Hasselblad MK 70 (1981)
The Hasselblad MK 70 is a rare, motorized metric camera built for photogrammetry, which is the business of taking precise measurements from photographs. It's essentially the civilian version of the Hasselblad 500 EL Data camera that NASA used on the Apollo lunar missions, adapted for terrestrial survey work where dimensional accuracy matters more than pictures that look good. The giveaway is the "Reseau plate" over the film plane. It's a glass plate engraved with a precise grid of cross marks, and those marks get recorded onto every frame. That gives photogrammetrists a fixed reference scale to measure against.
The MK 70 uses the V-system's modular design, with a motorized body that takes 70mm film magazines for 6×6 cm exposures. The usual setup paired it with a Zeiss Biogon 5.6/60mm lens, which had the extremely low distortion that measurement work needs. The most complete outfit on record includes an all-black Planar 3.5/100mm lens and a very rare 100/200 magazine, fitted with grey leatherette. A special optical viewfinder (the MK 65021) was made for the camera, and at least one example survives as New Old Stock, still in its box with mask.
Production year is given as 1981, though some individual units carry earlier dates. The record is thin on conventional specs. No shutter speed range, weight or original body price is documented. This was a specialized tool, not a general-purpose camera. One documented research application used two MK 70s in stereo position, synchronized for simultaneous exposures, to make exterior measurements of the human body, with control points measured by theodolite to 0.1mm accuracy. It also saw use in aerial work. The MK 70 could be mounted on a stabilized gimbal alongside other metric cameras, with remote-controlled shutter and film advance.
The MK 70 is scarce on the market today. Auction listings describe it simply as "rare," and the Leitz Auction house has cataloged multiple outfits over the years, each with different lens and magazine combinations. A New Old Stock viewfinder was listed at $399.99. Collectors value it as the commercial sibling of the camera that photographed the Moon landings.
- Metric (photogrammetric) camera, motorized, 6×6 cm on 70mm film
- Civilian version of the 500 EL Data / Apollo Lunar Surface Camera
- Typical lens: Zeiss Biogon 5.6/60mm; also seen with Planar 3.5/100mm
- Reseau plate for photogrammetric reference marks
- Special MK 65021 optical viewfinder available
Similar items on eBay
No exact Hasselblad MK 70 listings are live right now — these searches show current Hasselblad and similar vintage camera gear on eBay:
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.