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FE lenses with *any* 39Mpxl digital back?

B

bradleygibson

Member
For the nature/wildlife work I do, I'd love to get my hands on some of the large-aperture FE glass. Is anyone aware of:

1) any way to use FE lenses with a high resolution digital back (any camera platform)?
2) doing so without stop-down metering (ie. not Contax 645 with MAM-1 adapter)
3) (for the win) and without sync cables?

Any tips, leads, crazy ideas??

Thanks,
Brad
 
Brad

I believe your "dream" will not come true in the HASSELBLAD world .
The only way I can see to use F or FE type lenses is with a 203FE or 205TCC/FCC and have a CFV back attached to it .
For this case , the 203 or 205 camera must be modified .
These cameras are only available on the used market , as they are out of production since many years .

Please have a look to the connectivity diagram on page 4 of the attached pdfs .

The HASSELBLAD H-system cameras can take a CF-adapter , but as the F (FE) type lenses have no own shutter , it does not make sense .

Jürgen

I can not speak for any other camera platform , but the the first pdf might help here , to find out .
 
There is a good supply of used 200 series bodies available from mint to well used condition. The same goes for lenses.
I built a couple of as new lenses using old new stock from Carl Zeiss and some parts from older F lenses.

For wildlife the 350/5.6 CFE SA or the 350/4.0 FE are great lenses.
Other lenses from the FE range like the fabulous 50/2.8, maybe the 110/2.0 and certainly the 150/2.8 will be suitable.
Do not forget the 2X converter. The later Hasselblad version has databus to transmit lensdata so you do not have to use stopdown metering.

I do not think you can use 39 Mp backs with FE series lenses.
Do not worry there are other backs that will suit these lenses with 200 series bodies after modification.
39 Mp will not be necessary to cover your subjects in quality.
Look for a start what you can do with a CFV back.
 
Thanks, guys, for the suggestions.

The .pdfs have a little disclaimer that even with a sync cable on a 200-series body I can only use leaf shutter lenses, so I'm beginning to suspect you're right in that there's no way to get all three from my wish list. :(

(Pretty incredible, considiering the unique nature and quality of the FE glass, and that the digital backs themselves have an electronic shutter function up to 1/10,000 of a second--how's that for low vibration, high-speed flash sync?? No manufacturer seems to take advantage of this.)

Meanwhile, I am in the market for a 350/5.6 CFE SA--if you have any leads on where to find one, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks again, guys,
Brad
 
"the digital backs themselves have an electronic shutter function up to 1/10,000 of a second"

That mean that a home made electronic trigger will enable to use F lens with any 500c- type body and digital back !
 
It takes at least a 555ELD and a laptop to use the back the way you want.
Possibly you need a trigger from the lens as well that means no F/FE lenses can be used.
 
blowupster said:
"the digital backs themselves have an electronic shutter function up to 1/10,000 of a second"

That mean that a home made electronic trigger will enable to use F lens with any 500c- type body and digital back !
Click to expand...

Yes, that's exactly what I mean, yet no digital back manufacturer takes advantage of this... It would be nice if everything were still triggered from the camera body, so the photographer wouldn't have to work in stop-down metering mode, but yes, this is the idea. No problem supporting shutterless lenses in this situation...

I can only assume there are "good reasons" for the lack of support for this feature, but I can't guess as to what the reasons might be.

-Brad
 
Electronic trigger is easy to build. I made one 20 years ago to get a TTL-flashmeter inside of my PM 45.

So it means that this is possible:
A FE-lens on a 500CM body and a shuter speed of 1/1000 ...with flash syncronisation !

Easy to imagine to use ...X-pan lenses with cfv black too !
Is this possible tu use electronical trigger with the cfv back ?

And then why not to build a "500D" for a 50$ improved cost in production ?and a "500DE" witch use a cell to mesure light with FE lenses?

A 500D should be like the 2000FC with his speed selector but the speed is only a electronic trigger. Or a 500DC with a "c" position to use film back too.
 
Brad,

I have a 203FE and 150/2.8 FE lens, and its a great combination for nature.

You might also consider getting a Canon/Zeiss adapter, so you can use the Zeiss lenses on those fancy DSLR's. I can't see which these wouldn't work with FE glass.
 
Yes, you can use FE lenses on any Focal Plane shutter camera with a 39 meg back mounted ... such as the Contax 645 or Mamiya AFD-II.

In fact, the new Mamiya/Phase One Value added kit comes with an adapter for all Zeiss V lenses including the F and FE versions. Like any of these adapters, it requires stop-down metering and shooting.

The Hasselblad 200 series cameras are not supported by any maker of a 33 or 39 meg back. Sinar backs can work, but only up to the highest sync speed of 1/90th ... and that is unreliable.

BTW, the Canon is NOT an alternative to any digital back, let alone a 39 meg one. Canon CMOS sensors create to much "sensor bloom" ... I have a Canon 1DsMKIII, and before that a 1DsMKII ... no contest in terms of Image Quality when using Zeiss optics, the backs KILL the Canon.
 
You can also use a double-cable release available from Kapture Group. Just look on their site, it's easy to find. I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to use my CF-39 and a 200-series body, and this is the only way, apparently. I have not yet tried, as I was a bit taken aback with the $400 price tag...
 
Wake-up trigger cable

In the time since I've started this thread, I've been with Phase, to another system and am now back again. Five platform switches, all in all, trying to find the system that will work with me. (V->H->Hy6->Phamiya->Contax). Painful.

In my "travels", I have found that Zeiss on Phase is my preferred imaging combination, and am currently building in a Contax system with a P45+. (After 3 years of searching, I was fortunate enough to locate a Tele-ApoTessar 350/4 for wildlife work.)

Anyway, I bring all that up because I heard a rumor (in dealing with the Contax/Phase bulb exposure issue) that Capture Integration in Atlanta may sell a similar cable to Kapture Group's for Phase backs for < $100.

It's probably worth checking with them before shelling out $400 for the KG cable...

Hope that helps,
-Brad
 
I'll give Dave or Doug a call and see if they do have it for less than a zillion dollars. I would love to shoot with my 203 and my back. Thanks for that heads-up.

Sorry to hear of your trials and tribulations regarding the different systems. They all have their plusses and minuses. The Contax is a fabulous system, though, tons of available gear at very reasonable prices (think what they were when they were new) Best of luck with the P45+, it's a great back. I have several friends who shoot with it and love it.

...but you know that Hasselblad made a 300 F2.8 with matched Teleconverter for the 200-series bodies... Just in case you are jonesing for a new lens - and you think F4 is too slow ;) . You can use it on the Contax with the Mam-1. They're about 20 grand when they come up for sale...
 
alastairbird said:
...but you know that Hasselblad made a 300 F2.8 with matched Teleconverter for the 200-series bodies... Just in case you are jonesing for a new lens - and you think F4 is too slow ;) . You can use it on the Contax with the Mam-1. They're about 20 grand when they come up for sale...
Click to expand...

Yup, that was a lot of money down the drain. But the experiences over the past couple of years will help me going forward, I have no doubt.

And as for the 300/2.8 TPP, yes, that's one of the reasons I was so glad to find the 350/4--it gave me an excuse not to sell my other kidney to get the TPP! :)

I heard either $65 or $85 for the cable, if memory serves. Let's hope it'll do the job.

Best regards,
-Brad
 
200 and 2000 cameras 30 MmMpix possible

blowupster said:
Electronic trigger is easy to build. I made one 20 years ago to get a TTL-flashmeter inside of my PM 45.

So it means that this is possible:
A FE-lens on a 500CM body and a shuter speed of 1/1000 ...with flash syncronisation !

Easy to imagine to use ...X-pan lenses with cfv black too !
Is this possible tu use electronical trigger with the cfv back ?

And then why not to build a "500D" for a 50$ improved cost in production ?and a "500DE" witch use a cell to mesure light with FE lenses?

A 500D should be like the 2000FC with his speed selector but the speed is only a electronic trigger. Or a 500DC with a "c" position to use film back too.
Click to expand...

I believe blowupster is quite correct. Its really very very simple electronics.

Is it this solution that people have been wanting for using any digital back with 200 and 2000 cameras / sorry for the link / but kapture group announce one item that triggers both the shutter and the digital back, its called one/shot/cable release for Hasselblad 200 and 2000 bodies. Its really a simple device that connects the two leads of the cable "synchro cable" and at the same time functions at the shutter realease cable. This could probably also be achieved by rebuilding the battery compartment so that a trigger can be made when the shutter release draws current.

Here is the link
http://www.kapturegroup.com/imacon/imacon.html#4x4one_a

Cheers,

Ronald
 
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