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Hasselblad SWC / SWC/M

Ask a Hasselblad user what they like about their system camera and you'll get many answers including image quality, usability, and interchangeability of components. Ask those same people what they might want to change and you might get the answer that they'd like them a little more compact. Press them a little more and they might admit to not enjoying changing lenses in the field. For that, Hasselblad created a camera with all the image quality that Carl Zeiss lenses can deliver in a package small enough to fit into the palm of a hand.

First released in 1954, the Hasselblad SW (Super Wide) cameras gave medium format photographers a tool to make environmental portraits, landscapes and even street photographs with ease. Unlike the other Hasselblad 6x6cm cameras, the SW branch of the Hasselblad family does not have interchangeable lenses. Their fixed Carl Zeiss Bigon 38mm f/4.5 (roughly equivalent to a 20mm lens on a 35mmm camera) lenses are mounted to a small body that connects them to standard Hasselblad V-mount film backs. Without a film back, these cameras look unlike any other Hasselblad on the market. Attaching a film back, however, restores the look and provides photographers with a well-balanced tool for making stunning wide angle images.

Another feature that set these SW cameras apart from their other 6x6cm counterparts is that the camera is not an SLR, and does not suffer from the "mirror slap" associated with the other V series cameras. This gives the SW cameras a distinctive (and incredibly subtle) "click" sound unlike any other Hasselblad. It also means that the SW series is a viewfinder camera only. Composition is accomplished through an external viewfinder and zone focusing is the main option. Far from being a limiting factor, however, many photographers find themselves in a position to shoot more freely knowing instinctively what parts of the image will be in focus. For critical work on a tripod, there is also the option of the removable ground glass back, so that the photographer may focus with a magnifier before replacing the glass with a traditional V-series roll film back.

The first iteration of the Hasselblad wide camera was the Super Wide in 1954, also known as the SWA (Super Wide Angle). Other versions of the camera are the SW of 1956 and the SWC (Super Wide Camera) of 1957. While the SWC had the longest production run with models being made up to 1980, Hasselblad updated the SWC with its CF style lens in 1982 and in 1989 the Hasselblad 903 SWC became the final version of the wide camera.

Using one of these great little cameras is not just unlike using any other any other Hasselblad - it is unlike using any other camera on the market, which is fitting as the images are unlike any other camera's images. Tracking down any version of the SW series is well worth the search. Just be prepared for these little gems to steal your heart.

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Hasselblad SWC 38mm f4.5 Biogon - Sample Images

The Hasselblad SWC is an iconic camera that requires no introduction. Each time one of these wide-angle beauties passes through our store, our staff have a hard time not snatching it before it can make it to the sales floor. The Zeiss 38mm f4.5 Biogon is truly in a class of its own. These sample images were all shot on Ilford XP2.

Hasselblad Super Wide C and Kodak Service Range Finder

The Hasselblad Super Wide C is without a doubt a very cool camera, but for those used to Hasselblad SLR cameras, the lack of through-the-lens focusing can require some getting used to. Hasselblad made a ground glass accessory for this camera. It attaches to the back of the camera in place of the film back and allows composition and focusing through the lens, kind of like a miniature large format view camera. That device however all but necessitates the camera being on a tripod. So yet another option to assist in focusing this camera is an accessory range finder. These nifty little tools do exist. In fact, when we made this image we had just received this Kodak Service Range Finder into inventory. It slips into a standard hot shoe (or cold accessory shoe) and has a split-prism rangefinder. Distance is acquired on the range finder and then that distance is transferred to the focus scale of the lens on the camera. We were really hunting around our shop for a good camera to pair with this accessory and there was the Super Wide C. It was like peanut butter and chocolate.

Hasselblad Super Wide with Sample Images

The Hasselblad Super Wide is a special kind of camera.

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For those unfamiliar, this Hasselblad has a non-removable 38mm Biogon super wide angle lens attached to a mirrorless body. It makes the camera incredibly compact and surprisingly quiet, for a Hasselblad. ⁠That Biogon lens is the star of the show - it is such a good lens. Because the camera does not have a reflex mirror for SLR viewing, and because the viewfinder that comes with the camera is nowhere as clear or distortion-free as the lens it is approximating, the only sure way to gain an appreciation for the superb qualities of this lens is to either shoot with it, or see images made with it. The latter is what we have to offer you today. Over the years, a couple of our staff, namely Mike, have owned these cameras but a number of us have availed ourselves of the opportunity to use them when they come through. So we have three sample images from Mike, who favors Rollei Infrared in his Super Wide, and we have three from Zeb.

Side note : This particular camera sold within two hours of being made available. That is how fast they can come and go!

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Hasselblad Super Wide C

July is a month full of birthdays for some of our favorite photographers. Lee Friedlander was born on July 14th, Elliott Erwitt's birthday is on the 26th, and William Eggleston's is on the 27th of July. This birthday constellation of sorts has inspired us to sit down with books by all three photographers and spend some more time looking at their work.⁠⠀

Eggleston has specifically credited a lot of his photographic learning to spending time with the books of images made by Robert Frank, Walker Evans and Henri Cartier-Bresson.⠀

While all three of these photographers have prolifically published books of their work, Friedlander, in particular, has said that he feels like the book is his medium of choice. He values this medium so much it feels as if the individual photos he makes are almost just a means to that end. A Friedlander book is a work of art, in and of itself. We decided to feature a small excerpt from one of his books, Sticks & Stones: Architectural America, along with a cameo appearance by this Hasselblad Super Wide C - Friedlander's camera of choice for this book.⁠⠀

We strongly encourage you to hit up your local library and put a couple Friedlander books on hold. Seriously, don't underestimate how much your photography can be influenced by spending time with a good photo book. Feed your creativity and perspective with some delicious photography and notice the impact it can make on how you see the world and how you choose to photograph it. A short (or long) afternoon with a good photo book is one of the best ways to end a busy weekday. ⁠⠀

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David with The Hasselblad Super Wide

David burning through rolls of film.

Hasselblad Super Wide with Ground Glass Back

It's hard to go wrong when a Hasselblad Super Wide is involved; even harder when there are two! A little known fact: the ground glass backs for the Super Wides accept standard Hasselblad prisms, so that you can focus off the back even more easily.

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Hasselblad Super Wide

The notorious Jim Hair had been doing such an enthusiastic job of talking up the Super Wide to customers, that he ended up selling this one to himself... working in a camera store is not without dangers.