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Author Topic: Hasselblad HC80 versus HC100  (Read 9115 times)

jerome_m

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Hasselblad HC80 versus HC100
« on: October 15, 2013, 10:06:18 am »

The Hasselblad HC 100 is famous for being one of the fastest lenses available for MF DSLRs, and the fastest in the Hasselblad HC range, but the HC 80 is almost as fast and the focal length is also almost the same.

I have the HC 80. I wonder what I miss by not having the HC 100. Did anyone try to compare the two lenses?

I have seen pictures taken by one lens or the other, for example on the hasselbladdigital forums, but I have never seen pictures of the same scene taken for direct comparison. I am not interested in absolute sharpness, the HC80 is plenty sharp for my uses, so I would not need full resolution pictures. What I would need are, for example, portraits or similar pictures to judge the bokeh and rendering around f/4.0-f/5.6

Thank you in advance for any help.
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bpepz

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Re: Hasselblad HC80 versus HC100
« Reply #1 on: October 15, 2013, 09:05:04 pm »

I have used both. The HC 80mm is sharper at 2.8 and has more contrast then the 100mm at 2.8. The 80mm is still better until f/4 or f/5.6, where both lenses get so good its hard to see a difference. However, at wider apertures, the 100mm flares VERY STRONGLY. It has has problems focusing with back lit subjects. Overall the 100mm is a very cool lens with a distinct look to the rendering style, however I choose to just use the 80mm becuase I like the rendering style better and like the superior performance wide open.
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JV

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Re: Hasselblad HC80 versus HC100
« Reply #2 on: October 15, 2013, 09:24:25 pm »

Difficult to compare.

The 80mm is a good and sharp all-round lens. 

The 100mm is a lens with character.  It is a signature lens.  It produces a unique and distinct look.  If you do portraits you definitely want to go with the 100mm.

After I got my 100mm I literally have not touched the 80mm anymore. 

It is the main reason why I would have a hard time letting go of Hasselblad.  I couldn't care less about the 6 other lenses I own.

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jerome_m

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Re: Hasselblad HC80 versus HC100
« Reply #3 on: October 15, 2013, 09:51:15 pm »

That the 100mm has a special character is what I have read everywhere and I am ready to believe it. But would you have good examples showing this character? Ideally, the same picture taken with the 100mm and with the 80mm to show the difference.
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DanielStone

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Re: Hasselblad HC80 versus HC100
« Reply #4 on: October 16, 2013, 12:27:05 am »

do you have the ability to test both lenses side by side? Maybe you can rent the 100mm lens? And test against your 80mm?
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jerome_m

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Re: Hasselblad HC80 versus HC100
« Reply #5 on: October 16, 2013, 03:48:46 pm »

do you have the ability to test both lenses side by side? Maybe you can rent the 100mm lens? And test against your 80mm?

I could try to rent the 100mm, although this has become more difficult in recent time: the local Calumet has stopped renting Hasselblad gear. But, then, the use of a forum is to exchange information and I suppose that, maybe, other users would share their experience...

If the only answer to a question here would be "go, rent the equipment and test it yourself", we would not need a forum, would we?  ::)
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vampire

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Re: Hasselblad HC80 versus HC100
« Reply #6 on: October 26, 2013, 05:52:08 pm »

How about, "Just go buy the 100 and you won't regret it..."
I also don't use my 80 ever, I use the 100 80% of the time and the 35-90 the rest. The 100 also works great with the teleconverter and ext tubes. I can try to shoot with both next time I do a shoot, but I'm in la for a week and don't have any portraits lined up when I get back to NY... Have to shoot some other stuff.
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Brian Hirschfeld

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Re: Hasselblad HC80 versus HC100
« Reply #7 on: October 27, 2013, 02:57:15 am »

Personally I have written about these two lenses before and I am a big fan of the 100mm. In fact, if I were to only have on lens for the rest of eternity it would probably be the lens I would choose. As said above it has "character". The 80mm f/2.8 is a great lens which is very sharp and you cannot complain much about it. The 100mm is a much more (in my opinion) intimate lens and you cannot simply compare max apertures and focal lengths to understand it. I would seriously recommend renting it and seeing if it works for you.
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jerome_m

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Re: Hasselblad HC80 versus HC100
« Reply #8 on: October 27, 2013, 05:49:12 am »

I would still be interested in a direct comparison: the same picture taken with one lens and with the other. I am already convinced that the 100mm has character. What I don't know is whether this "character" would please me. There is at least one person in this thread who posted that he prefers the 80mm.
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Go Go

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Re: Hasselblad HC80 versus HC100
« Reply #9 on: October 28, 2013, 06:34:59 pm »

Look here, http://www.hasselbladdigitalforum.com/index.php/topic,1447.0.html

You really need to shoot the lens for a while and look at images in Phocus to see the difference and character of the HC100 2.2 rather than looking at images on the web.

 

MaxKißler

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Re: Hasselblad HC80 versus HC100
« Reply #10 on: October 29, 2013, 01:43:31 pm »

Thought I'd just share my thoughts regarding this 80mm vs 100mm contemplation:
First of all, I'm using the 80mm and have yet to try the 100mm. This is either because I'm a student who can't really afford the HC 100mm or maybe because I see no need for the 100mm in my lens lineup.

-The 80mm is smaller and weighs 305g less than the 100mm.
-It's cheap and it's an outstanding lens.
-The AF is increadibly fast.
-Shows some CA especially wide open but all in all it's just a great lens.

-Neither 100mm nor 80mm is long enough to shoot people with at very close distances. That's a personal preference of course but for this task I'd rather go for the 150mm instead.
-In my experience, people use the word "character" a lot to define the deficiencies of a lens. Doesn't mean the 100mm is bad, I'm just not a character lens kind of guy (you can add some character in post).
-I'm not a fan of totally blurred out backgrounds so I wouldn't use f 2.2 a lot. I think the background is an important part of an image and should be more than a bunch of blobs. Don't get me wrong, the background shouldn't be sharp at all but there should at least be some sort of definition to it.
-If you are looking for maximum out of focus areas you'll get them at closest focussing distance of each lens (but risk to get distorted heads and faces) whilst at medium distances (let's say 1,5m) the difference between the 80mm at f2.8 and the 100mm at f2.2 is rather small IMO.

If I had enough money I'd think about replacing my 80mm with the 50mm AND 100mm to get the best of both worlds (the short and the longish kind of standard lens). But then again, I really like the 80mm. As I said, it's an outstanding lens.

Cheers
« Last Edit: October 29, 2013, 02:52:13 pm by MaxKißler »
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Chris Livsey

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Re: Hasselblad HC80 versus HC100
« Reply #11 on: October 29, 2013, 05:25:34 pm »

Look here, http://www.hasselbladdigitalforum.com/index.php/topic,1447.0.html

You really need to shoot the lens for a while and look at images in Phocus to see the difference and character of the HC100 2.2 rather than looking at images on the web.

As an interested bystander I had, because of prior knowledge, looked at that thread but couldn't see what the OP asked for, a direct comparison.

Are you saying that the difference is not discernible in web images (which begs the question, why point to the thread) or that when you have shot and studied the images "at home" you will then be able to see that difference or the difference is there but not at web resolution level ?

My issue is that like Edmund the price of the Blad's has fallen to a level where they are possible but the 80mm bundle is ubiquitous other than at the "home" shops where the price should include a lens but doesn't. From the V system ( I know totally unrelated lenses) I want to go with the 100mm but I need to justify the extra, if you can't see it on the web? I can see the difference in the V series between 80mm and 100mm, even on the web, usually  ;)

Surely someone can oblige with a double take or point to a link?



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