The banner above features three recent images created with the FlexBody and a digital back. From left to right: Asparagus Study, Violet Hymn, and Sea Glass & Asparagus. While each image was approached differently, together they demonstrate the range of subjects and visual styles possible with the FlexBody, whether working digitally or on film.
Although Asparagus Study was captured digitally, it was intentionally styled to evoke the look and feel of a traditional film photograph.
This article focuses on using the FlexBody with a digital back. A future article will explore the unique considerations and workflow involved in shooting the FlexBody with film.
Shooting the FlexBody
The FlexBody comes with a few unique tools because, quite frankly, it is a unique camera. The more I use it, the more I understand where it fits within my studio workflow.
Hasselblad refers to the rear movement on the FlexBody as “shift.” In practical use, however, photographers coming from large format cameras will often think of it as rise and fall when the movement is used vertically, and as shift when the camera is rotated horizontally. The movement itself is the same; only its orientation changes.
Shift (or rise and fall) and tilt are important movements for the way I work, both in the studio and in the landscape. That said, I will probably never take the FlexBody into the field. My primary interest for using the FlexBody is tabletop photography, and I already have several field cameras that serve me well outdoors.
I would have a hard time working without rise and fall, especially rise. Because my shooting tables are intentionally kept low, I almost always need some degree of rise to achieve the composition I want. Tilt is equally valuable, although I prefer to control depth of field through aperture whenever possible. Occasionally, however, a tabletop arrangement benefits from a touch of tilt.
The three images in the banner above were all photographed using a generous amount of rise and a small amount of tilt.
My personal work has always been driven more by artistic goals than technical ones, although I never ignore the technical side. When working for clients, technical requirements come first because that is part of the job. Personal work is different. There, creativity leads the way.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the FlexBody’s specialized tools and how they can be used in practice.
FLEXBODY OPERATING CONTROLS AND COMPONENTS
Tilt and Shift (Rise/Fall)
The FlexBody’s movements are located on the rear standard and operate much like those found on other technical cameras.
Tilt is controlled by a larger knob on the left side and provides up to ±30° of movement. When using tilt at 10° or more, the FlexBody’s correction slides become extremely useful. These specialized optical accessories restore brightness and clarity to the focusing screen when the back is tilted.
Shift (rise/fall) provides ±15mm of movement and is controlled by a knob on the upper left side of the camera. The movement is precise, smooth, and easy to adjust.
FLEXBODY MAXIMUM SHIFT BY LENS CHART
Why the Correction Slides Are Needed
The Hasselblad Acute-Matte focusing screen contains a Fresnel pattern designed to direct light efficiently to your eye when the film plane is parallel to the lens axis.
As the back is tilted, the angle of the focusing screen changes. Light is no longer directed toward your viewing position, causing portions of the screen, especially the corners, to appear dark and dim. Composition and focusing become much more difficult.
The Solution
The correction slides are housed in their own frames and are inserted into a slot on either side of the camera. Once installed, the correction slide rests in front of the standard focusing screen, redirecting the light rays to compensate for the tilted viewing angle.
When tilting away from the lens, insert the slide from the right side of the camera. When tilting towards the lens, insert the slide from the left side. It quickly becomes obvious if the slide is installed on the wrong side, as portions of the screen will remain noticeably dark.
The 10° slide is intended for moderate tilts, while the 20° slide is designed for steeper movements.
Their purpose is simple: they redirect the angled light rays back toward your eye, restoring a bright, evenly illuminated viewing image. In practice, they work remarkably well.
Below is an example showing an exaggerated 10° tilt as viewed on the standard focusing screen, followed by the same scene with the 10° correction slide installed. The improvement is dramatic.
USING THE 10° CORRECTION SLIDE: AN EXAGGERATED EXAMPLE OF TILT
- Center: FlexBody fitted with the 10° correction slide.
- Right: Focusing screen after 10° correction slide installed.
* Special thanks to my iPhone for these images. 🙂
Important Usage Notes
The correction slides are used only for composing and focusing. Once the image is composed and focus is confirmed, the screen adapter is removed and replaced with either a film magazine or digital back for the actual exposure.
The kit also includes a third flat insert known as the Stray Light Protection Slide. Its purpose is to block light from entering through the empty slot whenever the 10° or 20° correction slides are not being used.
HOW THE IMAGES WERE MADE
Studio Setup and Lighting
The three images were created in the studio on the same tabletop using the same lighting and backdrop: a neutral gray matboard and a light gray tabletop. I tend to think of it as my operating room. Thankfully, no anesthesia was required, although a little patience was.
I used a single strobe, but never fired a flash. Instead, I relied on the modeling light and dragged the shutter, one of the reasons I prefer leaf shutter lenses. This allowed me to gently fill the shadows while keeping complete control over the lighting. The only other illumination came from natural daylight filtering through large diffused window shades.
The reason I work this way is simple: I like simplicity. I can control the variables that matter to me: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. In the studio, the tripod or camera stand is just as important as the camera, lens, and digital back. Everything has a job, and I prefer not to make any of them work harder than necessary.
Working with Electronic Shutter
For these images, I chose to use the electronic shutter. When shooting this way, traditional strobe synchronization becomes more complicated. Yes, there are ways around it, and I have successfully used electronic shutter with studio flash many times. But why work harder than you have to?
If I were photographing a large production job where speed is critical, I would connect the digital back and lens and work with conventional flash synchronization. That was not the goal here. Instead, I wanted to demonstrate how easy it is to use the FlexBody with electronic shutter.
I shoot in electronic shutter mode by first setting the FlexBody to the open position using the shutter cocking knob. I then compose the image using Live View. On the CFV II 50C, the large orange shutter button remains visible during Live View, allowing me to trigger the exposure directly from the digital back.
There is one important detail to remember: the lens aperture must be set to your chosen f-stop, and the aperture preview must remain engaged at all times. Otherwise, the lens will stay wide open and the image will be captured at the largest aperture available. Sometimes happy accidents happen. Sometimes not.
Post Processing
Once the files were imported into Lightroom, I decided to have a little fun. The goal was not to create three versions of the same photograph, but three different interpretations of the same subject.
People occasionally ask how I process my images. The honest answer is that I rarely know exactly where they are going when I begin. I make adjustments, respond to what I see on the screen, and let intuition guide the process. There are usually many small steps involved, most of which I could not accurately retrace an hour later. The final result may not always be perfect, but each image should have its own mood, personality, and visual voice.
Looking Ahead
That’s it for now.
The next FlexBody article will focus on shooting film, which is where this unique camera truly reveals its medium format roots.
As for my posting schedule, that remains somewhat uncertain. We are in the middle of making travel plans, and after spending much of this year working, I find myself wanting to spend more time outdoors. Unfortunately, North Florida has entered that seasonal phase where carrying twenty pounds of camera gear through a marsh begins to feel less like photography and more like a survival exercise.
So we may be heading toward cooler places.
I will post when I can, share what I find, and continue the FlexBody series as time allows. Until then, thank you for reading, and I’ll be back.