Now I know ... I think ... what annoys me most in Hasselblad

[Alan Edward Klein]

I get to enjoy two sounds with my RB67. The first when I release the mirror lockup k-thump. and then when I release the shutter - click.

 

[etn]

But, until today I could not put a finger on what it was that made me second-guess it. And ... it is the noise.

All this sounds maybe silly, except in all walks of life we each respond to noises in a different way.

As you say: a matter of personal taste, really no right or wrong here. Some like beer, others prefer wine. Some like hard rock, others prefer classical music (well, I personally love both). Some dislike like the Hasselblad shutter sound, others (like me) record it and turn it into a cell phone ring tone. And in all honesty, despite my nerdy endeavour described in the previous sentence, I can fully understand why you dislike the sound.

There is no perfect system - you have to find the one which matches your preferences, which feels good under your fingers and in your ears! We can debate MTF charts and lens sharpness and camera weight and and and... all day; I am convinced that any medium format camera is capable of excellent results. If you expose a print in a gallery, no one will ever tell you "nice picture, but it would have been better if you had used a [insert the brand of your choice here]".

Now, this is probably the most boring - in a sense of "stating the obvious" or as we say in French "break open doors" - post I've done in a long time

Happy shooting, with whatever camera you decide to use!

 

[etn]

Why do you need so many lenses?

5 Hasselblad lenses? That's not much...

 

[Hassasin]

As you say: a matter of personal taste, really no right or wrong here. Some like beer, others prefer wine. Some like hard rock, others prefer classical music (well, I personally love both). Some dislike like the Hasselblad shutter sound, others (like me) record it and turn it into a cell phone ring tone. And in all honesty, despite my nerdy endeavour described in the previous sentence, I can fully understand why you dislike the sound.

There is no perfect system - you have to find the one which matches your preferences, which feels good under your fingers and in your ears! We can debate MTF charts and lens sharpness and camera weight and and and... all day; I am convinced that any medium format camera is capable of excellent results. If you expose a print in a gallery, no one will ever tell you "nice picture, but it would have been better if you had used a [insert the brand of your choice here]".

Now, this is probably the most boring - in a sense of "stating the obvious" or as we say in French "break open doors" - post I've done in a long time

Happy shooting, with whatever camera you decide to use!

I have a ton and use them all, it's all fun. Hass is staying too, just saying ... Hass-A-Sin, for a number of reasons

 

[etn]

For good balance, otherwise I lean to one side only

I think the CB 160 is an ugly duck in the lineup, too bad they made so few, but liked it. The 60 was to replace the 80, but that is no go for what I was hoping (mine also has manufactured-in wobble when mounted, so for that alone I don't like using it, even if it is a very fine lens otherwise, 135 macro is great for its purpose and along with variable extension tube, can be used handheld without any bellows. Longer lengths ... enough occasions when I cannot reach what I want without a cannon mounted. Of course never all that stuff in the bag at the same time.

Could you please explain why you find the 160 is an "ugly duck" ? Due to its reputation? Is its performance that bad compared to the others?

As a side note, the 135 is indeed a very specialized lens. In its "comfort zone" it is really exceptional!

 

[itsdoable]

Some entrepreneur should market a seal with indestructible foam. The ancient gray crud of the decomposed foam is terrible. The seals are easy to replace, not sure but I think that's a good thing.

I did not change the light seal foam on the original 500c backs for ~10 years, and they were fine. And back then, the dark slide probably went in and out more times than the shutter button got pressed. The OE used quality foam. After market replacement stuff available now is priced cheap, and it shows. I know people harp on this all the time, but it's like replacing the tires on a Porsche with the cheapest Walmart tires, and complaining the car handles poorly.

 

[Hassasin]

Could you please explain why you find the 160 is an "ugly duck" ? Due to its reputation? Is its performance that bad compared to the others?

Just called it a nice name No, I do like it, but I think it is discounted by many probably because in that focal range it is an "ugly duck the Tessar" between two Sonnars. Then its focal length is pretty much what 150 is and nearly the 180, the latter being called by many as one of the best in the whole line up. So why even bother?

It is lighter and an underdog, and I support underdogs. And I don't do microscopic evaluations either.

 

[Photomultiplier]

I did not change the light seal foam on the original 500c backs for ~10 years, and they were fine. And back then, the dark slide probably went in and out more times than the shutter button got pressed. The OE used quality foam. After market replacement stuff available now is priced cheap, and it shows. I know people harp on this all the time, but it's like replacing the tires on a Porsche with the cheapest Walmart tires, and complaining the car handles poorly.

I am more worried about the foam pads underneath the mirror, as they inevitably deteriorate and lead to focus errors. They are not so easy to replace. The original ones held up for >30years, to be honest.


Storing the film backs with their dark slides pulled is probably better for the longevity of the seals, so i store them that way.

 

[Vaughn]

With my aging ears I can barely hear it on mine anymore.

Back in my early days in photography I was at a wedding and every time the photographer took a picture it sounded like someone was dropping the lid off a trash can. Very annoying during the service. I made sure to find out what he was shooting and it was a Bronica.

Same in noisy environments (stream-side, etc). But since tripping the shutter is obvious to my finger, my bigger problem with the 'cord is remembering to advance the film and not accidentally double expose.
Way back at uni, a fellow student got the job of photographing various classes while in session for the uni's PR department. He used a Pentax 67. Subtle it was not...but then, neither was his personality.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I'm surprised Sirius Glass hasn't weighed in yet. He must be still in bed When I played around with a friend's Hasselblad, I found its mirror to be quieter than my RB67's. But I sure do love the sound my RB makes!

Tied up with multiple problems on multiple cars.

What is wrong with a good TH-WACKKK! I love the sound. It says, I have arrived.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Why do you need so many lenses?

As Karen Carpenter sang: "We have only just begun ..."

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Tied up with multiple problems on multiple cars.

What is wrong with a good TH-WACKKK! I love the sound. It says, I have arrived.

Absolutely nothing wrong with a good TH-WACKKK! Hope your car problems have been resolved!

 

[VinceInMT]

Same in noisy environments (stream-side, etc). But since tripping the shutter is obvious to my finger, my bigger problem with the 'cord is remembering to advance the film and not accidentally double expose…

Mine is a VB and has a switch for double-exposure or not. My problem is forgetting to cock the shutter, getting the shot all line up, and then…dang.

 

[etn]

Just called it a nice name No, I do like it, but I think it is discounted by many probably because in that focal range it is an "ugly duck the Tessar" between two Sonnars. Then its focal length is pretty much what 150 is and nearly the 180, the latter being called by many as one of the best in the whole line up. So why even bother?

It is lighter and an underdog, and I support underdogs. And I don't do microscopic evaluations either.

Thanks for clarifying. Your previous post on it already piqued my curiosity and I had to order one for testing Thanks Photrio for entertaining GAS
The mere fact that it's almost half the weight of the 180 already makes it a valuable proposition. I also have a Zeiss 85 ZM Tessar in small format, which I like very much despite (or because of, i.e. small size/weight) its slow f/4 aperture. Lightweight and high quality. Now I'm really curious about that 160.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Let's put one thing aside: this is not a Hasselblad bashing thread, and I own it too, with lots of saved beer and cigars to make it happen,

Until now I was not sure which part of Hasselblad was making me second guess the decision to go in. The decision itself was based on SWC purchase and I remain convinced, had I not bought SWC, none of the other V system would have ever made it into my garage. This however, would be for another thread, which I don't plan on starting.

Coming off Mamiya's 645 and RB67, Bronica ETRSi & EC, Pentax 645 (original and NII), among several other TLR and non-SLR MF cameras, I got the SWC and soon after thought V-system was worth trying.

Wound up with the 503CW, 2006 build, probably never used, along with some lenses CFi 50 & 150, the unfortunate 60 CB, 135/5.6 CF macro, and 250/5.6 CF (non-SA). To the latter end, probably not the end of lenses as I need to acquire back the Tessar 160 CB for sure and at least the standard 80 and possibly the 350. Quite a few accessories are in my stall too. Honourable mention needs to go to Flexbody, right after the SWC.

I've kind of mentioned, Hasselblad is a fine photographic tool, but not everyone will be all that pleased. I think part of it comes with cost involved, really at any time of the market as Hass has alway been, relatively, one of the most expensive. I won't go into my dislikes any more now than I had already mentioned in another thread. I do think that money spent implies some matching expectations, and many will not find the two on the same plane, I never did, including ergonomics, build quality, sense of ruggedness etc.

But, until today I could not put a finger on what it was that made me second-guess it. And ... it is the noise. That thumping slap after releasing shutter. Surely some will put forward praise for same, so I'll leave it purely as a personal matter. Seems like that barn-door flipping out of the way, mirror going up ... no idea.... Every camera is different in what they amplify out. For whatever reason, Hasselblad's slap feels more off-putting to me than even the Bronica EC (some brilliant engineering and forethought in that one, of course not without own issues).

All this sounds maybe silly, except in all walks of life we each respond to noises in a different way. I like quite a bit about Hasselblad, just not everything and it is not my go to camera.

The Hasselblad 501c and its Carl Zeiss lenses are the finest photographic tools I've ever bought and used. They don't make you a better photographer but, at least you know if something doesn't work out, it's not the equipment's fault.

 

[Hassasin]

The Hasselblad 501c and its Carl Zeiss lenses are the finest photographic tools I've ever bought and used. They don't make you a better photographer but, at least you know if something doesn't work out, it's not the equipment's fault.

I respect that, except there are lots of photographic tools just as capable and not ever a limiting factor to anyones creations. But I also said the same thing as you, "fine photographic tool", even if I would never extend it to THE finest. And it it is not without own flaws, that's probably what gets me most when I hear comments of implied perfection of V system. But it takes one to use several systems, long enough, to see that difference.

And going back to Bronica for a moment, engineering wise, Bronica S and then all the refinements of the EC, was heads above Hasselblad in several areas. Even if, like everything else, it was not perfect.

In the end, the key is to stick with a system and develop enough connection to marry it, something that can be achieved with any system from all major brands. Divorces still happen, but making a commitment remains critical to focus on images, not technical prowess.

Since I don't make a living from photography, I remain committed to putting my hands on what I wish to use on any given day. It's fun, even if it made me quit drinking and smoking cigars

Have a great day Ralph, I always appreciated your contribution to analog photography, and your opinion matters a lot.

 

[Richard Man]

Love the Hassy sound. That and the incredibly quiet M sound are so diametrically different, yet both so satisfying in their own way

 

[Arthurwg]

I also started my Hasselblad obsession with the SWC, one of the best cameras ever made. That led me to the rest of the V System. Now I own four others, including the 555 ELX and an unused new-in-box-with-papers 501CM that I'm saving for a rainy day.

I don't find hand holding much of a problem, perhaps because I always use the 45-degree prism finder pressed to my forehead for additional support.

My two favorite lenses are the 60mm CB and 120mm Cfi, which is all I need most of the time. Although Mamiya glass may provide more contrast, I find that Zeiss has a wider rendition and more separation of grey tones, which I love.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Mine is a VB and has a switch for double-exposure or not. My problem is forgetting to cock the shutter, getting the shot all line up, and then…dang.

And how exactly could anyone line up the photograph with the mirror up?

 

[Sirius Glass]

The Hasselblad 501c and its Carl Zeiss lenses are the finest photographic tools I've ever bought and used. They don't make you a better photographer but, at least you know if something doesn't work out, it's not the equipment's fault.

... then walk into the bathroom, look directly at the mirror to see the cause of the problem.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I respect that, except there are lots of photographic tools just as capable and not ever a limiting factor to anyones creations. But I also said the same thing as you, "fine photographic tool", even if I would never extend it to THE finest. And it it is not without own flaws, that's probably what gets me most when I hear comments of implied perfection of V system. But it takes one to use several systems, long enough, to see that difference.

And going back to Bronica for a moment, engineering wise, Bronica S and then all the refinements of the EC, was heads above Hasselblad in several areas. Even if, like everything else, it was not perfect.

In the end, the key is to stick with a system and develop enough connection to marry it, something that can be achieved with any system from all major brands. Divorces still happen, but making a commitment remains critical to focus on images, not technical prowess.

Since I don't make a living from photography, I remain committed to putting my hands on what I wish to use on any given day. It's fun, even if it made me quit drinking and smoking cigars

Have a great day Ralph, I always appreciated your contribution to analog photography, and your opinion matters a lot.

As a teenager I wanted the Bronica S in the worst way, however the Bronica is not as well built as the Hasselblad, bulkier and harder to hold.

 

[Mike Lopez]

And how exactly could anyone line up the photograph with the mirror up?

Maybe because he's talking about a TLR. Just a thought.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Maybe because he's talking about a TLR. Just a thought.

On a Hasselblad bitch thread?

 

[Mike Lopez]

On a Hasselblad bitch thread?

Sure, why not? Try to follow the discussion and you'll see that innumerable cameras have been mentioned in this thread. {Moderator deletion of the unnecessary}

 

[rulnacco]

Well, I got rid of the Fuji GW690 even though by most criteria it was a perfect camera for me. Because of the noise it makes on shutter release. One should not cringe and be dreading the moment of releasing a shutter.

I'm with you on that one. I had a GW690 II, and whenever I fired the shutter, it sounded like someone had dropped a manhole cover. I ended up trading mine in on a Leica M3 and a lens. Soooo much quieter and soothing.

Conversely, for some reason, I find the sound of a Hasselblad, loud as it is, to be sexy. It just sounds like you've made some brilliant photo, even if the final product does turn out to be bit crap. (Mine regularly do, alas.) I even have a couple of motorized Blads (500ELX and 553ELX--got those for basically a song, when the motorized bodies were silly cheap), and I actually like the thwack-clickk-whirr sound they make, although maybe not as much as my 500CM.

One should use a camera whose characteristic sound speaks to the photographer. As Araki once said in an interview: "When I work with a model, I use five or six different cameras. I like one with a good clicking sound." What more needs to be said?