Menu
What's new
The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

Any way to use Hasselblad V lenses with their shutters on Alpa 12 tech cams?

O

onasj

Active member
I’ve been trying to figure out a way to use Hassy V lenses with an Alpa 12 technical camera and digital back in a way that allows the use of the shutters within the V lenses. I

realize Alpa makes a HC adapter that allows V lenses to be used with electronic shutters, but I’m hoping to use the V lenses’ built-in shutters instead. Is there any way to do so? If I connect the PC sync port of a V lens to my digital back then the back receives signals upon shutter release, but I need a way to cock the shutter and, ideally, wake up the back, that’s as simple and practical as possible if it is to be useful for actual shoots.

Thanks for your thoughts!
 
J

jng

Well-known member
You’re in luck. There’s a fellow from South Korea who sells on eBay who apparently cannibalizes the lens mount/cocking system from the Flexbody and mounts them on Cambo and Alpa lens boards.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ALPA-Lens-...648809?hash=item2acec514a9:g:eUQAAOSwxXBZe3cg

I had one at one point and the workmanship was quite good. I think that others here have had good experiences with this fellow as well. As with all third party adapters, it’s important to verify that your lenses can hit infinity focus.

John
 
darr

darr

Well-known member
*** EDIT *** jng beat me to it!! :)

Here is an option that should work for you.
This lens adapter appears to operate the lens like it does on a FlexBody with the upper shutter chord function.
It is sold here on the auction site.




I have a FlexBody and recognize the shutter chord function in the photos. You open/close the shutter by turning the knob on the lens mount.
Here is a picture from the web of a FlexBody; notice the lens mount with shutter chord function and shutter release cable port.



To operate, turn the knob in the open position to mount your lens. You will need to use a flash sync cable and set your digital back to flash/sync for live viewing.
Trip the shutter via a shutter release cable, (shutter cable port is adjacent to the knob), the lens will close and the knob will automatically turn to the closed position.
To take next photo and/or use live view, turn the knob to the open position. A very simple operation!

I have no experience or affiliation with the seller, but I do own and operate a FlexBody and recognized this option a couple of years ago.
I own two ALPA cameras, but will use my FlexBody or 503 with my CFV-50c when shooting with Hassy lenses.

Hope this helps!
Darr
 
  • Like
Reactions: med
nameBrandon

nameBrandon

Well-known member
jng said:
You’re in luck. There’s a fellow from South Korea who sells on eBay who apparently cannibalizes the lens mount/cocking system from the Flexbody and mounts them on Cambo and Alpa lens boards.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ALPA-Lens-...648809?hash=item2acec514a9:g:eUQAAOSwxXBZe3cg

I had one at one point and the workmanship was quite good. I think that others here have had good experiences with this fellow as well. As with all third party adapters, it’s important to verify that your lenses can hit infinity focus.

John
Click to expand...
I purchased my adapter from the same eBay seller after John mentioned this to me. Mine was for Cambo, but the quality is very good. I did have a terrible experience with customs on that purchase (they had the package for 24 days) but not the seller's fault. The adapter, once it finally arrived, works perfectly with my CFV2 and V-series lenses (50/80/120).

I will say these are not things that the guy stocks often, if you see one and it's being sold, grab it because it may be months before he puts another one up for sale.
 
darr

darr

Well-known member
jng said:
Only because you actually took the time to write a more thoughtful and informative post. ;)

John
Click to expand...
Thank you John, but you have actual user experience with the item which IMO, is worth so much more!!
Hope you and yours are well.

Kind regards,
Darr
 
D

DaveS

Active member
It is funny you ask about this, as I was experimenting with this yesterday on the X1D. This is kind of a hack, but it works for Hasselblad XCD cameras and V lenses, and it should work here too. Everything is done on a locked tight tripod. (or in my example below, balanced on my sun deck rail....)

You need the original C T* lenses with the built in self timer, and cock the lens so it is open. Then you you mount the V lens and focus it, then stop it down to the F stop you want. Then you calculate the shutter speed you need and set the lens to that setting.

Next you set the self timer on the lens, and then you take the lens off the camera and click the shutter with the shutter button on the mount side of the lens. (The tiny metal circle with the small tab on the lens mount side)

Now you have about 11 - 13 seconds to re-mount the Pre-focused lens back on the camera. The camera should be set to a 10 - 15 second exposure, (with the fixed ISO you choose above) and as soon as you put the lens back on the camera, click the camera shutter.

Now the camera is just open with a fixed ISO and the lens controls the shutter speed and F stop. You get a 100% lens shutter shot.

You can even do flash sync. on a X1D or any other camera, since the lens is doing all the work. Here is an example yesterday with the V lens 150mm F4.

With this set up you can get rid of daytime sensor read distortions, night time indoor shots with banding because of incandescent lights, and you can also flash sync with V lenses.

But it obviously has limitations, but is fun to play around with. I have used it on 60mm, 80mm and 150mm V lenses so far.

kind regards,

Dave

B0001941 self timer .jpg
 
mristuccia

mristuccia

Well-known member
I have the Cambo version of the Litz-Studio adapter for V lenses.
Using it on my WDS and I can attest it works like a charm! :)
 
Last edited:
E

epforever

Member
I bought one of the Litz V adapters for my Alpa last year, and I'm finally getting around to seeing if it needs shimming. My question is, where do the shims go? They don't seem to fit anywhere on the adapter or the lens.
 
O

onasj

Active member
epforever said:
I bought one of the Litz V adapters for my Alpa last year, and I'm finally getting around to seeing if it needs shimming. My question is, where do the shims go? They don't seem to fit anywhere on the adapter or the lens.
Click to expand...
You unscrew the lens mount from the adapter and insert the shims (if needed) in the circular groove between the rear side of the lens mount and the adapter.

The adapter works great and Hasselblad V lenses, being designed to cover 6x6 cm, can cover an entire 54x40 mm sensor of course. Most V lenses lag behind modern lenses (such as the superb XCD line up) in terms of sharpness, contrast, and CA, but some V lenses such as the 100/3.5 and the 250 SA are superb. Plus it's fun to use vintage glass! And tech cam lens selection tends to be limited and pretty slow (f/4+ or f/5.6+), so using some f/2.8 and f/3.5 V lenses definitely fills a tech cam niche.
 
E

epforever

Member
onasj -- When you say to unscrew the lens mount, do you mean remove the five recessed screws inside the square adapter?
 
O

onasj

Active member
epforever said:
onasj -- When you say to unscrew the lens mount, do you mean remove the five recessed screws inside the square adapter?
Click to expand...
Yes, exactly. Five screws arranged in a pentagon. They are tiny screws and it's easy to strip their heads, so take your time and use a good precision driver.
Do your mounted lenses not reach infinity, or exceed infinity, when focusing?
 
J

jng

Well-known member
Not sure what shims are already in place and whether the extra shims provided will allow you to both decrease and increase the flange-to-sensor plane distance. Depending on your location and weather conditions (and time of month), you can use the moon as a test subject from the comfort of your backyard. I do appreciate the V system lenses' hard infinity stop (exceptions being the 250 and 350 Superachromats). In my experience using adapters from Cambo, Hasselblad, Fotodiox, and the bespoke adapter from Litz, it's hit or miss whether an adapter will be truly spot on, but a miscalibration of the flange-to-sensor distance is only a deal-breaker if it's too long and precludes infinity focus. YMMV, of course.

Good luck!

John
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top