I always thought that I wanted a Hasselblad.

André E.C. · Oct 14, 2009

I would say, take the dopping from Lance and we will see what he does!

Like he said, it's not about the bike...!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Cheers

Venchka · Oct 14, 2009

Back on topic

André E.C. said:
...

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Cheers

You should have resisted.

Hey folks, remember me? I started this and then we went on the customary sleigh ride hither and yon that these threads often take. No worries. It's all good information. With an exception here and there.

I'm looking forward to the next year. Learning The Square again. Using the 501 as a fixed lens, fixed film camera. Like a Rollei TLR with an 80mm Planar. Only different.

Cheers!

ps: I'll stick the pinhole on the Pentax 6x7 occasionally to keep me humble.

PVia · Oct 14, 2009

QG and Ralph,

I hear what you're saying, but again, you're taking it to extremes regarding the sports shooter and the delivery trike. Of course, you have to have the right tool for the job!

Lance needs to ride the uber-bike because micro-seconds mean the difference btw winning and losing, plus ALL the other racers are doing the same thing. Hell, even shaving legs can mean all the difference and we've seen similar things in all race sports with body suits and other techno-micro-improvements.

But if you reverse the scenario you find out more about the equipment and how much it matters. Give Lance's uber-bike to your daily bike enthusiast and you'll see how quickly the bike doesn't matter.

I find so many people chasing the magic bullet in every endeavor. They have the Hassie, but maybe the RZ will be that breakthrough (or vice-versa) for them in quality or what have you. Or they have the Tachihara, but that Ebony will surely make the difference in their LF work.

I'm in the music business, a musician and I see it all the time with players and their instruments. Granted you don't want to play a broken down instrument, but the real thing most folks need to do is practice, practice, practice and work hard.

PVia · Oct 14, 2009

benjiboy said:
...I don't believe that photography is a problem that can be solved by throwing money at, if I want to improve my work I'll do it by study and practice.

Amen...

Ian David · Oct 14, 2009

PVia said:
I find so many people chasing the magic bullet in every endeavor. They have the Hassie, but maybe the RZ will be that breakthrough (or vice-versa) for them in quality or what have you. Or they have the Tachihara, but that Ebony will surely make the difference in their LF work.

What you say is true and a shame... if a magic bullet is what is being sought.

However, many people want to use a Blad or a Leica or an Ebony etc because they are beautifully crafted quality objects. They are iconic for a reason. They may not take better photos (or even be expected to take better photos) than a Bronica or a Bessa or a Tachihara, but they look and feel better. For many people who are still excited by film cameras, this is part of the appeal of the medium. You personally may not get the same buzz, but it is hard to say those who do are wrong.

Sirius Glass · Oct 14, 2009

Richard Wasserman said:
I thought I did until I picked up a Rollei SL66. I use the tilt fairly often, and I'm in the process of adapting some weird lenses for it. Can't do that with a Hasselblad.

Actually with the Mutar 1.4 PC the Hasselblad can tilt/shift the 40mm through the 100mm lenses.

Additionally there is the Hasselblad ArcBody and the FlexBody too.

So you do not have to be stuck with the Rollei SL66 any longer.

Steve

Ian David · Oct 14, 2009

Hey Steve, I have been meaning to ask for some time how you got your job with Hasselblad. Who should I speak to? It seems like a good gig - a bit of advertising here and there - but do they pay well?

redrockcoulee · Oct 14, 2009

There is a huge difference between chasing the magic bullet and having great equipment. But the medium format gear with the exception of the toy cameras and the Seagull do not fall into the department store bike category of waste of money.When I first read the OP I thought that it is rectangle versus square, almost that simple. Having a Hasselblad for the last year or so and using a borrowed one for a little over a year before that (Ted you may eventually get it back at work) it has quickly become my favourite camera but I already was used to the square format with my Rolleichord. A Hasselblad being a system is so much more versitle than a TLR or some of the other MF systems is very important however if I had borrowed a Bronica square format I may have gone that route but I would not have bought a Pentax 67 or Mamiya RB/RZ systems as even though they are reported to be great systems they do not offer what I want in MF. But I see no problem with someone else having both systems much like I have the blad and the Rolleichord.
Getting back to the bike analogy I have a racing bike from the early 60s, third hand as never had the speed to compete and this bike is still better built and would last longer than the inexpensive modern ones but would not be competetive with modern racing bikes. But it still works like quality should (Campy parts all the way round) and will not most of the good MF systems?

Wayne, enjoy the ability to switch films mid roll as often as you want, and the different mind set shooting square often provides. You will probaly find many times the 67 is the better camera for a situation or concept but now you can make choices. Additional lenses are not always that expensive and you do not need many anyways

Miskuss · Oct 14, 2009

(Ted you may eventually get it back at work) it has quickly become my favourite camera

Not holding my breath on that possibility.

RalphLambrecht · Oct 14, 2009

PVia said:
QG and Ralph,

I hear what you're saying, but again, you're taking it to extremes regarding the sports shooter and the delivery trike. Of course, you have to have the right tool for the job!

Lance needs to ride the uber-bike because micro-seconds mean the difference btw winning and losing, plus ALL the other racers are doing the same thing. Hell, even shaving legs can mean all the difference and we've seen similar things in all race sports with body suits and other techno-micro-improvements.

But if you reverse the scenario you find out more about the equipment and how much it matters. Give Lance's uber-bike to your daily bike enthusiast and you'll see how quickly the bike doesn't matter.

I find so many people chasing the magic bullet in every endeavor. They have the Hassie, but maybe the RZ will be that breakthrough (or vice-versa) for them in quality or what have you. Or they have the Tachihara, but that Ebony will surely make the difference in their LF work.

I'm in the music business, a musician and I see it all the time with players and their instruments. Granted you don't want to play a broken down instrument, but the real thing most folks need to do is practice, practice, practice and work hard.

PVia

Is it an either-or, or is it both, a lot of practice and good experience?

IloveTLRs · Oct 14, 2009

I had a Hasselblad a few months ago. The only niggles I had with it were the horrible neck strap (it was like a shoelace) and that it didn't do close-focus (like the old Bronicas.) Apart from that, it was a fantastic camera (I had the 501C/M with a chrome Plannar 80/2.8.) The Plannar was so sharp it should have been illegal.

Ultimately I sold it because I don't shoot that much 120 (and I use an old beater Rolleiflex when I do.) I still miss that camera.

Q.G. · Oct 15, 2009

PVia said:
QG and Ralph,

I hear what you're saying, but again, you're taking it to extremes regarding the sports shooter and the delivery trike. Of course, you have to have the right tool for the job!

Lance needs to ride the uber-bike because micro-seconds mean the difference btw winning and losing, plus ALL the other racers are doing the same thing. Hell, even shaving legs can mean all the difference and we've seen similar things in all race sports with body suits and other techno-micro-improvements.

But if you reverse the scenario you find out more about the equipment and how much it matters. Give Lance's uber-bike to your daily bike enthusiast and you'll see how quickly the bike doesn't matter.

I find so many people chasing the magic bullet in every endeavor. They have the Hassie, but maybe the RZ will be that breakthrough (or vice-versa) for them in quality or what have you. Or they have the Tachihara, but that Ebony will surely make the difference in their LF work.

I'm in the music business, a musician and I see it all the time with players and their instruments. Granted you don't want to play a broken down instrument, but the real thing most folks need to do is practice, practice, practice and work hard.

You are approaching this backwards.

Noone said that when you get a top-notch tool, you suddenly become a top-notch craftsman too. (That would indeed be something. )

But when you do get that top-notch tool, you know that whatever you do, you can't blame the tool for not being a top-notch craftsman too.

The tools matter.

Even in your backwards reversed scenario: give some well-willing but bad amateur Lance's über-bike, and he might - with practice - be able to become good and equal Lance's results. Give him that three wheeled delivery bike, and he may become good, and still never win anything. Not even a saturday afternoon amateur race, competing against equally bad amateurs who do have that über-bike they (still?) do not deserve.

(Shaving legs, by the way, is a fashion-fad, and doesn't make them go any faster. Those pedal-knights just think that it looks great. )

PVia · Oct 16, 2009

iandavid said:
What you say is true and a shame... if a magic bullet is what is being sought.

However, many people want to use a Blad or a Leica or an Ebony etc because they are beautifully crafted quality objects. They are iconic for a reason. They may not take better photos (or even be expected to take better photos) than a Bronica or a Bessa or a Tachihara, but they look and feel better. For many people who are still excited by film cameras, this is part of the appeal of the medium. You personally may not get the same buzz, but it is hard to say those who do are wrong.

Very true...

PVia · Oct 16, 2009

RalphLambrecht said:
PVia

Is it an either-or, or is it both, a lot of practice and good experience?

Yes, the two go hand-in-hand in music, if that's what you mean.

But in music, the door won't even open unless you've put the time in.

PVia · Oct 16, 2009

Q.G. said:
You are approaching this backwards.

Noone said that when you get a top-notch tool, you suddenly become a top-notch craftsman too. (That would indeed be something. )

But when you do get that top-notch tool, you know that whatever you do, you can't blame the tool for not being a top-notch craftsman too.

QUOTE]

I'll go along with that...now that that's settled ;-)

But, the bad amateur on the uber-bike or the amateur musician on the uber-piano equaling Lance's or others feat? Not gonna happen...

Q.G. · Oct 16, 2009

PVia said:
But, the bad amateur on the uber-bike or the amateur musician on the uber-piano equaling Lance's or others feat? Not gonna happen...

Again, noone said "that when you get a top-notch tool, you suddenly become a top-notch craftsman too".

The amateur will be able to reach a higher level of performance with the help of an über-bike than he would using a three wheeled delivery bike.
That is going to happen.

Though he may or may not reach the level of Armstrong, whether he does depends on his talent only when given the same über-bike.
Very much on the bike too when having to make do with that three wheeled delivery bike.

There's no way round it: tools matter.

RalphLambrecht · Oct 16, 2009

Tools matter. If they wouldn't, APUG discussions would be limited to non-technical issues, but predominantly, the opposite is the case.

Venchka · Oct 16, 2009

I'm taking my tools out to play. See Y'all!

Sirius Glass · Apr 25, 2010

iandavid said:
Hey Steve, I have been meaning to ask for some time how you got your job with Hasselblad. Who should I speak to? It seems like a good gig - a bit of advertising here and there - but do they pay well?

The salary is negative. I am not an employee of Hasselblad, rather I am an indentured servant.

Steve

Ian David · Apr 25, 2010

Steve, you should be careful re-reading old Hasselblad threads. You'll go blind!

Ian

Sirius Glass · Apr 25, 2010

iandavid said:
Steve, you should be careful re-reading old Hasselblad threads. You'll go blind!

Ian

No, that happens when you do something else.

paulie · Apr 25, 2010

buy a 10x8 and jump the queue , get outta the amateur formats lol

NormanV · Apr 25, 2010

I used to want a Hasselblad but I have read too many stories of how they can jam. I will stick with my RB67 that always performs.

bdial · Apr 25, 2010

I used to want a Hasselblad but I have read too many stories of how they can jam. I will stick with my RB67 that always performs.

All cameras can jam. I have many years of Hasseblad use under my belt, and have yet to experience the dreaded, so called common, Hasselblad Jam.

Sirius Glass · Apr 25, 2010

NormanV said:
I used to want a Hasselblad but I have read too many stories of how they can jam. I will stick with my RB67 that always performs.

It does not happen often and if you know what to do, it is not big deal to correct.

I always thought that I wanted a Hasselblad.

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency