CF Lenses on H series cameras

[davidthescot]

I am thinking of buying a 30 or 40mm C type lens to use on my H4D.  Does anyone have any experience with using the C type lenses on the H series camera?  Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.

[jeff.grant@pobox.com]

David, I started with my H3D using CF and CFE lenses but quickly switched to HC lenses. I would only contemplate using a C lense for a special, low volume activity. There are so many advantages to the HC lenses.

[Ed Bray]

When I bought my H1D I also bought a CF adapter to enable me to use my C & CF lenses on it as I had a nice range of 40mm CF, 50mm CF, 80mm CB, 150mm CF, 180mm CF and 250mm C T*, as I got an 80mm with the H1D it was not too long before I realised the limitations of using V series lenses on an H series camera. I have since bought a 35mm HC and 150mm HC to complement the 80mm and have sold most of the V series lenses and CF adapter.\

Yes, they do work, but with quite a few limitations, especially on a multi/micro shot back.

[Michael H. Cothran]

As most posters have implied, using the CF adapter with Zeiss lenses gets you into the H system more economically, but at the cost of a lot of electronic wizardry being nulled. But there's another reason that governed my choices when converting from a V system to the H - and that is how often I might use a particular focal length, relative to its H price, relative to size of my wallet, and relative to the V lenses I currently own.

And as often happens when we weigh our pros & cons, there will be compromises to be made in either direction.

Personally, I shoot mostly outdoors, and mostly inanimate objects, and never for clients. Thus, I determined that 90% of my shooting could be accomplished with the HCD 35-90 zoom. And that's the lens I purchased. The only H lens I own. I figured the other 10% of my shooting would be with longer focal lengths. Since I already own the CF 100/3.5, 180/4, and the 250/5.6, and seeing how such a small portion of my shooting is done at these longer focal lengths, I decided that I would be better served buying a CF lens adapter, and using the Zeiss lenses I already own. The pros simply outweighed the cons in my world.

[Michael H. Cothran]

I took my brand new H4D-50 out yesterday for its inaugural shooting. I bought the CF Lens Adaptor with the H body, and am enclosing an image I shot of our Court House in downtown Nashville, using the Zeiss CF 180/4 lens on a tripod.
The second image is a close-up of the door handles to show detail enlarged.
I'm also going to add a close-up of the plaque. Hope it shows big enough.

[cerett]

I currently own an H4D 60. When I owned an H2 + P1 back, I purchased a CF adapter to use with my CFE 4/40. I love this lens. Aside from the extra work involved in using it with the H system, is the performance as good as any H lenses. What has been the experience out there? Should I consider selling it? One other question: Is it necessary to "exercise" infrequently used V system lenses?

[ChrisL]

I do like a resurrection of a thread, strange this was never answered:
The consensus is that lenses should be exercised at least once a month, especially at the slower shutter speeds.
BUT I have never seen any testing to show it was at 6 weeks for example nor any long term tests say over 5 years of a shutter fired monthly v one left alone, these statements are just bandied about with no evidence other than anecdotal. In my scientific world they would be laughed at. However I see no harm in a monthly run through.

On firmer ground is this statement from hasselblad:
Hasselblad engineers have never found any evidence to show that the life of a spring is shortened if the spring is kept tensioned, even after extended periods on non-use.
Hasselblad suggests that cameras and lenses be stored in the wound position. This eliminates the possibility of a camera jam caused by attaching an uncocked lens to a wound body, or vice versa.

So leaving a V series camera wound on has a basis in fact but nothing to do with shutter life.

[fsprow]

The metallurgical literature used to have serious studies of the effect of storage on metallic springs (both coil and planar/leaf).  The bottom line was that there was zero loss of spring constant nor lifetime.

[ChrisL]

The metallurgical literature used to have serious studies of the effect of storage on metallic springs (both coil and planar/leaf).  The bottom line was that there was zero loss of spring constant nor lifetime.

That was exactly the Hasselblad position, the "exercise" is allegedly to prevent lubricants "gumming up" where serious studies, no any, studies, in camera mechanisms are impossible to find but never stop a good story with facts.