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Hassy 50c + WRS + RodenstockHR Digaron-S 23 mm f/5,6

GHPhoto

Member
Hello Forum!
I'm after a user review/experience on the usability of the RodenstockHR Digaron-S 23 mm f/5,6 with the Hasselbald 50c sensor.
I can't seem to get hold of a demo so I'd really love to hear of anyone who has one or had experience with this lens & sensor combination.

My alternative is just the 24mm Hasselblad lens and deal with the perspective in post.
Two different approaches, similar money but not a lot of first hand knowledge.

Thanks,
Grant
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
I don't have the Hasselblad 50c but I have owned and shot the Rodenstock 23HR with my Alpa and IQ150 which has the same sensor.

Good news: You have some degree of movements with the 23HR but only 5-8mm effectively.
Not so good news: Colour casts are pretty strong even with the centre filter. More importantly the strong tendency of the red spot central flare with the 23HR is even stronger and needs very careful shielding against any stray light across the front element - I found it harder to avoid/fix this than I did when shooting with my IQ260.
 

kimyeesan

Member
I don't have the Hasselblad 50c but I have owned and shot the Rodenstock 23HR with my Alpa and IQ150 which has the same sensor.

Good news: You have some degree of movements with the 23HR but only 5-8mm effectively.
Not so good news: Colour casts are pretty strong even with the centre filter. More importantly the strong tendency of the red spot central flare with the 23HR is even stronger and needs very careful shielding against any stray light across the front element - I found it harder to avoid/fix this than I did when shooting with my IQ260.
Good news for the red blog flare issue. I recently have my HR23 sent back to rodenstock to have it recoat. It fixed the flare problem and it is for free through Alpa.
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
That's excellent news. I loved this lens and with the crop sensor it was looking to be more versatile but the red spot killed it for me and traded it to adjust my lineup to the 32HR instead. Without the red spot I'd have kept it and I wasn't aware of any "fix" as I figured that it was just characteristic of that lens as others have found.
 

kimyeesan

Member
That's excellent news. I loved this lens and with the crop sensor it was looking to be more versatile but the red spot killed it for me and traded it to adjust my lineup to the 32HR instead. Without the red spot I'd have kept it and I wasn't aware of any "fix" as I figured that it was just characteristic of that lens as others have found.
It's persistent bitching and whining from my part to Alpa that get me this information. They are very very helpful, and so is the dealer here in Beijing. Very helpful indeed. So far, I have not seen any red spot.
The newer HR23 has a new coating that kind of fix this flare issue.
 

f8orbust

Active member
Good news for the red blog flare issue. I recently have my HR23 sent back to rodenstock to have it recoat. It fixed the flare problem and it is for free through Alpa.
It's hard to believe they re-coated the lens, since the coatings are baked on - maybe they replaced one or more of the elements?

Regardless, it's good to hear that a 'fix' of sorts is available (I say of sorts because any lens can be forced to flare under certain conditions. In general, retrofocus lenses perform worse than symmetrical ones because they have so many more elements / groups).

Alpa should make this public so that other users of their 23mm can get the flare problem addressed (if it is an issue).
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
And to be fair to Alpa, it's not their particular issue since the lenses all come from Rodenstock and I'm not aware of an Alpa version being any different than a nude, Cambo, Arca or Sinar version.
 

kimyeesan

Member
And to be fair to Alpa, it's not their particular issue since the lenses all come from Rodenstock and I'm not aware of an Alpa version being any different than a nude, Cambo, Arca or Sinar version.
Yes, and it is Alpa that inform me that I can send it to them to have it sent back to Rodenstock to be fixed. (You are right, maybe it's not recoating, but more of a replace of lens element?)

So, it's not really Alpa's problem, it's more Rodenstock's
 
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