Changing Hasselblad 500C Focusing Screen!

Herewith a video on how to change Hasselblad 500c focusing screen. In this video, I'll be sharing my process and experience changing my Hasselblad 500c's focusing screen. As many of you know, the Hasselblad 500c does not have an interchangeable focusing screen. That feature was later introduced to the newer Hasselblad 500 C/M. Both these cameras are the same except for this 1 feature. After purchasing my Hasselblad 500c, I had trouble nailing the focus due to the style of focusing on the traditional 500c focusing screen. This raised the question that "is it possible to change the screen" and it turns out it sure is possible with the help of a trained technician. Obviously, I'm not the sharpest knife in the box so I decided to do this myself. I'll be sharing my whole entire experience from start to finish. This is not a "how-to video" necessarily but the title is fitting for those who are brave enough to risk their camera. I AM NOT A TRAINED TECHNICIAN so please, do not do this because I did. I will not be able to help you with your focusing screen replacement because I'm, not a Hasselblad technician and I do not want to be responsible for any cameras ruining following this process. Do it at your own discretion.
Thank you for watching and I hope this video helped!
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• $300 vs $3000 film sca...

[@Shingie]

How to calibrate - Calibrating is needed in order to nail focus. **Note - this will no be 100% accurate because you don’t have the necessary tools to make it perfect. You will be guessing and adjusting to your liking or focusing style which can prove to be good or bad**. In order to calibrate you can measure distances from the film plan to a subject and firing a roll or 2 “that’s how I did it”. Others recommend to use the infinity focus reference which means.. if the camera is super sharp on infinity.. the view finder is sitting on correctly. It’s a guessing game and it depends on your eyes and judgment. - By adjusting all 4 screws individually you can make micro adjustments to help the sitting and levelling of ground glass. Be careful though because the screw are old and fragile. This has worked for me. Please do it at your own risk, this video isn’t done by a technician and I’d recommend buying a C/M body if you don’t want to risk your camera breaking because it can break. Wish you all the luck!

[@brineb58]

Props to you for doing it!!! I am too afraid to do stuff with my arthritis, stopped playing my guitar a decade ago!!! I would die without a split screen!!!

[@iantan6141]

You know, I’ve been waiting for this video for many years haha. I think I might try and do this too

[@MyF1Scuderia]

Hey, it's been a year. Have you completed the change out? If so did it work for you?

[@juniornlondock]

that tire shot is FLAMES

Way to go, dude!!!

[@Shingie]

Thanks dude!!! 💕

[@davidweston9115]

If you look carefully Hasselblad has an old check and adjust service for like $150 with a coupon, and they will put it on the collimator and adjust it for real for you, plus check and adjust the rest of the camera and give a discount on any repairs needed. (you send it in with one lens, and one back, and they adjust the whole kit. The trouble with the infinity focus trick is, it doesn't get your close focusing right, because on the short distances where a tiny bit makes a big difference. Another thing you could do is put a ground glass on there (like the kind they use for the SWC, Arcbody, etc when they want to see a focusing screen on those models, they put one on where the film back sits. If you could borrow one of those, and nail the focus on that back screen at like 3 feet, then make sure it corresponds the top screen and if not, adjust it to correct. OR you could to a film test at close distances. Set a yardstick 3 feet in front of the camera, and make exposures taking notes, IE "on exposure #1, I put the 1" mark of the yardstick in perfect focus on the screen" then take more exposures with other nearby areas in perfect focus on the screen and develop and see how it is on the film. Use cheap black and white film. From this you will know how far off it is and by how much. I agree the 500c original screen is tough. I got a 203fe with acute matte D, brilliant, later on I got a 1000F from 1955 and that has a pretty nice original screen, strangely enough, seems much easier to focus than 500c was, and no need to change it, because although it is dim, the focus slams home really obviously on the 1000f, whereas the 500c you are always going back and forth until you get upset and can't see anything anymore.

[@BasementShopGuy]

Your work is great! Dig all the shots at the end. The calibration for this, none was needed?

[@Shingie]

- thank you man! Calibrating is needed in order to nail focus. In order to calibrate you can measure a distances from the film plan and firing a roll or 2. Others also use the infinity focus reference which mean.. if the camera is super sharp on infinity.. the view finder is sitting on correctly. By adjusting every screws individually you can make micro adjustments. Be careful though because the screw are old and fragile.

[@akgulergec7617]

Keep going👍🏼

[@eligriggs9221]

Olive oil is just so wrong and will turn to a gummy mess, remove it and use some watchmaker's oil, or very light machine oil. I did enjoy your video, keep it up!

[@jonaslau1746]

May I know where did you buy the sreen? could you share the link with me?

[@raysvids9182]

Can you post the Amazon link as you said you would? TIA!

[@illitrait]

...I'm surprised there haven't been many comments on your use of olive oil. Synthetic oil is the only option for anything photographic because of mould and/or fungus.

[@regixeid]

What screwdriver size do you need to do this? From living in a really humid place my focus finder got fogged and i want to take it out and let it breathe or wipe it see if I can fix it

[@Shingie]

I’ll let you know in a couple of hrs. In the mean time, drop some oil on the Blad to soften the screws. This is important because the screws haven’t been moved in over 50 years.

[@thijskennis8757]

Can you please link the focus screen? I am looking to do the same with my own 500C. Also, is it brighter than the original?

[@Shingie]

- it’s not noticeably brighter but the focusing is 10x better.

[@Shingie]

- the one I bought in the video is no longer available but there’s a new one up for grabs. amzn.to/3Y8TPf9

[@leon899]

how do you calibrate the focus? can you share more information? Thank you!

[@jimkilroy2549]

Without the factory tools you are just guessing!

[@Shingie]

- Calibrating is needed in order to nail focus. In order to calibrate you can measure a distances from the film plan and firing a roll or 2. Others also use the infinity focus reference which mean.. if the camera is super sharp on infinity.. the view finder is sitting on correctly. By adjusting every screws individually you can make micro adjustments. Be careful though because the screw are old and fragile.

[@orlandomorfin3041]

How did you re-calibrate the focus ?

[@Shingie]

- Using infinity focus! And screwing the screws down. You can also use the Film Plain technique to measure the sharpness.

[@jimkilroy2549]

Only one problem, without the factory jig, you will never get the screen height correct. You can get it close, but never actually correct. The mirror angle, the body focal length, and the screen height can only be adjusted with the right tools.

[@Shingie]

- Makes absolute sense and 100% agreed. Thanks for your input.

[@sallua2901]

🎉👋🏾

[@kevin-parratt-artist]

Yes you did it. 👌 But never use a drying oil. NEVER! It should be a very fine penetrating oil, Such as Penetrene, WD40, or CR56.

[@davidweston9115]

I am subscribing to help this guy because he's cute as hell and shoots medium format film at a young age (like I should have done) and he needs a boost. Help him get to 100k subs so he can earn good without needing to do affiliate stuff all the time.

[@p.9608]

And the calibrated focus is gone... 😥

[@jimkilroy2549]

Exactly

[@KennethWimer]

Sorry, but this is just wrong. You do not have to unscrew anything, there are two simple latches for that. And most importantly, you would NEVER touch a focusing screen or let dust get on it, etc.

[@Shingie]

I’m sorry man, I think you might need to do some research. Or possibly, properly read the title, this is a 500c version, not a c/m.

[@JS52ATS]

you clearly don’t know what camera you’re talking about smh

[@davidweston9115]

Some people get confused because they did make some 500cm's with 500c badges during the first year of the change, and if you have only ever owned or touched one camera, and yours says 500c on the side but is really a 500cm, you might get all high and mighty and think this whole video is wrong. Trouble is, Hasselblad made millions of these cameras and there are many many differences amongst them. I don't remember if they decided to change the name to cm a few months after they upgraded to the user replaceable the screen, or if they just decided to use up the rest of the 500c badges (I doubt the latter is the case, because they were not cheap like that...I think they just decided it was a marketing opportunity, plus a way to easily name them so they didn't have to include serial number ranges in descriptions).