Which Hasselblad wide angle lens for ~$400

Jeff Bannow · Jun 11, 2009

I've got a Hasselblad 500c with a 80mm lens. Not sure which wide angle to get. On 4x5, I've gotten a lot of use out of my 65mm.

If you had a $300-$400 budget, what would you get? I'm leaning towards a 50mm due to the squareness of the format.

Andrew Moxom · Jun 11, 2009

Jeff, I have a 50 CFi and used to have a 50mm C lens... I think it's the ideal wide angle for the 6x6. That said, a 40 would be nice, but I don't like the wicked distortion and significant extra weight that lens can give. If I had the dough, I'd get a Super Wide with the 38mm Biogon. It has the least distortion, and a proven performer.

Just out of curiosity, what 50 are you looking at? The C lenses are great, but only the later ones have the T* coating. Mine was a pre- T* lens and worked well for B&W, but was a little soft at the edges until you stopped down beyond f5.6. That said, it certaintly had the old look to the pictures. I now have the CFi and it is superb with the floating lens elements, but again had a huge price swing compared to the C and CT lenses. YMMV.

If you get a C or CT lens, make sure the shutter has had a CLA or send it out for one. Parts are no longer made by Blad and can be hard to come by, so making sure it works right off the bat is a good plan. Then if exercised regularly, should give many more years service.

Jeff Bannow · Jun 11, 2009

Thanks Andrew for the info - that definitely helps.

I'm looking at maybe a 50mm C due to the price, at least for now. KEH has a C T* for $400, which seems decent. I'd prefer a CF to match my 80mm though.

superloaf · Jun 11, 2009

yeah, make sure you get the T* although i have an 80mm C T* and the multicoating isn't that great. my 50mm CF FLE is light years better. also my C shutter has since gone bad although i admit it's been a long time since servicing. i guess the later shutters are better. i think you'd be much happier spending a little more for the CF. you can get one for 500-600 on ebay which is a steal for these lenses. oh, how prices have fallen!

good luck! you'll love the 50. it seems much wider than you'd expect by going from the comparison to a 35mm format. i wanted a 40 but they were way too much so the 50 was the only option. i thought i would always be wanting wider but have not found that to be the case.

of course, now that prices have fallen, maybe a 40 might be nice ....

Sirius Glass · Jun 12, 2009

The 50mm lens is the right one for you.

The 40mm is too heavy, expensive, and has some distortion. I do not think you will get the use out of a 40mm lens.
The 60 mm lens is too close to the 80mm lens and you will not only not have what you want for a wide angle lens, but also you will end up not using it enough. If you had a 100mm lens, then you might consider the 60mm.

I have the 38mm [903 SWC], the 50mm, the 80mm, the 150mm and the 250mm. I just got the 38mm, and up to this point the amount of usage has been 80, 50, 250m, 150.

Steve

JRJacobs · Jun 12, 2009

I don't understand the obsession with the *T coating, myself. I find I prefer the C lens over the C *T - it is slightly less contrasty and I get better tonal range as a result. Use the hood with it and flare will not be a problem. I used to own the *t version and did not care for it as much. Other than the coatings, the C and C*T lenses are the same design. The CF is also the same lens as the C*T, but with a different shutter. The only one with a different lens design is the floating lens element current lens - which everyone says is great, but I have never tried. I personally don't worry about it too much though, as I am very happy with the regualr Distagon.

Sirius Glass · Jun 12, 2009

JRJacobs,

The C lenses may or may not have the multilayer T* coating, but they still have coatings. The C lens are more susceptible to flare than the CF lens. Another concern about the C lenses is that the parts for the shutters are disappearing and repairs are becoming hard to make.

On other things to consider is that the 80mm lens probably uses a B60 filter. The some [all?] C lenses use a B50 filter. Having two filter sizes is expensive and inconvenient.

The OP did not ask about C versus CF lenses. He asked about focal lengths.

Steve

Thomas Wilson · Jun 12, 2009

Sirius Glass said:
JRJacobs,

The C lenses may or may not have the multilayer T* coating, but they still have coatings. The C lens are more susceptible to flare than the CF lens. Another concern about the C lenses is that the parts for the shutters are disappearing and repairs are becoming hard to make.

On other things to consider is that the 80mm lens probably uses a B60 filter. The some [all?] C lenses use a B50 filter. Having two filter sizes is expensive and inconvenient.

The OP did not ask about C versus CF lenses. He asked about focal lengths.

Steve

I can't agree more with Steve's point about the B50 & B60 filter sizes. I just retired a perfectly good 150 C for a CF just for this reason. Going back & forth with step-up/down rings, additional lens caps, vignette issues, etc. was awful.

I like the 50 CF, would love to have the 40 CF, and would give my left %#@ for the 30. But for now, I'll make do with what I have.

Q.G. · Jun 12, 2009

Andrew Moxom said:
Jeff, I have a 50 CFi and used to have a 50mm C lens... I think it's the ideal wide angle for the 6x6. That said, a 40 would be nice, but I don't like the wicked distortion and significant extra weight that lens can give.

The distortion the 40 mm FLE (non-IF) gives is no worse than that of the 50 mm.

Jeff Bannow · Jun 12, 2009

It looks like the 50mm is the way to go for now. If I go with the 50mm CF it uses the same filter size as my 80mm CF? I would need a different lens hood though, right?

Willie Jan · Jun 12, 2009

I sold my 80 and bought a 60.
On trips I found out that the 80 was often to long for me when i stood at the back of the wall.

With the 60 I force myself to crop the scene to the most important part.
besides that i use the 120 macro and the 250 and have a vivitar 2x converter which does a pretty good job on the 250 i found out. I did not expect this quality from it. They are a bargain around 100 dollar.

But it's just what you are going to do with it....
For landscape (wide) I use my 4x5, not the hassy.

TheFlyingCamera · Jun 12, 2009

Yes, you will need a different lens hood for the 50 - it's almost not worth the bother, it's so shallow. I had a CF 50, no FLE, and I got amazing results out of it. I traded all of my hassy stuff in for a 5x12 Canham since I wasn't using my medium format very much. If I recall correctly, the 50 C takes some other size filter, not a b50 or b60, but the 50 CF takes the same b60 filter that the 80 does. I know the 40 C and CF lenses take some humongous 93mm filter or something.

Jeff Bannow · Jun 12, 2009

Wow - the 40mm must really be a monster.

Anyone know of an online resource with info on the hasselblad system? Seems there should be something out there - every other system has one, and Hassys seem to be collectible in some form.

John Koehrer · Jun 12, 2009

TheFlyingCamera said:
Yes, you will need a different lens hood for the 50 - it's almost not worth the bother, it's so shallow. I had a CF 50, no FLE, and I got amazing results out of it. I traded all of my hassy stuff in for a 5x12 Canham since I wasn't using my medium format very much. If I recall correctly, the 50 C takes some other size filter, not a b50 or b60, but the 50 CF takes the same b60 filter that the 80 does. I know the 40 C and CF lenses take some humongous 93mm filter or something.

The non-CF's use a Series 8 drop in or a 67mm screw-in filter.

Q.G. · Jun 12, 2009

TheFlyingCamera said:
Yes, you will need a different lens hood for the 50 - it's almost not worth the bother, it's so shallow.

That is because it is made for the 38 mm lens too.
You can make a better one by trimming down a hood made for the 80 mm.
With chinese made copies easily available for little money these days, a thing you really should do if you call a bayonet 60 50 mm or 60 mm lens your own.

The one for the CFi version (bayonet 70) is better.

TheFlyingCamera said:
If I recall correctly, the 50 C takes some other size filter, not a b50 or b60, but the 50 CF takes the same b60 filter that the 80 does. I know the 40 C and CF lenses take some humongous 93mm filter or something.

The C version takes Series 63 drop in filters, held in place by a screw mount retaining ring.

The 40 C version takes 104 mm filters. Hard to find.

The CF version has a two part lens hood, which takes Series 93 drop in filters (no screw mount) held in place between the two halves of the hood.
Or a 93 mm threaded filter, replacing the front half of the lens hood.

The CF version of the 40 mm, despite its front diameter, isn't a big lens at all. Very handy, easy to use.
The f/2.8 50 mm F lens, which has the same filter mount, on the other hand is a really big lens.

Q.G. · Jun 12, 2009

John Koehrer said:
The non-CF's use a Series 8 drop in or a 67mm screw-in filter.

Mind you, the thread isn't exactly the same as that of 67 mm filters. So only a partial fit my be achieved when using 67 mm filters.
And you run the risk of damaging the thread mount on the lens.
But it works.

JRJacobs · Jun 12, 2009

67mm filters have always fit just fine on my 50mm C lens without damage or misthread. I believe they are the same thread as series 8.

Q.G. · Jun 12, 2009

They are not quite the same, no.
The difference is small though.

luvcameras · Jun 12, 2009

Although a bit outdated, here is a guide to Hassy lenses

Dead Link Removed

Dan

Q.G. · Jun 12, 2009

luvcameras said:
Although a bit outdated, here is a guide to Hassy lenses

Dead Link Removed

Dan,

If you would allow me a suggestion:

If you reverse the order of CFE and CFi lenses, you would then only need to indicate that CFE lenses basically are CFi lenses with as an extra the Databus.

In the present order, it might not be quite clear that the "i"mprovements described under CFi also apply to the CFE lenses mentioned before the CFi lenses.

Datasheets of (almost) all Zeiss/Hasselblad lenses can be found here.

Jeff Bannow · Jun 15, 2009

Thanks for all the help everyone. I got a 50mm C lens in working order that should be here tomorrow, thanks to one of our APUGers. The price was right for my budget, and I'll have it in time to take up to Photostock this week.

Which Hasselblad wide angle lens for ~$400

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Which Hasselblad wide angle lens for ~$400

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