Some basic Hasselblad questions #2

Hi all ... still shopping/researching (procrastinating)

1. Are the newer cameras (e.g. 503CW) as solidly built as the older models? (e.g. 500CM)

2. In terms of ergonomics/user friendliness/image quality, what vintage/model 80mm lens is the one to go for?

And when looking at the KEH site ...

3. What does "late" refer to in the 500CM listings? What model specs differ from "early"

4. What does B50 and B60 refer to in the lens listings?

Thanks

gregmacc said:

Hi all ... still shopping/researching (procrastinating)

1. Are the newer cameras (e.g. 503CW) as solidly built as the older models? (e.g. 500CM)

2. In terms of ergonomics/user friendliness/image quality, what vintage/model 80mm lens is the one to go for?

4. What does B50 and B60 refer to in the lens listings?

Thanks

Click to expand...

I recently picked up a 501CM which I believe was manufactured in the late 90s or early 00s, along with a 80mm CFE lens. The thing was practically in brand new condition when it arrived, and after a couple dozen rolls of film, I expect this camera will outlive me (and I'm only in my mid-30s!) It is very solidly built, but more importantly (to me anyway), is completely mechanically driven - no batteries to worry about, no electronics to short out, just a CLA every few years will keep this thing going great.

The B50 / B60 refers to the "B"ayonet mount on the front of the lens for attaching filters and such... 50 = 50mm, 60 = 60mm, etc (I believe, someone correct me if I misspoke on that!)

Thanks guyjr ... So is there a good reason for going for one bayonet size over the other?
Thanks

guyjr said:

The B50 / B60 refers to the "B"ayonet mount on the front of the lens for attaching filters and such... 50 = 50mm, 60 = 60mm, etc (I believe, someone correct me if I misspoke on that!)

Click to expand...

Correct about the size. Gregmacc, use the size filter that's required for your lens. A B50 won't fit on a lens that needs a B60 size filter and vice versa. The filters for my lenses (50 f/4 CF, 80 f/2.8 CF, and 150 f/4 CF) all take B60 filters and lens hoods.

There are also adapters to go from B50 to B60. IIRC the B50 are older models than the B60 as CF lenses use for the most part B60 and B50 was used on C lenses. The C lenses are supposed to be more difficult to focus than the newer ones due to the narrow and ridged focusing ring but the 80mm I have borrowed has a focusing lever (cannot remember the name for it) which makes it very easy and as well the 100 C lens I do have is not difficult at all in focusing. And there are also B60 to 67mm adapters to use non Hasselblad filters as well.

gregmacc said:

1. Are the newer cameras (e.g. 503CW) as solidly built as the older models? (e.g. 500CM)

Click to expand...

I have the newer model and in the short 6 year life, it's been to 8 countries without any harm.

2. In terms of ergonomics/user friendliness/image quality, what vintage/model 80mm lens is the one to go for?

Click to expand...

Actually the 100mm has better quality, but we're splitting hairs here.

3. What does "late" refer to in the 500CM listings? What model specs differ from "early"

Click to expand...

Don't know

4. What does B50 and B60 refer to in the lens listings?

Click to expand...

It means "Bayonet" 50 mm and 60 mm respectively. Filters require the bayonet mount to fit properly.

Regards, Art.

The 500 CM was made from the early 1970s into the late 1990's...a very long time span, so the late designation just tells you it isnt as old, and thus probably not wore out as many old ones are after a hard life in a pro's studio.

I have a 503CX and it is very well built and finished. As good as the old ones. The 501cm and some of the later ones have a simplified shutter release button that lacks the lock found on the 503cx and the older models like the 500cm

gregmacc said:

1. Are the newer cameras (e.g. 503CW) as solidly built as the older models? (e.g. 500CM)

Click to expand...

Yes.
Considering the (small) improvements made to the construction over the years, even more so.

gregmacc said:

2. In terms of ergonomics/user friendliness/image quality, what vintage/model 80mm lens is the one to go for?

Click to expand...

The CF.

All 80 mm lenses, regardless of type, are the same as far as optical design and quality is concerned.

Art mentioned the better quality of the 100 mm lens. Don't let that put you off the 80 m lens. It is one of the very best you can ever hope to get.
The 100 mm is only slightly better under certain, rather limited circumstances. Its longer focal lenght (too long for my liking) however always gets in the way.

gregmacc said:

3. What does "late" refer to in the 500CM listings? What model specs differ from "early"

Click to expand...

Late models have a more angled trim around the body ready signal window, and the metal trim surrounding the lens mount is broader, splitting the vinyl covering into 4 separate parts.
Late models also came with the later style folding waist level finder. A part that is easily replaced, so one advertised as "late" will not necessarily have one.

So purely cosmetic. Late or early makes no difference to function.

gregmacc said:

4. What does B50 and B60 refer to in the lens listings?

Click to expand...

Filter and lens shade mount "B"ayonet 'size'.

It's indeed not the exact size. Just a name, derived from the size of the glass in the mount.
Add the width of the rim around the glass (7 mm in total), and you'll arrive at the exact size of the filter.

There is no reason to prefer one over the other, no.
But get a C lens, and you will have a bayonet 50 mount. Get a later lens and you will have a bayonet 60 mount. No choice.

You will be happier if you get all old chrome lenses with the B50 filters or the black CF or later lenses which use the B60 filters. That way one set of filters works for everything. If you have to buy two sets of filters, you will have spent a lot of extra money.

Steve

I know the 50mm and 40mm take different filters than the other C's, is it true for the CF's?

I don't have a chrome 60mm, no idea what it takes.

Mike

mikebarger said:

I know the 50mm and 40mm take different filters than the other C's, is it true for the CF's?

Click to expand...

The CF 50 mm lenses take the 'regular' bayonet 60 filters and sun shades.

The 40 mm takes threadless Series 93 filters, that are held in place between the two halves of the sun shade.

mikebarger said:

I don't have a chrome 60mm, no idea what it takes.

Click to expand...

All C versions of the 60 mm lens take Series 63 drop-in filters.

Thanks!

Mike

mikebarger said:

I know the 50mm and 40mm take different filters than the other C's, is it true for the CF's?

I don't have a chrome 60mm, no idea what it takes.

Mike

Click to expand...

CFs take B60 filters.

Steve

Sirius Glass said:

CFs take B60 filters.

Click to expand...

But not all of them.

Some newer versions of the 50mm Distagon CF takes a B70 filter, but that is quite easy to see as the front is wider than the rest of the lens. (There's also a version called FLE with a second focusing ring intended to perfect the internal lens spacing for different focus zones. Anyhow, the FLE takes 93mm filters according to the PDF datasheet: http://www.hasselbladhistorical.eu/pdf/lds/CF50FLE.pdf.) There is searchable information on the 'net for which lenses takes which filter sizes. I'm personally very content with a bog standard CF 50mm Distagon, which is plenty sharp for my needs (and it takes standard B60 filters too ). I did test an old C 50mm, but the series 63 filters did put me off.

//Björn

PS: I know that the series 93 filters reference sounds strange, but that what it says on the data sheet from the horses mouth (i.e. Hasselblad themselves). Looking at the drawing of the lens on that PDF it seems to be a typo.

edtbjon said:

Some newer versions of the 50mm Distagon CF takes a B70 filter, [...]

Click to expand...

No, no.
The lens you are thinking about is the CFi version of the CF FLE 50 mm lens.

edtbjon said:

Anyhow, the FLE takes 93mm filters according to the PDF datasheet.)

Click to expand...

Again: No, no.
The 40 mm lens, not the 50 mm lens, takes series 93 filters.

The 50 mm CF lens takes bayonet 60 filters.
Because vignetting wasn't far off using bayonet 60 filters on the 50 mm lens, they widened the mount to bayonet 70 in the CFi lens.
So that one takes (surprise! ) bayonet 70 filters. The lens came supplied with a bayonet 70 to bayonet 60 step down ring, so you can still use a (as in: a single) bayonet 60 filter and lens hood on the CFi version of the 50 mm lens.