Just sold all my Blad gear :(

Tom1956

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Oh, well. I'm not here to hog the OP's thread or to cause altercation. I don't like the big jump and it's good enough for me. My ELM doesn't do like that, so it's moved up to #1 position. Besides, it's always ready for the next shot. Kinda like automatic transmission.
 

Richard S. (rich815)

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StoneNYC said:
At 250th of a second you shouldn't have any vibration issues, it's the 1/60 or 1/125 that people are worried about, sometimes people want more of the shot in focus, can't always go to f/5.6...
Click to expand...

Perhaps but if I want sharpness I rarely will hand hold anything short of 1/125th, even with my Leicas and Rolleiflexes. Those who claim handhold-ability down to 1/15th on rangefinders or even SLRs are just accepting more shake and blurriness than I ever would. I often do use my Hassy on a tripod at lower speeds but again nothing but tack sharpness, unless I missed the focus.
 

StoneNYC

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I wouldn't claim to be able to get down to 1/15th with the Mamiya RZ67, but I've certainly gotten tack sharp images at 1/60th.

I've gotten tack sharp images to probably 1/30th on the Canon 1V, but probably not 1/15 unless I'm resting it on a banister or something, and then it's almost like using a tripod...

On the other hand I've gotten nice shots at 1/8th with my Mamiya 7 ... but you have to be REALLY careful and brace yourself against something, and your subject can't be moving either LOL.
 

eddie

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"Tack sharp" is somewhat subjective, at least if it's not measured in some scientific way. For me, using 6x6, I wouldn't judge "tack sharp" in any print under 20x20 inches.
As for the Hasselblad issue, I find it hard to believe that a company with it's history, reputation for precision, and legions of professional photographers would release a second rate product.
 

Tom1956

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Hold a C/M and trip it. Now pick up the ELM and click it. Smooth as silk. That thing has a 10lb chrome-and-leather vibration damper attached to the bottom of it. Practically like hauling around an anvil after toting a C/M. Go ahead.... click it again. Smoooooth. The EL ELM is a whole other animal from the standard Hasselblad. And they don't cost anything. That's really wild. You put some fresh foam in an EL and it is sweet as a Rolleiflex.
 

eddie

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I don't own a Hasselblad, but did shoot a few rolls with a borrowed one, about 20 years ago. I don't remember the model, but it was an excellent experience. It seemed very well engineered, and elegant in it's use. There's no way I can believe they'd issue the substandard product you describe.
 

Tom1956

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WHERE did I say substandard??? For corn's sake.
 

Tom1956

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Strange. I thought I was speaking English. It originated on a little island off the European coast and I just assumed it's the same English everybody else speaks. Hmmm. I didn't think I had to write a treatise on the legendary Hasselblad C series. Not many things in this world ever got a reputation of their caliber. And well-deserved I say. My ELM trips off like a feather. The C does not. I hope that's clear now.
 

eddie

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My English comprehension is just fine. From just one of your posts: "I'll not have a camera that jumps like a bullfrog when I trip it." I would think a camera that vibrates like that would have to be considered substandard. There are other posts I could quote, too.
 

StoneNYC

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Had to look these up, so ELM means electronic? What's with the 9V conversion? Is the original battery not available? It is SO much cheaper, makes me want to pick one up...
 

Tom1956

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The original battery is 100 dollars apiece. Do NOT use the 9v conversion. Besides, the basttery weight is part of the vib. damping you have working for you. Instead, I fabricated battery packs out of box tape, chipboard (like from a scratch pad), and five 1.2v AAA rechargeables soldered in series. Then wrap the set with cardboard to fill out the space of the compartment. Tape chipboard ends to this rolled-up tube, and affix some copper tape or some such, and solder the wires coming off the battery set. Works perfect. Right voltage, good battery life, and a little bit of needed weight to add to that natural tripod, called the motor drive unit.
 

Tom1956

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I see a cheapo EL listed as a "parts camera" on fleabay right now for 89 bucks. It's missing the battery cover. More often than not, the EL ELM "parts cameras" work perfectly. They're either missing a panel cover or the motor is noisy, or somesuch other triviality. I can have one working lickity-split. Give me one of those parts EL's an I can have it working like a champ in 30 minutes.
 

Tom1956

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There are 2 identical rechargeable battery packs about the size of a D cell. They are run in parallel, for reason of capacity. You can get by with 1. Each unit contains 5, 1.2v Cd rechargebles of the big button type. I have also run 4-AAA alkalines (total 6v) that I soldered together. But you have to keep making packs that way. Nine volts is too much voltage, and no capacity, and big expense. My remedy works very well. But I advise making up both packs, both for weight and capacity's sake. It's the weight that makes the EL fire smooth, along with the ingenious little pin on the drive gear that pushes the mirror back up after the big whack and bounce. Smooth as a Rollei. (almost).
 

StoneNYC

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I think the simpler solution is to not use this camera at all, and keep my money, which takes a tiny little battery that I can buy anywhere (well not anywhere, but at most CBS's and obviously online which is a better deal in sets of 5 for $10) no wonder they're so cheap

If I'm going to buy another meeting format system, it better damn well not need batteries at all... The whole mixture of batteries and cameras for film just annoys the heck out of me lol. I do too much shooting in weather conditions that and up killing batteries, like freezing weather etc., so that's why I went large-format, no batteries thank goodness!

The only thing in my kit that needs a battery is the spot meter, if I could find a good spot meter that didn't require batteries I would be in heaven!
 

Tom1956

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Well enough. But if it was good enough for the Apollo program, it's plenty for me. I'm using mine tomorrow at Tgiving lunch. Click....whirrrr.
 

John_Nikon_F

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I've shot a few rolls through a couple transition 500C bodies (the ones that were marked as 500C's but were actually C/M's). I've yet to experience the "bullfrog" effect. If it's that big of a deal, there is a tab just below the wind crank (or knob, depending on your persuasion) that is the mirror prefire. Hit that, and take your shot. To me, it feels no worse than an FM2n or a Nikkormat FT series body. If anything, it feels more damped.

-J
 

Sirius Glass

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Or replace the mirror dampening foam.
 

Richard S. (rich815)

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I've solved the problem! Get a Rolleiflex SL66 instead of the Hassy! (actually I have both). After all "The Flash Synchronization speed up to 1/30 second guarantees sharp and well illuminated pictures..."

From the Rolleiflex SL66 product description on eBay (where this originally came from I do not know):

Product Information
The Rolleiflex SL66 is a film camera with 6x6cm image format. The shutter speed range of this Rollei film camera is 1 - 1/1000 second that enabling better effects on the appearance of moving objects. The Flash Synchronization speed up to 1/30 second guarantees sharp and well illuminated pictures on this Rollei camera. The 80 - 150mm focal length of this Rollei film camera covers wide angle shot with precision, giving you even the minutest detail of the subject. You can also tilt the lens of this Rollei camera up and down upto 8 degrees. The TTL metering with special hood SL66 in the Rolleiflex SL66 camera lets you choose the optimal exposure for fast or slow speed snapshots.
 
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Sirius Glass

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Then why does your avatar have that large boat anchor instead of a Rolleiflex SL66 or Hasselblad?
 

Richard S. (rich815)

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Sirius Glass said:
Then why does your avatar have that large boat anchor instead of a Rolleiflex SL66 or Hasselblad?
Click to expand...

You mean my Rolleiwide? That's lighter than either the 500C/M or SL66 and less bulky. :/)
 

Sirius Glass

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Do you wear the Rolleiwide, the Rollei and the TeleRollei around your neck as bling?
 
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