Recommendations on 40mm lens for Hasselblad?

[Slixtiesix]

Congratulations. Enjoy your beautiful lens. Looks like new, never used!

 

[mshchem]

Well, it took a few years, but I finally bought a 40mm CFE lens. This one looks really clean, and the lens mount looks like it was rarely mounted to a body. I'll head off to Tacoma (Washington) to do some industrial photography. Next search: some color 93mm filters (yellow, orange, yellow-green).


View attachment 366182

Be careful with the filter adapter rings. These rings are aluminum and can seize, I put a tiny bit of Vaseline on the threads with a toothpick, helps a lot, just a few milligrams.
I sold my copy, I didn't use it enough, beautiful lens!

 

[chuckroast]

Well, it took a few years, but I finally bought a 40mm CFE lens. This one looks really clean, and the lens mount looks like it was rarely mounted to a body. I'll head off to Tacoma (Washington) to do some industrial photography. Next search: some color 93mm filters (yellow, orange, yellow-green).


View attachment 366182

I used to have the original 40mm f/4 Distagon C, which was stolen, and later replaced with the lens you now have. It's an absolutely terrific lens and you'll be delighted with its output.

While the SWC is superb, it carries with it the requirement of being a second camera body with a fixed lens, doesn't have reflex viewing, etc. It's kind of a specialty tool and - when you need it - nothing can beat it. But I find the ability to mount the 40mm on a standard body more flexible and useful in my shooting style. That said, if someone gave me an SWC, I wouldn't say "no"

 

[Kodachromeguy]

Thanks for the votes of support. I saw a 93mm orange filter at KEH and ordered it. And the comment about the aluminum binding is useful. I had to separate the rings with the help of two kitchen rubber friction pads. I'll add a small bit of Vaseline (or nose oil?).

Now I need a better way to take my Hasselblad kit in the field. Maybe a Domke F1x?

 

[chuckroast]

Thanks for the votes of support. I saw a 93mm orange filter at KEH and ordered it. And the comment about the aluminum binding is useful. I had to separate the rings with the help of two kitchen rubber friction pads. I'll add a small bit of Vaseline (or nose oil?).

Now I need a better way to take my Hasselblad kit in the field. Maybe a Domke F1x?

Having tried dang near every bag type out there, I find the best, most comfortable way to carry my heavier cameras is in a small backpack. It distributes the weight evenly as you walk around.

 

[Nokton48]

40 Dist CFV16 EI 200 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Hasselblad 25th Anniversary 500 C/M, 40mm T* black Distagon, Hasselblad CFV16 Digital Back, EI 200, Sandisk 8GB. I like using this lens with the CFV16. A lot of fun to shoot with, there will be a learning curve with this. I am new to Digital.

CFV16 40mm Dist EI 200 MPEX by Nokton48, on Flickr

Went to MPEX yesterday, they wanted to play with my new Hasselblad CFV16 Digital Back. He says I should keep it. Never seen one before. "This is just too cool". If I remember correctly, I think I paid $650 back then for this lens.

 

[ic-racer]

The old 40mm distagon was also available for the Rolleiflex and I have that version. It is a massive lens allowing hand held photography down to 1/30 or 1/15 second. It is a little soft in the corners compared to a Biogon, but it is a good performer and a great value today. I paid $1800 for mine ($3700 in today USD).

To compare, I also have the 40mm Schniedier Super Angulon which I don't think is available for Hasselblad. It is smaller, faster and lighter than the other 40mm lenses. More likely to need a tripod in low light. Overall sharpness is similar to the older version. The smaller package and faster speed come at the expense of a slight increase in distortion.

Both of these are rectilinear lenses.

Specs show both lenses have nearly equal performance. The older big lens has a little less distortion.

This is the 40mm Super Angulon f3.5:

This is the 40mm Distagon f4:

 

[ic-racer]

 

[Kodachromeguy]

Nice comparative picture. The front part of your 40mm Distagon looks identical to the Hasselblad version. This was state of the art optical design around 1960. I wish Hassy had offered the Super Angulon as another option.

 

[ic-racer]

Nice comparative picture. The front part of your 40mm Distagon looks identical to the Hasselblad version. This was state of the art optical design around 1960. I wish Hassy had offered the Super Angulon as another option.

Yes, I believe the optics in the old 40mm Distagon are the same for the three version I know of SL66 (below), SLX(6000) and Hasselblad.

 

[Nokton48]

My Hasselblad 70's Blad Basic System by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[ic-racer]

Wow you have the lenshood!

 

[Nokton48]

"The Rubber Tyre". You need one! I have five or six B104 Zeiss filters, too.

 

[guangong]

While I sometimes considered a wide angle lens for my Hassy, I have always been put off by the weight. I suspect that SWC would be a much lighter and easier to handle, and would be my choice if I went for a wide angle MF lense.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I have the CF version with the floating elements. Very nice lens. I have not used or seen the older C version. I think I read somewhere that the cf is better in the corners, especially close up. I would expect that the C is still pretty decent.

I got the 40mm CF T* for $1,000 a few years back from a dealer in the UK; very nice lens, bif WA difference to the 50mm; just be patient and look for a bargain!

 

[eli griggs]

B

Be careful with the filter adapter rings. These rings are aluminum and can seize, I put a tiny bit of Vaseline on the threads with a toothpick, helps a lot, just a few milligrams.
I sold my copy, I didn't use it enough, beautiful lens!

Brass adapters can be had from Luzid, on Amazon.com, for not a lot of money.

A quick check shows 82mm to 95mm and 82mm to 102mm.

What else is available, I don't know.

 

[Steven Lee]

@Kodachromeguy Congrats! The lens doesn't look physically much bigger than the 50mm which I frequently use and love! And by the way, I recently was driving through Northern California and stopped by Seawood Photo in San Rafael. They had an SWC on display and let me play with it. As much as I loved the petite dimensions and light weight, there is no way I could use that camera in the field. Zone focusing medium format doesn't make sense to me, and framing is worse than on a rangefinder. Too many compromises, in my opinion, so I too would have gotten the 40mm.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

40 Dist CFV16 EI 200 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Hasselblad 25th Anniversary 500 C/M, 40mm T* black Distagon, Hasselblad CFV16 Digital Back, EI 200, Sandisk 8GB. I like using this lens with the CFV16. A lot of fun to shoot with, there will be a learning curve with this. I am new to Digital.

CFV16 40mm Dist EI 200 MPEX by Nokton48, on Flickr

Went to MPEX yesterday, they wanted to play with my new Hasselblad CFV16 Digital Back. He says I should keep it. Never seen one before. "This is just too cool". If I remember correctly, I think I paid $650 back then for this lens.

count yourself lucky.They go for $1,000 right now!

 

[Nokton48]

count yourself lucky.They go for $1,000 right now!

There's one on Ebay right now listed for $650. Of course you can pay more!

There's a "Rubber Tyre" there too, for $85

I did not want to pay a lot because I don't use it much. MUCH more now so that I am using my CFV16 Digital Back. In fact my entire blad system is coming back to life thanks to the CFV16. Hasselblad digital is friendly easy and great fun

Also I'm only using the sweet center of the C T* 40 Distagon due to cropped sensor. It makes the 30mm C T* Distagon Fisheye a lot more useful, too.

 

[john_s]

Wow you have the lenshood!

I have the SL66 version, the hood and a couple of filters. They are in a box as compact as possible but still bigger than my lunch box.

 

[Hasslebad]

Now I need a better way to take my Hasselblad kit in the field. Maybe a Domke F1x?

I found the LowePro Adventura SH 160 III to work well as a small bag to bring in the field. It has a shoulder strap but I mount a belt and wear it on the waist. It allows me to quickly get the camera out and capture an event. I have a 40mm CFE with an 86-95mm step-up ring and B+W 95mm filter mounted on the Hasselblad with waist-level finder along with an A12 back with Lindahl dark slide holder. The entire kit all fits snugly inside the bag.

 

[Kodachromeguy]

I am having fun with the 40mm lens. It is a challenge to use it effectively. But I have proven that there are dinosaurs in Olympia (besides the author).

 

[Ai Print]

Well, it took a few years, but I finally bought a 40mm CFE lens. This one looks really clean, and the lens mount looks like it was rarely mounted to a body. I'll head off to Tacoma (Washington) to do some industrial photography. Next search: some color 93mm filters (yellow, orange, yellow-green).


View attachment 366182

Nice! I am in the process of going all CFi and CFe lenses for my system and have thought about this or the very expensive IF version. It will have to wait until next year though, I just bought a CFe 350 5.6 Superachromat, Apo 1.4XE and CFi 120 Makro Planar.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Nice! I am in the process of going all CFi and CFe lenses for my system and have thought about this or the very expensive IF version. It will have to wait until next year though, I just bought a CFe 350 5.6 Superachromat, Apo 1.4XE and CFi 120 Makro Planar.

Nice, sounds like you are really docked out as far asHassy lenses go. In a similar attempt, I'd lie to go CF across the board, Does anybody know if there is any optical performance difference between the 80mm Planar C and CF versions?

 

[Kodachromeguy]

I got the 40mm CF T* for $1,000 a few years back from a dealer in the UK; very nice lens, bif WA difference to the 50mm; just be patient and look for a bargain!

is any optical performance difference between the 80mm Planar C and CF versions?

The 80mm C and CF lenses have the same (or very similar) 7 element formula. The 80mm CB lens uses a 6 element design.