Who owns more >1 Hasselblad body and why, and when is enough "enough"?

[chuckroast]

Au contraire, I have been at this level of Nirvana for many years. That allows me to enjoy what I have at a higher spiritual level.

Nerdvana

 

[MattKing]

Au contraire, I have been at this level of Nirvana for many years. That allows me to enjoy what I have at a higher spiritual level.

Clearly, the best response to this is "nevermind".

 

[David R Williams]

501CM and SWC, both chrome, the latter pre-T*.

Lovely mechanical photo tools, each of them, but that's enough for me.

 

[RezaLoghme]

Great, one quite special vintage model, and the latest model. Only a 555ELD is missing!

 

[David R Williams]

501CM and SWC, both chrome, the latter pre-T*.

Lovely mechanical photo tools, each of them, but that's enough for me.

Oops - 3 again after rebuying a Flexbody.

Tilts are great!

 

[Arthurwg]

Two. When I travel both hold the same film each with a different focal length lens. Never a chance of confusion as to different iso or film type

Yes, this confusion happened to me. Very unhappy about it at the time.

 

[john_s]

I also own 0, however I find that to be too few. I just haven't the funds to change it at the moment. I do own two Rollei SL66 cameras though. I bought one as a parts camera, but my repair man fixed both of them to good working order.

No Hasselblads here either, but I did take the opportunity to get a couple of backup SL66 bodies in case repairs became even more problematic. No problems with any of them. That reminds me, they need a workout,

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I don't own one, but I've always wanted to. Saving up!

 

[chuckroast]

I don't own one, but I've always wanted to. Saving up!

As a long time 'blad user and owner, two recommendations:

• Get a 500 C/M or 501 C/M and make sure it either has or you can find an Acumatte screen. These days, the screens cost almost as much as the bodies, but they're worth it.
  
  
• Unless have a very specific use in mind, I consider the 60mm f/3.5 Distagon the best all around lens they ever sold (and I have owned and used many of their lenses - pretty much everything from 40mm to 250mm). I personally would avoid the C lenses and hold out for the CF T* only because these are newer and there is a greater probability of finding parts for repair if they need it. That said, if you find a clean C T* (not just a C), I wouldn't hesitate if the shutter, iris, and optics are clean.
  
  

It's kinda like Leica. Once you go down this rabbit hole ....

 

[Arthurwg]

I admit I would also like a Flexbody, but not easy to find a really complete kit.

Unless have a very specific use in mind, I consider the 60mm f/3.5 Distagon the best all around lens they ever sold (and I have owned and used many of their lenses - pretty much everything from 40mm to 250mm). I

Agree completely.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

As a long time 'blad user and owner, two recommendations:

• Get a 500 C/M or 501 C/M and make sure it either has or you can find an Acumatte screen. These days, the screens cost almost as much as the bodies, but they're worth it.
  
  
• Unless have a very specific use in mind, I consider the 60mm f/3.5 Distagon the best all around lens they ever sold (and I have owned and used many of their lenses - pretty much everything from 40mm to 250mm). I personally would avoid the C lenses and hold out for the CF T* only because these are newer and there is a greater probability of finding parts for repair if they need it. That said, if you find a clean C T* (not just a C), I wouldn't hesitate if the shutter, iris, and optics are clean.
  

It's kinda like Leica. Once you go down this rabbit hole ....

Thank you chuckroast! Greatly appreciated! I need to do about 15 days of work to get me there...

 

[chuckroast]

Thank you chuckroast! Greatly appreciated! I need to do about 15 days of work to get me there...

Just never forget Rule #1:

Never attempt to mount or unmount a Hassy lens unless both body and lens are cocked.

Doing otherwise will damage things in very bad ways...

 

[John Wiegerink]

I've been thinking about upgrading my "all" manual 500C to either the 501CM or one of the 503 series, but my old 1968 (same years I finished high school) 500C is still chugging along just fine. I thought long and hard before I shelled out the pocket change to buy a 553ELX, but it was one of the best buys I've had in a while. Just love being able to use AA batteries in it and all my other Hassy accessories on it too. In fact I just might forgo the 501 or 503 and move up to a real late 555ELD in case I want a V dig back.

 

[aoresteen]

I have 2 500C, 2 2000FC/M, and a SWC. I just bought the 2nd 500C. The 1st 500C has a Maxwell screen in, the newer 500C will have an Olson BrightScreen in it.

I took the 500C on a trip recently with the 80 & 50 and found out that I rarely used the 50 as it took too much time to swap lenses. With a 2nd body it wold be much faster. Also had the SWC with me.

The 2nd 2000FC/M is just a spare as parts are impossible to find.

 

[RezaLoghme]

In hinsight a late 500CM (without the 501 hype) is probably the GOAT V body. I should have never bothered with a granddad 500C in the first place.

 

[M. Axel Wikstrom]

Two - 500c/m and SWC/M, because they do different things.

No need for any others like the flex body - plenty of view cameras for that, which give superior results.

 

[loccdor]

I have never held a Hasselblad. Maybe not even seen one in person.

But, I do have a camera strap that says Hasselblad on it. That was in my price range.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Who owns more >1 Hasselblad body and why, and when is enough "enough"?

3 one with the 80, one with the 150 and one with the 180. In the studio it's faster to swap the film back than to swap a lens. It's a luxury I could afford because the 2nd and 3rd bodies were deals I couldn't resist.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I have never held a Hasselblad. Maybe not even seen one in person.

But, I do have a camera strap that says Hasselblad on it. That was in my price range.

You don'rt know whart uyou are missing burt rthe srtrap is a srtarrt. One day.....

 

[bags27]

Just never forget Rule #1:

Never attempt to mount or unmount a Hassy lens unless both body and lens are cocked.

Doing otherwise will damage things in very bad ways...

I know that I shouldn't say this, because the god Victor will strike me low for hubris....But I've tried to do so without the lens cocked. It didn't work and, when I realized why, I just recocked it. No harm, no foul. How and when do the "very bad ways" happen?

 

[Don_ih]

How and when do the "very bad ways" happen?

While it is difficult to remove the uncocked lens, if you gave it a particularly hard twist, it would likely break either the lens or the camera or both. Most likely would be breaking the part at the back of the lens.

But you'd have to really wrench it.

 

[Arthurwg]

Keep the camera cocked at all times.

 

[RezaLoghme]

3 bodies need 3 CLAs....in hindsight I should have put all my babying into one camera, not 3.

 

[Scott Micciche]

500 c/m (CLA in Los Angeles 2 years ago, it's flawless)
2000 fc/m (Recently CLA in Thailand, the body was given to me)


I leave no body or lens cocked.

 

[Hassasin]

• It was a great engineering feat to make a camera which by design can jam. Then just blame it on user error.
• Hasselblad would have received an Oscar each and every year, if there was one given for servicing requirements in order to keep the thing humming along
• I caught H bug with SWC purchase, Had I first owned a 500, I'd likely never gone beyond.
• Anyone who thinks Flexbody is not worth owning must have never used one.
• Motorised bodies are the most underrated 500 variety. It's the only 500 that gives off a sound of real camera.
•