Anyone own an ALPA TC and a Hasselblad SWC/903/905?

[jodad]

Just like in the subject, do you own an ALPA TC and a Hasselblad SWC/903/905?

If you do, could you please send me a few pictures of the TC with a back attached and the Hasselblad with a back attached with the cameras side by side and from a few different angles?

I have an SWA with a lens and back combo that gives the same 20/21 mm field of view as the Hasselblad however id like something smaller and lighter than the SWA which is why i was thinking of the TC or a Hasselblad. Id like to see how they look sizewise to help me decide which to get (since either option will cost about the same) but i cant find any such posted images online.

 

[jotloob]

Yes , I do , and I am using the CFV II 50c on both of them , as well as CFV39 and CFV50 .
Now , go ahead . What are your questions ? ? ?

 

[jotloob]

I will try to shoot some images this weekend .

I never shoot hand held with an ALPA . The TC + the 40mm RODIE is much more sensitive than an SWC903/905 and also slightly longer .
A big advantage of course is , that you can change the lenses .
For me the SWC905 + CFV II 50c is good and very handy for hand held shooting .

 

[jodad]

I will try to shoot some images this weekend .

I never shoot hand held with an ALPA . The TC + the 40mm RODIE is much more sensitive than an SWC903/905 and also slightly longer .
A big advantage of course is , that you can change the lenses .
For me the SWC905 + CFV II 50c is good and very handy for hand held shooting .

thanks Jotloob. Not necessary any more though because I found this one you may recognise it:

 

[jotloob]

jodad

That is the image , i wanted to post again , but I could not find it . Not in a forum thread nor in my database .
Where did you find it ? ? ?

 

[jodad]

jodad

That is the image , i wanted to post again , but I could not find it . Not in a forum thread nor in my database .
Where did you find it ? ? ?

If you go to a user’s profile page there is a link/tab called Media. It was there in your profile page. You mentioned having both cameras and I thought perhaps on the off chance you might have posted some pictures of the two cameras and if you did I guessed they would be there. Lucky guess

 

[jodad]

I will try to shoot some images this weekend .

I never shoot hand held with an ALPA . The TC + the 40mm RODIE is much more sensitive than an SWC903/905 and also slightly longer .
A big advantage of course is , that you can change the lenses .
For me the SWC905 + CFV II 50c is good and very handy for hand held shooting .

Jotloob, I would be using a film back. I have a 6x8 and am thinking of buying a 6x7 or a 6x6.

What do you mean by more sensitive when you talk about the TC abd the 40? Do you mean physically, as in more fragile or do you mean more sensitive to camera shake?

If you mean more sensitive to shake, what do you think it is about the TC and 40 combo that would make it more sensitive than the Hassy? The TC has a much better grip (and therefor ergonomics) than the Hassy so I would have assumed that it could be stabilised more than the Hassy.

If both are using the same digital back, I think the TC combo would be maybe 250/300g heavier though.

 

[jotloob]

Sensitive in terms of mechanical connection between the front lens elements and the copal 0 shutter . Very few threads only .
That is why I try to avoid a heavy filter system to screw on to the front of the lens .

 

[jotloob]

thanks Jotloob. Not necessary any more though because I found this one you may recognise it:
View attachment 181871

When you use the CFV II 50 c back on either of the cameras , you do not really need the OVF , because you have LV and a collapsable rear LCD screen .

 

[jodad]

Sensitive in terms of mechanical connection between the front lens elements and the copal 0 shutter . Very few threads only .
That is why I try to avoid a heavy filter system to screw on to the front of the lens .

Thanks for clarifying. I don’t often use filters, perhaps occasionally a single orange or yellow or a UV for physical protection. Do you think with this in mind it’s safe enough to use as a walk around?

I’m just thinking of this from a practical and affordability sense. I already have a lens and back and VF because I have a SWA so it would be cheaper for me to buy a TC body than buying a 903. The price of these 903s is getting silly.

I don’t use the SWA as a walk around because it is relatively wide and awkward on a strap. That thing goes on a tripod and back in the bag after the photo so I have no idea of the durability of these lenses...

Clearly if it’s a ridiculous idea and there is the high risk of it being an expensive (and unnecessarily sad) mistake because the lens will break from the stress of walking around with it daily then I’ll forget the idea.

I appreciate you all being a sounding board for me Jotloob

 

[usm]

Sensitive in terms of mechanical connection between the front lens elements and the copal 0 shutter . Very few threads only .
That is why I try to avoid a heavy filter system to screw on to the front of the lens .

I heard that about the Rodenstock 32mm, what about the 40mm and the lighter HR 35mm? Is this the same with the aperture versions?

 

[jotloob]

I think it is valid for all HR lenses having a long barrel . (weight)
I use the HR 28mm , HR 40mm , HR 70mm and HR 90 mm .
To avoid heavy weight on the front of the lens , I made this for my ALPA 12 PLUS and use it for all lenses . That LEE hood can be used for all shift positions .


I never shoot handheld with this camera .
Now with the CFV II 50c , you can use LV and any OVF is obsolete . Saves weight .
When I use any of the mentioned lenses on the TC , I use a light screw on hood .

 

[Godfrey]

That Alpa TC sure looks beautiful! Just some thoughts...

I'm not entirely sure what the point of it over an SWC might be if you're looking for a hand-held, ultra-wide camera that you're not going to be using as a technical camera with lens shifts and tilts available. To achieve the native FoV of a Hasselblad SWC with 6x6 film with the CFVII 50c back, you need a lens close to 22mm focal length with extremely low distortion and high resolution. This is what I was looking for and despairing of finding until Hasselblad announced the availability of the XCD 21mm lens for X mount ... I nearly bought the X1D for that specific configuration alone.

The subsequent announcement of the 907x/CFVII 50c kit was more appealing since I could apply use of the back with my 500 series Hasselblad cameras as well. I ordered it with the 21mm lens, the control grip, and the viewfinder. Assembled in this configuration, it is a wonderful eye-level camera and matches the quality of what I used to do with the SWC. (I sold my '78 SWC to help fund the 907x kit purchase, sniff!) It has become my 'holy grail' of an all digital SWC, particularly with the addition in fw 1.3.0 of a distance readout on the LCD so you can accurately set the focus by distance with X system lenses.

While this has worked brilliantly as an "all digital SWC", as Jürgen pointed out the CFVII 50c has an excellent, versatile LCD to use as viewfinder as well. When shooting with the SWC, I would often work fast and loose, framing at waist level by feel. And the OVF support and viewfinder enlarges the size of the camera by a good bit, coupled with the control grip. That's what motivated me to consider making my own grip, hung off the left side, with the grip angled for best use at waist/low level eye point. (Photos are posted in the 'Fun with Hasselblad 907x' thread. This configuration both completely fulfills and expands upon my notion of the "all digital SWC" by netting a much more precise ability to frame and focus accurately even at low angles where I can't otherwise get my eye to a viewfinder. Add the 45mm lens as well, and now I have an excellent, two lens SWC+500CM+80mm kit ... which was always my standard kit in Hasselblad terms for the vast majority of my use.

While I think the Alpa TC is beautiful, from a practical standpoint the 907x+21mm+custom grip and/or control grip+OVF is at least a match in functionality and performance for hand-held work IMO ... and it's less expensive, and less expensive still if you do only want a 28 to 50mm FoV on the sensor format. The primary justification for the Alpa TC, then, descends to being the advantage of having other lenses/bodies/etc for use in a full technical camera outfit where the TC becomes the "light and handy, hand-held" adjunct. I see merit in that approach to this gear, but not enough merit in buying an Alpa TC kit solely for hand-held use in the absence of the rest of the technical camera ecosystem.

Eh. Whatever floats your boat is fine by me, I'm sure not objecting to someone preferring the Alpa TC over other kits, but the above is a good bit of why I haven't really considered it myself, offered in the notion of sharing points of view only.

G

 

[jodad]

That Alpa TC sure looks beautiful! Just some thoughts...

I'm not entirely sure what the point of it over an SWC might be if you're looking for a hand-held, ultra-wide camera that you're not going to be using as a technical camera with lens shifts and tilts available. To achieve the native FoV of a Hasselblad SWC with 6x6 film with the CFVII 50c back, you need a lens close to 22mm focal length with extremely low distortion and high resolution. This is what I was looking for and despairing of finding until Hasselblad announced the availability of the XCD 21mm lens for X mount ... I nearly bought the X1D for that specific configuration alone.

The subsequent announcement of the 907x/CFVII 50c kit was more appealing since I could apply use of the back with my 500 series Hasselblad cameras as well. I ordered it with the 21mm lens, the control grip, and the viewfinder. Assembled in this configuration, it is a wonderful eye-level camera and matches the quality of what I used to do with the SWC. (I sold my '78 SWC to help fund the 907x kit purchase, sniff!) It has become my 'holy grail' of an all digital SWC, particularly with the addition in fw 1.3.0 of a distance readout on the LCD so you can accurately set the focus by distance with X system lenses.

While this has worked brilliantly as an "all digital SWC", as Jürgen pointed out the CFVII 50c has an excellent, versatile LCD to use as viewfinder as well. When shooting with the SWC, I would often work fast and loose, framing at waist level by feel. And the OVF support and viewfinder enlarges the size of the camera by a good bit, coupled with the control grip. That's what motivated me to consider making my own grip, hung off the left side, with the grip angled for best use at waist/low level eye point. (Photos are posted in the 'Fun with Hasselblad 907x' thread. This configuration both completely fulfills and expands upon my notion of the "all digital SWC" by netting a much more precise ability to frame and focus accurately even at low angles where I can't otherwise get my eye to a viewfinder. Add the 45mm lens as well, and now I have an excellent, two lens SWC+500CM+80mm kit ... which was always my standard kit in Hasselblad terms for the vast majority of my use.

While I think the Alpa TC is beautiful, from a practical standpoint the 907x+21mm+custom grip and/or control grip+OVF is at least a match in functionality and performance for hand-held work IMO ... and it's less expensive, and less expensive still if you do only want a 28 to 50mm FoV on the sensor format. The primary justification for the Alpa TC, then, descends to being the advantage of having other lenses/bodies/etc for use in a full technical camera outfit where the TC becomes the "light and handy, hand-held" adjunct. I see merit in that approach to this gear, but not enough merit in buying an Alpa TC kit solely for hand-held use in the absence of the rest of the technical camera ecosystem.

Eh. Whatever floats your boat is fine by me, I'm sure not objecting to someone preferring the Alpa TC over other kits, but the above is a good bit of why I haven't really considered it myself, offered in the notion of sharing points of view only.

G

hi G. You make valid points however I already own all the necessary components except the Tc frame/body and alone, that is certainlysignificantly cheaper than a 907 and lens

 

[Godfrey]

For sure! As such it's a nice part to include into a more versatile tech camera outfit.