Danger: GAS and a Review of the Zeiss 40mm ƒ/4 Distagon CF FLE lens for Hasselblad (Oly 10)

Zeiss 40mm ƒ/4 lens with filter holder and 93mm UV filter in place

40mm Distagon ƒ/4 lens without filter holder

40mm Distagon lens mount. The slotted circle with a red arrow is the shutter cocking screw. The contacts were for the 200 series cameras (not used by my 501CM body)

The GAS Attack

Yes, yes, I know, I utterly lack discipline. I suffered an explosive bout of GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) and bought an ultra-wide lens for my Hasselblad 501CM camera. I already owned a 50mm ƒ/4 Distagon lens, but sometimes I wanted to be closer or be right inside the scene and capture it. 

My 50mm lens provides a diagonal view similar to a 27mm in the 35mm format. This new 40 provides a 22mm view (note, the frame proportions are not the same, square versus rectangle, so these are approximations only). I have already learned that this 40 is hard to use and need to take advantage of its unusually wide view. 

Zeiss made four generations of 40mm lenses to fit Hasselblad V bodies. These are the mid-20th century mechanical bodies that use 120 film, usually for the 6×6 format. It is difficult to find production years, but this is an approximate summary of the 40mm lenses: 

Distagon 40mm ƒ/4 C with Bayonet 104 filter. This is a huge optic, computed in the 1960s. It was a pioneering retrofocus lens at the time. Single coat 1967-1973, multi-coated T* 1974-1982. These C lenses are said to be front heavy and hard to focus. Zeiss also made versions of this 40 for Rollei SL66 and Rollei SLX/6006.

Distagon ƒ/4 40 mm CF (FLE). Newly computer smaller lens with floating element, 93mm drop-in filters, 1982-1998.

Distagon ƒ/4 40 mm CFE (FLE). Newer style body (see the pictures above), 1998-2003.

Distagon ƒ/4 40 mm CFE (IF FLE). Internal focus, final 40mm model (rare and expensive), designed for use with digital backs, 2003-?

Hasselblad also offered a 38mm Biogon type of lens permanently mounted in a special body, the SWC. This is said to be the least distortion super wide lens. I was tempted but wanted a lens that would mount on my 501CM body and let me frame through the viewfinder. 

My 40mm CFE model accepts 93mm unthreaded filters, which are held in place by a retaining ring. These are the same concept as traditional series filters. But the 93mm units are rare, rare, rare. My lens came with a clear UV filter. Amazingly, I saw an orange 93 for sale at KEH and grabbed it instantly. Yellow and green 93s are unobtanium. If you buy a used 40mm lens, make sure that it includes the retaining ring/shade, the items that hold a 93 filter in place. 

Upper ring adjusts the internal floating element

My lens has an internal floating element, meaning one that can be shifted separately from the other elements. A focus dial lets the user select the subject distance. This is designed to improve optical quality for close-ups. Most of my pictures are of mid- or far distance, so I have only needed to adjust this extra setting a few times. The procedure for close subjects:

1. Focus on the intended subject.
2. Adjust the floating element ring to see the best sharpness across the frame.
3. Readjust the main focus ring. But it may not need to be moved at all.

Focus with ultra wide lenses can be tricky with any reflex camera. But with my Acute Matte viewfinder screen, focus pops in and out precisely. I do not know how the view would be with the older, dimmer Hasselblad screens. Minolta developed the technology for these screens, and Minolta camera viewfinders were known for being easy to use. As far as I know, new Acute Matte screens are no longer available, and used screens in good condition sell for around $500 now. Other companies offered brighter screens for the Hasselblad, (e.g., Beattie IntenScreen, BrightScreen) but the consensus is the Acute Mattes are the best. 

Fuji NPS 160

Cylinder man, Olympia Avenue, Olympia

Carpentry shop, alley between State and 4th Avenues, Olympia, Washington

Unused locomotive permanently (?) parked next to Deschutes Parkway SW near Capitol Lake

Black and White

Former Georgia Pacific Building, Capital Way, Olympia

The Seattle architectural firm of Naramore, Bain, Brady & Johanson designed this mid-Century modern building in 1952 for the Georgia Pacific plywood company. The architects made extensive use of plywood in the furnishings and construction. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife now occupies the building. 

West Bay dock on a gloomy afternoon

Summary

Well, I am happy with my new/old 40mm Distagon. Optically, this 40 is amazing. I see minimal light falloff at the corners of the frame, and the resolution is fine center to edge. I can focus it without hunting back and forth with both the 501's fold-up finder or the prism finder. This lens is wonderful with color film (stand by for more examples soon). 

It takes practice to use a lens this wide well. It helps to be right inside your scene. In the same way, I had to learn how to get the best effects from the ultra-wide 30mm lens on my friend's Hasselblad XPan panoramic camera. I also recently bought a 21mm Zeiss Biogon lens for the 35mm Leica - this will require a learning curve, too.

But this 40mm Hasselblad lens is a heavy chunk in my camera bag. I bought a small LowePro backpack to experiment carrying all this stuff. And I have yet to find 93mm yellow or green filters. 

More examples to follow. But no more equipment GAS. I promise.......

Hillbilly Coffee, Littlerock, Washington

Yes, coffee is always a good idea

After a few hours of hiking or mountain biking in the Capitol State Forest and you are in serious need of a coffee, what to do? If you have come out of the hills via Waddell Creek Road SW or Mima Road SW, turn east onto 128th Street SW, drive about three quarters of a mile, and you come upon Hillbilly Beans, the "Cawfee Shack in Littlerock, WA." Look for the "Espresso Bar" sign, an old Dodge truck, various signs, and wood cows. Good stuff!

Was this once a neon sign?

The Hillbilly Cawfee truck 

Pull up to the cow and order your espresso

Yup, coffee makes friends

Trail to Fuzzy Top mountain in the Capital State Forest. This may be old growth (i.e., never logged).

The Capital Forest is criss-crossed with gravel roads suitable for mountain biking. And a select number of trails take the hiker to various peaks. It is a nice resource just a few miles southwest of Olympia. 

I took the coffee pictures on Fuji Acros 100 film with my Leica M2 and the terrific 4th generation 35mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens (the last pre-aspherical design). The view of the trail to Fuzzy Top mountain was with my brand new Zeiss Biogon 21mm ƒ/4.5 ZM lens. It is a Leica M mount lens based on the famous Zeiss Biogons of the 1960s (such as the 38mm version used on the Hasselblad SWC camera). Praus Productions in Rochester, NY, developed the film, and I scanned it with my Nikon Coolscan 5000 film scanner.. 

At The Vintage - Hot Springs, North Carolina

Every year (except during the pandemic), BMW lovers from far and wide converge in western North Carolina to attend The Vintage. The event is held in the town of Hot Springs, a few miles north of Asheville. It is a fun time to share stories, gaze and admire your friends' antique BMWs, and admire how much they must have spent on the meticulous paint jobs and reupholstering (using the correct type of paint, leather, etc.). And you can swap parts and tell tall tales. 

I attended The Vintage in 2017 and 2018. My little car chugged along happily and did very well on the twists and turns of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Running over 2000 miles with some aggressive driving blasted out carbon and other gunk from the cylinders and fuel injectors.

Here is a small sampling of the cars gathered at Hot Springs and at the venue motel, the Hampton Inn & Suites in Fletcher. 

Hot Springs

Rare Baur TopCabriolet version of the E21 body, 1978-1981. Probably not officially imported to USA.

Baur was a German company that modified BMW sedans into convertibles or semi-convertibles. The E21 body had only been designed as a hardtop, so it was not rigid enough to remove the entire top. Therefore, you see this unusual partial open top.

 

Beautiful clean US model 320i (note the 5 mph bumpers), 1975-1983

The E21 was the first 3-series. It followed the famous 2002 model in 1975 and was in production until 1983.

BMW 700 Saloon, minus its bumpers, 1959-1965, 30 hp.

BMW Isetta (1955-1962), with one-cylinder, four-stroke, 247 cc motorcycle engine

BMW 600 Saloon, with single rear door and 582 cc boxer engine, 1957-1959

Paint an Isetta - show your artistic talents

Fletcher, NC

Bauer TopCabriolet version of the famous 2002 coupe (1971-1974?). The wheels are modern.

2002 Touring (1971-1974), a fastback version of the 2002 sedan. This was rare and possibly not officially imported to USA.

The gorgeous 3.0 CSI version of the E9 body (1971-1975; this one probably 1974)

The ever-popular 2002 sedan, this one pre-1972 or 1973

Another 2002 sedan without front bumper and with modern wheels. Note the swing-out quarter window.

E-28 4-door sedan (1981-1988), possibly a European model (note small bumpers)

Heading Home

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a fun way to head west out of Asheville. My little car has nimble steering with excellent feedback for the winding roadway, and had no power issues despite its little 1800cc engine. I did not notice any obvious loss of power even at 6000 ft elevation. This car has Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, which may adjust the fuel mixture for changing altitude.

My E21 320i, purchased new in Houston, Texas. Richard Balsam Overlook.

Where did that fog and freezing rain come from? 

I bought this little car in Houston, a year after moving there with a brown non-air conditioned Buick. Summer of 1980 was just unbearable in the city, and so was the Buick.

April 1981, Houston, Texas (badly exposed Kodachrome slide). This grass strip is now the Westpark Tollway. 

This ends our short visit to The Vintage. I wrote about the Blue Ridge Parkway in 2021 and the road to Hot Springs in 2018. I will most likely not return to The Vintage. It is a long drive from the Pacific Northwest to North Carolina. Thanks for riding along!

From the Archives: July 4, 1944, celebrations, Post Island, Massachusetts

The family beach cottage (house), Post Island, Quincy, Massachusetts, USA

My dad spent part of World War II in Puerto Rico working for the US Navy. He was a civilian engineer, and when the project ended, he returned home to Boston. His sister and brother-in-law owned a cottage (house) on the shore at Post Island, a section of the Hough's Neck Peninsula that projects out into Massachusetts Bay. He joined them and the other beach residents for old-fashioned 4th of July celebrations.

Uncle Cliff and the horseshoes

The Penny search in the sand

Aunt Mary at the potato race

Watermelon consumption contest

Costume contest

Tennis champions with non-tennis shoes

Enjoying a short one in a genuine woody station wagon

Dianne enjoying a mackerel

Dulcie, Aunt Mary, and Joe on the beach

These Kodachromes record a world that looks so ordinary, so Americana. Children are enjoying a holiday at the beach. The gents are building an addition to a house. Girls are playing tennis. The very innocence of these scenes is the point. 

War was waging on three continents. Terrific battles were being waged on the Pacific Islands, in France and China, and on the horrifying Eastern Front. Civilians in China and Russia were starving. Most families in these pictures had a relative or neighbor overseas or on the oceans. 

But in Massachusetts on this sunny July day, life looked so normal. There was no destruction, hunger, or fear. The houses were neat and intact. The lights were on. By 1944, civilians could buy butter, sugar, coffee, and gasoline, although the latter may have still been rationed. The miseries of war seemed far away.

In a total contrast, in 1944, my mother was a child in Berlin. Life there was much more brutal.

My dad was able to afford and buy 35mm Kodachrome film and use it for family snapshots. Possibly he had bought the rolls at the navy post exchange on Puerto Rico before he returned to the mainland, but regardless, he felt secure enough in its availability to use it for casual photographs. It underscores the amazing capability of our industrial output. 

These photographs are the original 35mm Kodachrome. I think the film speed was Weston 8 or approximately ASA 10. I am not sure if my dad used an electronic light meter then. The camera might have been his Perfex, made by the Candid Camera Corporation of Chicago, Illinois, with unknown 50mm lens. I scanned these slides on my Nikon CoolScan 5000 film scanner, operated by NikonScan software on a Windows 7 computer.