Is that a Hasselblad?

benjiboy · Apr 27, 2007

Reminds me

Black Dog said:
On countless occasions when I've been out shooting with my C330s, somebody has come up to me and said " oh I used to have one of those". Maybe if we took all the ex C330 owners and laid them end to end they'd reach to Pluto and back LMSO.....

I know its off subject, but it reminds me of Dorothy Parker who wrote in the 1930's " If all the girls at UCLA were laid end to end, I wouldn't be at all surprised."

Prospero · Apr 27, 2007

Most recent incorrect ITAH was when I was using a Horseman 45FA. Most recent correct identification was when I found myself among a crowd of Japanese tourists. (Actually on that occasion it was more a case of "Hah! Hasu buradu!"). In fact I've had a very high number of ITAHs from Japanese, and a 100% accuracy rate. They know their cameras, and indeed the Swedes' cameras too...

Antje · Apr 27, 2007

Yes, I agree, my Blad has been correctly diagnosed by a Japanese once too!

Come to think of it: The saddest experience I had so far regarding the ITAH was actually being asked "Is that a camera?" But, well, maybe it's a good thing - you can shoot photos of them without them noticing it.

Antje

vanspaendonck · Apr 27, 2007

Bentley Boyd said:
I know its off subject, but it reminds me of Dorothy Parker who wrote in the 1930's " If all the girls at UCLA were laid end to end, I wouldn't be at all surprised."

Off topic too I fear, but wasn't Dorothy Parker the one who wrote "Latins are lousy lovers" for Esquire somewhere in the 1930's? Must have been quite a lady. Did she do photography as well?

Byron Worthen · Apr 27, 2007

I haven't been asked this question. But I use a 4X5 field camera. I have been asked "How did you find an antique camera in such great shape?" when I was setting up my brand-new 4X5 (brand name is not important -- is it?). People are absolutely stunned into disbelief when I answer "Not only is this camera new, there are at least 10 other companies making competing brands!" ("Can you get film for it, too?" Yeah, there are about 20 or 30 brands of film, too!").

Now, if I was a wedding photographer, I suppose I might have a well-worn Hasselblad on at least on display just so I would be taken seriously as a pro. I might buy one anyway, someday, just for the heck of it.

Anyway, many people believe that pros have some secret ingredient, some special piece of gear, some trick that separates them from everyone else. A Hasselblad represents that talisman for photographers, I guess.

Sirius Glass · Apr 27, 2007

Byron Worthen said:
Anyway, many people believe that pros have some secret ingredient, some special piece of gear, some trick that separates them from everyone else.

Isn't that why some of us have G.A.S.?

Steve

Bandicoot · Apr 27, 2007

k_jupiter said:
I suspect you are a bit too caught up in your equipment (but then again, so are a lot of us). I have been shooting LF for 22 years and I doubt if I could tell the diff between a Arca-Swiss and a Sinar.

You really don't know me very well then! I'm very much a pictures rather than a gear person, but just like a painter can have particular favourites in terms of who makes their brushes, without obsessing about it, so a photographer may have preferences for particular equipment.

Maybe you can't tell an Arca from a Sinar - but if the camera you normally shot with was one or other of them, then you would be able to. If you used a Wista you wouldn't confuse it with a Tachihara, for instance, even though the two are much more similar to one another than the two Swiss monorails are.

My point was more about the fact that Sinar is the only monorail that non LF-shooters seem to have heard of. Just as the 'blad is the only MF reflex camera that non MF photographers have heard of.

k_jupiter said:
My theory on LF is... it's a big light-tight box. The quality of your lens is more important than the frame you carry it on.

Well, of course it's the lens that matters. The box is only about what particular choices one wishes to make about ease of use for a particular job, features one needs versus those one would sacrifice to save weight/bulk, rigididy versus weight/cost, flexibility versus simplicity and ease of use, etc., etc.

This thread is in a forum with the word 'equipment' in its title, so we're all liable to sound like gear-heads here, but that doesn't mean that's how we think when we get back into the fresh air!

Peter

joel dallenbach · Apr 27, 2007

Check out line wild oats, "nice camera, is that a holga," asks the punky girl behind the register. "No it's only a leica, and I left my dianas at home," Is my reply. I'm glad my leica is as inconspicious as a holga. Yesterday I was asked, is that a leica? when I had a hasselblad xpan around my neck.

luke_h · Apr 30, 2007

Using my 500c/m mostly in Rural Iowa, I don't ever get any people talking to me unless they want to tell me I can't take photos whereever I'm standing. Most of them just glare at me since "I'm not from round there."

People, as a rule, aren't very familiar with photo gear enough to even make the statement.

I live in a college town and have been asked what/if I was filming, while walking with it in my hands, as if it was a video camera of some sort. With the 50mm lens on it, it does look like some sort of video camera I guess.

I'm always afraid people are going to think it's a bomb.

A comical exchange would be to tell an ignorant gal that it is a Geiger counter, she's registering hot, and you need to get her out of her clothes to make another reading. I'm not the guy to pull it off though.

I guess the population is sparse enough around here that people don't randomly come up and talk to me. That or I just have that Falling Down look about me.

lifein2x3 · May 2, 2007

I had a similar experience shooting at a local park (Maymont, for those of you familiar with Richmond) with the RB67. I pulled out the tripod, set it up low to the ground to get a closeup shot of some flowers, and this guy comes up, blocks my light, and asks ITAH? I told him it was a Mamiya and he harumphed and walked off. I don't think he knew what I was talking about.

I also get people asking if it's a video camera all the time; I shoot street in Carytown (where I work) quite a bit, and with the square hood for the 50mm & prism finder, I can see how people would think that.

Sirius Glass · May 2, 2007

Now this poll is not longer accurate. I now have a Hasselblad. I have not been ITAH'd while owning one yet, but the poll is no longer accurate.

Please advise!

Steve

jstraw · May 3, 2007

Stever said:
Now this poll is not longer accurate. I now have a Hasselblad. I have not been ITAH'd while owning one yet, but the poll is no longer accurate.

Please advise!

Steve

Make a labe for your Hassy that cover's it's branding with the word "HOLGA."

"Isn't that a Hasselblad?" is still "ITAH."

Sirius Glass · May 3, 2007

jstraw said:
Make a labe for your Hassy that cover's it's branding with the word "HOLGA."

"Isn't that a Hasselblad?" is still "ITAH."

thanx in needed that

Steve

Removed Account · May 17, 2007

Had this question for the first time today. I had brought my 65ish year old Graphic View to school to take a few shots between classes, and my English teacher asked me, "ITAH?" I did a double take, and answered softly, "No, it's different." "Is it as good?" to which I replied, "It could be." She was genuinely interested and asked me to bring in some prints, which is quite nice.

- Justin

Tom Hoskinson · May 17, 2007

I was shooting a Southern California landscape with my 8x10 Wehman when a hiker asked me, is that a antique camera?

He then followed up by informing me that now I could get a digital camera that would produce better results without all the hassle.

jstraw · May 17, 2007

Tom Hoskinson said:
I was shooting a Southern California landscape with my 8x10 Wehman when a hiker asked me, is that a antique camera?

He then followed up by informing me that now I could get a digital camera that would produce better results without all the hassle.

Did you tell him that there's probably an excellent hiking program for his XBOX?

roteague · May 18, 2007

jstraw said:
Did you tell him that there's probably an excellent hiking program for his XBOX?

I'm going to remember that one - pure classic.

Black Dog · May 20, 2007

....no it's a zoom compact, or maybe I'm just pleased to see you ROFL!

noexit · Jun 9, 2007

Yesterday, while taking a break with my Super Graphic, catching a movie at the Seattle Film Fest, and the lady next to me asked, "What's that?" I told her it was a Speed Graphic, and she said, "No, what does it do?" It's a camera, like what press pho... "Gasp! Are you trying to copy the movie?" No, it takes pictures. She didn't quite understand with it folded up, so I opened it up and... "Ohhhhhh.... Is that a Hasselblad?"

I also get asked a lot if it can only take B&W.

ITAH and a friend recently actually called my a photographer. Now I'm really something!

katabatic · Jun 17, 2007

Then again...a couple years ago I was in New Brunswick photographing with my Calumet Wood-Field 4x5. An elderly woman came up and said "Ah, a Deardorff moment!"

Turned out she was a pro who had been shooting large format for decades. So you never know!

John Jarosz · Jun 17, 2007

I've had my Hass SWC every concieveable place over the past 26 years. I was never asked if it was, but, yesterday 3 seperate people asked or said "nice SWC".
Location? a vintage motorcycle street show.
Unbelieveable.

John

Teitur · Sep 19, 2007

its funny, a really old lady asked me in the subway once. and it was a rollaiflex. haha.

my m6 is often confused with a toy and my hasselblad have so far only been reqognized by older japanese men. And they ALLWAYS coment it. seems the 60'-70's most popular camera over here must have been hasselblad..

CBG · Sep 19, 2007

When people ask what I'm shooting with, and if they'll put up with a bit of techno-geek-babble, I love telling people how many things a film camera can do a digital can't, and especially the things a LF can .... I do admit digital has a place, but they can tell where my heart is.

C

Ian Leake · Sep 19, 2007

When the nice security man at Frankfurt airport made me unpack my hasselblad he thought it was a movie camera! Oh well.

RoBBo · Sep 19, 2007

My neighbors mother...
My first day going back home with my Tachihara.
"Is that a Hasselblad?"
Even after she's seen my Bronica SQ-Ai on many repeated occasions...
You'd think if she were to think one of those was a 'blad it'd atleast be the 6x6...
I guess the Tachi is a hell of a lot more beautiful than the Broni though.

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!

benjiboy

Prospero

Antje

vanspaendonck

Byron Worthen

Sirius Glass

Bandicoot

joel dallenbach

luke_h

lifein2x3

Sirius Glass

jstraw

Sirius Glass

Removed Account

Tom Hoskinson

jstraw

roteague

Black Dog

noexit

katabatic

John Jarosz

Teitur

CBG

Ian Leake

RoBBo

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!

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