Ive had my 500cm for 3 years now and I love it. Ive finally started expanding the collection by adding the newer CF lenses and looking to pick up a 503CW in the near future. You are right about the prices though it aint cheap. Great review! Will be looking out for that XPAN review when it drops.
Hi! Thanks for watching through to the end. yeah, 50x is a great system. so many lovely lenses. Film gear (and film, boo) has gotten expensive, but at least you won't lose money holding it and selling it a few years later if you get bored, at least with mechanical gear. (vs. electronic film cameras that can't be repaired or digital cameras that depreciate.)
Thank you forvthe video and review shared! I can compare Blad to Zeiss ikonta, Rolleiflex, Mamiya rb67 and Pentacon six (actually quite a fun to shoot camera with nice optics). And while hasselblad is not my favourite goto camera, and not my mostly used, but when it comes to photoshooting (I do sometimes tfp), this is usually my first pick. This camera might be not the best in every or even any category, but overally it is just so hard to beat. It offers a lot. It can do a lot. It is a reliable and precise tool. I would say this is a mefium format camera around which could be build a complete system for hobby or professional work, and it could be used for any application really. 6x6 is unnatural to human sight but it is beneficial for closeups or normal portraits. It is much easier to compose and fill the frame when you close to the subject. No need to stricktly follow the rull of thirds and think much of empty spaces in a frame.
great to hear. I do think the modularity and lens options are good as you suggested. and square works nicely for portraits - harder to compose landscapes
Hi, great video. I have been with my 2 Hasselblad 503cx cameras for around 26 years. I have T* 50, 80, 120, and 180 lenses. The 180 is a *great* portrait lens. I have a dozen or so A12 backs loaded with Tmax 100, Velvia 160, Portra 160, Rollei infrared, and my latest venture, Fujichrome 50 transparency film. The latter as a result of my getting an old Hasselblad "carousel" style slide projector. Victor Hasselblad's modular design approach was genius, back in the 1950s with the 500 series, and into the 2000s. I do not own any Hasselblad digital cameras -- way out of my price range. My latest adventure is taking stereo photographs using my two 503cx cameras mounted on a horizontal bar mounted to a tripod. In color, and also in black and white. One thing that you did not mention, with the 503cx, is the new feature of using fill flash with the cx feature of light reflected from the film emulsion, through the sensor in the camera body, and from there through a crude microprocessor with a film speed adjustment, and from there cabled into either a Hasselblad or Metz flash unit. I have the Hasselblad flash. One needs to fiddle around with the camera body ASA speed wheel to get it right, but once dialed in, fill flash is impressive. With the Metz or Hasselblad flash, the flash strength is the same, what is different is the flash duration. I have used this to great effect for outdoor portraits in full sunlight, where part of the portrait is shaded by body or trees or other features. So, for your information. If you would like to talk more on any of this, you can email me at max_rosan at yahoo dot com.
Stereo photos on medium format! Insane, love it. Honestly, have only done the most basic flash setups with this, but it is wild to hook it into my Godox trigger and use wireless flash with a 30 year old camera. Lots of respect to folks like you who’ve been using it forever - I’m just stumbling my way through with it haha.
Rosan--if you don't mind, I will send you an email to pick your brain about MF stereo, it sounds cool! All I have to do is pick up another Hassy LOL...
I used a guy in SF who may no longer be working, unfortunately, and was mostly retired when I visited him :( I think Red Dot Repair does Hasselblads so I'd probably use them nowadays.
Commenting about the sharpness of the Zeiss glass. You mention that they aren't as sharp as other lenses you've used but let me tell ya a story. I saw an ad on CL for a 503cm and two lenses and two film backs. I also own the 907x which includes a digital back that snaps onto the old Hasselblad 503cm turning it into a medium format 50-100 megapixel camera. So I brought the digital back with me when I went to look at the Hasselblad gear he had for sale. The images appeared sharp on the ground glass but looked exactly like your images when captured to the sensor or film. The problem is that there are pads of foam that sit under the mirror and it's metal frame. As the foam dissolves the mirror is no longer in the plane of focus so what you see on the ground glass is sharp but since the mirror is no longer supported by a specific thickness of foam the image is not correctly focused on the sensor or film in the holder. I got a great deal but it required sending the camera into a Hasselblad trained technician to have it fixed. He adjusted the distance of the mirror so it matched the distance to the film and now my film and digital images are sharp as a tack. Couldn't be happier. Have your camera checked for correct focus on the ground glass and I will almost 100% guarantee that you are having exactly the same issue. Or you can borrow a friend's 907x back and test it for yourself. Focus accurately on the ground glass and shoot a pic. If it isn't sharp then try focusing with the back in live view mode and then look through the mirror and see if it is sharp. You will easily be able to determine if it is the lens that's soft or a fault in the focusing path of the camera (the damper pads underneath the mirror that are either gone or have significantly disintegrated).
very interesting. i’ve also wondered about mirror slap - seems like shots are a bit sharper with lockup, but of course that’s a bit of a pain to work with unless you’re on a tripod.
nice review. I've been watching a bunch more since I am waiting for my 500cm to be delivered. I was in doubt between rz67, the 645 and the 500cm, I ended up getting the Hasselblad because I could also use an A16 back and shoot 6x4,5 - which I tend to like a tiny bit more. But since I had my Rolleicord in the past, I've always liked medium format now.
Saving for a 500 series hasselblad until then I keep using my Bronnyblad SQA there is something special about the 500 Hasselblad thanks for sharing I on a binge of hasselblad videos lol 😂
Hi! i've been working on 10 ish tracks that I mostly made to soundtrack videos. uploaded a preview version of the track you requested + downloads on of course - soundcloud.com/gimmick-mask/background-beats-05-arp-preview-mix
I have a question but not sure if you might be able to help me. Other than CFV, is there any other digital back that goes with the 503cx? I've found most info is about 503cw. Lastly, thanks for the video, so informative and clear!
Not 100% sure but since it’s just a standard v system attachment I’d guess the digital backs should be pretty widely intercompatible? There are definitely no electronics on the cx to relay any info to a digital back though.
Hasselblad digital CFV backs are specially made for V System cameras. As there are no EXIF data you have to write down manually the figures, you need them (lens model, aperture, focusing distance) for the Hasselblad Phocus RAW software that has optical corrections for the Zeiss optics. you have to type the data in when processing the RAW files. I guess Phase One made several V System backs in the past.
The problem is that each focusing screen generation needs a different PME prism model to meeter correctly. (also not all PME models can be mounted on F type cameras) For example, an Acute Mate screen needs a PME 3 prism, with a PME meetering is wrong and cannot be corrected with exposure compensation or ISO shift. I've heard that Hasselblad service can recalibrate internally prisms to fit to the right focusing screen
hi! - plastic 120 holder is from japan camera hunter. nice way to hold five rolls and not lose them - metering using an iPhone app or an external spot meter. (honestly, given that I overexpose about 2/3 of a stop most of the time and weight toward the shadows, iPhone works just fine) thanks for watching
Forgive my ignorance but if I have a 500cm (80mm 2.8t*) what is the newest body that my lens and backs will work with like are all parts in the v series completely interchangeable?
mostly any V-series (50x) body will work fine! the newest would be the 501cm, I think, but anything from the 500cm on is 98% the same, and I wouldn't bother spending more on a newer body. (just budget $300 or so for a CLA when your body gives you trouble.)
and yeah, mostly everything is interchangeable with a few small exceptions - I think the original 500 doesn't have interchangeable screens and there are some weird compatibility issues with the metered prisms (expect certain types of screens, or else they'll give incorrect readings).
Rollei TLR was launched very early in the 30's The Rollei problem was that the two bosses Hasselblad and Heidecke met and made a gentleman agreement that Hasselblad would never make a TLR and Rollei would never make a SLR what showed later as a win/loose deal in favor of Hasselblad. (Victor was a clever man 🤣) www.hasselbladhistorical.eu/HS/HSHmeetsR.aspx Rollei could only make his own SLR in 66 (after Heidecke's death) and that was too late, Hasselblad was then the studio leader.
(Film) photography. I forget the exact quote, but the gist is, "Use drugs. It'll be cheaper." Short of flying.......sailing.......restoring old cars.......wine collecting, it's difficult to think of a more expensive hobby.
hi! these are from a digital camera. (gfx 100 + 120mm macro, with a negative supply setup.) can't guarantee my scanning setup was perfectly flat, but I chose the part of images that was as sharp as possible.
I actually had to have it CLAed upon delivery because the shutter mechanism jammed up (not uncommon). Haven’t had many (any?) issues since then, just occasionally weird frame spacing, and that’s an issue with the back not the body.
It is very likely you jammed the camera yourself because of inexperience, when you started fiddling with it without reading the manual! They do not jam on their own, only by operator error. However, a jammed Hassy takes a few minutes to un-jam with simple tools. Not $200. Someone took advantage of an unfortunate situation.
You may be right, but the camera hadn't been used in 10+ years, I read about others having a similar error, and I haven't had similar issues since. It included a CLA as well. I did the exact same thing post-fix and didn't jam it. Seller paid the cost, so not the end of the world.
VHPICTURES 1234567890 Therefore your A12 back was made in 1993. Couldn't see the serial number on the body I also have the 500cx and 80mm beautiful piece of equipment
Ive had my 500cm for 3 years now and I love it. Ive finally started expanding the collection by adding the newer CF lenses and looking to pick up a 503CW in the near future. You are right about the prices though it aint cheap.
Great review! Will be looking out for that XPAN review when it drops.
Hi! Thanks for watching through to the end.
yeah, 50x is a great system. so many lovely lenses.
Film gear (and film, boo) has gotten expensive, but at least you won't lose money holding it and selling it a few years later if you get bored, at least with mechanical gear. (vs. electronic film cameras that can't be repaired or digital cameras that depreciate.)
Love the square frame! Enjoyed your photos a lot. Very cool camera, thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching this one as well!
Awesome photos, you fill the camera with live. Tx so much for the video!
thanks for watching!
Thanks for this! I’m looking to move from my Leica m6 to medium format this was super helpful. Also NorCal represent!
Excellent video - rare t see someone use the Hasselblad and not the RZ67 :D . Should have way more views!
I have Hasselblad 503cw and 2 x Pentax 6x7 cameras. I think this will satisfy my medium-format needs for the rest of my life.
sounds like a great setup
Thank you forvthe video and review shared!
I can compare Blad to Zeiss ikonta, Rolleiflex, Mamiya rb67 and Pentacon six (actually quite a fun to shoot camera with nice optics). And while hasselblad is not my favourite goto camera, and not my mostly used, but when it comes to photoshooting (I do sometimes tfp), this is usually my first pick. This camera might be not the best in every or even any category, but overally it is just so hard to beat. It offers a lot. It can do a lot. It is a reliable and precise tool. I would say this is a mefium format camera around which could be build a complete system for hobby or professional work, and it could be used for any application really. 6x6 is unnatural to human sight but it is beneficial for closeups or normal portraits. It is much easier to compose and fill the frame when you close to the subject. No need to stricktly follow the rull of thirds and think much of empty spaces in a frame.
great to hear. I do think the modularity and lens options are good as you suggested. and square works nicely for portraits - harder to compose landscapes
Hi, great video. I have been with my 2 Hasselblad 503cx cameras for around 26 years. I have T* 50, 80, 120, and 180 lenses. The 180 is a *great* portrait lens. I have a dozen or so A12 backs loaded with Tmax 100, Velvia 160, Portra 160, Rollei infrared, and my latest venture, Fujichrome 50 transparency film. The latter as a result of my getting an old Hasselblad "carousel" style slide projector. Victor Hasselblad's modular design approach was genius, back in the 1950s with the 500 series, and into the 2000s. I do not own any Hasselblad digital cameras -- way out of my price range. My latest adventure is taking stereo photographs using my two 503cx cameras mounted on a horizontal bar mounted to a tripod. In color, and also in black and white.
One thing that you did not mention, with the 503cx, is the new feature of using fill flash with the cx feature of light reflected from the film emulsion, through the sensor in the camera body, and from there through a crude microprocessor with a film speed adjustment, and from there cabled into either a Hasselblad or Metz flash unit. I have the Hasselblad flash. One needs to fiddle around with the camera body ASA speed wheel to get it right, but once dialed in, fill flash is impressive. With the Metz or Hasselblad flash, the flash strength is the same, what is different is the flash duration. I have used this to great effect for outdoor portraits in full sunlight, where part of the portrait is shaded by body or trees or other features. So, for your information.
If you would like to talk more on any of this, you can email me at max_rosan at yahoo dot com.
Stereo photos on medium format! Insane, love it. Honestly, have only done the most basic flash setups with this, but it is wild to hook it into my Godox trigger and use wireless flash with a 30 year old camera. Lots of respect to folks like you who’ve been using it forever - I’m just stumbling my way through with it haha.
Rosan--if you don't mind, I will send you an email to pick your brain about MF stereo, it sounds cool! All I have to do is pick up another Hassy LOL...
T-Max 100 120mm film?
Very nice and interesting commentary and review. Greetings from Singapore.
thanks for watching!
I love my Hasselblad 503CX and others in my kit. Such a lovely experience to shoot over the years. A+
it's a great camera, thanks for watching
Great video review thanks for,posting !
Who do you use for your Hasselblad CLA work ?
I used a guy in SF who may no longer be working, unfortunately, and was mostly retired when I visited him :(
I think Red Dot Repair does Hasselblads so I'd probably use them nowadays.
Commenting about the sharpness of the Zeiss glass. You mention that they aren't as sharp as other lenses you've used but let me tell ya a story. I saw an ad on CL for a 503cm and two lenses and two film backs. I also own the 907x which includes a digital back that snaps onto the old Hasselblad 503cm turning it into a medium format 50-100 megapixel camera. So I brought the digital back with me when I went to look at the Hasselblad gear he had for sale.
The images appeared sharp on the ground glass but looked exactly like your images when captured to the sensor or film. The problem is that there are pads of foam that sit under the mirror and it's metal frame. As the foam dissolves the mirror is no longer in the plane of focus so what you see on the ground glass is sharp but since the mirror is no longer supported by a specific thickness of foam the image is not correctly focused on the sensor or film in the holder.
I got a great deal but it required sending the camera into a Hasselblad trained technician to have it fixed. He adjusted the distance of the mirror so it matched the distance to the film and now my film and digital images are sharp as a tack. Couldn't be happier.
Have your camera checked for correct focus on the ground glass and I will almost 100% guarantee that you are having exactly the same issue. Or you can borrow a friend's 907x back and test it for yourself. Focus accurately on the ground glass and shoot a pic. If it isn't sharp then try focusing with the back in live view mode and then look through the mirror and see if it is sharp. You will easily be able to determine if it is the lens that's soft or a fault in the focusing path of the camera (the damper pads underneath the mirror that are either gone or have significantly disintegrated).
very interesting. i’ve also wondered about mirror slap - seems like shots are a bit sharper with lockup, but of course that’s a bit of a pain to work with unless you’re on a tripod.
nice review. I've been watching a bunch more since I am waiting for my 500cm to be delivered. I was in doubt between rz67, the 645 and the 500cm, I ended up getting the Hasselblad because I could also use an A16 back and shoot 6x4,5 - which I tend to like a tiny bit more. But since I had my Rolleicord in the past, I've always liked medium format now.
Yeah good point. I guess you already knew you liked square format from the rolleicord in which case the hassy makes a lot of sense
love the camera & the kiko sweater!
good eyes! thank you.
Agree with you about the great sound of the shutter release. Must try out that 120mm
nothing quite like that sound. the 120 is great/underrated.
Awesome video! hasselblad was my first medium format camera and I learned a lot with it, but my Mamiya 7 blows it out of the water
thanks! I prefer my mamiya 7 too, just don't tell my Hasselblad 👀
Great video
thanks!
thank you for this nice comparison
I guess Diane Arbus worked with a Mamiya TLR
Saving for a 500 series hasselblad until then I keep using my Bronnyblad SQA there is something special about the 500 Hasselblad thanks for sharing I on a binge of hasselblad videos lol 😂
i'm sure your SQA is great, and you'll love your hasselblad as well. it's one of the most solid-feeling, beautiful design objects I've owned
@@atomikpi I told they are a joy to use sound reassuring hence why I love to own one
Thanks for the review! What’s the song in the intro I couldn’t find it on your soundcloud?
Hi! i've been working on 10 ish tracks that I mostly made to soundtrack videos. uploaded a preview version of the track you requested + downloads on of course - soundcloud.com/gimmick-mask/background-beats-05-arp-preview-mix
@@atomikpi thank you so much, keep up the good work!
I have a question but not sure if you might be able to help me. Other than CFV, is there any other digital back that goes with the 503cx? I've found most info is about 503cw. Lastly, thanks for the video, so informative and clear!
Not 100% sure but since it’s just a standard v system attachment I’d guess the digital backs should be pretty widely intercompatible? There are definitely no electronics on the cx to relay any info to a digital back though.
Hasselblad digital CFV backs are specially made for V System cameras.
As there are no EXIF data you have to write down manually the figures, you need them (lens model, aperture, focusing distance) for the Hasselblad Phocus RAW software that has optical corrections for the Zeiss optics. you have to type the data in when processing the RAW files.
I guess Phase One made several V System backs in the past.
Do you rely mostly on the PME3 or a handheld light meter ?
my pme3 is faulty and/or miscalibrated, so i rely on an external meter (dedicated or just a phone app).
The problem is that each focusing screen generation needs a different PME prism model to meeter correctly. (also not all PME models can be mounted on F type cameras)
For example, an Acute Mate screen needs a PME 3 prism, with a PME meetering is wrong and cannot be corrected with exposure compensation or ISO shift.
I've heard that Hasselblad service can recalibrate internally prisms to fit to the right focusing screen
Where did you get that plastic 120 film holder. Nice review. Have a CX and live it. How were you metering.
hi!
- plastic 120 holder is from japan camera hunter. nice way to hold five rolls and not lose them
- metering using an iPhone app or an external spot meter. (honestly, given that I overexpose about 2/3 of a stop most of the time and weight toward the shadows, iPhone works just fine)
thanks for watching
Forgive my ignorance but if I have a 500cm (80mm 2.8t*) what is the newest body that my lens and backs will work with like are all parts in the v series completely interchangeable?
mostly any V-series (50x) body will work fine! the newest would be the 501cm, I think, but anything from the 500cm on is 98% the same, and I wouldn't bother spending more on a newer body. (just budget $300 or so for a CLA when your body gives you trouble.)
and yeah, mostly everything is interchangeable with a few small exceptions - I think the original 500 doesn't have interchangeable screens and there are some weird compatibility issues with the metered prisms (expect certain types of screens, or else they'll give incorrect readings).
@@atomikpi thanks alot great channel keep the content coming
Rollei TLR was launched very early in the 30's
The Rollei problem was that the two bosses Hasselblad and Heidecke met and made a gentleman agreement that Hasselblad would never make a TLR and Rollei would never make a SLR what showed later as a win/loose deal in favor of Hasselblad. (Victor was a clever man 🤣)
www.hasselbladhistorical.eu/HS/HSHmeetsR.aspx
Rollei could only make his own SLR in 66 (after Heidecke's death) and that was too late, Hasselblad was then the studio leader.
yeah it's funny to read about this history and imagine canon and nikon working like this.
(Film) photography. I forget the exact quote, but the gist is, "Use drugs. It'll be cheaper." Short of flying.......sailing.......restoring old cars.......wine collecting, it's difficult to think of a more expensive hobby.
Nice scans with what scanner did you scanned them? or are these DSLR scans?
hi! these are from a digital camera. (gfx 100 + 120mm macro, with a negative supply setup.) can't guarantee my scanning setup was perfectly flat, but I chose the part of images that was as sharp as possible.
Very Nice 💖
thanks for watching!
Just bought a 500cm and very patiently (not) waiting for It to come in
honestly the excitement is pretty fun. bear with the weirdness of operating it for the first few rolls and you should love it.
Are you planning to CLA the 503?
I actually had to have it CLAed upon delivery because the shutter mechanism jammed up (not uncommon). Haven’t had many (any?) issues since then, just occasionally weird frame spacing, and that’s an issue with the back not the body.
@@atomikpi Given the use-age of the 503 money will spent.
there is a prettier camera: the 500 used in apollo program, all metallic bodie 😍
mm yes, time to break into the Smithsonian and grab one.
It is very likely you jammed the camera yourself because of inexperience, when you started fiddling with it without reading the manual! They do not jam on their own, only by operator error. However, a jammed Hassy takes a few minutes to un-jam with simple tools. Not $200. Someone took advantage of an unfortunate situation.
You may be right, but the camera hadn't been used in 10+ years, I read about others having a similar error, and I haven't had similar issues since. It included a CLA as well. I did the exact same thing post-fix and didn't jam it. Seller paid the cost, so not the end of the world.
VHPICTURES
1234567890
Therefore your A12 back was made in 1993. Couldn't see the serial number on the body
I also have the 500cx and 80mm beautiful piece of equipment
좋아요 😆
thank you!
Not Roll-eye ROLLEE
Sorry I fat fingered dislike in error. Don’t read anything into that!
I don't get a notification or anything :) thanks for not hating the video