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If you could What would you

Nice contributions everyone! Also very interesting perspectives and food for thought from all.

Wayne, I have wondered, like you say about the "degree of difference" in the 150 perspective, but was very interested to hear what Qnu said. So I plan to borrow one for a few weeks and see what my eyes tell me. God knows I don't (really) need another lens when it all boils down (can't believe that I just said that)! And you are so wise in your comments about "pushing the current kit to the limit"; I certainly don't wish to be consumeristic about my kit and have in the past been happy to pride myself on how I really use all I have and been careful never to "buy for the sake of buying". When I get an itch I borrow for a longish time - burn out the desire or discover a true purpose. Then I wait until I can buy out of hobby generaqted funds (like share trading) and at a hell of a good price I will likely never regret - I cannot justify any in true "commercial" logic since I'm an amateur; whereas a pro can apply commercial payback logic. I hate the thought of consumeristic greed no matter what my budget capacity and I hate feeling beautiful objects go unused - I prefer to lend them to others who will enjoy them; which I do frequently.

But, at 48 with grown up kids, degrees completed and now in excellent career employment, I have the time and desire to explore my passion. This has been accellerated since I recently developed a chronic illnes with fulltime severe disabling pain - my passion is a valueable "out-of-body" experience helping put aside the significant part of the pain which is unresponsive to narcotics.

No, Wayne I have never come near enough to "truly exploring the range of gear" I have. Your point is one I have in mind all the time and I agree wholeheartedly with you. On the weekend I took my M7, 2 lenses, Xpan and 2 lenses out for a total of 8 hours to do that. I set myself some objectives. Now I'm waiting for the results.

Having swapped a Leica M and a lens for the XPan kit I have the goal of fully understanding the XPan by end August and am on track. It has a very important place in my shooting now, about which I wrote a paper if anyone is interested to read it.

Thanks for sharing your carefully considered thoughts.
 
Thanks Jurgen. Glad you are enjoying it.

Qnu, as always your perspective is very much apreciated. It is the "hitting the wall" thing that makes you think - are the tools helping or hindering. I had similar thoughts when attempting to shoot 6x6 "wider" and wrestled among my 50mm FLE and loaner 40mm and 38mm SWC. I doubt that I ever resolved the issue and have fallen back to feeling that beyond my 50mm, my eyes prefer to see through my Linhof 4x5 kit.

Like you say it's about "exploring what's inside you"; how you see what you see; what it is that you are seeing and trying to create. I never wake up asking mysely "what do I want to buy?" But I regularly wake up thinking "how can I create...?"

Again, like you say, I never look into my bag for inspiration, but rather knowing what tool I know I need to achieve a result.

In fact one reason to pose the original question in 2 parts - "dreamer" buy and "next needed purchase", was to see how the items vary - eg: I need an SWC; I desire a 39MP back.

Interestingly we all seem to share a view that the bag and its contents are only tools to achieve an outcome. But, we also share a view that we greatly admire the engineering, design and build of many of these tools.
 
Qnu: "I'm afraid my previous post had a high "holier than thou" content. (And remember that in this, "thou" really means "myself". Always)" -- wonderful stuff! Was it high relative to all others?
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Great discussion everyone!
 
"Having swapped a Leica M and a lens for the XPan kit I have the goal of fully understanding the XPan by end August and am on track. It has a very important place in my shooting now, about which I wrote a paper if anyone is interested to read it."

Simon, this sounds interesting- is your paper available online?
David
 
Hello Simon,

The next "big thing" on my list is the legendary 40/4 CFE-IF. I own a 203 FE and hesitated between this lens and the FE 50/2.8 but the 40/4 is more universal and remains compatible with the latest H-series with a special adapter. And as I also own a (wonderful) FE 60-120, the angle of view increase will be more significant.
 
Tetron,
Recommend you use the 50/2.8. I have used it for years, and also have the 38 Biogon camera, but favor the 50 lense
 
Hi Tetron.

I was interested to hear you say that the 40mm is "more universal". I have a CF 50mm FLE and really like it.

In the quest for more horizontal "room" I have considered the 40mm, but just feel the distortion is a bit much to my eyes. So like Richard commented, if I went that wide I'd probably go for the 38mm. But maybe I am missing something here.

However I am unaware of how the F versions may optically differ the to C versions if they do at all, so interested in your views. By the way are not all manual focus Hassy lenses able to be mounted on the H body with the adapter?
 
Simon,

The things that make the CFE 40 mm lenses more universal are the shutter (making it possible to use them on both shutterless and shuttered Hasselblad bodies), the Databus (integrating it fully in the 200-series metering system), the fact that they are used on SLR bodies (easier and better focussing and framing; possibility to add tubes, filters [polarizer!], other thingies *and* be able to see what they do; being 'additional' to what else you carry, and not an 'extra', separate camera), and compared to the 50 mm lens the extra large angle of view (which, after all, is the reason we use wide angle lenses).

Sure, distortion correction in the 40 mm lenses is not as good as in the Biogon. But not that bad that you would feel the urge to toss the thing in the bin each time you see what it produces. Far from it.

The F/FE f/2.8 50 mm lens is another FLE design. Different from the one used in the CF version. One in which no separate FLE ring to set 'zones' is needed, but in which the elements are moved when turning the focussing ring.

It is a fine lens, with a very close close focussing limit.
The downside is the weight of the thing. It is absolutely horrendous. When i know i'm going to carry my F-kit for any length of time, the f/2.8 comes out of the bag, is left at home doing nothing, and the much lighter CF 50 mm replaces it.

In a later (1999) modified version of the FE-version, the weight is somewhat reduced (from 1.25 kg to just over 1 kg), at the cost of reducing the close focussing capability too. The old versions also have a rotating front mount (a pain when using polarizer or ProShade), which was 'modified away' in 1999 as well.


And yes, all the V-system lenses can be mounted on the H-cameras using the adapter. Even the ones without shutter.
All, except one: the 38 mm Biogon.
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Using CFE lenses, the aperture data are transmittd to the metering electronics inside the H-cameras. So CFE lenses offer a bit more comfort.
 
[And yes, all the V-system lenses can be mounted on the H-cameras using the adapter. Even the ones without shutter.]

Is this really true? I thought the H-series used leaf shutter lenses. If a shutterless lens was mounted, how would the H-Camera work?
 
Larry,

It is true. All V-System lenses can be mounted on H-System cameras using the adapter.
It is also true that it would be no good to mount shutterless F/FE lenses, since you indeed need a shutter in the lens.

The point was that there is no restriction. So little restriction even, that you 'are allowed' to do things that do not make sense.

Perhaps i should have added another 'yellow face' after all?
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Thanks QG. That's interesting about the F and 40mm lenses. Whenever I have fitted a 40mm lens to my camera I have felt uncomfortable with the edge distortion.

I have also never been attracted to Hassey focal plane shutter cameras - never really seen the need. But, then I may be missing out!

Yep, sure is a bit hard to get the 38mm Biogon to fit any other camera - in fact a bit hard getting the SWC to "let go" of the 38mm lens!
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Hi Simon,

No, F/FE-lenses can not be used on H-series cameras, even with the adapting ring because they do not have an integrated shutter. I got the confirmation of non-compatibility from a guy at Hasselblad of France.

QG perfectly got me with the term "universal" about the 4/40 lens.
 
No doubt here, I would please myself with a SWC/M
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Cheers

André
 
Thanks Tetron. QG did give a wonderfully comprehensive description of the term "universal".

FWIW, my own experience with the 40mm is that I find the distortion a bit distracting / unappealing.
 
I recall seeing an independent 38 Biogon for sale on e-bay. It was a black one BTW. It was touted as being rare. Don't know if it was a true posting or wether Hasselblad ever made one of these. Or if it was one made from a SWC. I dismissed it because it didn't make any sense.

The focal plane shutter camera makes a lot of sense given the speed of some of the lenses. To shoot at f/2 in brighter conditions even with ISO 160 film, you often need shutter speeds higher than 1/500th. I run into the same issue with my Leica Ms that top out at 1/1000th. I use ND filters when it is essential to use wide apertures, but I don't like doing it.
 
Remember that the Biogon is a Zeiss product. Zeiss sold 38 mm Biogons to other camera makers too.
 
From the first question in this thread:

If I won the chance to buy any one Hasselblad thing:

Another 250mm for my second Hasselblad PCP80 projector. Hard to find
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(I have two 75mm’s and two 150mm’s. But only one 250mm…)

The next Hasselblad thing on my shopping list?

Just got it
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!
The #40720 93mm adapter with the previous Hasselblad Pro lens shade #40726
I have never really liked the newer 6093T. Instead I choose both the previous ones.
 
I would think my shopping cart is having the 150mm CF lens. Not necessary to be the latest edition, but must have Prontor shutters. With it I will have more excuses to shoot portraits with gals...
 
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