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Jumping to MF! Some dutties..

Bruno

Member
Hello Everyone!

I'm thinking to jump into the MF, after try a contax 645, but it's to difficult to get backs for that system so.. I want to sell all my M material and go for a goal system, the Hasselblad one.

Are the HC lenses as good as the Contax Zeiss?

I Really love the square and the MF images, and I think no system today (despite LF), has the quality of the MF.

I have been blowing my mind with all the brands, mamiyaleaf, phase one, hasselblad, Contax... My God!

Could You tell me the advantages of the Hassy system over the other ones?

I'm amateur, but in the near future I'll be studying in a Good school of Pohotgraphy. I really love my M system but I feel that I need something more... (Love the DOF of the MF).

Then, I have a good offer for a HD3II 39, 80HC and the 50-110 (which I Don't want, I'm not zooms guy and probable trade for a 35 or a 110..). Is it good for today? I come from a Leica M9 system and luxes asph..

Is hard to focus properly with big apertures? I Don't use never zoom lenses so probably I will sell or trade the 50-110 with a 100 2.2 (heard beautiful things of it).

If You can post some pictures I Will appreciate!

Thanks for all and so sorry for the text.
 

gogopix

Subscriber
MF is a great world...and I miss it (except for studio, as I can't caryy the heavy stuff.
I sold all my Contax gear, but if my shoulder would cooperate I would go back to MF and the CONTAX 645 in a heartbeat!!!

The backs are out there, from the kodak to the latest IQ180

the system will have legs for years, maybe decades. prices are lower than other MF and you can check with other contax 'fans' here. But don't give up on the potential for a superb system.

Phase with S_K lenses is catching up and Hassey is great, and of course you could go the S2, but if you are looking for biggest bang for he buck, Contax is it

regards
Victor
 

Bruno

Member
Thank You Victor! I think the best in contax after reading is the 80, 120 and 350!

But Hassy has a wonderful 100, 210 and 120, also 35!

The support is important as well.. So Hassey is absolutely the Winner!

What about the viewfinder?
 

Professional

Active member
Are you talking about film Hasselblad or digital Hasselblad?
In digital there are many lenses collections, such as 28, 35, 35-90 even new 24, 120macro,.... up to 300.

I have Hasselblad film and digital [501CM and H4D-60], happy with that H4D but not much with film one because of the focus.
 

Bruno

Member
Thanks so much!

Finally I've decided to buy the Hasselblad.. I hope will be a new start and no mistake against chose the Contax 645 with a phase one..

Professional I mean Digital.
 

Professional

Active member
Thanks so much!

Finally I've decided to buy the Hasselblad.. I hope will be a new start and no mistake against chose the Contax 645 with a phase one..

Professional I mean Digital.
Congrats!

I may buy another digital back in the future to go with my RZ and Hasselblad 501CM or tech cam, for now i will keep shooting with Hassy H4D until i feel fine and ready for another better DB.
 

David Schneider

New member
Choice of lenses and gear is dependent on the type of photography you do. No idea what you do or where you live. Not sure why you want to see images. Virtually any mfd can produce world class images.

I have a H3D2-39 with HC 35, 100, 150, 210. I use my mf gear primarily in-studio for portraits and groups and larger groups outdoors.

I'd get familiar with what you are purchasing before you trade anything. Once you've done that and you are sure you want to trade the 50-110, I'd also trade the 80 with it and add some cash and get a 100, 35, and 150.

No problems with viewfinder although you can expect a percentage out of focus, possibly higher than your dslr. A really nice combo is the waist level viewfinder with a Brightscreen split image screen for horizontal images. If you like square format and are willing to lose some file real estate, WLV would be great.

Get the Simple DoF app for your phone. Great help in understanding dof of mfd vs dslr or other camera.
 

Bruno

Member
Thank You so much David, I'm from Spain, but now living in London, My main work is Candid portraits or Portraits, also the streets.

So the 80 isn't is nothing from another world I can understand and is closely to 100... So best investment will be 100, 35 and 150, isn't it?

Can I see some of your work or some examples, please, David?

I'm very excited to jump and try the 100 for portraits, but Can You recomended some other lens of the V system? Or with the H system I will be complete?

About the waist level viewfinder is a really good idea, but I've read that is exist some accute mate bright screen!

Cheers.

Bruno
 

David Schneider

New member
Bruno,

I would not think any mfd would be the best format for candids or street photography.

The 100, being a bit longer than the 80r, is great for groups. The shallow dof helps it produce excellent portraits as well, although the 150 and 210 are used much more often for portraits.

Using the WLF and Brightscreen is a pleasure for me and as my eyes get older I am using it more and more.
 

Bruno

Member
Thanks David I have my M2 for that, the question is, I like to ask the people many times if I can take a picture of them, here in London is different, no fear!
 
A

ashdown

Guest
Hi Bruno. The HC lenses are of exceptional quality and most experienced Hasselblad users say they are better than V system Zeiss lenses.

I would also say that the H system cameras are not really suited to street use. They are big, heavy and draw attention. You will also not benefit from the leaf shutters if you are not using strobe lighting. I'd recommend you go over to The Pro Centre (Hoxton) and try one out, perhaps hiring one for a day or two to see of it suits your needs. I love mine but I shoot commercially with lighting, often in a studio or on a tripod. If I want to walk around with a camera I use a 35mm DSLR.
 

Bruno

Member
Hi Bruno. The HC lenses are of exceptional quality and most experienced Hasselblad users say they are better than V system Zeiss lenses.

I would also say that the H system cameras are not really suited to street use. They are big, heavy and draw attention. You will also not benefit from the leaf shutters if you are not using strobe lighting. I'd recommend you go over to The Pro Centre (Hoxton) and try one out, perhaps hiring one for a day or two to see of it suits your needs. I love mine but I shoot commercially with lighting, often in a studio or on a tripod. If I want to walk around with a camera I use a 35mm DSLR.
Thank You dear Ash, are You based in London?

I have my M2 for street (in fact I'm carrying right now, Starbucks in Notting Hill), but will be my camera for portraits, studio, landscapes maybe. In the street if I see some interesting people I ask to them if I can take a picture, so is not a big issue at all! If Steve McCurry use one oh this cameras... ! Jaja :p

Talking about lenses, do You think is better the combo 35, 100 and 150 or 35 80 150? I've been reading about the 100 and... My God! Awesome lens!
 

symbolphoto

New member
There are plenty of Hassy images here: Flickr: The Hasselblad H3DII-31 Pool

Including many from me, here (You have to sift through them to find the Hassy images):

Flickr: Boston Wedding Photographer - SymbolPhoto's Photostream

It's a fine system and keep in mind, i only have the H3DII-31. I only own two lenses, the HC100 and the HC35-90. In my line of work, it's all i need.

Anyhow, it's a great system. But very expensive. If you are just getting into photography and don't already know what the benefits are of MF, i'd suggest looking into it, perhaps even renting a system for a weekend (If possible) before purchasing.

Every system is a tradeoff. Every system. And Hasselblad MF is no exception. Hasselblad MF has great AF, feels fantastic in your hand, produces fantastic images. But it's not fast, you have to shoot fairly deliberately. Forget about candid portraits. Yes, it can be done, but your keeper rate would be low.

The leaf shutter system allows you to get 1/800th of a second sync, so if you use lots of light, it's good for that also. It's horrible at high ISO, and when i say bad, i mean anything about 800ISO. So it's not really comparable to 35mm systems.

There are lots of tradeoffs, and it may not be beneficial for you to invest in this system. Sounds to me like a Leica would benefit you more. But that's ultimately your decision.

.02
 

yaya

Active member
Bruno since you already own a Contax with its excellent ergonomics, quiet shutter, great mirror damping and really good lenses, what don't you first explore it's potential and find a used/ refurbished back for it?
 

Bruno

Member
Really difficult to find one digital back for the contax, actually is not mine, belong to my friend who lent it for three weeks to me, but I'm feel more comfortable with the Hassy brand! About the ISO.. I don't use DSLR just Leica system! No autofocus, no high ISO capabilities...

And again, for candids I have the M2 and a 35 and 50 lens ;)

So basically I want it to great IQ in portraits, the MF DOF and feeling and the superb lenses & viewfinder. Travel and just take pictures of people after a litte talk with them. Never shot landscapes but now I want it! And streets...

I have clear my mind about the use of it, my big question is How Good is Hassy compare to other system, I mean, are good the lenses against their competitors? AF? Viewfinder? Quality of images?

Thank You all! Very Kind :)

Forgot to mention, what about the software I used to process my photos in LR 4 and Silver Efex Pro and Exposure..
 
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bahr

New member
Hi there,

A short while ago I was in your situation. I spent a very long time considering all of the options. The only true answer is for you to really see how each system feels.

You should give the software just as much consideration as well.

Personally, I had a great opportunity to pick up an h4d-50 and I must say I love the system. It has it's little quirks but I love opening up the hassy files and working on them. The screen is not great but the focus accuracy is exceptional and in particular the 35-90 is fast for focussing.

I've been very timid with the camera as I'm based in Dubai and have feared using it in the humidity but so far in studio and indoor locations it's been great.
Iso 200 and up isn't great but that's not really what I use it for. (also use d3x)

I tried other systems and preferred the hasty cameras and lenses over others.
I still liked the others but preferred the h4d.

Have fun with your decision. My main realization was regret that I had not made my step into digital medium format earlier.
 

fotografz

Well-known member
I previously shot with the Contax 645 and got fed up with the AF system ... went to PhotoPlus show in New York some years ago, tried the H system ... got it, and never looked back.

Contrary to other's opinions, I use it for all sorts of photography besides studio ... including street work and even wedding photography. True Focus/APL is simply amazing for off-center focusing.

I suggest a hand strap and dual lug quick release ARCA type camera plate from Camadapter which allows use of a hand strap and shoulder strap at the same time.

Camdapter

I also use an elastic camera strap that acts as a shock absorber when walking around a lot.

IMO, the stand out working primes are HC50-II, HC100/2.2 and H/C150N ... all three are smaller, and use the same filter size.

For wide-angle work the newer HCD28 is a better lens than the HC35.

When working mobil ... I use a 2 lens, lens bag from Think Tank plus one on the camera.

I also use a Leica M and a Leica S2 ... the S2 also takes the H lenses ... and I use the HC50-II and 100/2.2 on it frequently.

For your type of work I'd suggest the H4D/40 ... or now the H5D/40 ... the ISO 800 and 1600 are quite good.

-Marc
 

Bruno

Member
Thank You Mark!

Do You give more use to MF, than M? And.. Would You consider a better system the S than the Hassy? About the lens I'm with You, but... Is the 80 a bad decision?

By the way.. Which is exactly the equivalent talking about the crop factor of the Hd3 II 39?

Thank You very much.
 
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fotografz

Well-known member
Thank You Mark!

Do You give more use to MF, than M? And.. Would You consider a better system the S than the Hassy? About the lens I'm with You, but... Is the 80 a bad decision?

By the way.. Which is exactly the equivalent talking about the crop factor of the Hd3 II 39?

Thank You very much.
Short questions requiring longer answers :)

I do not determine the value of any system based on degree of use ... instead more based on the specific unique characteristics as applied to what I may want to accomplish. Less use does not equal less valued.

I'm a die-in-the-wool Leica M user for over 40 years, and the M digital camera remains important for certain types of work. The "rangefinder way" of photography is unique in the way it forces a greater emphasis on content ... what the image is about as opposed to what it looks like (you do not see the effect of a wide angle or telephoto lens, or different depth-of-field effects of aperture selected). Less distractions. As such, I rarely use it for portrait work or commercial studio, where I almost always use medium format.

The Hasselblad is a DSLR, and as such is similar to any other DSLR where you do see exactly what the image will look like. So geometry and lens effects are more a part of the experience. I like the unique look and feel of any MF system ... a certain sense of depth and clarity that separates it from smaller formats, even ones with the same amount of pixels or more.

In addition, unlike any 35mm or MFD DSLR system, the H system is uniquely all leaf shutter. From 24mm to 510mm (300mm+ 1.7X), it can sync with lighting up to 1/800th ... which very different from the Contax 645. This is why it is so popular with photographers that use strobes in studio or on location. This does not preclude using the H camera for available light work, but not using it with lighting on occasion lessens its over-all offerings as a diverse tool.

The Leica S system is very diverse in concept ... it is more like a 35mm DSLR in handling, is 37 meg from a sensor that is in-between a 35mm and Medium Format sized sensors, and offers dual shutter use, so is similar to blending a Contax 645 with a Hasselblad H by just selecting focal plane or leaf shutter operation. The S is still young, and is no where as developed as the H system. Leica is extremely slow in bringing their leaf shutter version lenses to market, so to date it has been strictly a focal plane shutter camera. Leica recently offered an adapter that allows use of most HC/HCD Hasselblad lenses on the S camera either as focal plane or leaf shutter. I use that a lot when shooting with the S camera and strobes.

The S system lenses are arguably the best MFD optics available today ... and the prices reflect this.

The H3D-II/39 is a 1.1X crop factor for HC lenses as is the 50meg version. The Hasselblad 31 and 40 meg sensors are 1.3X crop factor. The 60 meg sensor is just about full 645, and the crop factor is almost none.

The drawback of the H3D-II/39 is that it does not offer True Focus nor the higher resolution LCD screen, plus a few other features. True focus in an H4D/40 is a better choice for what you want to accomplish IMO. Now that the H5D has been announced, the H4D/40, and larger sensor H4D/50 cameras should become a bit more affordable.

The Hasselblad HC-80/2.8 is a fine lens, but I only use it when distance to subject is too short to use the HC-100/2.2. I also use the 80mm on the Hasselblad TS/1.5 tilt-shift adapter. The 80 usually comes bundled with the H camera ... but can be separately bought used for $800 to $1,000.

Hope this helps,

-Marc
 
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