Concert photography with a Hasselblad?

You haven't provided enough information. What kind of concert? How far away will you be? Can you use flash? Speaking as someone who shoots a couple shows a week, I can't see how this can be answered without more info.

Well, "wide" relates to focal length and not aperture. 80mm f/2.8 might be good in daylight but you'll have to be fairly close to the stage. I'm not sure if anything is made with a really large aperture for the Hasselblad. Perhaps Edward Ingold or Q.G. DeBakker can chime in since they have a lot of expertise with the 'Blad.

It's not about the camera, it's about the focal length relative to where the shooter is and the lens speed relative to the lighting. There's nothing different about shooting a concert with a 5D with a 50 and a Hassleblad with the 80 except the speed of the lens. There needs to be a lot more information, I realize that the amount of light also needs to be understood.

Also, the lighting becomes an issue with stage lighting if the lights are gel'd, especially with changing colors of gels. This is one reason why flash is often very useful.

f2.8 will be fine if you get close enough.
For indoor concert, or night time outdoors, I would use flash, as well as slow shutter speed around 1/15 second to also register ambient light /stage lighting. This can record some blurred but atmospheric movement to liven the images.
I used to take stills for a theater company in the 1970s. Then I used a TLR 6x6 with tungsten film without flash. It was a requirement maintain the drama of the theatrical lighting. But I was also allowed to be on the stage during rehearsals.
Most recent concert shots were with a Leica M3 and 90mm f2 lens, wide open and without flash. 10 meters from the stage. Hand held 1/25th sec. 400 ASA film
Is it a job? .. or just something you want to do. Don't forget to enjoy the concert!
Without some practice in different situations, it is not fair on yourself to expect the best shots out of this. But then, you may be lucky. And I hope you are ;-)

Cheers, Kevin.

This is not really a brand specific question.

I agree with Jeff that we do need more information.

But assuming a stage show, lit by stage lights, with you sitting somewhere in the audience, f/2.8 may be wide, i.e. fast, enough. But 80 mm may well be too short.
I disagree that using flash could be a solution. It will disturb the performers, will not be powerfull enough to be of any use (and if it would be, it would kill the mood set by the stage lights), and doesn't produce very attractive lighting.

Stage lights are quite powerfull, but rarely used as a 'constant' light.
If you can, go to the venue before the concert, ask to be given a chance to measure the light on stage as it will be during the concert.
Next best will be to use a spotmeter during the concert.

Now to brand specific the "what finder" bit. It depends on your budget, what you like, etc.
The PME45 45 degree metered prism is a very nice thing. Unreversed viewfinder image, good magnification, and a perfect meter offering three modes (center weighted, spot and incident).
But expensive.

Kevin,

If f/2.8 is fine "close enough", it will be fine from the back of the theatre too.
Why, it will be still if you were shooting from the moon!

f2.8 will be fine if you get close enough.

Your distance from the subject has no effect on whether f2.8 will be sufficient. If, for example, the "proper" exposure of the performer is f2.8 at 1/50 second, it will be the proper exposure whether you are 2 meters from your subject or 20 meters from your subject.

As others have noted, there's no way to know whether f2.8 (and 800-speed film) will be fast enough to photograph the concert you're going to attend. I regularly photograph local shows (a couple of times a month), and the exposures I need vary widely depending on the venue and where a performer stands relative to the stage lights. Friday night, I was often shooting at f2 and approximately 1/50 second at ISO 1600, but the "correct" exposures ranged from about 1/10 to 1/200 seconds depending on the particular shot. I've photographed other shows where I was typically using ISO 3200 and f1.7 at 1/20 second.

My most-used lens for photographing shows is a 50mm on a full-frame "35mm" DSLR, but I'm usually right in front of the stage.

One issue I'd be concerned with about using a Hasselblad is focusing in dim light. Depending on the focusing screen, it could be very difficult to focus accurately on a moving subject in typical club lighting conditions.

It has been done! The British music industry photographer David Redfern comes to mind as an example of a Hasselblad user, as does the shot of Muhammed Ali (Cassius Clay at the time) knocking out Sonny Liston (can't remember the photog's name, I believe he used Ektachrome 64 and big strobes suspended above the ring). In both these cases, lighting levels were generally high - agree with others that focusing in poor light may be tricky, even if you can achieve correct exposure.

I have used my Hasselblad with the 80mm f/2.8 lens to take pictures of street performers holding a "concert" during the day. Worked just fine and I could get close.

If I were to do it inside I would use my 110 f/2 lens and a 400 or 800 speed film. But you most likely don't have a focal plane shutter Hasselblad so 2.8 is it for you.

To do a concert well you need to get close and on stage if possible. Then worry about the camera.