Sonnar 250mm for Hasselblad: can't try harder

[emo supremo]

Can anyone tell me what the "V"," "X", and "M" are supposed to do on a Sonnar 250mm Synchro Compur for a Hasselblad 500C/M? More importantly, I'm trying to decouple the aperture setting from the shutter speed setting and wonder if this V,M,X has or has no bearing on this problem. I've spent a ton of time on the internet wading through edu and org sites (.com 's give nothing but pesky buy me adds) and thefamous Wrnst Wildi text has pages on which it is mentions but instructions we.., nothing much apart from a figure on page 43 which seems to suggest it has to do with 'selftime'. On my lens 1,2 and 4th second has a red bar.
The lens focus ring works but when I turn the other ring BOTH the aperture AND sspeed change. Surely there is a way of adjusting each separately. When I turn this ring there are two bizzare orange indicators that move apart equidistant as the aperture (and the sspeed of course) is dialed from f=45 to f=5.6

I'm dying to swith the M to either V or X to see if I can do this but I'm guessing this has something to do with flash. A forum member believes this to be so as well.

I realize this ought to be LF only but, well, does size really matter in a case like this?

[J. Patric Dahlen]

M = Synch for some flash bulbs.

X = Synch for electronic flash

V = Vorlaufwerk (selftimer).

[Barrie B.]

Greetings , I have a 'Silver ' 250 mm lens .
The reson that both the shutter and the aperature settings move together is to allow the photographer to keep the same exposure whilst using different shutter speeds or different apertures.
You will find a little riased tab on the lens , if you push this away you can set shutter speeds to suit your light reading , without moving the f stop.
Those two little red pointers open up or move away to show you the ' depth of field at each lens stop.
................ cheers Barrie B. This 250 mm lens is capable of great shots , I always use mine on a tripod .

[Steve Barber]

...On my lens 1,2 and 4th second has a red bar.
The lens focus ring works but when I turn the other ring BOTH the aperture AND sspeed change. Surely there is a way of adjusting each separately. When I turn this ring there are two bizzare orange indicators that move apart equidistant as the aperture (and the sspeed of course) is dialed from f=45 to f=5.6

The aperture and shutter speed settings are coupled so that the exposure value (EV) remains the same.

To the right of the shutter speed scale is a series of numbers in red from 4 to 20, these are the exposure values. The value that is being used is indicated by the red triangle pointing to it and can be changed by pulling and holding the metal tab to the right of the red triangle toward the camera. This decouples the aperture ring and allows you to change the aperture without changing the shutter speed. If, for example, you set the shutter speed to 1/125 and the EV pointer to 15 1/2, the aperture will be between f22 and f16. In this position, the usable shutter speed range will be from 1/30 to 1/500. The aperture of f45 is not usable because you cannot select a shutter speed between 1/15 and 1/30.

The usual way to set the camera is to select the EV and then the shutter speed and aperture combination you find most suitable. The pointers are coupled to the aperture and indicate the depth of field for that setting. For example, using the aperture setting between f22 and f16, and setting the distance at 150, the pointers will be at 70 and infinity, indicating that anything within that range of distances will be "acceptably sharp".

The red bar for the shutter speeds from 1 second to 1/4 second is to remind you that you must hold the shutter depressed until the time has elapsed to prevent closing the curtain before the shutter has timed out, thus causing an underexposure of the film.

Also, don’t make the mistake I did and assume that all meters read EV the same. With my Gossen meters, both the digital and the Luna Pro, or using the meter prism finder, the EV changes according to the film speed and is directly usable to set the camera. With a Pentax spot meter the reading says EV, but is only correct to set the camera directly for a film speed of ASA 100. With the Pentax, you have to set the meter for the correct film speed, set the pointer for the “EV” given and then select a suitable shutter speed/aperture combination. When that is set on the camera, for all ASA speeds other than 100, you will see that the camera EV setting will be something different than the “EV” given by the meter.

Content: All large format users should be encouraged to own and use a Hasselblad.

[Bjorn Nilsson]

There's nothing wrong with the advice already given, apart from a few illustrations.
Check the manual for the 500C camera, which have all the info needed to operate a C-type Hasselblad lens.
The manual can be found here (along with most others on the same site): http://www.hasselbladhistorical.eu/PDF/HasManuals/500C.pdf

//Björn

[emo supremo]

I can't thank you enough. You Folks are the best. I'm so indebted and will be sure to "pay it forward."