Share your Hasselblad FlexBody and ArcBody photographs and details

Sirius Glass

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Post your ArcBody and FlexBody Photographs here.

I have thought about buying one or the other, but I have not taken the plunge.
 
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eli griggs

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I've no yet put together a folio of Flexbody photographs of my own, I've had 19 twice and a Honda no yet on the road, yada, yada, yada, and I'd like to see others use and results with this fun little Hasselblad.

Arc bodies welcomed too!
 

MattKing

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Threads combined - with a tiny bit of editing
 

drmoss_ca

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I've just spent an enjoyable hour at Flickr where a search for Flexbody gave a lot of results. I can see the attraction, for sure. Then I remembered I have a Chamonix 4x5 that doesn't get used enough....
 
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Sirius Glass

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Ai Print said:
Flexbody w/ rear tilt, 100mm CFi, Efke R25. Tjørnuvík, Faroe Islands...
View attachment 292172
Click to expand...

As expected a superior depth of field with the FlexBody and I expect the same with the ArcBody. Since I use mostly ISO 400 film and a tripod when necessary, I have not had an occasion that I did not get the depth of field that I have needed, so do I really have a use for the FlexBody or ArcBody for a "straight shot". It is the "perspective control" photograph [looking up at a building, looking at an angle at the length of a building] where I expect these two bodies to shine. So how much would I, or others reading this thread, use this camera? Would I want to take it to, for example, Europe on a trip when I am carrying the SWC, 50mm and 80mm lenses? That is the hard part. If the answer to that is yes, then it comes to what does one give up to have the money to purchase it.
 

Ai Print

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I often use longer than 80mm lenses for landscapes to strengthen the compositions and this is where the Flexbody really shines. The image circles are larger in longer glass but the depth of field gets shallow real fast so in order to avoid always being within a stop of minimum aperture, the Flexbody gives me a lot more options.

For example there is a shot I did that has a rock outcrop that is about 40 feet away and that same island in the shot above in the far distance. In order to make a strong composition, I used a 1.4X on my 180mm giving me a 250mm. Both are sharp with careful placement of focus and swing as I turned the camera 90 degrees on its side to achieve it.

Only you can decide the value of any tool, to me the Flexbody is an extremely important tool, I now have two of them.
 

eli griggs

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The Flexbody is so light, the small bag I keep it in feels the heaviest of the two weighes, sans back.
It does have a bit of length but I am sure that if I were traveling, it'll be in my kit.

I can no see and bear the thought of missing the best possibility for a top shot, just because I left the best tool I have to accomplish the job was left behind.

Of course, in my decrepitude, I travel very heavy with the Hasselblad system, on most trips of more than thirty miles from Charlotte Center.

Traveling light in MF to me, would include just my Minolta Autocord, or two Super Ikontas, 6x6cm and 6x9cm, maybe my multiformat pinhole Zero Image camera.

Otherwise it's 35mm and I'm thinking of adding some of my point and shoots, AF or otherwise, to it's own kit of cameras for expired colour and b&w films.

The Flexbody is just too good an option to leave behind, period, in my opinion.

Cheers
 
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Photomultiplier

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In case i really have to lighten my equipment, i'd rather take only the Flexbody with me than only the 500CM. I can photograph without tilt and shift with it (with reduced comfort of course) but i cannot take the 500CM body and bend it to get some tilt
Sometimes when i use the large backpack i can fit both bodies, which is my preferred mode.
 

Arthurwg

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Seems like the Arc Body is much more expensive than the Flexbody. But it's not easy to find a Flexbody kit with all seven components.
 
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Sirius Glass

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Arthurwg said:
Seems like the Arc Body is much more expensive than the Flexbody. But it's not easy to find a Flexbody kit with all seven components.
Click to expand...

I have found several complete FlexBody kits on eBay for around $1,400US to $1,500US. I am beginning to see the range of uses for the ArcBody and FlexBody and the Tilt Shift lenses for 35mm cameras. I need to understand range of these uses better so I can convince myself to invest in one of them. Thank you.
 
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Sirius Glass

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Arthurwg said:
Just saw a great article on the Arc Body on 35mmc today.
Click to expand...

How can I see it? More information please. Other than a few random Nikon AF lens purchases and a pin registration kit, which I purchased a few minutes ago on the internet, I have not had a really good GAS expense in years! I could use some encouragement since my tax advisor said that I am not spending enough money on photography.
 

Arthurwg

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35mmc.com. "Photographing Run-Down Places," by Christian Schroeder
 
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Sirius Glass

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Arthurwg said:
35mmc.com. "Photographing Run-Down Places," by Christian Schroeder
Click to expand...

Thank you but I could not find that web page on the 35mmc.com. Some help please.
 

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Can anyone post full list of what Flexbody KIT comprises of? Have found manual, which is sort of showing all the parts, but not really talking much. Are ANY of the components not essential?

I also assume that focusing screen accessory made for SWC will also work with Flexbody ???
 
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