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.
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slr-medium-format
The Hasselblad 553ELX (1988) is the final generation of Hasselblad's electric V-system 6×6 SLR, succeeding the 500ELX (1984) and the earlier 500EL/M (1970). Its most significant change from its predecessors is the power source: where the 500EL/M required a proprietary 12V nickel-cadmium rechargeable pack, the 553ELX runs on six standard AA alkaline or NiMH batteries housed in a removable grip unit. This shift from a custom battery to a universally available format eliminated the most common practical problem of the electric V-system — a dead or unavailable proprietary battery.
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C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
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About this camera
The electric V-system body that traded the NASA-era nickel-cadmium pack for six standard AA batteries — and added TTL flash metering to a system built for studio strobes.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 120 / 220 film (6×6 cm, 12/24 frames) |
| Mount | Hasselblad V bayonet |
| Years | 1988–1996 |
| Shutter | Leaf shutter in lens: 1s – 1/500s + B |
| Flash sync | All speeds (leaf shutter) |
| Meter | None built-in; TTL OTF flash metering |
| Modes | Manual |
| Motor | Built-in electric; ~1.3 fps |
| Finder | Waist-level (standard); metered prism optional |
| Battery | 6× AA (alkaline or NiMH), removable grip |
| Weight | ~2,300 g (body only, without back) |
The Hasselblad electric line began with the 500EL (1965), designed partly in response to NASA's need for a motor-driven camera for the Gemini and Apollo programs. The 500EL/M (1970) was the first major revision, improving motor reliability. The 500ELX (1984) added TTL flash capability and updated the battery system. The 553ELX refined the formula further in 1988 with the AA battery grip — a practical concession to field photographers who could not always guarantee access to the specialised NiCd charger.
The "553" designation indicated the body's compatibility with the 503CX's TTL flash circuitry and the Acute-Matte focusing screen. The 553ELX was produced until 1996, when Hasselblad shifted its electric platform to the 553ELD (which added a Databus interface for digital capture compatibility). The 553ELX represents the last purely analogue electric V-system body.
The 553ELX is the most practical of the Hasselblad electric bodies for contemporary users. The AA battery system eliminates the NiCd reconditioning requirement that burdens 500EL/M bodies — any camera shop or convenience store can supply replacement batteries. The TTL OTF flash metering integrates with compatible Metz and Hasselblad flash units, though in practice most users today work with manual flash and a separate meter.
Motor drive convenience in a modular medium-format system is genuinely useful: portrait photographers can maintain eye contact with subjects while the camera automatically advances film; documentary photographers can shoot sequences without removing the camera from the eye level (when using a prism finder). The 553ELX delivers all of this in the same V-system body that accepts every V lens and back made since 1957.
Hasselblad V bayonet mount. Full V-system lens compatibility: CF, CFi, CFE, CB, CT*, and C-series lenses with integral Compur shutter. Key lenses: Zeiss Planar CF 80/2.8 T*, Distagon CF 40/4, Sonnar CF 150/4, Sonnar CF 180/4, Makro-Planar CF 120/4. Accessories: A12, A16, A24, A220 film backs; waist-level finder; 45° prism; PME-series metered prism; Databack; AA battery grip unit; remote cable release. Compatible TTL flash: Metz 45 CL-4 (with SCA 390 adapter), Hasselblad Proflash 4504.
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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