[Leica] Hasselblad digi-backs, lenses - was M9"M8

[henningw at archiphoto.com (Henning Wulff)]

You're completely correct in most of that, Frank.

The P65 back isn't available for the Hasselblad 500 series, and of 
course the digital Schneider and Rodenstock lenses don't work either.

It's just the if you're talking 'digital MF', high end backs on 
things like Arca and Linhof bodies designed for those backs come up, 
although they are often more like adapted and shrunk view cameras 
than hand-holdable MF film cameras like the Hasselblad or Mamiya 
(although the latter in it's current incarnation can handle the P65 
back as Mamiya and Phase One are now one and the same). Mamiya is 
also going through a redesign of its lenses, especially the 
wideangles, to make use on the hi-res backs reasonable. Peformance 
and prices are going up correspondingly.

As far as user-friendly, where is the line drawn? User friendly is a 
minimal P&S or even some cell-phone cams. Less user friendly (in 
descending order): a consumer oriented DSLR, pro DSLR, Leica M8, 
Digital Fuji-Hasselblad, Digital field camera with high-end digi 
back, and Betterlight scanning back on 4x5. This is a minimal list 
off the top of my head.

You're correct that if you want to use that Hasselblad body, you 
don't have many options and you'll be using those (older) Hasselblad 
lenses and whatever back is available for it.

But that system is likely (and I'm guessing here, based on the fact 
that some components aren't made anymore) to be a dead end. So for 
that kind of money I'd want to have either a clear advantage over 
anything else in that price bracket, or something that has a future. 
Neither of those things seem convincing to me about the 
Hasselblad-500-as-digital option.




At 3:18 PM -0700 8/13/09, Frank Filippone wrote:
>Maybe I am being dumb,, but using a Schneider or Rodenstock Digi-lens on a
>Hasselblad body means that you do not have auto aperture ( nor, maybe any
>shutter at all if you have a 500 series body) .
>
>Unacceptable comparison to anything that is at all user friendly.  ( pick
>one or more... Canon DSLR with Canon lenses, Leica DMR with Leica Lenses,
>ditto Nikon, any other system camera.... ).  ( I am pretty much consistent
>with my assessment that no-auto Iris is a no show in my book, and also for
>the marketplace).
>
>The ONLY practical solution to a Hasselblad body assembly is Hasselblad
>lenses.  If you want a digital back, you are still in the same camp....
>Hasselblad lenses.
>
>Period.
>
>If you want something to experiment with, argue away..... but it is pretty
>meaningless from a usability standpoint.
>
>Which is where I thought this discussion was moving towards......Use.
>
>Frank Filippone
>red735i at earthlink.net

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    *            Henning J. Wulff
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