need spare hasselblad V body

[cs_foto]

ok, so the time is when I need to have a spare body for backup or replace my broken 500cm (which i plan to repair at some point), see:

http://hasselbladinfo.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3417

my question is, what should i go for? 500cm? 501cm? 503cw? 503cx?

i dont want to spend more than £300, and i'm not really interested in having ttl flash... i want a full mechanic body (500 series)...

i am inclined to the 503cw because of the winder, but normally they cost a lot more, so what would be your advice guys? should i look for the newest made body (no matter what model) by serial number/production date?

so far i've seen a 503cx (1991) for £300 and a 500cm (date unknown) for £200, i wil give whatever i get a good service before using it...


thanks

 

[polypal]

Within the possibilities of your budget I would go for a clean later 500 CM body.
Later bodies can be distinguished by looking at the bottom of the camera.
In stead of two seperate brass lugs there is a stainless steel plate with two small lugs to support the film back.
These bodies were first produced in the beginning of the eighties.
It is not this support for the film back that is most important but a number of other improvements that were effective together with the change of the bottom of the camera.

The 503CX and the 503CXi are basically 500CM bodies with TTL/OTF flash option. If TTL is not your thing the extra money these cameras demand is not well spent.

If you do not mind spending more than the indicated limit of the budget there is the 501CM to consider.
The 501 CM and the 503 CW both have a "new" mirror mechanism with a larger mirror than does not vignet with lenses longer than 150 mm or in macro applications.
In the long run the 501CM and the 503CW need less maintenance than older cameras with the smaller mirror.

The 501CM and the 503CW are basically the same camera with two differences:
The 503CW offers TTL/OTF flash and also allows the use of a winder.

Expect to pay around 400-500 GBP for a clean 501CM and on top of that 200 GBP for a good 503CW body.
Beware of bodies that have a hard professional life behind them with little or no maintenance.
Such a camera can cost a fortune to be serviced up to Hasselblad standard.

Any questions about equipment wanted are best placed in the classified section of the forum.
Please read the sticky before you place your ad.
Placing an ad is free and gets attention from more and more forum readers!

ps
The new mirror mechanism later to be called GMS was introduced in 1976 with the 2000FC camera.
It took 20 years before Hasselblad offered this system also on 501CM and 503CW bodies.

 

[cs_foto]

thanks a lot, yes i think the 501cm would be my best option, but there is this money thing.....

i will see what i can find....

one thing, i am not entirely clear on the later 500cm tripod thing, this is my camera today, is this a later 500cm model? according to the serial number it was made on 1981.

cheers

carlos

 

[wbulte]

one thing, i am not entirely clear on the later 500cm tripod thing, this is my camera today, is this a later 500cm model? according to the serial number it was made on 1981.

cheers

carlos

No, this is an earlier one than Paul describes. The later models have a stainless steel plate on the bottom that includes the 2 lugs that hold the film cassette.

Wilko

 

[blowupster]

If TTL is not an issue for you, then the best 500 body for money is.. the 2000FC/M !