which Hasselblad kit would you buy?

David Hatton · Sep 14, 2011

If you wished to buy a Hasselblad setup which body/lenses would you buy. I know nothing about Hasselblad or the myriad of lenses so what's good and what's not. I photograph everything...

BradleyK · Sep 14, 2011

I started my Hasselblad family with a 500c/m body, 2-A12 backs, and 50mm, 80mm, and 180mm CFT* lenses. Later, over the course of several years, I added: a second 500c/m body, 4-12 backs, an assortment of B60 filters, and 60mm, 100mm, 120mm Makro, 150mm and 250mm CFT* lenses. I, too, photograph a wide assortment of subject matter in a wide variety of climatic conditions. As with my Nikons, I have yet to experience any equipment issues. The wide range of glass? I shoot only three films, E100G, E100VS, and, my favorite, Ilford PanF, and I NEVER, NEVER, NEVER , NEVER crop. My neg holders are filed to the edges as evidence of the fact (To me, cropping, for the most part, seems dishonest, something that should only be done if the photographer is somehow physically restrained from framing the image exactly as he/she would prefer to do!).

chung · Sep 14, 2011

If you can afford 503CW would be very nice.
You can add metering prism later and you can use Metz flash for TTL.
I would start with a standard lens 80mm at the beginning.

agfarapid · Sep 14, 2011

Depends on how much you wish to spend. I got my kit, a 500c, 80 Planar & A12 Back, all in good condition, for about $700 on e bay. If you want a good condition late model 500 C/M or 503, plan to spend a good deal more. Suggestion: start at the low end of the $$ scale and work your way up as your needs change and you adapt to this system.

Colin Corneau · Sep 14, 2011

This question is so vague as to be totally pointless.

What do you want to do? What do you like to photograph? What is your definition of "good"? What is your price range? Have you shot MF before?

Research, be specific, and you'll find your answers.

segedi · Sep 14, 2011

Here's what I ended up with:
503CW
80mm CF (CLA'd by David Odess) - Great general purpose lens
150mm CF - great focal length for portraits, 180mm might be better, but I'm very happy with this, especially when paired with the 16mm extension tube.
two A-12 backs (one purchased as new old stock and CLA'd by David Odess)
one A-24 back
CW winder/grip
PME45 metered finder
Waist level finder
Arca style baseplate
8mm and 16mm extension tubes (great for closeup work and even headshots)

It's a great kit, and an expensive investment. It would take $5000+ to wrench it out of my grasp

The only thing I would add is a 40 or 50mm lens for landscapes and street. The CF lenses perfom very well, the CFE style focusing grip is a little better, but not enough to warrant the big price difference. The PME45 is really nice, probably not as nice is what I paid for it, but I like that it flips the view to make it work more like a 35mm slr and the metering is pretty accurate.

David Hatton · Sep 14, 2011

Colin Corneau said:
This question is so vague as to be totally pointless.

Although not as pointless as your response.

David Hatton · Sep 14, 2011

Thanks for your replies gentlemen, they give me some ideas as to what to look for. I have a limited budget so maybe 500 c/m body and 3 good lenses, maybe 50, 80 and 180mm. Are there any sleepers or are all the lenses of similar quality? They seem a little slow at f4 compared with some pentax 67 lenses of similar focal length.

marco.taje · Sep 14, 2011

David, you answered harshly to a harsh point made to you, which in turn was absolutely not out of place: by specifying your areas of interest, at least, you might get more useful opinions. For example, you say you have a limited budget, but buying three lenses at once does not sound to me as very wise. Yet, despite being a Blad user, I can't give you good tips for restricting you choice, unless aware of what you usually shoot..

Colin Corneau · Sep 14, 2011

David Hatton said:
Although not as pointless as your response.

Thanks, troll.

However, it's pointless to offer help unless there's focus. (no pun intended) Many different types of shooting, many levels of budgets. Hasselblads offer lots of choice.

Unless you like driving blindfolded...to each their own.

vpwphoto · Sep 14, 2011

THere will be many opinions and mine will be cheapest and full of value!
You don't need a meter prism, or in camera flash meter chip.. I found it didn't work well anyway.
500cm or best more advanced body you can find. STAY AWAY from 2000 series unless it is free!!
2 lens kit... 50 or 60 and a 100mm
3 lens kit.... 50, 80, and 150.
If you want to do portraits buy a 120 or 150 first... nothing wrong with the 180... it's just more expensive and won't work in a smaller studio/room.
#s matching only backs.
Look out for signs of a lot of back changing on the rear film gate of the body, lots of knicks-lot's of use.
If the camera looks used IT IS VERY USED.
I find Hasselblads age well.... as in they hide a hard life pretty well (chrome bodies).
You ask about sleepers... there are none. The 80 is not as "bad" as people that own 100's will make you think although the 100's can be VERY good. There shouldn't be a bad blad lens unless it was repaired or abused and is out of calibration/center optically. Some say the 60 is sharper than the 50 but the 60 isn't wide. Personally I'd stay away from the "c" lenses as they are very old and likely have had many owners. They are still expensive systems and they are for a reason.. choose the lens you need first... I often say the 100 with the 1.4 (HASSELBLAD) converter would cover a couple bases... I have the 1.4 converter and it is stellar with the 150... but you lose a stop. I could go on and on. BTW the coverter does not work with the 80!!! I hear the lens elements will crash together when you mount it and I don't want to try it even though I own both... If Hasselblad puts it in the manual I listen to it as word from the mount.
Cheers.

David Hatton · Sep 15, 2011

This is exactly the type of reply I wanted to see. Many thanks for that. There are so many different options available for these cameras and lenses as to be confusing to the hasselblad novice. Thanks again.

thegman · Sep 15, 2011

I think if you've got the money, and you plan on sticking around on Hasselblad, get a reasonably modern one which takes the CF lenses. You'll get more modern lenses and the low-shake of a leaf shutter in the lens.

Of course, any one of them will do the job just great, although if I were you, get one lens to start with, and see if you want to go wider or longer, or whatever.

vpwphoto · Sep 15, 2011

Also that Bradley guy speaks of owning a second body... WHY!?!? You can change backs, and I never cary two out in the field.. sure on a commercial job I used to like to have two..... BUT when a Hasselblad craps out it is usually the lens... and you can't afford two of everything. So on commercial jobs I figured if disaster struck, I would have to tell the art director we were going to have to shoot 35mm (always have a back-up kit in the trunk), that being said I NEVER had a problem with a non-motorized Hasselblad on location.... UNTIL I was in Minnesotta on assignment and my 15 year-old 150/and 500 cm jammed up and turned out just up and broke the shaft running through the 150 trying to unjam... sent it off to be fixed and it's all good again.

IF I HAD TO BUY MY KIT AGAIN>...
A SUPERWIDE (CF style), 500cm a (you always need 3 a-12's) 60cf, 100cf, 150 or 180 and the 1.4 coverter..... I have rented a 250 once or twice the 150 and coverter takes care of that reach).

THen again... all my favorite personal shot have been made with the 80.... and the 150 is perfect for everything else.

André E.C. · Sep 16, 2011

vpwphoto said:
Also that Bradley guy speaks of owning a second body... WHY!?!?

Maybe that Bradley guy has the money to own more than one body? Actually, this André guy is seriously thinking to have 2 more swedish cubes, why? Well, because he wants, and also to mount his 3 lense set, without the need to unmount the optic when a switch is required! It's confortable to reach the full set ready and fire away...

Cheers

vpwphoto · Sep 16, 2011

André E.C. said:
Maybe that Bradley guy has the money to own more than one body? Actually, this André guy is seriously thinking to have 2 more swedish cubes, why? Well, because he wants, and also to mount his 3 lense set, without the need to unmount the optic when a switch is required! It's confortable to reach the full set ready and fire away...

Cheers

The bodies are cheap anyway.

BradleyK · Sep 16, 2011

Actually that "Bradley Guy" owns two bodies because he is an avid outdoorsman. And, accordingly, he spends a lot of his spare time in the more remote regions of Jasper and Banff National parks. Although it has yet to happen - the law of averages suggest that it eventually will - he has yet to experience any equipment failure. My thinking is that "Bradley Guy" does not want to be caught short, and miss a once in a lifetime shot simply because of equipment issues and being two days' hike from
"civilization." That's just my guess though...:munch: Oh, and by the way, at less than $500.00 a pop for an Ex+ 500c/m, KEH is almost giving them away!

Jeremy · Sep 16, 2011

2000 fc/w with 110 f/2 planar and 2 A12 backs :-D

thegman · Sep 16, 2011

Bodies are cheap, and it does not matter how reliable they are if they get stolen, dropped off a cliff, lost etc.

wblynch · Sep 16, 2011

thegman said:
Bodies are cheap, and it does not matter how reliable they are if they get stolen, dropped off a cliff, lost etc.

Don't they usually take a lens, back and finder with them?

Better have two of everything then !!

BradleyK · Sep 16, 2011

wblynch said:
Don't they usually take a lens, back and finder with them?

Better have two of everything then !!

If your lens or back pooches out, you have, within limits, other options (Gawd forbid you should have to burn a few extra calories and move your position); however, if the camera body itself decides to give up the ghost...well...:confused:

vpwphoto · Sep 16, 2011

Let's not get all angry... I was making the point to the OP that feeling the need for two bodies is premature and not as important as lens selection and an extra back. I don't venture two days into the backwoods, and I suppose I might have 2 bodies in that case, I hiked the Rockies last year and I pared my system down to a 50mm, 80mm extension tube, 500cm, 2 a-12s and a D300 and do-it-all zoom, and tripod... and I was beat hauling that with water in a backpack.

wblynch · Sep 16, 2011

Well I'm not angry. I believe in redundancy/failover. (I have 5 OM1's for example... just in case !!)

aluncrockford · Sep 16, 2011

A 500 cm body a 45 degree prism 80, 40 and macro 120 and a couple of backs and that's all you need I would also look at C lenses they are optically fine and spending extra money on CFI OR CF lenses will not give you significantly better results

BradleyK · Sep 16, 2011

vpwphoto said:
Let's not get all angry... I was making the point to the OP that feeling the need for two bodies is premature and not as important as lens selection and an extra back. I don't venture two days into the backwoods, and I suppose I might have 2 bodies in that case, I hiked the Rockies last year and I pared my system down to a 50mm, 80mm extension tube, 500cm, 2 a-12s and a D300 and do-it-all zoom, and tripod... and I was beat hauling that with water in a backpack.

I knew there had to be a reason - other than simple vanity - that I spend six-or-so hours a week in the gym: SuperCameraSherpa!

which Hasselblad kit would you buy?

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