Your Most Essential Hasselblad Lenses?

Your Most Essential Hasselblad Lenses?

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Being a wide-angle fan, the 50 was always my go-to lens. However, I'm now shooting mostly 645 with the 'blad, and would love to have the 60. But when I check current prices, my blood runs cold (an occupational hazard of shooting with these cameras, I suppose). Guess I'll just stick with what I've got, and make it work!
 
I have both the 50 and 60mm Distagons. Although the 60mm is a very fine lens, I use the 50 a lot more. Its horizontal angle of view is equivalent to a 35mm lens on the 35mm format, while the 60 is more like a 40mm lens on, say, the Leica.
 
I'm not familiar with any of those three. They are not in Richard Nordin's Hasselblad Compendium. Are they for a post-V system body? The new digital platform? I'd love to have a 35mm f/4 for my 500C/M. I would finally have the widest lens I want for the 500 C/M--a 24mm equivalent (horizontally) compared to 135 format. But it must be for a much newer system.

Well, I may get another SWC. I wish I had listed the SWC 38mm Biogon in this survey rather than the stupid 30mm fisheye. Too late.
 
For the V series? Don’t think so. 30 fisheye and the 40 in its various manifestations were the widest, followed by the 50. 45 must be for the H series.
 
agoglanian said:
He’s speaking of the Xpan lenses based on those focal lengths and apertures.
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X-system has a 45mm f/4 too: the XCD 45P. And a 30mm: XCD 30mm f/3.5.

It gets confusing unless you're specific regarding which Hasselblad system/series you're referring to.

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My most recent Hasselblad lens acquisition, the XCD 65mm f/2.8, I'd now consider to be an essential for my 907x camera. :)

G
 
Godfrey said:
X-system has a 45mm f/4 too: the XCD 45P. And a 30mm: XCD 30mm f/3.5.

It gets confusing unless you're specific regarding which Hasselblad system/series you're referring to.

---
My most recent Hasselblad lens acquisition, the XCD 65mm f/2.8, I'd now consider to be an essential for my 907x camera. :)

G
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True! I was just basing on the poster’s proclivity for film ;)
 
Retro-Grouch said:
Being a wide-angle fan, the 50 was always my go-to lens. However, I'm now shooting mostly 645 with the 'blad, and would love to have the 60. But when I check current prices, my blood runs cold (an occupational hazard of shooting with these cameras, I suppose). Guess I'll just stick with what I've got, and make it work!
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Guess who wrote this last August? And guess who just went ahead and purchased a 60mm? I do believe the 60 will be the Goldilocks lens for me!
 
Don’t know that it’s an ‘essential’ lens, but I quite like this 60/4 Distagon.


60mm Distagon by Vince Lupo, on Flickr

Made in 1962-63 and according to Richard Nordin, only 1900 made. Not sure why it was made in such limited quantities.
 
Vince Lupo said:
Don’t know that it’s an ‘essential’ lens, but I quite like this 60/4 Distagon.

60mm Distagon by Vince Lupo, on Flickr

Made in 1962-63 and according to Richard Nordin, only 1900 made. Not sure why it was made in such limited quantities.
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I suspect that it was transitional, in some way, between the f/5.6 and the f/3.5. Manufacturing and design technologies were changing rapidly at that time. Vince, do you use that funky metering knob? And if you do, how accurate is it?
 
Retro-Grouch said:
I suspect that it was transitional, in some way, between the f/5.6 and the f/3.5. Manufacturing and design technologies were changing rapidly at that time. Vince, do you use that funky metering knob? And if you do, how accurate is it?
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Yes I do use the metering knob and yes it’s surprisingly accurate.

Richard wasn’t even sure why the lens was made in such low quantities - he thought perhaps it was a limited edition of some type. Not a whole lot of info on this lens.
 
Vince Lupo said:
Yes I do use the metering knob and yes it’s surprisingly accurate.

Richard wasn’t even sure why the lens was made in such low quantities - he thought perhaps it was a limited edition of some type. Not a whole lot of info on this lens.
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The f/4 Distagon actually looks like the ideal 60mm. The half-stop difference from the f/3.5 is negligible, and it's nearly as compact as the f/5.6, which, for me, is too slow to be useful. I initially thought that it would be my first choice, until I saw the prices. Yikes!
Funny about the knob. One would expect any selenium meter of that vintage to be near death, but the fact that it's useable (and useful!) is a testament to the quality of everything Hasselblad makes. I might consider one for the convenience factor when using the camera for a walkabout.
 
Retro-Grouch said:
The f/4 Distagon actually looks like the ideal 60mm. The half-stop difference from the f/3.5 is negligible, and it's nearly as compact as the f/5.6, which, for me, is too slow to be useful. I initially thought that it would be my first choice, until I saw the prices. Yikes!
Funny about the knob. One would expect any selenium meter of that vintage to be near death, but the fact that it's useable (and useful!) is a testament to the quality of everything Hasselblad makes. I might consider one for the convenience factor when using the camera for a walkabout.
Click to expand...

It’s a super lens - I don’t have it handy, but as I recall it focuses to about 20”. Right now it’s with my camera repair guru, along with a late ‘70s 500C/M. The lens was one of those ‘as-is’ KEH specials that turned out to be a beautiful lens.
 
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