[Leica] VictorBlad

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

Medium format
A reality for digital shooters finally?

Yes why not is what I say!
Not not quite as easy as a medium format option for film;
But getting to be in the realm of reasonable ness:
This just out:
Having checked out these deals Hassy just emailed me about pre owned
cameras.
 one of then was called this:
http://www.hasselbladusa.com/products/v-system/503cwd.aspx

A 503CWD

" The camera Victor would have built"

Well it is the camera Victor did build.
But with a digital back on the back.

For some reasons they didn't say
" The digital camera Victor would have built"
Which is not good either:
"The way Victor would have shot digital"
Is good copy.

The Fujiblads have taken the spot as most used cameras for high end jobs;
The New Leica S system will no doubt eat into that;
Most often used as the H system is used (the Fujiblads we like to call them)
As rentals
But people with money are always coming out of the woodwork
Rolls Royce sold twice as many cars this year than last.
Its always what you don't think.

Some interesting tidbits on the specs:

Square format just like Victor reckoned.
And I'm real fond of. Also with my Rolleiflex.

Could I wrap my mind around a 1.5 crop circle way of shooting?
I think so ever since getting my D100 in 2003 its all I've mainly ever
thunk.
With some brief Leica M and LTM interludes getting fewer and further
between..

36.7 x 36.7 mm 
Hey that's longer than 35mm!
By a cool clean .7 mm away!

But by both sides now:

36.7 * 36.7 = 1346.89
24 * 36 = 864
1346.89 / 864 = 1.56


I love this:
" Sensor size: 16 Mpixels (4080 x 4080 pixels)"

I'll let this get by with poor translation but the size of the sensor it not
16 Mpixels. That's the capacity of the sensor.
The size of the sensor is  36.7 x 36.7 mm
That's the whole point of the camera.
A credit card camera can have 16 Mpixels on your pinky fingernail pixies
dancing.. Ok maybe in a year.

I have a 50mm lens so 50 * 1.5 = 75
Gee that's normal for medium format square!!
I guess its good by wide angle.
Except for that fact that in this day and age a Zeiss lens made for
Hasselblad bought used is the best deal in photography period. Bar none.
Easy. I think you can get them with food stamps.

I have a Carl Zeiss Planar T* 3.5/100 Cfi bought moments before the whole
digital thing hit.
Glass to give our 75mm Summicron a run for its money.
I put it on this camera and I get (hold it while I whip out my slide rule:)
100 * 1.5 = 150mm!

150 was my first lens with my first Hasselblad except it said "Sonnar"  on
it for some odd reason probably used in submarines.! And the only lens I had
for years starting out in commercial in Portland in the early 80s.


A medium format option.
Never a bad thing.
Leica even made a medium format enlarger.
As so many photographer had a Rolleiflex in the bag right next to their
Leica.
I'd put an old sock in between.





Mark William Rabiner