So, a couple of weeks ago I finally got my own Hasselblad. I ended up getting a Hasselblad 500 CM in black, Zeiss 80mm Planar T* f/2.8, 120 and 220 film backs, and polaroid 100 back. So far it has been a lot of fun using it, and a lot different to the medium format Contax 645 I have. I will be getting the first rolls of film back tonight taken with the Hasselblad. I never use any of my cameras with tripods, everything is hand held so I have free movement when I work.

Compared to the Contax the Hasselblad’s construction is of a lot higher standard and made in Sweden. The body is all metal and the smaller dimensions make it a bit lighter to use also. Most of the body is covered in a leatherette covering compared to the Contax’s plastic / rubber combination. I do however find the Contax a lot easier to shoot and get critical focus due to the auto focus and prism finder. The Hasselblad definitely wins in the handling and shooting experience. Taking a photo with it is a completely different feeling to any other camera I have and the sound of the shutter is very unique, kind of a ” KA CHUNK” sound. It’s definitely louder compared to my other cameras, especially the Leica M7′s whisper quiet shutter.

For those of you are thinking “How much, how much?” I picked it up on ebay for $750 US, then bought an original lens cap and 220 back which gives me 24 photos per roll at 6×6 (the famous square format). If you’re interested to see what this combo produces then check back here over the next week or so.

Photo taken with a Leica M8 and Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.1 @ f/1.8