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New to hasselblad

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redgreenblue501c

New Member
Just got my first hassy, a 501c(w/80mm), and it has truly surpased my expectations. I just picked up my first couple of rolls of B&W from my local pro lab and I knew Zeiss lenses were contrasty but these prints look almost infrared! The kodak tech pan 25 was the most obvious but the ilford pan F was right up there. Even the TX 400 was of much higher contrast than I am used to. Don't get me wrong, I think its pretty cool, but there are some times I might not want this. Is there no stopping this lens!? I figured it might be the lab itself and their processing methods. I just started going there and all I know is they use all Agfa equipment. The proofs I got were printed on Agfa Sensatis paper. Any input would be appreciated. Thank you.
 
Brian,

There are many ways to develop Tech Pan, and you might want to discuss with your lab what developer and method they use and whether they can alter the resulting contrast by altering these. Many frustrations with film choice have more to do with how it is processed, than the capabilities of the film itself. This goes for any film...

Taras
 
> hi bryan you should think of develping the films yourself.i have no good =20 experience in any lab developing my films. i know it will take some time till you get results you really want but =20=

i think its worth to do so. i recently had some films to get developed in a lab but found that i =20 could have done much better and more careful. rinsing the films was the problem . So go ahead and try it yourself . regards jurgen
 
Jurgen beat me off the line here. I too would recommend that you self-process. I have been doing this (b&w) since I was 10 years old.(That's 50 years ago!) It really is quite simple. The important thing is good technique. i.e.a clean, careful, accurate approach. It is also way cheaper than a lab. and YOU have control. I no longer mix my own chemicals from individual formulae but buy the pre-packaged stuff. Still cheaper
Colin
 
Bryan and all other Friends of photography,
I develop my film myself, with my formula, and mix myself the chemical with the good formula.
What is important is to have experiences, you have to test your film, find the right ASA, and the good time for developing. After this, if your exposure is right, you can print with paper gradation 2, without to use a 4 or 5 for a higher contrast or without to use a 0 or 1 gradation for a soft print.
When you are organized all is simple. And the result is secure.
Why to use a self mix of chemical.? I think that it is a good way to prepare the only good quantity of chemical, so you have always a fresh developer. And if you find a modified formula that give you a better result, you can do it. What you buy is not possible to change.
What is important is not to use a lot of different films. It is more important to know the possibility of use for each film the you use. And you can see that you will not need more of two or three different films.
When you have the virus of photography in your blood, you will need to manage it by this way.
Have a good travel in this world, and enjoy it.
Laurent
 
> I'll second Colin (and I'm an old guy too, although I've been doing it > only since I was 20). You should find someone to talk to in your area > who does his own processing to get some tips. If you want REALLY long > gray scale negatives, try using Kodak Verichrome Pan (it's a consumer > film, the same stuff some of us used to put in a Brownie Starflash) at > 80 ISO and develop it in Rodinal 1:100 with a water bath in the > middle. It works great. Jim
 
Hi I am also fairly new to the Hasselblad system but not to photography and = dark-room in general. What interests me Laurent or all other people who do self-processing is: = I you want a good negative with all contrasts right etc. you cannot = avoid the processing of one single negative at a time (as in large = format cameras). How can you do that with a whole role of medium format film? cheers flo
 
If you want a good negative, you need to either use a film with a good contrast range, or not expose subject having wildly differing contrasts on the same roll.

So guess why you have interchangeable backs? ;-)

But, i think, you really do not have to expose and process individual frames.
Even Ansel Adams, Zone System Guru, managed using just 4 backs, 2 types of film. And i bet he rarely used them all.
 
> There is an attachment available from earlier Hasselblad days ( last > listed in the catalog in the mid-1990s) that will let you use cut down > sheet film to make one exposure at a time & develop accordingly. The > cut film back and the film holders pop up on ebay regularly. It > consists of a film cutter (2 versions...one is like a baby paper > cutter, the other is like a pair of scissors with appropriate stops > for the film size), an adapter, and individual film holders.
 
Thanks for all the input. I am going to try processing my own negs and see how that works out. Now I just have to decide what kind of chemicals to start out with. I am familiar with kodak d76 and hc110 but that is about it. Any suggestions?
 
Bryan,

I think you will have to try several films-developer combinations, and do several tests with particular film-developer combinations too, to find the ones that work best for you.

This includes "playing around" with ISO ratings, temperature, dilution, processing time, etc. But not changing more than one parameter at a time, obviously.

I found that i like relatively fast (ISO 400) films best, but rated at ISO 200 and processed accordingly (shorter).
Good contrast, nice tone, no objectionable grain.

But your taste may be very different. And results of tests depend a lot on personal quirks too (like the way you meter, or how you agitate during processing)
 
You will no doubt wish to "experiment", but as Laurent pointed out it is important not to go all over the place testing all sorts of films and developers until you get a feel of what your after.
I think you choice of D76 (or ID11) together with Pan F or FP4 is a good start.(you could use Kodak's equiv.) Try rating the film at the manufactures suggested ISO. You could also try a few shots at +1/3;1/2 & 2/3rds together with a - 1/3rd. See what you like best. Keep subject or lighting conditions the same. With a correctly exposed, devloped negative you should be able to place it on a newspaper and read the print through it in all but the darkest areas.
Colin
 
I just purchased a 501 CM and I am very pleased with it. I was wondering if anyone could assist me in the purchase of a cable release. I am not sure which one I need for my time exposures that I want to do. Does hassy make a special cable release for the 501 CM or will any cable release work? Thanks, Bobby
 
Bobby,

Any cable release will do.
But for time exposures get one that is "lockable". And no too short.

Enjoy your camera!
 
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