C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →
slr-medium-format
The Hasselblad 1000F (1952) is the second of the two early Hasselblad 6x6 SLR models to use a focal-plane shutter in the camera body rather than leaf shutters in the lenses. It succeeded the problematic 1600F, reducing the maximum shutter speed from an ambitious 1/1600s to a more reliable 1/1000s. The 1000F remained in production until 1957 — the same year the 500C launched and rendered the F-series obsolete by moving the shutter into each lens, an architecture that proved far more durable.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the — format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
View profile →C41
Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
View profile →Develop — film
We're growing the lab directory near you. Browse all labs.
Before you buy used
About this camera
The refined focal-plane Hasselblad of 1952 — predecessor of the V system and the last model before Hasselblad moved the shutter into the lens.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 120 film (6x6 cm, 12 frames) |
| Mount | Hasselblad F bayonet |
| Years | 1952-1957 |
| Shutter | Focal-plane cloth: 1s - 1/1000s + B |
| Flash sync | ~1/30s (focal-plane limit) |
| Meter | None built-in |
| Modes | Manual |
| Finder | Waist-level (standard) |
| Weight | ~ (not confirmed) |
| Battery | None required |
Victor Hasselblad introduced the 1600F in 1948 as the first commercially available 6x6 SLR. Its focal-plane shutter claimed 1/1600s - fast for the era but mechanically unreliable in practice. By 1952, Hasselblad revised the design into the 1000F, dialing the top speed back to 1/1000s and improving shutter reliability. The F-mount bayonet and modular film-back system were retained from the 1600F.
The 1000F sold in modest numbers to professional photographers and advanced amateurs who needed the versatility of a modular medium-format SLR. However, the focal-plane shutter placed an inherent limit on flash synchronisation - typically around 1/30s - which was a significant handicap for studio portrait and commercial photographers who relied on flash at all speeds.
When the 500C arrived in 1957 with its leaf-shutter-in-lens design offering full flash sync at every speed up to 1/500s, the 1000F was immediately obsolete for professional use. Hasselblad discontinued it the same year and never returned to a focal-plane design in the main V-system line until the 2000FC appeared in 1977.
The 1000F is historically significant as the bridge between Hasselblad's early ambitions and the V system that defined the company for the next five decades. It demonstrated that the modular body-plus-back architecture was viable and desirable, even if the focal-plane shutter proved to be a dead end for Hasselblad's product line.
For collectors, the 1000F represents the earliest practical Hasselblad SLR experience. It is rare, mechanically complex, and parts are nearly unobtainable - which makes it a camera for display or very careful occasional use rather than daily shooting. The F-mount lenses, particularly the Carl Zeiss Tessar 80mm f/2.8 and Sonnar 135mm f/3.5, are optically interesting but entirely incompatible with the far more common V-system ecosystem.
Hasselblad F bayonet mount - not compatible with V-system lenses. Available F-mount lenses include the Carl Zeiss Tessar 80mm f/2.8 (standard), Biotar 80mm f/2.8 (earlier variant), Distagon 60mm f/5.6, and Sonnar 135mm f/3.5. Film backs are interchangeable with the 1600F but not with V-system backs. The waist-level finder was standard; a prism finder was available as an accessory.
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
View profile →BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →