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Hartblei 45 Super-Rotator in Mamiya 645 mount: bad news

vieri

Well-known member
I just got this reply to a query I made directly to Hartblei regarding this lens, which appears on their website among their products:

---
Hi,

Just wanted to let you know that the Super-Rotator lens is no longer in production.

Regards,
sales / Hartblei Co
---

I thought I'd share the news with the forum. I was looking for a solution to add T/S to my P1 setup, but it seems that the Hartblei is one less contender in what was already a very empty marketplace.
 

vieri

Well-known member
They seem to be concentrating more on DSLR lenses of late. See here. You can order the PhaseOne version I believe...
Apparently not:
--
Available mounts:
Canon EF
Nikon F
Sony/Minolta
PentaxK
Leica R
Contax
--
unless I missed it, it seems that 645 mount is out for now. :wtf:
 

etrigan63

Active member
Sorry Vieri, I meant to say that PhaseOne offers a version of the Hartblei SuperRotator that is Mamiya 645 mount.
 

carstenw

Active member
The MF version has been discontinued for quite a long time now. The original Ukrainian manufacturing stopped and Stefan Steib owns the rights to the name, I believe, but went in the direction of super-rotated Zeiss MF glass offered for 35mm, and now the new camera.
 

tashley

Subscriber Member
Yup, the Mamiya 645 mount version is a rarity and Phase doesn't supply the version it was planning to offer. Of those rare second hand items that come up, most are dogs with very high sample variation so if you are offered one ALWAYS test it first. There are some (I have one) that do remarkably well and others that are just dreadful.
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
And before anybody else gets excited, I have express first rights on Tim's when he sells it :D
 

kdphotography

Well-known member
I may be putting my Hartblei 45mm t/s super rotator for Mamiya 645AF/Phase 645AF out for sale... still sitting and stewing for a bit.... I may package it up with several 82mm filters and a Cokin Z adapter ring; even have the original owners manual.

Might wait to have it around for CI in Carmel in February... :)
 

gogopix

Subscriber
Lots of folklore on Hartblei and the 45mm SR. I got mine from "Anton" direct from Hartblei site, NOT from Kievcamera Atlanta. At the time there were 'Arsenal' factory Hartbleis and some bodies and lenses from CZ Kalinex.
I was told by Anton that there were some (mine) NOT made at Arsenal, but used East-Ger and Russian, Zeiss glass and specs and were finished by Kalinex or somewhere in CZ or by some guy in Ukraine in his appartment. I actually needed a swap or adjustment (forget why) and sure nuff went to this guy in Kiev. Made the round trip fine and came back well calibrated.
The lens is pretty good, and somewhere I have a post of the corner sharpness with full shift. VERY good.
Is it great? no. If you need a workable TS or even just PC or tabletop focus control, will this do it? yup!

Find a good one though. Reichman and I and a few others seem to have gotten good copies; others are not so happy. Some paid $900, I paid $600. Who knows. Go to the Shutterbug Abend articles if you want the almost whole history.

:D

Victor
 
P

Paul David 99

Guest
I have a Hartblei 45 Super-Rotator Mamiya 645 mount in excellent condition that I was planning to put on eBay after the holidays. I usually use eBay because I don't have the patience to bargain and play games when selling. My ebay feedback is 100% positive. I think $750 (firm) + shipping (US only) is a fair price. I you are interested please send me a PM. I'm in San Jose, CA

Paul
www.pauldavidimages.com
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
I have a Hartblei 45 Super-Rotator Mamiya 645 mount in excellent condition that I was planning to put on eBay after the holidays. I usually use eBay because I don't have the patience to bargain and play games when selling. My ebay feedback is 100% positive. I think $750 (firm) + shipping (US only) is a fair price. I you are interested please send me a PM. I'm in San Jose, CA

Paul
www.pauldavidimages.com
PM sent -- and I'm just up the road in Los Altos!
 
P

Paul David 99

Guest
Clarification on the Hartblei I have. Jack Flesher came by to look at it, and apparently it's the model before the "Super" rotator. It shifts in all directions, but only tilts on the vertical axis. Since that's the only way I would use it unless doing architecture, I wasn't aware of it. On the good side, Jack Flesher ran a few tests and said it is one of the best copies optically he's seen.
Paul
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
I'll confirm what Paul just said for anybody considering it. It is technically called the Hartblei TS-PC lens, the immediate predecessor to the Super Rotator. The difference is the tilt axis is fixed and does not rotate, but the shift axis rotates through 360 degrees.

The next point is I have direct experience with 5 or 6 of these lenses, and this copy is by far the best one I've seen, being usably sharp the corners at a 8-9mm shift on my P65+ back --- had it been a Super Rotator, I would have bought it.
 

kdphotography

Well-known member
I have a Hartblei 45 Super-Rotator Mamiya 645 mount in excellent condition that I was planning to put on eBay after the holidays. I usually use eBay because I don't have the patience to bargain and play games when selling. My ebay feedback is 100% positive. I think $750 (firm) + shipping (US only) is a fair price. I you are interested please send me a PM. I'm in San Jose, CA

Paul
www.pauldavidimages.com
Paul is an upstanding guy!
 

H3dtogo

New member
I'll confirm what Paul just said for anybody considering it. It is technically called the Hartblei TS-PC lens, the immediate predecessor to the Super Rotator. The difference is the tilt axis is fixed and does not rotate, but the shift axis rotates through 360 degrees.

The next point is I have direct experience with 5 or 6 of these lenses, and this copy is by far the best one I've seen, being usably sharp the corners at a 8-9mm shift on my P65+ back --- had it been a Super Rotator, I would have bought it.
If you are using the TS-PC lens only for the shallow dof effect you can position the tilt axis in one desired direction and fasten the screw on the mamiya adapter. I am using one like that for a zillion years already. Having a small screwdriver at hand to redirect the lens in case of strong backlight.... and it works fine. For real architectural use, there are better solutions than a hartblei.
 
R

Rafa

Guest
Paul,
I'm in San Jose too. I'd like to take a look at your lens.
PM sent
Rafa
 

carstenw

Active member
Aren't the Super Rotators all with adapters? I think mine has an adapter. If so, that might mean that there is no need to search for a Mamiya-mount Super Rotator, specifically, as long as the adapters are easy to get.
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
Aren't the Super Rotators all with adapters? I think mine has an adapter. If so, that might mean that there is no need to search for a Mamiya-mount Super Rotator, specifically, as long as the adapters are easy to get.
I am pretty sure they made them a few ways -- Mamiya mount, Hassy V mount, Contax mount and Pentacon. IIRC, it's the Pentacon mount they also could adapt to other cameras.
 
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