Can you make digital videos with a film Hasselblad? I DID. Here’s why YOU SHOUDN'T.
There’s using the right tool for the job, and then there’s using a vintage film camera to make 1080p video.
The Hasselblad cfv II 50c back along with its 907x body is a still-photography powerhouse, but video features were included as an afterthought. I wanted to see if I could use the back attached to a vintage 500-series body to film a 1080p interview of a local business owner here in Marblehead Massachusetts. It wasn't all plain sailing...
Absolutely no one buys a digital Hasselblad to make videos. And why would they! The cfvII 50c back’s video features are limited to 30fps in 1080p, you can't flip the screen so you can film yourself, there’s no autofocus while filming, no hdmi out, no internal mic, no cold shoe mount, or any simple way to attach one. And my version crashes more often than a commodore 64.
But just when you think I've talked you out of it, here is a tasty concept you won't be able to resist.
You can attach this back to a vintage hasselblad 500. And now we have the novelty of being able to make a video using one of the most famous medium format film cameras of all time!
You dont see a Hasselblad 500 with a microphone plugged into it very often!
Pressing record is way more complicated than you’d imagine, because the camera body was never designed with video in mind. First thing is to make sure the camera is wound, then you need to set the lens to bulb mode. To prevent the shutter from closing again, you have to use the T setting, which I think means the “time setting”, near the shutter button, or on other models like the 500cxi that don’t have a t-setting you’ll have to attach a cable release with a lock knob on it. Now you can press the shutter and it stays open to let light through to the sensor. Remember if the shutter is ever released, you have to wind the camera and do the entire sequence over again.
We are not there yet…
Now its all open to the sensor, you can start live view on the digital back and change the aperture to the desired opening on the lens. On the back you can select video mode and go into live view. The rest of the exposure is set on the screen where you can change the ISO and the shutter speed. There are only two options for video in the settings - You can either shoot 1080p 30 frames per second, or 2.7k in 30 frames per second if you want a bit of cropping flexibility.
Focussing is, of course, manual, but it does have focus peaking to help you out, and the big rear screen helps too. I like to double tap and focus on a zoomed in image before finally pressing record.
The audio was recorded using a lapel mic with a backup mic attached to the camera's audio in. The cfvII 50c back doesnt have an internal mic, or any way to mount cold shoe accessories, but the vintage 500 cameras have this cold show adapter that slides onto the left side. Now I can attach an external mic so I can sync the video with the lapel mic in post production. In theory. My copy of the camera make a horrendous constant whine that ruins the internal audio. Makes it unusable.
You’re obviously not going to buy this camera for its video specs, and I absolutely do not recommend it after this deep dive. Though I love the idea of video through vintage lenses because they were designed before sterile perfection was demanded of them.
Check the full story out in the video below, and, of course, check out the final interview video with Susan. She’s fantastic in front of the camera and she tells us why people come from all over Boston's north shore and beyond to check out her unique home decor shop, Room Tonic in Marblehead. Find Room Tonic on the web at www.roomtonic.com
I’m Fil Nenna, a portrait photographer serving Boston’s North Shore who specializes in helping small businesses like yours get more customers through quality images for your website.
Located in Marblehead I provide on-location services in Salem, Swampscott, Beverly, Danvers, Lynn, Boston and beyond. I can work in any space no matter the size or lighting conditions.
Please get in touch at info@filnenna.com to find out how quick and convenient making awesome headshots can be! We can even make interview videos like the one we made for Susan above.
