SWC = Superb Wide-angle Camera!
Written: Aug 05 '01
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Pros: Killer wide-angle optics
Cons: Parallax problems in viewfinder
The Bottom Line: A professional-quality, purpose-built wide angle camera with exquisite optics.
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| EBaumgartner's Full Review: Hasselblad 903SWC Film Camera |
I've owned a 903SWC for about 10 years now as an integral part of a larger Hasselblad system that includes a 553ELX and assorted interchangeable lenses from 50 mm to 250 mm. In a lens-to-lens comparison between the integraged 38 mm Biogon of the 903SWC and the 50 mm Distagon for the 500 series Hasselblads, the Biogon wins the sharpness and distortion contest, hands down: it is incredibly sharp and virtually distortion free, right out to the edges of the medium format negative area. The lack of distortion derives from the fact that the Biogon is a true wide-angle lens, with a rear lens element only millimeters away from the film plane, unlike wide-angle lenses for SLR cameras, which are essentially retro-focus designs that enable a greater distance between rear element and film plane (to clear the required reflex mirror). Simply put, the Biogon outperforms the vast majority of wide-angle lenses, and is clearly in a league with such classic large-format wide-angle designs as the Super-Angulon or Grandagon.
As for the camera as a whole, the 903SWC is surprisingly compact, very quiet (except for winding the film and recocking the shutter), and versatile. Swapping film types in mid-roll couldn't be easier, thanks to interchangeable film magazines -- one of the cornerstones of the Hasselblad system. The only negative is the viewfinder, which has no correction for parallax error in close-focus approaches. The way around this for critical photographic composition is to mount the camera on a tripod, attach a ground glass and viewfinder to the camera body in place of the film magazine, compose the image, lock the tripod head in place, remove the ground glass and viewfinder, install the magazine and pull the dark slide, and then expose the picture . . . in other words, treat the 903SWC like a view camera.
Fit and finish is typical Hasselblad: the 903SWC is bulletproof, with a welcome heft and solidity that is becoming increasingly rare in camera construction today. Other than the film-winding / shutter-cocking mechanism, and the integrated Copal leaf shutter itself, there is little to go wrong.
For serious photographers who love the wide-angle format, appreciate uncompromising optics, and prefer a system approach to accessories, the 903SWC is, without question, the best candidate.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 4,500
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Epinions.com ID:
EBaumgartner
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Location: Redding, CT
Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 1 member
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