My shooting experience with the Hasselblad 500c/m
I decided to buy a Hasselblad 500c/m so that I could experience a different shooting style compared to my Mamiya 7, which has been my main camera for the past few years (read my review of the Mamiya 7ii here). I have been shooting for almost years and the Mamiya 7 is the almost the perfect camera for me. So why shoot with something else? One of the reasons why I love film is that you have a variety of camera types which will affect the way to you shoot, the way you see the scene, your composition, the amount of photos you take, and it will give you a different feel from one camera to another.
So why did I go with the Hasselblad 500c/m? First off, it’s a classic camera that has been around for decades. It has a reputation as a workhorse and is an extremely versatile system. It is completely mechanical, which is important to me because the Mamiya 7 system has a bunch of electronics in it and that scares me for longevity. A completely mechanical camera is easier to service and will probably be serviceable for the rest of my life. Looking through that viewfinder is wonderful, it looks better than real-life. The 500c/m camera is pricey but it is desirable and will hold its value (it may go up as well).
I have been shooting with my 500c/m for a few months. It is a completely different experience when compared to my Mamiya 7. It has definitely slowed me down. The way you handle the camera and how the image in the viewfinder is inverted definitely makes you pause a little longer to get your framing right. With the Mamiya 7 I easily get trigger happy and I can finish a roll in no time. In the hands the 500c/m fits well and is compact enough that I don’t mind lugging it around.
But maybe the most important aspect of the 500c/m is that it shoots a square frame (you can get a different back and shoot the 645 format but the 6x6 format is the more classic format). Now this is probably the biggest sticking point and something that I am not sure about. While I think the photos can be beautiful as a square frame, I’m still not sure if it’s right for me. Figuring out framing is very different compared to any rectangular aspect-ratio and is what I think is key the getting the image right. I actually find it harder to compose a square frame which in turn slows me down and can be good for the photography I do.
If you are thinking about the Hasselblad 500c/m I would make sure you are okay with the square format. If you are, then I can’t recommend this camera enough. There are other systems out there but I haven’t tried anything else so I can’t recommend an alternative. However, I am still undecided if I will be keeping this camera. I am considering selling it and trying out a Mamiya RB67. It is a bigger camera but it is a 6x7 frame and the images will be consistent with my Mamiya 7 photos.
Here are some photos I have taken with the 500c/m and the 80mm CF T* lens (the only lens I have). My two most ‘liked’ photos from my instagram account have been shot with my Haselblad. While I know that doesn’t mean that much, I think it shows that I am coming to grips with the square format.
These photos were taken with a mix of Kodak Portra (160 and 800) and Ilford HP5.
