Medium-Format Photography II: Hasselblad 500c

Book excerpt: It always was The Dream: The Hasselblad 500c Never mind that it was impractical for a photographer without a studio, or that it cost a bundle, or that the odds against ever owning one were big. There it was, a monolith above all other cameras. It was in the pages of the photo magazines, as advertisements occasionally, as part of an article occasionally. The two beacons of perfection, allegedly, were the Hasselblad 500c and the Leica whatever. For some reason, the Leica never caused a spark in me back then. Now, sure, but not then. Canon, Minolta, Nikon and Olympus cameras also were dreams, at the top of many of my wish lists. The Hasselblad 500c, though... that was on a level all its own. Then, suddenly, digital photography dawned and everyone was ditching their film gear. A fellow photographer said, "Hey, do you still want a Hasselblad because a friend of mine's selling one." It still was more than two weeks' salary, but it was cheaper than it had been. I had to have it. And it is an amazing camera.