I want A Hasselblad. Talk Me Out Of It!

[mshchem]

Sure. As opposed to intense professional use and possible abuse. Many pros consider their gear as tools, expect them to withstand harsh conditions and possible rough handling.

"It's a Tool not a Jewel!"

 

[john_s]

My 555ELD has not failed me in 12 years of occasional amateur use. To be honest, my SL66 was the one that needed constant repairs, although I treated it like a raw egg.

Living near the end of the Earth where camera repairs are even harder, I was worried about my SL66 needing repair, so I picked up two more bodies at good prices well before the current pricing situation. (Items on ebay sometimes stay on sale for over a year).
Anyway, with fairly light use, body number one has been perfect. I guess it's like Murphy's Law: if you have a backup you won't need it, but otherwise you'll be out of luck.

 

[John Wiegerink]

Living near the end of the Earth where camera repairs are even harder, I was worried about my SL66 needing repair, so I picked up two more bodies at good prices well before the current pricing situation. (Items on ebay sometimes stay on sale for over a year).
Anyway, with fairly light use, body number one has been perfect. I guess it's like Murphy's Law: if you have a backup you won't need it, but otherwise you'll be out of luck.

Oh boy, I have to tell my wife I need two more Hasselblads, one more Pentax 67, two more Zeiss Super Ikonta B's, two more Ikoflex's, one more Minolta Autocord and two more Bronica GS-1's. I'm all set in Rolleiflex and Rolleicord cameras, but I know I'm going to need a few more Leica cameras for spares. I'm sure she will say yes, while standing over my dead body.
Actually it's not a bad idea if it's a camera you dearly love or one you use all the time. I would only do it if repairs are not available or cost far more than a spare body would cost.

 

[mshchem]

I know I need more when my dear wife suggests that I sell some of my stuff. Yikes

 

[chuckroast]

I know I need more when my dear wife suggests that I sell some of my stuff. Yikes

My wife literally does not care if I give in to the GAS. The only problem is that she expects parity, typically in the form of jewelry. On a per unit basis, her acquisition requirements are considerably more expensive. I am beginning to suspect that this might be a passive-aggressive way to get me to not buy things. Pray for me.

 

[mshchem]

My wife literally does not care if I give in to the GAS. The only problem is that she expects parity, typically in the form of jewelry. On a per unit basis, her acquisition requirements are considerably more expensive. I am beginning to suspect that this might be a passive-aggressive way to get me to not buy things. Pray for me.

One other important thing I (foolishly) note when she demands parity (or as I call it reparations). I tell her that the stuff I buy is valuable, and can be sold, even at a profit.

It's at this point that I realize that I have just shot myself in the foot! This summer she attended a workshop in Ireland, I stayed home and spent my money remodeling a bathroom

 

[chuckroast]

One other important thing I (foolishly) note when she demands parity (or as I call it reparations). I tell her that the stuff I buy is valuable, and can be sold, even at a profit.

It's at this point that I realize that I have just shot myself in the foot! This summer she attended a workshop in Ireland, I stayed home and spent my money remodeling a bathroom

It's possible we may need to start a support group outside Photrio just for this problem, perhaps called GAS Anonymous...

 

[mshchem]

It's possible we may need to start a support group outside Photrio just for this problem, perhaps called GAS Anonymous...

 

[john_s]

.............. I would only do it if repairs are not available or cost far more than a spare body would cost.

Repair cost is not the issue, it's repair possibility. The Rollei repairers are very old and some (no, most) have passed away. Spare parts are also a problem, of course. At least the large number of Hasselblads in service makes for a different, and better, repair scene. One possible advantage is that the SL66 has a focal plane shutter, so one doesn't need to worry about in-lens shutters. Of course, it means you can have a body with a dud shutter, not just one lens with a dud shutter.

I think there are a lot of lightly used SL66s. I think I read that most German police stations had them, and maybe they didn't get used like Hasselblads at weddings and fashion shoots, just occasional evidence photos.

All this talk of repairs to medium format cameras is making me nervous. I think I'll stop reading this thread.

 

[John Wiegerink]

Repair cost is not the issue, it's repair possibility. The Rollei repairers are very old and some (no, most) have passed away. Spare parts are also a problem, of course. At least the large number of Hasselblads in service makes for a different, and better, repair scene. One possible advantage is that the SL66 has a focal plane shutter, so one doesn't need to worry about in-lens shutters. Of course, it means you can have a body with a dud shutter, not just one lens with a dud shutter.

I think there are a lot of lightly used SL66s. I think I read that most German police stations had them, and maybe they didn't get used like Hasselblads at weddings and fashion shoots, just occasional evidence photos.

All this talk of repairs to medium format cameras is making me nervous. I think I'll stop reading this thread.

john_s,
Repair cost are an issue if you have very limited funds, but I do understand what you are saying. I think the biggest problem in the future is not so much the lack of repair people, but the lack of spare parts. Many of the really good repair folks had younger folks working for them also. Harry Fleenor's son is on the job and I imagine there are others also. Many tech savvy people could be taught or even self taught to repair cameras, but it has to be profitable for them to do so. The cost for repair on something like a Pentax ME 35mm I'm sure would be much more than the value of the camera itself. The repair cost on a Rolleiflex 3.5F would almost surely be less than the value of the camera. The only time I would repair a cheaper, mass produced camera is if there were some sort of sentimental connection. Otherwise it's just not feasible.

 

[Arthurwg]

My 555ELD has not failed me in 12 years of occasional amateur use. To be honest, my SL66 was the one that needed constant repairs, although I treated it like a raw egg.

Actually, the 555ELD is the most robust of all the motor driven Hasselblads, which is a good reason to own it.

 

[Arthurwg]

My experience with Hasselblad was an example of Spock's aphorism:

“After a time, you may find that 'having' is not so pleasing a thing after all as 'wanting'. It is not logical, but it is often true.”​

Maybe, but not true for Hasselblads.

 

[Arthurwg]

john_s,
Repair cost are an issue if you have very limited funds, but I do understand what you are saying. I think the biggest problem in the future is not so much the lack of repair people, but the lack of spare parts.

Ah ha! A great use for all those "inoperable Hasselblads" on the shelf. They must be worth quite a bit for parts, and that value will only go up. Defunct cameras are a good investment.

 

[Arthurwg]

I guess it's like Murphy's Law: if you have a backup you won't need it, but otherwise you'll be out of luck.

"Better to have a gun that you don't need, than to need a gun that you don't have." True Romance.

 

[Pieter12]

Ah ha! A great use for all those "inoperable Hasselblads" on the shelf. They must be worth quite a bit for parts, and that value will only go up. Defunct cameras are a good investment.

The same parts tend to fail on most cameras, rendering the spare inoperable ones pretty useless as donors. Not a good investment. Nice decorations though.