HI battery life

[roberto]

How many rolls of 220 film should I be able to use -without ever using the flash-on one three-pack of CR-123 batteries? My concern is that I'll be photographing next month at Bryce and Zion in Utah in very cold temperatures and I've been unable to purchase the rechargeable battery grip from B&H in NYC-out of stock. For that matter the 52 mm. extension tube as well as the H1 film magazine is also out of stock. Could an experienced user suggest how many batteries I should buy?
Enjoy your Thanksgiving. Thanks.

 

[kac]

The claimed line from Hasselblad is 2500 shots on a set of batteries. Obviously with the very cold weather you will probably be exposed to, there will certainly be a reduction in that, perhaps as much as 75% from the claimed amount. If you intend to be shooting for a couple days, and the shots were very important/for professional reasons, I would presume 500-700 minimum per set and be prepared accordingly. My experience, in more moderate temps, has been much higher than that. Best of luck Roberto, and maybe you can share some of the pics.

 

[chrisv]

I used my H1 in Maine in October and shot 20 rolls of 120. The temps were moderate (30s-60s) but when I got to the 21st roll I had to change batteries. I installed the lithium batteries right before I left for the trip, so I was a little disappointed. Even my battery hungry Nikon F5 lasted 40-50 rolls. Take a few packs of batteries with you...can't hurt to have extra

 

[roberto]

Posted by chris vigneri (Chrisv) on Thursday, November 27, 2003 - 3:39 am:

I used my H1 in Maine in October and shot 20 rolls of 120. The temps were moderate (30s-60s) but when I got to the 21st roll I had to change batteries. I installed the lithium batteries right before I left for the trip, so I was a little disappointed. Even my battery hungry Nikon F5 lasted 40-50 rolls. Take a few packs of batteries with you...can't hurt to have extra

Thanks to both of you for your responses. I had a feeling that Hasselblad designed a rechargeable battery pack for a good reason: energy hungry system. Too bad that the battery pack isn't yet available in the States. I'll get that unit later. The most important thing for me is to have enough power to do my work. I'll simply have to invest in a lot of batteries. My next trip when I'll be doing a lot more photography is in January when I spend the month shooting in South India. Anybody know what kind of converter I'll need to use the Hasselblad Battery Grip Rechargeable 9.6v AA batteries with the Hasselblad Battery Charger-converting from whatever we use in the States to whatever they use in South India? Sorry for this inarticulate query and I hope you understand my question.

 

[roberto]

>I used my H1 in Maine in October and shot 20 rolls of 120.

Chris, I have a naive and possibly stupid question. Why did you shoot 20 rolls of 120 instead of 10 rolls of 220? I have lots of experience with 35mm and virtually none with medium format. My aim in purchasing the HI system was to improve the quality and size of my Velvia transparency (and get a much larger viewfinder with 100 % field of view) while keeping everything as much as possible like my Nikon F100. Thus a roll of film with 32 exposures seems closer to my 35mm experience of 38 than a roll of 16. Thanks. Robert

 

[kac]

To respond to your second question first, although I am not presuming to answer for Chris, I use 120 in lieu of 220 sometimes because 1) I might be using several different film types for a particular shoot (more than the number of backs I have) and will want to change off, 2) In many of the local photography shops I deal with around here, 120 is more available than 220, and 3) If I'm doing a shoot with a more limited number of shots/day, I might use 120 to get the rolls processed daily.

WRT the converter, India uses a 240 volt system, which normally would mess up American accessories, if not cause a hazard as well if not used with a converter. However, looking at the BH website, it appears as if the charger comes with the multifarious plug types used in different countries. This would suggest that the charger is adaptable to different voltages, although I don't know that for certain. My recommendation would be to contact Hasselblad USA by email to their Technical Department, which I have found responsive in the past. You will wait a few days, but they do get back to you.

 

[rcyoung]

> I do not know about Chris, but here is my "guestimate"...... > I use both, and often find 120 the better choice. It allows one to > shoot 1-2 scenes with bracketing, then allows you the option of > changing film (b&w to color, asa 100 to 400, etc) without wasting much > (if any) film. Also, if you do your own reel developing, the 120 is a > bit easier to load because the spiral spacing is not usually as > "tight".

 

[roberto]

>Chris and others: thanks for the info regarding when to use 120 over 220. >I'll probably call the technical guys at Hasselblad to get the official >word on which converter to get; first I have to get the charger, the 52mm. >extension tube (for the 150), and the film holder. Why is this stuff all >out of stock? Is it because demand in the U.S. is so great that Hasselblad >can't keep up with it or so slow that Hasselblad doesn't bother producing >it? I'm interested because I need this stuff now and I want Hasselblad to >be successful with the HI selfishly so that support for this system >continues. Robert

 

[chrisv]

I shoot 120 because I also shoot a fuji 617 pan which gets 4 shots out of a roll of 120. Since I only get to set up and focus on 1 shot at a time with the Fuji 617...I use 120, take 4 shots with a bit of braketing and then look for a new composition. I just don't feel like carrying 120 and 220. No other reason