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Hasselblad CFV Digital Back User report

I have been away for a little while, using the 205FCC/CFV in the countryside north of London. So I missed this discussion above, which seems to have become an increasingly heated discussion about the CFV and Hasselblad's support. So, maybe my "update on the CFV" post is going to seem a bit out of context. But, I said I would post it after a bit more experience with the CFV, so here goes...

I had to attend a conference at an old manor house in Buckinghamshire, about 80kms north of London. Fortunately I had some personal time in the mornings and evenings and doubly-fortunately I arrived in England for the first sunny week of the summer. So my 205FCC/CFV got their first serious workout together. I left my film backs in Bangkok.

Continuing CFV impression: Excellent.

The results are sharp, colours are nicely gradated, and the exposure is spot-on. I found the CFV with the 50mm lens to be just a little wide of "standard" and the CFV with the 110mm to be just a bit longer than a short tele. The 110mm with the CFV is excellent at portraits. I did miss having a wider lens, especially in the confines of the narrow lanes of the antique English village near the conference place. But, I have always believed in working with the equipment that you have, rather than pining for something you don't have, so I was happy to shoot with the 50mm and the 110mm.

Any problems? Yes. Twice I pulled the camera out of the bag and took a photo without turning on the back. This is just a question of breaking my 10 year-old habit. I have now changed the back setting not to auto power down for 90 minutes and I leave the back on during a defined shooting session.

Any bugs? Maybe one. After capturing one shot, the back reported a "media error" and told me to "restart the camera". So I removed and replaced the battery and fired up the back again. It only happened once. I know which San Disk I was using at the time so I will keep an eye out for problems with it in the future.

Any lessons learned? At least one. For a start I am going to largely ignore the back's feedback on exposure. The 205FCC is so accurate at exposure that I don't need to the CFV to confirm or warn about exposure. A couple of times the back gave me a "yellow" on the exposure but the second shot when I adjusted the exposure to get a "green" was not as good as the original shot. I have now switched the feedback sound to "off"

Any other comments? Yes, I am very happy with my new 205FCC/CFV combination and, if it keeps working at this level, I feel that my investment was worth it and, at the very least, has extended my investment in Hasselblad for at least 3 to 5 more years.
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Regards
Peter

PS. I was also using a new camera bag for the very first time, the LowePro Slingshot 300. I must have walked 10 kilometers over 3 days with the 205FCC, CFV, 50mm and 110mm lens on my back and found it quite comfortable. It was also quite manageable as a carry-on for the plane trip. But the key advantage to me was the ability to access the camera without putting the bag down. Often in the morning, the grass was wet. In the past I would have had to put the camera bag down on wet grass. With the Slingshot it is a simple matter of unclipping the waist strap and sliding the bag around onto your belly. Works as advertised...
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G'Day:

@ Peter - nice report from Bucks. Lucky dog! Thank you for sharing.

@ Simon - well said, as usual. "Down there for dancing, up here for thinking".

@ Jack - did you have something you wanted to say ... :)
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Cheers,

Colin


"Whom the gods shall destroy, they first make mad." - Old Persian Saying
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Simon, I believe you are spot on.

I also believe there is a shift happening that will continue to place stress on the whole system ... and in a way, this "shift" is the underlying cause of the discord here if you look past the personal arguments.

As a company like Hasselblad downsizes, and "shifts" it's marketing platform more toward catering to professional photographers (for whom high-end MF digital is not an elective option), the less attention that is paid to the advanced amateur that once was a decent source of sales for the company.

Hasselblad was the marque aspired to by legions of non-professional photographers. Now, the best they have to offer is in the financial stratosphere, justifiable only if it is making it's owner lots of money.

Now it's not fair when an amateur who ponies up the $10,000. for a CFV is not treated to equal consideration by the company ... not fair, but not unusual. Canon does the same thing.

Thus, my advice that the dealer is perhaps the single most important factor in the buying decision. If it's a strong, knowledgeable dealer with connections, and knows who to get to, they can create a priority in a system overloaded with priority stresses.

Who's fault is all this? Who knows? We can speculate and Monday morning quarterback all day long. I'm sure those at Hasselblad would have been content if digital never had come along. I'm sure many of the former Hasselblad employees would agree.
 
G'Day:

@ Marc.

I think you are spot-on about the issues, and of where the company is probably aiming. That is why I had opined earlier in this place, that the company should not forget the 'beginnings' and how many of the up-and-coming pros eventually arrive at the big ticket items.

I see so many students who, at PolyTech colleges etc., submit wonderful final submissions having used 500cm, 503cxi, Rollei 6008, Pentax 67, Mamiya 6, etc. It's a huge leap from 503cxi and 80 Planar, to a full-on wonderful-as-it-may-be kit.

I have a history in car business marketing since 1988, and there is an obvious reason why you see C, E and S Class Mercedes, 3,5,7 Series BMW, X S and J Jaguars etc etc. Get 'em young, treat 'em right, and move 'em up the scale. The key is that the $30K buyer FEELS like the $100K buyer, and is treated like such. Although some now 'pooh-pooh' brand loyalty in the 21st Century, it exists!

I am in awe of the Hassleblad history, and have on my shelf the books about the Man, and his Cameras. For me, however, I have had a good run, and my V series will outlive me I'm sure. I guess it is for the graduating generations I 'grieve'.

And you're right, too, about Monday morning quarterbacking. In my case especially, too little, too late, and too uninformed!

"We want Hasselblad Forum magazine: when do we want it? Now!"
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At least, ..."we'll always have Paris..." ummm...not Hilton.

Cheers,

Colin
 
What is sad to me . . . is that so many automatically seem to think digital can do everything. Cover all looks. OR what bothers me even more is those who are now shooting digital because of 'ease' only and their seeking 'perfection'. Even though many admit film has a better look and feel to the images. No one said quality was to be easy.

I look at the shots I see from the CFV and admit they look very good (for digital). I am (possibly) about to buy one, but want to see if Hasselblad makes a change soon AND the images still look very 'digital' (if you know what I mean) and it bothers me. But if I do, I would never JUST shoot CFV. The wonderful thing about the V camera and back is we have the best of both worlds. Different pallettes if you will. Digital (for the most part) has a cookie cutter look, regardless of maunfacturer. To my eyes . . the higher the megapixels, the more sterile / cold looking the images are getting. Yet dynamics, front to back depth etc, seem to be getting better. Thank God. Though the CFV / Zeiss lens combination offsets it (the digital look) somewhat.

In no way am I starting a digital vs. film debate as much as saying it is a shame that many are foregoing the beauty and feel of film. Soon every thing will have that same digital 'look'. Of course I realize the issues and inevitability . . . . . sadly

But as artists (if you shoot for art), we should stay open to all brushes and pallettes. It would be a shame if painters only used watercolors because it's easier then oil. AND because manufacturers are shoving it down our throats. Salvador Dali in watercolor has no where near the effect and emotional involvement as oil. It (quality) is not suppose to be 'easy' . . . . . sadly, putting it in a computer seeking perfection to where there is no soul is the norm these days. CFV / Canon or Nikon etc.

Again, I'm not opening up a can of worms. But replying to a post above AND reminding us why we got into this wonderful craft (and Hasselblad) in the first place. I can spend $10,000 on a CFV, then more thousands on cf cards / software / storage / upgrading computers etc etc . . . but I still love the look of MF film over any digital I have seen. And I have the film backs already.

Again, both formats have their strengths . . . but what's sad is, seems once many buy digital and start dropping things in computers, editing for hours, seeking some kind of perfection, they forget that film has a wonderful beauty, even in it's flaws.

I hope we all stay open. To stretch and expand creativity . . . not be cornered with only one 'paint'.
 
Colin, the question is can Hasselblad do both in it's current downsized situation?

They do have student programs, and such. Plus for a long time they offered interest free financiing to help with the staggering cost of new gear. Unfortunately, most buyers aspiring to Hasselblad are now KEH customers, not Hasselblad's.

And, I'd have to agree that when it comes to the CFV, the service should be head-over-heals great no matter what you use it for.
 
"They do have student programs, and such. Plus for a long time they offered interest free financiing to help with the staggering cost of new gear. Unfortunately, most buyers aspiring to Hasselblad are now KEH customers, not Hasselblad's."

Unfortunate? I think it's too early to tell. If it wasn't for the used market, I and probable a lot of new Hasselblad users wouldn't be using MF gear. If a profitable CFV type back, offered in the $1,5000-2,500 range, came on the market, all of the owners of "KEH" gear would be a huge new market for Hasselblad. Because of your evaluation and recommendation, I bought a CFV back about six months ago. A digital-mechanical camera is a lot of fun..and my Nikons get little use now. If the price was right, a significant number of "V" series owners would do the same thing, IMHO.

Steve
 
I think you are right Stephen. There is a huge base out there just ripe for a more affordable digital back. Whether they can get it down to $1,500 to $2,500. is the question.
 
Peter:

You lucky guy: a conference in London and free time to shoot your 205 and new CFV. Sounds like life is good.

Knox:

You haven't joined our Addicted to film association yet, please do so at once, please don't hurt Colin's feelings!

Colin:

You entry level car ex&le is a good one, but an inexpensive car can still go from point a to b, like the high end model. I have to question what bells, and whistles can be trimmed from a CFV to make it an entry level item and still produce quality images. I hope you have some ideas to pass along as it would be a very good venture.

Unfortunately, most buyers aspiring to Hasselblad are now KEH customers, not Hasselblad's." >

Steve:

I think it is also unfortunate for the student, not to have something, new and at the same time support the company. Without money Hasselblad cannot continue to offer future products which can perpetuate the use of their camera and perhaps enhance their interest in photography.

Regards:

Gilbert
 
G'Day:

@ Gilbert.

This is my last car analogy, OK. :) (Been there, got the T shirt)

I agree with your thoughts about the $15K car and the $100K car, mostly. But then, there's the HEFT of that big sucker, not to mention, room for 5 x Colin's for trips etc. Sorry Simon ..."horses power for ..."

So let me fire this 'whatabout' into the mix then - and not wishing to step on KEH toes.

Let's say, Hasselblad started up a Used Car ...err.. Pre-Loved Camera Department, and sold Certified HBs. (They kinda do, but half heartedly). Certified, with warranty, and a live support line. Tell me who wouldn't flock to that store. Leasing, Financing, whatever (3rd party banker). So, then I 'follow' Marc's gear - he buys the latest, I buy the CLA Certified from HB at a premium price. I keep trading my way up, as Marc keeps getting new Tilt Sensors. Sooner or later, I'll switchover to new - even a lesser model (as car buyers often do), and someone else takes my place.

Of course, in the middle of this buying 'melee', HB discovers a 'new world' of the young and old who love the brand and demonstrate it. They get emails, updates, special 'members' pricing, yada yada yada. Just like the good old days. And, with digital, I guarantee the sales, trade up, inventory turnover would be quite speedy.

Of course, some, like me, will hang onto their V forever. So do Mercedes 300D diesel owners. But Mercedes is still in business.

But I can tell you that if good recent CFVs were coming onto the market, via HB, certified with warranty at $3999.99, I'm sure somebody here would be breaking a neck to hook it up to the 501/503/203.

It's a fantasy, I'm sure, but you asked me mention a good venture.

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Cheers,

Colin

"Hello, my name is Colin, and I'm addicted to Film".
 
I am on my second CFV back (lost the first in a robbery), and while there was an issue with the internal battery on the first camera (not troubling enough to send in and get fixed), both cameras have been amazing. The back is everything Marc said it would be at the very top of this thread, oh so long ago. That is why I bought the system, and bought both from a good dealer, as he suggests. Since last winter I rarely use the mainstays of my work previously: the D2x or the 5x7 Ebony. My only hope is the this incredible V-digital line continues with more pixels and...dare we think it..more lenses.
 
Let's say, Hasselblad started up a Used Car ...err.. Pre-Loved Camera Department, >

Colin:

They had a pre-owned certified program with warranty a few years ago. On occasion they would produce a list of items and you would purchase the item from your dealer at the price Hasselblad quoted. It was also a source for the dealers like KEH to obtain equipment to resale, so you had to be quick place an order. I wish they would bring it back.

Regards:

Gilbert

"Hello, my name is Gilbert, and I'm addicted to Film".
 
G'Day:

@ Gilbert:

Yes, I actually bought from them. Good, too. Maybe sales were slower then, with analog 200/500. I think the planned/automatic ? rapid obsolescence of digital would mean more business. Anyway, doesn't matter; won't happen. Just a fun topic.

Cheers,

Colin

"Hello, my name is Colin, and I'm addicted to Film".
 
In this thread a number of posts have been removed on the grounds of containing remarks that are damaging and insulting to posters who give a much appreciated response to questions asked.

Some posts referring to these unwanted posts have been edited.

Paul
 
Hypothetical situation. You have several Hasselblad CF and FE lenses, a Hasselblad 205 and a Contax 645 with MAM-1 adapter for the H lenses. You have an opportunity to buy either a CFV (square, 16 MP) and use it with the 205, or a refurbished P25 (rectangle, 22 MP) to use with the Contax. Which would you choose?
 
Getting a CFV for a 503cx body is quite easy: go and convince your bank manager, and/or your spouse that it is a wise investment. Other than that it shouldn't be a problem.

Wilko
 
Yes Matthew, a CFV will work on any 500 series camera. It doesn't require a sync cord from the lens to the digital back the way all other digital backs do. It is unique in that respect.
 
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