SLR medium format camera single-lens with interchangeable lens, magazine ( back), focusing screen and viewfinder, which , together with a wide range of accessories gives it flexibility and universal use . The 500 C/M was produced from 1970. It differs from its predecessor the 500 C (1956) by its glass removable and interchangeable focusing screen.

The concept of the Hasselblad housing is a cube , each side of which is grafted a device :
 
• On front, the lens
• At rear, the magazine
• On the top, the viewfinder ( cap , simple prism or meter or magnifying glass)
• At right hand, the cocking : button (sometimes with cell) , or crank arms , or even a winder
• At left, a hot shoe
• Below, a tripod socket and a quick coupler .

bulb exposure. The standard lens is the Zeiss PLANAR 80mm focal length , aperture F: 2.8 . The framing being made through the lens , a secondary shutter (double strand) mask the shooting window and opens only during the trigger , at the same time with the mirror rising . Finally backs are fitted with a sliding cover that must be in place to remove the back, but whose presence blocks the trigger . And all safety devices are in place to avoid handling errors , as double - exposures or as inappropriate removal of the back.

The standard magazine allows for twelve 6x6cm views on film type 120. There are magazines with  format 4.5x6cm (18 views ), for 24 views 6x6cm on films type 220, or 70 views 6x6 on 70mm perforated  film cartridges. Polaroid back is also available.

The cocking is coupled with the film winding, by a button (or a crank , this photo) placed on the right side of the housing .
Note the presence of a lever for lifting the mirror (to avoid vibrations) , and on the lens of a self timer, and a small lever to close the diaphragm to the selected aperture  for the visual inspection of the depth of field. Moreover it is clearly indicated by two pins driven by the diaphragm control and moving alongside the distance scale .

The lens may be removed or reinstalled in place only if the camera and lens are cocked. There is a risk of locking of the mechanism if this condition is not met , particularly during assembly or disassembly of accessories such as extension tubes or bellows for macrophotography.


Tip: What year of this device? (codes for dating Hasselblad cameras and magazines ) .

The serial numbers of cameras and magazines are visible when the magazine is removed. They start with two letters corresponding to the year of production of the device, according to the matching code as follows: V = 1 - H = 2 - P = 3 - I = 4 - C = 5 - T = 6 - 7 U = - R = 8 - 9 = E - S = 0
the letters are arranged in the order : VHPICTURES (VH Victor Hasselblad , name of the creator of the company) .

Finally a detail about magazines is the presence of two tiny V-shaped notches in the middle of the right side of the shooting window . On negatives the two notches are visible, and when a negative is printed " full-frame " this feature allows to recognize that the picture has been taken by a "Blad" .