I learned that the code was VHPICTURES. As in Victor Hasselblad................Was I learned wrong?
I would recommend that you get one of the newer bodies, 1990 or later. I have the 503 CX and the 903 SWC. The date coding is in the serial number HVPICTURES where
H = 1
V = 2
P = 3
I = 4
C = 5
T = 6
U = 7
R = 8
E = 9
S = 0
So ESxxxxx would be 1990, 0Hxxxx would be 2001.
Feel free to contact me with any questions or for advice.
No , you are correct ! see hereI learned that the code was VHPICTURES. As in Victor Hasselblad................Was I learned wrong?
In my wedding photography/colour printing for pros days I was using a Mamiya C330, but at least a bare majority of the pros were using Hasselblads.Matt, I'm 56 and have attended probably an average amount of weddings here in St. Louis. I've only been to one wedding where the photographer shot a Hasselblad. People I knew who shot weddings couldn't afford a Blad and shot Bronica or Mamiya C series.
In my wedding photography/colour printing for pros days I was using a Mamiya C330, but at least a bare majority of the pros were using Hasselblads.
Bronica distribution and service in our area wasn't nearly as robust as the resources available for those who used Hasselblads or Mamiya equipment.
My impression in those days was that pros with the appropriate business plan and resources were able to lease their Hasselblad equipment.
I learned that the code was VHPICTURES. As in Victor Hasselblad................Was I learned wrong?
I have always wanted one and now I can't get it out of my head. I have been looking for one in my price range of $850 but most are more. What should I be checking if I do find one? Should I stay away from the 500C?
... Don't use the pre-release button on the side, and I doubt you'll experience a jam. ...
Sorry, but pre-release is wonderful and has nothing to do with a jam -- unless you try to switch lenses when in pre-released mode, which makes no sense at all.
What causes the jam is having the lens or the body uncocked when changing lenses. When you change a lens, both body and lens must be cocked. That's all there is to it. Simple. That's one of the reasons for the body-cocked indicator.
I've never had a Hasselblad jam on me in 24 years of using them.
That was rude and unnecessary. I demand an apology.
In any case, it was a late 50’s model that while in good cosmetic condition, it may not have been in good mechanical condition. All I know is it jammed a few times (out of hundreds of shots), so I had it CLA’ed. Then my 150mm Sonnor lens shutter locked up. The repairman said it needed a whole bunch of new parts, so he’d have to buy another working lens to pull the parts from (it too was an early model). That made it too expensive to repair. Then a few months later, the body completely locked up so I sent it in to David Odess, thinking maybe my local guy wasn’t the best repairman for a camera like this. David Odess sent it back to me saying he doesn’t work on cameras this old because they’re too unreliable. He said, even if he fixed it, it would likely break again soon, so it’s generally not worth the time and money. So even the Hasselblad expert David Odess doesn’t deem them all that reliable. He still charged me a bench fee for that piece of information, by the way. So after owning one for about a year and taking 3 trips to the shop for two different components, I moved on. My RB67 is a much more reliable camera, makes 6x7 negatives and is cheaper. If it’s wasn’t so heavy, the Hasselblad would have nothing on it.
I have several other older cameras, some more than 100 years old, that often just need a little cleaning, lube, and light seals (sometimes bellows), and most of them come back to life and will go decades without needing further repair. And I’ve never had a repairman tell me a camera wasn’t worth repairing because it was too old. Maybe I’m spoiled by all of the other great cameras I’ve owned. Maybe I just got two lemons(body and 1of 2 lenses). In any case, my experience turned me away from the Hasselblad brand.
I've never had a Hasselblad jam on me in 24 years of using them.
When it comes to jam I like raspberry. When it comes to Hasselblads it is easy to get a jam. All you need is for the camera shutter button to lightly catch somewhere, I've had that quite a few times, all you need is to hang the camera over the shoulder and eventually as it swings away it will catch a belt of bag or whatever else you may have on you. Or maybe a light knock will do it. Or if you use extension tubes they are prone to do that, especially if you stack a couple. You may get by releasing the shutter again and you loose a frame (yes yes you can put the slide in and take the back off...if you have the dark slide with you), you may have to take the back off and play with the tool or whatever else you have to unjam it.
Now I'm sure someone will say oh you should have read the manual or been more careful but you know what, I prefer to enjoy my day than look after some piece of metal. In any case YMMV and you may never experience the jam but personally I have had my share of it. Is it the end of the world? Of course not, a handful or two of times a year is not huge compared to a few hundred frames shot but the problem is that it always seem to happen at the least convenient time.
They're still good cameras though, just...finicky.
Baloney! I’ve had enough jam over 30 years that I was on a first name basis with Don Snyder of VHI. You do what you want but I won’t use it!!!I've never had a Hasselblad jam on me in 24 years of using them.
Baloney! I’ve had enough jam over 30 years that I was on a first name basis with Don Snyder of VHI. You do what you want but I won’t use it!!!
So if you want an apology from me, you know where you can go and what you have to do to yourself first. And then you will still not get an apology.
Well said Sir!So if you want an apology from me, you know where you can go and what you have to do to yourself first. And then you will still not get an apology.
This is VERY, very good advice. I have seen that happening way too often. On top of what ac12 said: there are 2 kinds of Acute Matte screen, the "regular" one and the Acute Matte D. The latter is more expensive and sought after. Acute Matte screens are sometimes advertised as Acute Matte D (with corresponding prices) - don't fall into that trap. D screens can be identified by means of notches in the frame (better seen on a picture of the screen) In doubt, don't hesitate to ask here!Personally a 500 C/M. A 501 with the gliding mirror is great, but likely to be above your budget.
You NEED to research the screens, so that you can ID them. And presume that unless stated specifically, the screen in the camera is not likely to be a Acute Matt. Sellers may pull the AM screen to sell it separately at a high price. Similarly that AM screen box may not contain an AM screen, but the older screen that were swapped out to install the AM into the camera.
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