Hasselblad XCD 45p manual focus--working properly?

[onasj]

As luck would have it, my XCD 45p lens beat my 907x, and since I don't own either x1d camera, I'm left fondling this wonderful little lens without being able to mount it on a body.

However, I did notice one quirk—I realize the 45p has "mechanically coupled manual focusing" as a feature. Reading that, I expected the lens's focusing ring to cause the focusing elements to move in and out when I rotated the ring. And they do, sometimes. But other times, the ring simply rotates, with a light vibration feel suggesting that a clutch is slipping somewhere. If I orient the lens to face the ground, then when I rotate the focusing ring in the direction that extends the optical elements, gravity-assisted, the lens will usually extend that way. And if the lens is pointing to the ceiling, then I can rotate the focusing ring in the direction that retracts the optics, once again assisted by gravity.

Just casually turning the focusing ring without orienting the lens up or down, however, just causes the focusing ring to slip, much like a focus-by-wire lens.

Is this normal behavior for the XCD 45p? I tried to search the forum but the search function apparently isn't working for me.

Thank you!

 

[nameBrandon]

As luck would have it, my XCD 45p lens beat my 907x, and since I don't own either x1d camera, I'm left fondling this wonderful little lens without being able to mount it on a body.

However, I did notice one quirk—I realize the 45p has "mechanically coupled manual focusing" as a feature. Reading that, I expected the lens's focusing ring to cause the focusing elements to move in and out when I rotated the ring. And they do, sometimes. But other times, the ring simply rotates, with a light vibration feel suggesting that a clutch is slipping somewhere. If I orient the lens to face the ground, then when I rotate the focusing ring in the direction that extends the optical elements, gravity-assisted, the lens will usually extend that way. And if the lens is pointing to the ceiling, then I can rotate the focusing ring in the direction that retracts the optics, once again assisted by gravity.

Just casually turning the focusing ring without orienting the lens up or down, however, just causes the focusing ring to slip, much like a focus-by-wire lens.

Is this normal behavior for the XCD 45p? I tried to search the forum but the search function apparently isn't working for me.

Thank you!

I disconnected mine from the body to briefly try this out.. I can tell you that when I point my lens up at the ceiling and manually rotate the focus ring to extend the front element, I get some slippage. It takes a lot more turns to get it extended fully than if it were sideways or pointed down. I don't seem to have any issues with the lens in the same scenario when it's connected to the body and operating with electrical power. Seems like what your experiencing might be normal. I would quit futzing with it though, it would be a shame to drop it before your 907x even shows up..

 

[onasj]

I disconnected mine from the body to briefly try this out.. I can tell you that when I point my lens up at the ceiling and manually rotate the focus ring to extend the front element, I get some slippage. It takes a lot more turns to get it extended fully than if it were sideways or pointed down. I don't seem to have any issues with the lens in the same scenario when it's connected to the body and operating with electrical power. Seems like what your experiencing might be normal. I would quit futzing with it though, it would be a shame to drop it before your 907x even shows up..

Thank you—I really appreciate you confirming this. There must be an electronically activated mechanism that stops the slippage once the lens is powered. When the lens is powered does it reach a hard stop at infinity and at minimum focusing distance? Or does the focusing ring continue to rotate if you keep turning the ring?

 

[nameBrandon]

Thank you—I really appreciate you confirming this. There must be an electronically activated mechanism that stops the slippage once the lens is powered. When the lens is powered does it reach a hard stop at infinity and at minimum focusing distance? Or does the focusing ring continue to rotate if you keep turning the ring?

There is a slight hard stop.. not really a detent, but you hit the end of the physical focusing movements, and you definitely are aware that you have done so, but you are still allowed to keep moving the focusing ring. Beyond that point stop point the ring feels looser, and with less resistance.. if that makes any sense.