Hasselblad
| Hasselblad Group
|
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|---|---|
 |
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| legal form | Aktiebolag (AB) |
| founding | 1841 |
| Seat | Gothenburg , Sweden |
| management | Paul Bram |
| Number of employees | 200 |
| Branch | Photo and optical industry |
| Website | www.hasselblad.de |
Hasselblad is a brand of the Chinese company Da-Jiang Innovations Science and Technology Co., Ltd.
history
In 1841 Fritz Wiktor Hasselblad founded the trading company FW Hasselblad & Co. in Gothenburg ( Sweden ). His son Arvid Viktor Hasselblad was interested in photography and founded the company's photography division. From his acquaintance with George Eastman , a business partnership developed: In 1888 Hasselblad became the general importer and agent for Kodak products in Sweden. Victor Hasselblad (great-grandson of Fritz Wiktor Hasselblad) then founded Hasselblad AB in Gothenburg in 1941 , which for the first time developed and manufactured cameras itself. The brand Hasselblad has been over the years the epitome of 6 × 6 - medium format cameras and the corresponding scanner . In 2003 the Hong Kong- based Shriro Group acquired the company. A year later, the new owner also bought the Danish scanner and digital back manufacturer Imacon . On June 30, 2011, the Hasselblad Group was bought by Ventizz Capital Fund IV, LP - a private equity investor. At the beginning of 2017, Hasselblad was majority taken over by the Chinese technology company DJI .
While the classic 6 × 6 cameras of the V series are equipped with lenses from Carl Zeiss , the cooperation with the Japanese company Fujifilm was chosen for the digital H series .
Camera models
The Hasselblad Svenska Express was the first Hasselblad camera, it was produced between 1893 and 1913 and sold by FW Hasselblad & Co.
V series
Victor Hasselblad has mainly developed medium format cameras with the square 6 × 6 format (actually 56 mm × 56 mm) since the 1940s.
In the case of the V series camera models, a distinction is made between the 200/2000 series with a built-in fast focal plane shutter and the better-known 500 series with a central shutter in the lens. The lenses of the 500 series can also be used on the 2000 series and its replacing 200 series, but not the other way around.
The name "V series" was only introduced when a name was needed to distinguish it when the H series was introduced in 2002. The V series is characterized by high compatibility over decades, a large system, use of German Zeiss lenses, high value retention and exceptional reliability. The design of the 1950s remained almost unchanged and is considered timeless.
On April 29, 2013, the company announced that the production of the 503 CW - the last V-System camera in the range - had been discontinued and the development of the traditional camera series, which had spanned over half a century, had ended. The reason given is a significant decrease in demand for this camera over the past five years. In the future, the company would like to concentrate on the further development of the modern H system. However, the company will continue to supply accessories for the V-System while stocks last. Support for the V-System will also continue to be available via the known channels.
1600 F and 1000 F
On October 6, 1948, Victor Hasselblad presented his first camera for private use to the world public in New York: the Hasselblad 1600 F. It was designed with the industrial designer Sixten Sason , who also worked for Saab . This camera was revolutionary for its time with its modular design that allows lenses, viewfinders and film magazines to be exchanged. It was the world's first single-lens reflex camera in medium format (6 cm × 6 cm) with an interchangeable lens and magazine. A focal plane shutter made of very thin steel foil with a shortest shutter speed of 1/1600 s served as the shutter. The first series of the 1600 F in particular was technically not yet fully developed, so that a number of detail improvements were made to the lock design during production. The 1600 F was replaced by the 1000 F (1952–1957), which "only" had a shortest shutter speed of 1/1000 s, but was more reliable and more robust.
Hasselblad initially offered the 2.8 / 80 mm Ektar and 3.5 / 135 mm Ektar lenses from Kodak as lenses . Later they switched to Carl Zeiss Oberkochen with the Distagon 5.6 / 60 mm, Tessar 2.8 / 80 mm, Sonnar 3.5 / 135 mm, Sonnar 4.0 / 250 mm and Sonnar 5.6 / 250 mm lenses . In addition, towards the end of production of the 1000 F, a 5.6 / 508 mm lens from Dallmeyer was also available, but it did not illuminate the full format.
500s
The original design of the 1600 F or 1000 F was also retained in the later Hasselblad V series cameras. However, with the introduction of the Hasselblad 500 C in 1957, the company broke new ground by replacing the focal plane shutter with a central shutter , which is housed in each lens. This only offers 1/500 s as the shortest shutter speed, but the flash synchronization works with all shutter speeds.
This change meant that a new lens series (C series, later CF series) with corresponding transmission elements had to be placed in the lens bayonet . Therefore the lenses cannot be switched between the cameras 1600 F / 1000 F and the 500 C (and all subsequent models). The viewfinders and magazines remained compatible (with a few exceptions).
The 500 models were technically replaced by the 503, and the 501 are slightly modified versions of the mechanical classic. At the same time, a motorized camera was offered with the 500 EL and its successors.
Classic 500 and 501
In particular, the fully mechanical model 500 C and the successor 500 C / M (1970–1992, with exchangeable screen, also referred to as the 500 Classic in the set from 1990 to 1992), which has been built for over 20 years, have become the epitome of the Hasselblad brand. All other models in this camera series are only slightly modified variants or careful modernizations of the basic concept.
The following models were built in chronological order:
- 1957-1970: 500C
- 1970–1994: 500C / M - the ground glass can now be changed by the user (some models were still labeled with "500 C")
- 1990–1992: 500 Classic - Version of the 500 C / M in a set with 80 normal lens and A12 magazine
- 1994–1997: 501 C - only available as a set with 80 C-Planar; black housing, Acute-Matte-D ground glass (brighter viewfinder image)
- 1997–2005: 501 CM - Gliding Mirror System (larger oscillating mirror , hence from now on without vignetting the viewfinder image at focal lengths greater than 150 mm), available as a set or housing (light or black chrome-plated)
503 with TTL flash measurement
In 1988, the 503 CX, a model based on the 500 C / M and allowing TTL flash exposure metering , came onto the market . The successor, the 503 CW, was the only model in the V series to be built until 2013. With the cessation of production of this model, the company stopped developing the V series.
- 1988-1994: 503 CX
- 1994-1996: 503 CXi Winder connector
- 1996–2013: 503 CW - in addition to the 503 CXi Gliding Mirror System. From 2001 also available in four different housing colors (yellow, red, green, blue)
- 2006: 503 CWD - special set limited to a 500-piece edition for the 100th birthday of Victor Hasselblad. 503 CW with CFV digital back (16.6 MP, 36.7 mm × 36.7 mm, Crop 1.5, 12 f-stops dynamic range, ISO 50–400), 2.8 / 80 mm CFi lens, silver Crank and ground glass with etched sensor limits.
EL with motor
In 1964, Hasselblad launched the motorized Hasselblad 500 EL , which is similar in appearance and functionality to the Hasselblad 500 C except for the motorized drive powered by NiCd batteries . This camera and its directly derived successor were and are primarily used as tireless workhorses in photo studios. It was a 500 tbsp that accompanied man to the moon.
The following models replaced each other:
- 1964-1970: 500 tbsp
- 1970–1984: 500 EL / M - you can change the ground glass yourself
- 1984–1988: 500 ELX - TTL flash system, larger mirror ( Gliding Mirror System )
- 1988–1999: 553 ELX - AA batteries instead of proprietary batteries. New coating inside the housing for less stray light
- 1998–2006: 555 ELD - contacts for digital magazines, optional IR receiver for wireless remote control
200s and 2000s
With the 2000 FC, a Hasselblad with focal plane shutter came onto the market again in 1977. For the 2000s and later the 200s, there was a separate series with the F lenses without a central shutter and therefore higher light intensity .
- 1977–1982: 2000 FC - Fastest shutter speed: 1/2000 second
- 1982–1984: 2000 FC / M - Better protection for the bolt when the magazine is removed
- 1984–1988: 2000 FCW - additional winder connection
- 1988–1991: 2003 FCW - New coating inside the housing for less stray light
- 1991–1994: 205 TCC - TTL OTF flash system, built-in spot metering, film magazine with electronic coupling to the camera
- 1994–1998: 201 F - TTL OTF flash system but without exposure metering
- 1994–2004: 203 FE - built-in automatic exposure
- 1998–2002: 202 FA - As 203FE, shortest exposure time 1/1000 s, no bracketing , not compatible with C and CB lenses
- 1995-2004: 205 FCC - electronics improved over 205TCC
Superwide
The first model of the Superwide was presented at the Photokina in 1954, so before the 500 C. Its original name was Supreme Wide Angle ("highest wide angle", "super wide angle"). It has a permanently installed Carl Zeiss Biogon 4.5 / 38 mm wide-angle lens and is predestined for architecture, landscape and reportage.
Due to the design, the flange focal length is lower, which is why it is not a mirror reflex, but a viewfinder camera. The V series film magazines fit as usual. Distance measurement can only be done by estimating or attaching a special focusing screen adapter. Since the Biogon is particularly distortion-free even at close range, the Superwide is suitable for repro photography.
The following models replaced each other:
- 1954-1958: SWA
- 1959–1979: SWC - first with a silver-colored lens, from 1969 black lens, from 1973 with T * multi-layer coating.
- 1980–1988: SWC / M - Polaroid magazine can be connected. From 1982 with CF lens. From 1985 the dragonfly is integrated into the viewfinder.
- 1988–2001: 903 SWC - New coating inside the housing for less stray light.
- 2001–2006: 905 SWC - Newly calculated lens in CFi design.
The Superwide is no longer in production. Instead, there has been a 28mm super wide-angle lens for the H series since 2007.
Flexbody and Arcbody
The Flexbody was introduced in 1995. It is a compact view camera to which Hasselblad lenses can be attached at the front and the corresponding magazines at the rear. The Arcbody, presented in 1997, has larger adjustment ranges, but is therefore also dependent on special Rodenstock lenses that characterize a larger image circle. Both models can be operated with digital backs.
H series
In 2002, the H1, the first model in the H series ( 4.5 × 6 ), came onto the market. The cameras of this series are fully automatic with autofocus , motor, automatic exposure and ideally suited for the current digital backs ( sensor size up to 36.7 mm × 49 mm). Many accessories / lenses are compatible with each other and can be used with different camera housings. With the introduction of the H series, the cooperation with Carl Zeiss also ended; the new lenses are now being manufactured by the Japanese optics manufacturer Fujifilm.
While the H1 and H2 models can be operated with film backs as well as digitally, the H3D and H4D models are purely digital cameras. In 2017 the current models are the H6D-50c and the H6D-100c with 50 and 100 megapixel sensors.
| Focal length | Exit aperture | annotation |
|---|---|---|
| 28 mm | f / 4 | Wide angle |
| 35 mm | f / 3.5 | Wide angle |
| 50 mm | f / 3.5 | Wide angle |
| 80 mm | f / 2.8 | default |
| 50 - 110 mm | f / 3.5-4.5 | Standard zoom |
| 100 mm | f / 2.2 | Short tele |
| 120 mm | f / 4 | macro |
| 150 mm | f / 3.2 | Telephoto |
| 210 mm | f / 4 | Telephoto |
| 300 mm | f / 4.5 | Tele with tripod mount |
| Teleconverter 1.7 × | - | - |
| Tilt + Shift + Tele-converter 1.5 × | - | - |
X-Pan
In the meantime, Hasselblad also offered 35mm and panorama cameras (XPan I from 1998 and XPan II from 2002 in cooperation with Fujifilm and Horseman ). The production was discontinued with the justification of the entry into force of the new EU electronic scrap guidelines, as a change in production no longer promised profitability for this type of camera. The Hasselblad XPan camera produces panorama negatives with a format of 65 mm × 24 mm, but can also be used with a manual switch in the classic 35 mm picture size 36 mm × 24 mm. Hasselblad lenses for this type of camera are available in fixed focal lengths of 30 mm, 45 mm and 90 mm. This corresponds to the “classic” lens of 17 mm, 25 mm or 50 mm. This camera was awarded the EISA Award 1999–2000 by the photographic world for its excellent properties and voted European Professional Camera of the Year.
X series
In 2016, the X1D 50c, the first model in the X series, came onto the market. The cameras in this series are not SLR cameras, but have an electronic viewfinder and a compact design. The built-in 50-megapixel CMOS sensor comes from Sony and is also used in the H5D-50c and H6D-50c H-series SLR models. This camera is also fully automatic with autofocus , motor, automatic exposure and new lenses with a central shutter that allows exposure times of up to 1/2000 s. A special model in black paint was released on the occasion of the company's 75th anniversary.
Available lenses:
| Focal length | Exit aperture | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 21 mm | f / 4 | Wide angle |
| 30 mm | f / 3.5 | Wide angle |
| 45 mm | f / 3.5 | Wide angle |
| 65 mm | f / 2.8 | default |
| 35-75 mm | f / 3.5-4.5 | Standard zoom (2019) |
| 80 mm | f / 1.9 | default |
| 90 mm | f / 3.2 | Telephoto |
| 120 mm | f / 3.5 | macro |
| 135 mm | f / 2.8 | Tele, supplied with a 1.7 × tele converter, results in a focal length of 210 mm |
An "XH" adapter for using the lenses for H cameras and an adapter for lenses of the X-Pan (these with the electronic shutter of the camera) are also available. After an electronic shutter has been made available by means of a firmware update, third-party suppliers offer additional adapters for other lenses.
Digital photography
In the field of digital photography, Hasselblad offers digital camera backs that can be mounted on the analog models. This is how analog models become full-fledged medium format digital cameras. For use on models of the 500 series, a synchronization cable is only necessary for slow shutter speeds. With the motorized cameras of the EL series (and the 503 CW), a special release cable is connected because of the motor. The 2000 FC, FC / M, FCW and 2003 FCW models can only be used with C and CF lenses that have a central shutter, whereby the digital back is synchronized via the lightning contact on the lens using a cable. The models of the 200 series (except 201) can be used without restriction in F mode (with camera shutter) if they have been modified accordingly in a Hasselblad workshop (exchange of a circuit board). In C mode (central locking), the synchronization cable must also be connected here. Modified cameras can only be used to a limited extent with the analogue E and TCC magazines.
In 2005 Hasselblad launched the H2D, a purely digital SLR camera with 22 megapixels, followed by the 39-megapixel successor H2D-39 in 2006 . In 2007, the 10 percent faster 31-megapixel version followed (0.55 fps instead of 0.5 fps). Then came the H3D II. It was initially released for 39 megapixels, in 2008 for 50 megapixels (sensor area 48 mm × 36 mm) and, according to the announcement at the Photokina trade fair, was to appear in 2009 as a 60 megapixel version. A multishot version is also available. The H4D-50 and H4D-60 are now cameras with 50 and 60 megapixel sensors on the market. These cameras have a novel focus technique called True Focus with Absolute Position Lock .
Sony rebranding
In 2012 Hasselblad launched the Lunar model . The luxuriously designed camera, however, was not a Hasselblad development, but was technically identical to the Sony NEX-7 . Hasselblad continued to follow this principle in the years to come. The Lunar followed in the summer of 2013 the Stellar , a rebranding of the Sony RX-100 ; in February 2014 the AGM as the takeover of the Sony Alpha 99V and in May 2014 the Stellar II as the successor to the Stellar, based on the Sony RX100 II . On July 15, 2015, Hasselblad presented the “Lusso” model, a camera that is identical to the Sony A7R . All cameras differ only in design and prices from the Sony originals, which were technically obsolete when Hasselblad released them.
This rebranding product range was based on the request of the former Hasselblad owner Shriro, who sells Hasselblad in Asia. Shriro saw these models as pure luxury products. They were also not aimed at the general public or professional photographers, but rather at enthusiasts and collectors.
In August 2015, the CEO of Hasselblad announced that it would stop rebranding Sony cameras. Even the Lusso was only built to fulfill the contract for Shriro, and accordingly it was only sold in Hong Kong, Macao and by some dealers on the Chinese mainland.
Well-known Hasselblad photographers
Ansel Adams , Anton Corbijn , the astronauts Wally Schirra (Mercury program) and Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin as part of Apollo 11 , the well-known nude photographer Petter Hegre from Norway, the fashion designer and photographer Karl Lagerfeld , the photo artists Andreas Gursky , Robert Mapplethorpe and Michael Najjar , the Hamburg advertising and food photographer Jo van den Berg and the American artist and Hasselblad prize winner Lee Friedlander used or still use Hasselblad cameras. Numerous record covers by the artist Storm Thorgerson ( Hipgnosis ) were recorded with a Hasselblad 500 C because its square image format corresponds to the cover format.
Hasselblad in space
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The Hasselblad cameras achieved great fame through their use in the US Apollo program . A silver Hasselblad Data Camera (HDC) was brought along for the first Apollo 11 moon landing mission. Equipped with a Zeiss Biogon 60 mm ƒ / 5.6 lens and a 70 mm film magazine with specially formulated thin Kodak film, this allowed 200 pictures per magazine. Réseau grids were built into this HDC, adding optically visible crosses to each shot and thus allowing photogrammetric measurements based on the film negatives. The HDC was specially developed to withstand the harsh conditions on the lunar surface. The silver color ensured constant camera performance in extreme temperature changes from minus 65 ° C to over 120 ° C. Neil Armstrong took all of the photos on the lunar surface himself with the HDC attached to his chest, which had never been tested off-earth before. A second Hasselblad Electric Camera (HEC) in black with a Zeiss Planar 80 mm ƒ / 2.8 lens was used to take pictures from inside the Eagle lander. With the third HEC, Michael Collins took photos on board the command module, which remained in orbit. All other NASA missions also had Hasselblad cameras on board.
Until 2012, it was assumed that the two Hasselblads on board the Eagle had remained on the moon because they wanted to save weight for the return flight - according to NASA instructions. However, after Neil Armstrong's death, the widow found a white bag in the deceased's closet. Inside was the HDC Armstrong had used on the moon. Armstrong had taken it with him and duly radioed it as "ten pounds of various equipment" so that the engineers could use the additional 4.5 kilograms to calculate the trajectory when returning to Earth. The widow donated the camera to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC in 2012
Hasselblad did not invent medium format photography, but it is often used synonymously due to its high level of acceptance. Hasselblad cameras served on many NASA Missions the photographic documentation, such as 1962, a Hasselblad 500 C in the Mercury ( Walter Schirra ), 1966, a Hasselblad SWC in the Gemini 9 , 1969 in the first Mondlandung a Hasselblad 500 EL / 70 ( Apollo 11 ), a Hasselblad 500 EL / M in the Apollo Soyuz project in 1975 and five Hasselblad 553 ELS on the Discovery in 1998 . The high-performance lenses from Carl Zeiss in particular also contributed to the great reputation of Hasselblad cameras due to their high level of reliability. A Hasselblad system is very expensive to purchase due to the high structural effort involved in its manufacture, but it also has a comparatively stable value.
Michael Collins lost during the Gemini 10 mission during a spacewalk his Hasselblad camera, and then some Swedish newspapers this camera as Sweden's first satellite indicated.
Serial numbers
Like most manufacturers, Hasselblad also gives its cameras and some of the accessories their own serial number. The year of manufacture is coded with a letter code. If you know the underlying scheme, you can easily read the year of manufacture. The year of manufacture is obtained by simply replacing the letter with the number assigned to it:
| V | H | P | I. | C. | T | U | R. | E. | S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4th | 5 | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9 | 0 |
For example, if the serial number starts with CR11212, it means that the camera was produced in 1958.
Hasselblad Foundation Award
With the Hasselblad Foundation Award , the Hasselblad Foundation annually honors photographers for important achievements.
Publications
- The user magazine Victor - by Hasselblad appears every six months in German, English, French, Spanish, Italian and Japanese.
literature
- Ernst Wildi: The Hasselblad Manual . 7th edition. Focal Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0-240-81026-3 (English, 415-page, English-language standard work; the 7th edition describes not only the V system but also the H system and medium format digital photography).
- Udo Afalter: Hasselblad . Lindemanns, 2000, ISBN 3-89506-102-6 (190 pages).
- Hans-Peter Ebel: Hasselblad - The photo experience . Monsenstein and Vannerdat, 2005, ISBN 3-86582-023-9 (254 pages).
- Richard Nordin: Hasselblad System Compendium . Hove Books Ltd., 1998, ISBN 1-897802-10-2 (288 pages).
- Evald Karlsten: Hasselblad . Gullers International, 1981, ISBN 91-85228-67-2 (history; German texts by Josef Scheibel and Monika Großmann; 122 pages, format 21 cm × 30 cm).
Web links
- official homepage
- Worth knowing from Hasselblad Historical (English, under construction, including historical operating instructions)
- Hasselblad 501 cm (website of the German Hasselblad specialist Stefan Heymann)
- Erna and Victor Hasselblad Foundation (English)
- Hasselblad at photo.net (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Vorndran Mannheims Capital - Press. In: ventizz.de. Retrieved March 19, 2015 .
- ↑ Drone and camera technology: DJI takes over Hasselblad. Retrieved January 8, 2019
- ↑ Cessation of production of the V System by Hasselblad ( Memento of May 12, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Press release of April 29, 2013 (PDF)
- ^ Svensk industridesign, en 1900-talshistoria. ISBN 91-1-970332-5 , p. 113.
- ↑ X1D 50C. Hasselblad, accessed November 16, 2017 .
- ↑ X1D 50C 4116 Edition. Hasselblad, accessed November 16, 2017 .
- ^ Hasselblad XCD lenses. Hasselblad, accessed July 8, 2019 .
- ↑ XCD 4 / 21mm Datasheet. (pdf) Hasselblad, May 2018, accessed on May 14, 2018 .
- ↑ XPan Lens Adapter. Hasselblad, accessed March 7, 2018 .
- ↑ NOVOFLEX announces lens adapters for Hasselblad X1D. NOVOFLEX Präzisionstechnik GmbH, March 1, 2018, accessed on March 17, 2018 (English).
- ↑ 7 models adapters for Hasselblad X1D camera now available from KIPON. Shanghai Transvision Photographic Equipment Co., Ltd, October 30, 2017, accessed March 17, 2018 .
- ↑ KIPON start shipping for 10 models T&S adapters for GFX50s and X1D. Shanghai Transvision Photographic Equipment Co., Ltd, December 23, 2017, accessed March 17, 2018 .
- ↑ Lens Mount Adapters - Tagged "xcd". Fotodiox, Inc. USA, accessed March 17, 2018 .
- ↑ Digital SLR camera with 39 megapixels. In: golem.de. January 10, 2006, accessed March 19, 2015 .
- ↑ Hasselblad press release on the 50-megapixel and 60-megapixel version of the H3D II
- ↑ Meet the Hasselblad D3DII ( Memento from September 6, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ H4D launch. In: hasselblad.de. Archived from the original on March 6, 2010 ; accessed on March 19, 2015 (English).
- ↑ digitalkamera.de: Lunar, Stellar and HV: Sony cameras from Hasselblad at a luxury price - digitalkamera.de - message. Accessed July 4, 2015.
- ↑ traumkamera.de: News: Hasselblad Lusso, clone of the Alpha 7R presented in China - Traumkamera.de ( memento from July 5, 2015 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on July 4, 2015
- ↑ digitalkamera.de: Lunar, Stellar and HV: Sony cameras from Hasselblad at a luxury price - digitalkamera.de - message. Accessed July 4, 2015.
- ↑ a b heise.de: Hasselblad Lusso: Is that the last Sony camera from Hasselblad? | heise photo , accessed on August 12, 2015.
- ↑ digitalkamera.de: Lunar, Stellar and HV: Sony cameras from Hasselblad at a luxury price. digitalkamera.de - Report accessed on July 4, 2015
- ↑ Archive link ( memento of October 12, 2016 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on October 12, 2016
- ↑ 50 Years on the Moon. Retrieved January 3, 2020 (German).
- ↑ a b hasseblad in space. Retrieved January 3, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ Sensational find: Neil Armstrong's widow discovers secret souvenirs - ingenieur.de. February 11, 2015, accessed on January 3, 2020 (German).
- ↑ [1]
- ^ Hasselblad production year. In: stefanheymann.de. Retrieved March 19, 2015 .