To sell the Hassy, or not?

ChristopherCoy · Oct 25, 2013

After a nearly 6 month hiatus of absolutely no shooting, I'm trying to get back to photos.

I've recently been contemplating selling my Hasselblad 500c/m, to fund the purchase of some Nikon glass for my D700/F100/FM cameras.

The problem is that I am unsure. I love my Hassy, but truthfully I shoot the FM, F100, and now the D700 more.

If I grab a camera on the go, and I plan on shooting film it's the F100. If I grab a camera on the go and I want to think about my exposures, its the FM. I have to pretty much schedule time and MAKE myself shoot the Hassy because I feel guilty for having a camera sitting there rotting due to non-use.

What would you do? The Hassy is nice, but a fully equipped Nikon bag would be nice too.

Alan Gales · Oct 25, 2013

Chris, if you are not using the Blad then sell it and buy gear that you will use. If you change your mind later there are plenty of Hasseblads on the market so you can always get another one.

Roger Cole · Oct 25, 2013

Funny, I find I increasingly shoot 35mm only for projecting transparencies. For anything that's going to be printed, I want the larger negative. One exception is shooting TMZ/Delta 3200 in very low light with a 50 1.7. But even so I'm one purchase of an 80mm 1.9 for my M645 away from giving that up too.

But of course what I do has no bearing on what you do. If you don't use it, might as well sell it. But then if you don't really WANT to sell it...listen to that voice too.

ChristopherCoy · Oct 25, 2013

I bought the Hassy with dreams of printing these huge 16x20's, and hanging them under gallery lights in my home and yadda yadda yadda.

To date, I've printed exactly ONE 16x20, and it was a negative from my Yashica 635, and I had to borrow Valerie's darkroom to do it.

I just tend to shoot 35mm more often than anything, and print at 8x10 or smaller.

Alan W · Oct 25, 2013

Sell it now,while you know it works.Give someone a money back guarantee.Buy another one later on if you feel you want one,prices are dropping even as we wait....

removed account4 · Oct 25, 2013

chris

sell it and enjoy the "stuff" you get with the $$$.
if you decide in a month or week or year that
you want to shoot 6x6/hassy again i am sure
you won't have any trouble finding another one.

the trick is to find someone who wants to buy it
at the price you want to ask ... not getting another

have fun with your new glass !
john

ParkerSmithPhoto · Oct 25, 2013

I shoot Bronica SQ and my 35mm and 4x5 almost never get touched. There's a camera for everyone and it looks like yours is 35mm. You can always buy another Hassy.

Thomas Bertilsson · Oct 25, 2013

I think you should enjoy photography as the foremost goal, unless you are trying to make a living off of it, in which case we all have to do things we don't enjoy, but rather must do. Think about what you enjoy, and think about what results you need. Make a pro/con analysis of the situation, and see where you end up.

I've been toying with the idea of having only one 35mm camera, which I probably should do. But then I pick up the Hasselblad and use it, and fall in love with it again. And again. And again.
If you don't love your camera, then what's the point in keeping it?

mweintraub · Oct 25, 2013

My problem with my 35mm sized gear is that I'm unhappy with the quality of the glass I have. So my recommendation if you sell the Hassleblad is get good glass for the small format. I just rented the 24-70mm again and I'm, again, in awe of the quality of that lens.

(of course, I have no clue what you have.)

Fixcinater · Oct 25, 2013

I heard a quote from one of the experts they bring into hoarder's homes to help them de-clutter. Three rules or categories that stuff must fall under in order to keep it:

Absolutely need it (fork and knife, dinner plate, teapot)
Definitely use it. (Car, clothing : dump the stuff you don't use even if it cost you a lot of money to acquire)
Completely in love with it. (Camera that just sits there but you are so in love with it that you don't even need to use it to feel good about it)

Clean it up, get a good price for the Hassy, get the glass, don't look back. Good gear is easy to move.

Too old to care · Oct 25, 2013

I would sell it too if I did not use it. However, my problem is I don't take my own advice. Been thinking about selling my 501 or C330 too, but if I do I know I will just buy another one.

mr rusty · Oct 25, 2013

If it's no help at all, I always in the past eventually regretted selling stuff, so now I don't. I still buy stuff though.

mweintraub · Oct 25, 2013

I only regret selling one thing. I got a great deal on a Nikon 105mm 1.8. I sold it when I had DX because it was just way too long. I'm FF now and wish I still had it.

My selling of stuff usually stems from wanting new gear. I'm in the process of selling some lenses that I don't use much but kept because I could use it... someday.

cliveh · Oct 25, 2013

A Hassey is a classic camera and one day you may use it again. I have about 7 cameras I never use and sometimes think about selling, but when I pick them up, wind on, fire the shutter and generally engage with them in introspective activity, I put them away again - JUST IN CASE.

Tom1956 · Oct 25, 2013

I have a new policy--don't own more cameras than you can keep the shutters accurate on. Without that, may as well be shooting on an Instamatic.

NB23 · Oct 25, 2013

The hasselblad curse: you reallllly need one when you don't own one!

ChristopherCoy · Oct 25, 2013

Hmmmmm..... I slept on it, and still don't know what I'll do yet.

RalphLambrecht · Oct 25, 2013

there is one simple rule to horting stuff:
keep what you need and love.

I love it all. don't sell the Hassy.You'll never forgive yourself. how many lenses does one need for any camera? I figure three.one short,one normal and ons slightly long.the long being about 2xf of the short. works for me with Nikon ,Hassy and LF.

cliveh · Oct 25, 2013

RalphLambrecht said:
how many lenses does one need for any camera? I figure three.one short,one normal and ons slightly long.the long being about 2xf of the short. works for me with Nikon ,Hassy and LF.

No, just one. Although I have 2 for the Hassey.

ChristopherCoy · Oct 25, 2013

I can't afford the 2nd for the Hassy....

Thomas Bertilsson · Oct 25, 2013

ChristopherCoy said:
Hmmmmm..... I slept on it, and still don't know what I'll do yet.

Doesn't really seem like we're helping you out, then.

Take pictures of the Hasselblad, and pack it up as if you're selling it. Pack it up really well, to the point that you will not want to unpack it again.

Then live with it like that for a while and see if you can do completely without it. If you don't miss it and leave the box alone without even thinking about unpacking it - get rid of it.
If you have inclinations to open up the box and use the camera, there is obviously a need for you to keep it.

I'm currently on a mission where I'm using up all of my medium format film, and won't use any other camera until I do. That means that I have two Pentax SLRs, one Leica M, a Canon EOS3, and a few gadget cameras sitting there on the shelf, staring at me... It's mighty tempting to grab one of them for fun, but I've promised myself not to do it. It's so that I will have a good excuse to send the camera, lenses, and backs out for CLA and much needed repair, but I need there to be no film left before I do, or I will want to keep using it the Hasselblad.

Maybe that's something you can do - limit yourself to one format for a while and just don't look the other way? Either use the Hasselblad exclusively, or 35mm exclusively, and see how much you 'miss' the other format when you do.

Sorry if any of my notes are redundant and making it more complicated for you.

SafetyBob · Oct 25, 2013

Chris.....oh do I feel your pain and indecision. I have way to much crap sitting around here that I need to sell. I have two cameras I will not sell....my Mamiya Press camera and my Yashica 124G. I haven't picked up either of those cameras in over a year...yes, that is sad.

I love the idea of 35mm slides since I got an old Kodak project years ago and go ahead and ask me when the last time THAT came out of the storage case.....yup, that long ago. Enough of me.....

Dump the Hassy. Sure, I know it is a wonderful camera but isn't the 503 even better? I can't remember what the new model is, but with it you should be able to do film along with that "d" word we don't much mention here. I am thinking 5 years out from now they might be reasonable??

I am so much with you that good lenses for your F100 (I would use my F4S or F5 instead) and DSLR would be a tremendous idea. Best of both worlds at your hands.....how could you loose? I will grab a 35mm camera and run out the door in a second....not so with ANY other camera I have......let's maximize your photographic capabilities and opportunities!! Keep 35mm centered....I know bigger is better, but not if you can't or don't pull it out and us it.

Pat yourself on the back.....you can check the "I have owned a Hassy" box in life, now go make some great photos on that "other" equipment you have!! Exactly what lens are you thinking about? I know I NEED the 2.8 80-200 REALLY BAD.....and I mean BAD!!!!

Bob E.

ChristopherCoy · Oct 25, 2013

Lol. I like your enthusiasm Bob.

MattKing · Oct 25, 2013

I would be way less likely to prefer my medium format cameras if I didn't do my own prints and project my own slides.

So if I was faced by this sort of situation, I would be looking at how much darkroom work I expected to be able to do in the near future, before I came to a conclusion.

ChristopherCoy · Oct 25, 2013

I haven't seen the red light since March...

To sell the Hassy, or not?

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