Is that a Hasselblad?

[Dan Fromm]

I've never been asked "Is that a Hasseblad" when shooting with a Graphic, but I was once asked whether my Graphic was a movie camera.

Cheers,

Dan

 

[david b]

I like going out with my flexbody with the proshade attached. People do triple-takes.

HEHEHEHE

 

[FrankB]

i had a novel if a bit annoying experience recently in Cornwall. I had set my shot of a rock stack near the Cheesering, which a family were walking around/ on at the time, so I took a few light readings, tinkered a bit with filters etc and waited for them to go - not impatiently or anything, the countryside is there for all of us to enjoy .....
After about 15 minutes, I heard the father saying (in his best southeastern accent) "'ere, Kylie (to his wife), that bloke's tryin' a get a picture ov this, lets 'ang about to get in the way". I waited a while longer (20 mins or so), doing my best not to show any annoyance as clouds were scudding across the sky towards the sun and threatening to ruin the light. The whole family then walked directly at me, very s-l-o-w-l-y so as to stay in shot and, as they got to about 4 foot infront of the camera (more than close enough to read the ROLLEIFLEX written on the top of my sl66), Mr Chav said "That's a Hasselblad, that is - they're worth about £20k. Wouldnt take much to grab it and run would it" I stared, held eye contact and they were gone ... I was left a little bemused, but managed to get my shot.

Some people are incredible!

Dunno why I'm surprised, though. Leon, if you remember the darker of the two waterfall shots I took to Keswick (Thornton Force) I had to wait about twenty minutes for that one as some enterprising individuals clambered up across it and stood there waving at me! Go figure...

The question that I am always getting asked when walking about with my "fancy" cameras is: "Are you from the [local newspaper]?"

Yup, had that one a few times!

No matter what I'm using, the usual question is "Is that digital?"

Yup, had that one. One bloke was so disgusted at being told, "No" that he turned away very quickly, nearly sending my non-digital F80 down a fifity-foot drop into a river! (And I wasn't even in Cornwall at the time!)

No one has yet mistaken it for a 'blad though; I must be too scruffy!

 

[david b]

"No one has yet mistaken it for a 'blad though; I must be too scruffy!"

I often shoot my Hasselblad while wearing my smoking jacket and ascot.

 

[colrehogan]

The question that I am always getting asked when walking about with my "fancy" cameras is: "Are you from the [local newspaper]?"

At a balloon glow last September, I was asked several times if I was with one of the local television stations. I was shooting my 4x5. I didn't have any problems with people getting in my way, for a change, they were making sure they weren't in my way.

 

[modafoto]

I did the "opposite" the other day.

A person stopped me while I was shooting my Holga. He asked what camera it was...I said a Hasselblad

At least both are 6x6 format.

 

[Jose A Martinez]

When I made Dead Link Removed photograph, I had a few people walk over the bridge, peer over the edge, and ask me if my 4x5 Gandolfi Variant L3 was a 'video' camera.

Yup, it's a video camera. With bellows.

Pretty funny.

I've been asked the same question more than once, but with a Rollei 6008, and the answer was the same, of course.

 

[Rick Haug]

Never had the Blad question, but years ago did have a unique equipment mis-I.D. This occurred at the time of a very popular movie starring Bill Murray. I had my camera gear in a small backpack with the tripod attached vertically down the center of the pack. As I passed a family on the trail I heard the young boy exclaim, "Dad, look! GHOSTBUSTERS!!!"

 

[Quinten]

I placed some tape over 'hasselblad' wich is written on top of my camera, I just don't like it when people start asking that question, I just want to take pictures.

But yes the "is that a movie camera?" or "that must be very old?" questions are very common. A few weeks ago I had the golden tip from someone I asked to pose on the street, she had a digital canon and told me "it's rather inexpensive nowedays, no use to carry around such a heavy and old camera anymore".

After that remark I didn't focus the picture I took of her.

 

[colrehogan]

A few weeks ago I had the golden tip from someone I asked to pose on the street, she had a digital canon and told me "it's rather inexpensive nowedays, no use to carry around such a heavy and old camera anymore".

After that remark I didn't focus the picture I took of her.

I'm surprised you still took the picture.

 

[Quinten]

I'm surprised you still took the picture.

Sometimes I do things I can't explain. The oppiste happend once as well, when I was outside with my Nikon D70 (How bad is that for someone who has a real camera at home) a girl told me she still preferes the looks of film, she looked damm good as well so you can imagine I completely forgot how my camera works.
But that remark did it...

 

[TheMissingLink]

hmmmm, so...its a size thing?

Strange world, a few years ago it had to be chromium-plated, the size didn't matter.


Horst

 

[TPPhotog]

..... a girl told me she still preferes the looks of film, she looked damm good as well so you can imagine I completely forgot how my camera works. But that remark did it...

It's amazing when out street shooting and I decide there's no other way to get a shot other than ask, that when I say I'm shooting black and white film they say "yes". They usually add that they don't usually say "yes" to being photographed but love Black & White pictures.

Black and White film is the great persuader

 

[waynecrider]

1st ITAH at Boynton Canyon, Sedona AZ by a very distinguishing gentleman and his wife. Just for a minute there I reached the lofty heights of being called a professional photographer.... but then fell to being just a friendly person when asked to take their picture with their digital camera. For that one moment tho I was on zone nine.... Oh the memory.

 

[PCGraflex]

They're also famous for having gone to the moon.

..and that aliens visiting the moon will stop, turn and say to each other (telepathically , of course) Hey, that looks like a Hasselblad"?

 

[PCGraflex]

When I was in Yellowstone I was using my Graflex Mini Speed on a tripod. Was shooting the canyon and when I was changing roll backs, a guy shows up with his wife (or whomever she was) with a "Blad" around his neck. He looks in my direction and comes over to see what I am shooting. He then excuses himself and moves right in front of my camera on the pod. He snaps a photo and starts to leave. His companion says to me that my camera was "cute". He doesn't say a word nor looks at me. They both then left.

I guess that was the HB attitude? :rolleyes:

 

[philldresser]

I had a Hasselblad experience today. I was shooting some 5x4 with my Cambo monorail in the grounds of a nearby Abbey when an 'elderly' gentleman came over stating he was intrigued. I stated that I was shooting the texture of the stone on the rear of a gravestone. He frowned and asked " OK, so wheres the camera?". I pointed to the LARGE mass atop of the LARGE tripod and said "This is the camera".
His frown deepened and he exclaimed "Must be a Hasselblad then, like they use on the moon!". I think he had just landed.

Phill
Can I now be a member of the NINAFHB club (No its not a F&%!ng Hasselblad)

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

Nobody ever asked me anything, they just yell when I take their picture.

 

[FrankB]

No one has yet mistaken it for a 'blad though; I must be too scruffy!

Okay, scratch that!

My Mamiya C330S arrived by courier to my works. I carefully unboxed it. A couple of seconds later a chap a couple of desks away took one look (at the large Mamiya logo on the top of the front side, as it happens) and said, "Oh, is that a Hasselblad?"

I feel that a void in my life has now been filled...

 

[Rock Poper]

got it two days ago with my Mamiya rz67 ... 'hasselblad' basically means SLR medium format - I answered that it was a Mamiya and the guy seemed disapointed - I wonder what 'mamiya' meant to him ...

 

[Dan Fromm]

He probably understood Mamiya as "little-known second rate substutute." Bad, bad mistake on his part, but given the prevailing level of ignorance you shouldn't be offended.

Passers by rarely know a lot. Once, while I was out shooting with a Graphic a passer by stopped to telling me that I really knew what I was doing. I wish he'd been right, he was wrong as wrong can be.

 

[David Brown]

But, but, why hasn't anyone ever mistaken my "poor man's Hasselblad" (Kowa 6) for a (ahem...) Hasselblad?

Actually, since I posted this in February - it's happened.

It was at Les McLean's workshop in Ft. Worth, and of all people, Les himself walks over and says: "Oh, a Hasselblad man!". Uh, no.

He then actually looked at the camera and we both chuckled. Knowing Les, he was probably just pulling my chain anyway ...

Cheers y'all.

David

 

[RichSBV]

I've never had a "ITAH" experience, but non of my cameras look similar either.

But, last weelend I attended a festival. I usually bring the 35mm kit because it's just better suited. This time I brought the Mamiya C330 kit, more to have fun than worry about documenting things.

I had more than a dozen people approach me, all saying the same thing: "Hey, is that a Mamiya? I used to own one of them... Boy do I regret getting rid of it..."

I did actuall have one person ask if it was a movie camera while I had the 250mm on it ;-)

I have never had such a reaction to a camera before. By the end of the first day, I started to enjoy hearing about all the ex-owners. Now if we could just get 120 film back in the drug stores...

 

[jjstafford]

Yes, twice in Trinidad where I worked from time to time. In each case I was using a sixties SWC, and the question was not marked with envy, just mere curiosity. I was pleased with that because it marked a certain non-consumer mindset of the natives who made the comment as a mere conversational point and were more interested in outcomes.

In the USA I can't even hear such questions. I went very deaf a few years ago. It's a Godsend.

 

[gr82bart]

Well guess what happened. Yesterday I took a break from this presentation I have been making since forever and thought I fly the koop and go take some pictures. Went over to Fort Trumbull and one of the civil war enactors asked me "Is that a Hasselblad?"

Art.