Share your Hasselblad FlexBody and ArcBody photographs and details

[Deleted member 88956]

Would also appreciate a pdf (link ?) to this brochure:

 

[cramej]

Much talk, few pictures. Need more pictures.

 

[Arthurwg]

[QUOTE="VTLD, post: 2522054, ]
I also assume that focusing screen accessory made for SWC will also work with Flexbody ???[/QUOTE]


According to Wildi it's a different screen and not interchangeable.

 

[Sirius Glass]

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 ???

No, the focusing screens are different. Good question which I had asked in the past.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

Looking at the full Flexbody kit, it would be nice if someone could post a photo of rear standard WITH and WITHOUT Stray Light Mask (not Stray Light Slide, a different thing).

This was normally factory fitted in place on delivery (swapped with 4x5 mask if needed). It appears it is not easy to see, if it is part of some kits being sold, so seeing the difference on a photo would be of big help to get this right.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Looking at the full Flexbody kit, it would be nice if someone could post a photo of rear standard WITH and WITHOUT Stray Light Mask (not Stray Light Slide, a different thing).

This was normally factory fitted in place on delivery (swapped with 4x5 mask if needed). It appears it is not easy to see, if it is part of some kits being sold, so seeing the difference on a photo would be of big help to get this right.

You are looking for a problem that does not exist. The Stray Light Mask keeps out light when one of the other masks are not in use. The masks are easily swapped out.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

Y

You are looking for a problem that does not exist. The Stray Light Mask keeps out light when one of the other masks are not in use. The masks are easily swapped out.

no, you are referring to stray light slide. Stray light mask is inserted before film mag or focusing frame and stays there throughout shooting. It is one that is replaced by 4x5 mask, or 6 x 4.5 mask. This is a very narrow frame listed in Flexbody manual and came installed with new body. It is hard to spot, hence my asking for a pic with and without it.

 

[Mike Lopez]

Y


no, you are referring to stray light slide. Stray light mask is inserted before film mag or focusing frame and stays there throughout shooting. It is one that is replaced by 4x5 mask, or 6 x 4.5 mask. This is a very narrow frame listed in Flexbody manual and came installed with new body. It is hard to spot, hence my asking for a pic with and without it.

VLTD, you are correct. The mask is so thin and unobtrusive that it's no wonder you can't tell whether it shows up or not in pictures of Flexbodies for sale. A few pictures are attached. The first shows the standard without the mask installed. The second shows the standard with the mask (subtle difference!) The third picture is of the mask itself for your reference.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

VLTD, you are correct. The mask is so thin and unobtrusive that it's no wonder you can't tell whether it shows up or not in pictures of Flexbodies for sale. A few pictures are attached. The first shows the standard without the mask installed. The second shows the standard with the mask (subtle difference!) The third picture is of the mask itself for your reference.
View attachment 299246 View attachment 299253 View attachment 299254

Thanks a lot, exactly what I needed. Some sellers had no idea what I was asking about so I figured I will just ask for pics of rear standard instead.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

This has to be removed to attach a Hasselblad digital back.
The back will not latch on with the mask in place. That is how tight the tolerance is.
Took me about three hours to find this out the first time I attached my CFV-50c.
Have not tried my CFV II 50c, but this updated back has even more tighter tolerances as it will not attach to my Linhof made 4x5 plate, but the CFV-50c would.
Go figure, they always find a way to get ya to buy more accessories.

Is it safe to say that this mask is easy to mangle out of shape when removed and not handled with care, which might be reason why so many Flexbodies I have seen over last few days do not have it?

 

[Deleted member 88956]

@Mike Lopez @darr now it’s time to perhaps put one issue to rest. As for shooting film, is this mask absolutely essential? Surely Hasselblad did not make it as a joke, so they figured it was important to tighten up the frame. Any experience trying to see on film what difference it does make?

 

[Mike Lopez]

@Mike Lopez @darr now it’s time to perhaps put one issue to rest. As for shooting film, is this mask absolutely essential? Surely Hasselblad did not make it as a joke, so they figured it was important to tighten up the frame. Any experience trying to see on film what difference it does make?

I'll try to answer the questions you've raised:

1. Yes, the mask would be quite easy to mangle and/or warp if mishandled, and easy to lose, as well. As I tried to demonstrate in that third photo, it is quite thin and doesn't feel very robust in the hand.

2. I'm afraid I've never exposed any film without the mask in place, so I can't say definitively whether it is absolutely essential. However, I will point out that the manual for the camera has a note, with an exclamation point beside it, which says that the mask should be in place at all times when a format mask is not being used. Now, to really nitpick at this, it does not say that the mask must be in place--it says should. Further, in the list of troubleshooting items near the back of the manual, one item reads "Film frames have been fogged." The two causes of that, as listed on that page, are "Magazine slide removed while shutter still open," and "Shutter rewound before magazine slide replaced." Both of these errors would fog your film whether the mask is installed or not. So, not having the mask installed is not clearly identified as a problem that will fog your film, even in the "troubleshooting" table in the manual. On the other hand, Hasselblad did use an exclamation point to call the user's attention to the fact that the mask should be installed. But on the other hand (are you out of hands yet?), there is the word "should" and not "must."

I'm sorry I can't speak more clearly on the fogging issue. I just haven't been there myself. And Darr's note about the mask needing to be removed to install a digital back is quite interesting. That flies in the face of the verbiage in the basic manual for the camera itself.

EDIT: This post is getting quite long, but I'll add something else. I doubt that a missing mask will fog film. It's very slightly recessed into the back standard (photos above), and it's not immediately obvious to me where or how stray light could enter the area that the mask occupies. It's a little machined area that's recessed into the standard and surrounded by metal that sits proud of that recess. It's also hard to imagine Hasselblad putting out a product that would so greatly rely on such a thin, flexible thing to keep film from being fogged. If you buy one without the mask, perhaps you should insist on the possibility of a return if you find that your film does get fogged. But something tells me you'll be ok.

 

[Mike Lopez]

Good question.
I'd say maybe so. But I think losing it might make a better case for them missing.
The Flexbody I bought appeared to never have been used. When I took the mask out, I immediately placed it in a plastic bag and stow it inside the little blue Hasselblad bag the camera came in.
The camera is not stowed in the blue bag, just all the accessories I do not use and the mask.

You make a great point about the possibility of losing the mask. It really is a thin, delicate object--it almost vanishes into nothingness. And I use the blue bag exactly like you do--the camera is stored and carried separately.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

@Mike Lopez great exhaustive feedback on the little thing, I’m so much better off now. It’s also interesting to note the proper sequence of operating Flexbody, some steps not looking to be as important as Hasselblad is pointing out. Strangely that raises my interest even further.

I’ll be chasing this and hopefully find one at reasonable enough price. I know I need to look for complete kit as some parts, if they can be found, are crazy expensive, like viewfinder for SWC.

 

[eli griggs]

I'll jump back in and suggest that those of us that carry the flexbody in its own bag/case, invest in a dedicated Pro Shade, so you do no have to digout the one you have for your 500 series cameras.

These are cheap, and you often find them in like new condition, online.

I bought a like new second adjustable Pro Shade to use with my Flexbody, and if I take my 500cm along on a shoot, I do no need to be removing a single shade between shots and they both use 75mm Wratten gels, without issue.

 

[jshcrlsn]

I recently purchased a FlexBody made in 1996. Mine does NOT have the stray light 6x6 mask. So far I have shot about 6-8 rolls with it (some slide film and some Ilford). I have used this with the same era A12 backs and none of my shots exhibit light leaks or fogging at this point. I do notice some ticks marks in a square pattern on the film edge outside of the image frame but this seems to be a part of the camera back design and does not enter into my image frame whatsoever. I have used the 50/80/150 with it and mostly use tilt function. I have also utilized rise on a few occasions without any light leak problems. If you are worried about the 6x6 mask and cannot find one for sale you can maybe purchase some camera foam light seal material and cut it to fill the square cutout gap on the FlexBody rear but at this point in my experience it isn't necessary for me. Also, a note about the viewing screen: I am currently using this without the correction fresnels or original screen screen (72405). Instead I have modified a viewing screen that I already had in hand (41050) for the SWC. The fresnel on the swc screen makes it hard to use with the flexBody and so I pulled the whole assembly apart (CAUTION: lots of little pieces and a spring) and removed the fresnel. My SWC screen has the grid and split image and It works wonderfully with the Flexbody now. In the field I have found that I start to have trouble with blackout at the edges of the frame for tilts around and over 20 degrees but other then that I haven't had any issues. I don't really use anything more then 5 degrees or so most of the time at this point. In the field I find that being able to black out the areas around my eye and the viewing screen to be the most helpful (eyecup) and you may want to use a finder with some magnification. For me I dont find it necessary to use a reflex finder of any sort and am used to working with a flipped image. Just some initial use thoughts from a recent user experience.

This is an image thread and so I will be back shortly to post some of my images from these first rolls.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I recently purchased a FlexBody made in 1996. Mine does NOT have the stray light 6x6 mask. So far I have shot about 6-8 rolls with it (some slide film and some Ilford). I have used this with the same era A12 backs and none of my shots exhibit light leaks or fogging at this point. I do notice some ticks marks in a square pattern on the film edge outside of the image frame but this seems to be a part of the camera back design and does not enter into my image frame whatsoever. I have used the 50/80/150 with it and mostly use tilt function. I have also utilized rise on a few occasions without any light leak problems. If you are worried about the 6x6 mask and cannot find one for sale you can maybe purchase some camera foam light seal material and cut it to fill the square cutout gap on the FlexBody rear but at this point in my experience it isn't necessary for me. Also, a note about the viewing screen: I am currently using this without the correction fresnels or original screen screen (72405). Instead I have modified a viewing screen that I already had in hand (41050) for the SWC. The fresnel on the swc screen makes it hard to use with the flexBody and so I pulled the whole assembly apart (CAUTION: lots of little pieces and a spring) and removed the fresnel. My SWC screen has the grid and split image and It works wonderfully with the Flexbody now. In the field I have found that I start to have trouble with blackout at the edges of the frame for tilts around and over 20 degrees but other then that I haven't had any issues. I don't really use anything more then 5 degrees or so most of the time at this point. In the field I find that being able to black out the areas around my eye and the viewing screen to be the most helpful (eyecup) and you may want to use a finder with some magnification. For me I dont find it necessary to use a reflex finder of any sort and am used to working with a flipped image. Just some initial use thoughts from a recent user experience.

This is an image thread and so I will be back shortly to post some of my images from these first rolls.

The tick marks are part of the image frame that all Hasselblads have. Thank you for your extensive comments.

 

[jshcrlsn]

Sirius, To be clear I am not speaking about the two small triangle cuts. This is more like a long bar around the outer edge between frames that is completely separate from the image itself.

 

[jshcrlsn]

 

[Sirius Glass]

Sirius, To be clear I am not speaking about the two small triangle cuts. This is more like a long bar around the outer edge between frames that is completely separate from the image itself.

That long bar drove me nuts for a while. It is the clamp on the film back that holds the film to the back. It is always there and I just crop it out when I print. When I have my film commercially developed, on occasion I have to remind them to crop it out on the prints.

 

[jshcrlsn]

darr,
agreed…I have not noticed it bleeding into any of my image area though. I think this has to do with how the inner frame mask of the film back sockets into place on the camera and, in this case, leaves a bleed edge around the outside of that frame where it meets the FlexBody rear frame (minus the 6x6 mask). While not a pretty edge it seems more like a cosmetic issue outside of the image area and nothing more. Now if we incorporate some serious tilts or rise etc during the image making process then I can see it maybe coming into play but that is all speculation at this point and if I run into that I will surely report it.

greetings from the Pensacola area :]

 

[jshcrlsn]

Sirius,
Sounds like this can happen for multiple reasons then. If I use this same A12 back on my 501 body I do not get the marks as I do with the FlexBody. Again, at this point I want to stress that I dont see it interfering in my image area for those concerned. I know many of you want a FlexBody and are concerned about plunking down the cash only to encounter problems. I will continue to report my experience going forward here.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Sirius,
Sounds like this can happen for multiple reasons then. If I use this same A12 back on my 501 body I do not get the marks as I do with the FlexBody. Again, at this point I want to stress that I dont see it interfering in my image area for those concerned. I know many of you want a FlexBody and are concerned about plunking down the cash only to encounter problems. I will continue to report my experience going forward here.

Thank you your insights are interesting and appreciated.

 

[itsdoable]

That exposed strip is from the other side of the roller in the film gate of the back.

I've loaded this back with the bright side of the backing paper so you can see it more clearly (I did not have an exposed film handy).

There is a tiny gap between the outside of the film gate roller and the aperture of the film gate, shown by the arrows. Typically it is shielded by the Body's film gate, which is slightly smaller than the back's outer most plate, and recesses just inside it. That, along with the long back-focus of the V lenses, means there are usually no ray-paths that go there, but sometimes when you have the sun, or something bright projected there, you can get that strip.

Here's a closer view showing the gap:

With lens tilt, and the shorter back focus of the Arcbody lenses, there is more tendency for that area to get exposed.

That strip has always stayed between the frames, but if your back is out of adjustment, and/or you are using an emulsion with a particularly thin base, you may get frames so close together that this strip exposes the next/previous frame. In that case, a CLA on the back, or starting the film a little past the start mark of the film will help.

 

[Sirius Glass]

In my experience I have not had that gap open up or at least I have not been aware of the gap. I would think that a CLA would correct this problem.