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Question on A16 back and 500mm lens

GrahamPhotog

GrahamPhotog

New Member
I am a newbie here so please bear with me. I just bought an A16 back with the mask. On the cartridge rear is the holder for the film wrapper. There is also a wheel that when I turn it shows numbers on the top and bottom. They go from 20 top, 14 bottom to 6400 top and 39 bottom. Do the top numbers refer to ISO ratings? What do the bottom numbers refer to and how do I interpret them?

The second questions concerns the 500m f/8. The focusing ring has a slot and inside there are 3 movable "knobs" of red, yellow and green. Are these used to set pre-focus positions? If so, any suggestions as to how to use them? I don't seem able to move the focusing ring beyond 200 feet. How do I get it to get up to infinity?

Thanks very much.

Graham in St. Augustine, FL
 
The ring on the back of the mfilm magazine is indeed a reminder for the film speed. ASA (ISO) on the top, DIN on the bottom.

As for the 'flags' on the 500mm, I suggest that these are simply the adjustable presets for 3 different focusing distances - saves you having to look thru the viewfinder - you just turn the focusing ring until the correct colour flag lines up with the center line on the lens.(Slide them along the slot to select a position)

The fact that the focusing ring doesn't go past 200ft suggests to me that the focusing helicoid has shifted. Try focusing to a known distance (A tree 50 feet away, for example) and checking to see if it's correctly in focus on the focusing screen.
 
500mmm focusing ring

Thanks for your help. Last night, after applying some gentle pressure, I was able to move the focusing ring to infinity. Once it gets light I will take the lens out and check to see if it is focusing properly. If it's not I will just send it back to KEH and get a replacement or my money back. Thanks for the other info as well. Very helpful.
 
500mmm focusing ring

Now for one of life's little embarrassments concerning the focusing ring. It turns out it was user error! I hadn't realized how much the barrel rotates in and out. Once it got to 200ft (70m) the focusing ring simply butted up against the lens plate on my ballhead. I will simply switch out the Bogen head and attach a RRS plate instead.

Newbie mistake!
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I also now see how the tri-colored knobs can just be set opposite different distances. Pretty cool. (Am I allowed to say "cool" when talking about a Hasselblad or is that considered bad form?)
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Graham,

You may use any decent word you like especially when honestly admitting an operator failure.
Nothing to be ashamed about though.
All of us remember these little events when they happened to us quite well.

I was surprised KEH would have passed a lens to a buyer with this kind of problem.
Everybody makes mistakes but still.

Good to know you can get started now.
Only thing missing here are your images!


Paul
 
I too would have been surprised if the lens from KEH was defective because it is graded EX. This lens has the chrome aperture/shutter adjuster which may mean that it is a little older. I paid $600 for it including an nice case and so I am pretty happy.

So, not KEH error just my error. I'm trying to get familiar with this lens over the weekend because in the wee small hours of Tuesday morning I will be at the Kennedy Space Center for a shuttle launch. No do-overs there once all that rocket fuel is ignited!
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Both you and the Hasselblad are on familiar ground.
That must be good support for both of you.
This year we celebrate 40 years of man on the moon all photographed with Hasselblad cameras.
That means we are interested to see what you have been up.
Thumbs up!


Paul
 
I will post some pictures here after the launch. Let's hope we don't have the kind of delays with this mission that we did with the last one.
 
I'll be very interested to see the photos, I am eyeing an old 500 F8 right now, myself, for my uses.

I remember driving across country to see the very -first- space shuttle blast off. Quite an impressive thing to view in person! I remember the light from the rocket engines was easily 2X-3X brighter than the sun itself. That is saying something. And it went up at such a strange, oblique angle. Absolutely Amazing.
 
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