I have this on a HASSELBLAD 500C, older chrome model. I'm going to attempt fine art photography and need opinions of the use of this lens or should I buy an 80mm PLANAR? Also I will be shooting black and white, any recommendations for film stock?
ZEISS 150mm f4 SONNAR
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You would benefit from having both lenses. Which one to use depends on what’s being photographed and your photographic vision.
I prefer Ilford FP-4+
I prefer Ilford FP-4+
I have the Kowa version of both lens, I think pretty much copies, I use them both, the 80s more often than the 150, along with a 55. I use Tmax 400 and Kentmyer 400, I shoot Foma at 320 in HC110 or at 800 in Diafine. I have not used Diafine in many years, with Diafine grain is good and at 800 I can stop down to F32. If you plan on large prints, 16X20 then you might want to think about Tmax 100.
I have both and I like them for different reasons. I think TMY in D23 1:1 is a match made in whatever heaven you like. Very fine grain and nice tones. But it is all up to you as the photographer.
Landscape for the most part and various outdoor objects of interest.
I would like an 80mm as well if I was shooting landscapes (which I do, a lot). The 150 will be useful too. I find I prefer a slightly longer “normal,” but it depends on how the world looks to YOU through the viewfinder. Start with the 150mm if that’s what you have- just get out there and shoot. Then you’ll find what you prefer. Personally I like a low speed, fine grain film for landscape- I’m usually on a tripod so low shutter speeds are not a problem. Have fun out there, that’s the main thing!
As a "first" lens I would definitely buy the 80mm lens first and use your feet to zoom in or zoom out on a subject. If you want to do closeups of things like plants, stumps, rocks or whatever you can get the older 120mm Macro. If you can't swing the 120mm Macro due to budget I would then get a couple of Hasselblad extension tubes. Maybe the 16mm and the 32mm. I've taken some fine photos with the 80mm and a set of extension tubes before I got the 120mm Macro. If you really want fine art pictures with your 500C make sure you have a good solid tripod and use it. That tripod can make a difference between "fine art" and "blurred-blob art".
both are perfect lenses and films from Kodak, Ilford or Adox are all good too.
Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you!
it really depends on your taste...
the 150mm will be very nice for shots with a longer perspective, but most people prefer something more wide angle for landscape.
the 80mm is a very nice all-round lens, with natural looking perspective, which means if it's the only lens you'll have it's an often the preferred choice. still, it will not allow for wide shots though.
usually people would get a 60mm or 50mm in addition to your 150mm. the 50mm feels already rather wide and the perspective stretching is becoming quite noticeable. so personally I don't use it that much because I like a more normal looking image.
in short, any of the 50mm, 60mm or 80mm would be considered more common for landscape. which one works best for you will depend largely on which perspective you prefer. maybe do a search on flickr to get a feeling for the different lenses.
as for film, again it's a matter of taste.
for small prints, pretty much any film will work very well.
If you plan to do very large prints for landscape shots, fine grain films are usually preferred.
Ilford Delta 100 and Kodak T-Max 100 both excellent choices there.
most importantly, try it out for yourself. I usually like to do the last picture on a film roll again with identical setting and framing on the first picture on the first frame on the next roll, but using a different film.
also, it's important to keep the rest of the imaging chain constant and on high quality. If you do cheap automatic lab scans for example, the results will be limited by that rather than the choice of films.
the 150mm will be very nice for shots with a longer perspective, but most people prefer something more wide angle for landscape.
the 80mm is a very nice all-round lens, with natural looking perspective, which means if it's the only lens you'll have it's an often the preferred choice. still, it will not allow for wide shots though.
usually people would get a 60mm or 50mm in addition to your 150mm. the 50mm feels already rather wide and the perspective stretching is becoming quite noticeable. so personally I don't use it that much because I like a more normal looking image.
in short, any of the 50mm, 60mm or 80mm would be considered more common for landscape. which one works best for you will depend largely on which perspective you prefer. maybe do a search on flickr to get a feeling for the different lenses.
as for film, again it's a matter of taste.
for small prints, pretty much any film will work very well.
If you plan to do very large prints for landscape shots, fine grain films are usually preferred.
Ilford Delta 100 and Kodak T-Max 100 both excellent choices there.
most importantly, try it out for yourself. I usually like to do the last picture on a film roll again with identical setting and framing on the first picture on the first frame on the next roll, but using a different film.
also, it's important to keep the rest of the imaging chain constant and on high quality. If you do cheap automatic lab scans for example, the results will be limited by that rather than the choice of films.
Thank you. You have given me much more important information than I expected, especially lens choices. I have wondered at the quality of scans and have thought there must be degradation of images. It is difficult to find a lab that processes film in the traditional manner.
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Finding a lab to process film (negatives) well is actually not difficult. Im assuming that you meant a lab that can also process prints well - traditionally or hybrid or digital; that’s much more difficult in my experience. The quality of baseline-level scanning from the lab I use varies considerably. Paying for higher-resolution scans is often worthwhile but can also be variable in quality. It’s frustrating.
It’s important to have a concrete end goal in mind, including final print size and viewing distance. From numerous online discussions it’s clear that generic goals and the quest for absolute theoretical IQ/resolution/grain-free/etc leads to a lot of frustration and anxiety.
For me, a good subject and composition with decent focus beats technical perfection (or a missed opportunity) every time. But there are many different perspectives…
It's worth getting a 150mm lens (along with an 80) simply because they're probably the cheapest Hasselblad focal length in general, but they're excellent. They make great portrait lenses, and if you need a tighter perspective than the 80 gives you, they're perfect for that. If you're going with a C lens to be contemporary with your camera, the 150mm lens is basically dirt cheap, but loads of people love their "character". If you do get one of that model, I would definitely recommend the clamp-on focusing lever, that metal sawtooth focusing ring can be a bit painful and annoying.
There is a reason that the combination 50, 80, and 150 is often referred to as the 'holy trinity.' That set covers many genres and many tastes and won't put you into the poorhouse if Hasselblsd is your only vice.
MattKing
Moderator
I always suggest the following when people ask questions like this:
1) decide first how close you like/want to work to your subject, and how much apparent depth you like to appear in your photos.
If you like that feeling of being almost inside a subject, with its surroundings surrounding you, you need to get real close.
Here is an example of that sort of image:
Note how the perspective - the sense of depth - is exaggerated in that image.
If instead you like the feeling of being an observer from afar, showing how the world stretches out before the observer, you need to work farther away.
Here is an example of that sort of image:
Note how the perspective - the sense of depth - is minimized or flattened in that image.
2) Once you have decided on the sense of depth you want, which determines what subject to camera distance you need to choose, you then have to pick a focal length lens that will give you a field of view that includes what you want to be in the photo, but not much more. Shorter lenses include more, while longer lenses include less - they crop to the central subject.
In summary, choose the distance you want to work with first, and then the lens choice will follow.
As far as the two different lenses you mention, if in good condition - check their shutters - they both should be great lenses, if used for the subjects and working distances they are most suitable for.
1) decide first how close you like/want to work to your subject, and how much apparent depth you like to appear in your photos.
If you like that feeling of being almost inside a subject, with its surroundings surrounding you, you need to get real close.
Here is an example of that sort of image:
If instead you like the feeling of being an observer from afar, showing how the world stretches out before the observer, you need to work farther away.
Here is an example of that sort of image:
2) Once you have decided on the sense of depth you want, which determines what subject to camera distance you need to choose, you then have to pick a focal length lens that will give you a field of view that includes what you want to be in the photo, but not much more. Shorter lenses include more, while longer lenses include less - they crop to the central subject.
In summary, choose the distance you want to work with first, and then the lens choice will follow.
As far as the two different lenses you mention, if in good condition - check their shutters - they both should be great lenses, if used for the subjects and working distances they are most suitable for.
What Matt said.
60mm + 150mm works for me, along with a few extension tubes.
60mm + 150mm works for me, along with a few extension tubes.
Thank you!
Thank you!
I always suggest the following when people ask questions like this:
1) decide first how close you like/want to work to your subject, and how much apparent depth you like to appear in your photos.
If you like that feeling of being almost inside a subject, with its surroundings surrounding you, you need to get real close.
Here is an example of that sort of image:
Note how the perspective - the sense of depth - is exaggerated in that image.
If instead you like the feeling of being an observer from afar, showing how the world stretches out before the observer, you need to work farther away.
Here is an example of that sort of image:
Note how the perspective - the sense of depth - is minimized or flattened in that image.
2) Once you have decided on the sense of depth you want, which determines what subject to camera distance you need to choose, you then have to pick a focal length lens that will give you a field of view that includes what you want to be in the photo, but not much more. Shorter lenses include more, while longer lenses include less - they crop to the central subject.
In summary, choose the distance you want to work with first, and then the lens choice will follow.
As far as the two different lenses you mention, if in good condition - check their shutters - they both should be great lenses, if used for the subjects and working distances they are most suitable for.
Thank you! Viewing the photos with your commentary is extremely helpful. At age 85 I want to learn as much as possible about medium format after using a LEICA M-3 for more than 50 years.
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