The past few years I’ve been experiencing more and more hardware failures in the field with my analog Hasselblad 500 series cameras that I use.
Admittedly, I am using a system that was never designed for the outdoors. Hasselblad film cameras are really studio systems. Plus, they are old now. Most of my kit dates from around the mid 80’s.
What I have learned is that the system requires regular servicing to operate. Buying ‘mint’ or ‘unused’ film backs or bodies from e-Bay may seem like the right thing to do, but in truth if the item has not been used regularly, then the lubricants inside it have probably expired. If you feel any resistance when winding on, the film back, or the body, or both probably need to be serviced and lubed.
I do go to extreme places though. In Brazil the temperatures can go up to 40ºC and the humidity is very high. I always leave my camera gear inside the bag, and I do not take it indoors with me whilst there. I avoid any condensation as much as I can, and when I am forced to bring it indoors, it remains inside the bag for several hours to help the internal compartment acclimatise to the air conditioned room and difference in temperature.
I’ve become accustomed to doing some partial service while I am in the field. For instance, sometimes the film backs jam, and will not advance. There is a simple fix that requires taking off the back plate of the film back and cleaning out a spring that has got some moisture and dirt in it. When this spring does not work, the back will not advance. It’s rather easy to correct, and I now bring a small screwdriver with me for such occasions.
The main issue for me though, is that a combination of dusty, snowy, freezing and humid landscapes that I am taking the machines to, require that I service the equipment regularly now to avoid failure in the field.
Although this post today is perhaps more of interest to anyone shooting film with vintage gear, it is also appropriate for those with digital cameras. Everything takes a beating when we are using them in different landscapes. Everything requires some care and attention, and if one wishes to photography great / interesting light, then we have to risk the camera being in all sorts of weather. Shooting only when it is sunny and dry will lead to your photos being one dimensional.
If I were a digital shooter, I would not be investing in expensive camera systems for my escapades abroad. I would be looking for bargains - and there are plenty to be had now - many digital systems from a decade ago give great results. Cheap camera systems are less of a worry when working in challenging environments. I will be less upset if the camera falls into a river in Iceland, or dies due to humidity in a sand dune complex in Brazil. Practical comes before desirability. Making pictures comes first, and I would like to be able to risk making images in challenging conditions, rather than worrying about some expensive camera system that I end up putting away for fear of environmental damage.