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Hasselblad HC lens recommandations please

MaxKißler

New member
Hi guys,

to cut a long story short: I jumped ship and am now proud owner of a Hasselblad H2 with Phase One P30+. Did I once say I'd never go for a 44x33mm sensor? I certainly don't remember... :angel:
So I sold my Mamiya 645 AFD II, AF 80mm and Leaf Aptus 22 and got enough money to buy the H2 with back from a local dealer.
Right now I'm looking at the HC 80mm as my first lens. I'm thinking about adding the HC 35mm and the HC 150mm or 210mm along the way. I did think about getting the 50-110mm zoom to obtain several FLs in one lens but the weight, dimensions and looks of it made me change my mind.

I was hoping that some of you guys could share your experience with the lenses I mentioned and especially with the ones that might have disappointed you. I read that the first version of the 50mm was not that great and as far as I understand I won't be able to use HCD lenses with the H2. Has anyone tried to do that anyway? If so, what happened (probably nothing right?)?


Main reason to go for the H2 was my desire to use leaf shutter lenses. With the Mamiya system, I would have had to get the 645DF first and it would have costed me much much more.

My first impressions with the H2 and P30+ in comparision to the Mamiya 645 AFD II with Aptus 22 are as follows:
-Camera
Pros:
-I like the AF system of the H much better than the one used by Mamiya/P1. I would dare to say, that it is as fast and precise as the AF of the 645DF+.
-The camera LCD display and menue is much more sophisticated and thought through.
-The grip of the camera feels great in the hands and makes handling much steadier.
-Exchangable viewfinders!
-Great value for money

Cons:
-Why can't it be black? It's a camera and not a mirror! :facesmack:
-The camera itself feels a bit plasticky and cheap.
-To me, it's not the most beautiful camera there is (not that this would matter or bother me in any way).
-Lenses look like they were designed with phallic symbols in mind.

What I like about the P30+:
-Usable high ISO speeds
-Good resolution
-Feels very durable
-It's a Phase One back so I won't have to deal with phocus

What I don't like about it:
-Relatively small sensor, therefore large crop of the viewfinder. Even if there is just a tiny bit of difference between the Aptus 22 and the P30+, I do notice it and it bothers me a bit.
-The colors right out of the box aren't as good as with the Aptus 22. I'll certainly be missing that back and the way it rendered.


This is everything I have noticed so far. Now, I'm curious to know what your thoughts on that matter are. After all, it was the best deal in MF land I have ever come across.

Regards
 
Last edited:

Ken_R

New member
I am not a fan of the large and heavy zooms. I would get the 35mm and the 150mm. With the smaller sensor you will have no issues with soft corners with the 35mm.
 

stngoldberg

Well-known member
Hi guys,

to cut a long story short: I jumped ship and am now proud owner of a Hasselblad H2 with Phase One P30+. Did I once say I'd never go for a 44x33mm sensor? I certainly don't remember... :angel:
So I sold my Mamiya 645 AFD II, AF 80mm and Leaf Aptus 22 and got enough money to buy the H2 with back from a local dealer.
Right now I'm looking at the HC 80mm as my first lens. I'm thinking about adding the HC 35mm and the HC 150mm or 210mm along the way. I did think about getting the 50-110mm zoom to obtain several FLs in one lens but the weight, dimensions and looks of it made me change my mind.

I was hoping that some of you guys could share your experience with the lenses I mentioned and especially with the ones that might have disappointed you. I read that the first version of the 50mm was not that great and as far as I understand I won't be able to use HCD lenses with the H2. Has anyone tried to do that anyway? If so, what happened (probably nothing right?)?


Main reason to go for the H2 was my desire to use leaf shutter lenses. With the Mamiya system, I would have had to get the 645DF first and it would have costed me much much more.

My first impressions with the H2 and P30+ in comparision to the Mamiya 645 AFD II with Aptus 22 are as follows:
-Camera
Pros:
-I like the AF system of the H much better than the one used by Mamiya/P1. I would dare to say, that it is as fast and precise as the AF of the 645DF+.
-The camera LCD display and menue is much more sophisticated and thought through.
-The grip of the camera feels great in the hands and makes handling much steadier.
-Exchangable viewfinders!
-Great value for money

Cons:
-Why can't it be black? It's a camera and not a mirror! :facesmack:
-The camera itself feels a bit plasticky and cheap.
-To me, it's not the most beautiful camera there is (not that this would matter or bother me in any way).
-Lenses look like they were designed with phallic symbols in mind.

What I like about the P30+:
-Usable high ISO speeds
-Good resolution
-Feels very durable
-It's a Phase One back so I won't have to deal with phocus

What I don't like about it:
-Relatively small sensor, therefore large crop of the viewfinder. Even if there is just a tiny bit of difference between the Aptus 22 and the P30+, I do notice it and it bothers me a bit.
-The colors right out of the box aren't as good as with the Aptus 22. I'll certainly be missing that back and the way it rendered.


This is everything I have noticed so far. Now, I'm curious to know what your thoughts on that matter are. After all, it was the best deal in MF land I have ever come across.

Regards
IMHO the 35mm is not Hasselblads best lens.
While the 50-110mm is heavy, it is very sharp over some very important focal length territory.I have carried it all over the world and while it takes up a lot of room in the camera bag; it does replace the 50mm, the 80mm and the 100mm lenses without giving up any quality.Not withstanding the perfection of the HC 100 f2.2
Stanley
 

BANKER1

Member
I am not a fan of the large and heavy zooms. I would get the 35mm and the 150mm. With the smaller sensor you will have no issues with soft corners with the 35mm.
That's exactly what I did, and despite what most say, I love the 35. However, now, I long for the 24. But, I guess we all lust for what we do not have.

Greg
 

RVB

Member
I have the 210mm and it's very good.if you buy a 150mm try to get the N version,its the latest and best,why not get the 28mm instead of the 35mm?it's really good.
 

MaxKißler

New member
Thanks for your replies guys. If I were only shooting landscapes, I would consider the zoom but right now it's too heavy for my taste. I feared the HC 35mm will have soft corners but since I don't have a choice, I'll probably try to get one anyway. Even 35mm is not that wide on a crop sensor. Hopefully, I'll be able to test it today.
Thanks for pointing out, that there are two versions of the 150mm. Does anybody know how the older compares to the newer one?
 

ElmarDam

New member
Actually, im very pleased with the 35mm. It doesn't have that great perepective change which has the 28. The 28 is wider and might be great for landscape. When i used it for scened photographs i find the enormous perspective not useful for my work. So, i went for the 35. I use a crop as well and it is an excellent lens with sharp corners. (some back focus issues though)
 

RVB

Member
Actually, im very pleased with the 35mm. It doesn't have that great perepective change which has the 28. The 28 is wider and might be great for landscape. When i used it for scened photographs i find the enormous perspective not useful for my work. So, i went for the 35. I use a crop as well and it is an excellent lens with sharp corners. (some back focus issues though)
Perhaps you need to get your lens checked,H camera's compensate for focus shift in the HC lenses so if your 35mm is back focusing it may be a fault somewhere..

Rob
 
I had a 35mm for a while and it was great. I upgraded to the 35-90 because it wasn't THAT MUCH bigger and eliminated the need for the 50 and 80 lenses. I also have the 100 2.2, which I use 90% of the time in studio either alone or with a combination of 1.4x, extension tubes. Location it's either the 35-90 or 100 based on focal length needed. If I only had 1 lens it would be the 100 2.2, it's just amazing. If you end up getting a 55-110 make sure it's a newer one. Some older ones didn't hold up well. The new N version of the 150 is supposed to be sharper, I'm not sure how much because I haven't really tested them against each other. But I believe it's enough for most people to want to upgrade. You'll love the P30+ H2 combo. If you can afford the H4x, that's even better.

Enjoy,
Josh
 

Louis Novak

New member
Keep in mind that non of the Hasselblad HCD lenses ( 35-90, 24, and 28) are compatible with the Hasselblad H2 Body. This has to do with an analogue to digital signal. You would need to use at least an H4X body for these lenses.
 

ElmarDam

New member
@RVB actually, i used 3 different HC35's on the H3DII, all had the same problem. But, With my 80mm i have no issues.

When i use the 35 i only have issues when my subject is around 2.5/ 4 meters. Closeby it focusses near perfect.

I have all recent Firmwares..
 

RVB

Member
@RVB actually, i used 3 different HC35's on the H3DII, all had the same problem. But, With my 80mm i have no issues.

When i use the 35 i only have issues when my subject is around 2.5/ 4 meters. Closeby it focusses near perfect.

I have all recent Firmwares..
It might be worth emailing Hasselblad tech support and explaining the problem to them,It would at least be interesting to hear their response,could it be a calibration issue with the body?If it's a problem which is related to the firmware then they may be able to correct it on the next update..

best

Rob
 

JorisV

New member
@RVB actually, i used 3 different HC35's on the H3DII, all had the same problem. But, With my 80mm i have no issues.

When i use the 35 i only have issues when my subject is around 2.5/ 4 meters. Closeby it focusses near perfect.

I have all recent Firmwares..
This is weird. I have been shooting the 35mm on H1/H2 and H4x.

I have never seen the issue you describe...

Due to the focal length I use it a lot but it is not my favorite lens though.
 

MB100

New member
Official response I got when I asked "why not all black" was "it looked to small" or something to that affect, which seems kind of silly considering the overwhelming color palette of MFD SLR's is .... black ....

PDN PhotoPlus Expo 2012 and ShootNYC 2012 | Brian Hirschfeld Photography

Leaf Aptus is in inferior camera system to P or P+ or frankly any H-series back (IMHO). Credo is a downgrade from PhaseOne IQ180 but still a very capable camera:

Hands on Experience: Leaf Credo 80 with Full Resolution Sample Images | Brian Hirschfeld Photography

Frankly it seems like 35mm lenses give most manufacturers some trouble, the Mamiya M645 (Manual focus) and "AF D" series 35mm's seem to be problematic and now we read some stuff here about the Hasselblad not being good as well. The Leica S 35mm seemed excellent when I shot it but it seems this might be a focal length to avoid. I shot the Hasselblad 50mm (first version) and it was a very capable lens and it was pleasantly wider then the 80mm which was nice, and I understand the 50mm II is even more improved. It seems again (IMHO) that past 50mm you might as well be getting a small tech cam outfit (Alpa TC, Cambo WRC-400, Arca-Swiss Factum) and a lens since it'll yield better quality at equivalent focal lengths. Though I havn't done extensive testing of its IQ the 35-90mm is a very capable lens and when I was using it for a while with my Hasselblad I had nothing to complain of other then the fact that it was well heavy as all hell. 80mm is well an 80mm no better or worse then any others as far as I could gather, considering I probably shot it the most there was nothing to complain of.

The 100mm f/2.2 is absolutely one of the best lenses I have ever shot and it is something special and one of the most compelling reasons to purchase an H-system (I still sometimes lust after switching to it just for this lens or getting an S with the adapter). I used it to great affect with my H3Dii-39ms and the P65+ h mount.

Also as an aside the 300mm is a great lens, though it doesn't sound like you really have any interest in this lens.

Hasselblad 300mm f/4.5 HC Lens Review | Brian Hirschfeld Photography

Hope my thoughts / website can be some small help
 

RVB

Member
I have the Leica S24 and S30,both are excellent.. I have the S35CS on the way.. Pramote recently posted quite a few shots with the S35 and it looks just superb..+1 for the Hc100 2.2,It is a great lens.
 

MaxKißler

New member
Official response I got when I asked "why not all black" was "it looked to small" or something to that affect, which seems kind of silly considering the overwhelming color palette of MFD SLR's is .... black ....

PDN PhotoPlus Expo 2012 and ShootNYC 2012 | Brian Hirschfeld Photography

Leaf Aptus is in inferior camera system to P or P+ or frankly any H-series back (IMHO). Credo is a downgrade from PhaseOne IQ180 but still a very capable camera:

Hands on Experience: Leaf Credo 80 with Full Resolution Sample Images | Brian Hirschfeld Photography

Frankly it seems like 35mm lenses give most manufacturers some trouble, the Mamiya M645 (Manual focus) and "AF D" series 35mm's seem to be problematic and now we read some stuff here about the Hasselblad not being good as well. The Leica S 35mm seemed excellent when I shot it but it seems this might be a focal length to avoid. I shot the Hasselblad 50mm (first version) and it was a very capable lens and it was pleasantly wider then the 80mm which was nice, and I understand the 50mm II is even more improved. It seems again (IMHO) that past 50mm you might as well be getting a small tech cam outfit (Alpa TC, Cambo WRC-400, Arca-Swiss Factum) and a lens since it'll yield better quality at equivalent focal lengths. Though I havn't done extensive testing of its IQ the 35-90mm is a very capable lens and when I was using it for a while with my Hasselblad I had nothing to complain of other then the fact that it was well heavy as all hell. 80mm is well an 80mm no better or worse then any others as far as I could gather, considering I probably shot it the most there was nothing to complain of.

The 100mm f/2.2 is absolutely one of the best lenses I have ever shot and it is something special and one of the most compelling reasons to purchase an H-system (I still sometimes lust after switching to it just for this lens or getting an S with the adapter). I used it to great affect with my H3Dii-39ms and the P65+ h mount.

Also as an aside the 300mm is a great lens, though it doesn't sound like you really have any interest in this lens.

Hasselblad 300mm f/4.5 HC Lens Review | Brian Hirschfeld Photography

Hope my thoughts / website can be some small help

I have to vehemently disagree with you considering the Leaf Aptus backs. Now owning a P+ back I have to admit I like the feel, usability (better software interface, being able to use it on any mechanical camera without additional wakeup cable, being able to assign a color space such as ProPhotoRGB in camera, etc), battery solution and the color rendition of skin tones much better on the Aptus backs. Don't get me wrong, the P30+ is a great back and I'm using it efficiently and to it's full potential, but it requires a lot of tweaking to get the results I'm looking for.

A tech cam for shorter FLs is not an option either since I will be shooting people and fashion with this lens.

---------

I won't be buying the 100mm in the near future either as it is too close to the 80mm and in terms of IQ on the same level. Plus the 80mm is smaller and lighter. If I were shooting wide open a lot, I'd lust for this lens that's for sure, but since this is not my cup o' tea, I'm leaning more towards the 35mm and 150mm as my next lenses.
 

MB100

New member
Personally, I can't believe that a color corrected Leaf file vs a color corrected PhaseOne file is going to be that significantly different. Having never owned an Aptus and only having had bad demo experiences with them I don't see them as a viable contender, again personally.

Looking at your website you do a number of images off of a seamless background, so the 100 2.2 might be worth considering for those situations. The DoF on the 100mm is nowhere near that of something like the 80mm f/1.9 (if you want to see that its on my website) and the 2.2 with a less then full frame sensor gives you even more DoF at an aperture of f2.2 (Probably a reason I got great results from it and my H3Dii-39ms) making it very usable.
 

MaxKißler

New member
Believe it or not, but to me, the files from those backs respond differently to post processing and applied corrections etc. I cannot supply you with any factual data to proove my findings, it's just a simple feeling.

Anyway, the 100mm doesn't make much sense in my photography. I hardly ever shoot wide open, I usually stop down at least one or two stops. If I shoot the 80mm at 5,6 or the 100mm at 5,6 isn't much of a difference IMO. I regard the background as part of the image and therefore part of the composition: Shallow DoF is in most cases a hindrance that is obstructing the certain redundancy which is often needed in an image. I rather have a nice background that suits an image (or is important to a narrative) than a bunch of blobs. And btw, the 100mm costs a fortune if you're an underprivileged student.

I had the M645 80mm f/1,9N aswell and to make use of really shallow DoF (like with any lens of course) you need to be pretty close to your subject, which will result in pretty distorted heads and faces. Optically it was superb, but it is a manual focus lens and this was the reason I sold it.
 

MB100

New member
People always say that, but having looked at many many files I don't see it But hey thats why they don't only make cameras in my preferred style.

Fair enough, though a very capable lens the 100mm stopped down doesn't offer much over its 80mm competition.

Indeed, the 80mm has its difficulties, though I would say manual focus is only a minor one since when your working with it its almost better to have direct feedback between yourself, your hand the focus of the lens and the movements of both you and the model.

and for all of the good images, sh*t like this happens http://brianhirschfeldphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/CF002367ex-mini.jpg
 
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