Is it OK to pick up a Hasselblad by the prism?

[pete_mod]

Did a quick search, couldn't find anything on the topic. Not sure if the prism mount is robust enough to be picking up the camera by the prism. Stupid question, but rather be safe than sorry.

Thanks!

 

[frank]

Sure. They're built and put together solidly. By the lens too. I imagine that there may be some out there who are more fussy about that.

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

I'm not really sure why you would want to do this. It's not very safe.

 

[canuhead]

If you mean a 45° or 90° prism then yeah, I do that. I wouldn't try out with a wlf however as it could get bent out of shape and is not as solid obviously.

 

[BrianShaw]

It's not a stupid question. But I'm fussy and won't do that.

 

[pete_mod]

I'm not really sure why you would want to do this. It's not very safe.

It's just easier to grab it out of my bag by the prism the way I have things arranged.

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

It's just easier to grab it out of my bag by the prism the way I have things arranged.

Okay, I now understand. They are quite robust, so as long as you're not going to be twisting it sideways at the same time, you should be fine.

 

[Kawaiithulhu]

What I learned while messing about with my rescue body is they're built like smartphone safety cases: a hard shell on the outside and an inner shell with all the precision aligned bits. No rangefinders to get out of whack, all the working gears are thick and substantial, and nothing sticking out from the exterior profile to hang on things and get bent. Even the basic waist level finder folds down to a nice, aerodynamic hump.

A good bit of industrial design genius when you look at the decisions made.

 

[Slixtiesix]

I think it all depends on the model and the lens mounted. A friend of mine frequently picks up his 2000FC by the lens. I think it´s okay but I would not do that with my much heavier 555ELD. Picking up the camera by the prism may work well with one of the manual bodies and say the 80mm lens, I would not do it with a motorized body mounted to a 350mm lens.

 

[JW PHOTO]

You might think twice about picking it up by its prism. I remember LBJ picked his beagle dogs up by their ears and took a lot of negative flak for doing it. So, if you do pick your 'blad up by the prism just make sure nobody is looking.

 

[Sirius Glass]

+1 on what has been said by JW Photo, APUGuser19, BrianShaw et al.

But still not my favorite way to lift the camera.

 

[Ian Grant]

+2 what a stupid risk to take with expensive equipment.

Ian

 

[Theo Sulphate]

... I remember LBJ picked his beagle dogs up by their ears and took a lot of negative flak for doing it. ...

That was the very first thing I thought of when I read the title of this thread.

That was a while ago...

 

[Ai Print]

I don't go out of my way to pick up my Hasselblads by the prisms ( NC2, PME90 ) but if I have to, I do it until I can get another hand on it and I have not had a single problem with this in about 30 years.

 

[JW PHOTO]

That was the very first thing I thought of when I read the title of this thread.

That was a while ago...

That was a while ago....................Don't remind me! You have to be about my age to remember that. If so, you are older than dirt just like me. I still remember the picture showing him lifting a full-grown beagle by his/her ears. Of course the do strange things down there in Texas, but it's just normal to them.

 

[Sirius Glass]

You might think twice about picking it up by its prism. I remember LBJ picked his beagle dogs up by their ears and took a lot of negative flak for doing it. So, if you do pick your 'blad up by the prism just make sure nobody is looking.

Back then I wanted to pick up LBJ by the ears. His ears were big enough for that.

 

[frank]

Prince Charles was popular with the ladies.

(If you know the joke about his ears...)

 

[Sirius Glass]

When Prince Charles was much younger, I thought that he looked like Alfred E. Newman.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

That was a while ago....................Don't remind me! You have to be about my age to remember that. If so, you are older than dirt just like me.

I was 12 in 1964. The beagle incident caused quite a lot of controversy!

When taking my Hasselblad out of its carrying case, the insert material surrounding the camera is soft and flexible enough that I can reach down and grasp the sides of the camera body.

 

[JW PHOTO]

I was 12 in 1964. The beagle incident caused quite a lot of controversy!

When taking my Hasselblad out of its carrying case, the insert material surrounding the camera is soft and flexible enough that I can reach down and grasp the sides of the camera body.

Theo,
Yes, many people were very upset with him when he did that, but soon switched their attention to his Vietnam policies and the beagles were forgotten. Maybe the reason the "Hound" family (Basset, blood, coon, fox hound) all have long, floppy ears is because everybody picks them up by the ears. After hundreds of years of ear picking up this is what we got. For me, I'll pick my Hasselblad up the safest way I can. Oh, I was 14 when LBJ did it so I got a couple on you Theo.

 

[jeffreyg]

Maybe the history of human evolution is wrong and that's why we walk on two legs. I pick up my cameras by the straps just in case.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

 

[BobMarvin11225]

They don't like it; if you listen carefully you'll hear the poor Hassie whimper