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Hasselblad CFV ll 50c

nameBrandon

Well-known member
If you have read Diglloyd's blog you'd never buy an X1D or X1D II. He hates them said the lock up all the time.

https://diglloyd.com/blog/2020/2020...t-HasselbladX1D50C_II-vs-FujfifilmGFX100.html
Someone remind me, does he like anything? :) I've found Reid Reviews more informative if I had to choose between the two fee-based sites, though I suppose Chambers probably has more MF content.

To be fair, the X1D is still, in it's modern firmware era, very sensitive to low battery and to slow SD cards, and a combination of those two things will still cause lock-ups from time to time. X1D II seems to fare better, but this is all part of the "charm" of the cameras. I rented a Fuji 50S, I loved the snappy AF and fun film simulations but it was so enormous not only was it physically difficult to bring anywhere, it was a bit of an eye sore and very conspicuous. If I wasn't going to bring it with me, what as the point...?

So I stuck with Hasselblad and bought an X-T4 for when I want to "play" with Fuji. :)
 
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Abstraction

Well-known member
If you have read Diglloyd's blog you'd never buy an X1D or X1D II. He hates them said the lock up all the time.

https://diglloyd.com/blog/2020/2020...t-HasselbladX1D50C_II-vs-FujfifilmGFX100.html
Back in the 80s, when I was shooting professionally, all the guys I knew who had blads would complain about how fragile yhey were and how expensive they were to fix. The backs would go constantly, sometimes the lenses would get stuck, etc. If Digilloyd is right, then it doesn't seem as though much has changed. Certainly not for the better.

I think that Hasselblad has been riding their cachet for a long time and the Japanese manufacturers had long surpassed them in features, price and reliability.
 

tcdeveau

Well-known member
If you have read Diglloyd's blog you'd never buy an X1D or X1D II. He hates them said the lock up all the time.

https://diglloyd.com/blog/2020/2020...t-HasselbladX1D50C_II-vs-FujfifilmGFX100.html
Oh man, hey everyone, if Diglloyd is saying that, no one better buy one *eyeroll*

Besides....what does this have to do with the CFVII 50c, the topic of the thread?

This has not been my experience with the X1D in three years of ownership anyway.

My CFVII/907x also has been working flawlessly.

Per usual for any camera, try before you buy, go for it if it fits your needs.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
If you have read Diglloyd's blog you'd never buy an X1D or X1D II. He hates them said the lock up all the time.

https://diglloyd.com/blog/2020/2020...t-HasselbladX1D50C_II-vs-FujfifilmGFX100.html
Back in the 80s, when I was shooting professionally, all the guys I knew who had blads would complain about how fragile yhey were and how expensive they were to fix. The backs would go constantly, sometimes the lenses would get stuck, etc. If Digilloyd is right, then it doesn't seem as though much has changed. Certainly not for the better.

I think that Hasselblad has been riding their cachet for a long time and the Japanese manufacturers had long surpassed them in features, price and reliability.
This sounds so much like the kind of baseless whining I hear whenever Leica announces a new camera.

Digilloyd has never said one thing about any camera I owned that he 'reviewed' that turned out to be true in my personal experience. Similarly, I've had and been using late '70s Hasselblad gear for thirty years and have never once had a camera or back lock up, never had a shred of evidence of "fragility".

Not to say that it's the world's first "perfect" gear: I've reported my experiences with the 907x which include a couple of minor glitches I ran into in the first month or so of ownership. Nothing terrible, or that couldn't be worked around easily, and no longer in evidence. I've had my share of Hasselblad V system lenses and bodies that needed a service, like with all mechanical camera equipment.

I've had just as many issues with the gear from "...the Japanese manufacturers had long surpassed them in features, price and reliability", if not more, to indicate to me that this is just a baseless slam.

My two 1978 500CMs keep on making great photos with my V system lenses from 1967 to 1992, the 907x/CFVII 50c and its modern XCD lenses make excellent photos, and the CFVII 50c back works flawlessly with the 500CM bodies and lenses. Their features suit me perfectly, the reliability so far seem to be right on target, and the price ... is the price.

I'd suggest we move on and not rathole into this kind of negativity. If you don't like, don't want, or consider the equipment too expensive, well, fine. Say so and be done with it, let others who are using and enjoying it share their experiences and practices to solve some picture making situations. Okay? We don't have to all like or want or be able to afford the same equipment... :)

G
 

SrMphoto

Well-known member
OK, got one hurdle out the way..

500C/M + V-lenses + macro tubes syncing with mechanical shutter / studio flashes, all dumping into my laptop running Phocus..

Nothing special, just a test shot of my Sony camera strap, but pretty awesome to see at 100%.. This was with the 80mm CF + 92mm of extension tubes.

<snip>


Should've grabbed a shot of the setup, will do that next time.

Yes, you should have :). Congrats on getting another "hurdle out the way"!
I am still on edge about acquiring a 50x C/M body. I would love to hear your experience using the combo and why to use it instead of 907x if you do not own legacy lenses.

Enjoy it in good health!
 

nameBrandon

Well-known member
Yes, you should have :). Congrats on getting another "hurdle out the way"!
I am still on edge about acquiring a 50x C/M body. I would love to hear your experience using the combo and why to use it instead of 907x if you do not own legacy lenses.

Enjoy it in good health!
Trying some more macro work today, will definitely take a shot for you of the setup. :)

If you don't own V-series lenses, then use the 907x.

Even if you do own V-series lenses, I still the think the 907x + XV adapter is an option as well, and potentially a better one as it's easier to use live view. The only reason to use the 500 series bodies over the 907x is ability to sync flash with the V-series lens mechanical shutter, and if you simply enjoy shooting with the 500 series bodies. It's is a lot of fun and a far more tactile experience than you get with any digital camera today.
 

SrMphoto

Well-known member
Trying some more macro work today, will definitely take a shot for you of the setup. :)

If you don't own V-series lenses, then use the 907x.

Even if you do own V-series lenses, I still the think the 907x + XV adapter is an option as well, and potentially a better one as it's easier to use live view. The only reason to use the 500 series bodies over the 907x is ability to sync flash with the V-series lens mechanical shutter, and if you simply enjoy shooting with the 500 series bodies. It's is a lot of fun and a far more tactile experience than you get with any digital camera today.
Thank you for the explanations!
 

PSS

Active member
If you have read Diglloyd's blog you'd never buy an X1D or X1D II. He hates them said the lock up all the time.

https://diglloyd.com/blog/2020/2020...t-HasselbladX1D50C_II-vs-FujfifilmGFX100.html
Everybody has different experiences, my first time with the X1D with 45 and 90 pretty much drove me towards the GFX 50....i could not believe how buggy and slow a newly announced camera could be....the GFX was the opposite, but in the end it did not give me much more then my Sonys but was still waaaaaay slower....so i ended up selling it...
The X1DII experience was much better, maybe i did not expect too much, either way i am really happy now with a great system and great lenses....i consider the X system manual focus and as that it works well....IQ and color is the real reason though... as well as some nice touches like fast and solid ipad tethering....
As for reliability, the only thing i remember from the V system in the 90s is that the shutters had to be serviced a lot....i never liked the H system, had horrible experiences every time i had to shoot with it....
Mamiyas never had to be serviced or any kind of trouble....i guess its the same now, never had issues with sony or canon....
I don’t subscribe to digilloyd, i have gotten great advice there in the past for computer related stuff but pretty much never agree with any of his findings when it comes to cameras, he also somehow always finds horrible things with systems, maybe i just use them and don’t notice?
Either way, calling anything “a dumb blond” in 2020 is offensive to me
 

darr

Well-known member
Either way, calling anything “a dumb blond” in 2020 is offensive to me
I get that.

Years ago when I was a Diglloyd subscriber, I emailed him a simple question after reading one of his postings.
He told me to "go f*ck myself." Talk about someone needing charm school therapy.

After that costly experience I swore I would NEVER support anything he is associated with. NEVER

Glad you have found joy with your X1DII. :)

Kind regards,
Darr
 

dave.gt

Well-known member
Wow, Darr,

So sorry people are like that and you experienced such behavior.

That guy has quite a problem and needs professional help.:bugeyes:
 

darr

Well-known member
Wow, Darr,

So sorry people are like that and you experienced such behavior.

That guy has quite a problem and needs professional help.:bugeyes:
Thank you Dave for your comment.

Diglloyd's behavior is well known, I just never believed it until I received his very uncalled for and nasty response.
He knew I was a paid subscriber, but his impulsive and abusive behavior overrides anything useful IMO.

In all my years of being in photography, he gets the top spot for loose cannon.

Hope you and yours are doing well. We just returned from a road trip and it was too hot to pull out the gear; next time.

Kind regards,
Darr
 

Abstraction

Well-known member
This sounds so much like the kind of baseless whining I hear whenever Leica announces a new camera.

Digilloyd has never said one thing about any camera I owned that he 'reviewed' that turned out to be true in my personal experience. Similarly, I've had and been using late '70s Hasselblad gear for thirty years and have never once had a camera or back lock up, never had a shred of evidence of "fragility".

Not to say that it's the world's first "perfect" gear: I've reported my experiences with the 907x which include a couple of minor glitches I ran into in the first month or so of ownership. Nothing terrible, or that couldn't be worked around easily, and no longer in evidence. I've had my share of Hasselblad V system lenses and bodies that needed a service, like with all mechanical camera equipment.

I've had just as many issues with the gear from "...the Japanese manufacturers had long surpassed them in features, price and reliability", if not more, to indicate to me that this is just a baseless slam.

My two 1978 500CMs keep on making great photos with my V system lenses from 1967 to 1992, the 907x/CFVII 50c and its modern XCD lenses make excellent photos, and the CFVII 50c back works flawlessly with the 500CM bodies and lenses. Their features suit me perfectly, the reliability so far seem to be right on target, and the price ... is the price.

I'd suggest we move on and not rathole into this kind of negativity. If you don't like, don't want, or consider the equipment too expensive, well, fine. Say so and be done with it, let others who are using and enjoying it share their experiences and practices to solve some picture making situations. Okay? We don't have to all like or want or be able to afford the same equipment... :)

G

I'm glad the gear is working out for you, but that doesn't mean that it can or could stand up to the type of wear and tear that comes with professional use. Guys who used Bronicas never complained. Mamiya 645 series were not as durable as the Bronicas, but they withstood the knocks better than the Hassys did. And that's a fact.

I don't quite understand why people take this gear stuff so personally. You're not married to it and it's not like I'm talking crap about your momma. It's just stuff and when we pay a lot for stuff, we sort of expect it to work reliably and perhaps more so than the cheaper type of stuff. I don't see what the issue is.
 

sog1927

Member
Back in the 80s, when I was shooting professionally, all the guys I knew who had blads would complain about how fragile yhey were and how expensive they were to fix. The backs would go constantly, sometimes the lenses would get stuck, etc. If Digilloyd is right, then it doesn't seem as though much has changed. Certainly not for the better.

I think that Hasselblad has been riding their cachet for a long time and the Japanese manufacturers had long surpassed them in features, price and reliability.
I've had my 500C/M since 1989 and my 503CW since 2000 or so. I've shot with them in Alaska in January and the Yucatan in June. I've used them at sea level and at 14,000 feet. I've never had a mechanical failure. Not one. While I realize the plural of anecdote is not "data", my experience has been pretty good.

I like my X1D just fine, too.
 

mristuccia

Well-known member
Generally speaking it is very difficult to escape the rule "I like my X the best", where X is whatever.
We are humans after all. :ROTFL:
 

docholliday

Well-known member
Back in the 80s, when I was shooting professionally, all the guys I knew who had blads would complain about how fragile yhey were and how expensive they were to fix. The backs would go constantly, sometimes the lenses would get stuck, etc. If Digilloyd is right, then it doesn't seem as though much has changed. Certainly not for the better.

I think that Hasselblad has been riding their cachet for a long time and the Japanese manufacturers had long surpassed them in features, price and reliability.
I've had thousands of rolls go through 503cx, 503CXi, 503CW, 203FE bodies along with dozens of lenses, both CF and FE, and piles of A12 and A24 backs. Shot in desert heat, snowstorms, hail storms, monsoon rains, and tropical humidity. Dropped a 203FE and watched it roll down some 60 yards on the side of a hill end over end with a 110FE and waist level open. Had a 503 hit concrete from a Manfrotto tripod that snapped the spider randomly in -10F weather, dropping the rig on the ground and popping off the back. Road rashed the body and lens, but shot fine. Those were the only problems I'd ever encountered with *any* V system - the WLF was mangled and twisted on the rolling body, but it slid right out, replaced it with a PME51, and continued to shoot.

Never had one lens misfire and jam on the body that people always seem to talk about, never had a "back failure". What was there to fail on backs anyways other than lighttraps? And every light trap I'd ever seen go was because of a lack of maintenance or poor habits letting the darkslides get bent and dirty then dragging and ripping the trap. Usually, it was because the people who were too cheap to buy the back-mounted slide holders and just put the slides in their pocket, getting the slide bent and nicked.

I shot professionally on these bodies and treated them like hell. I don't baby any equipment, but at the same time, I also maintain them regularly. I usually didn't even send them out for maintenance and worked on them all myself, bodies, lenses, backs. I keep a bottle of Nye oil and tub of helicoid grease handy for whenever I return from a nasty shoot. I kept a bag of spare light traps for quick swaps (it's only a few screws and < 5 mins of time).

Yet, for the few times that I had to send in gear, the prices were more than reasonable for service. They're tools, treated as such, and the cost of maintenance/service/replacement was always factored into pricing that I charged. Every complaint I'd ever heard about V gear was due to failure to maintain, improper technique, or was purchased when it was already neglected. Every cost complaint I'd ever heard was usually from people that 1) never owned a Hasselblad or 2) shouldn't have owned one. They bought a Ferarri and then complained it wouldn't move their furniture down the street without problems on a Corvette budget.
 
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Godfrey

Well-known member
I'm glad the gear is working out for you, but that doesn't mean that it can or could stand up to the type of wear and tear that comes with professional use. Guys who used Bronicas never complained. Mamiya 645 series were not as durable as the Bronicas, but they withstood the knocks better than the Hassys did. And that's a fact.

I don't quite understand why people take this gear stuff so personally. You're not married to it and it's not like I'm talking crap about your momma. It's just stuff and when we pay a lot for stuff, we sort of expect it to work reliably and perhaps more so than the cheaper type of stuff. I don't see what the issue is.
One of my pro friends went through hell with his Bronica A system cameras, and dumped them in favor of Hasselblad, to quote "... because at least I could get through a wedding without the shutter jamming every third exposure."

I had Mamiya 645 gear in the 1980s. I had to have the body repaired five times in two years, various problems with the auto return mirror, the shutter, the light seals, etc. I had Fuji GS645, GA645 stuff too, and they all needed repair on relatively frequent occasion. I liked them anyway (still have a GS645S Wide 60) but I'd never count them as being particularly well made or reliable. At the time, I was shooting weddings, portraits, some other commercial work part time.

Sorry. Hasselblad was and is both more reliable for me and for everyone else I knew who owned them than most of the other stuff, most of the time. Despite all the comments about problems, they were the majority player by a factor of 2:1 or better in most professional MF SLR use—there had to be a reason for that. The wide spread majority they had in use might be why you heard more problems about them.

What equipment were you using "back then"? Do you have any personal experience, or are you just relaying what you heard other people say?

G
 
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