Medium Format Forum

Register a free account now!

If you are registered, you get access to the members only section, can participate in the buy & sell second hand forum and last but not least you can reserve your preferred username before someone else takes it.

Your favourite lens

Hi Marc, thanks for the welcome.

That's exactly what I thought - that only a few really worked with the H-System. And that they will argue that none comes even close to the Zeiss lenses. I can't find that it's delusional to equate the optical qualities of Zeiss and Fuji, what besides I haven't done I just ask if nobody likes a lens of the H-system best. And their is not only MP3, what about SACD,... someone who owns a Bowers & Wilkens Nautilus speaker system will certainly not listen to MP3-files. That's only where the masses go as they do with those tiny point and shoot cameras. But Hasselblad is in no way where the masses go, they build state of the art equipment in every aspect.
I don't bother if their is any digital postprocessing as long as the result is what I want and if this can fix problems that fall into every lens design I'm fine with that. I use a flextight 343 and get remarkable results and if I finally can aford to switch to a fully digital workflow, I will have the best system too do so and can benefit from those technologies.

I'm quite new to photography, as I just startet about 2-3 years ago with a 35mm camera, but went straight to medium format after a few, very few month. But since then I've had the opportunity to work with a little range of different system, although I mainly took along my 503cw and since a short while an H2. I like both system a lot and find them to be the best around on the market, each for their own purpose, but i have to say that I almost only use the H2 since I got it. Not only because of the greater flexibilty that comes along with this kind of camera, but also because I really like the output of the lenses. The only thing I really miss is a 45º finder, like my PME45. And I have to admit that I favour the square, but I get along with this.

And I have to say: I like the bokeh of the Fuji glasses. I wouldn't judge the bokeh of a lens by only taking one frame into count. Yes the bokeh differs and it might trully be more harsh than that from a Zeiss lens, but as I wrote in my first post they have a more "modern" look(I don't know how to explain it better), and in that way they are more harsh, but not necessarily in a negative way that depends on your own likes but it is certainly not horrible.
 
Simon,

Should you indeed have a 45 degree prism for use on your H-camera, you would damn the thing every time you tried to shoot in 'portrait' orientation.
Try it with the PME45 on your V-camera, and you will see why.

It's not quite as bad as a 'straight on' finder, like the chimney they sell for the H-cameras (Hasselblad's advice: don't turn the camera to change orientation, but crop later on), but close.
 
Hi Marc,

I find this an interesting statement:

"The H system was clearly the future and the Contax was a dead-end."

I'm curious, what was incomplete about the Contax system? I don't find, say, the Canon F-1 system "a dead-end" because it's been out of production for, what, two decades? I think everything I could want for it is available. It shoots equally as good an image today, 20 years after it's been out of production, as it did 20 years ago...and then some.

I hear the "dead-end" argument a lot, but no one has been able to give a reasonable explanation (reasonable to me anyway) for why they claim this. Is the V system a "dead-end"? What would be "dead-end" about it? Because a camera is in production does not mean a particular lense or accessory will eventually be available. At least with a "mature" system, you know exactly what's available and can choose accordingly.

What makes a system a "dead-end"? If you want to shoot digital, well, even current production systems might not necessarily meet that need! You have to buy for what's available, not for what you can hope might be, and that's true for in production systems and out of production systems IMO.

Regards,

Austin
 
Austin,

Try to find lenses and other things for a Contax 645 and you know
instantly it is a dead end.
You will have to go through a lot of trouble to find a wide angle lens for this camera because there are not that many wide angle lenses around.

That is why Hasselblads V system is still going strong.
The vast amount of used lenses and other items you can buy anywhere in the world.
Bodies over forty years old are being serviced every day to continue a working life.

Paul
 
Austin, I actually agree ... determinations as to the the future viability of a system HAS to be made on an individual basis. Most certainly if a system serves one's purpose, and can be maintained, then it remains viable as long as those needs don't change.

Dead end for me meant no improvements to keep pace with the competitive set since the system is no longer in production. The concept is that you invest in the big expense which are the lenses, and the less expensive body is improved along the way.

The Contax 645 was a revolutionary 645AF camera that launched before digital was so dominate, and was eventually surpassed by Mamiya AFII and the H1/2/3 for things like AF speed, power management, versatile digital integration (see below*). For me, without AF, I might as well have used my V systems which I already owned for decades. The rumored improved Contax 645AFII never materialized.

These and other considerations such as the long awaited leaf shutter lenses which also never materialized, began adding up. *Plus, because of the way the original camera is configured it cannot be used with multi-shot digital backs, a consideration for studio work involving moire' prone subjects. My next back purchase may well be a multi-shot back.

I would not put the Hasselblad 500 series cameras in the same category. These are not cameras with complex electronics, or dependant on power sources to operate ...nor is it difficult to find highly skilled independant technicians to maintain these cameras. I'd wager that our 500 series system would remain viable for decades even if Hasselblad walked off into the sunset.

So, on judgement, and with considered evaluation of the work I do, the H system seemed the most integrated digital interface between back, body and software with clear paths for firmware upgrades to keep the body viable as technology races forward.
I paid for one body and have upgraded it twice already at a fraction of the cost of buying a new improved body ... which I would have had to do even if Contax had stayed around.

As they say, it's just business.
 
BTW, look at the OOF areas of the shot I posted above of the little girl, and compare that to the Zeiss shots with soft backgrounds posted in this thread. Many of the Hasselblad H/C lenses are comparible in my experience ... like this cull shot from a recent locaton job:

26649.jpg


in addition they eliminate one ocassional pet peeve I have concerning the Zeiss optics ... Pentastar specular highlights in the OOF areas which are as irritating as donut highlights from a mirror lens ... I've even had clients ask why there are Chrysler logos in the background ... LOL.
 
The difference in OOF seems to apply to more lenses.
I think it is not a coincidence but has to do with different
approach between German and Japanese designers.>

By coincidence, I just noticed today that Nikon offer lenses with "Defocus Control" "for creating unique blurred effects".

What will they think of next?
happy.gif


Regards:

Gilbert
 
Gentlemen I have been "out of action" a lot for the last couple of months so have missed seeing some of those superb images posted demonstrating your favourite lenses.
happy.gif
My pancreas is to blame!
sad.gif


So I have some reading to do tonight. But a quick observation or two:

Wilko - your images remind me of how much pleasure my 50mm gives me; that is what I used to shoot the Blue Mountains image with the foreground rock.

Marc - I agree with you about the crompression effect of the 250mm (mine being the CF f5.6). I always take it with me when shooting landscapes.

Love those OOF ex&les too. Personally I think the OOF attributes of my Zeiss 6x6 lenses always please me - quite beautiful - and to my eyes the best in the game.

My next favourite (a very close second) is the OOF my XPan (Fuji) lenses produce (50mm and 90mm). Interesting that isn't it!
happy.gif
Then and a very very close third is my Leica Summicron-M 50mm lens with what I feel is the "prettiest" OOF in 35mm land.
happy.gif


There is something about Fuji lenses I like having seen images shot with the Fujinon LF lenses, Fuji's MF cameras, some H series as well as the XPan - they rarely disappoint. To my eyes, their tonality and optical corrections are typically excellent.

Simon - welcome to the forum. The traffic may be low but the quality of discussion is first rate.
 
Well I got to read all the posts and drooooool over the images posted!
happy.gif


Wow, Wilko they are wonderful images and I totally agree with your comments about those US national parks. If anything tempts me to do a trip within the USA it is exactly those parks.

Marc's image of the gorgeous flower girl is a treat and a nice ex&le of the H series optics. I also liked his travel "grabs" - especially the colour one!

Seeing these images and Marc's posts as well reminds me of why I shoot MF and Hasselblad for that matter. Of course at 72dpi over the web we only get a small taste of the real thing, but it certainly gets the "look" across all the same.

Marc raised a very good observation - what about the 60mm f3.5 and 100mm f3.5? Interestingly no one mentioned them! Well I don't have the pleasure of owning the 100mm; but I do love my 60mm (which now proudly wears Jurgen's bespoke dedicated 60mm lens hood
happy.gif
. However my 120mm remains my overall favourite Hasselblad lens.

I for one got over the shock of Fuji becoming Hasselblad's lens partner for the H series. Fuji is capable of designing and building superb lenses. I'm sure any theoretical/technical lesser performance characteristic to Zeiss optics is likely to be insignificant and often not visible to the eye. And I have never read any pro commenting that H series lenses are genuinely inferior.

My own experience with the XPan's Fuji lenses has been nothing less than excellent.

"What is your favourite Lens?" - my intention was certainly inclusive of any lens that wore the Hasselblad name - since it is under the general heading of "Hasselblad lenses"! I even wondered if pre-Zeiss "Hasselblad" optics might surface.
happy.gif
 
Well Simon, there are sure some forum members out there with 1000F and 1600F lensen. Cameras that have lenses from Kodak and Kilfit to name just a few.

Maybe we can tempt them to go out now that spring is coming and shoot some film with these 50+ year old cameras?

Wilko
 
Wilko,
oh yes, I am tempted. Unfortunately my 1000F is not CFV compatible (shame on Hasselblad/Imacon about backward compatibility ;-) and results are on film only (and nobody has yet donated an Imacon Scanner to my adress). A couple of lenses should be back from service soon, so i will see if there is a favourite among those (Sonnar, Biometar, Tele-Votar,...)

Ulrik
 
Ulrik,

Would a Biometar or Tele-Votar qualify as "Hasselblad" lenses?
I think they should not.
z04_augenroll.gif
 
Q,

Depends on what we use as a metric. One could define "Hasselblad lens" as a lens that Hasselblad at some point in time carried on their own pricelist somewhere on this planet. So Kodak Ektars for ex&le would definitely qualify.

If you define it as "designed for use on a Hasselblad" a whole bunch more become "Hasselblad lenses".

I'm curious about the results, not necessarily on whether Hasselblad had it on their pricelist.

Wilko
 
Hi Ulrik,

I guessed you would not resist this bait! :) But if you shoot on film, maybe we could together sweet-talk Marc into Imacon-ing some of the best shots?

Wilko
 
Except for a converter Hasselblad allways relied on outside help for lenses.
It started with Kodak. Later Carl Zeiss, Schneider and Rodenstock were
suppliers of lenses for Hasselblad bodies.

So any other make qualifies in the favorite lens contest as far as I am concerned.
 
"If you define it as "designed for use on a Hasselblad" a whole bunch more become "Hasselblad lenses"...
... neither Biometar nor Tele-Votar will qualify.
wink.gif


'Adapted' for use on a Hasselblad?
 
maybe we could together sweet-talk Marc into Imacon-ing some of the best shots?

Nice one Wilko
happy.gif
. Well, as an enormously grateful recipient of Marc's generosity, I can say that's a great idea - maybe he could set aside every Monday to do our weekend shot films!
happy.gif


But, I remain eternally hopeful that Marc will decide that his investment is not justified and banishes that Imacon scanner to the convict colonies down under!
happy.gif


Which Hasselblad lenses? Branded, adapted or whatever matters not to me much, but I'd be keen to hear comments from those who have used "pre-Zeiss" Hasselblad fit lenses like the Ektars.
 
Well, as much as I like Marc's pictures and value the experience that he for sure has and is always willing to share here. I would not try to "sweet-talk" him. Problem is that scanning is time-consuming if you do it right. That is one reason why I do not have a scanner yet. I do not want to scan on a cheaper scanner and then maybe do all the work again on a better scanner as soon as an Imacon or Nikon 8000/9000 becomes affordable for me. The Imacon scanner sounds nicer as it seems to capture more information at 3200ppi as the Nikon at 4000ppi, so more information within less storage space.

Ulrik
 
Back
Top