Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Medium Format / Film / Digital Backs – and Large Sensor Photography => Topic started by: 510photo on December 11, 2011, 08:30:38 pm

Title: Help for checking Hasselblad S/N history
Post by: 510photo on December 11, 2011, 08:30:38 pm

Hello everyone,

I am helping my friend to ask how to use "Serise Number S/N" to check the camera's history, like what year of the camera, any repair history...
Where can I check? Would you sent me a link please! He wants to check the camera history before buy the camera. Thank you Thank you!!

Allen

Title: Re: Help for checking Hasselblad S/N history
Post by: TH_Alpa on December 12, 2011, 02:01:48 am

Hi Allen,

All Hasselblad cameras and film magazines, as well as some other Hasselblad items, bear a two or three letter code in front of, or incorporated into, the serial number. Two of these letters are used to encrypt the year of manufacture. The key to translate these letters to digits is the word VHPICTURES, in which "V" stands for 1, "H" = 2, etc ...

Here the complete code:

V   H   P   I   C   T   U   R   E   S
1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   0

The digits indicate the decennium and year in which the item was produced.
For instance, a camera carrying the 'date code' "ER" was produced in 98, or 1998 ("E" = 9, "R" = 8).

You can find this information here:

Hasselblad Historical (http://www.hasselbladhistorical.eu/HT/HTDating.aspx)

Best regards
Thierry

Quote from: 510photo on December 11, 2011, 08:30:38 pm

Hello everyone,

I am helping my friend to ask how to use "Serise Number S/N" to check the camera's history, like what year of the camera, any repair history...
Where can I check? Would you sent me a link please! He wants to check the camera history before buy the camera. Thank you Thank you!!

Allen