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Hasselblad's Most Famous Lens?
Well it is every bit as good as everyone says – which I never doubted. But it is a very different thing to see it with your own eyes. Certainly looking at images at 72dpi on a computer screen does not reveal all by any means. But with a large print or close examination with a loupe on a light box, you are treated to exactly what makes Carl Zeiss and Hasselblad revered like no other combination in photography.
My initial impressions?
Firstly, I love the angle of view – It seems my preference is for a slightly tight frame for “normal” shooting – a reason why I have loved the Makro-Planar CF f4,0/120. In fact that 20mm less is just ideal and versatile. It also does not noticeably restrict depth of field in hand held use.
In the hand this CFi version of the Planar 100 is beautifully balanced and the controls are logical, clear and superb to use. On the camera the good balance is more evident too. It fits well as a “standard” lens.
One feature of both the 2 last lens families is that the manufacture quality and finish are superb - a life-time investment. But, alas there is one item of disappointment - the screen printing of markings on the barrels, rather than etching the markings and filling them in with paint - just as Leica does.
And it certainly produces a “glow” when you have the viewfinder put it to your eye. In fact an amazing attribute I have found is that it seems to act like a polariser when shooting across the sun. You’ll see what I mean in the tree picture below. I am not aware of any difference in the glass coatings used on the Planar 100 than any other focal length.
The image below was taken with the Distagon CF f4,0/50mm FLE lens - which reliably avoids visible wide angle distortion when carefully held.
In use
Of course all shooting was done without any filters of any type. All images posted here are from scanned TIFF files. There is NO MANIPULATION at all – just 50% un-sharp mask after sizing the images to post here.
The CFi variant has some advantage over earlier variants - remarkably silky smooth but controlled focus barrel movement. A total absence of any free-play and obviously all manufacturing tolerances are extremely low. The rubber grip is just the right texture and the aperture ring is easily moved with one free finger when necessary due to the unevenly located "bumps".
I really like the DOF lever as it is easily activated and de-activated with one finger. It gives a more solid feel that the differently designed lever on the CF variant.
The x sync terminal has a nice idea of a spring locking device - logically to avoid plugs slipping off. But, there are many who feel this device is a bit flimsy due to its plastic construction although this has not been my experience.
The image below was taken with the Sonnar CF f4,0.0/180mm lens - Hasselblad / Carl Zeiss's most "modern" design produces amazing resolution of the finest details.
Beyond the cosmetic external changes, this CFi variant has 3 key benefits above the prior CF model (although most will rarely have any visible effect because the earlier version was already so good): new internal barrel coating enhanced for the most extreme studio lighting; the use of a scratch resistant nylon front bayonet mount, while the rear lens mount is a non painted specially treated alloy that avoids any sign of wear over time. A fourth difference is the use of a new metal in the making of the shutter spring - said to give >30 years over the prior CF version!!
Optically the CF and CFi variants are identical. Both are mechanically outstanding - the CFi simply being smoother in operation - it's a subtle thing but when you are using these frequently, it is a noticeable benefit.
The films used here were: Fujichrome Provia 100; Fujichrome 100F; Kodak Ektar 100 as well as Fujifilm Acros 100.
Of course NOTHING beats seeing the images on a quality lightbox with a well corrected 6x7 3.5X loupe. A JOY!
I should also say that the newer Provia 100F is a finer grain film to Provia 100. BUT, the film grain in Kodak EKTAR 100 is certainly a finer again – it is everything that Kodak claims – a delight. Its colour I find is very like Kodak Portra NC 160, which I really like. I have heard professionals’ podcasts where they have claimed that with Ektar 100 now, one does not need any other colour film – positive or negative! I see why.
As far as the scans go, certainly the noise/grain from the Ektar was the best of the 4 films. It certainly does scan better.
The pictures I have posted have a small section cropped at 100% to illustrate the detail. The funny orange/green thing on the tree is actually a small parrot climbing back into his nest (they nest in the hollow of trees).
The "TIN Church" was taken with the superb "standard" 6x6 format lens - the Planar CFE f2,8/80mm lens. Despite its high standard of optical correction of aberrations, the Planar CFi f3,5/100mm lens's performance is significantly better!
The lens resolution is so good that it does show up the grain of the stone building (Melbourne’s GPO) which recently was water-blasted to clean as it was being converted into a centre of up-market retail brands.
The B&W was taken from my bedroom balcony to see how well the details of the boats were resolved. In fact it turned out to be a test of film resolution I think!
Mechanically these are superb… as you would expect too!
I really like the relative “low gearing” of the focus barrel – enables extreme precision when focusing – especially at very close distance and even more so when using an extension tube! Brilliant! ?
So, YES I am thrilled with my purchase; I am delighted to own a LIKE NEW CFi version courtesy of a good acquaintance. Now it is somewhat permanently attached to my camera; like the Planar CFE f2.8/80, it is fast to use compared to my CF lenses.
This sunset below was taken with the Distagon CF f4,0/50mm FLE lens - again highlighting its excellent wide angle lens performance of very low curvelinear distortion.
Optically?
Well of course there is no visible curve-linear distortion, just like Zeiss claims. But very interestingly what I did notice was that as I “distorted” the angle of framing an image, it resited that. This is hard to explain, but what I expected to “twist” in the viewfinder, did not twist.
It resists flare very well. Shooting direct or obliquely into the sun does not cause strong flare or veiling flare. In fact when you see some streak of flare created, the smallest movement of the lens angle eliminates it perfectly. Other shots I took were at high risk of flare and I never suffered reduced contrast.
It is a relatively contrasty lens, but certainly not too much so. Like all the other more “modern” Zeiss lenses (e.g. 180mm and 60mm), it has some more contrast as well as sharpness, but it is not harsh at all – amazing sharpness and resolution, but not harsh contrast. Certainly Zeiss coatings play a role here above the optical design etc..
The image below was shot with the popular Sonnar CF f4,0/150mm lens - a strong all-round performer.
It is certainly very bright through the viewfinder, with something of a 3D look. This is something I noticed in the CF Distagon f3,5/60mm. This was a great aid when focusing with a 32mm extension tube (which I rarely do, so always begin by struggling with getting the lens distance / focus barrel position in harmony.
Colour tonality is a very important attribute of any lens. The Planar CFi f3,5/100mm's colour tonality is obviously typically Carl Zeiss – very nice if not a wee bit on the cool side. I must compare it to some of the more “classic” Hasselblad/CZ lenses like the Sonnar CF f4,0/150 and Planar CFE f2,8/80mm. But it is a real tonality feature - mellow is the best word that comes to mind. It is often here that German lenses have a lead on the Japanese. The latter seem just to be neutral.
When adding systems or formats to a photographer's kit, lens tonality should not be underestimated. For me their is strong consistency among Leica, Zeiss, Schneider and Rodenstock tonality - it's no coincidence that these are all German! But, the benefit is that the images made have consistent "looks".
Finally – resolution.
The best real world test I have of that is of heavily bushed small leaf trees from a distance – every detail was captured by the Ektar 100! I guess that this lens will even take the CFV-39 to its limits!
The Ducati image below was taken with Hasselblad's very first Carl Zeiss "standard" lens, the Tessar f2,8/80mm. It has an unusually close ficusing distance of 0.5m (0.7m is more typical of 80mm focal length), wide open.
Zeiss is well known for having made claims that some lenses they have designed have resolution up to about 400 line pairs per millimeter. But this is really academic since the human eye is often said to resolve no more than 50 lppm. Whatever, the fact is that the result is beyond the human eye; but, what matters is that the lens is every bit a match fir the best films available.
Experienced Hasselblad users all comment that the Planar f3,5/100 is the most remarkable lens Carl Zeiss has designed for general photographic work. In particular its exceptionally low distortion and high resolution make it ideal for regular use as well as specialist use that demands such attributes, not otherwise available.
The "leaves" below were taken with another "stellar" Hasselblad / Carl Zeiss lens - the Distagon CF f3,5/60mm. Exhibiting characteristics of very high resolution and low distortion, this is an outstanding wide angle lens!
So, the images I made to learn about its attributes are:
1. Below, the Aussie Gum Tree is shot from a distance of about 50m. The crop is that small parrot I mentioned as well as some of the trunk detail.
2. The Melbourne GPO at the beginning of the article for those interested in how wonderful Kodak's Ektar 100 film is. Close examination with a loupe shows that every line in the image is exactly straight from axis to the edge.
3. Melbourne’s Docklands below, is at the south western end shooting into the sun. The small area cropped out is hardly visible in the main photo and was outside the area of critical focus!
4. Below, the “Bird of Paradise” flower was taken in very strong oblique low light and also shows that trademark hexagonal “specular-highlight” shape as well as some cobwebs!
The Parrot's Hideaway:
The cropped part of the parrot's hideaway main image above:
Docklands:,/em>
The cropped section of the Docklands image above:
Bird of Paradise:,/em>
The cropped section of the Bird of Paradise image above:
Finally, this was something of a “luxury purchase” rather than a need to fill a hole in a lens kit. But, it definitely has a very specific place in my kit now, especially as slower more contemplative shooting (MF) plays an increasingly bigger role in my life.
The image below is an example of another stellar Hasselblad / Carl Zeiss lens, the Sonnar CF f4,0/180mm lens. While an ideal focal length for portraits, most users agree that a soft focus filter (Softar 1 or 2) is necessary to avoid showing even the most microscopic blemishes in skin. The resolution and sharpness are amazing!
In conclusion
If anyone is tempted to add the Planar 100mm to his / her kit, don’t hesitate – it is a MUST. It is at the top of the league of the 3 other "stellar" Hasselblad lenses - each being renowned for its extremely low distortion; razor sharpness and very high resolution - the:
Biogon f4,5/38mm
Distagon f4,0/60mm
Sonnar f4,0/180mm.
And, of course, then there is the fact that it is the lens man took to the moon as commissioned by NASA – some saying that it is about as perfect an optical triumph as you will ever get.