Phil Koenig

Hasselblad 500C

The Porsche 911 of cameras.

The Hasselblad and the Porsche 911

• High performance.

• High maintenance.

• Object of desire.

• Practical for daily use.

• Subdued yet unmistakable look, recognizable at a glance, consistent over decades.

• Sold a lot. Not hard to find.

• The company name is the full name of the originator:

  • Victor Hasselblad AB

  • Dr.-Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG.

Scandinavian design

The Hasselblad was designed and manufactured in Sweden except for the lenses and the leaf shutters which were German-made.

The camera’s mechanisms are complex but its design is remarkably spare and elegant. It is modular with a full range of attachments and accessories, yet it has far fewer knobs, levers, buttons, tabs, etc. than modular medium format cameras from Japan.

Example: The waist level finder slides on and off the body, and the film back holds it in place. There is no button, lever, or slide lock. It’s super clean.

Timeline

1948: The original Hasselblad appears. A trailblazing design. The first medium format camera with the body, back, viewer, and lens as interchangeable modules. In 1952 the 1000F model was introduced with an improved shutter mechanism; otherwise it was essentially unchanged.

1957: The 500C is the first of what later became known as the 500 series. The 1000F’s focal plane shutter was replaced with a leaf shutter and there were other changes, but the basic design and style were retained.

2013: End of Hasselblad 500 series production. A 56-year run.

(Sources: Nordin 1998, Freytag 1972, Hunt, 2025, McKeown 1996, and the Hasselblad corporate website.)

Continuous improvement

The basic design of the Hasselblad 500-series never changed, but over the years there were minor updates including:

• Interchangeable focus screens with different composition and focus aids such as a split image, grid, and others. This design modification appeared in 1970 at which point the name of the camera was changed from 500C to 500C/M.

• A brighter standard focus screen.

• Waist level finders with a pinch-type folding mechanism.

• Black instead of silver-finished lenses.

• Winding cranks for the body and backs.

• Backs with holders for the dark slide.

• Some additional minor tweaks.

The first two are very worthwhile improvements. The rest I can do without, as they dilute the camera’s classic style. Overall, my favorite configuration is the original.

Using the Hasselblad (on earth)

The Hasselblad has excellent handling characteristics; it is right at home in the field as well as in the studio. It excels at outdoor work in cold winter conditions (see Lu, 2024 for a demonstration).

Compared to a TLR, the camera angle is not as low and a Hasselblad can be configured for eye-level photography using a prism finder.

When the shutter button is pressed, the leaf shutter, rear auxiliary shutter, aperture, and mirror are all set into sudden motion and the result is a very loud, distinctive, ‘crunch’. Enthusiasts appreciate this! But in some settings it could be intrusive.

Using the Hasselblad (in space)

Walter Schirra was the first to use a Hasselblad on space flight, on Mercury 8 in October 1962. His camera was a lightly modified 500C. On later space flights, modified Hasselblad 500C cameras were used on space walks outside of the spacecraft and withstood extreme conditions:

‘The cameras had to work perfectly under the most trying conditions, over 120° C in the sun, and minus 65° C in the shade’.

Two Hasselblad cameras were used on the Apollo 11 mission, the first to land on the moon. After removing the film magazines, both cameras were left on the Moon due to the very tight weight limit for the flight back to Earth.

‘From Apollo 11 to the final Apollo 17 mission, a total of twelve camera bodies were left behind on the lunar surface’.

(Source: Hasselblad in Space)

Maintenance and repair

This camera has had maintenance.

A few years ago, the light seals on the back wore out. This is a known age-related issue, and it prompted a general overhaul that included the body and lens as well. Steve’s Camera Service Center in Culver City, Calif. did excellent work on this. https://www.stevecamera.com

In 2025, despite over two decades of experience with this camera, I managed to jam it while loading film on an overseas trip. That was very embarrassing. The Hasselblad was out of commission until I got home where my local shop, Pro Photo in Washington, D.C., quickly un-jammed it. https://www.prophotodc.com

References / further reading

Camera manual: orphancameras.com

More references:

Afridi, S. 2025. Why a Porsche 911 is the answer to most of your problems: A deeply impractical guide to life improvement from someone who doesn’t even own one. Amazon KDP.

Emanuel, W.D. 1969. Hasselblad Guide, 3rd ed. London: Focal Press. Reprinted 1988 by A Photographers Place, New York.

Freytag, H. 1972. The Hasselblad Way, 4th ed. London: Focal Press.

p. 13 has a chart, ‘The Hasselblad Evolution’ giving the dates and essential features of each model from the 1600F to the 500C/M. The date for the 500C/M is 1971 but other sources including the Hasselblad website quote 1970.

Hasselblad 500 Series. The company’s historical information: https://www.hasselblad.com/about/history/500-series/ accessed Aug. 15, 2025.

‘Hasselblad in Space’: https://www.hasselblad.com/about/history/hasselblad-in-space/ accessed April. 17, 2026.

Hunt, B. 2024. Film Camera Zen: A Guide to Finding the Perfect Film Camera. Los Angeles: Chronicle Chroma. A Hasselblad is on the cover, and it’s written up on pp. 52-57.

Karlsten, E. (text), with photos by V. Hasselblad, P. Halsman, L. Nilsson, and others. 1981. Hasselblad. Stockholm: Gullers International.

Victor Hasselblad is described as a visionary who had the ability to ‘attract talented employees and to inspire them to share his own enthusiasm’ (pp. 22, 35).

Kitmacher, G.H. 2006 (Oct. 9). Astronaut Still Photography During Apollo. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). https://www.nasa.gov/history/astronaut-still-photography-during-apollo/ accessed Mar. 30, 2026.

Levasseur, J. 2011 (May 27). Another Journey For John Glenn’s Ansco Camera. Washington: National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution. https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/another-journey-john-glenns-ansco-camera accessed Mar. 20, 2026.

Lu, Sissi. 2024. Don’t Fall ! ｜Taking My Camera to Ski with Me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt8CX2oklls&t=13s accessed Aug. 15, 2025.

Don’t miss the first 40 seconds — an expert demonstration of Hasselblad film loading in the field.

McKeown, J.M. and J.C. 1996. McKeown’s Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 1997-1998. Grantsburg, Wis.: Centennial Photo.

Nordin, R. 1998. Hasselblad System Compendium. West Sussex, England: Hove Books. This is a very detailed, well-researched source.

Pritchard, Michael. 2014. A History of Photography in 50 Cameras. Buffalo, N.Y.: Firefly Books. The Hasselblad is camera no. 31.

Reichhardt, T. 2011 (Aug. 5). ‘The First Photographer in Space’. Air & Space Magazine. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/the-first-photographer-in-space-44654847/ accessed Mar. 20, 2026.