Hasselblad: My Latest Film Camera Shopping Spree

Hasselblad 501CM, PME-5 Meter Prism, 40mm CF, and 100mm CF.

If you read the blog entry about my experience buying a new Rolleiflex Hy6 a few years ago, then you already know it was not a pleasant affair. I have been able to fix or work around the Hy6’s multitude of problems and I do use it, but it’s not a system I will be investing any more money in. The automation of the Hy6 is wonderful, but questionable reliability, lack of domestic repair options, and scarcity of indispensable accessories like film backs makes it a poor choice going forward.

In the past, I had done some research into Hasselblad and Bronica SLRs, so I wasn’t jumping into it cold. I was impressed by both systems, but ultimately decided to go with the Hasselblad V-series. It has an excellent reputation, a full line of Ziess optics. a large user base, is readily available in quantity from multiple sellers on the used market, and can be serviced by a number of domestic repair facilities.

What to Buy

I quickly narrowed the search to either a 501CM or a 503CW body which are newer members of the V family and have a few improvements over earlier models that are nice to have, but not essential. Also on my shopping list was a meter prism, a waist level finder and an A12 film magazine. I planned to start with two lenses. Since the 40mm lens for my Hy6 was recently declared unrepairable (at least domestically) due to the unavailability of parts, I decided that I would definitely be getting a 40mm Distagon lens for the Hassy. I also decided against getting the usual 80mm kit lens since I already had an 80mm lens for the Hy6. Instead I decided on the 100mm Planar lens which has impressive MTF curves. I went with CF rather than C lenses because I didn’t want lenses that were more than 40 years old. I can see myself getting a 60mm lens in the future.

Where to Buy

I gave a lot of thought about how to mitigate the risks of buying used equipment. In the end, I settled on buying everything from KEH in Atlanta for multiple reasons.

  1. They had everything I wanted.
  2. They have a 6 month warranty and an in-house repair facility.
  3. Having a sizable inventory, they are able to replace an item if it falls short of expectations.
  4. They have a 21 day return policy.
  5. They have a generally good reputation and I’ve had good experiences with their repair shop.
  6. They are are domestic, so they are subject to US law.
  7. They sell on ebay and with feedback from >100,000 transactions.

There are two downsides to shopping at KEH:

  1. First, they don’t provide actual pictures of items for sale, instead opting to use generic pictures of the product. For me, that was not a trivial shortcoming, but it was outweighed by the benefits. Given their large inventory and turnover, I can understand why they don’t provide a full batch of pictures of every individual item. Furthermore, I also don’t think pictures of the actual item are a substitute for a good reputation and a buyer friendly return policy.
  1. Second, they don’t list serial numbers for camera bodies and lenses, so you can’t look them up and find out how old they are. This can be helpful if it allows you to determine whether an item is ten years old or 30 years old. An older item may be more likely to need service for decaying seals or gummy lubricants. But, not all manufacturers provide a means to cross-reference serial numbers with manufacture date, so this is limited only to some brands.

I am not suggesting that KEH is the only reliable source of used analog equipment. Hasselblad is one of several MF systems where used equipment is plentiful and available from numerous reputable sellers with hassle free return policies. Competition is our friend. But, for the equipment I was shopping for, KEH offered several options for each item on my list, with different price point and condition ratings. No other seller I looked at matched KEH in that regard. They must have a considerable inventory.

Buying used carries a risk that the camera may have problems and may need service the moment it arrives. Sellers often don’t recognize defects in items they sell or hope the buyer won’t notice them. With their in-house repair facility KEH has the capacity to rectify such problems should any arise.

Other used equipment sellers include Roberts Camera (UsedPhotoPro), Samy’s Camera, and Cambridge World (which also has a repair shop, but doesn’t appear to list condition ratings on many items). If you buy pricy equipment direct from any merchant, I recommend you check that seller’s feedback from buyers on ebay. If they don’t sell on ebay, it may be because they’re unwilling to comply with ebay’s customer protection policy.

One thing I made up my mind not to do is purchase from Japanese sellers on ebay. I’ve seen too many of their listings where they rate a product as EXC+++++, but then note that lens haze, which can easily render a lens useless, does not factor into their condition ratings. While many accept returns, dealing with international shipping and customs just increases the cost, risk, and hassle of returning an item. Furthermore, many Japanese sellers have limited buyer feedback, which makes me think they just create new accounts when they get too many bad ratings. While some buyers swear by them, buying from Japan is not for me when there are reputable US sellers with buyer feedback in the tens or hundreds of thousands.

Pulling the Trigger

The Hasselblad 501CM, accessories, and lenses that I ordered were well packed, arrived quickly, and all worked right out of the box. I made it a point of selecting items that KEH had rated EX or better. I wasn’t bargain hunting. I was willing to pay for items that, while not perfect, were in good working order.

The only problems I encountered were a somewhat stiff focus on the lenses and slightly sticky mirror-up button on the body. The mirror up button loosened up within a few frames and hasn’t reoccurred since. The focus on the 40mm lens now turns quite smoothly just from use since I got it. The 100mm lens is still stiffer than what I’m used to, but not enough to warrant sending it in for a CLA. Cosmetically, I was pleased with everything the moment I unpacked it. I couldn’t have expected it to be in better condition if I had owned it myself. After several days of rigorous testing, I was unable to find any functions that didn’t work. That was impressive and it suggests KEH is better than average at rating the condition of items they sell. It was the exact opposite of the experience I had with the factory fresh Rolleiflex Hy6 in 2020.

  • The body, lenses, and accessories looked nearly new, inside and out.
  • No light leaks.
  • The film back didn’t scratch the film.
  • The focusing was spot-on and out to infinity at full aperture.
  • The frame spacing is even with no overlapping frames.

I went through several rolls of film hunting for defects. There were none.

About Focusing Screens

The 501CM camera body came with a 42204 Acute-Matte D focusing screen which has no focusing aids. During the focus testing phase, I ordered a BrightScreen with microprism and split image focusing aids specifically because the 40mm lens has such extreme depth of field that it’s hard to focus precisely even on a flat contrasty target for focus testing purposes. While I prefer the Acute-Matte D over the BrightScreen for viewing, the focusing aids are indispensable for me. Ideally, I’d like to get an Acute-Matte D with focusing aids such as the 42215 or 42217, but they are outrageously expensive compared to the $100 BrightScreen. The BrightScreen is not a bad screen, by any means. It looks very similar to the screen that came with My RB-67 Pro S that I used without issue for decades. Also, the BrightScreen with the supplied shims, focused identically to the Acute-Matte. I couldn’t have been happier about that.

Bottom Line

I thought long and hard about how to reduce the risk of buying used equipment. For expensive items, I have limited my ebay purchases to reputable domestic sellers that accept returns and have a well established track record. I have also lowered my expectations of getting an item in good usable condition at a bargain price. I am now willing to pay more to get more.

A merchant who plans to be in business for the long term protects his reputation by pleasing customers and nurturing repeat business. There are good arguments for buying from KEH and, as long as they are a reliable seller with a commitment to customer satisfaction, I will continue to shop there. The worst thing you can do is just assume a seller is honest and hope for the best.

This is, of course, just one man’s opinion.

First Pictures From The Hasselblad

After shooting a few test rolls of film to check shutter seeds, apertures, focusing and other functions on the 501CM, I took it on a local outing in downtown Huntsville, Alabama. While I took both the 40mm and 100mm lens, the only lens I used was the 40mm. While optically not as good as the later (and much more pricy) Hasselblad IF CFE lens, it has about half the distortion. Since I shoot urban landscapes and Photoshop can’t fix a darkroom print, straight lines are important to me. One setting if the FLE covers the range of 2 meters to infinity, so I didn’t find much need to change it for the kind of shooting I do.

Need I mention that Hasselblad doesn’t make any cockamamie claims that their lenses are only designed to focus out to the hyperfocal distance?

Below are a few shots from that excursion. All are scans of darkroom prints with 8″ x 8″ images on Ilford Cooltone RC paper from Tri-X and Delta 400 negatives developed in Ilfosol 3 (my first experience with that developer).

Defective Right Out of the Box

Serious Quality Control Failings with New Rolleiflex and Leica Film Cameras

Leica M-A and Rolleiflex Hy6 Mod2

I have never been able to afford high end German cameras, but I always wanted one. Almost all the cameras I have owned were from Japanese companies like Nikon, Minolta, and Mamiya.

Finally, in October 2020, being retired and having some cash available, I purchased a new Rolleiflex Hy6 Mod2 system from the US distributor and a new Leica MP and lens from Camera West. Since 1966, I have purchased many cameras, new and used, but these two recent purchases were the first time I ever bought a camera that was defective right out of the box. The Rolleiflex wouldn’t focus correctly and the Leica MP meter wouldn’t automatically turn off after the time-out. These were also the first cameras I purchased that included little cards, signed by hand, letting me know how committed the manufacturer was to reliability.

Personally signed quality control assurance cards

Long Story Short: Rolleiflex Hy6

Rolleiflex Hy6 with 80mm, 50mm, and 40mm lenses

Seven days after receiving it, I sent the Hy6 to DW Photo in Germany and, within 3 hours of Fedex delivering it to them, they sent me an email declaring that I had an incorrect menu setting on the camera. After arguing with them for a few weeks, I paid the bill of 320 € to get it back. After receiving it back, I confirmed that the camera still wouldn’t focus, but it turned out that someone much smarter than me on the Photrio forums had the identical Hy6 focusing issue and corrected it by adjusting the film pressure plate position. In fact, the serial number on my film back differed from his by a single count, so they were likely assembled at the factory on the same day. Thanks to him, I was able to repair my Hy6 the same way.

Rolleiflex Hy6 6×6 Film Back

Think about it: If not for “that guy on the internet”, I would be stuck with a very expensive paper weight. Since then, myself and others have discovered other issues in common with our Hy6 cameras. These include light leaks, film transport issues, scratching of film (which defies solution to this day), and the interesting claim from Rolleiflex that 6000 series and Hy6 lenses are not designed to focus out to infinity, but only as far as the hyperfocal distance. As far as I know, Rolleiflex is the only high end camera manufacturer that lays claim to that unique feature (or bug, depending on whether you want distant objects to be sharp in your images). One recent Hy6 seller on ebay noted in the description that the focus “is soft at infinity at any aperture wider than f/11ish” and that’s after having had the pressure plate adjusted at the factory soon after buying it in late 2020.

Long Story Short: Leica M-A

Leica with 50mm Sumilux and 28mm Elmarit

I sent the Leica MP back to Camera West for a refund and bought a new Leica M-A through B&H Photo. Later, after more thorough testing at wide apertures, I discovered that that the new 50mm Summilux has a case of front focus. A 28mm Elmarit, purchased shortly thereafter, works fine. By this time, having read all the horror stories of people having had to send their Leicas back to Leica (New Jersey or Germany) multiple times to get them properly repaired under warranty, I decided to adjust the range finder to accommodate the defective 50mm lens out to about 70 feet which is about as far out as it will focus. While that means the rangefinder is not accurate for the 28mm f2.8 lens, the depth of field will cover the error for my purposes. For distances beyond 70 feet, the rangefinder is useless. Close focusing (1-10 meters) for the 50mm is now quite accurate wide open and is also fine for the 28mm. At apertures of 4.8 and above, the 50mm lens works reasonably well at all distances if you’re aware of the quirks of the maladjusted rangefinder.

The End of an Era

Nikon F6, Leica M-A, and Rolleiflex Hy6 — How much longer can they last?

I don’t dispute that there are many happy Leica and Hy6 owners, but I don’t think I am alone in being frustrated by problems with new cameras and atrocious customer service. I don’t believe there is sufficient sales volume anymore to support the manufacturing cost of high end film cameras. The companies that have remained in production this long most likely had to cut costs resulting in a diminished level of quality control during factory assembly and service.

Leica and Rolleiflex have a long history of turning out top notch film cameras and their optics are unsurpassed. You cannot hold these cameras in your hands and not marvel at the caliber of engineering they embody, but the production defects and poor customer service I’ve encountered have completely knocked the shine off the joy of owning and using them. I baby them because I don’t have much confidence that they can be properly repaired by the manufacturers without it becoming an ordeal and I don’t plan to invest anymore money in them for additional lenses or other accessories. Hy6 film backs, which seem to be where the bulk of their problems lie, are as common as unicorns used and outrageously expensive new.

Before buying the Leica and Hy6, I took it for granted that new cameras worked right out of the box because that had been my experience for over 50 years. No camera company is perfect, but I got a new Nikon F6 in 2019 at half the cost of a Leica or Hy6. It has no problems or quirks. The F6 was discontinued in late 2020, but I just bought a new lens for it and never worried that it wouldn’t work fine right out of the box. I wasn’t disappointed. I will never have that level of confidence in Rolleiflex or Leica, despite their little hand-signed inspection/test cards. My reason for buying new was to avoid the risks and “surprises” of buying used, so if I knew a year ago what I know now, I would not have purchased either of them.  Both cameras, if they work properly, are a pleasure to use, but the experiences I’ve had are not something I would ever care to repeat.

For Potential Buyers

It’s human nature to want to feel good about something you already own or are about to buy, making it easy to reject contrary views. Most product reviews available on the internet are little more than a thinly disguised sales pitches, describing features and telling you what you want to hear. If you are thinking about buying a new Leica or Hy6 film camera, I hope things go well for you, but I have a few suggestions to offer:

  1. Above all, buy only from a seller that has a written policy of accepting returns if you’re not satisfied. Don’t assume that they are as customer-friendly as reputable retailers like B&H Photo, Amazon, and Adorama.  Even ebay provides more buyer protection than merchants who simply claim, “Don’t worry.  I’ll take care of you.”
  2. If you buy pricy equipment direct from any merchant, I recommend you check that merchant’s feedback from buyers on ebay. If they don’t sell through ebay, it may be because they’re unwilling to comply with ebay’s customer protection policies.
  3. Insist on a written warranty that tells you where you have to send the camera for repairs and under what circumstances you’re required to pay for shipping and service costs within the warranty period.
  4. After you get your new camera, check it out completely, including functions you’ll rarely use. Check the focusing accuracy by shooting a roll or two of film with the lens at maximum aperture, both at close distances and at infinity. In the case of the Hy6, be sure to have the lens at maximum aperture when you do the lens offset determination.
  5. Shine an LED flashlight through any any lens you buy that was advertised as new. It should be virtually free of haze, dust, and fungus, particularly on inner surfaces. Compare it with other lenses you have.
  6. Finally, if you want more detail on Hy6 issues that I and others have been contending with, you can scan through comprehensive discussion threads here and here.

My Test Data

Three sets of test data follow, each described in PDF form with links to full size negative scans. This may not be meaningful to anyone who doesn’t have a Hy6, but may be useful for someone with a Hy6 who is experiencing similar focusing errors.

  1. The first set is the test pictures and data sent to the factory with the camera to illustrate the auto focusing problem as well as pictures to show that the camera wouldn’t even manually focus at infinity with all three lenses (80mm, 50mm, and 40mm) even with the lens manually set to infinity.

Hy6 Focusing Tests Sent To Factory

  1. The second set of tests was conducted after the Hy6 was returned from the factory, showing that the focusing problems remain exactly as they were before the camera was sent to the factory. In other words, they did nothing to fix it and, to add insult to injury, charged me 320 € to get it back.

Hy6 Focus Tests after return from factory

  1. The third set of tests was conducted after adjusting the pressure plate gap from 0.70 mm to 0.30 mm, showing that adjustment fixed the auto and manual focus problems. It should be noted that the adjustment also fixed the infinity focus as expected. The narrowing of the pressure plate gap to 0.30mm has never caused an issue with uneven frame spacing or stalling of the motor drive, problems which I suspect are more likely related to the binding of the spool hubs on the film insert.

Hy6 Focus Tests after I adjusted pressure plate

DISCLAIMER

I do not recommend attempting to fix camera problems yourself.  It could damage the camera and/or void the warranty.  On the other hand, some people are quite comfortable repairing their own cameras.  I am not one of those people but, with the Hy6, I was left with little choice. With regard to the Leica, there was a lot of information on the web about rangefinder adjustments because rangefinder problems are a common complaint on Leica analog and digital cameras. Also, there is no disassembly required to access the basic adjustments.