Is that a Hasselblad?

bjorke · Jul 9, 2006

I thought I'd answered this thread but can't find my post...

the correct answer (regardless of what camera I'm using at the time) is always "yes" or at most "pretty much the same" -- there's no point in putting people down. I'm close to 100% with gnashing on this.

If they want to talk about it further, that's great, though I'm usually disinterested in equipment and name brands and will try to steer their conversation to something actually about pictures or the local neighborhood or -- the always sure pleaser -- themselves.

Barring a studio setting, isn't photography about being inquisitive and curious? (or is it about having the biggest IS lens?)

ZorkiKat · Jul 9, 2006

Stuck a Hasselblad label (scanned from a Hassy advert) on my Kiev 88's top. THAT stopped them from asking questions!

Jay

JBrunner · Jul 9, 2006

ITAH? Tachihara 4x5-3 or 4 times. Kodak 2D 8x10-once. The most common question on the 2D is if I use flash powder. They seem disappointed that I do not.

Most of these questions are with the best of intentions, and I am very tolerant and forthright to genuinley interested people.

I did hear a guy with a D Rebel tell a bytander that his camera had "600mp"
and exceeded my 8x10 by a wide margin. Tommy5c was nearly peeing his pants as I pretended to be working on the other side of my camera and slowly counted to 10. The trend is for these guys to come out with a tele lens ("to get rid if that distracting foreground") and snap about 400 shots of a sunset (handheld).

digiconvert · Jul 9, 2006

"Is that a Hasselblad ?" Surprisingly I have never been asked this when trying to focus my Lubitel . :rolleyes:

photobum · Jul 9, 2006

I was photographing Park Avenue at Arches a few years ago with a 8x10 Deardorff. When I was done a woman who had been behind me said that her father had a Hasselblad just like that. I asked her, "Just like this"? She said, oh yes. I told her that Hasselblads like this are very rare.

mitica100 · Jul 10, 2006

bobfowler said:
Let us know when someone asks if your Speed is the newest digital!

:rolleyes:

Yeah, I got three questions in one day while shooting a Leica M3 DS with 35mm Summaron (eyes):

How many megapixels is that?
Who makes that digital camera?
Is that digital?

SteveH · Jul 10, 2006

I once had a woman ask me if my Sinar was a rocket launcher.

arigram · Jul 10, 2006

SteveH said:
I once had a woman ask me if my Sinar was a rocket launcher.

Careful Steve, next time they might actually call the agents...

At the demonstration of students I was at a few weeks ago, shooting with my 503CW and 180 lens, a student left the crowd and approached me with a great smile. He asked me first "is that a Hasselblad" and when I told him it was indeed one, the next question was "how much was it?". I hate that question! Especially since the money didn't come from my pocket. I told him I sold my soul for it which is pretty much true.

Lachlan Young · Jul 10, 2006

I have had "Is that from another planet?" directed at my Mamiya C330

Lachlan

Papa Tango · Jul 10, 2006

Perceptions

Here are a few of the "observations" made by the masses:

YASHICA 124

"That's a real retro look you have going there"
"So, that camera takes two pictures at once?"
"Is that crank some sort of generator?"
"That camera only shoots BW, doesn't it?"
and yes once, "ITAH?"

GRAFLEX SUPER GRAPHIC

"Is that an antique?"
"How come the pictures are not instant?"
"Don't drop that on your foot."
"My dad had one of those and it took crappy pictures."
"You should go digital."
and the best, "Who are you fooling? They ain't made film for those in years."

MAMIYA RB67 PRO S

"That's an old digital, ain't it?"
"What TV station do you work for?"
"ITAH?"
"Is that a Rolleiflex?"
"That's the camera they took to the moon."
"Wow, that's scary!"
and my all time favorite, "You sure got a big one, don't you..."

ajuk · Jul 14, 2006

I saw what was either a pro or a serious amateur using one today taking pictures of some wierd art work in Bristol (A fake truck crash with flowers spilling out) I said to him, oh I want one of them, and he said, no you don't! Don't know if he thought I was gona mug him, either that or he asumed my F80 was a DSLR and thought that I was asuming his camera was digital.

DBP · Jul 14, 2006

dr bob said:
Just last night my 15 year old Granddaughter was visiting and spied my Speed Graphic on the table. She ask a few questions (none about a Hasselblad however) so I took the opportunity to go over the camera in some detail. She then surprised me totally by stating that she would like to learn about traditional photography. You see, we gave her a d-camera for her birthday in March and she has been using it since. To say I was overjoyed is an understatement.

Now the problem is: what format should we begin with? We both would like to begin using the 4x5 but she needs one she can handle more easily at first. Im thinking about the C330f a compromise at this point. She actually said, We cant control the development of individual frames with roll film. That about floored me!

I cant wait!

How about a miniature Speed Graphic then? 2x3 sheet film is cheaper, the camera is easier to carry and handle, and it has the coolness factor of being having interesting historic connections, even to a non-photographer (Jacqueline Bouvier, among others, used one - before she married the junior senator from Massachusetts.)

DBP · Jul 14, 2006

Bentley Boyd said:
I think if anyone ever asks me the question again, I'll paraphrase Mae West and say "no, just pleased to see you".

Warning - two part story ahead, with the second part completely off topic:

I met my last girlfriend in part because I was carrying an interesting camera. I walked into the local co-op art gallery carrying a Miniature Speed Graphic and was immediately approached by a cute and funky looking artist who asked about the camera. We got to talking about photography and polaroid transfers, then met a week or so later for breakfast and so I could give her my spare Polaroid to replace the one she had been borrowing. Ended up dating for about ten months.

Which leads me to the quote above. One night when we were at a movie I happened to be carrying a small rubber snake that she had left over from a piece of (very) mixed media art she had done. During the movie I clipped it to my shorts. As we were walking out she glanced down and, noticing the snake, said "Is that a snake on your shorts?" to which I replied, "No, I'm just happy to see you."

True story.

nc5p · Jul 16, 2006

About 10 years ago I was working for a company in Minnesota. The company had a staff photographer, who I was assisting shoot some product shots in the studio (I was an engineer there and had designed the equipment). His friend, a nationally known photographer (who will remain nameless because a lot of you folks would know him) came in. We were introduced and his first question for me was whether I was a photographer. I told him I was an amateur. His next question was "do you shoot blad?" After saying I didn't have one, he said nothing more to me.

Doug

Dan Fromm · Jul 16, 2006

DBP said:
How about a miniature Speed Graphic then? 2x3 sheet film is cheaper, the camera is easier to carry and handle, and it has the coolness factor of being having interesting historic connections, even to a non-photographer (Jacqueline Bouvier, among others, used one - before she married the junior senator from Massachusetts.)

Um, Bruce, few emulsions are available in 2x3 sheets. For 2x3, 120 film offers many more emulsions.

The Mini Speed was discontinued before Graflex offered the Graflok back, but Graflex did offer 2x3 Graflok backs for retrofitting on the Mini. These differed from 2x3 Graflok backs for, naturally, 2x3 Pacemakers, in having the FPS flash sync terminal in the upper left corner of the back, as on the Mini's original spring back. I've seen 'em. Also, normal ordinary 2x3 Pacemaker Grafloks can be fitted to the Mini. Nowadays this make little economic sense. But I've owned one such.

A Mini with a spring back can be used with roll film. Just put the roll film in a 2x3 size Adapt-A-Roll 620. I use 'em, they're offered from time to time on eBay.

Sjixxxy · Apr 22, 2007

Need to bump my old thread up. Was at work recently, and was showing off my new photo website that is in development. One of the guys who sits next to me seen a photo of my Speed Graphic on an info page.

"Is that a Hasselblad?"

Philippe-Georges · Apr 22, 2007

I got that reaction while working with the Robert Rigby pinhole camera, not a Hasselblad at all! (see attachment)

benjiboy · Apr 22, 2007

Can't resist it

noblebeast said:
Yeah, but the really weird part of it was I was standing at a urinal at the time, and didn't have a camera with me...

Or to paraphrase Mae West "Is that a Hasselblad ,or are you just pleased to see me ".

tony lockerbie · Apr 22, 2007

People down here just don't know what a Hasselblad is! The closest I have come is the comment from a bystander while I was using a Rollei 3.5F .....is that a box brownie? I didn't know that you could still get film for them.
No problems mam, was my polite reply.
Tony

Antje · Apr 22, 2007

TPPhotog said:
You know your talking to a real expert when they ask "Is that a Hasselbald?" when your shooting with you HOLGA

I've been asked "Is that a Leica?" when shooting my Holga. I told him it's not far off. After all, the two last letters are there, aren't they!

Antje

reellis67 · Apr 22, 2007

I have, however, been asked "Is that a T.V.?" when using my 8x10 in a State park...

- Randy

BrianShaw · Apr 22, 2007

I've been asked "the question", but more often been asked something else:

1. TSA kid at airport looking at my camera bag in the x-ray machine: Is that a Mamiya 645? (No, it's a Hassy.) Okay, then we'll have to do a hand-search... I've always wanted to hold one of those.

2. What kind of a camera is that? (It's a Hasselblad.) What's a Hasselblad?

outwest · Apr 23, 2007

At an outdoor museum in the Netherlands I had two Rollei TLRs slung around my neck. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a young Dutch couple watching what I was doing with them. The young man leaned over to her and said knowingly, "Hasselblad". Later, at a cheese market, another photographer approached me and asked to take my picture (and the Rolleis) for his camera club. He said you don't often see two at once anymore!

Antje · Apr 23, 2007

When shooting my first roll of Velvia, a family dropped by and the father asked if the Hasselblad on my tripod was "still film or already d*****l". Even though I'm shooting both, owning a really nice dSLR kit that sees a lot of use, that hurt. I was surprised it hurt so much. I pointed to the dSLR peeking from my backpack and told him I was shooting both, actually. He wasn't genuinely interested anyway, just showing off.

Antje

Akki14 · Apr 23, 2007

At a wedding I was shooting this weekend (oooh I always wanted to say that! ) some of my not-so-close friends came up and wondered what the hey the black box on a tripod was (it was a brownie) but I didn't get graced with the ITAH question. Sigh. I was vaguely impressed they correctly identified it as a box camera! The Brownie is great for all sorts of strange looks - another time I was trying to take a picture of my husband with my Brownie and a lady asked me what it was because she couldn't see how a black box could be so interesting to look at (waist level viewfinders).

Is that a Hasselblad?

Ever been asked "Is that a Hasselbad?"

No.

Yes, while shooting 35mm or smaller.

Yes, while shooting Medium Format

Yes, while shooting Large Format

Yes, and it was a Hasselblad!

bjorke

ZorkiKat

JBrunner

Moderator

digiconvert

photobum

mitica100

SteveH

arigram

Lachlan Young

Papa Tango

ajuk

DBP

DBP

nc5p

Dan Fromm

Sjixxxy

Philippe-Georges

benjiboy

tony lockerbie

Antje

reellis67

BrianShaw

outwest

Antje

Akki14

Is that a Hasselblad?

Ever been asked "Is that a Hasselbad?"

No.

Yes, while shooting 35mm or smaller.

Yes, while shooting Medium Format

Yes, while shooting Large Format

Yes, and it was a Hasselblad!

Moderator

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