thus enhancing the image contrast even more.
· Improved design and a new main spring made of the specially durable material NIVAROX, which prolongs the life and increases the lasting precision of the leaf shutter.
· A new PC-socket with a positive lock, which secures the flash contact even better.
· A redesigned focusing mechanism, which runs even smoother.
· A new reinforced and integrated rear bayonet plate providing more rigidity.
· A new front bayonet in a durable non-metallic material, which withstands wear substantially better than previous designs.
· A new external design providing increased handling comfort and is styled to fit the Hasselblad cameras more pleasingly.

Art.

 

[gr82bart]

Also forgot to mention the 200 series cameras have metering capability which is another reason for the electronic contacts - aperture priority mode.

Art.