If you want to shoot film for a long time, it's not because of God's "film color." After all, if you really wanted to achieve that kind of color, you could create a piece of software that would never leave your side. There's no need for such a large amount of color—it's the joy and experience of the process itself.
From the moment you press the shutter until you get the final image, there's a long journey involved: shooting, developing, scanning, or even using a darkroom. It's possible that when you see the final result, you might doubt whether it was actually taken by you. Today, digital cameras dominate the market, but film cameras haven't disappeared. There are still many people who enjoy the unique experience and fun that film cameras bring. Many photography schools also focus on teaching film techniques. I'm not saying digital cameras are bad—I myself use one. But each has its own pros and cons. A digital camera lets you take as many photos as you want, and you can choose the best ones later. With film, every shot requires careful consideration. A roll only has 12 frames (or fewer depending on the size), and once it's used, you can't delete it. That means you have to treat each shot seriously, which helps you better understand the relationship between shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. Even when using a digital camera, this process feels more thoughtful and less hasty. Plus, digital cameras tend to produce too many images, which can be overwhelming. Film forces you to be more intentional, and even in the digital age, I find that approach more satisfying. I prefer to make decisions at the moment of pressing the shutter, rather than endlessly editing later. Even with the photos in this article, I often just shoot straight out or do minimal adjustments like converting to black and white—basically, I'm pretty lazy.
I know what I'm saying might sound a bit self-righteous, and maybe some photographers will disagree. But that’s okay. Everyone should have their own opinions; otherwise, we wouldn’t grow. I’m just taking ordinary photos and finding joy in my life through them.
Buying this Hasselblad wasn’t about the image quality of medium format. It’s like taking a photo with a waist-level finder. I don’t care much about image quality—I can see it clearly enough. Originally, I wanted to buy a Rolleiflex 2.8F, which has such an attractive design (the square shape). But I couldn’t afford it, so I ended up buying a used 500C from a second-hand shop. The body has some glue stains, and the lens cover looks like it came back from Iraq. But I can’t be too picky about a camera from decades ago. Fortunately, the lens is intact, the shutter works well, and the price was right. That’s all I needed.
First, let me show you the appearance:
[Image 1]
[Image 2]
[Image 3]
[Image 4]
[Image 5]
The Hasselblad feels amazing in hand. Its mechanical design is clever and detailed. Every part of the body can be disassembled and replaced with different accessories. If you have the budget, you can attach it to a digital back or add a metered viewfinder on top. The playability is really high.
Here are some close-ups: the viewfinder, lens, grip, flap, body, and film card slot (not sure about that one).
[Image 6] Incomplete dismantling
[Image 7] Original viewfinder screen
[Image 8] Viewfinder
[Image 9] Magnifying glass for focusing
[Image 10] Lens details
[Image 11] Zeiss Planar 80mm f/2.8 lens
Hasselblad shutters are known for their loud sound. That’s because there's a light barrier inside the body. Every time you press the shutter, the light barrier moves up and down, creating that distinct noise. However, the actual shutter sound is relatively quiet compared to mirrorless or SLR cameras. To reduce vibrations, you can pre-lift the light barrier by pressing a button under the handle. Just be aware that the viewfinder will go dark during this process (because the film shouldn’t be exposed). If you’re confident in your focus, you can lift the barrier before shooting. I recommend using a tripod, especially since the camera is quite heavy. With a tripod and pre-lifted light barrier, everything becomes stable and safe.
[Image 12] Light barrier
[Image 13] Shutter release
There's also a metal light shield in front of the film. This is a clever design by Hasselblad. Normally, you remove this plate (without removing the shutter) to allow normal exposure. But when you want to remove the film, you must insert the metal plate first, otherwise the film won’t come out. This prevents accidental exposure. I really admire this design.
[Image 14] Light shield
[Image 15] Inserting the film ISO paper
Filters are usually 55mm, but you just need an adapter ring. The filter can’t be covered by the lens cap, so be careful, but an additional hood works fine.
[Image 16] Filters and adapter rings
Introducing the camera is a bit tedious, so let me skip ahead and talk about how to load film into the Hasselblad.
I used Fujifilm PRO160 NS color negative film, a five-roll package in 120mm. Don’t say it’s not good.
[Image 17] Loading film
First, open the back (make sure the metal visor is in place).
[Image 18] Red indicates no film or finished
[Image 19] Place new film with the triangular mark
Pull the leader from the back (not the front), then press the film under the metal strip. Otherwise, it may fall off during loading. This is very important—no exaggeration. As shown below:
[Image 20] Hold the metal strip against the film
[Image 21] Insert the leader into the reel
Fujifilm’s roll head has a round hole (on top). When inserted into the reel, it clicks in place. Ilford’s doesn’t have a hole, so you need to pull it tighter. Kodak’s isn’t used here.
[Image 22] Turn the spool clockwise
[Image 23] Stop when arrows appear
[Image 24] Film loaded successfully
[Image 25] White indicates completed loading
After that, turn the handlebars wildly (note: the handle on the slide is not the same as the shutter one) until it stops. The number on the slide should read “1,†meaning the film is ready.
[Image 26] Film number shows “1â€
Then you can remove the metal barrier and open the viewfinder to start shooting.
[Image 27] Ready to shoot
Oh, I almost forgot. Make sure your shutter is set before loading the camera. Otherwise, when you put the film in, the number on the tablet might change to “2.†That means you’ve wasted the first frame—and that’s a $10 loss.
The last few samples were original films without any adjustments. The scanner used was Canoscan 9000F, and some scanned images had slight black edges and were slightly cropped.
The first roll was measured with a phone. The results were disappointing (and I might not have measured it correctly). One-third of the rolls were underexposed, and a few were visible.
[Images 28–31] Underexposed shots
Roll two was measured with a Ricoh GR and a mini tripod.
[Images 32–42] Better-exposed shots
Another advantage of using the GR meter is that it can be attached to the camera occasionally.
[Images 43–44] Meter in action
Hasselblad might be better suited for being photographed (laughs).
Okay, that’s it for now. I’ll write more and scan the rest when I have time. Take it easy.
I hope everyone loves their life very much.
[Image 45] End of post
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