500-series cameras discontinued???

[victor4]

OK, that's all well and good, but where is the link for an 8-track player? :-)

[tarashnat]

"Peter beat me to it - digital cameras today are locked in a single sensor model because of

legacy technology. Soon there will be optics and software developments that will enable

images to be built up from multiple sensors, and the cost penalty of superlarge sensors

will disappear. Imacon may well be advanced in this field so we may see a renaissance of

Hassleblad - but probably not the V series."

 

The multiple sensor solution is being used by a number of astronomical observatories on

their big telescopes. The Hubble is an example of such an array, where one of the cameras

had 4 sensors, one of which was a higher resolution (smaller pixels) which resulted in

those images that seem to have an "L" chopped out of them. These cameras/detectors are

still one-offs and expensive.

 

One of the reasons the industry likes the smaller sensors, is that they can get more of

them per silicon wafer. If a wafer has one imperfection, then if it was used for one sensor,

then the yield is 0%, if the same wafer was used for 9 sensors of smaller size, then the

yield is 89%. This is a simplistic example, as it takes a number of flaws to render a sensor

"useless", but it should give an example of the types of issues involved in getting larger

pieces of silicon or other semiconductors.

 

Taras

[todd_k.]

My problem with Hasselblad is that fact that they have disenfranchised their until now, very loyal square format shooters. A digital square format version of the H2d would be a hit; they could call it the H-SQ1. It would make a great wedding camera.

[desmond_kidman]

Everyone should realize where Q.G. is coming from: he's a Hasselblad enthusiast, knows the line inside and out. He's a realist though, and even his enthusiasm for the marque cannot overtake his logical side, to his credit.

 

I have to agree with everything he is saying about the difficult future of Hasselblad and Rollei.

 

It will take a very small, agile, low fixed cost company to survive in the mf and lf film camera market. Maybe a company like Linhof, who can make something like the 617 in fairly low quantities and apparently make money. Keep in mind that this a very simple, non-slr camera.

 

Film, film cameras, paper will be around for a very ling time. However, these will be more and more of a niche market, served by niche companies, as time goes on. You'll have no problem getting service or parts (though I wonder about electronics for my Mamiya 7 10 years from now) on main-brand cameras. We can happily keep shooting film, but we'll be part of a tiny minority, often criticized by the majority of the public. Be prepared to hear "They still make film?" in bewildered, and often critical tone, you tell people what your "wierd looking" camera is and how it works.

[gordon_anderson]

This is the most depressing news I have ever read in my life. I think I'm going to strap my 203FE and 553ELX around my neck and jump into the deep end of Prospect Lake.All three feet of it. Gordon Anderson Photography Colorado Springs Colorado

[tarashnat]

Gordon,

 

Hopefully, you'll have your finger on the shutter of both cameras, and post the resulting

pics here for our amusement...

 

Taras

[q.g._de_bakker]

Gordon,<br><br>With a 203 and ELX already in your posession, where's the problem? ;-)<br><br>And that exactly is the problem. Now if Hasselblad made their camera so they lasted for a few years only, we would have to buy new ones, and they could keep making new ones (provided we wouldn't decide to move on to other things, a) because the crappy cameras only last a few years, and b) because we then too might want to buy digital Nikons and Canons instead).<br>But provided you have a good, full set of Hasselblad equipment already, you will not need to buy new ones for the next 40-50 years.