Favourite medium format?......

[chris_livsey]

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Very nice Chris Which back do you have on the V?

 

Phase One P20 (not the + version) so it is square but has the crop, the H has a P45+ in addition to several film backs ( they are so inexpensive I succumb to temptation less than a decent A12) the H of course can take all the V lenses and as you see the C as well with focus confirmation and metering to boot. 

[philipus]

I have never tried a focusing lever. That might help if I decide to keep the 50 C. Thank you.

 

Have you had the opportunity to try one of Hasselblad's focusing levers? (photo by Brad Farwell, 9/22/06)

 

I use one on an M9, too.

 

 

Yes, it helps to use the mirror pre-release so that all you hear is the shutter.

(The release is at 7 o'clock below the advance knob.)

 

I have the Hasselblad 2XE, which has the electronic contacts for use on FE lenses. There are other extenders (Vivitar among others, I believe) which do not have electronic contacts and which also do not result in any meaninful degradation of image quality. The PC Mutar's magnification of 1.4x enlarges the image circle which in turn enables the vertical shift, up to 16mm. The PC Mutar doesn't have electronic contacts though, but in practice stop down metering isn't that much of a hassle.

 

Well, said, Philip.  I am not saying that the Texas Leicas etc are not good, I am just saying that they don't produce sublime images.  And for me in this film size that's what it all about.

 

Which 2x extender do you have.  Is that the thing that makes the focal length longer (in which they also make one in 1.4x)??

[pico]

philipus, to take the lens+extender off please be careful to remove the lens from the extender, then remove the extender from the body lest you get a jam that is hard to deal with.

 

I am skeptical of tele-extenders and coincidentally I am trying a high-class 1.5 extender on my 500mm Tele-Tessar. My expectations are modest. Sand bags, got 'em, stout tripod, check, wind blocker, my truck.

 

Good luck, my man!

[philipus]

Thank you for the reminder, this is really quite important. Only the other day I stopped just a split second before twisting off the extender from the body lens attached...

 

I've used a 2x extender a lot with my EF 200/2.8 and don't really see much of a difference. I'm sure there is, though, but perhaps it is mainly visible in testing as opposed to in real-world shooting? I have used the 2XE a bit with my 350/4 FE and I agree with the sandbags, bolting the lens to the ground etc. It becomes very susceptible to shake. I even added the PC Mutar to get a total of 980mm. That didn't work too well...

 

br

Philip

 

philipus, to take the lens+extender off please be careful to remove the lens from the extender, then remove the extender from the body lest you get a jam that is hard to deal with.

 

I am skeptical of tele-extenders and coincidentally I am trying a high-class 1.5 extender on my 500mm Tele-Tessar. My expectations are modest. Sand bags, got 'em, stout tripod, check, wind blocker, my truck.

 

Good luck, my man!

[pico]

I look forward to any outcomes you wish to share.

Good luck!

 

I've been discouraged because of a lot of rainy days and fog here, but my eyes are wide open and the camera is packed in the truck. Oh, and I found an excellent orange filter for the 500mm! I should post an image of the 45° angle prism with the flip-up magnifier. For this olde pharte it saves the day.

.

[EoinC]

...I should post an image of the 45° angle prism with the flip-up magnifier...

Please do, Pico.

[philipus]

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I hope the weather improves. A bit the same here in NL. Not really "summer".

I've never seen one of those magnifiers. Does it fit all 45 degree prisms? I'm going to get a PM5 at some point.

 

Ok so here are two test shots with the with the 350/4 FE and the 2XE. The focus throw on the lens is veeery long so accurate focus is a bit of a challenge esp with subjects so far away. Plus the 2XE makes it more difficult too to see.

 

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On this one I also added the PC Mutar. 

 

 

I look forward to any outcomes you wish to share.

Good luck!

 

I've been discouraged because of a lot of rainy days and fog here, but my eyes are wide open and the camera is packed in the truck. Oh, and I found an excellent orange filter for the 500mm! I should post an image of the 45° angle prism with the flip-up magnifier. For this olde pharte it saves the day.

.

 

[SilentShutter]

Medium format variety is the spice of life!  

 

In this case it seems like most Leica owners prefer a Hassi over any othe brand ?

[250swb]

In this case it seems like most Leica owners prefer a Hassi over any othe brand ?

 

No, the universal rule is that most Leica owners prefer whichever is the most expensive over any other brand.

[adan]

It's interesting - back in the heyday (1960-2000), U.S. pro photographers favored Hassy - Europeans pros favored the Rollei 66/SLX/6000 SLR systems (same Zeiss lens designs in many cases). I know my Leica rep sold, and preferred, the Rolleis (no bias there ).

 

Hassys (outside of the digitals) are: actually rather cheap these days (if you stick with the 500C/M bodies and C lenses), non-battery-dependent (unlike the later Rolleis), and in pretty good supply. A Mamiya 7 + 80mm usually costs more than a 500C/M + 80mm, and my antique Agfa sometimes (as someone pointed out above) costs as much as a 500C/M-80mm combo.

 

I've always preferred the idea of a really compact direct-viewfinder 6x6 (Mamiya 6, SWC, Zeiss or whatever folder - but not 6x7/6x9: if I want rectangles, I use my M10) - and only took my "fling" with SLR Hassies because they were relatively easy to come across, and cheapish. I used a Yashica D way back when, but in coming back to MF after 40 years, I just can't get my head around reversed viewing anymore, at least for faster work. Nor the weight of a prism - thus my excitement in finding the Super-Isolette.

 

Like a Leica, it can't do everything (macro or telephoto) - but it can do what I want.

 

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[plasticman]

I bought two Hasselblads 501cm's in the first flush of my film enthusiasm four/five years ago. I was so pleased with the first one (a perfectly functional used camera) that I then bought a new-in-box kit with new lens and A12 back for a hefty price. It took me a while to realize that I actually didn't like using the camera, and preferred pretty much all my other MF setups: the Mamiya 6 was better for landscapes, the Mamiya645 together with the 80mm f1,9 was better for portraits, and most surprising of all, the Arax 60 with it's overlapping frames and myriad other faults just had more character. 

 

I also hated the clunky feeling shutters, and the fussiness of lens-changing. 

 

So I sold it over on RFF for about half what I'd paid for it: a price that overflowed my inbox with offers within half a day (so demand appears to be as strong as ever).

 

Here's an example of the flawed output from the Arax - just a screenshot of a PDF with some summer images I have on my laptop (which I see is further compressed by the forum upload process) - but it gives a rough idea (including an unintentional scanning fault). The Arax is an ugly and clumsy beast, but I do love it. Never felt that way about the Hasselblad.

 

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_{(replaced the image with a slightly better size)}

[SilentShutter]

Is your Arrax a copy of the Hasselblad 1000f or the Pentacon MF ? 

[honcho]

 

I bought two Hasselblads 501cm's in the first flush of my film enthusiasm four/five years ago. I was so pleased with the first one (a perfectly functional used camera) that I then bought a new-in-box kit with new lens and A12 back for a hefty price. It took me a while to realize that I actually didn't like using the camera, and preferred pretty much all my other MF setups: the Mamiya 6 was better for landscapes, the Mamiya645 together with the 80mm f1,9 was better for portraits, and most surprising of all, the Arax 60 with it's overlapping frames and myriad other faults just had more character. 

 

I also hated the clunky feeling shutters, and the fussiness of lens-changing. 

 

So I sold it over on RFF for about half what I'd paid for it: a price that overflowed my inbox with offers within half a day (so demand appears to be as strong as ever).

 

Here's an example of the flawed output from the Arax - just a screenshot of a PDF with some summer images I have on my laptop (which I see is further compressed by the forum upload process) - but it gives a rough idea (including an unintentional scanning fault). The Arax is an ugly and clumsy beast, but I do love it. Never felt that way about the Hasselblad.

 

Screen-Shot-smaller.jpg

 

_{(replaced the image with a slightly better size)}

 

Bold statements of ultimate perfection are never proven and those that make them are always deluded.  So many of those who waste their time in pursuit of their own opinions lose sight of the fact that photography should be enjoyable, even fun, and it isn't a recent loss.  Ranting at the world for not taking you seriously is more of a personality flaw than a lens or film aberration.

 

I like what your Arax does.  Many would pay good money for odd plastic stuff that doesn't do it half as well.

[SilentShutter]

Hmm don´t know. My first medium format camera was a Pentacon Six with a Carl Zeiss Tessar 2,8/80.

Handy camera but the overlapping of the captured pictures sometimes ruined me some nice shots !

 

So I sold it and saved some money till I could afford a Mamiya RB67 which worked perfectly from the start till now.

 

The Hasselblad was just a option after all "amateurs" went digital and get rid of their "old toys" for less money. 

[honcho]

Hmm don´t know. My first medium format camera was a Pentacon Six with a Carl Zeiss Tessar 2,8/80.

Handy camera but the overlapping of the captured pictures sometimes ruined me some nice shots !

 

So I sold it and saved some money till I could afford a Mamiya RB67 which worked perfectly from the start till now.

 

The Hasselblad was just a option after all "amateurs" went digital and get rid of their "old toys" for less money. 

Your chronological order is skewed.

 

Hasselblads, Mamiyas, Bronicas, Rolleis et al were got rid of almost en masse by professionals who changed to digital cameras between 1999 and 2004, long before most amateurs did.  For a while, the mass ditching of film camera equipment of all formats led to the collapse of used prices and amateurs suddenly found themselves in a situation where they could easily afford equipment that was previously beyond their consideration.  This buying frenzy in turn led to price rises with some used film equipment.  The Hasselblad SWC series and Rollei tlr cameras are examples and have now found a cult following with correspondingly silly prices being asked and paid.

 

Some professional photographers never completely let go of film (me, for one) and others, along with many amateurs who have never previously used film, are returning to film once again.

[plasticman]

Is your Arrax a copy of the Hasselblad 1000f or the Pentacon MF ? 

Haha - am I supposed to care?

My expertise beyond the cameras I've actually tried myself is pretty much null - but I think the Arax60 is a Pentacon 6 copy fwiw. If you don't mind some unpredictable excitement in your life, it's a great camera.

[EoinC]

...Some professional photographers never completely let go of film...

...and some amateurs, too.

[honcho]

...and some amateurs, too.

Of course.

[SilentShutter]

For professional work film has no meaning any more - we all have changed to digital 25 years ago because customers wanted !

 

Most Leica and Hasselblad cameras are owned by "amateurs" and not by people who have to earn their money with it.......

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[A miller]

...and some amateurs, too.

Seems like a fallacious statement for those "professional" (ie, do it to make a living) photographers who shoot exclusively digital for professional purposes and film for personal pleasure purposes and the one off side gigs.