Hasselblad V series U/W film gear

[Captain Tim]

A call out to those who may still be operating Hasselblad V series film gear underwater in Hasselblad (V1 gray or V2 blue ), Oceanic, Seacor (Ron Church design) Gates, Ikelite, owner ONE/OFF designs versions and all other housing units for V series Hasselblads.

Referring to 500 C. 500 CM. 500 El, 500 ELM, SWC , 903 and all V series and of course
any utilized with the CFV digital back for V series cameras..

Maybe there is an interest in keeping the medium alive, helping each other locate parts, locate people who can fabricate parts for the few remaining. Dome designs, unusual modifications that might be shared.
Help others resolve issues common only to this camera and it's housings.

I am not expecting too much response but "it could happen"...maybe...sort of....?

Tim

 

[Sam Miller III]

Captain Tim
(who doesn't log dives...)
You cant kick a dead horse and expect it to come back to life ....Victor's great camera system is a s dead as the horse

My wife Betty and I were great fans of the Hasselblad shooting 120 and 220 film, B&W & color--but the digital systems was the end of the Hasselbrownies. We sold ours and never looked back.

There was one item of interest that always intrigued me. t was an adapter to use Hasselblad lens on 35 MM land cameras...Nikons, Cannon etc. As I recall made in Canada

Strange that you mention Ron Church...He passed away about 50 years ago , and probably totally unknown to the members of this board.

At one time there was a very active UW photo group in your area - I suspect they are all snapping away on that big reef in the sky.

Good luck in your quest

SDM

 

[Captain Tim]

Sam...Thanks for responding and in fact I was kind of expecting more or less the more rational response as you have voiced, verses hoping for a chorus of "Yea Tim go man go!"
Kind of like my new coffee cup which shouts..."....Kinda pissed about not being a Mermaid" Akimbo always has my best in his heart.

Actually many of those you maybe referring to are still shooting U/W (film and digital) and one at 76, recently was free diving with Beluga whales in 38 F water.
Saw him and some of those others recently at a gathering in March at a local PUB celebration for one of the great ones.

The resurgence, not so dead these days, is certainly not as it once was. It is ....being kicked along by some of those very same and now getting a kick from Kodak and Illford as well.
I like digital (A LOT) and find that it has greatly improved my film work, being used as a high tech polaroid allowing me to fine tune film exposure like I have never been able to do before.

IN TRUTH..., I am not hanging on to film with my finger tips, but surprise... surprise spending a lot less time with Digital and more with film. Not so uncommon, as an action these days....I think?

I scan with a Nikon 8000, print from an Epson 3800 and with it all of it at my finger tips I am more excited about reentering the darkroom.
As I prepare my new acquisition a Beseler 45 MLX and of course the darkroom that goes wit, a JOBO CPP2 processor is turning and heating, C41, T-max, D76 and E6 chemistry specifics are reviewed and mixed as I look forward to the day again.... when the fine print comes off my easel. It could happen...maybe...kind of..???

Ok if I receive no more on this post....but it would be nice. . Might as well send it up and see who salutes I. It is hoped your first reply might just kick that horse right on down to the doors of KEH.
For no other reason...I get to converse with many great divers, photographer's and share past experiences. How can I not win?

Tim

 

[fish149]

As I prepare my new acquisition a Beseler 45 MLX and of course the darkroom that goes wit, a JOBO CPP2 processor is turning and heating, C41, T-max, D76 and E6 chemistry specifics are reviewed and mixed as I look forward to the day again.... when the fine print comes off my easel. It could happen...maybe...kind of..???

I haven't heard anyone mention any of that stuff in years but still remember what all of it is. Wow! Can't imagine ever going back to it (though it was awesome fun way back when).

 

[Akimbo]

There are a surprising number of fine art photographers that prefer to shoot film, underwater and topside. It is just a matter of time before post-processing software (or the user interface) allows them to duplicate the characteristics that keeps drawing them back to chemistry.

I do miss the square images of medium format though. The idea of capturing everything that comes through the lens and choosing to print/display all of it or crop in the darkroom has always made sense, maybe because I have experienced it. In time, I believe that the cost of sensors and memory will get low enough that digital cameras will capture round images, literally everything that comes through the lens. Choosing what part to use will be a post-processing choice.

Granted, providing a translucent-gray-out border in the format that the photographer chooses will help with composition, but all the data will still be in memory.

IMHO, the next remnant of mechanical film cameras to go extinct will be reflex mirrors. It is just a matter of time before the ability to display images to the photographer is competitive with a mirror and optics. Consider what the photographer really wants to see -- the reflected image of what the lens projects or what the senor will actually capture? Interesting times.

 

[Hoag]

There is an intangible something special about film that even the best digital cameras can't quite seem to reproduce. In the words of Paul Simon:

Kodachrome
They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's a sunny day

FWIW, if I could have any camera, I would love a Linhof 617 panoramic camera, but at over $7k Cdn + lenses & accesories, it is just not in the picture for me.

 

[StefinSB]

Not an underwater photographer but I still use my Rolleiflex SL66. There is something about looking through that viewfinder.

 

[bvanant]

I think that the myth of "film being different" from digital is just that, a myth. From Andrew Molitor (you should read him)
"Those giant 8x10 negatives with all their incredible detail and beautiful color rendition and choirs of angels? You can do that all with a good modern digital camera, except for the angels. Angels are notorious for hating on the digital." More importantly no one cares how you shot what you shot; only the output is important. That being said, if shooting film is your thing then by all means shoot it, but don't think expect that your pictures will all of a sudden be much better (but there will be far fewer of them).
Cheers

Bill

 

[Sam Miller III]

[QUOTE="bvanant, post: 8085054, member: 41555"
I think that the myth of "film being different" from digital is just that, a myth. From Andrew Molitor (you should read him)
"Those giant 8x10 negatives with all their incredible detail and beautiful color rendition and choirs of angels? You can do that all with a good modern digital camera, except for the angels. Angels are notorious for hating on the digital." More importantly no one cares how you shot what you shot; only the output is important. That being said, if shooting film is your thing then by all means shoot it, but don't think expect that your pictures will all of a sudden be much better (but there will be far fewer of them).
Cheers

Bill
[/QUOTE]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bill,
Your post is right on !
I appreciate you posting the comments of Andrew Molitor.

In 1956 I became a charter member of the original LA based Underwater Photographic Society (UPS)
I recall when Kodachrome was ASA 10, then the excitement when Ectachrome was introduced as ASA 25 ! All the advancements in such a short time.

I was also one of the founding member so O CUPS -- About a year ago I presented a power point presentation on the history of O CUPS at their monthly meeting -- where you there ?

SDM

 

[bvanant]

Since I am the current president of LAUPS I appreciate your being involved from long ago. I was indeed at the OCUPS meeting.

Cheers

BVA