You will have to pay more than $1,600 to get the Hasselblad RX100 clone named “Stellar”. But at least you get a nice case and strap for the money you spend. The camera will be announced on Friday. I am curious to see how much they will price the luxurious version of the RX1 or NEX-FF. I think it will be close to $10,000 🙂
found via Photorumors.
51 Responses
I kinda like the grip… wouldn’t call it a clone.
I also wonder about the features, the menu system and the RAW+JPEG IQ.
Not a clone? It’s just a silver RX100 with a piece of wood screwed on the side. How is it not a clone?
Also, you asked about menus and IQ… It’s a Sony RX100. The menus and IQ will be exactly like an RX100. Just like the Hasselblad Lunar was just a NEX 7 inside a horrible mess of a case.
That’s not necessarily correct. The rebranded “Leica” Panasonic compacts, have different firmware with Leica’s own menus and JPEG processing. Do you know for a fact that Lunar and Stellar use Sony’s firmware?
I guess it’s not a clone because it’s not a copy of an RX100. It IS a Sony RX100. An RX100 with a wooden handle isn’t a clone it’s just and RX100 with a wooden handle.
LOL
I’d call it a overpriced mod fail.
You are mocking it, but why? There are many things we buy based on brands, and pay handsomly for, watches, handbags and designer clothing are maybe the most obvious examples. If it finds its buyers, then good for all.
Brand culture deserves, nay, NEEDS to be mocked. Branding can be a good thing or a bad thing. When branding only represents an idea, without real substance to back it up, then it contributes nothing to a culture, and only serves to foster hollow people. Take these awful, ridiculous Hasselblad rebranded Sony cameras, for example. In both cases, the Stellar and the Lunar, they are clearly Sony factory built NEX 7’s and RX100’s. Then they snap an ugly casing or grip to the camera, stamp a Hasselblad logo on the front, and ask insane prices for them. But you are NOT buying a Hasselblad camera – you are buying a Sony camera wrapped in an (ugly) Hasselblad skin. It’s the perfect metaphor for the hollow brand culture with no substance inside. Skin deep, no substance, fake.
If you want a Sony camera, but a Sony camera. That’s a real brand product. If you want a Hasselblad camera, buy a REAl Hasselblad camera — one they actually designed and built. These pathetic Sony rebrands won’t impress anyone. Quite the opposite — be seen with a Lunar or Stellar, and anyone who knows what they are will be laughing at you. These are cameras for fools with more money than brains. Nothing more.
I agree 100% with you. This reminds me of an Aston Martin Cygnet, which is a $50,000 rebrand of an $18000 Toyota/Scion IQ. Although admittedly the car sounds like a better deal than this camera, since you actually get a top-notch leather interior for the money, and interior comfort is a huge factor in a car. http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-reviews/first-drives/2012-aston-martin-cygnet
This camera, on the other hand, which has identical image quality to its parent, at more than triple the price, says one of two things about its owner.
1. I’m ignorant of the fact that this camera is really just a Sony, which makes me an idiot.
2. I know this camera is really just a Sony, which makes me an idiot.
Just to be correct: the Lunar is not an off-the-shelf NEX-7 within a casing, which should be obvious just by looking at it. For one thing, that would have made it a larger camera than it is. Hasselblad actually builds them using the same internal components as in the NEX-7. So yes, it’s basically a NEX-7, but Hasselblad buys the components from Sony, not finished cameras.
It’s probably the same with the Stellar.
Well buying anything based on brands for inflated prices kind of invites mocking.
Exactly my words
I do not agree completely. If I by a brand name product I expect that it will have unique features. Silver paint and a wooden grip is not a unique feature to me.
If a discounter would re-brand the RX100 and would sell it for 200 USD less I would buy the discounter version and not the Sony version.
Do anyone really think a Gucci handbag carries anything better that a noname variant.
Does a pair of $300 jeans do anything better than a $30 pair?
Does a $220000 Patek Phillipe do anything better than a $30 Swatch?
Even those who sells them says that the items are statements. And what is a statement?
/E
You’re speaking as though those things are not also mocked, and rightfully so.
Well, my comments was to E, not the 2 reply´s
Except, we buy these brands for some reasons – specific features, better quality, good design. What does that have exactly? It is the same camera for more money.
What annoys me is Hasselblad isn’t a lifestyle brand – they can and do make excellent cameras and ought to know better.
This definitely crosses the line into pretentiousness diamond studded iphones territory… What I don’t get is who’s going to buy it – non photographers won’t have a clue who they are and any photographer with half a brain would buy the sony version.
Well, the new management must think this is a good idea on making money.
Hasselblad stopped the production of its traditional V system cameras. Obviously, they were not selling very well. For those who shoot film, you can get so many second hand V cameras today it makes little sense in splashing for a new one. So, that market was shrinking a long time ago.
Digital backs, I don’t know how well those are doing. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nikon D800 and Pentax 645D (the first truly affordable medium format digital camera) were responsible for reduction in Hasselblad/Imacon and Leaf market share.
Hasselblad Digital H bodies are all nice and dandy but their markets were always very small.
Unfortunately we are not going to see a digital X Pan. Imagine that if making FF rangefinder is not only expensive but also difficult. So, that may be off the table until new tech allows.
So, jewelry seems the way to go.
Pity.
Hahaha, this is now getting even more ridiculous, a camera that is designed to be pocketable … add arty farty bulk grip, and put it in a huge heavy case !!!
and of course don’t forget put a fancy brand name on it, and add huge and heavy pricetag LOL !
then again … people who buy this must have very deep pockets, so must keep on being pocketable for them ; )
ahahahhaa, great!
The person buying this must be an awful snob.
Well, then call me a snob !
Jealous??
I think they should change the name from Stellar to “Douche”. My opinion of Hasselblad as a company is dropping like a plane without wings. I don’t think they were never that great to begin with. Starting with the early CMs, that would jam and need to be taken to a technician if you took the lens off without pressing the right lever. Their only redeeming quality in my opinion was the fact that they used amazing Zeiss optics.
Most of the money has gone on the making of the box. That leather strap looks inferior to a gordy’s or footprint strap in leather quality.
Embarrassing.
nice grip! $20 bucks on ebay?
its a beautifull camera! does it come in black?
You have just won comment of the day award.
easy now Alphaguy…
i’m speachless, sublime, bravo
If your comment was sarcasm, then +1 and LOL. If not… Facepalm..
I’ll just wait until someone makes a knock-off the grip that attaches to the body by double sided tape, and cost $49.95 or less.
Why not save the hastle.
Sell a camera dress up kit without the camera.
Hasselblad can make even fancier dress ip kits for cell phones dressed up to look like full size csmeras.
Why bother building expensive cameras anymore at all.
Warrning dont buy the knock off pirated clones you want the genuine authorized clones.
Soon we will have custom camera shops poping up everywhere.
Can I get a custom paint job on mine?
Another possibility is that they don’t actually intend to sell any of them. Maybe Sony is paying Hasselblad for the privilege of creating these cameras. Their aim would be to signal that the Sony cameras are really high quality. Then, people will then go out and buy the Sony over Nikon or Canon. If anyone buys the Hasselblad, that’s a nice bonus.
Interesting point, Peter. Could well be possible.
You figured it out now they’ll have to kill you.
I just thoght of something I could make a fortune dressing up cameras like animals.
How about a 500mm giraffe lens that looks like a real giraffe.
I could sell it in a BOX turtle case.
Why does the lens look so weird, like there is plastic over it ?
What surprises me is the inferiority/cheapness of the design (I don’t begrudge a company for attempting to profit by meeting a customer’s need). Just from the pictures, the grip has three “cheap” flaws: the visible screws, the jarring meeting of the grip and the body/control dial at the top plate, and the “neither here nor there” angled offset at the bottom of the grip. And the box looks to me — YMMV — to be much less thoughtfully designed than the extremely artfully folded and painting cardboard container that housed a Logitech mouse I just purchased.
If Has-Blad is _selling_ design, they need to hire designers. What makes the Stellar and the Lunar such self-reflecting losers isn’t the concept of “high-styled” cameras — it’s the shallow slap-dash design.
Woodden grip for 1600$. We should make a bet, how many years Hassel will be exist as sony’s copy-paste copy…
Really disgusting clone 🙁
I run to get it , box is so lovely . This box make me sure `Mast have it`
Mayby hasselblad is on to something here.
If they made a real camera they would never generate as much attention as a clown camera does.
If they painted the lens red it might look like a clown nose.
They should make a dress up bipod for their new line of dress up cameras. It should look like a pair of shoes.
Does anyone make a bipod they want Hasselblad to dress up for them.
If these things really start selling well it will be bad for Hasselblad because then camera makers will start to dress up thier own cameras.
Mayby sony should buy a bunch of hasselblad cameras and dress then in blue jeans and tee shirts and sell them for half the price of hasselblad.
How about theme cameras.
Here are a few suggestions
Indian motercycle
Edsel car
Dodo bird
Betta max
Hostess tweenky.
These new Hasselblad cameras are without a doubt among the most talked about new cameras.
The only problem is absolutely no one has anything good to say about them.
I wonder why the lens is branded “Carl Zeiss” rather than the new “Zeiss”.
I have an Axe that has a similar hand grip. Nice Axe I’ve got.