Bill,

Most of my colleagues like you were Hassie users, but I was never comfortable with the camera and used the Rollei 6008 instead even though a bit more costly. The lenses were mostly the same, but the Rollei was so much quicker and easier especially for studio shoots when I went through 40-50 rolls of film in just a few hours. And using the film holder inserts pre-loaded, you could shoot a lot of film fast and you did not have to have a fortune invested in 10-12 camera backs as was necessary with Hasselblad.

David,

I see your point. For that kind of studio shooting, a Hassie would certainly have limitations. For what I do, though (outdoor/landscape), it's a perfect fit. It is somewhat awkward when shooting handheld, but it's almost never off the tripod, so that's not a real issue with me.

Actually, besides being hopelessly in love with the beast, there are other reasons I nominated the V-system Hassie. It's been a viable workhorse in many fields for a very long time, and it's the only camera that's been to the moon and back. It's nearly bulletproof if handled with respect. And, I think it's the only camera model of that age that's had a digital back designed specifically for it. Not that I can afford one, of course.

And besides, the Hasselblad forums are a lot less contentious than the Leica forums.......

Bill,

For the subjects you prefer my choice for a very long time was beat-up old Pentax 6x7. Slow changing film, but for landscapes a format that matched standard paper aspect ratios was nice to get the best print quality and not have to crop.

But I must admit for many years my favorite out taking landscapes, which was a busman's holiday for me, was a 4x5 field camera with a 6x12cm 120 roll film back.

To each his own, which offered a lot more individuality of choice in old-time film days than digital does today.

Well, David, I have to confess to having been a bit unfaithful to my beloved Hassy by looking lustfully at the Pentax 67 (and Mamiya RB67) as a better format for landscape than 6X6. But, then, there's also this lovely Toyo 45CF sitting here that is complaining about being neglected, so I'll probably take it on a date or two. So many cameras, so little time.....

Anyway, my vote for the Hassy really had more to do with its generally acknowledged longevity, simplicity, excellent quality and reliability, rather than just my personal preference for it....