Moving to Hasselblad lenses from Canon

[macmx]

I am currently considering moving from my Canon to Hasselblad.

My current setup is a Mark 2 with three f/2.8: a fisheye, a 24-70mm and a 70-200mm, and a 50mm prime f/1.2.

My question is: is it hard moving from zoom lenses to fixed? I am just so used to zooms and if I make the move I will not be able to buy that many lenses, and I am unsure of whether I can get by with only three primes?

Second: Most of the new Hasselblad lenses are f/4 or thereabout. Do you ever feel you miss the bigger aperture, when doing low light photos or portraits etc?

I don't know why but I have always choosen large aperture lenses and I like them that way, but since my focus is becoming more landscape oriented, I guess it won't hurt with smaller ones.

Any info/comments are much appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[adaptersolutions]

Marcus,
It is difficult to definitively tell some one the absolute solution to their gears since everyone is different in style and resource. However, what I can tell you based on my experiences is that I love my Hasselblad system and I would not go back to the Canon or any other 35 mm systems due to the format and the bright waist level finder screen and other factors. In addition, I like how my medium format digital back performs as compare to the Canon sensor. If you are not aware already, the depth of field for the medium format system is much more shallow compare to the 35 mm system. Therefore, if this is your concerns then you should not worry. In fact, the extreme shallow depth of field of the medium format system helps to create a more natural looks to the photograph; I will not go into the mechanism here. If your f stop concerns is not for depth of field but for available light then the Leica M8 system is a great system since their lens are optimized for wide open and the absence of mirror mechanism you can also shoot as low as 1/15 s. Thus, the combination of lens optimization at wide open and slow shutter hand held will give you the best balance between resolution and bokeh instead of increasing high ISO to compensate for stopping down for sharpness. Despite the lack of respect for wide open lens available in the medium format system, there are few lens that do exist such as the Planar T* and HFT 2.0/110 FE or PQ. This lens is very decent at wide open and often yields lovely bokeh; there are situations where challenging the lens the bokeh will not be at its best.

-Son

 

[vandevantersh]

Marcus, I was in a similar situation last year except I had a 503cw but no digital. I got a CVF back and love the combination. I am a hobbyist and not a pro like most folks here. For me, the digital 503 is a different mind set than 35mm. Good light, crisp focus and low ISO if possible. As far as lenses go, read the favorite lens thread below; a lot of different opinions. I would say 40mm or 50mm(lower cost) 80mm, and 180mm. The CFV back as a 1.5 crop factor which I don't find a problem. Would I like a 1.1; sure, but even if it were available, I couldn't afford it.

Steve

 

[macmx]

"If you are not aware already, the depth of field for the medium format system is much more shallow compare to the 35 mm system."

- This I did not know. Thank you for that info. It is of great help! My concerns have been minimized.

 

[macmx]

Thanks Stephen. Will check that out.

I too am and amateur, simply spending all my money on camera equipment but not earning any.

 

[adaptersolutions]

Marcus,
I also have a brother who loves these craftmenship of the Hasselblad and Rollei system and he is very happy to trade in his Canon system so he can use the Rollei 6008 AF with the Phase One P20 back. The other things that you might not aware, the flash sync for the Hasselblad 500 series camera with their C, CF, CFi, CB, and CFE lens are upt to 1/500 s. Thus, using such high flash sync really helps those who do not own a powerful flash system to match against the sunglight power. This is one of the reason why wedding photographers loves the 500 series system especially in the film day. I am such a photographer in those catagory and once I have the Hasselblad system it is hard to forget and explain why I am too moving back to my medium format systems and Hasselblad is one of them due to their incredible optics and format.
-Son