Hi Marc,
I'm relatively new to the world of Hasselblads....the 203/205 cameras seem to be hard to come by.....are they a real improvement over the 501/503 series cameras? I saw what looked to be a really nice condition 203FE with 110/2 lens and film back on ebay recently for over $5,000....is that about the market price for one of these? Lastly, is the H2F only film or will it take a digital back also? I was trying to determine the difference between the H2 and the H2F.
I think the 503CWD-II with the 40mm IF lens is still the way for me to go.....but it's good to know about the alternatives.
Gary Benson
Eagle River, Alaska
Hi Gary.
The 500 series cameras are 6X6 Leaf Shutter cameras (the shutter is located in the lenses, not the camera body), and the 503CW is still in production. These are the "Classic" Hasselblads, and there are many of these cameras in use. They use "C" type lenses. The shutter is located in the lenses and provides a top shutter speed of 1/500th with flash sync at any shutter speed. There is no meter in any 500 series camera. TTL metering can be done by using a metered prism ... but the readings have to be manually transfered to the lens aperture and shutter speed rings. Zeiss F and FE type lenses cannot be used on a 500 series camera because there is no Leaf Shutter in the lenses.
The 203 and 205 cameras are discontinued 6X6 models but still serviced by Hasselblad. Fewer of these cameras were produced compared to the 500 series and were more expensive new ... which is why they are harder to come by and cost more used. They are Focal Plane shutter cameras (shutter is located in the camera) with a top shutter speed of 1/2000th and a flash sync of 1/90th. They have built in TTL meters and can be shot in manual mode or aperture preferred mode. You can use any F or FE lens, as well as any "C" lens made for the 500 series cameras. "F" series lenses tend to be faster maximum apertures than C lenses. FE lenses communicate directly with the camera and are the more desirable versions.
The 500 series can take almost any digital back ever made by using a sync cord from the "C" lens sync port to the digital back, but only the CFV and CVF-II are integrated and eliminates the need for a sync cord. The 200 series cameras can only be used with a CFV type back and retain full functions. Both 500 and 200 cameras can take film backs.
The H2F is a 645 Leaf Shutter type camera with a top shutter speed of 1/800th and flash sync at all shutter speeds. Like all H cameras it provides TTL metering with a metered prism, and offers Aperture Preferred, Shutter Preferred, Program and Manual control. The H2F was offered after Hasselblad introduced the H3D-II digital models which eliminated the ability to use a film back. The "F" is supposed to mean "Film." The previous H1, H2, and H3 cameras can also use film backs, but are discontinued models available on the used market (or remaining dealer stock if any).
Currently the H2F will accept any Hasselblad CF type digital back. These backs currently come in CF/22, CF/39, and CF/39 MultiShot. All CF backs require an on-board battery to operate, they do not draw power from the grip battery the way H3D-II cameras do. CF digital backs in turn can be used on a broad range of different medium format cameras by using a system of "iAdapters" from Hasselblad.
The difference between a H2 and a H2F is that the H2 can be fitted with many different digital backs. To date, other manufacturers do not have the firmware requirements to integrate their backs on a H2F ... but the camera is very recent.
The other difference between the H2 and the more recent H2F is that the H2F has more features.
All H cameras use the system of HC lenses ... but can also use the "C" type Leaf Shutter Zeiss lenses by means of a CF adapter.
Hope this helps and doesn't confuse :ROTFL:
Here's a H2F with a CF adapter which allows use of all "C" Type Leaf Shutter lenses in this case a Zeiss 40/IF:
