Hasselblad 500EL/M1971

History

Hasselblad introduced the original 500EL in 1965, building on a direct relationship with NASA that had begun with modified 500C bodies on Gemini missions. The primary challenge for Apollo lunar surface photography was that astronauts in Extravehicular Activity suits could not operate a manual film-advance camera with gloved hands, nor could they look through a viewfinder. The solution was a motorized body that advanced film automatically, combined with a chest-mounted bracket allowing aim-and-shoot operation without eye-level viewing.

NASA worked with Hasselblad engineers throughout the late 1960s to develop space-rated variants of the EL body. The space cameras were stripped of all non-essential components - viewfinder, focusing screen, and even the film back covering - to reduce weight, and finished in a special black anodized or bare-metal treatment to survive temperature extremes and vacuum conditions. Reseau plates (glass plates with engraved cross-hair reference marks) were added to the film plane to allow photogrammetric measurement of Apollo surface images.

The 500EL/M succeeded the original 500EL in 1971, adding the interchangeable focusing screen system (the /M designation). It remained in production until 1984, when the 500ELX took over with updated electronic circuitry and compatibility with the new databus accessories.

Why It Matters

The 500EL/M - and its predecessor the 500EL - produced the most reproduced photographs in history. The Apollo lunar surface images taken with Hasselblad cameras on 70mm film are among the defining visual documents of the 20th century: Buzz Aldrin walking on the Sea of Tranquility, the Earthrise photograph from Apollo 8 (taken with a modified 500EL), and hundreds of geological survey images that continue to be studied by planetary scientists. Approximately 12 Hasselblad camera bodies were left on the lunar surface across the Apollo missions to save weight on the ascent - only the film magazines were returned.

Beyond the space program, the 500EL/M was used extensively in commercial studio photography where motor drive and remote triggering enabled shooting angles and automation not possible with a manually-advanced camera. It was particularly popular for aerial photography, copy work, and high-volume portrait studios.

Lenses & Accessories

Full Hasselblad V bayonet compatibility. The motor-drive body accepts all CF, C, and later CFi/CFE lenses identically to the non-motorized 500C/M. The standard NASA lens for Apollo surface photography was the Zeiss Biogon 38mm f/4.5 (for wide coverage) and the Planar 80mm f/2.8 for portrait-format images. For commercial use, the Planar 80mm f/2.8 and Sonnar 150mm f/4 are the most common pairings.

Film backs: A12 (120/12-frame), A16 (4.5x6), A24 (220/24-frame), and the 70mm magazine used in the NASA space cameras (not generally available on the commercial market). The 70mm back allowed up to 200 exposures per magazine - essential for extended EVA sessions where magazine changes were impractical. Finders: waist-level (standard), 45-degree prism. Remote trigger: available via the motor's accessory sync socket.

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• NASA Apollo program (1969-1972) - Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 all used Hasselblad EL-series bodies for lunar surface photography; the cameras were manufactured as stripped space variants but are mechanically derived from the commercial 500EL and 500EL/M.
• NASA Earthrise photograph (Apollo 8, December 1968) - taken with a modified Hasselblad 500EL on 70mm Ektachrome; one of the most reproduced photographs ever made.
• Commercial aerial and studio photographers throughout the 1970s and early 1980s used the 500EL/M for high-volume or remotely triggered applications.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Hasselblad 500EL
• Wikipedia: Hasselblad space cameras