Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/04/06
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 08:32 PM 4/6/01 -0400, you wrote: >If I was going to buy a used hassy what should I get? I want sheer bang for >buck. I like WLFs and lenses around 50-150mm in this format. Don't want >meters or drives or any of that stuff. Lenses as fast as possible. And what >do you have to look out for buying used?? If you really want fast lenses, an F series Hasselblad. I don't know one from the other except that the first one, 2000F I think it was, was very prone to having its metal shutter damaged by fumble-fingers when changing backs etc. I believe later models retract the shutter curtain when the back's removed. F-series cameras have a focal-plane shutter, flash synch is I believe 1/90. They can handle the fast lenses, 50 f2.8, 110 f2 and 150 f2.8. I think overall the most bang for the buck is the plain old 500C/M w/80 f2.8T* lens and A-12 back. It's a leaf-shutter lens, T* indicates multicoating, and the A-12 back is pretty much the current type. All is readily repairable. A standard older 500C screen is dismally dark; the C/M allows user-installable screens, the Acute-Matte series of screens being the usual type of choice. The leaf-shutter lenses are a stop slower than the F series. Leaf-shutter C lenses can be used on F bodies, but not vice-versa. Beware that buying an old used Hasselblad is about the same as buying an old used Leica; budget a CLA into the price. The leaf shutter will probably be sticky and the back may overlap frames and leak light through the darkslide slot. Buy from a good dealer. John Hicks jbh@magicnet.net