A Dream Fulfilled... Hasselblad 501CM

One of my dreams when I first entered Art school back in the 80's was to own a Hasselblad camera. I've also loved square format shooting and now I have both dreams fulfilled.

This gorgeous camera has hardly been used (I believe it might have had 5 or 10 rolls through it according to the original owner. Everything on this looks like the day it came out of the packaging. All the original instructions and other goodies like the original strap and an original Hasselblad Close Up slide chart.

The camera was made in 1998 and one of the last of the 500 series (which ended production not that long ago in 2005). The A12 6X6 back is one of the newer models that has a dark slide holder which is very handy and the lens looks mint (Carl Zeiss CB Planar T* 80mm F/2.8). In fact I couldn't bring myself to photograph this but with my very best digital combination the 5Dmk2 with the Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm F/2.8). I lit it all up with my Elincrom Quadra Rangers as well.

It came also with two Hasselblad bayonet fitted filters (UV and a Linear Polarizer) and also tossed in by my local camera store (Kerrisdale Cameras of Victoria), an old beat up but very clean optically 45 degree finder.

All in all I'm a giddy little boy. I test fired the flash with it and it's so nice to have a leaf shutter (one that I can shoot at any speed).

I can't believe what a difference this is over my Mamiya 645 and how much brighter the finder is.

Can't wait to get this out for some portraits. SO EXCITED!!!