B&H isn't buying used Hasselblads

[paul_chan4]

Now many of us would feel we're having some dinosaurs of sorts at home. And we are in the millenium era.

[antonio_carusone]

Ilkka, I sent you an email. Get back to me when you can.

 

Paul, I think it's going to be while before we see $1500 digital backs for Hasselblads.

[steve_bellayr]

Ivor Matanle in his 1996 book "Collecting and Using Classic SLRs" writes of the hasselblad: "But find a 500c that looks good, sounds sweet, and whose shutter and diaphragm snap open and shut in the right degree of asthmatic wheeze, and you could be on to a winner. Nothing, repeat nothing, produces better photographic quality." They did you a favor.

[ellis_vener_photography]

here is a listing for a HAsselblad 555ELD + the 16Mp Kodak pro Back + several extras.

 

see: http://tinyurl.com/y69wdb

[ellis_vener_photography]

And Phase One now sells the 16mp P20 back for $5K.

[Uncle Goose]

The market is just overflowed with stuff like Hasselblad, like said in a previous post, when you have 300+ hasselblad listed you just don't want to buy another one for the pile. Since the digital hit the market a lot of people who shot with a Hasselblad went mad and turned to a devil called "Consumer Digital Camera", thus overflowing the market with their gear. Now, this wouldn't be a big problem if it wasn't for the fact that this camera is more a status symbol than a workhorse. I mean, you could sell a high class Mercedes or a Ferrari from a few years back with only a little loss but if you try to sell a Toyota from the same age things will be very different. This is just the same thing with a Hasselblad, although it's just the same as any other major MF camera it's just the name that keeps it going for a lot of money, even if it's old and worn out. Now, assume you are a student following classes (who still demand a camera with film in most cases) and you really want a MF camera (like I did a few years back) and you see a used hasselblad with a few lenses for like 2000$ and a Bronica or Mamiya for like 800$ with the same configuration, which one would one pick?? I know the answer, The 800$ camera of course, just like I did. One day they will have to lower the price considerably just to get rid of their large stocks since very few will still buy these expensive beasts. And don't forget, if you have like 300 camera's in stock, well that's a lot of floating money, even if they only costed them 500$ a piece. Just think of that.

[akajohndoe]

If you were looking at your camera as an investment you should have sold it several years back. If you like it, keep it. If you don't or want to cut your losses, sell it. I was faced with the same decisions a few years back with my Canon FD gear. I sold it for less than it was worth. I kept the EOS1n, though. Choices.

[ilkka]

Antonio,

 

Did not receive your mail but I sent one in return. Something was wrong with my e-mail but should be fixed now. Please send again.

[antonio_carusone]

Ilkka, sent again.

[p_cali]

I live in the south bay area and went to a reputable dealer last week. They are getting *a lot* of used Hasselblad gear in all of the time and its being turned around and sold for 20 - 25% of what it was worth new. Lenses maybe getting more. Heard mention (not confirmed) that Hasselblad is only manufacturing the newer H series, that's it. No doubt that's been farmed out too, like the lenses to Fuji. Can anyone else confirm/comment?

[photofilma]

I dropped about USD 10,000 on a digital setup, and then slowly sold most of it away and just kept the body and 1 lens. This was to fund acquisition of my dinosaur Hassy gear :)

 

I personally just can't take the digital print over the film print, the latter just has more soul and life.

 

However, if you are doing this professionally, then digital makes a lot of sense. Or if you're just using it for website use, you don't even need a USD 3K digital gear, IMHO.

[eric_glass]

Keep the Hasselblad. I Have a Canon dslr and a Hasselblad. I luckly have two shops in town who can develop film...and same day! I use the Canon 85% of the time and the Hassie (and Holga) the rest. And I must say I love having the option to switch back and forth between the three. Some pics come out awesome in digi, and some blow me away in MF. Besides...digi SLRs keep getting upgraded so much you'll be trying to catch up forever! We will never win! 6 mega pixels...8 megapixels...16.7 megapixels!! 1.8 inch screen...2.0 inch screen...2.5 inch screen?!!! When is the maddness gonna' end?! (Sorry for the dramtic outro...just tryin' to make you feel better!)

[antonio_carusone]

Haha thanks Eric.

 

Since purchasing my DSLR I really see no reason to shoot another frame on the Hasselblad. Yes the images from the Hassy are better but the images that come out of my Nikon D200 are pretty damn close and the immediate preview of the image and overall faster workflow makes digital the better choice for me.