Ex-Ceo Hannsen with Buzz Aldrin at the Lunar launch event (Source: Hasselblad).
I really don’t know if the rumors are true but Photorumors claims to have “heard” that “Ventizz will pull the plug on Hasselblad very soon“. Ventizz Capital owns Hasselblad since 2011. A couple of months ago I reported that Hasselblad CEO Dr. Larry Hansen had been removed (article here). So probably something strange is going on…
If rumors are true than I guess the strategy to sell “Sony luxurified Hasselblads” didn’t work out. Althaugh big stares like Medvedev, Beckham, Blondie and David Lynch have been spotted owning the [shoplink 22672 ebay]Hasselblad Lunar[/shoplink].
It would be a terrible news for a such a great medium format camera maker. I guess recent Full Frame cameras with Sony sensor like the Nikon D800 and Sony A7r are eating up large part of the already small medium format market. Don’t know what Hasselblad should do to get out from their (rumored) troubles. Maybe they should have focused on launching a sub $10,000 mirrorless medium format system using Sony’s partnerhsip to drop costs. But that may be just a weird idea of mine…
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Note: You can currently buy the three “Sony luxurified Hasselblads” on eBay: [shoplink 22672 ebay]Hasselblad Lunar (on eBay here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 22673 ebay]Hasselblad Stellar (on eBay here)[/shoplink] and the first [shoplink 26481 ebay]Hasselblad HV superkit (on eBay here)[/shoplink].
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Here’s a tip to Hassy, start opening up your god-forbidden closed system!
Yep when the H system went all proprietary….That was the fat lady warming her vocal cords…
so what happens if they do? It’d do a major impact for mass oriented system like Sonys, but $8000 MF cams?
Pentax beat them to the punch on affordable medium format. Hasselblad is sucking as a business. Put yourself in their shows and ask the question – “Where will we WIN?” No answer is apparent with their current strategy. Time to develop a real plan. I want to see them survive.
“big stares like Medvedev, Beckham, Blondie and David Lynch have been spotted owning the Hasselblad Lunar.”
But did any of those actually pay for the cameras? They have been promoted heavily but I’ve never seen one in the wild outside of shops that are trying to sell them. I’d also venture that the Lunar concept is dead in the water now that Leica have shown how it’s done properly and for much less money…
These four you name are not even famous for their photography 🙂
Perfect as the Lunar has nothing to do with photography either!
That’s exactly the point! 🙂
well at least Medveded appears here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_photographs
No big loss for Sony or photography.
It is actually a benefit for Sony, no more weird paint jobs and wooden grips.
lol
Lunar, Stellar & Solar are last desperate attempts by Hasselblad.
What else is going to happen, when you are a camera manufacturer that doesn’t manufacture your own cameras……
and expect someone spend so big money to buy a re-batch camera (exactly same spec from others) with little good material built-in. In contrast, spend big money in Leica system/optic at least make more sense rather than this crappy HS.
But soon, as Sigma and other 3rd parties manufacturer able to produce better and better optic/camera with ton of improvement. Leica will be the next to get IMPACT.
It’s a big argument for Leica remembering that they’re a photography brand first and a luxury brand second. HCB et al didn’t buy Leica for the bling factor…
“Pull the plug” means selling. Who is the most likely buyer for a premium camera brand?
Just sayin’ …
Good point…clearly Sony, Canon, or Nikon would be contenders to buy the name.
it will be the Chinese company Haiou
Time to quit the Internet.
Carl Zeiss would be interessting.. or perhaps PhaseOne to lessen the competition.
or Sony, Canon, Nikon… who knows maybe someone not in the camera business.
The dressed up Sony cameras are Hasselblad suicide.
They have totally turned a once proud professional level csmera company into a complete laughing stock.
The best Hassy could ever have hoped for was a few novelty camera sales based solely on the reputation Hasselblad used to have.
The day sony anounced the lunar I commented” this will be the end of Hasselblad, the will sell a few novelty cameras but destroy thier reputation”
Obviosly I am not surprised Hasselblad is failing.
This does however improve the prospects for Sony to make a mf format mirrorless ilc system.
Sony should launch thier first camera as a kit and include a high quality 1.4x telephoto/wide field adaptor for Canon, Nikon, and Sony mounts as well as adaptors for all the current mf systems.
This news comes as no surprise Their Sony cameras dressed as their own logo have been a joke at a price that has also been a joke. They could have modified the looks in a nice way similar to what Leica has done to Panasonic bodies and made some small software changes to make look a bit different. They choice to keep price crazy heigh and looks just hideous
They also should have streamlined their own medium format cameras and focus on lowering the price a bit at least introduced less expensive bodies as well
Maybe Sony will buy them as they are already making a medium format sensor
As a minimum, they needed a big software overhaul (uncompressed raw etc) and a redesigned body to justify it as a field body for pros (with an appropriate support package). Ideally they should have followed it up with accessories (eg ergonomic adaptors). As is, it’s a toy for people who value brand over product and they deserved to take a hit on it.
Leica’s attitude isn’t any different. But I don’t think any company deserves a hit no matter how silly their products are… there’s nothing for anyone to gain out of that. Innocent people who have never had a say in the marketing blunders will also have to go looking for jobs.
If no one is buying they take a hit. It isn’t the derision on the web that did it but one of the Hassy guy himself saying that they are not trying to rob people. People (potential buyers) outside of Hassy gained by not buying the Lunar, Stellar, etc.
Goodbye…time for Sony to move in.
An interview with the lead Hasselblad / Sony designers encourages us to just “Touch the Monkey”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay6N33y_UG4
Maybe is Hasselblad didn’t use Sony and there slave child labor cameras they would be doing better. Anyone that supports sony should know what there buying. Sony is horrible great products just horrible business model.
Dont feed the troll.
I live in Göteborg, Sweden, the Hasselblad home: For years Hasselblad saw digital cameras as something for point and shot amateurs but not for real photographers. Every year the sales went down 50% – three years in a row. At the same time it invested in the city’s flashiest building.
Very late they made a digital camera but already lost most of their customers.
I recent years we have seen switch of ownerships and silly strategic decisions, organizationally and product-wise.
What could save the brand? ( Brand being the only company asset.) A more competent ownership – financial and photographic? However the new Pentax 645D will make an investment in Phase One, Leica S or Hasselblad simply look silly.
Hasselblad R.I.P.
They should have been warned by the doom of the german photographic industry in the 70s…
Probably they’ve studied this industry history and came to the conclusion to do it like Leitz (Leica) and not like Zeiss (Zeiss-Ikon, Voigtländer) or Rollei or Agfa. But that niche market is already fully occupied bei Leitz/Leica….
And the difference in brand name/feeling between Leitz and Hasselblad is also big: while a Leica always was something for rich amateurs besides its professional usage a Hasselblad was never something for those luxury people (too big, too uncomfortable to use even in “old times”).
And with new competitors like Phase One (and in some areas of usage the D800E and the A7r) they have even heavy competition in their very own market segment….
They have been promoted heavily but I’ve never seen one in the wild outside of shops that are trying to sell them. I’d also venture that the Lunar concept is dead in the water now that Leica have shown how it’s done properly and for much less money… http://qr.net/yNRI
Sony should buy Hasselblad and makes its mount Mirrorless. Using the already designed H4 or H5 bodies convert them to mirrorless and makes the same movement than Pentax and bring the price down to 10K.
New AF lenses and rebuilt a system totally digital.
Actually that wouldn’t be a bad idea. Seems like Sony is toying with the idea of going MF for a while now, buying the Hassleblad name, mount, tech etc. would be a great way in. They bought Minolta to get into the camera game so it’s something they’re familiar with.
Could make a lot of sense – a-mount won’t cover mf so they’d need a new mount anyway. Would also buy a lot of pro credibility…
“A-mount won’t cover MF…”
That’s not entirely accurate…
Admin, Any news on the RF style Sony medium format camera/lenses? Also, would appreciate hearing about the RX2 with the curved sensor. 🙂
+1 on RX2 rumors
You don’t have the money for it anyway.
Really?!
Just because Hasselblad makes far better E- and A-mount cameras than Sony does, the Sony fanboys will stop at nothing to throw dirt at the prestigious company.
The trinity of Lunar, Stellar and HV represents pure Hasselblad premium quality. The prices tell you as much.
Really? They are nothing but rebadged Sony cameras. They changed nothing inside
Don’t feed the troll
It’s exactly that kind of dismissive attitude that may scare away customers, who would otherwise have chosen to part with their money and support the glorious Hasselblad company.
You must not know what glorious means. Who are you, the CEO of this joke company?
Hasselblad USED TO be a glorious company. Now your company is the butt of all jokes. As it should be. Hasselblad killed itself through a lack of understanding of it’s customers. And the Hasselblad leadership is to blame.
Prestigious?
What a joke. Your company is a failed enterprise. It will go down in history as such.
And it will go out of business.
Once bankers/hedge funders took over Hasselblad and tried to exploit the great old brand name by faking people with shiny buttons on overprized Sony cameras, Hasselblad was on the death road. The company should have been run by people who know photography and take their business and other photographers seriously. Another example what happens if such a great traditional company end up in the wrong hands.
Hasselblad just went Hassle-bad.
I am pretty sure none of these people (Beckham, Blondie, David Lynch, Medvedev) actually bought the Hasselblad cameras.
I was really curious why on earth would any of them walk into a shop and makle such a ridiculous purchase (they are not stupid, just celebrities, and Medvedev is a PM and was a president for one term). And then the truth just hit me – they would have gotten them from:
A) one of these gift-bags celebrities get at events just for popping up there
B) given to them as presents by rich buddies, parading expensive gifts
C) paid by Hasselblad to use them in public for marketting purposes
This is fantastic opportunity for Sony or Samsung to snatch a nice brand name and may be some IP and market share to go with it. Not a bad future overall, perhaps even for engineering staff if the future owner keeps the R&D going. It is quite unfortunate that those innovative companies of yesteryear cannot innovate much in the new era and get melted. Hopefully more new innovative brands like Lytro make it to market it is unpleasant to only get things from slow and greedy 1000 pound gorillas like Samsung and Sony.
Other then this Hasselblad user community indeed is melting like snow in spring. The D800E is much cheaper, versatile and lighter tool that probably gets just as good of results in many cases. A friend with Hasselblad moved recently to rent vs own a medium format and switched for most things to d800e.
In 2015 every major 35mm camera maker will be releasing high resolution stacked organic sensor cameras that will exceed rge quality of the best mf cameras currently made.
MF will need to undergo a similar revolution or perish.
Msny..including Hassy may not be able to survive.
Sony can possibly enter the market while the others are failing and dominate it.
You seem to be the only one saying this about organic sensors.
Where are you getting this information? Link?
Canon..see todays canon rumors ..working on high resolution stacked organic
Also Canon anounced in 2010 120mp H size cmos sensor.You can google 120mp canon sensor.
SAR rumors have been about 54mp stacked sensor..mirorless A mount in 2015.
Sony told me personally…BUT SONY HAS LIED TO ME ..that tihis will be anounced and released first half of 2015 and that major competitors including Nikon will use it.
Aptina also has an organic stacked sensor patent..and I believe others are working on similar sensors.All seem on track to release them at about the same time..which Sony told me is deliberate.
Sony also told me that Canon has agreed to release thier high res sensor..not sure if 120mp cmos or newer stacked sensor.
Note that new a7Ii camera has a diffraction reduction feature that sony patented a few years ago.
I am now sceptical of believing what Sony tells me because they deliberately have lied to me about the specs on the a7II knowing I would post it.
But clearly there is more than enough evidence to support my conclusion.
That’s what I thought. We are working on the technology, but it’s not going to make it into mainstream cameras by 2015. Try like 2018 or beyond. So, rest assured, the rest of what you’re reading in rumors (Canon Rumors, for example) is just that – rumors. We have been developing this technology for nearly a decade now, and have major technical challenges to overcome before long term stability is ready for market.
By “stacked organic sensor” we mean a vertically stacked image sensor, comprised of three or more highly sensitive organic photoconductive “film” (OPF). Each film is sensitive to only a single primary color. Normally, in a blue (B)-, green (G)-, and red (R) array, but we are also testing cyan (Ci)-, yellow (Yi)-, magenta (Mi)- arrays. Each of the three or more films contains what is called a Thin-Film Transistor (TFT). The TFT uses a Zinc-Oxide channel that interprets the signal generated in the organic film, which sends this information to image processing units, and from there a picture is made. The beauty of this technology is that the color separation process does not require a color filter array, or any advanced optical refraction. Extremely high sensitivity can be obtained relatively cheaply and easily, and will render current CCD and CMOS technology obsolete.
One major issue yet to overcome is the long-term stability of the zinc-oxide (ZnO) channel components, which degrade naturally over time, and currently does not meet design goals for product endurance over normal life cycles. Another issue is higher operating temperatures, common on current DSLR and high end sensors during burst shooting and video applications, will damage the TFT over time. This means the performance of the camera will get worse over time, and the rate at which this happens is not acceptable and must be overcome in order to bring this product to market.
We WILL overcome these design challenges. But it will almost certainly be well after 2015 for mass market introduction.
Disclaimer; I do not work for Sony or Canon or Nikon. 😉
Question.
You claim that there is an inherrent instability in the tft zinc oxide components.
I remember reading about that in organic leds as they pertained to the organic colors..particularly the blue.
Has that been resolved and is the instability you reffer to related or differrent.
Also Sony patent describes some sort of silicon organic hybrid technology..will the silicon components be able to replace the less stable organic components.
You are on the right track with the organic LED’s, Barry. 🙂
As to using silicon, all I can really say is that we are not pursuing this avenue. We are however using another very common element that gives us over 90 dB of signal-to-noise (s/n) ratio with light sensing layers thinner than 0.33 microns. This allows light to be “collected” from the microlenses from incident ray angles wider than 70 degrees. All this means lower noise, higher dynamic range, and better color reproduction at levels that are not even comparable to current sensor technology.
I am assuming that since ymc will block no more than 4% of the light reaching the c….red channel…that iso may actually be better than bayer array sensors..but I am not certain if I am correct in that assumption…but if that is true resolutions of 4x that of bayer array should yield comparable iso.
I am a lot less familiar with the properties of the rgb pigments than ymc.
I think I may be able to guess the molecular film you are talking about..but I also suspect you would rather I did not guess in case I guessed right.
yeah cuz you are as smart as these engineers. lol.
you are a really good comedian.
Nice to have some Aptina guys here too Franko.
That’s what I was thinking too. Although he could be Fujifilm too.
Or a troll? Naw…. what are the odds on SAR? ;^)
Franko
This is very usefull information and clearly you are knowledgeable about this technology.
Thank you for sharing this with us.
Can you share any more with us as to timeframes and how you know this..I am not certain how much you want to share and how much you want to keep confidential but I am definitely interested in as much as you can tell us..thanx.
You’re very welcome, Barry. What I explained about our technology, while perhaps not common knowledge, is certainly public knowledge. Unfortunately, I cannot disclose anything as far as actual development timeframes, QA process, or other specific product details as this is confidential and proprietary.
What I can tell you is that once this technology makes it into mainstream cameras, it will be just as revolutionary as the transition from film to digital was! Many current standards ancillary to our long running systems-theory (think; large sensor sizes) will become unnecessary and obsolete. It is going to completely redefine modern photography, perhaps in ways we cannot currently imagine!
You mention ymc..perhaps a big advantage to that is the fact that y is almost a 100% pure color and m is about 96% pure.
Therefore by arranging ymc in that order maximum light can be transmitedted and only a 4% color correction is requiredl
It is more complicated than that, but again you are on the right track. Sort of.
It is a pleasure talking with you as you know a lot more about stacked sensors than me and I am learning a lot from what you are saying.
As one of sar biggest high resolution fanatics I am extremely excited about this technology an anxious to see it in my cameras.
So please do whatever you can to make this happen sooner rather than later.
It was a pleasure speaking with you as well. I appreciate your enthusiasm for this technology! It may be a painful transition for some, as nearly all current systems are replaced, but long term it will bring nothing but benefits. Please know that we are doing everything we can to bring this product to maturity and fruition as soon as possible, and before the ‘other guy’! If there is a breakthrough, perhaps we can still meet the second half of 2015 (not likely, buy anything is possible, right?).
this guy is a hack. no way this is for real!!!!!
Barry is getting taken for a RIDE!
Never change.
Wow, this guy never quits. “Sony Has Lied To Me”. Barry, stop smoking that pipe and at least one in a while read my replies. I gave you a perfect example of the type of executive that you talked to. And you still don’t ease off. Customer Service reps BS their way out. Thats common knowledge. And they played you like a sucker. Yet, you still got your head to far up there to even admit it.
And no, noone is telling you to shut up. You’re just like a broken record at this point. And its hilarious.
You are too small of a fish in the photography sea, for a high level exec to call you. Nobody knows you. Stop believing fairy tales that Cust Srv fed you…. The only reason they called you back is so that you don’t call again and complain to the manager of nobody calling you back…
Franco
Do you know anything about the 1″ Aptina sensor or the Nikon p700 camera that it is rumored to be going into?
Orgasmic sensors!
Sure Nikon D800E and Sony A7r are pulling the carpet under Hasselblad.
Even profissionals who are using medium format for their work are interested in the A7r for the size and portability, better low light performance, features and the HUGE difference in price.
and that “Luxurious Sony-Hasselblad” cameras is a ridiculous move from my opinion, who would buy a A99 for $11,000 ! while I can get the same camera for $2,300.
who would pay 4X the price for the “H” logo ?
If people interested in the “H” do exist, they would be a super duper unseen minority in the world.
Thank you I prefer the alpha logo.
People with loads of money that care about being seen with expensive toys buy Leica cameras – because 1) the little red logo shows up better than the “H” and 2) a Leica is at least small enough to be carried around and seen with…. who wants to lug around a MF kit just to be seen. MF is only going to appeal to pros that use it to make money and most of them already left Hasselblad for Phase 1 or other camera back manufacturers when while Hasselblad was twiddling their thumbs.
Digital changed everything. Americans, Germans and all others lack the technical ability to survive in the digital market. Only Japanese and South Koreans (to lesser extent) know how to do digital right.
Dont feed the troll!
You haven’t been paying attention to the financials. The only companies “making” money in the camera business are Nikon and Canon …. due to size and market share. Everyone else loses money … Sony, Panasonic, Olympus and lets bow our heads for poor forgotten Pentax. Even Canikon are watching sales steadily decline even thought they retain “market share” and they are certainly nothing you would call “innovators”.
You didnt pay attention to the fact that this guy was only here to incite a response from chumps like you who take the bait, hook, line and sinker.
Hasselblad hasn’t innovated enough to stay in business. Rebranding sony gear to sell as their own shows how out if touch they are. They should’ve produced a 50+ MP mirrorless MF system by now.
MF days are numbered.
Dinosaur companies who don’t evolve (like Hassy etc, even Kodak!) die.
The lunar project was a complete joke. I bet that the stars who were seen handling them like beckam were given then camera for free for marketing.
Yeah MF is dead, long live the Nokia Lumia!
Those blinged out, rebranded Sony cameras make Leica’s de-blinged, rebranded Panasonics look almost like a bargain. But I’d be sad to see Hasselblad go. If they’d have made a $4999 mirrorless medium format camera, they’d own the existing market and would cut deep into the high end FF DSLR pie too.
Pentax is just releasing their medium format camera for under $10K. Not sure what the tests results will be compared the the Hasselblad, but with the cost so much cheaper, even if they are close, ti will be a hard sell for the Hasselblad.
The next question will be, who will buy all of their tech and any patents?
Proof that not even rich people care about overpriced products anymore, specially when just as good or even better products can be found much cheaper. Watch out Leica, you might be next!
FF is the new MF.
DxO tests of the new Sony MF image sensor will determine if there is any market left for MF.
Very specialized high resolution photography, perhaps.
Very specialized low light Photography, perhaps.
In any case, a very minute market.
And for Hasselblad, who does not make its own sensor, its own lenses, or any other high tech part of the camera, the future does not look good.
MF does often have a certain look and quality that smaller formats cant get, simply because there smaller.
owning sigma dp’s does make me think of one avenue, medium format foveon sensor. would blow everything else away 🙂
Hassleblad going under?
Good… “They deserve it” (Rogues Leader, Luther’s voice)