Hasselblad 500C

The Hasselblad 500C is the medium-format camera that defined lunar and studio photography forever. NASA selected modified 500Cs for the Apollo missions, capturing every iconic lunar image—Buzz Aldrin’s visor reflection, Earthrise, and the bootprint—with a 6x6cm square format that delivered unparalleled resolution and tonal range. On Earth, it dominated fashion and studio work for decades, used by masters like Ansel Adams, Richard Avedon, and Annie Leibovitz. Its built-in leaf shutter syncs at all speeds up to 1/500 second, outperforming #6 Sony A7's electronic shutter for flash work. The 500C’s deliberate, high-quality imaging set a benchmark that remains the gold standard for medium-format cameras.