how hand-holdable is the Hasselblad H series?

[woof75]

James -

James, you should know that it's not bragging if it's true.   

I mean I don't know if there's been a more polarizing product - or even company - than Hasselblad and the H camera.

People seem to either hate it or love it. That being said, it typically outsold the next nearest competitor - usually Mamiya by anywhere from 3 - 4 to 1.

You may think it looks awful, but I don't think it quite approaches "Pacer" status...even the look of it has it attractors and detractors. Personally, I think it looks ok, I would prefer it in black, but it's kind of too late for that...

Regardless, it has been a very successful product in terms of sales. Whether people really like it or not, they sure do want to like it, based on the sales figures.

Steve Hendrix
www.ppratlanta.com/digital.php
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Yes, everyone seems to use it, but why? I've never heard that the lenses are any better than the other leading makers, the handling, some like, some don't but it's certainly not obviously better handling, is it the sync speed that does it. I don't understand, am I missing something?

[jecxz]

Yes, everyone seems to use it, but why? I've never heard that the lenses are any better than the other leading makers, the handling, some like, some don't but it's certainly not obviously better handling, is it the sync speed that does it. I don't understand, am I missing something?
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Everyone seems to use it because it's the only complete modern MF system being offered today. Every other system is hodge-podge, repackaged old stuff or incomplete. I'm all for new MF systems, the H6Y will be great once they get the bugs out, once they get the body to transmit exposure data to the back (forgive me if this has already been fixed), once they get a lens line up, etc... The H system is years ahead of the game (because they went through all that already).

The lenses are excellent quality, MR has even stated so, specifically about the 50-110mm. I find them to be of fine quality. I don't notice any problems with any of the lenses (I know nothing about the 100mm though) and I've shot close to 50K frames and examined each with a loupe. Some people say there are differences between German optics and Japanese optics - if there is I can't speak for that and those are people who probably have a better or more experienced eye.

I think the design of the system is well thought out too; quite frankly, I don't want to be here defending it (I don't work for them, I don't know them, I'm not any kind of ambassador/master/associate or whatever), but you should use it for a couple of weeks and you'll see the quality and craftmanship that went into it. It most certainly does not have a plastic feel, it's solid and well built.

If you've worked with it and you like another system better, tell me; I may be interested in the system you chose over the H. But if you have not worked with the H for more than a few hours, if it's too expensive, or worse, if you are a sheep and jump on the band wagon of MR's frustration with Hasselblad (justified or otherwise is his business, not mine) just because you need to be led, then, well, I'd better not say what I want to say about that. Independent thinking guys, that's what I'm talking about here.

Everyone, have a great weekend!

[samuel_js]

I've had two H systems. H1 and H2.

Some of the cons I see:
- Very expensive
- Lens with very little film quality maybe because they are scay sharp.
- Lens very heavy and slow (not the 100mm or the 80mm)
- Ergonomics of the body: The grip is flat in the inside. The buttons located between the grip (front side) and the lens are difficult to access and uncomfortable to handle, for example to connect a remote cable.
  Viewfinder distortion is very weird at first.
  The camera should be black and chrome (or black/black) to continue the tradition, look and feeling of the V series.
- Just a few lenses and accesories.

Some of the pros:
- Nice autofocus, metering options (zone system) and custom functions.
- Battery last forever (H2)
- High sync 1/800.
- Huge bright viewfinder.
- In my case rock solid and reliable. Never had a problem.
- Usually sharp images.
- You're the coolest (always some whoww when you pull the camera out of the bag)  Well that happens with my sexy 503CW too...

/Samuel

[eronald]

I do a lot of street shooting with the AFDII and the 80mm and it works well.

You can use MF like an SLR, provided you choose the lenses carefully.

Edmund

[MarkKay]

I do  agree and I am not a defender of any specific brand name.  I realize hasselblad like any other system has its pluses and minuses.   I also should have clarified that in the beginning I did find the ergonomics to be a bit different from what I was used to but over time, I think the design is quite good as far as ergonomics go.  I was only addressing this issue because that is what was asked.

Mark, I stopped being surprised long ago... so many sheep following their leader's hatred for Hasselblad... most probably haven't spent more than a week using the very camera system and lenses they complain about.
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[James R Russell]

Mark, I stopped being surprised long ago... so many sheep following their leader's hatred for Hasselblad... most probably haven't spent more than a week using the very camera system and lenses they complain about.
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Derek,

You don't have to spend much time working in any major market without someone saying something about the H.

I hear it all the time, because I use Contax and I guess most assistants expect to see an H on set.

Also don't think that anyone serious about professional photography has not either owned, rented, bought or shot with an H series, because they are so prevelent in rental and with techs it's really not that hard to get your hands on one,

So in my world the people that like this camera, have used it and tried it and the people that don't like this camera, have used it and tried it.

I agree with Steve that people "want" to like it and I also agree that the flip side is it's a very polarizing camera.  For my genre a flip flash just makes no sense, same with no 90 degree shutter release.  

The fact that the H is the best selling medium format camera pretty much sums up the medium format camera market.  

On one hand you have the Mamiya and though everyone says the optics are good, the price acceptable, nobody is thrilled with the build quality.  

Then you have the far side of the spectrum with the HY6.  Most people who have had a brief chance to use it like  almost everything about it except the curent lens options and the  price, so the Hasselblad falls somewhere in the middle.

I think medium format continues to shoot themselves in the foot by limiting their offerings.  I still don't understand why most the the medium format backs have to be camera specific and I can understand the back makers trying to one up each other with proprietary bodies that only work with their backs, as an end user all this does is force me away from buying a camera, not push me towards it.

The day I bought my Contaxs I walked into Samys to specifically by an H series.  I can absolutely gaurantee you that the initial buy in costs was not the concern or the reason I didn't go the H route and it just wasn't ergonomics or the viewfinder.  

I knew that professional cameras were moving to the digital product cycle of proprietary systems and continual upgrades every 18 months, rather than the analog model of one camera every 5 to 10 years.

The most compelling reason I went with a Contax was they had no agenda as they were shutting their doors, so waiting for a firmware upgrade wasn't an issue.

I bought for the lenses first, the camera second and then wanted the option to decide what type of digital film goes on it.


JR