Hasselblad 500C/M Black1970

History

The 500C launched in 1957 as Hasselblad's direct response to the limitations of its earlier F-series cameras. By moving the shutter into each lens as a Compur leaf shutter, Hasselblad achieved flash sync at every speed - solving the studio photographer's most pressing complaint about the 1000F and 1600F.

By 1970, the 500C had proved itself the professional standard in medium-format photography and Hasselblad introduced the 500C/M as an incremental but meaningful improvement. The modular viewfinder screen was the headline change: users could now customise the focusing aid to match their shooting discipline. The body mechanism and V-mount remained fully backward compatible with all 500C lenses and magazines.

The black finish was not a separate model but rather a finish option. Black bodies were associated with press and reportage work where chrome bodies were considered too reflective and conspicuous. Many photographers also simply found the aesthetic preferable. Black 500C/M bodies are somewhat less common than chrome versions, which contributes to a slight collector premium in the used market.

Production of the 500C/M ran until it was superseded by the 503CX in 1988, giving the 500C/M an unusually long production life of roughly eighteen years.

Why It Matters

The 500C/M, in any finish, represents the canonical Hasselblad experience. It is the camera most associated with the brand's reputation and the one against which all subsequent V-system bodies are measured. The black variant carries additional historical resonance as the tool of working photojournalists and documentary photographers during the 1970s and 1980s.

Its fully mechanical operation means it functions without any battery - a trait that contributes both to its reliability in the field and its continued appeal to photographers who distrust electronics. The V-system's lens ecosystem, centred on Carl Zeiss designs made by Hasselblad's long-standing partnership with Zeiss, is widely regarded as among the finest optical sets ever produced for medium-format photography.

Lenses & Accessories

The V bayonet mount is compatible with the full range of V-system C, CF, CFi, CFE, and CB lenses. Standard kit lens is the Carl Zeiss Planar T* 80mm f/2.8 C or CF. Significant V-system glass includes:

• Zeiss Distagon 40mm f/4 C / CF (extreme wide, requires mirror lock-up)
• Zeiss Planar 80mm f/2.8 C / CF (standard)
• Zeiss Sonnar 150mm f/4 C / CF (short telephoto portrait)
• Zeiss Sonnar 250mm f/5.6 C / CF (telephoto)
• Zeiss Makro-Planar 120mm f/4 CF (macro)

Film magazines are interchangeable: standard A12 (12 frames on 120), A24 (24 frames on 220), A16 (16 frames of 6x4.5 on 120). Viewfinder options include the waist-level finder (standard), 45-degree prism finder, and 90-degree metered prism. Motor winder accessories were available for the 500C/M.

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• The 500C/M and its chrome 500C predecessor were widely used by fashion and editorial photographers in Europe and the United States through the 1970s and 1980s; Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, and Helmut Newton all worked with V-system Hasselblads during this period.
• The NASA Apollo program used Hasselblad V-system cameras (500EL, a motor-drive variant) for lunar surface photography, contributing enormously to the brand's reputation, though the EL is a separate model.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Hasselblad 500C/M
• Wikipedia: Hasselblad V System