Hasselblad 500CM Review

Why Medium Format ?

Shot with Rollei TLR 3.5E Xenotar for 1.5 years, and loved the image quality of 120 film, not to mention the convenience of using it in the darkroom
(fewer dust problems, forgiving with respect to grain, sharpness etc.) This whetted my appetite for a more versatile 120 camera. Furthermore, I realized that
I was carrying a Nikon + 3 lenses for color slide/negative film, and the TLR for B+W film, and the combined weight of this outfit was not much less than that
of a Hassy 500CM with 3 lenses (50, 80, 150) and two film magazines (1 for color, 1 for B+W).

Grain advantage: 11x14 enlargement from a 6x6 negative has the same apparent grain size as a  6x9 enlargement from 35mm. Thus 400ASA films look quite good.

Handholding Advantage: If  you get decent 6x9 enlargements from  35mm at some shutter speed you get decent 11x14 enlargements from a Hasselblad with the same
shutter speed and an equivalent lens. For example, I can use 1/125s with my Nikon FE2 and 50mm lens; and 1/125s with the Hasselblad and 80mm lens. (Actually, in
practice I get very sharp results with the Hasselblad 80mm lens at 1/60s. I attribute this to the fact that your hands shake less if you are holding the camera at waist level,
especially since you can hold the camera taut against the neckstrap.)

Depth-of-field disadvantage: Assuming angle of view is the same, you have to stop down a medium format lens 2 stops to get the same DoF as with the 35mm lens.

I find that the two advantages more than cancel the disadvantage. Finally, the tonality of medium format is much better, and the negatives are easier to handle in the
darkroom. Thus Medium format gets the nod.

Weight disadvantage? If you shoot two types of film and carry 2 camera bodies, consider medium format. Also, the tripod is a signifcant weight for most people.

Comparision with other medium format systems

A medium format SLR such as Hasselblad differs from 35 mm SLRs in two respects. First, the film magazine can be switched in mid-roll. Second, the bodies do not
have focal plane shutters (although the top of the line Hassy 205 series does), and instead the lenses have a built-in leaf-shutter. This leaf shutter is both a strength (allows
flash sync at 1/500s; a plus for wedding photographers) and a weakness (shutters in different lenses may go out of calibration gradually, and need to be adjusted).
The Hassy lenses are classic Zeiss designs and generally of very high quality. People with lots of spare time debate endlessly whether or not Hassy lenses are "the best."
Nobody seems to doubt they are very good.

Unlike 35mm SLR systems, most medium format systems usually incorporate design tradeoffs. The Pentax 67 is reputed to have first class optics but is very heavy and has no
interchangeable back. The Rollei TLRs or Fuji 6x7s deliver world-class results at beer prices, but  have no interchangeable lenses or backs. The Mamiya 6 or 7s have
fabulous optics and are light weight, but they lack interchangeable backs and their lenses do not focus very close. Rollei 6003/6008 are supposed to be great but I do not like
cameras with lots of electronics and motors. Also, the Rolleis' features come at the expense of higher weight (about 1.5lb heavier than the all-mechanical Hassy 500CM).

After looking at all the above cameras at camera shops, I realized that the Hasselblad 500CM (and its close cousin the Bronica SQA) is probably the medium format system
with the fewest compromises. Though not the lightest medium format camera around, a Hasselblad is certainly very light and compact for its class. A 500CM (or the newer 501CM) body with 80/2.8 planar lens is not much heavier or larger than the famously lightweight Rollei TLRs with the same lens.  In fact, excellent 3rd party straps ---such as the one by
Optech---make the Hassy feel lighter on the neck than a Rollei TLR with Rollei straps. If you put a 50/4 distagon on the Hassy, you have a camera with the capabilities similar to
the wide-angle Fujis, and not much more weight. In short, the Hassy can be configured to closely approximate most other medium-format lines, with minimum sacrifice in
quality (at least up to 16x20 enlargement).

But ultimately, it all boils down to a question of which camera appeals to your aesthetic sense.  The first time I played with a Hassy in a camera store ---even though I thought I
would never want to buy one--- I just fell in love with its build and the way it fits in my hands.

That brings us to the question of price. Rollei and Hasselblad are frighteningly expensive when new; Mamiya and Bronica aren't cheap either. The serious amateur will
probably want to buy a used system. After following prices for a few months, I realized that thanks to the extensive market for used Hassy gear, putting together a Hassy system did not cost too much more than, say, a Bronica SQA system. If you look at internet ads for a few months, you can find great bargains on Hassy gear.

Using a Hasselblad

Handholding is great.

Optional but useful accessories

Ernst Wildi's "The Hassleblad Way" (older, used copies found on internet stores are fine because the features of the 500CM haven't changed in decades), a brighter focussing screen (Hasselblad Acute Matte is great, and Maxwell's Brilliant Matte is as good but half the price; Beatties seem to have a spottier reputation), a pro shade for the lenses (metal shades for individual lenses are convenient but do not do as good a job of shading the lens), for flash work a PC-sync cord made by Paramount (the generic PC-sync cords do not work so well) and a flash bracket, a step-up ring allowing you to use cheaper screw-in filters instead of the Hassy filters, good camera strap, a small or pocket to store the dark slide, a light-meter that you can strap to your belt or put in your shirt pocket, an unjam device.

Also, the camera should receive a CLA if it hasn't had one in a few years.