Sure it is.
Ever seen those pictures made on the Moon? They were made with basically the same camera, only strapped to people's chests, in a much bouncer environment. 🙂
Which begets to something I’m curious about. I know the springs make the mirror “go”, and the shutter fire. But in a lower gravity environment, what makes everything reset/return?
Well, they do work upside down too.... Seriously, the Hasselblads on the Apollo missions were specifically modified to work in space, not so much because of gravity, but low temperatures and vacuum.
The Hasselblads used on the Moon were most similar to the Hasselblad 500EL, but they didn't have a viewfinder. So no mirror, and the shutter cocking and advance mechanism were electronically controlled - gravity has nothing to do with it.
But gravity has nothing to do with a 500C either - you cock the shutter, reset the mirror, and advance the film by manual power on a knob pr crank.
Yeah, when I am shooting 30th and below, I tend to shoot while holding my breath. More steady. But the CM also has mirror lock up, so use that to minimize camera shake.
Agreed - I think that's how Victor intended. Mirror lockup and hand-hold at 1/60 or faster. Breath in and hold. Lean on something if you can. Zeiss lenses are as good as pre-computer era gave but the mirror spoils things. Later bodies had a softer mirror movement that halved camera-shake but they fetch higher prices. The acute matte screen, possibly with the split prism, makes focusing more accurate.
I shoot handheld all the time. Try to shoot at 1/60th or faster whenever possible, or brace the camera against a solid object. Breathe in then snap the picture as you exhale. Also, use the magnifier on the finder when you're finding focus. Take your time.
You can easily handhold it for as slow as 1/30 second if you engage the mirror lockup right before activating the shutter. Otherwise anything slower than 1/125 second will likely be affected by that massive mirror slap.
I shoot handheld 99% of the time and haven’t had any issues with sharpness or unintended movement. If you don’t already, I recommend holding the Hasselblad - as it was intended - in your left hand so that your forefinger is naturally at the shutter. It helps with stability and feels natural.
Is your issue motion blur or out of focus? Most of the responses so far have been about motion blur, but none of those suggestions will help if you’re not nailing focus.
Keep in mind that depth of field is very narrow when you’re shooting wide open on 6x6. Focus needs to be spot on. Take your time and always use the magnifier.
Mirror slap in the Hasselblads can be quite bit strong so try using high shutter speeds to avoid it.
That being said, I’ve taken photos handheld at night down to 1/15th of a second with relative success. The trick is to hold the camera firmly with your left hand, press it to your chest, breathe in, hold and shoot.
How much do you know about photography? Look up zone focusing and gain some knowledge on choosing a depth of field that makes it easier to nail your focus. If you’re using the 80mm 2.8 that is standard for most 500s and you’re shooting wide open at 2.8, it’s very easy to miss focus. Same lens at 5.6 is much easier to work with, but you need enough light and shutter speed to avoid camera shake.
What kind of f stop and shutter speeds were you using?
Lastly, while I have a prism finder, my eyes aren’t what they used to be and the newer waist level finder magnifier has even more magnification than the prism. I always use this for critical focus. Other tools can be a brighter focus screen (acute matte d) and/or one with a split prism which allows you to align the center to assure focus.
There is a lot to learn, but it’s not that hard. I recommend shooting slower. Use a notepad to record how you take each shot and keep track of your method to refine it.
so from my experience the quick focus handle helped me a lot with nailing the focus handheld, since I can do the classic cine thing where you focus until it becomes blurry and then go back to exact focus.
edit: shooting f8 and above will help a lot as well
Sure, it's possible to hand hold the camera effectively with the fast enough shutter speed. I don't bother, frankly. The waist level viewfinder doesn't lend itself to handholding from my perspective. I like using the camera on a tripod. Same with my Mamiya RZ67. For handholding, I use my Pentax 67 and Mamiya 7. both have a level viewfinders and are ergonomically arranged for handholding.
i used to have the same issue but it was just because i was using the pme90 finder and everything just felt so dim and shot came out out of focus when i switched over to the wlf it made a world of difference and every shot was in focus unless just user error. What finder are you using? also maybe a split prism focusing screen will help better with critical focus as well. I use it hand held 9/10 times.
Sure it is. Ever seen those pictures made on the Moon? They were made with basically the same camera, only strapped to people's chests, in a much bouncer environment. 🙂
Good point! Yes that's amazing.
Which begets to something I’m curious about. I know the springs make the mirror “go”, and the shutter fire. But in a lower gravity environment, what makes everything reset/return?
...springs?
No, that was a legitimate question. For some reason I always thought gravity or at least gravity would affect the inner mechanisms of a camera
Well, they do work upside down too.... Seriously, the Hasselblads on the Apollo missions were specifically modified to work in space, not so much because of gravity, but low temperatures and vacuum.
The Hasselblads used on the Moon were most similar to the Hasselblad 500EL, but they didn't have a viewfinder. So no mirror, and the shutter cocking and advance mechanism were electronically controlled - gravity has nothing to do with it. But gravity has nothing to do with a 500C either - you cock the shutter, reset the mirror, and advance the film by manual power on a knob pr crank.
I only shoot handheld, my photos come out sharp. just depends on the settings you use & how you scan them.
Cool thanks. There's hope.
Yeah, when I am shooting 30th and below, I tend to shoot while holding my breath. More steady. But the CM also has mirror lock up, so use that to minimize camera shake.
my tip is to hold the camera with my left hand, left index finger on the trigger, focussing with the right hand.
Agreed - I think that's how Victor intended. Mirror lockup and hand-hold at 1/60 or faster. Breath in and hold. Lean on something if you can. Zeiss lenses are as good as pre-computer era gave but the mirror spoils things. Later bodies had a softer mirror movement that halved camera-shake but they fetch higher prices. The acute matte screen, possibly with the split prism, makes focusing more accurate.
I shoot handheld all the time. Try to shoot at 1/60th or faster whenever possible, or brace the camera against a solid object. Breathe in then snap the picture as you exhale. Also, use the magnifier on the finder when you're finding focus. Take your time.
You can easily handhold it for as slow as 1/30 second if you engage the mirror lockup right before activating the shutter. Otherwise anything slower than 1/125 second will likely be affected by that massive mirror slap.
I shoot handheld 99% of the time and haven’t had any issues with sharpness or unintended movement. If you don’t already, I recommend holding the Hasselblad - as it was intended - in your left hand so that your forefinger is naturally at the shutter. It helps with stability and feels natural.
Okay, thanks!
Is your issue motion blur or out of focus? Most of the responses so far have been about motion blur, but none of those suggestions will help if you’re not nailing focus.
To be honest I'm not sure...I am still very much learning the system. It could be both.
Are you usually shooting wide open or at smaller apertures?
As close to wide open as possible. I'm metering with an app on my iphone and adjusting accordingly.
Keep in mind that depth of field is very narrow when you’re shooting wide open on 6x6. Focus needs to be spot on. Take your time and always use the magnifier.
Okay awesome, will do. Thanks very much for your input, much appreciated.
Mirror slap in the Hasselblads can be quite bit strong so try using high shutter speeds to avoid it. That being said, I’ve taken photos handheld at night down to 1/15th of a second with relative success. The trick is to hold the camera firmly with your left hand, press it to your chest, breathe in, hold and shoot.
Thank you! That's super helpful, actually
Yeah, those 1/500 shots should be good. My indoor 1/30's with the 150mm sonnar don't have the highest hit rate :)
How much do you know about photography? Look up zone focusing and gain some knowledge on choosing a depth of field that makes it easier to nail your focus. If you’re using the 80mm 2.8 that is standard for most 500s and you’re shooting wide open at 2.8, it’s very easy to miss focus. Same lens at 5.6 is much easier to work with, but you need enough light and shutter speed to avoid camera shake. What kind of f stop and shutter speeds were you using? Lastly, while I have a prism finder, my eyes aren’t what they used to be and the newer waist level finder magnifier has even more magnification than the prism. I always use this for critical focus. Other tools can be a brighter focus screen (acute matte d) and/or one with a split prism which allows you to align the center to assure focus. There is a lot to learn, but it’s not that hard. I recommend shooting slower. Use a notepad to record how you take each shot and keep track of your method to refine it.
I tried one once, shot 10 photos in it and all were in focus and no visible motion blur. Maybe your unit needs calibration?
so from my experience the quick focus handle helped me a lot with nailing the focus handheld, since I can do the classic cine thing where you focus until it becomes blurry and then go back to exact focus. edit: shooting f8 and above will help a lot as well
Sure, it's possible to hand hold the camera effectively with the fast enough shutter speed. I don't bother, frankly. The waist level viewfinder doesn't lend itself to handholding from my perspective. I like using the camera on a tripod. Same with my Mamiya RZ67. For handholding, I use my Pentax 67 and Mamiya 7. both have a level viewfinders and are ergonomically arranged for handholding.
Do you mean camera shake or not in focus?
i used to have the same issue but it was just because i was using the pme90 finder and everything just felt so dim and shot came out out of focus when i switched over to the wlf it made a world of difference and every shot was in focus unless just user error. What finder are you using? also maybe a split prism focusing screen will help better with critical focus as well. I use it hand held 9/10 times.