The first camera of the Hasselblad 500 series that replaced the earlier 1000F camera. Introduced in 1957, the 500C became one of the most famous medium format cameras of all time. Noted for its excellent design, reliability and versatility, these cameras have been around the world and beyond, having been used during the Apollo space missions.
The 500C is an all-mechanical medium format camera that is very modular and designed as part of a complete system. The camera can be thought of as being composed of four parts: the body, the lens, the finder and the film back with all being interchangeable and adaptable to different needs or jobs. For example, a Hasselblad user can fit their camera with a waist level finder or an eye level prism, they can use a 6x6cm back or a 6x4.5cm back or a 4x4cm "super slide" back.
The Hasselblad 500C cameras also make use of incredible lenses built by Carl Zeiss and give you some of the best optics available in the medium format world. Buying a Hasselblad 500C is very likely a matter of "buying your last camera first."
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The shortage of color film this year has had us doing more work with the many available B&W films. Working with black and white film can be a lot of fun. It is easy to even forget it is an option since we naturally see the world in full color and focus much of our attention on those colors. One of the many applications we love for B&W film is long exposure work. So we wanted to share this before/after pairing of a Hasselblad at work with a roll of Cinestill BWXX and the image that came of this moment. The camera was fitted with an 8.5 stop ND filter to help drag that shutter speed out a bit to produce the blur in the ocean surf.
Hasselblad 500C
Hoya 8.5 stop ND filter
Cinestill BWXX
Siblings separated at birth? Distant cousins meeting for the first time?
We don't exactly know what the relationship between this Hasselblad 500C and Goodman Scura 120 should be, but they definitely seem like they ought to be related.
One tangible tie that binds both of them is the wooden inlay they share from the hands of Dora Goodman. Dora is someone whose work we have long admired from afar. How can you not? She does beautiful things to - and with - cameras.
When her company recently reached out to us and asked if we would like to be her first North American distributor for the Goodman Zones and Scuras, we jumped at the chance to have some of her cameras in the shop. Of course, we couldn't help but ask for a wood inlay kit for one of our personal Hasselblads (and Pentacon Six, too).
If you don't already follow @doragoodman on Instagram, we highly recommend you do so now. To learn more about her incredible cameras, visit her website here.
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Today's camera/photo combo is brought to you courtesy of this Hasselblad 500C, a Carl Zeiss 150mm f/4, Fuji Acros II, and the Wallowa Mountains.
By far, the most popular focal length on the Hasselblad 500 series cameras is the 80mm. This is the lens you will almost always find paired with the camera. It is a great "standard" lens, too. You might wonder, what makes a good second lens after that 80mm? The answer to this question will always be subjective, and should be. Ultimately, only you can provide the most accurate answer to that question. But if we were going to suggest a focal length to think about, we would suggest the 150mm.
The 150mm Sonnar lens makes a great companion to the 80mm. Sometimes we feel like 80mm is just a little too wide (it is roughly equivalent to a 40mm on a full frame 35mm camera). So when we have that desire to get a bit closer, a bit more intimate, with our subject matter - that is when the 150mm comes out of the bag. It gives us a slightly tighter framing compared to that of the 80mm.
Other perks to the 150mm include its relatively compact size. Yes, it is bigger than the 80 for sure, but not to a degree that is cumbersome (like the 250mm, for example). It is an f/4 lens, so it does lose a stop compared to the 80mm, but not as bad as the f/5.6 120mm (non-macro) lens. Also, the 150mm lenses are generally easy to find and not too expensive, by Hasselblad standards.
So if you are considering a partner for your 80mm Planar, weigh your options... but give some consideration to adding a 150mm to the mix.
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This post is dedicated to that slow pace of life that the view through a Hasselblad waist level finder inspires.
Yes, it is magical and yes, it also looks so "3D." We know these are often the first impressions this view gives you. But those who have gotten to know a Hasselblad will likely tell you that there is something else subtle and beautiful about the world taken in in this fashion. There is a calm and thoughtfulness that is inspired when looking down into these cameras. It is partly the fact that composing and focusing through a Hasselblad waist level finder is not a fast process. Yes, you become faster at it, but the process itself will never be fast. It takes some care and it takes some thought. And in the back of your head is the reminder that you only get to do this 12 times before you have reload; further encouraging you to think about the exposure you plan to make, and to make it count. But it is not simply about navigating the technical logistics of this finder. There is a magic to it, that is worth slowing down to enjoy. We'd tell you that one of the reasons we love photography is that it helps encourage us to be more present in the moment, to help make our appreciation for the light, colors, mood and atmosphere, the slice of time we find ourselves in, or the beauty of the scene that much deeper.
Looking through the waist level finder of a Hasselblad is an invitation to do just that - to take a moment, and a breath, to marvel at the world on a small scale (roughly 6x6cm) and, after a minute or two, then gently depressing that shutter button, listening to the lovely kah-clump of the mirror and baffles triggering and wind on to the next frame.
But not too quickly.
This pairing courtesy of a Zeb's Hasselblad 500C and Silberra Color 100 film.
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You can have a lot of fun and do some remarkable things with film cameras and neutral density filters. Here are some basic tips and some creative ideas for how to use these filters to produce some remarkable film photos.
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There are no bad seasons... there is no bad weather.
We love winter because it brings snow to our landscapes, making them picturesque and perfect for a nice roll of Fuji Acros II. Those overcast winter skies give us perfectly even light that is soft and enveloping, without the stress of hard shadows or blown highlights. Also, the cold temperatures tend to keep our favorite locales a lot less crowded.
When winter transitions into spring, the land erupts in a cacophony of greens, unlike any other time of the year. We set aside our Acros and reach for our Ektar or Velvia. Those once overcast skies now seem to change daily - giving us a wonderful variety of weather to photograph in. This is one of the best seasons for sunrises and sunsets, as the clouds catch the light and the sun rises and sets at more accessible times of the day.
Spring, of course, becomes summer. Now the weather is consistently warm, encouraging us to get out and spend long days at the coast, in the forests, hanging out with friends in city parks - all the while with a camera on our shoulders. We favor Portra and Rollei RPX film for their softer contrast, but the blue skies and abundance of light make for some great infrared photography as well.
Finally, summer wanes into autumn. The leaves turn, giving us a palette of yellows, oranges, and reds to enjoy. Like spring, the days can be sunny and warm one day and turn surprisingly chilling and blustery the next. The variety and the drama are exhilarating. In the cities, wet streets and drab skies make for some great, moody cityscapes. Just about any color film works well during the fall months, and you can never go wrong with a roll of Tri-X for a little monochromatic drama.
The cycle starts anew, when fall once again becomes winter, but one big thing remains constant: if you go looking for it, you'll find something lovely and worth photographing in any season, on any day and in any weather.
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Sample gallery images made on Kodak Tri-X with a Hasselblad 500C by staff member, Zeb Andrews.
Sample images made on Ilford Delta 400 with a Hasselblad 500C by staff member, Zeb Andrews.
Well-trodden paths call for trusted cameras, as hardy and intrepid as the photographer they accompany. One of the things we love about so many film cameras, like this Hasselblad 500C, is how rugged and reliable they are. You never want to arrive in the middle of nowhere to have your camera dead because of poor batteries, or having discovered that it took an inopportune knock in the bag, or that it just panicked being so far away from civilization and went into camera shock.
No. Give us cameras that egg us on, encourage us up one more switchback, or chide us when we start packing up because it has begun sprinkling. They also celebrate the summits and the waterfalls and the gorgeous sunsets. They clap, crank, and clunk as they record the light of those scenes onto the film fed to them, then safely store those latent exposures while we pick our way back down the trail, often in the dark, sometimes by ourselves, but never really alone. Not with a companion like this.
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As summer winds down and school starts up in many places, these remaining weekends are the last hurrah of summer camping for many. The world of late is a heavy, stressful place to be and a few quiet moments alongside a misty, mountain lake with one's Hasselblad can be a welcome balm. To live and work right now is to operate under a constant low (or high, in some cases) level of anxiety, whose effect can be cumulative and corrosive. Our staff have been trying to be diligent in taking scheduled time off, just to give ourselves those brief moments to take a few head-clearing breaths of mountain air, to have some quiet moments of reflection and re-orientation, or to recharge, so that when we come back to the important work that still needs to be done, we do so with a bit more vigor and clearer vision. It makes moments of quiet reflection or spontaneous creativity very important, in that sense.
There is still a bit of summer left (but, honestly, autumn ain't half bad either) so be sure to take that opportunity for yourself and your film cameras. And in case you need a suggestion for a good direction to head, we heartily recommend Takhlakh Lake in Washington state/on unceded Cowlitz and Yakama lands.
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Affixed to the front of this 500C is a Bay50 to 77mm stepping ring, allowing us to mount an R72 filter in order to get the full infrared effect from this beautiful film.
Why do we shoot film? ⠀⠀
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How can you really explain the answer to that question when it involves so many emotions that are best experienced rather than explained? When your reasons are mixed up with wanting a camera you can own for decades, adventure with, grow old with, accumulate scars and stories with. When your reasons involve owning a camera that stops people on the streets, or the trails, or even next to you on airplanes, to remark upon the mystery or curiosity of why you are carrying that weird and antiquated device with you. Reasons that include having your repair tech look askance at you because your camera is so heavily worn, so full of debris from trips through forests, up mountains and to the edge of dry land... so well used, that they think you should just replace it. But you don't; you will not. Because you know that, unless they have stood on a sun-drenched beach watching the world through the viewfinder of your camera, as you have done on countless other occasions, feeling the comfortable and familiar weight in your hands, relishing that connection of a camera who is also an old friend, that they will not quite get it. It is no fault of theirs. As said, this is something that one has to experience to understand. But when you do, then you realize nuances of the answer to that question. Love really cannot be explained so simply, after all.
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One of our Hasselblads got out last week for a bit of exercise and exploration. It made its way up to Whidbey Island, WA and was spotted lounging on this beach near the Deception Pass Bridge. Rumor is that it was packing along a roll of Rollei RPX 400 and a 15 stop ND filter, but we have yet to see any photographic evidence to support these claims.⠀ ⠀
As the weather turns toward, what many of us think of as 'better,' it is time to get those cameras out, brush off any accumulated dust, and go get some exercise - for them and you. Get out there, go have some fun, and make some pictures.
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The Hasselblad at Cape Flattery, the northwestern-most spot in the continental US. This corner of the country is very isolated and, to an extent, a bit lonely. That is why it is nice to have such a stalwart companion as this camera, so that when you are standing on that exposed, windswept spit of land looking out at a vast, open ocean of space, you can take assurance in the familiar and comfortable weight in your hands.
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A Hasselblad 500C sits calmly atop a cliff in the Salt Creek Recreation Area of Washington state. One benefit to doing super long exposures on a film camera such as this Hasselblad 500C is, once they are set up, you can walk away and do any number of other activities. In the case of this 30 minute exposure, our staff member Zeb, who was camping nearby, let his Hasselblad do its thing while he cooked dinner and enjoyed the colors of the sunset. With dinner finished, he came back and flipped the shutter, ending the exposure. The relaxed pace of long exposure work can really lend itself to a whole different approach to photography.
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These summer days seem to draw us to the water's edge. Be it rivers, lakes, or the ocean; we seek to spend the hot afternoons splishing and splashing. Of course no fun daytrip is complete without one's favorite camera.
We have many preferences here at Blue Moon Camera, but one of them is the Hasselblad 500C with heavy ND filters. The all-mechanical nature of this camera makes it perfect for doing super long exposures while we go play.⠀ ⠀
What cameras will you bring out on your summer adventures?
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This box of film spools was not produced from this camera alone, but rather, should be considered a foreshadowing for what this camera will accomplish once it has left our shop.
Cameras are meant to be out in the world collecting light.⠀
Imagine a land populated by two groups of photographers: one likes to use Canon cameras; the other, Nikon. Despite the fact that they both have much in common and are mostly decent people, they inexorably get drawn further into a more and more polarized discussion. Which camera system is superior? Each is convinced that, not only is their respective camera the answer, but the opposing camera system is worse and worse. As these stances harden, and the divide grows, more and more they generalize the other side. In this push to the extremes, the incentive to recognize the overlap in lives, motives, philosophies, passions, etc gets more and more overshadowed by willful ignorance and grandiose assumptions.
It is a bit of a tragic story because, in the beginning, they all just loved making the best photos they could. Now, that time and energy has been channeled into denouncing the other camera system, instead of into the creative efforts that produced remarkable photography. Perhaps even more remarkably, they have slowly convinced themselves that there are only two choices for documenting the world. In their closemindedness, they have lost sight of all of the Minoltas, Olympus, Leicas and Holgas as equally relevant perspectives. In short, the manufactured conflict has further limited their perspectives, rather than expanding them.⠀ ⠀
Obviously, this post has political overtones, but this is as close as we want to get to those politics. Mostly, we like sticking with our cameras. Photography and imaginative creation are generative tools to re-imagine our world and to start to build community and policy that is more equitable and open.⠀ ⠀ ⠀
So, be you a Canon photographer, a Nikon photographer, a Hasselblad user or a DIY pinhole enthusiast, please strive to work in ways that are inspiring, productive, and increasing the good in the world around you. That is all.
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How about this reason for why we love our film cameras. You are standing in Times Square at night, with your Hasselblad in one hand and tripod in the other. The crowd is thick with people brushing by at either shoulder and it is a trick just to find the space to set your tripod up for a photo. Out of the crowd, two young men approach with smiling looks of curious excitement on their faces. Both are from India, one visiting and the other here on a work visa. They ask about the camera in your hand, never having seen anything like it. So you tell them what it is, explain what it does, and show them how it works. They are amazed. That amazement grows even greater when you let them hold the camera and look through its waist level finder. They are blown away by the view, looking left and right, forward and back. They ask if they can snap a photo with their phones through the finder. Of course, you let them - their enthusiasm is endearing. They make photos of each other holding the camera and you get a shot of your own, one of the two of them holding the camera. They say they'd love to own a camera like this and shoot film, but they don't know anything about it or where to start. Fortuitously, you work in a camera store passionate about and dedicated to all things film, so you point them in your shop's metaphorical direction. You also tell them about the local shop, Brooklyn Film Camera, because those guys are awesome and you know these two would be in good hands over there as well. Eventually, with a certain reluctance, you ask for the camera back. The night is only getting later and you have an early flight to catch and want to make a few more photos before retiring. They gratefully hand the camera back, thank you for the time, wave, shake hands, smile, and you all part ways. You watch them go, wondering if the planted seed will germinate or not, hoping that it will.
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This is what a Hasselblad looks like when it straddles the border between two countries. There is a library in northern Vermont, in the town of Derby Line, that sits on the border between the United States and Canada. The main entrance is on the U.S. side but, while you are in the library, you can step back and forth across the border at will. This library was featured on an episode of This American Life, as a place where citizens of the U.S. can meet up with family who cannot travel to the U.S. because their countries of origin are on the travel ban list - if they are able, the family will fly to Canada and step across the border to go into the library there.
One of our staff members visited this library on a trip back east and, while he didn't find any photos to make of the library itself, he did document the moderately unique occasion with a portrait of his Hasselblad; lens in Canada, film in the U.S. and body somewhere in between.
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No matter how good the camera - no matter its beauty or history, no matter its sentimental value - if the camera is not being used, it remains but a shadow of itself.
Cameras are meant to be out there in the light of day and the dark of night, catching the manifestations of our thoughts and feelings onto a film emulsion. They are built to be used, to be an extension of ourselves, to enjoy each day as much as we should enjoy each day. They are meant for the beaches, mountains, cityscapes, wedding halls, birthday parties, the distant lands and the near ones, the glorious light and the dull.
So, today we remind you; get your camera and get out there. You will both be better off for it.
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How often do you get to take your Hasselblad 500C for a swim?⠀
We briefly had this underwater housing for the 500C for sale. Needless to say, none of us here had ever seen one. We had all been using large, Ziploc bags for our Hasselblad swimming pool adventures (kidding) (sort of).
The housing was made by Hugyfot, a company that has been in the business of underwater camera housing since the 1950s. They started making these housings for Hasselblad sometime in the early 1960s and have continued to update their lineup since.
It is quite the contraption too. Ungainly and heavy on land, but once you get it in the water it is right at home. The casing uses geared rings you attach over the focus, shutter and aperture rings of the lens so that you can adjust these externally. The waistlevel finder comes off the camera and there is a large prism in the housing itself to give you a very clear view of the focusing screen. A lever fires the shutter and one last knob winds the film.
The process has a very fluid feel to it (pun intended). It does make us wonder how many divers got their Hasselblads sealed up in the housing and found themselves underwater just to realize they had forgotten to remove the dark slide.
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We're curious. What is the next film camera you plan on adding to your family? We're not talking about dream cameras here. No, "well, if I had a million dollars I would buy a..." scenarios, but actual, planned acquisitions. We're curious to see what the common denominators would be. Generalizations are ok too. Maybe you know you will be getting a medium format camera this year, even if you don't yet know if it will be a Rollei or a Mamiya. Or are you planning on going large format? ...Tangentially, we once sold a Graflex Crown Graphic 4x5 to a fellow whose only other photography experience had been on his phone. True story - smart phone to 4x5 in one leap!⠀ ⠀
What camera-shaped hole in your life will you soon be filling?
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Oh and... have we mentioned we love the St. Johns bridge?
Celebrating the holidays the way we know best, through the luminous waist level viewfinder of a beloved Hasselblad.
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Still life as an analogue photographer in a yurt on the Oregon coast.
Yes, we know, we post a lot of Hasselblad-centric imagery around here; we're biased or in love or both.
Twelve: as in 12 exposures per roll. A dozen chances to make it count, to find the moment, to make tangible an idea. There is something to be said about the ability to make thousands of images on a digital camera and the freedom that allows. But what happens when you have to work within limits, when each exposure counts? What about the thoughtfulness and discipline that arises within such limitations. You don't need to be able to make 2,000 pictures. You don't even need to make 12 truthfully. You really only need to be able to make one photo, that one right there.
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Carry your camera everywhere you go; whether that's in your pocket, slung over your shoulder, or carried beside you in a trusty case. Be inseparable.
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When we dream of mountains, it is nice to have a camera along to dream with us.
Cameras within cameras, visions within scenes, photos within photos...
It's Autumn out there! There are leaves on the ground, clouds in the sky, the temperatures are starting to dip; but best of all, is the changing light. We are moving into a season of soft, diffused, beautiful light. As far as the turning weather? Well, we recently heard a well-known street photographer share that bad weather makes the best photos. It may not be comfortable weather, but it does tend to make the best pictures. Now is your chance! Weatherproof yourself and make sure that hardy Hasselblad or Yashica or Canon is loaded and ready to go. The times and seasons, they are a'changing.
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Get a camera and go.
Get a Hasselblad. Get some film. Go get some photos. These cameras will go anywhere you can.
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Somewhere in Portland, right now, this Hasselblad is on the loose. You'll recognize it by the 15 stop ND filter that will be attached to the front.
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Sundays, being our day off, are prime photo field trip days. The possibilities for photo field trips are endless here in Portland. We've got the downtown gloss, the east side residential, the coast, the desert, Mt. Hood...
In this case we went to a bathroom.
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A stormy, moody Oregon coast and the Hasselblad go together like peanut butter and jelly. They are both rugged. They both have beautiful lines. They are both timeless in their own ways. Yes, either on its own is something special but put them together for something even more magnificent.
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If a Hasselblad fires in the forest and nobody is around, does it still make it's distinctive shutter-mirror-baffles clip-clop sound? Truly, one of the things we love most about these cameras is the unique sound they make when the shutter is fired... not to mention the crisp snap of gears when they are advanced and reset. There is something understated and special in being able to hear a camera and know exactly which one it is, just by sound.
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For the love of Hasselblad.
Simple as that.
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We sometimes like to play with the question, "If you were stuck on a desert island or stranded in a snowy forest, which one camera would you choose to be there with?"
We all have different answers: Hasselblad 500C, Leica M4, Canon F-1, Zero Image 2000 pinhole, Holga 120N... What about you? If it was just you and one camera stranded and alone out in the world, which stalwart companion among your cameras would you choose?
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This Zeiss 80mm Planar was recently serviced... again. It had sand and other debris in it that clogged things up a bit. The EV scale is worn off. The paint has worn off the black A12 back to the point it is almost a chrome back now. There is a chip in the winding arm. Snow was melting on the focusing screen as this image was being made. This camera is not treated like royalty but it is treated as the best traveling companion one could have.
We see lots of cameras in the shop that are mint and pristine... they are perfect in appearance have not experienced anything. They have no stories or memories; they have made precious few images. Yes, taking them out into the world wears on them, using them wears on them. Even your Hasselblad will wear out, as rugged a camera as it is.
But do you think Victor Hasselblad made these to collect dust or to collect light? Would you want to sit safely in a box your entire life? And what kind of shape would you actually be in if you did? Lack of use breaks cameras arguably even faster than the heavy use of them. We say get out there, experience the world, and take your cameras with you. Collect memories, collect stories, collect scars, dents and dings. Use these cameras as faithfully as you can. Go see incredible things with them and make incredible photos.
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With this frozen Hasselblad image comes a story. Cameras, it seems, are not as territorial as photographers.
We had set up for sunrise on the snowy shores of Vermillion Lakes to see if Rundle and the morning light would put on a show. Our stolid Hasselblad was patiently waiting in the 3 degree morning temperatures when we heard whistling and shouting. A photographer a bit farther down the shore was waving at us in a way that suggested we were in his way. So we politely waved back. But he was insistent that we were encroaching on the photo he wanted to make.
So what did we do? We, Hasselblads and all, walked over, introduced ourselves, said hi, got to know him and his wife and ended up sharing this spot with him. He turned out to be a really nice guy and even gave us location tips for other places to go. This encounter could easily have gone a more frustrating route, for all of us. But we were really all out there for the same purpose: because it was beautiful.
Not only did we leave with this nice memory, but also this candid image of the Hasselblad in action.
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Another gratuitous, frozen Hasselblad photo because the world looks so good through that waist level finder. This view amazes nearly everyone the first time they look down through these cameras. It continues to amaze nearly everyone who uses these cameras. A hidden danger of the Hasselblad can be that it is hard to conserve film when the world constantly looks so photogenic.
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If you have never owned one of these cameras, do so at least once in your life. Seriously.
A Hasselblad 500C executing a long exposure near the Sutro Baths in California, and the resulting image it produced.
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In the run up to our Staff Show opening on July 15th 2017, we featured portraits of our various staff, along with the tools of their trade. Blue Moon Camera alum, Erin Johnson has been making film photos for literally half her life. She also runs her own gallery space, O V Project Space, that curates work from artists all over the world. Erin is seen here with her Hasselblad, but she shoots with so many other cameras, including her Minox B and infinite number of point-and-shoots.
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A traveling Hasselblad 500C goes to San Francisco, California.
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The flora and fauna one may encounter on an analog adventure - the mountains were calling and the cameras had to go. Our Hasselblads are one of our favorite hiking partners - few forests or windswept coastlines feel complete without a trusty Hasselblad there by our side. This 500C seemed to be enjoying the scenery as much as we were, so we decided to document its happiness.
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