Gang,
Munich has the particularity that a large photo store is conveniently located next to the post office. So after shipping out my Photrio Blind Print Exchange assignment yesterday, I obviously had to stop at the photo store. Coming to the point, their 2nd hand department currently has a Hasselblad 205TCC in very good condition, sold together with the legendary 110mm f/2 lens. Everything works well and it looks like it has hardly been used. Price is about average for this I would say, no bargain but not unreasonably high either. Manufacturing year 1992.
I am a happy owner of a Hasselblad 500 kit with more or less every lens in the "sensible" range (i.e. no 500mm or 30mm fisheye, which I would hardly use.) I use the 120mm a lot, for macro as well as for portraits. So far I stayed away from 200 series Hassys for a reason - they are said to be unreliable and unrepairable, and your $3k camera can suddenly be turned into an expensive paperweight. Or so they say.
I could unload some other stuff I own and get this. But the real question is, would it really bring me anything compared to what I already have? Or in other words, is that 110mm lens so extraordinary different that it justifies getting a 200-series body, with the inherent risk, to use it? Is the risk of getting an expensive paperweight really that high? Are other (later?) models preferable to the 205TCC? In your eyes, are those 2 stops difference (compared to the 100mm f/3.5 or 120 f/4) really worth that much money? etc. etc.
Please shoot me your opinions, thanks!
Munich has the particularity that a large photo store is conveniently located next to the post office. So after shipping out my Photrio Blind Print Exchange assignment yesterday, I obviously had to stop at the photo store. Coming to the point, their 2nd hand department currently has a Hasselblad 205TCC in very good condition, sold together with the legendary 110mm f/2 lens. Everything works well and it looks like it has hardly been used. Price is about average for this I would say, no bargain but not unreasonably high either. Manufacturing year 1992.
I am a happy owner of a Hasselblad 500 kit with more or less every lens in the "sensible" range (i.e. no 500mm or 30mm fisheye, which I would hardly use.) I use the 120mm a lot, for macro as well as for portraits. So far I stayed away from 200 series Hassys for a reason - they are said to be unreliable and unrepairable, and your $3k camera can suddenly be turned into an expensive paperweight. Or so they say.
I could unload some other stuff I own and get this. But the real question is, would it really bring me anything compared to what I already have? Or in other words, is that 110mm lens so extraordinary different that it justifies getting a 200-series body, with the inherent risk, to use it? Is the risk of getting an expensive paperweight really that high? Are other (later?) models preferable to the 205TCC? In your eyes, are those 2 stops difference (compared to the 100mm f/3.5 or 120 f/4) really worth that much money? etc. etc.
Please shoot me your opinions, thanks!