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Author Topic: Hasselblad F-lenses on Nikon D700  (Read 11530 times)

Bas Stekelenburg

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Hasselblad F-lenses on Nikon D700
« on: July 25, 2008, 07:18:44 pm »

I’m a very happy man! But only since today, July 25 2008.
In 2000 I was also a happy man. After years of slowly being able to buy one Hasselblad lens and body after the other, I was the proud owner of a 203FE and a spare 201F body, and five desirable lenses: 50/2.8; 80/2.8; 110/2.0; 150/2.8 and 250/4. For years I spent many happy hours in the darkroom printing my beloved big Delta 100 and Tri X negatives and I thought my MF equipment was a lifetime investment.
That was the pre-digital era.
My 135 format (Nikon F5) was the first to set aside for a digital body, and a new body, and again a new body, (sounds familiar?) But my dear Hassy had to do without digital; film only.
Five years ago I closed my darkroom definitely, and it was also that moment that the batteries were taken out of the Hasselblad bodies. I inquired patiently if something was to be expected for MY F-Hassy, but no, V-only, maybe later, no, maybe another manufacturer, no, and no and no, no digital backs. Letters to Hasselblad Sweden kept unanswered. The “lifetime investment” turned out to be degrading rapidly, day by day.
This is the digital era.
So let’s forget the beauty of Carl Zeiss made in Germany lenses, let’s forget Hasselblad, this is a new time with new digital players and VERY enthusiastic international photographing testers and testing photographers, all talking about the new Full Frame not too expensive Nikon D700.
I ordered at the first of July a Nikon D700, with some new ultra wide glass, and from another little shop a smart accessory.  
Not only arrived my D700/MB-D10 today, twenty-four days after ordering and oh boy, what a machine, what a fantastic, well build gear, but also an ugly, cheap looking paper box with a printed name ADAPTER HASSU, LV.SHI and a sticker with the name Nikon arrived. There were some Chinese characters too, so we know where it comes from. The box contains only a piece of metal, a black tube with on one side a Nikon-like lens mounting and on the other side a Hasselblad-like camera mounting. And I must say, it made me more than happy, double or triple happy, because this simple $115.00 device gives me my Hasselblad lenses back, to be used on my D700 body!!! Focal length is the same, so there is no multiplying factor; my Carl Zeiss Distagon 2,8/50 gives the same picture as my AF Nikkor 50/1:1.4D. O.K. it is Manual all over, no autofocus, but metering can easily be done with the aperture pre-closed (it’s open to focus) and the D700 focus assist in the viewfinder works, and please old Hasselblad users be aware, we were used to focus ourselves, we were used to our Minolta incident light meters, it is in fact easier than it ever was. O.K. it is only a 24 x 36 mm 12 MP sensor, but I am happy with 14” x 22” prints, and this is without upressing the picture. And I made already some beautiful, clean 1600 ISO pictures, shining at the unsurpassed LCD, is there a digital back out there with the same sensitivity? And with upcoming bodies, like the D800 (being an undressed version of the D3x) we have the double amount of pixels/dots…
For all with a new Nikon D3 or D700 and “old” Hasselblad lenses, try to spend just over a hundred box and have some real, real fun!
This what I liked to share with you, reading the forum for a long time now, and contributing for the first time.
Hasselbas.
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Conner999

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Hasselblad F-lenses on Nikon D700
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2008, 07:31:41 pm »

Welcome aboard. I currently use a Mamiya 200/2.8 APO and 150/3.5N and have used the Hassy 110/2 on my 1DS2 - all with great results. Still have a couple of Hassy adapters just in case decide to acquire some more Hassy glass.
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vandevanterSH

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Hasselblad F-lenses on Nikon D700
« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2008, 07:34:30 pm »

DSLR put my Hassy kit in the closet for a few years...then added a CFV and it is now back in action.  Using my CZ glass with a Nikon sounds interesting..do you have a link for the lens adapter?


Steve
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doubledark

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Hasselblad F-lenses on Nikon D700
« Reply #3 on: July 25, 2008, 07:44:27 pm »

Hi all
sounds interesting-two quick questions;

a)how good are the older film lenses on digital?

b)what's the widest Hassleblad lens (want to use for architecture)
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Mike W

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Hasselblad F-lenses on Nikon D700
« Reply #4 on: July 25, 2008, 08:55:12 pm »

there aren't any.
Remember 50mm in MF is aprox. equal to 30mm in 35mm DSLR land.
Which is about as wide as it gets.

I think there's a 40mm, but it's a fisheye.
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vandevanterSH

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Hasselblad F-lenses on Nikon D700
« Reply #5 on: July 25, 2008, 10:06:34 pm »

Quote
Hi all
sounds interesting-two quick questions;

a)how good are the older film lenses on digital?

b)what's the widest Hassleblad lens (want to use for architecture)
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=210716\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

a) I use old CZ glass with my "entry level" 16MP back and they do quite well.

 The 40mm is the widest non-fish eye lens...a new one goes for ~$5,800..used ~$2,400.  There is a 30mm fish eye...For architecture the 38mm Biogon is very good but it comes as part of the Super Wide series of cameras.

Steve
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Bas Stekelenburg

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Hasselblad F-lenses on Nikon D700
« Reply #6 on: July 26, 2008, 04:28:07 am »

Quote
DSLR put my Hassy kit in the closet for a few years...then added a CFV and it is now back in action.  Using my CZ glass with a Nikon sounds interesting..do you have a link for the lens adapter?
Steve
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=210713\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Bought mine at a local Hasselblad repair shop. They have them for Nikon, Canon and Mamiya 645.
I found more (expensive) ones at e-bay, and cheaper Russian ones at www.rugift.com, look for "Adapter rings for lenses" and find many different lens types to many different bodies.
In fact this is not a new subject, but it became apparent for Nikon users, after the Full Frame introduction of D3 and D700.
It's much easier for Hasselblad V-users. The CFV is only one example; for F camera's there does not exist a single digital back. I know you can have your F body changed to accept (only) the CFV back, but that’s the one exception and it will not be continued/updated by Hasselblad; you’re stuck...

Bas
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Dustbak

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Hasselblad F-lenses on Nikon D700
« Reply #7 on: July 26, 2008, 05:32:42 am »

What do you mean you cannot put a back on a Hasselblad F body?  

AFAIK, the CF back can be used on a F series body with the ELD adapter. This gives you the option to put 22/39MP backs on your F body.

http://www.hasselblad.com/media/133781/uk_...atasheet_v2.pdf

Edit: It does say with C-type lenses.
« Last Edit: July 26, 2008, 05:34:32 am by Dustbak »
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Bas Stekelenburg

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Hasselblad F-lenses on Nikon D700
« Reply #8 on: July 26, 2008, 05:52:43 am »

Quote
What do you mean you cannot put a back on a Hasselblad F body?   

AFAIK, the CF back can be used on a F series body with the ELD adapter. This gives you the option to put 22/39MP backs on your F body.

http://www.hasselblad.com/media/133781/uk_...atasheet_v2.pdf

Edit: It does say with C-type lenses.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=210783\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Which I do not have, I chose F-bodies to use the faster F lenses without a shutter.
Bas
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Dustbak

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Hasselblad F-lenses on Nikon D700
« Reply #9 on: July 26, 2008, 06:03:35 am »

Quote
Which I do not have, I chose F-bodies to use the faster F lenses without a shutter.
Bas
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Clear... bummer.

The CFV however has been upgraded fairly recently towards the CFVII. Hasselblad still has not discontinued that. Even if it does happen it will give you many years of operation.

I do agree it is a pity you cannot use more backs with the faster F lenses.
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Conner999

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Hasselblad F-lenses on Nikon D700
« Reply #10 on: July 26, 2008, 07:58:17 am »

Any MF lens that performs well on a digital back will do so on a DSLR (AA filter and DoF differences aside).

In the days of film, MF lenses didn't NEED to perform as well as 35mm film lenses because of enlargement required for say an 8x10 between the two formats and the fact that MF film had more grains of emulsion of varying sizes that captured more detail.

That said, just because a MF lens didn't NEED to perform as well as 35mm, doesn't mean it didn't. In  the digital world, the 'emulsion grain' is of uniform size (Fuji S series aside) across a sensor's real estate. Pixel pitch varies by sensor and sensors varying in size, but that's it (so far anyway).

Take a MFDB with a pixel pitch of X. Take a FF DSLR with the same (or close) pixel pitch. Stick a Hassy 40/4 IF on both and shoot. Take the MF shot and crop out the center to equate to the 24x36mm (lets assume FF DSLR frame).

Differences in RESOLUTION between the two (aside from the AA filter and skinnier DoF from the MFDB) ? Nada.  Zip.  As a matter of fact, in most cases you get lucky using a MF lens on a FF DSLR because you're only using the 1st 20mm of the MTF curve. You're capturing the sweet spot as it were.

Now this is NOT (Repeat NOT) to say that a DSLR with a MF lens will deliver the same overall image or IQ as a MFDB.  It won't by any means.  The lack of AA filter and shallower DoF and lack of any real pre-processing in MFDB 'raw' shots (among other factors) allow you to lay down an image with a MFDB that NO DSLR can match.

However, it does mean that a good MF lens will perform up to expectation on a  DSLR. I've used the Mamiya 280/20.8 APO, 150/3.5N and Hassy 110/2 F on my 1Ds2 with EXCELLENT results.

The IQ from the 280 rivals that of some of the Leica APO glass I've used - for $600 Mint. The 150 gives a nice smooth 'water color' low-sat look to shots. The 110/2, while it gives up something in DoF on the smaller sensor (in other words it behaves like an F2)  is, well, the legendary 110/2.

I know of other photogs you use their 1DS2 or D3 as emergency backups to their back with adapters, etc. It's also a great way to further leverage a lens collection - and get some lenses (M645 very cheaply).

One caveat - for a DSLR user, fast MF lenses have a very fine pitch focus mechanism. In short, they behave more like a 35mm macro lens.  As an example, the 110/2 on a MFDB actually has DoF that's at least 1 stop shallower, so the fine pitch focus action is needed to allow the photog to place the plane of focus where they want it.  

As long as the lens has an aperture ring and you can find an adapter for it, you can use it in stop-down mode on a DSLR. Hassy CF lenses - just park the aperture in F mode, much as you would if using it on a 200 series Hassy.

Adapters are avail from 101 places in Asia/Russia, the best I've used yet are the Fotodiox PRO ( NOT consumer) units. Roughly $90 per in Nikon, Canon or Leica R mount.

Bit more verbose than I wanted to be, coffee must be kicking in.
« Last Edit: July 26, 2008, 08:04:51 am by Conner999 »
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tbosley

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Hasselblad F-lenses on Nikon D700
« Reply #11 on: July 26, 2008, 01:39:46 pm »

Quote
I've used the Mamiya 280/20.8 APO, ....with EXCELLENT results.

The IQ from the 280 rivals that of some of the Leica APO glass I've used - for $600 Mint.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=210796\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Been using Mamiya for years.  You mean the 200mm/2.8 right?  The 300mm APO is equally as impressive if not more so...

In general IMO what you gain when using medium format lens via adapter is a more consistent quality over 35mm lenses.  It is rare that I find a medium format sample that has questionable quality and construction.  For 35mm lenses on the other hand, its a crap shoot what you will get even with the top Canon L, Nikon AFS, or Sigma HSM lenses.
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Conner999

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Hasselblad F-lenses on Nikon D700
« Reply #12 on: July 27, 2008, 10:15:04 am »

+1 on that one. The infamous "Canon Lens Lottery". the most consistent 35mm lenses I've used are Leica and CZ the Nikon then Canom. Probably many folks in between.

Yes, was referring to the 200/2.8 APO, not some mythical '280mm'.  The 300 is, as you say, reputed to be even better.

Only issue with lens is that it is heavy (it is a 645 200/2.8) and the weight is very focused near the front of the lens. Makes balancing it on even a 1DS2 a little awkward. Great sturdy construction, built-in hood a la Leica (why can't all mfg's do this...), smooth focus, etc.

Quote
Been using Mamiya for years.  You mean the 200mm/2.8 right?  The 300mm APO is equally as impressive if not more so...

In general IMO what you gain when using medium format lens via adapter is a more consistent quality over 35mm lenses.  It is rare that I find a medium format sample that has questionable quality and construction.  For 35mm lenses on the other hand, its a crap shoot what you will get even with the top Canon L, Nikon AFS, or Sigma HSM lenses.
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« Last Edit: July 27, 2008, 10:18:11 am by Conner999 »
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