Hasselblad 500c medium

The Hasselblad 500c is a legendary medium format camera, renowned for its optical quality and use in NASA space missions.

About this subject

The Hasselblad 500c was introduced in 1957 by the Swedish company Victor Hasselblad AB. It became an icon of medium format photography due to its modular construction, allowing interchangeable lenses, viewfinders, and film backs. The Carl Zeiss lens system offered exceptional sharpness, widely adopted by professionals in fashion, portrait, and landscape photography. The camera gained worldwide fame when chosen by NASA for the Apollo program, capturing historic images such as the first moonwalk in 1969. The 500c model is the direct predecessor of the 500 series, featuring a Compur leaf shutter and PC sync for flash. Its rugged metal construction and ergonomic design made it a reliable tool for decades. Despite the digital shift, many photographers still use the Hasselblad 500c for 120 film, valuing its mechanical qualities and vintage aesthetics. The lens shown in the image is a fisheye lens, providing an ultra-wide 180-degree field of view, distorting perspective in a characteristic way.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the Hasselblad 500c and the 500cm?

The Hasselblad 500cm is a later version with a faster film loading system and an optional prism viewfinder. The original 500c had a fixed waist-level finder.

What film does the Hasselblad 500c use?

It uses 120 roll film, producing 6x6 cm negatives. It can also use backs for 220 film or Polaroid.

Is the Hasselblad 500c still in production?

No. Production of the Hasselblad 500c ended in the 1990s. It is now sold on the used market and by collectors.