International Camera Museum : Blue Moon Camera and Machine

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Hasselblad 500 C/M

The history of photography took a turn when the original Hasselblad 500C was introduced in 1957. That camera enjoyed a 13 year production run ending in 1970 when it was replaced by the 500 C/M.

In the original 500C, the "C" stood for the Compur leaf shutter used in the lenses on the camera and the "M" in the new 500 C/M stands for "modified". The biggest change that the 500 C/M brings is the ability of the user to easily swap out focusing screens. Other than that, the 500 C/M is pretty true to the original 500C. In fact, you can even find late models of the 500C that are actually 500 C/M cameras - the crossover was a fluid one.

The 500 C/M is the medium format camera many photographers dream of owning. And the camera itself is a dream to use. With the incredibly precise engineering and wonderful tactile experience, the process of using a Hasselblad 500 C/M is as rewarding as are the results.

Results do matter and, in the case of the Hasselblad 500 C/M, those results are influenced by the exceptional Carl Zeiss lenses used in this system. You would have to look long and hard to find a better, higher-quality system of lenses to put on a camera.

Another major perk of the Hasselblad 500 C/M is the camera's modular nature. In addition to changing lenses, the user can switch out film backs mid-roll, change to waist level finders and eye level prisms, and swap out the aforementioned focusing screen.

These cameras may cost a pretty penny, but they are worth every one of those pennies... and then some.

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Zeiss 80mm f2.8 Planar for Hasselblad V - Stuck Shutter Blades

The Zeiss 80mm f2.8 Planar is one of the most iconic lenses of the 20th century. From Apollo moon missions to backyard snapshots, the fast aperture and sharp optics of the 80mm f2.8 Planar have made it the lens of choice for countless applications.

This copy came into our store with a stuck shutter mechanism, the blades halted midway through their travel. It heads next to our Hasselblad repair tech Paul, who will unstick the blades, disassemble and lubricate the mechanism, and bring the lens back into proper working spec.

Zeiss 40mm f4 Distagon Hasselblad V-Mount - Front Element

The Zeiss 40mm f4 Distagon is the widest rectilinear (non-distorting) lens available for the Hasselblad V-mount cameras such as the 500C/M. It has an equivalent angle of view to a 24mm lens on a 35mm camera. While not quite as wide as the Zeiss 38mm f4.5 Biogon lens found fixed on the Hasselblad SWC, the 40mm Distagon has the considerable advantage of being an interchangeable reflex lens that can be focused traditionally. The Zeiss 40mm f4 Distagon is a large and front-heavy optic -- one of our staff members affectionally refers to it as "the grapefruit."

Hasselblad 500C/M Shutter Sound

Not just the king of medium format cameras, but the king of camera sounds. No camera sounds like a Hasselblad. It is the camera that can fire on the far side of a crowded room and you know exactly what it is. It is one of the most beloved of shutter sounds among film photographers and we feel it is one of the best parts of being a Hasselblad user. Sure, the camera feels nice in the hands. Sure, the view through the viewfinder is magical. But there is something about how the heart lifts a bit at hearing that kah-lump (some describe it as more of a clip-clop, while others think it is a snick-snop) of the shutter and mirror triggering. So make sure you have the sound on for this post and see if you can resist the urge to smile a bit hearing this camera in action.

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Kodak Ektar 100 Film Friday Featurette

⁠Kodak Ektar 100 is one of our favorite color films by far. There are several of our staff that would gladly ask for Ektar as their desert island film, should they be marooned out on some small South Pacific island.⁠

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Ektar is the most saturated color negative film still available on the market - it even gives Fuji Velvia a run for its money (though Velvia still wins). In addition to saturation, it has a nice punch to its contrast. It's sharp. It's fine grained. And it is available in 35mm, 120, large format, and, don't forget, Spy Film for Minox as well. That, in and of itself, is a lot to like.⁠

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We use Ektar in much of our personal work and we sell a ton of this film, probably second only to Portra 400 when it comes to color emulsions. It is our go-to film for pinhole photography and long exposure work. If there is a glorious sunset, or a field of flowers begging to be photographed, count on us loading a roll of Ektar. We've even been known to make the occasional portrait using this film - though its saturation can run away with certain skin tones a bit, if you are not careful. ⁠

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Hasselblad 500C/M and Print by Zach Carothers

One of the prints that caught our attention and made it into the 2016 Annual Customer Show was this image by Zach Carothers, made on his Hasselblad 500C/M. Zach is a regular at the shop; we always look forward to seeing him and his bags full of film from his travels, either on his own or with his band, Portugal. The Man. ⠀⠀

The 2016 Customer Show took place at four different venues: 45th Parallel, Anna Banana’s, Leisure, and The Fixin’ To - all businesses located right here in St. Johns. We hold the Customer Show on the first Saturday of December, each and every year, so be sure to mark that date on your calendar right now!

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Zeiss 500mm f/8

Using a Hasselblad imparts a variety of feelings upon the photographer holding it. We never expected to say we felt a bit like a stormtrooper from Star Wars but that is kind of what the Zeiss 500mm f8 Tele-Tessar with rifle stock does to you.

Missing Hasselblad...

Hmm... feels like we're missing something here...

Spencer and Their Hasselblad 500C/M

We made this portrait of Spencer barely a month after they started working here at Blue Moon Camera. That short amount of time was all it took for them to become a proud, new owner of this Hasselbald 500C/M. Working at a camera store hardly inoculates you from buying exciting, new cameras. If anything, it encourages it!

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Hasselblad 500C/M Coziness

A Trio of Hasselblads

One is good, two is great, three Hasselblads is..... what do you call that?

Hasselblad At Home

This is a thing of beauty: a Hasselblad destined for a good home, to reside in disguise in its original fancy leather suitcase. Some things are so perfect together, and so many of them begin with a Hasselblad. Reason #459 why we love our job.

Holding a Hasselblad 500C/M

No other camera elicits the same kind of joy and wonder when first held than a Hasselblad.

Hasselblad 500 C/M with 500mm Lens

Madonna and child, featuring David Paulin and this Hasselblad 500 C/M and 500mm f/8.

Hasselblad 500 C/M with Zeiss 40mm Lens

Nocturnal Hasselblad 500 C/M

A nocturnal glimpse of the not-so-rare Hasselblad, in one of its many favored environments. These creatures can be seen in all manner of locale: sunny beaches, urban alleys, frozen waterfalls, quiet forests, and windswept peaks. These cameras are surprisingly adaptable and very rugged but they do tend to favor the same environments that humans inhabit. If you are lucky enough to see one out in the field, make sure to pause a moment and make note of what it is seeing.

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Hasselblad 500cm

For that distinctly Hasselblad-shaped shadow in your life, we might suggest that you consider this modern 500CM, 80mm CF lens, and A12 back - all in black. Elegant, clandestine, subdued (compared to its chrome brethren), this camera looks and feels just like a secret handshake.

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Peter with his Hasselblad

In the run up to our Staff Show opening on July 15th of 2017, we featured portraits of our various staff, along with the tools of their trade. Peter is one of our more sartorially and photographically eclectic staff members. Though the Hasselblad is often the camera he is seen with, it is not at all surprising to see him toting around his Pentax 67 or a Holga 120N . He can be found shooting a wedding with a Widelux F7 or doing a bit of studio, large format work. We can always count on him to keep it interesting.⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀

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