How to focus with Hasselblad 50mm CF FLE lens?

[Sirius Glass]

1. First of all it is important to understand that 'within the DOF zone' means only that "on a 8x10 inch print, things which are 'within the DOF zone' are not blurred enough for your brain to interpret as 'not in focus'...but they ARE BLURRY, just not objectionably so...only things at the plane of focus are perfectly sharp!
2. Next, one has to understand that DOF markings on lenses, and DOF tables and most calculation programs are based upon 'manufacturer standard' assumptions about human visual acuity which are NOT EVEN AS GOOD as what your optometrist corrects you vision to achieve!

So if your aperture was set to f/11, because of better visual acuity than assumed by the engravings, you REALLY SHOULD USE the engraving marks for about f/5.6. For example, with 50mm lens on Hassy set to f/11,

• the f/11 DOF zone engravings would have you wrongly believe that DOF zone is from 1.8m to Infinity when the focus plane is 3.7m away.
• But, the viewer with 20/20 corrected vision actually sees that things outside the true DOF zone of 2.8m to 5.6m are out of focus!
• So using the lens DOF scale marks at f/5.6 show the DOF zone to be 3.2m to 4.5m, which is much closer to approximating what the 20/20 visual acuity vision would detect!

Although I could not completely understand what you are saying due to complicate English, I guess you are with Norman Koren camp. Thanks!

More like the North Korean camp.

 

[wiltw]

Although I could not completely understand what you are saying due to complicate English, I guess you are with Norman Koren camp. Thanks!

Both writers explain things well. Rockwell simply failed to point out the fact that the DOF marks on lenses (and DOF tables) are overly optimistic, because they assume the person has poorer vision than reality.

 

[DonFilm]

No, you make the right choice, the Rolleiflex SL66se can have battery problems. That comment was from someone who is jealous that he did not buy one.

Rolleiflex SL66, not SE model, doesn't require any battery while it provides with tilt shift function. I know it has a couple of weaknesses such as magazine problem and bellows light leak. Frankly speaking, I should have bought a Hasselblad Flexbody instead of 503CX because my primary usage of medium format film camera is landscape photography. At that time, I didn't know about Flexbody at all.

 

[DonFilm]

More like the North Korean camp.
View attachment 206323

Thanks for your clarifying reply. Sorry for causing you an inconvenience.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

... After seeing the films returned from Film Develop Lab, I was greatly disappointed at the results. ...

Disappointed in the prints? Are the negatives sharp? If the prints are disappointing and the negatives are sharp, it is a problem at the lab. Sometimes I have had very bad results from even good labs (in my case, I had it printed again elsewhere, then took it back to show them).

...
From a 35mm negative, exposed in a Trip 35 that I paid $2.10 for :
...

Stop that! Stop that! First there was Rockwell's dented Trip 35, then other people on websites singing it praises ... and now this! As a retiree, I cannot afford to buy another camera, even at $2.10

 

[MattKing]

Stop that! Stop that! First there was Rockwell's dented Trip 35, then other people on websites singing it praises ... and now this! As a retiree, I cannot afford to buy another camera, even at $2.10

Ah, but the point is, the expense of the camera isn't what matters the most. If you already have a camera that works well for you, what you have already will do the job.
The Trip 35 is fun though, and in some ways is the perfect carry everywhere with you camera.
And to get (sort of) back on topic, as the Trip 35 is a scale focusing camera that has nothing to help you with focusing, it serves as an excellent illustration of the fact that becoming familiar with how your camera works and renders images is the best way of getting the best out of it. And that process takes time, some expense, and the willingness to both experiment and make mistakes you can learn from.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Rolleiflex SL66, not SE model, doesn't require any battery while it provides with tilt shift function. I know it has a couple of weaknesses such as magazine problem and bellows light leak. Frankly speaking, I should have bought a Hasselblad Flexbody instead of 503CX because my primary usage of medium format film camera is landscape photography. At that time, I didn't know about Flexbody at all.

I was interested in the Rolleiflex SL66, but Samys Camera only had Hasselblads and Hasselblad lenses, so that sent me on that path.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Thanks for your clarifying reply. Sorry for causing you an inconvenience.

Please feel free to ask any questions. My youngest daughter taught English as a second language in South Korea for two years.

 

[DonFilm]

Disappointed in the prints? Are the negatives sharp? If the prints are disappointing and the negatives are sharp, it is a problem at the lab. Sometimes I have had very bad results from even good labs (in my case, I had it printed again elsewhere, then took it back to show them).

I didn't print it, but scanned with Nikon Super Coolscan 9000 ED. The scanned output was not sharp, precisely speaking acute, and I couldn't judge sharpness on the negaive film using a loupe on the light table.

 

[DonFilm]

Please feel free to ask any questions. My youngest daughter taught English as a second language in South Korea for two years.

Glad to hear that! I hope she liked staying in Korea. Being 68 yers old, I just started film photography after a long DSLR photo life. I just wanted to start a new life right from the beginning, so I read books and did an extensive googling. I am looking forward to outing to the field in September. As you might be aware of, it's too unusually hot to go out here in Far East area like Korea and Japan.

 

[wiltw]

More like the North Korean camp.
View attachment 206323

Huh? wanna interpret that comment for us?

 

[DonFilm]

Huh? wanna interpret that comment for us?

I guess we need to read North Korean camp as Norman Koren camp.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I was explaining the concept. Once someone understands it, then if they choose, they can put infinity a little inside the f/stop mark. With the Hasselblad, putting infinity at the f/stop is still very sharp.

Yes because, Carl Zeiss is very conservative with their assumption of Coc bu still, true sharpness only exists at the focal plane.

 

[GLS]

bu still, true sharpness only exists at the focal plane.

Yes, especially with high resolution films/sensors, and/or large print sizes at close viewing distances.

 

[k.hendrik]

No, you make the right choice, the Rolleiflex SL66se can have battery problems. That comment was from someone who is jealous that he did not buy one.

You wish !
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77846450@N00/23957867440/in/dateposted-public/

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I never had the 60mm lens since it is too close to the 80, I have the 50 and I am very happy with it.

me too!