Speed markings worn off on Hasselblad 80mm and 120mm Planar

I have older silver versions of the Hasselblad 80mm Planar and 120mm Planar-S and the painted on speed markings have worn off. The speed markings are on an aluminum band held on with 2 small screws. Does anybody know if spares are available? Seems to be a common problem and surprising for Hasselblad.

An important question would be: Do you want an original factory part/exact copy, reasonably close cloned part that looks similar/aligns correctly, but may not pass a visual comparison if holding it and the real one in your hands, or are you happy with just having clear usable markings on your gear again?

If all you want is a usable marking plate, then an empty soda can, a ~$15 jewellers punch set off amazon, a few other basic tools, and a little bit of time might be a good option for you.

Unless I'm misunderstanding the part/model you're talking about, then I believe the originals were done with a print stamp/silk screen kind of method, which would be a fair bit of effort to redo directly. Personally I prefer debossed lettering that is then infilled with paint, as even if it does wear off again in the future you can accurately reapply the colour and restore clear neat labels. Also surprisingly easy to do at home, and youtube is loaded with examples from restoration and modelling videos.


Good luck with your project.

There are colored "crayons" that can be used to put the color in the engraved numbers. I am not home so I cannot look it up, but search APUG and see if you can find the threads about specific products.

Unfortunately the numbers are not engraved but merely painted on. Surprising that such a renowned lens maker would use such a poor method of numbering to a part that has lots of use by fingers over the years. I would like to have an original factory replacement but this is highly unlikely to be found. I will look at the feasibility of having an engraver engrave the numbers on the existing ring but as they are completely worn off there is no indication where the numbers should be.

It is of course easy to establish where the shutter speed numbers should be:
Set the aperture to fully open, looking at this on my 50mm = f4 but any lens will do, then disengage the lock so the speed dial can be moved fully anti clockwise (looking at the lens as if mounted and from behind) then the aperture, f4 in my case, must be aligned with 1/500th the fastest speed, counting down apertures match speeds to 1/15th aligned with f22, one indent to the right on speed re-aligns 1/8th with f22 if you want to go right down just carry on.
The aperture numbers should be clear or if not can be filled as they are engraved.

But the whole issue here is that the numbers were not engraved but merely painted on and the paint has worn off.

Does the selector click in place at each setting?

I've helped a friend refurbish different lens with a similar worn markings issue: We used a felt tipped marker to put a dot at each position on the shutter speed selector, then engraved and painted the markings. (In our case we weren't as neat and tidy with it as I personally would have liked, but it was more than enough to clearly show the current selection, and my friend is happy with it.)

Marking the aperture was however a little more work to do accurately, as it was just a slider without any notches that the setting lever clicked into A shoe box, light meter, and a bit of experimentation was however all that was needed to let us get marks positioned close enough to work fine.

My personal preference is to re-fabricate a piece rather than engraving an original if at all possible, as it leaves the original as a template for the shame/spacing on the office chance that we did something stupid... Like accidentally dropping it on the floor and then bending the label plate when I moved a box to try and find it. Was not my finest hour, but I wasn't going to cry over a bit of soda can at least.

Simon Benton said:

But the whole issue here is that the numbers were not engraved but merely painted on and the paint has worn off.

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Indeed the speed markings are worn off but I describe how to align where they should be and the OP may have those engraved, as he suggests, or as Luckless says just marked with a line.

Luckless said:

Does the selector click in place at each setting?

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The speed selector ring does click into place at each speed setting.
The aperture ring clicks at full and half stops.
When locked together, the normal state on a silver lens, the combination clicks at full stops, actually designed to be at the EV values. It is therefore possible to select a half stop and speed combination that gives EV values half way between full EV value settings.

All this is a lot easier if you have a lens in front of you BTW!!

Since the shutter speed have detents [click into place] contact S K Grimes http://www.skgrimes.com/ to have then engrave the markings on the lens. I had them take a lens and mark the f/stops on a lens without detents for an LF lens. As I recall the price was not out of line for the engraving and calculating the location of the stops.

I have older silver versions of the Hasselblad 80mm Planar and 120mm Planar-S and the painted on speed markings have worn off.

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In which case my 1968 Planar 80mm must have led an easy life indeed - the markings appear not to have worn or faded at all (or have they been renewed?)

This is the first tale of worn off markings I've heard, so its perhaps not all that common, but I can certainly understand it happening. The common understanding is that no new parts are available, but some tech somewhere probably either has some new rings, or else an otherwise unrepairable lens with good rings. I'd try looking for "for parts/repair only" lenses on ebay, or else contact some of the usual suspect repair folks and see what they could do. Getting the rings engraved is certainly possible, but could easily cost as much as another 800mm C lens.
Another possibility might be to see if a sign shop that does vinyl lettering can make up a set of small-enough numbers to make stick-on replacements, or find someone who has a Cameo vinyl cutter to do the same thing. Transfer letting would likely work too, if anyone still makes it.