Hasselblad V. Gone By End Of Year?

[gary_ferguson1]

Everything I'm hearing is pointing to the deletion of the Hasselblad

V system by the end of this year. V system accesories are being

deleted, much of the V system manufacturing has been outsourced and

is no longer made in Sweden, and the dealers I speak to are

suggesting the 503CWD is the final gasp.

 

Apparently Hasselblad have committed to Zeiss to take the last batch

of lenses, but a common view is that once they've run down their V

system inventory they'll announce that it's the end for the V

system. The X Pan has just gone, and the expectation is that the V

system is next.

[simon_platt1]

Gary

 

Not sure who you have been listening to "everything I have been hearing" but the v series and x pan are still alive an well.

 

The more depressing sooth sayers come out and say "Oh woe is me the end is near" the quicker it will come.

 

Obviously they will stop making it at some point once it ceases to make them money, but lets not speed that day closer by negative comments like this

 

Simon

[donald_ingram1]

http://www.ephotozine.com/news/fullnews.cfm?NewsID=2826

 

Simon Barnard, Managing Director of Hasselblad (UK) Limited stated: �It seems a great shame

that this innovative, iconic camera should have to be discontinued in this way, especially as

UK sales have been particularly good, but there is really no other choice open to us.

Obviously, we will continue to support the product line for at least ten years�.

[donald_ingram1]

It seems incompetent of the Fuji/Hasselblad management not to have made the lead free

transition at the time of the Xpan I to Xpan II upgrade. A little spend in 2003 would have

prevented this situation.

 

However, as Zeiss are now going to distribute the ZM lenses and camera's themselves, the

Xpan demise may just be part of Hasselblad's 'withdrawal from film' plan.

 

Conspiracy theory : Perhaps the Xpan II is really closer to being Pb free than they are

making out - so the announcement is just a timely cover story.

[gary_ferguson1]

"but lets not speed that day closer by negative comments like this"

 

Simon, this is a tough one. I've got a big investment in Hasselblad equipment, and I've used Hasselblad products for thirty years, so I'm in their corner. I want them not just to survive but to flourish.

 

But I'm also sympathetic to the photographer's plight, who is faced with making buying decisions in a fast changing world.

 

If I'm getting information that goes well beyond idle speculation (the X Pan news is solid and you should try phoning around a few dealers and you'll hear for yourself that Haselblad is winding down the V system range of products) then I think that should be shared.

 

Caveat Emptor is more true today than ever before, and it's a lot easier for the buyer to beware if the buyer is informed.

[terence_mahoney]

A quick and cursory glance at prices of new V-series vs second-hand, and the enormous supply of the latter, should tell anyone with a triple-digit IQ that sales of new units can't possibly be enough to sustain their existence. Furthermore the only affordable current digital back for the V series has the same megapixels as a Canon 1DS-MkII but costs about 50% more, has a significant crop factor and there are no practical solutions for recapturing the lost wide-angle view. For the bulk of the work formerly done with Hasselblad 6x6cm pros have long since moved on to the Canon full-frame d-SLRs. The good news is that the discontinuance of the V-series will hardly make a blip on the radar since there is such a huge glut of second-hand equipment readily available and there are little or no electronic sub-assemblies to worry about in terms of repairs far in-to the future.

[William Kahn]

Don't you find it strange that Hasselblad would market the new CFV digital back, designed specifically for V system cameras, if they're going to discontinue the line?

 

http://www.hasselbladusa.com/

[carl_johnson3]

As Terrence said - why, and who, would buy new when there's such a surplus of used equipment in excellent condition? Given such slow sales there will probably be new equipment available for quite a few years to come. Building products that nobody buys is the surest road to insolvency.

 

That Hasselblad is selling V series backs by no means indicates they wil continue selling V series cameras. They'd be loons not to supply digital backs for the best selling MF series of all time, especially when it is in daily use, still, by droves of photographers.

 

MF back sales are rising, MF camera and system sales are dropping like rocks.

[diegobuono]

I'm a big enthusiast of Hasselblad, I hope I'm wrong but I suspect that they came out with the new CFV back just to sell old stock of the old sensor and 503 bodies. In fact this back do not have the new sensor with more pixel. Sure there is something more than new design and new feature (no need to be tethered to the lens) but I suspect this is just to sell well the last batch of 16Mpixel sensor. In particular the "so called" limited edition 503 CWD lead me to think this way, otherwise why a limited edition? I hope I'm wrong and they come out soon wit a CFW back with a 28 Mpixel square sensor but I don't think this is possible because they have just launched this 16Mpixel back and it will be immediatly obsolete.

[diegobuono]

They had to push the 200 line more than 500 because are more modern cameras with a lot of usefull plus, over all for those who use it on the field and not in a studio. I'm talking about integrated light meter, aperture priority and fast shutter speed. Unfortunatly the price was too high. I think that if they have sold it at the right price (sure they thought it was right) now we could have an affordable Hasselblad 200 and the 500 series discontinued because few photographer wanted it when is available a better camera for just few money.

[cpj]

When fretting over anything being discontinued--other than consumables like film--you

have to keep in mind that (a) the equipment you have now will continue to produce the

same work for you for 30 days after the company stops making and selling it. (b) It will

also continue to produce the same work for 30 YEARS after the company stops making it.

 

For example, just look at the Rolleiflex TLR models through the F version 4, made by

Franke & Heidecke. Since 1981, Rollei has had at least five different owners. Today the

name lives on but it is owned by an investment group in northern Europe and the

company's primary focus is consumer level digital cameras, digitial media and

components, and high tech stuff like aerial and satellite mapping related cameras.

 

But the Rolleiflex TLR has the second most number of thread posts on Photo.net--second

only to Hasselblad. The cameras still command premium dollars on ebay and tens of

thousands of Rollei TLRs are in use worldwide on a daily basis. (In fact, five sit within sight

as I type this.) The "company" is long discontinued as well as the TLR camera itself. The

1990s Rollei TLRs are not the same camera that earned the Rolleiflex its respected position

in the photo world today.

 

So even if Hasselblad--no longer the company that developed the V system as we know

it--discontinues that whole model line, the used value of quality condition equipment will

eventually rise. Film may become a "cult market" in the future, but Hasseblad always was a

"cult market" and that's not going to change very much as long as those photographers

who appreciate a platinum B&W print can see the difference in the subtle tones captured

by transparency film vs. digital media.

 

At this point, don't worry about it. If you outlive the usefulness and premium price era of

the 1950s through 1970s Rolleiflex models produced by Franke & Heidecke, perhaps you'll

also live long enough to see the demise of the Hasselblad V system. But the traditional

Rolleiflex TLR market doesn't seem to be falling very fast considering the manufacturer

went out of business 25years ago, and the broad photo market turned to autofocus, built-

in multiple point exposure reading systems at least 20 years ago.

 

The digital market will take over--has, in fact, taken over--the point-and-shoot segment

of photography. It has also captured the photojournalism segment because it provides

instant worldwide transmission of image capability. Those markets are likely far different

than that represented by the majority of people who subscribe to this Forum.

[robert meier]

"But the traditional Rolleiflex TLR market doesn't seem to be falling very fast considering the manufacturer went out of business 25years ago."

 

Amazing that they are still selling the regular 2.8 model and the Rollei Wide model, and are supposed to be introduing their new Tele-Rollei at Photokina this year.

[db1]

Gary...where are you reading this? Are these news sites or gossip crap?

[gary_yeowell]

To be fair to Gary i have been hearing this banded around for the last year from dealers and on the net, in fact at Focus just recently i asked the question at the Hasselblad stand and got the reply that there will not be any further developement of the 'V' and when pushed would not deny my suggestion that they are just running down inventory before anouncing its death, in fact Hasselblad were actively promoting the 'V' as a dead loss for the future whilst bumming up the H1 to the hilt. After saying this however as previously noted i don't see it making one bit of difference, people will carry on using it for film and digi back makers will continue to use it as a platform, to be honest it will probably outlast the H1 especially as Fuji have a large input to its production and seem to drop kit like a stone.

[gary_yeowell]

Of course when i say 'outlast the H1' i mean as a platform for digital and film, not in a still being manufactured sense. Once an all electronic system is dropped people are less interested in making their gear work for it, the 200 series is a good example.

[paulhu54]

Terence,

 

'the only affordable current digital back for the V series has the same megapixels as a Canon 1DS-MkII but costs about 50% more'.

 

This is like saying 'Both Ford Taurus and Mercedes E320 has four wheels, but Mercedes costs 50% more'.

 

FYI, April 2005 issue of Shutterbug, page 155:

'... the Aptus 17 has a 43.2x31.7mm sensor....By comparision the 17-megapixel Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II uses a 36x24mm sensor.....Also 17 megapixels on a 43x31mm sensor means larger individual pixels than 17 megapixels on a 36x24mm sensor. The larger the pixel(should be sensor) the better it is at accurately capturing and recording color.

 

Let's compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges.

 

I also made some recent investments in a complete V system with several lenses. Hasselblad may not manufacture any more V system, but they will still support them. Hasselblad is concentrated completely in the digital medium format market.

[paulhu54]

OOPS!!!

 

'April 2005 issue of Shutterbug'. I meant the April 2006 issue, currently on sale. I have my years mixed up. I am still living in the past.

[bob haight]

Rollei is still going forward but, I did hear they had a business consolidation and partial ownership change. I also suspect Hasselblad will stop the V system at some point fairly soon, but when, who knows. Its hard to believe there is sufficient demand for new product across the line to support the system with the professional shooters so into digtial these days. They are also attempting to be competitive in the digital market.

[stuart_richardson]

Well, I think the main problem is as others have said -- the used market is just way too

tempting for most people who are interested in the V system, and the new cameras and

lenses are just phenomenally expensive, particularly when you get to the wider or longer

end of the spectrum. The main core of people who used to buy these lenses are the daily

grind pros, who are now by and large using the H1/H2D's (if they have a big budget) or

Canon DSLR's because they

have better digital integration, a lower (or no) crop factor, and auto focus. There just aren't

enough people out there to say, "Sure, I'll take that 7300 dollar 30mm lens that I will use

two times in my life", or more reasonably, "How about that 180mm f/4 for 3500." It's

insanity because you

can buy it used for way less than half the cost (well, perhaps not the 30mm), and there are

many of them out there

because so many people have dumped them for digital. In any case, I am sad that things

seem to be nearing the end, but I can't say I am surprised.

[simon_baker]

It will be a sad day when the "V" system is discontinued but its inevitable and doesn't worry me even though I have a serious amount of money invested in it, support will be available for years to come, a system doesn't become obselete just because its being discontinued. Hasselblad, like most, if not all companies, has to move with the times if it is to prosper and even survive, the photographic world is changing rapidly and many well known names have "shut up shop" in the past couple of years, Hasselblad has to embrace the new digital era otherwise it too I am sure will fail to survive. Also, the "H" series has been such a success within the "V" series' main market - the pro fashion/wedding/portrait photographer that demand for new "V" has naturally fallen sharply, the lack of demand drives up production costs which in turn leads to a higher retail price for the product which in turn leads to even less demand - it becomes a vicious circle. Stuart is quite right too, why buy new when there is so much secondhand available and at great prices too. So many people are prepared to almost "give away" their film based gear as they switch to digital capture that there are some amazing bargains to be had out there, I am not a pro and were it not for the success of digital imaging I would not have half the hassie gear I now own. Last year I bought a mint 203FE, E12, 110 f2 FE Planer for 1750 UK pounds, new it would have cost me 7500 UK pounds and whats even more amazing is I bought it with a 12 month warranty off a respected dealer !! I have also bought several lenses, backs, convertors etc since then as I have been able to buy them for sensible money and today have a system that a few years ago could only have dreamed of owning and one that will quite possibly outlast me ! Hasselblad gear has always been expensive, but in return for your big outlay you get a big after sales service, what other manufacturer ensures that its 50 year old camera can be used with its latest digital back ( 500C + V96C / CFV ) ! So I am not worried about servicing and availability of parts when the company has this sort of philosophy and by producing the "CFV" back at all ( when the "H" digital platorm is already so well established ) shows Hasselblad's commitment to its existing "V" customer base - most other manufacturers would not provide this level of commitment, preferring instead to attempt to make you switch to their lastest digital offering. So I say, yes shed a tear at the eventual demise of the "V" system but don't panic, its an iconic system that will remain usable and repairable for several decades yet.