Hasselblad from Film to Digital
HISTORY OF THE HASSELBLAD CAMERA SYSTEM
In 1948, the Hasselblad 1600F was unveiled as the world’s fi rst 2¼ single-lens refl ex
(SLR) camera with focal plane shutter speeds up to
1
/
1600
second, with interchangeable
viewfi nders, fi lm magazines, and Kodak Ektar lenses. In 1952, the 1600F model was super-
seded by the 1000F, which was identical in design but had shutter speeds only up to
1
/
1000
second.
The 1954 Photokina, held in Cologne, was used to introduce the Hasselblad Supreme
Wide Angle camera, with a fi xed 38 mm f/4.5 Zeiss Biogon mounted in a Compur shutter.
This camera was updated in 1959 and renamed the Superwide C, modifi ed in 1980 to the
SWCM, renamed the 903SWC in 1988, and renamed the 905SWC in 2001. The Superwide
camera design was also available in a special version known as the MKWE for photogrammet-
ric applications.
The next major step in the history of Hasselblad SLR cameras came in 1957, when the
500C model replaced the 1000F. The basic camera design and component interchangeability
were kept, but in place of a focal plane shutter, a Compur shutter was built into each Carl
Zeiss lens to allow electronic fl ash to be used at all shutter speeds up to
1
/
500
second. The
500C was superseded by the 500CM in 1970, the 503CX in 1988, the 503CXi in 1994, and the
current 503CW in 1997. A similar camera model appeared in 1989. Called Classic, this model
became the 501C in 1994 and was changed to the 501CM in 1997.
The 500EL motor-driven camera model appeared in 1965 and became the 500ELM in
1970, the 500ELX in 1984, the 553ELX in 1988, and the 555ELD in 1998. The 500 EL design
formed the basis for the 500EL Data camera, specially produced for NASA. On July 20, 1969,
the 500EL Data camera became the fi rst still camera to take pictures on the surface of the
moon. A camera based on the NASA data camera design was available as the MK70 model,
used mainly for photogrammetric applications.
In 1965, Hasselblad started the publication of the Hasselblad Magazine, later known as
the Forum.
Hasselblad history continued with the introduction of major products as follows:
1977 — Schneider Variogon C 140–280 mm zoom lens (changed to CF type in 1988). The 2000FC
focal plane shutter camera and four F lenses without shutters, including a 50 mm Distagon with
fl oating lens element design. The 2000FC model was superseded in 1982 by the 2000FC/M, in
1984 by the 2000FCW, and in 1988 by the 2003FCW.
1
To Next Page
Loading...
Need help?
General
