The entry V-system body of 1994 — mechanical square-format Hasselblad without the frills.
The 1994 Hasselblad 501C is the entry V-system body of its era, pairing the classic 500-series mechanical formula with the C 80mm f/2.8 as a starter kit.
Fully mechanical and battery-free, it uses the same leaf-shutter lens principle as every 500-series body, with the Acute-Matte screen that transformed focusing brightness.
Its significance is as the gateway Hasselblad: cheaper than the 501CM that replaced it (no gliding mirror system), it delivers the identical square-negative experience that defines the V system.
Used buying: check the film magazine light seals and shutter timing on the paired lens, confirm the screen is the bright Acute-Matte type, and remember the mirror clips the frame with lenses longer than 150mm - the 501CM fixed that.