This is a very bad day for David Beckham (see him here with the HV). Hasselblad just “unofficially” confirmed they will stop selling “redesigned” Sony-Hasselblad cameras for 10x the regular Sony price. The newly announced the new “Lusso” A7r clone camera is the last of such “luxurified” Sony cameras. They also dramatically dropped the price of current “Sony clones” like the Hasselblad HV (-$8,000 at BH!).
New Hasselblad CEO, Perry Oosting released an important interview at Dpreview. And here are some key info:
1) Hasselblad Lusso: The Lusso is a strictly limited edition of fewer than 100 units that will be sold mostly through Hasselblad distribution channels in Hong Kong. It will not be sold elsewhere, and there will be no more units made.
2) Sony Luxury clones: Hasselblad will from now on “go back to our core and make the most of the expertise that exists in this company“. In short this means no more Luxury Sony camera clones will be made.
3) Partnership with Sony: Oosting says: “We still have a very good relationship with Sony, and in fact we have recently restarted that good relationship. In the long term we will work together, but there are no co-branded products on the horizon. All our design work will be done in Gothenburg, along with our concepts and production.”
Summary: It’s very clear from the interview that Hasselblad wants to focus on medium format cameras. And I bet they will work together with Sony to develop new sensors. As the Ceo said they “recently restarted” the partnership. It means something completely new is on the horizon.
My very personal dream-wish to Hasselblad: Make an interchangeable mirrorless medium format system with Sony sensors. A sort of digital [shoplink 37985 ebay]Hasselblad X-Pan (here on eBay)[/shoplink]. That would be amazing or not?
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51 Responses
In the interests of pedantry it should be noted that the fabulous X-pan was not a Medium Format camera but a Panoramic (24x65mm) 35mm camera.
However, the lenses did project an image circle as large as medium format lenses. Maybe that’s the medium format connection.
LOL, yes of course. I was being silly.
I would love to see a digital version of such a camera..
What I know is recent CMOS base medium format digital back all uses Sony sensor like the PhaseOne, Hassy, etc. Would really love to see a $10k medium format camera.
But if sony decide to make full frame the new APS-C, they should make the A9 a medium format as the NEW full frame standard.
I could make a scrap book or concept sheet out of all my medium format Sony cam suggestions, ‘tear’ goodtimes. Don’t use APSC at that point, for anything that doesn’t require special functioning, such as global shutter, lightning fast FPS, high dynamic range video etc. Medium format video will be stunning :I Everything I said happened….APSC is lower tier and even 35mm sensor is now low/mid level. New cam is fast and sensor output such that even the AF works with EF lenses etc, without that SLT mirror. Its the naysayers who are perpetually wrong. The A7’s aren’t limited to competing with other systems, it is potentially the best as it is. Convergence of still and video is natural too: hence the new sensor spec.
Good riddance to a line of products that were ruining that company’s name.
Since the XPan was made by Fuji, I thought it was up to them to follow in these footsteps when the X series was started. Instead all we got are middle of the road autofocus cameras.
Still it would be great if Hasselblad could make a digital XPan rangefinder, the handling and image quality of that system is outstanding.
I think an MF camera would be best paired with a battery of at least 50Wh, so with the size of the battery it could only fit in a grip, we’d be very lucky if they could make an MF camera somewhere around the size of a7RII.
Wow, a sudden dose of sanity. What made them come up with such a stupid strategy I have no idea, but can only assume it involved the consumption of vast amounts of narcotics.
combined with the strategy of taking easy money from ignorant buyers…..
Anyone spending lots of $$ for a special designed rim/wheel on his/her car, or anything that pays for decoration of his/her home or anything… is that also stupid?
Digital Xpan, make it, ill buy it.
I’ve wanted Sony medium format interchangeable since last year 🙂 I’ve been the biggest advocate lol But one like the RX1 or A7’s. The thought of actually being able to choose and shoot medium format digital cameras rather than 35mm is incredible, so long as its not too expensive or limited in some major way. I want big sensor and really shallow 35mm camera and lens beating depth of field from the lenses XD
Best news in a long time!
Why? In what way were the Hasselblad clones bad news for us “normal” users?
At least they got their shit together somewhat.
How embarrassing that they now in principle confirm their ripoff policy. Not good for their general reputation.
I would love to see a Sony-Zeiss Super Ikonta C folding camera….
Sony prepare their own medium format camera.
Why would she must share profits with the stupid people from Hassel ?
No chance – that CEO came from Prada!
Then make a MF mirrorless camera with OPTICAL viewfinder!
“My very personal dream-wish to Hasselblad: Make an interchangeable mirrorless medium format system with Sony sensors. A sort of digital Hasselblad X-Pan (here on eBay). That would be amazing or not?”
Not amazing, Sony should develop their own MF mirrorless system using Zeiss lenes, anything from Hasselblad would be greatly overpriced and out of the reach of all but the wealthiest 1% of the population
I do find the ‘aura’ that supposedly surrounds Hasselblad a little odd.
The reputation of their ‘workhorse’ cameras and lenses was well deserved, as they were well made, extremely reliable, and very flexible but, even so, the company has never been particularly financially successful.
However, this idea that they will ‘return to their core of expertise’, with the suggestion that they are somehow more knowledgeable than other makers is almost quaint. The bottom line is that they simply don’t have the wherewithal now to compete, or to come up with outstanding and significant products.
The arguments regarding the benefits of MF are reducing by the day and there are cheaper alternatives even if you need to travel that route; Pentax being the obvious example
People will use what suits a purpose best and provides the greatest return. I can’t see any circumstances now where Hasselblad could do this better than others.
Yeah, the benefits of medium format have diminished a lot since those seemingly incredible cameras and shooters of old that produced images unlike anything shot today :I A modern digital sensor camera can be made so effective too…
Just to be clear: Pentax’s competition isn’t Hasselblad. It is Leica. Only those two companies make non-modular MF dSLR cameras. Hasselblad, Mamiya/Leaf and Phase One make modular system cameras for which no competition exists.
If you want a dSLR, you have it. But if you need to remove the back and attach it to bellows behind any LF or MF lens ever made, you have the option. You cannot do that with a dSLR. Too much distance between the focal plane and the lens.
Obviously, technology marches on. And 35mm digital sensors perform very well today. But MF has the same advantages today that it had before. There are no differences except that maximum size of film is smaller today as digital sensor max out much sooner.
But until 35mm sensors can be detached from the bodies which they occupy, there is no point in comparing a Hasselblad modular camera with anything but other modular cameras. And, in that case, there are problems with Hasseblad’s designs. But there are distinct advantages, too.
From a purely technical point, you are correct but, as I implied in my post, the numbers who need the specific flexibility of the modular Hasselblad are diminishing rapidly.
If a photographers needs the principal benefits of an MF (namely resolution and shallow DoF) then the Pentax serves very well at a much lower price.
Yes, there may well be those who will find a use for a modular system, but they aren’t of sufficient numbers to hang an economically viable company off, expertise or not!
Postmodernism has its sarcastic eye on nearly everything unfortunately :I Function please!
We could try and establish what the most stripped down cost and still most highly effective medium format camera might be, to keep such in check!
When Hasselblad first announced a partnership with Sony everyone was really excited…we all expected new innovative products combining the best qualities of both manufacturers.
Instead we got dress up clown versions of outdated Sony cameras with no real value added by Hasselblad.
Yes Hasselblad may have made some money, but they turned themselves into a laughingstock.
People didnt buy the cameras for thier value ,they bought them for thle novelty of laughing at and making fun of Hasselblad.
Like any good joke though when you have heard it enough it stops being funny.
Hasselblad has seriously damaged thier reputation and credibility, and I have serious doubts the short term profit will even begin to cover the long term damage.
I believe Hasselblads days are numbered. Higher qualitey ff cameras will soon repulace medium format especially when super high resolution cameras and lenses begin to appear…soon bsi ff sensors will fhlar exceed the resolution of current mf…the expense of updating mf cameras will be hige, and it is an image quality arms race that mf will loose.
I’m pretty sure the majority of the buyers (who bought at full price) did not. They bought them because they liked the look and saw a familiar and respected brand name. This audience could not care less that there was a Sony underneath the shell, nor that they were last generation tech.
So far, there has been a market for MF bodies, benefiting from the same film emulsions and later on sensor tech as the FF cameras. I can’t see why this would change. A larger sensor is always a larger sensor.
Just :I You can’t keep on correcting glass more and more, making lenses bigger and bigger for no aberration at edges and to match ever higher resolutions constrained at 35mm sensor. The rendering from medium format lenses is so much better, if only because of the potentiated shallow depth of field without over stretched, over corrected, oversized aberrated glass, and with better image quality from wide open: f/2 is fast with medium format compared to 35mm sensor camera. In no way contradicting requirements for ideal image, medium format need not be super sharp for the beautiful depth of field effects of space and admirable lens qualities and signatures, and is sharp enough relative to 35mm camera lenses already surely to move on further still.
In my opinion, it is finally time for medium format sensors to come to the “near-mainstream” market. By MF I mean 6×4 sensors. By “near-mainstream” I mean ~$10k. Its resolution should be 4x36Mpx and base iso 4×3200 (it works like that, doesn’t it?). It should be able to do 2fps.
That would be MF match to full frame cameras of today.
Where were you all 6 months ago? till TODAY…exactly.
6×4 sensors won’t come without supporting hardware for under 10K for a decade, if not more. And only if/when Japanese makers can learn to manufacture mass-market backs or bodies plus master the tech to keep yields high.
And even then, they won’t be modular backs. They will be tied, like the Leica S or Pentax 645, to an SLR body.
I think just about most people I know would jump at a full frame 645 rangefinder.
Victoria Beckham is a huge fan of Leica. Her first exhibition is called “50 Shades of Black”
Eric Clapton is also planning a similar exhibition.
hilarious post!! best of the day!
Don’t forget AC/DC
At least she popped the flash… 🙂
SAR_admin’s new strategy: no more Sony rumors, focus on reposting old news from DPR.
If you don’t like SAR’s way of working: just go to other sites :)…
10x the price? not even close.
How should this work!?
IMO, the strategy was terrible from the start. Why are they behind? IE, why are they making an A7R clone when the A7R2 is coming out. They did it backwards.
They should have released the Hasselblad first… maybe 2-3 months ahead of the Sony version. Imagine, if Hasselblad had an A7RII clone right now for $12000, I bet it would find a lot more takers. A lot of people would droll over it and wait for the Sony release. The $12000 hype may even help bump sales of the A7Rii.
If they did it this way, $3200 for the Sony version would seem like a steal. And the people who have a ton of cash and just have to have it now, would just fork out the $12K.
If Sony can put a FF sensor in such a camera as the A7, maybe they can fit a medium-format sensor in a camera the size of a DSLR. But the lenses will be quite large anyway.
It would be very nice if they could convince Sony to make bigger sensors. The current Sony CMOS medium format is at best a jumbo FF sensor not a true medium format. Lots of old lenses around for 6 x 6 and 6 x 7 formats. Do not even really need a super high resolution, Even at the A7s resolution you would get 6589 x 6589 or 43.4 MP on a 6 x 6 format sensor. Use A7 resolution and you go to 9372 x 9372 and 87.8 MP, in 3:2 format 58.5 MP.
6 x 6 format is 56mm square current Sony sensor is 32.8 x 43.8mm
A7s sensor scaled to 6×6. Dear god!!! What kind of ISO would that thing be capable of? The 2 stop gain is possible just due to sensor size…
Although i’m sure such a sensor would be notoriously difficult to produce due to yield issues.
If you cut the 6 x 6 down to a 3:2 Ratio the area would be 2.4X larger or a little over a stop more gathering area. This would be offset by medium format lenses not being very fast, f/2.8 is quite speedy for normal lenses. The advantage would be that you would have a lot more of those A7s sized pixels in the image. So you get the low light of the A7 but the detail of the A7rii.
I would love a digital XPan and a digital Mamiya 6 with a 6×6 sensor. Doubt it will ever happen or if I would be able to afford but alas I can dream.
I have the whole line of all the “H” series lenses (by Fuji) of Hasselblad including the expensive T/S adapter (MF only), but stop using the H series camera and switch to use Pentax 645Z as it is far more sophisticated in operations and easier to use outdoor as well as manual focusing. However, there is an advantage of the H lens as they all have 1/800 sec flash syn, so will love to see Hasselblad to come up with a Sony sensor camera with all the Sony / Pentax kind of operational features that I can make use of all the Fuji glasses, especially for easy manual focusing operations, articulated LCD, etc. I don’t mind if this new Hasselblad is mirrorless!
I’ve definitely always wanted a digital version of the Fujifilm TX1/2.