“Hasselback” Instax back for Hasselblad, Users guide / review

Way back in early 2020 I got in on a Kickstarter campaign to fund the production of the "Hasselback" an Instax mini back for the Hasselblad V series made by a company called Escura. In November of 2023 I finally received my back.Hier is a video with my thoughts about it, as well as some advice for using it, avoiding issues, and getting accurate focus.
0:00
01:15 Unboxing
02:30 Attaching the back
03:46 Shutter jam issues
04:32 Ejecting the Film
05:21 Focus problim
05:55 Cause of the focus problim
09:21 Three ways to get good focus
12:45 Final thoughts
check out my website for the focusing table
www.jmm-photos.com/2023/12/08...
Music by Mike Gutterman
mikegutterman.bandcamp.com/

[@mariotraversi479]

Great review, overview, user manual!

[@h.w.6580]

unbelievable how much energy and design effort you have invested. I admire your patience...

[@yodayoungling]

Thank you very much! I got a product that was unusable, and wanted do at least have a chance to use it. I figured the effort would be worthwhile if I could help a few of the other backers make some Lemonade out of the lemons.

[@JimmySng]

thanks. now i got to do option 3

[@mikegutterman3427]

Thanks John-Michael!

[@brunorubin8762]

Thanks greatly appreciated!

[@yodayoungling]

Glad it helped you out 👍

[@Juliane2412]

You're brilliant, thank you! I got mine hardly dismounted again. My BF had to use force, so I won't touch it soon enough again, still, I like the idea. And ja, communication was a disaster. They never answered. I don't have a problem with project lasting long, but I have a problem with bad communication. I will try to make myself such a spacer. Also I think it's bit of a problem, that there's no clue of where to find a manual or whatsoever. It feels a bit, like they wanted to get rid of what was a great idea and still could be - and ja, maybe making such a spacer a delivering such one to the backers would solve some disharmony....

[@user-hy2ky7re5w]

you solved my problem! thank you! now there are three options for me 1. makning adapter for focus 2. use ruler and the distence chart 3. sell this whole stuff on ebay

[@user-wz5ie5wu4s]

I would love to do #1, but I'd rather #3... Good Lord, I think i have been bamboozled by Escura

[@user-hy2ky7re5w]

@@user-wz5ie5wu4s Yes, it's true. I regret the past three years. While contemplating creating an adapter as the second option, I immediately sold my camera body after seeing it scratched due to the slide lock. It's a disappointing situation.

[@user-wz5ie5wu4s]

@@user-hy2ky7re5w , I hear you my friend. sigh..... i need to crack my head on this... pretty disapointing but nevertheless another challenge.

[@MattiusGlutius]

Just got the Nons. The side ejection is the only negative as you mentioned. After watching your video it is a small price to pay for accurate focus. I was messing around and shooting indoors f4 at shutter speed 1/15 and the shots are sharp and nail focus. Everyone watching should go with the cheaper option in the nons back.

[@user-wz5ie5wu4s]

Too late for me and the rest of the escura backers. Lucky you Matt

[@yodayoungling]

If I had the choice today, I would probably also go for one of the other backs, and a lot of people have recommended the NONS. but as I said in the video, this is about making the most out of what we got with the Hasselback. (make some lemonade with that lemon?)

[@MattiusGlutius]

@@yodayoungling that totally makes sense. I always watch videos before purchasing, I just wanted to put a note for anyone looking to purchase as a potential alternative with fewer downsides.

[@yodayoungling]

@@MattiusGlutius ya for sure :)

[@user-wz5ie5wu4s]

@@yodayoungling , ok so i had the 4.3mm spacer printed by the help of my friend and i have achieved tack sharp focus on my 180mm f4 @f4. Downside is that i cannot put the focusing hood on and achieve infinity focus.

[@andyvan5692]

also that ground glass idea isn't new, the arcbody and flexbody had this system for the 120 backs (12-on\A-12) so that you could apply movements, focus etc. with the back off, and then like a monorail view camera, the film then goes in, and you shoot. (there was a unique feature of this, there was a slot in this gg frame, which allowed for "perspective correction slides" to be inserted, which if tilted 10/15/20 deg. would nullify the distortion, so one could still focus normally; this also even allowed the regular prism and hood to be attached).

[@user_itsdoable]

The focus shift can be marked on each lens like the IR mark, and then you don't need to use a table. A 2mm shift has the same amount of rotation on the lens helical. But a screen spacer is a nicer solution.

[@yodayoungling]

good point, i dident think to try that

[@Martin_Siegel]

Great idea, for I can't user the "lift up the focusing screen" method with my camera.

[@user-wz5ie5wu4s]

sorry to intrude sir, but do you mean rotate towards the left or towards the right with the left hand? Sorry for the stupid question.

[@HopefulForever-ln5xm]

@@user-wz5ie5wu4s I haven’t looked at mine but it would be on the side that makes the focus further away

[@jumbocheung2812]

My shutter was jammed, and I tried to push the pin, but still not release the shutter. Any luck on other way.

[@RobertoCavalieri]

In the third solution what should be the thickness of the frame underneath?

[@andyvan5692]

the focus issue is NORMAL, the Hassy PB from John of "hassleblad the expert" KZbin channel, and even the Lomography Lomograflok back {for 4x5" film cameras} has some kind of spacer to account for this back focus (physics, the cartridge is inside a shell, of which the edges are thick, and the shell itself is a few mm thick), this is the reason the focus is off, the distance means the film is NOT on designed in focus plane with the camera manufacturers, who assume a certain kind of film inserted into it, hence a set focus (the shims in a lens mount, for eg. are for this purpose too). In the V systems case a spacer shim (focus mask) is inserted above or below the "ground glass" focus screen, this calibrates the focus, so the lens tube setting is correct!-DON'T adjust the lens shims or mounting flange spacers , THEY are fine, for normal 120 backs!, just this stock is further back, so get the masks installed, but paint some visible part of it, so when using 120 you don't forget to remove it.

[@user-gq2gu9oh2i]

I am not sure if my experience can help. I had been in shutter jam trouble since I attached HB unit and unable to remove for 3 months. But I found KZbin video which solve shutter jam by push down film ejection hook to bottom. It helped to solve shutter jam. 2ndly, I fire and wind crank and attempted to remove. It does not work. Fire shutter, then try to remove( do not wind crank!) Hope you can remove unit.

[@cheung714]

Is the waist level viewfinder cannot be used if the spacer is used? Thanks!

[@rmaruo]

Hey, thanks for the help. :) I'll try to get the spacer for the Hasselblad focusing screen, any suggestions ?

[@yodayoungling]

Check out the link to my website, i just added dementions and a 3d model for the spacer. If you can get it 3d printed it might help get you better focus :)

[@rossmansell5877]

Plastic card right thickness. Cheap

[@user-wz5ie5wu4s]

Thanks for the info sir. The info is very good. Well, I think i want to sell mine. Anyone wants it? I have not used it yet.

[@holgerjungnickel8698]

Any tips for dismounting other than in the video? Using a hasselblad fc2000. Shutter works propperly but cant get this piece of sh.. of the camera.

[@yodayoungling]

Hmm, not sure, I have no experience with the FC. Maybe the firing pin behaves differently on your model? The firing pin is the only thing that actually prevents the back from being removed. It has to be flush with the body to attach or remove the back.

[@tobiah.]

Any experience with the fact that it doesn’t eject the first slide?

[@yodayoungling]

yep i had trouble with that once, are you trying with Mini or Square? i oddly found it easier with square. Be sure to remove the metal dark slide, Try slow and steady presure, and push the winding knob slightly inwards. at least with mine, the hardest part was getting the instax dark slide removed. after that the pictures came out fine. Also check if the hook in the hasselback is getting caught on the "cloth tape" behind it (i pulled off the tape on mine.) good luck!

[@morbuch5903]

Junk. Mine jammed with its first mounting, jammed the shutter and just barely was dismounted. Run away.

[@HopefulForever-ln5xm]

It took me two packs of film to figure mine out

[@zetaphotography6548]

No one has received their backs.

[@SirFunky]

what even is the point

[@augusl6547]

Rubbish quantity of these back light leak problem

[@EB-qj9ki]

worst piece of crap I ever bought since 1979. Event the USSR camera were not that poorly made ! avoid at all cost (pun)

[@rossmansell5877]

Had a Zenith 80 since 1968..still going strong despite Soviet quality control...or lack of it!.....