I spend so much time using simple cameras, that “real” cameras like the one above shock me a bit when I use them. They force me to slow way down and think about more than composition. The 501CM is a bull of a camera. It’s big and heavy. Especially with the Distagon mounted. It demands a tripod of equal mass. It’s a complex device and even the film loading procedure is an excercise in attention to detail.
I always lock up the mirror before shooting at any speed. The mirror slap is awesome and sounds like a triggered rat trap. The shutter, however, is quiet.
Even people that know little about cameras show interest in the Hasselblad. It’s a beautiful piece of machinery. I often wonder what people think when they see me lugging this monster around on its massive tripod while a Diana flops around my neck.
Cameras are tools. They all have one function, capturing light on film. All cameras do it the same way. They manage light intensity and time.
Some cameras are marvels of engineering and are beautiful to look at and a pleasure to use. The 501CM is one of those cameras.
My wife and I spent a few days on “The Cape” in January years ago. It was intensely cold and windy. We were sandblasted in our winter coats.
Days like those are part of your heritage if you’re from New England. We hunker down and endure.
A blustery day on Cape Cod
A small place, sheltered for a moment, from the wind.
Man proposes. Nature disposes.
Snow coming, soon.
Agfa APX 400 rated at ASA 200. Processed in WD2.