Hasselblad CFV II 50C on a 203fe and a 500c/m review and samples.

While loaning out his Pentax 67, an offer to borrow a Hasselblad CFV II 50C emerged from the borrower. Alastair grabbed his 203fe and his 500 c/m film bodies and took this unit for a test. Check out a brief discussion, some in the field sample images, and a studio setup/shoot. #hasselblad #hasselbladdigital #camerareview #digitalback #mediumformat #cfvii

[g.z.]

Thank you for a real world look at using this.
The trouble shooting and learning process made it very relatable.
Really enjoyed watching it.

[andyvan]

for others seeing this video, Alastair is setting asa on the camera due to the spot meter in the camera, which sets the focal plane shutters' speed, as it is Aperture priority, like in mirrorless, but this meter determines shutter speed in most of the modes, A/D/Z, only in M is it fully manual. {you HAVE to turn on this camera, it has an electromagnetic focal plane shutter, so to use the e-shutter in the back, you need the magnet to open the shutter, to get the leaf shutter(if a C or CF lens is in front), and this curtain out of the way, so an exposure can be made}.

[Cyriljayant]

I am gladI have found this video. Thank you !!

[healthid]

I really appreciate the honest appraisal of the value. I have a 500C/M and love it, and have considered the digital back, but I think your statement at the end really said it all. Save the digital for a different camera.

[johnrandolphthatcher]

thanks for making this video. I thought you'd have to keep the shutter open and THEN use the digital shutter on the back to use the camera..so this helped a lot

[BugalooB]

I knew that was Vancouver as soon as I saw the forest!! Best city in the world

[jean-claudemuller]

Hello
With the 500 series body, no need to go through the back for flash sync. You go directly with the flash trigger cable on the CF lens flash socket. lens/back sync is done internally through the legacy mechanical camera body to back sync.

Flash sync on the back is for technical cameras like Alpa's Cambo's ... that have to use the lens flash port to sync lens and back.

[enthdegree]

great channel i can't believe it isn't 100x the size

[andyvan]

Alastair, fyi, to get lightroom to see the fff or 3F file types, you do the dng conversion in Flexcolor software (free), then it's straight TIFF, tiff or Dng that most software can handle, or for modern Hassy's [X1D/X2D and H6D] you have to use phocus directly, as the f formats are legacy, but they revised the packaging so you must use phocus to decrypt it. ( from memory the Phase One, Capture One software IS also agnostic enough to take it, it can deal with most others, no matter the raw packaging type).

[iNerdier]

Great to see a review of this that deals with all its quirks as well as the benefits.

Funny you mention grandfathers and Minoxes, I just got mine out and found that the guy I bought film from is making metal cartridges for them and filling with in-date film now. Might have to shoot it again.

[TheWorkerAntColony]

The Hasselblad holy grail is the 205fcc. Most people never even heard of it, because it had to be ordered. Now it costs $15k for a working one.

[HesselFolkertsma]

Interesting how they got it to work so seamlessly.

[andyvan]

for general information: what you did was because the digital back has no idea when the camera has fired, called funnily enough shutter latency, the first cable gives the back the trigger signal, when to activate the pixcels, the other one uses this info, and the back's tech, to meter the scene and fire the modern flash units (radio/ir-slave, or otherwise).
one other tip, for composition, use the LV in the back, set your CF lens to Focal plane mode, which opens the shutter in effect giving you a dslr style lens, aka apature and focus only, use mirror up mode to (clears it out of the light path), then put the live view on in the back, hey presto, an idea where the subject is in the frame.This Focal plane shutter idea can also work for shooting, using the back as the "focal plane shutter", but in reality the pixcels are scanning the frame; here you have to press the shutter button on the back, this "takes the photo".

[sgroadie]

The new CFV II 50C does come with the chrome edges to perfectly match the bodies you have.

[Xingqiwu]

The 500 bodies are wonderful - IF - I repeat - IF they don't jam!!! (And a quick pointer: There is no need to speak at 500 words per minute. The vast majority of English speakers are NOT native speakers.)

[jdpst]

I've been wanting one of these since the 1st gen was available for my 500cm but honestly with the price they are coming in at and the rarity of being nearly impossible to find they are just not worth it when You can just shoot good film stock and get the film look. At the price of newer Fuji GFX50r or s even you can get a used system and a lens for under the price of this digital back and have good AF and much better controls.

[thefilmplane.]

For your information only, Speedotron is still in business!!

[NicholasAndre]

The 907 has no shutter built in like the Fuji, therefore it's somewhat garbage without either the Hassy lenses with the built in shutters or a V system body. The 907 is really a "bonus" for someone who buys the CFV II 50C for their 203 and wanted to poke around with the new Hassy lenses on occasion, but its ergonomics are pretty weird (particularly absolutely no viewfinder without a V system body). Anyone primarily using the new lenses should probably go the X1D route.

[jacovanlith]

The wrong step, first take off the A12 backand put it aside.
Uncover the digital back and mount it to the camera body.

[marcholstein]

i wanted to ask you what your experience with the Internal lightmeter of the 203 FE is, mine tends to underexpose at times, unfortunately.