Hasselblad 500C – Ultimate Pin Up Camera

6×6 Medium Format Film Photography – Matthew Osborne Photography

Hasselblad 500C vs Mamiya 645

I have just been on eBay weighing up whether to buy a Mamiya 645 1000S or a Hasselblad 500C (or 500CM).  The two cameras to me are like chalk and cheese.  The Hasselblad 500C with a silver Zeiss Planar 80mm f2.8 is quite possibly the sexiest camera on the planet bar none.  The end. The Mamiya looks nice too but isn’t quite in the same league.

Is the Hasselblad 500C really that special?

But after moping my drool I need to disengage my heart and engage my brain for a minute.  I read plenty of reviews and look at many sample images.  The photos are, well OK but they are far from wow if you compare them to images from a Contax 645, Mamiya 645 or Leica Noctilux 50mm f1.0 lens to name a few.  I was looking at all images but in particular portraits, bokeh and DOF.

Why was I even tempted to buy a Hasselblad, other than to polish it?

Hasselblad vs Kiev 88

I have an ARAX-CM and Kiev 88 Soviet clone “Hasselbladski” camera.  Both are very much identical to a Hasselblad 500C at first glance.  I love my ARAX-CM 6×6 medium format film camera.  It is no frills photography at it’s best.  The shutter is loud and clunky and the waist level viewfinder is fun to use.  The thing I don’t like is the film back can sometimes let light in and also give different spaced gaps between photos.  I thought if I got the 500C it could join my Leica M3 and Leica M2 35mm film cameras as cameras for life with improved reliability and build quality over the Soviet copies.

Close focus of Hasselblad 500C

I was almost tempted and then I noticed the Zeiss 80mm f2.8 T lens only focuses as close as 0.9m whereas my ARAX 80mm f2.8 lens can focus as close as 0.6m.  This is big in DOF terms, as closer is more shallow so better for my taste.  I then remembered I really want 645 format not 6×6 format for my taste (it seems)(changes daily!). You can get 645 backs for a 500C but then the DOF is impacted using a cropped film back (ie. bokeh not as nice as more in focus front to back).  I have a 645 film back for my Mamiya RZ67 but I haven’t used it as yet.

I resisted..for now!

As a result I resisted the dangerously beautiful near Leica-quality engineered Hasselblad 500C and instead bought a less well made Mamiya 645 1000S with a fast portrait lens – the 80mm f1.9 lens.  I am excited for her arrival!

Cheap Hasselblad alternative

Here are a few sample images from my ARAX-CM that continues to deliver, albeit not always perfectly! The Kiev 88 cameras still work as a great Hasselblad 500c alternative.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/32681588@N03/8407206318/

Related Posts

• Mamiya 645 1000S – https://mrleica.com/mamiya-645-1000s
• ARAX-CM – http://mrleica.com/vintage-look-film-photography/

Update: It was only a matter of time

As you can probably tell from the wording at the start of this article, it would only be a matter of time until I bought a Hasselblad 500 series camera. What I didn’t expect is how photography would change my life.

I quite my Corporate day job and became a full time YouTuber. I didn’t buy the Hasselblad C but I got 2x Hasselblad 500CM, 1x Hasselblad 501c, 1x Hasselblad SWC/M, 1x Hasselblad xPan and 3x Hasselblad H camera. As you can tell I like them!

Hasselblad articles

• Hasselblad – Shoot it like a Leica! – YouTube
• Buying a Hasselblad 501c
• Hasselblad 501C + 5 Alternatives
• Hasselblad Focusing Issues
• Hasselblad 500 series vs other cameras
  • Hasselblad 501c vs Leica M6
  • Hasselblad vs Mamiya 6
  • Hasselblad vs Mamiya RZ67 Pro II
  • Hasselblad vs Kiev 88 (ARAX-CM)
  • Hasselblad vs Mamiya 645 Super
  • Hasselblad vs Rolleiflex SL66E
  • Hasselblad vs Fuji GF670
• Hasselblad Camera Photoshoots
  • Hasselblad 501c + Hamburg Models
  • Hasselblad 501c + Polish Models
  • Hasselblad 500cm/501c + Polish Models II
  • Hasselblad 501c + NYC Models B&W
  • Hasselblad 501c + NYC Models Colour
  • Hasselblad Portraits with Kodak Ektar – Poland
  • Budapest Models –  Hasselblad H3D-31
• More Hasselblad Camera Reviews
  • Hasselblad 500C
  • Hasselblad 500CM (Photoshoots)
  • Hasselblad SWC/M (Super Wide)
  • Hasselblad XPan!
  • Hasselblad H3D-31
  • Hasselblad H3D-39
  • Hasselblad H2
  • Hasselblad H film back

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