29.4.12

IN PRAISE OF THE HASSLEBLAD 500CM

My wife made the switch to digital almost ten years ago with the release of the Canon 1DS system. She hated the format of the camera, the feel of it, and the overall usage. But working a lot in editorial, it was the obvious choice for her career path. What was left in the cupboard under the stairs was a Peli Case containing two Hassleblad 500CM's. I remember how much she loved those cameras and its sad to think they for her at least, they are now redundant.
With the news that Fuji Film are to increase their film prices by a third in June, and Kodak becoming a complete disaster, I thought it might be an idea to do some medium format for a while and save oodles on my film costs.
Before I go any further I should announce that I have often switched between medium format and large format in my landscapes. I have printed both film types up to and beyond 30/40" and exhibited them side by side. Truth be told, you would be hard pushed to know which was shot on what.
So back to the Hassleblad's. I pulled out the dusty old Peli case covered in fragile stickers and opened the lid. To say a gleaming golden light lit up my face would be a lie, but the cameras where very shiny and in beautiful condition. With the edition of a lens hood, cable release and a wide angle lens, the camera was ready for the landscape.
A mechanical wonder tried and tested over fifty years. Whats not to like.
Now I just have to ask my wife..!

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