# So who buys Hasselblads anyways?



## anubis404 (Nov 16, 2008)

I was wondering, is there any professional photographer that uses a digital Hasselblad? I've seen them advertised in some of the photo magazines I read, but who really buys those? All the pros I've seen use D3s, Canon Mk IIs or IIIs, D2xs, and sometimes the occasional D300. I have never really seen someone use a Hasselblad, but someome must be buying them for the company to be able to put ads im magazines.

What do Hasselblads do besides looking cool and having sensors with ridiculous amounts of Megapixels? I mean, thats hardly jusification for spending $25k+ on one.


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## shed301 (Nov 16, 2008)

Ultimate bragging rights


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## DeadEye (Nov 16, 2008)

Its about IQ. Hassy is about the best.


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## Mike_E (Nov 16, 2008)

Unless you went to their studio or on a private shoot with them you wouldn't see one.  It''s not something you'd want to take to the Zoo with you.


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## skieur (Nov 16, 2008)

Sure, they are excellent cameras for studio work, particularly on products where detail and colour accuracy are extremely important. They are good for studio portraits as well, but too much detail is not always what you want, when flattering the subject is important. They can also be harder to work with in terms of speed versus the top Canon and Nikon cameras.

skieur


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## rom4n301 (Nov 16, 2008)

if I ever got a digital hassy I would put it in a vacume sealed box and never touch it


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## anubis404 (Nov 16, 2008)

Lol. Does the extra IQ really justify spending that much?


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## DeadEye (Nov 16, 2008)

anubis404 said:


> Lol. Does the extra IQ really justify spending that much?



Well lets make up an example. 

Client is Vanity Fair , they pay the still shooter 1000.00 per day.  They need one new photographer.

 You and Mr x  are of the same skill level with decades of fashion photography behind you. Both a seasoned pro. 

  You use canon and Mr X  has the best in Hassy.    Well ~  its an edge up you.

Is it worth it to me at my skill level.  NO.


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## Big Mike (Nov 16, 2008)

There are plenty of pros who have been using Hassys for years and have some great lenses for them.  It would make sense to use a digital body or even just a digital back in an existing body, so that they can continue to use the lenses.


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## NateWagner (Nov 16, 2008)

sure, they're used in fashion photography as well... My wife loves "America's Next Top Model" or whatever it's called. Anyway, I'm almost positive the fashion photog there uses hassy.


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## anubis404 (Nov 16, 2008)

Wow. In any case, quite expensive and large cameras. I think I would rather a D3 and a new car lol .


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## TBAM (Nov 16, 2008)

An example I use is.

Let's say that All camera's except a medium format digital / Hasselblad had no RAW feature.

Would you pay $30k to be able to shoot RAW?

Some people would say no, the majority of professionals I think would say yes.

$30k isn't that much these days business-wise, and at resolutions like that, it'd pay itself off eventually. 

Not to mention, once technology upgrades, you can just replace the digital back on it, and you're up-to-date.

It's not just about IQ, it's about the window of possibility with which to improve / edit / adjust an image.

I would rather re-touch a crystal clear 32MP image than a 10MP image if I'm trying to blow it up for a billboard.

You may not need 32MP in a lot of shoots, but it's there if you need it, and it is that kind of attitude that sets you apart and supports your success in business. 

Graphic Designers may use very little features of photoshop on a daily basis, you could possibly do all their work on cheaper software if not freeware. However it's the little often unnoticed features that make photoshop a necessity for anyone dealing in graphic design.

I guess the word I'm looking for is...versatility


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## anubis404 (Nov 16, 2008)

I was slightly under the impression that Hassys, like Leicas, were more about bragging rights. I thought they had close to the same features as a D3 or a MK III, but that you were paying for the name.


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## maxalmon (Nov 16, 2008)

A buddy of mine who is not a pro-photographer, he has a Hasselblad, the photo's he takes are impressive and the quality is remarkable, it's the image details that are mesmerizing. When I asked him if he had thought about going digital he said he could get the digital back (whatever that is) for about 10k (crazy!)....But he said he wouldn't do it because he could spot the difference in image quality and he simply liked film photography as it was a dying artform.

I keep begging him to let me borrow it or let me come over and play, LOL


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## tsaraleksi (Nov 16, 2008)

anubis404 said:


> I was slightly under the impression that Hassys, like Leicas, were more about bragging rights. I thought they had close to the same features as a D3 or a MK III, but that you were paying for the name.



That's pretty well not at all the case. It might be true to some extent of Lecias, although there is no doubt that there are things about a Leica that a Canon does not replicate, but in the case of the Hasselblads, if you need the camera you need the features the camera offers, then you have no choice but Hasselblad or other similar models.


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## Iron Flatline (Nov 17, 2008)

anubis404 said:


> I was slightly under the impression that Hassys, like Leicas, were more about bragging rights. I thought they had close to the same features as a D3 or a MK III, but that you were paying for the name.


How can a Hasselblad be about bragging rights, if you never see one around? 

There are a LOT of Medium Format photographers out there, virtually none of them hobbyists. There's a lot of reason to stay with a system, beginning with an investment in lenses, an existent intuitive understanding of how to use it, workflow, and a relationship with the manufacturer. 

Every campaign for perfume, cars, fashion, etc spend hundreds of thousands on the shoot alone - from wardrobe to crew through insurance. A photographer is going to use the gear s/he knows. For example, until recently you needed a dMF to shoot tethered - thus giving the Art Director (and the client) an instant look at the shoot.  And should that camera break in the middle of the shoot, Hasselblad (or Sinar or Phase or Leaf or any of the other MF manufacturers) will make damn sure the rep drives a replacement over to your studio AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. (If you're on location in the sticks obviously you'll bring redundant gear.)

If you start thinking of cameras as professional or creative tools rather than what a particular brand says about the owner, you might stop getting a chubby everytime you look at gear magazines. 

Just a thought.


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## Mike_E (Nov 17, 2008)

maxalmon said:


> A buddy of mine who is not a pro-photographer, he has a Hasselblad, the photo's he takes are impressive and the quality is remarkable, it's the image details that are mesmerizing. When I asked him if he had thought about going digital he said he could get the digital back (whatever that is) for about 10k (crazy!)....But he said he wouldn't do it because he could spot the difference in image quality and he simply liked film photography as it was a dying artform.
> 
> I keep begging him to let me borrow it or let me come over and play, LOL



You could buy a Yashica MAT 124 with a Yashinon lens, shoot it at f/8 or f/16 and get your fix that way.  More limited but very hard to tell the difference with what you would be doing.  Don't bother with the 124G as the G is the same as the 124 except it has a gold meter contacts (the meter isn't all that anyway) and a plastic winding gear as opposed to a metal one on the 124.


tsaraleksi, 'there is no doubt that there are things about a Leica that a Canon does not replicate'.

Go pick up a [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Canon Canonet GIII QL    17 in good shape.  No red dot but try it.  [/FONT]


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## Village Idiot (Nov 17, 2008)

48x36mm vs. 25x17mm.


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## Helen B (Nov 17, 2008)

DeadEye said:


> Well lets make up an example.
> 
> Client is Vanity Fair , they pay the still shooter 1000.00 per day.  They need one new photographer.



That's a bit on the low side. Add a zero and you will be closer.

Best,
Helen


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## anubis404 (Nov 17, 2008)

Iron Flatline said:


> How can a Hasselblad be about bragging rights, if you never see one around?



Isn't an item being rare make it easier to brag about?




> If you start thinking of cameras as professional or creative tools rather than what a particular brand says about the owner, you might stop getting a chubby everytime you look at gear magazines.
> 
> Just a thought.



How polite of you.


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## Village Idiot (Nov 17, 2008)

anubis404 said:


> Isn't an item being rare make it easier to brag about?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
It's easier to brag about your billboard in Times Square not looking like an add for play-doh and actually looking like a model when you shoot with a large format 50mp digital camera with 32bit a/d conversion vs. a 12mp 1.6x 14 bit DSLR.


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## Helen B (Nov 17, 2008)

When I got my break in fashion photography way back in the 70's we used Nikons and Hasselblads - there was no cachet in those marques, they were just the normal tools of the trade, as Leicas and Nikons were the normal tools of photojournalism and documentary photography. The whole brand porn/envy thing is not common in professional still photography.

Best,
Helen


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## ksmattfish (Nov 17, 2008)

Most of the folks I know that were using medium format film Hassy's have switched to high end Canon and Nikon DSLRs.  The people I know who are using medium format digital are using it to replace 4x5.  

Hasselblad has a good, long standing reputation among pros, and really there's not a huge variety of medium format digital to choose from.

Is medium format digital way more than many of the jobs it's used on really need?  Sure, just like most people don't need SUVs, yet everyone seems to own one.


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## usayit (Nov 17, 2008)

Almost any product with a hefty price tag can be considered a "bragging" rights type of purchase.  What you see as a "bragging rights" purchase is completely internalized from you personal point of view.

So Iron's statement

"If you start thinking of cameras as professional or creative tools rather than what a particular brand says about the owner, you might stop getting a chubby everytime you look at gear magazines. "

Is right on the money.


I live in an area that vehicles are considered a big indicator of wealth and status.  If someone points out my expensive camera, I usually point out their expensive car.


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## bhop (Nov 17, 2008)

I was shooting the Redbull Drifting championships yesterday and there was a guy next to me with a digital Hassleblad.


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## anubis404 (Nov 17, 2008)

usayit said:


> Almost any product with a hefty price tag can be considered a "bragging" rights type of purchase.  What you see as a "bragging rights" purchase is completely internalized from you personal point of view.
> 
> So Iron's statement
> 
> ...



I wanted to know if they were even practical for professional use at all (like Leicas). I guess I can thank Iron for his well mannered statement.


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## table1349 (Nov 17, 2008)

Dude,

When ever I am on the sidelines shooting a college football game and I pull out this bad boy, the players all know that it is Cover shot time.    







You would not believe the work they go to provide that once in a lifetime shot.


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## Joves (Nov 17, 2008)

Well if I won the lottery, then I would buy one. My aunt has some oler Hassys that she has let me use and, I love them.


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## anubis404 (Nov 17, 2008)

gryphonslair99 said:


> Dude,
> 
> When ever I am on the sidelines shooting a college football game and I pull out this bad boy, the players all know that it is Cover shot time.
> 
> ...



Haha. What do they use that lens for, pictures of distant stars :lmao:?


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## table1349 (Nov 17, 2008)

anubis404 said:


> Haha. What do they use that lens for, pictures of distant stars :lmao:?



Na, that's a 400mm f2.8L from Canon.  The premier sports lens for virtually any field or track event.  Sports is my main focus and lives every fall and spring on one of my bodies.  It is my walk around lens during that time of the year.


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## im_trying11 (Nov 17, 2008)

so a hassy is just the same as any other camera, but with more megapix? i dont think im correct. why is the body so different


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## usayit (Nov 17, 2008)

Hassy's are medium format cameras:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium_format_camera

with the option of using a digital back instead of a film back.


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## anubis404 (Nov 17, 2008)

gryphonslair99 said:


> Na, that's a 400mm f2.8L from Canon.  The premier sports lens for virtually any field or track event.  Sports is my main focus and lives every fall and spring on one of my bodies.  It is my walk around lens during that time of the year.



Wow. I'm not really into sports because of my lack of interest, and it being quite expensive. Is that your hassey too?


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## table1349 (Nov 17, 2008)

anubis404 said:


> Wow. I'm not really into sports because of my lack of interest, and it being quite expensive. Is that your hassey too?



Na the Hassey/400 f2.8 combo is impossible at this point in time.  A photoshopped picture I created for a little humor for another post.  The lens however is mine.  I have no need for a Hassey.  Medium format is not something I have done in years.  My Pentax 6X7 and the lenses sit on a shelf gathering dust.


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## MelodySoul (Nov 17, 2008)

NateWagner said:


> sure, they're used in fashion photography as well... My wife loves "America's Next Top Model" or whatever it's called. Anyway, I'm almost positive the fashion photog there uses hassy.


 
Yes most of them on ANTM use them.


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## usayit (Nov 17, 2008)

gryphonslair99 said:


> My Pentax 6X7 and the lenses sit on a shelf gathering dust.



ah... poor thing... that tank makes mighty good negatives.


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## Iron Flatline (Nov 18, 2008)

Actually, the problem with MF cameras is that they're not weather-sealed, and their AF is very slow. They're no good at sports, and should really be in a studio, or at least a controlled environment. 

Leica just introduced the S2, with a sensor from Phase One. It will be weather-sealed, but with only a single AF point. It's also not intended for sports, more for landscape and nature photography.


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## jlykins (Nov 18, 2008)

So I was half watching Jon and Kate plus 8 the other night, and in the episode they were getting family portraits done (obviouslly paid for by TLC/or donated) and the TEAM of photographers had a few Hasselblads and a white diffuser that looked to be the size of a trampoline. lol. Anyway I started looking on the photogs website and they charge as much for a portrait session as a lot of people charge for a wedding. Those are the people that use Hasslblads.


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## Village Idiot (Nov 18, 2008)

There was a wedding photographer at a DC/Baltimore/NOVA Strobist meetup that was using a Hassy with the digital "V" (iirc) back. The 16mp one.


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## ksmattfish (Nov 18, 2008)

im_trying11 said:


> so a hassy is just the same as any other camera...



Hasselblad made modular, medium format film SLRs.  Pros liked them because they were well built and very reliable.  They could be customized for used somewhat with different accessories, and they had removable film backs.  Before digital we had to carry at least 2 backs:  one for BW and one for color.  Additional backs if we wanted to switch ISO in the middle of a roll, or see a Polaroid test shot (today it's berated as chimping, but pros have always looked at preview shots, they know it results in better photographs).  They also used wonderful Zeiss lenses.  

Other than that, yep, a Hassy is just like any other camera:  a light tight box with lens, shutter, aperture, and light sensitive materials somewhere inside.

I owned and used a Hasselblad 500c/m for years.  It was a great camera, but no better than the other professional quality, medium format cameras I owned and/or used:  Pentax, Mamiya, Bronica, Rolleiflex, etc...  I used mine exclusively for portraits and at weddings.  It was usable hand held, but I preferred the Rollei or P67II for hand held shooting.  Once I got a 5D, and it was clear to me that the image quality was similar if not better, I sold the Hassy in a heartbeat.  It was a great tool, but it never found a place in my heart like the Rollei.

I have not used the new digital Hassys, but I assume they are similar:  high quality, reliable build, customizable accessories and options, Zeiss lenses, and you can add the digital back of your choice with loads of megapixels.  But they are still just cameras; the buttons may be different, but the important fundamentals are the same as any digital Rebel or K1000.

As to whether they are practical for professional use, that depends on what the use is.  I'm sure they are wonderful for the intricately staged portraits of Annie Leibowitz.  Some landscape photogs like them (mostly those who have someone or something carrying their gear).  I doubt the late Galen Rowell would have chosen one to do his mountain climbing/landscape photography.  I doubt many PJs or sports photogs would choose a Hassy over something smaller and more nimble, but as I said before there are folks using 4x5 Speed Graphics for PJ and sports so there are always exceptions.


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## Helen B (Nov 18, 2008)

I think of the standard film Hasselblads (the 500 C/M and SWC series) as being comparatively small, simple and light for medium format SLRs. The 6x6 SLRs I used were Rolleiflex SL 66s and Hasselblads, and there is quite a big difference in weight and size between those - the Hasselblads are much handier. The SWC is almost in a class of its own, if you like that sort of thing. I still have three SL 66 SEs (0.1% of the entire production run!) which I kept because they are more versatile than the Hasselblads, but for the times when all I want is a simple, light 6x6 for handholding I also prefer a Rolleiflex TLR.

Best,
Helen


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## ksmattfish (Nov 18, 2008)

The Mamiya 6x7 SLRs make the Hassys look pretty svelte too.  When I see one I think "Why not just use 4x5 if you're going to haul a camera that large?"


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## pm63 (Nov 18, 2008)

As people have mentioned, Hasselblads (the modern digital ones) are mainly used in high-end fashion and commercial shoots. Having said that, I did once see a guy here in London just casually walking around with one on the weekend, taking snaps and enojying himself.



gryphonslair99 said:


> My Pentax 6X7 and the lenses sit on a shelf gathering dust.



Can I have them?


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## Jeff Canes (Nov 18, 2008)

Basketball is the only sport that I can recall see MF cameras being used back in the film days, usually for remote mounts behind a glass backboard or post


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## selmerdave (Nov 18, 2008)

I once saw a wedding photographer use a hassy digital, mind you it was well in to seven figures for the wedding...

Dave


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## Iron Flatline (Nov 18, 2008)

ksmattfish said:


> ...  Before digital we had to carry at least 2 backs:  one for BW and one for color...


More like 3 backs - don't forget the all important Polaroid back!


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## JerryPH (Nov 18, 2008)

Iron Flatline said:


> More like 3 backs - don't forget the all important Polaroid back!



Those were the histograms of the film days... lol


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## uplander (Nov 18, 2008)

gryphonslair99 said:


> Dude,
> 
> When ever I am on the sidelines shooting a college football game and I pull out this bad boy, the players all know that it is Cover shot time.
> 
> ...


 

 I didn't know the made a lefthanded model of the EF 400 L f/2.8.
Mine has all the control features on the other side.


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## usayit (Nov 18, 2008)

400mm focal length isn't really that long on medium format


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## table1349 (Nov 18, 2008)

> =Iron Flatline;1442202]Actually, the problem with MF cameras is that they're not weather-sealed, and their AF is very slow. They're no good at sports, and should really be in a studio, or at least a controlled environment.



Oh sure, ruin my fun dream. :lmao::lmao:  You're right, but still you could have let me have my little dreams. 

Leica just introduced the S2, with a sensor from Phase One. It will be weather-sealed, but with only a single AF point. It's also not intended for sports, more for landscape and nature photography.[/quote]


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## jstuedle (Nov 18, 2008)

I bought a Hassy outfit from a wedding photog getting out of the biz. I love the glass, great resolution and contrast. One day I want a digital back for one of the bodies I have, but till then the D3 will do what I need it too. Most Hasselblads will be found in high end studio's and in the recent past, at high end weddings. They are outstanding film cameras from days gone by and the digital studio camera of choice in the high end fashion studio. And yes, worth every penny.


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## table1349 (Nov 18, 2008)

> =pm63;1442633]As people have mentioned, Hasselblads (the modern digital ones) are mainly used in high-end fashion and commercial shoots. Having said that, I did once see a guy here in London just casually walking around with one on the weekend, taking snaps and enojying himself.



Those crazy Britts.




> Can I have them?



Noooooooo!!!.  The 6X7 and the three lenses that came with it were give to me by the family of a fashion photographer I worked for back in the 70's after he died.  They have a real sentimental value.  He was a wonderful photorapher, great teacher and a good friend.  Since I no longer have a wet room and all of my dark room equipment has been sold I just don't have the same interest in film as I used to.  Film just doesn't seem right with out processing and printing it myself.  That was just always part of the creative process for me.  

Now my old Nikon F, F2 and F2 Photomic I might consider, but never the 6X7.


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## table1349 (Nov 18, 2008)

uplander said:


> I didn't know the made a lefthanded model of the EF 400 L f/2.8.
> Mine has all the control features on the other side.



Mine does too, unless it is the Photoshop version of the lens to go on a right facing Hassy.:lmao::lmao::lmao: The wording is backwards as well.


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## table1349 (Nov 18, 2008)

usayit said:


> 400mm focal length isn't really that long on medium format



It is if you are photoshopping.


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## usayit (Nov 18, 2008)

Hehehe...


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## djacobox372 (Nov 18, 2008)

Most pro photographers you "see" are press photographers, who don't need to print at a high IQ.

Hasselblads are used primarily in a studio setting for high-profile work like magazine covers.


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## pm63 (Nov 19, 2008)

gryphonslair99 said:


> Noooooooo!!!.  The 6X7 and the three lenses that came with it were give to me by the family of a fashion photographer I worked for back in the 70's after he died.  They have a real sentimental value.  He was a wonderful photorapher, great teacher and a good friend.



Haha, I was only kidding. The chances of asking a person on a forum to give away a medium format system for free and getting 'yes' as an answer are rather slim :lmao:


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## The Dane (Sep 24, 2009)

gryphonslair99 said:


> Dude,
> 
> When ever I am on the sidelines shooting a college football game and I pull out this bad boy, the players all know that it is Cover shot time.
> 
> ...



Now that is some serious porn to me.


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## CSR Studio (Sep 24, 2009)

jstuedle has it right. Hassys are beautiful cameras and work very well in the studio environment. I have too much hassy and zeiss glass to not use it!


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## TJ K (Sep 25, 2009)

http://dyn.ifilm.com/website/ver2/Ryan_Bader0001_lrg.jpg

For pics like that where you see every hair on their body lol.


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## iflynething (Sep 25, 2009)

NateWagner said:


> sure, they're used in fashion photography as well... My wife loves "America's Next Top Model" or whatever it's called.



You say that like you don't REALLY don't watch it with your wife  You know EXACTLY what it's called!

~Michael~


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## inTempus (Sep 25, 2009)

They use Kodak sensors and they're garbage.

[/joke]


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## Moglex (Sep 26, 2009)

inTempus said:


> They use Kodak sensors and they're garbage.



Yeah, just glorified Instamatics, really.


[/still a joke]


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## jstuedle (Sep 27, 2009)

Moglex said:


> inTempus said:
> 
> 
> > They use Kodak sensors and they're garbage.
> ...



Not really, Instamatics still had some degree of automation. lol Still love my 503CW.


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## djacobox372 (Sep 29, 2009)

I'm not a pro, but I shoot mostly medium format because it allows me so much more opportunity to create that perfect image in post-process.  

Medium format digital is expensive, but medium format film is very affordable these days, and you get the IQ of 40-60 megapixels AND twice the dynamic range.


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## epatsellis (Oct 3, 2009)

Yup, I shoot both RB and Hassy, for a general carry around system the Hassy is the clear winner, but for image quality and sheer real estate, the RB wins hands down. 

Shooting film and processing my own b&w/C41 and scanning gives me huge, highly detailed files, and the ability to print either to a Frontier or Chromira, or conventionally. In addition, you get an accepted archival master (negative).


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