Hasselblad 500C/M
In 1957 Hasselblad broke the standards of the SLR medium format cameras by launching a camera without focal plane shutter, the 500C used a Compur central leaf shutter, installed in every lens, allowing full aperture viewing and automatic diaphragm.
This solution was already proved as successful in the Zeiss Ikon Contaflex cameras, although on the Contaflex range the shutter is permanently mounted on the camera and only the front cell of the lens is interchangeable.
In 1976 Hasselblad launched the 500C/M, the main difference to the C is the capability of changing the finder glass without the need of any tools.
By the way 500 stands for 1/500, the top shutter speed, C for classic and M for modified.
'The Hasselblad 500C/M is a medium format single-lens reflex camera featuring lens, magazine, viewfinder, and focusing screen interchangeability.
The extensive Hasselblad system of accessories provides unlimited photographic scope. It is a system capable of tacking your photography to inner, or outer space, and almost anywhere in between.' sic from it's manual.
Hasselblad never let go the opportunity of remember us that it was one of their cameras the first to travel into space and to the moon.
Due to the extreme interchangeability of it's parts they often call it a system.
I even can use the TTL prism finder, from my Salyut-S camera.
Now I'm very glad I haven't covered it in red, like I did with the camera.
This is the way that I rather like to use it, with the waist level finder.
It's very nice to handle, great for low perspectives and the big bright finder is priceless.
The lens is a Carl Zeiss Planar 2.8/80.
The shutter is extremely precise and flash synchronized at every speed, 1-1/500 and B.
When you have a light reading you can block the shutter and aperture ring, by only pressing a button on the shutter ring, and choose whatever combination suits you best, almost like a P mode.
This one was built in 1983 and it had been very used but not abused, so it's in great shape, as you can see by the following results:
The lens is a Carl Zeiss Planar 2.8/80.
The shutter is extremely precise and flash synchronized at every speed, 1-1/500 and B.
When you have a light reading you can block the shutter and aperture ring, by only pressing a button on the shutter ring, and choose whatever combination suits you best, almost like a P mode.
This one was built in 1983 and it had been very used but not abused, so it's in great shape, as you can see by the following results:
More on this flickr set.
Stay tuned (o;
I think that the first camera to go to space was a Minolta.
ReplyDeleteI think you are right.
ReplyDeleteJust taking the liberty to re-post a contribution from the Minolta YahooGroup (Message 86461):
Dear friends
I passed a Nikon site and all people (I thought at least) know that Nikons and Hasselblads was used in the Apollo space program. But a interesting quiz caught my eyes, the question was:
2. What brand camera did John Glenn take with him on his orbital space flight in 1962? Answer: Ansco Autoset 35mm. In depth response: That's close enough. Actually it was a Minolta HiMatic, which was also imported by GAF and marketed as the Ansco Autoset. There seems to be some confusion as to which marque was on this particular camera as the exterior was drilled full of holes to reduce weight and a handle was attached. In interviews, John Glenn himself referred to it as a Minolta.
I found a picture of it:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/attm/atmimages/99-15174-2.f.jpg
And more info
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nasm.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?id=A19670198000
Lovely camera.
ReplyDeleteHere's NASA Astronaut's Photography Manual
This Astronaut's Photography Manual has been prepared by Hasselblad in close cooperation with the Training and Man-Machine Divisions at the Johnson Space Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. As a guidebook for the NASA Photography Training Program, it not only describes the operation of the Hasselblad 500 EL/M cameras used on the U. S. Space Shuttle but is also a concise manual on photography to assist astronauts in creating the best possible space photographs.
Maravilha das maravilhas... só o nome enche logo a boca... e as fotografias o olhar!
ReplyDelete:)
The Hasselblad is the smoothest and well balenced camera i've ever used. It is a work of art in and of itself. Thank you for sharing
ReplyDeletehi - where can i buy one. i livein south africa and i am going to paris endof the year for a holidaY
ReplyDeleteI bought mine on "evilBay"
ReplyDelete