Question for Hasselblad users

[Greg Haag]

To the Hasselblad medium format users, did you buy yours direct from Hasselblad or go thru a dealer? I am dealing with Jeff Payne at Hasselblad and getting ready to order, but wanted to see if you thought that was the best way to go about this. I am trading in a Hasselblad H2 with a Phase One P20 back plus $13,000.
Thanks in advance,
Greg

 

[jecxz]

Greg,

I'm probably going to go against the grain here but I recommend dealing directly with Hasselblad. They're good people and they care about their customers. My experience with a dealer was completely opposite (I will not give their name), in fact, after being abandoned by my dealer, Hasselblad stepped in and took care of me.

Kind regards,
Derek Jecxz
www.jecxz.com
www.facebook.com/derek.jecxz.photographer

To the Hasselblad medium format users, did you buy yours direct from Hasselblad or go thru a dealer? I am dealing with Jeff Payne at Hasselblad and getting ready to order, but wanted to see if you thought that was the best way to go about this. I am trading in a Hasselblad H2 with a Phase One P20 back plus $13,000.
Thanks in advance,
Greg

 

[ptomsu]

I went directly through the Hasselblad representative in Austria.

Very capable, knowledgeable, well organized and friendly people.

Would recommend that path if available as compared to go through another dealer!

Best

Peter

 

[Greg Haag]

Derek/Peter,
Thanks to both of you for the insight, that make me feel better about moving forward directly with Hasselblad.
Thanks again,
Greg

 

[johnnygoesdigital]

Greg,

I'm probably going to go against the grain here but I recommend dealing directly with Hasselblad. They're good people and they care about their customers. My experience with a dealer was completely opposite (I will not give their name), in fact, after being abandoned by my dealer, Hasselblad stepped in and took care of me.

Kind regards,
Derek Jecxz
www.jecxz.com
www.facebook.com/derek.jecxz.photographer

I think you should give the name..it might save someone the same BS.

Hasselblad does have great service. The H2 is also available for the upgrade to the H4x.

 

[jecxz]

Hi Johnny,

I don't think that's necessary to answer Greg's question and the dealer may have realized their issues and hopefully impoved their service since then.

Please respect my choice, as I respect your choice of keeping your real identity private here on this forum.

Kind regards,
Derek

I think you should give the name..it might save someone the same BS.

 

[johnnygoesdigital]

Many forum members are anonymous...

When I first became interested in MFD, I looked for the best prices for new and used. These usually were posted by established dealers who wanted my business. I did not like the experience I had with Fotocare in NYC, so decided that I would deal with Hasselblad directly. Not all dealers are bad, and sometimes can be a valuable asset. Hasselblad seems unique in its direct access, and the main reason i've stayed with their products.
Your dealer experience while unusual at these prices, should be noted, if only to protect the community as a whole.

 

[vieri]

Hi Johnny,

I don't think that's necessary to answer Greg's question and the dealer may have realized their issues and hopefully impoved their service since then.

Please respect my choice, as I respect your choice of keeping your real identity private here on this forum.

Kind regards,
Derek

Many forum members are anonymous...

When I first became interested in MFD, I looked for the best prices for new and used. These usually were posted by established dealers who wanted my business. I did not like the experience I had with Fotocare in NYC, so decided that I would deal with Hasselblad directly. Not all dealers are bad, and sometimes can be a valuable asset. Hasselblad seems unique in its direct access, and the main reason i've stayed with their products.
Your dealer experience while unusual at these prices, should be noted, if only to protect the community as a whole.

To me, there is some truth in both positions - I don't find it correct to publicly defame people in the business, but I understand johnnygoesdigital reasoning as well. A solution could be that those who are now in the market and looking for dealers get in touch directly with Derek via PM and ask away... thus protecting people going to make sizable purchases in DMF and protecting people's reputation as well.

 

[ChrisLivsey]

You'll always get more in a private sale then a trade-in, something to consider.

With the current trade in HB offer I have just been quoted a trade in on a P20 £400 more than I paid for it 3yrs ago. I would not expect that from a private sale.

 

[BlasR]

SAME HERE.

I didn't have good luck with the dealer, but hasselblad took it over and I can't not be more happy

Greg,

I'm probably going to go against the grain here but I recommend dealing directly with Hasselblad. They're good people and they care about their customers. My experience with a dealer was completely opposite (I will not give their name), in fact, after being abandoned by my dealer, Hasselblad stepped in and took care of me.

Kind regards,
Derek Jecxz
www.jecxz.com
www.facebook.com/derek.jecxz.photographer

 

[jecxz]

To me, there is some truth in both positions - I don't find it correct to publicly defame people in the business, but I understand johnnygoesdigital reasoning as well. A solution could be that those who are now in the market and looking for dealers get in touch directly with Derek via PM and ask away...

Vieri, Smart words.

Many forum members are anonymous...

I did not like the experience I had with Fotocare in NYC...

Johnny, It was not a criticism regarding being anonymous. I'm sorry you had a bad experience with Fotocare in NYC, I truly am sorry. Perhaps by your mentioning their name here, other prospective buyers will be protected. I do not feel I need to mention their name.

Kind regards,
Derek Jecxz
www.jecxz.com

 

[johnnygoesdigital]

Vieri,

Thank you for the response. My intention is not to publicly, "flog" a dealer, but merely a gauge for the experience. Reputations are built on customer experience and satisfaction - that experience is representative of the industry for the most part. Perhaps the feedback section would be more appropriate for dealer experiences too, as it has done for photographers here at GetDPI. One important aspect, is the convenience of actually holding a product at a dealers location if convenient.

Great photos Vieri!

 

[dougpeterson]

Probably the moral of all this is that "dealer" and "manufacturer" (when a manufacturer offers direct sale) are categories, not specifics.

Some manufacturer reps in some regions can be great, others not so much. Likewise with dealers some are great, others not so much. If you buy from a dealer then you only deal with that dealer, not other dealers. So it does not matter much what the reputation/results are with another unrelated dealer.

This comment is NOT specific to Hasselblad (positive or negative) but rather an advisory that the nature of the question is, IMO, flawed (understandably so). The question should be "I'm considering buying X product through Y manufacturer rep or Z dealer; does anyone have any positive/negative experience with Y or Z when buying X?"

Doug Peterson (e-mail Me)
__________________

Head of Technical Services, Capture Integration
Phase One Partner of the Year
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National: 877.217.9870 *| *Cell: 740.707.2183
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Buy Capture One 6 at 10% off

 

[johnnygoesdigital]

Vieri, Smart words.




Johnny, It was not a criticism regarding being anonymous. I'm sorry you had a bad experience with Fotocare in NYC, I truly am sorry. Perhaps by your mentioning their name here, other prospective buyers will be protected. I do not feel I need to mention their name.

Kind regards,
Derek Jecxz
www.jecxz.com

That was my point... Fotocare is respected dealer in NYC, and if interested in buying MFD from them, just mention this thread, and I'm sure they'll be on their toes. No disrespect is intended by me, but if dealers know they're being "graded", I bet reputations remain intact.

 

[johnnygoesdigital]

Doug,

You're right... While on the subject, my experience with Capture Integration was amazing! For readers here, I wanted to mention that I had an obscure question about a Phase product. Dave @ CI, actually researched the question and took photos with his iphone of the item in question from his personal camera, while on the road from a hotel room! That is superb customer satisfaction. Thank you!

 

[Greg Haag]

Thanks to everyone for their input, I just order the H4D-40 directly from Jeff at Hasselblad. I should have it next week.
Thanks again,
Greg

 

[vieri]

Vieri, Smart words.

Johnny, It was not a criticism regarding being anonymous. I'm sorry you had a bad experience with Fotocare in NYC, I truly am sorry. Perhaps by your mentioning their name here, other prospective buyers will be protected. I do not feel I need to mention their name.

Kind regards,
Derek Jecxz
www.jecxz.com

Vieri,

Thank you for the response. My intention is not to publicly, "flog" a dealer, but merely a gauge for the experience. Reputations are built on customer experience and satisfaction - that experience is representative of the industry for the most part. Perhaps the feedback section would be more appropriate for dealer experiences too, as it has done for photographers here at GetDPI. One important aspect, is the convenience of actually holding a product at a dealers location if convenient.

Great photos Vieri!

Probably the moral of all this is that "dealer" and "manufacturer" (when a manufacturer offers direct sale) are categories, not specifics.

Some manufacturer reps in some regions can be great, others not so much. Likewise with dealers some are great, others not so much. If you buy from a dealer then you only deal with that dealer, not other dealers. So it does not matter much what the reputation/results are with another unrelated dealer.

This comment is NOT specific to Hasselblad (positive or negative) but rather an advisory that the nature of the question is, IMO, flawed (understandably so). The question should be "I'm considering buying X product through Y manufacturer rep or Z dealer; does anyone have any positive/negative experience with Y or Z when buying X?"

Doug Peterson

Well, it is a very thin line we are walking on here... I am all in favor of "grading" sellers, of course, but how and based on what? A form with X number of points where people vote? A different system?

To me, the problem is in the nature of the equipment more than anything else. We are talking at the same time about the Ferrari of cameras and about the finest image making equipment professionally available (for the kind of shooting you can use them); buyers expect, very reasonably so, a completely different level of service than when they buy a P&S at their WalMart, and are therefore much more sensitive to any issues that might arise both with the equipment and with customer service (also very reasonably so). For instance, see the 15$ app thread, or the comments re: having to pay full price for Capture One (not DB) after spending xx.xxx $ on a piece of equipment... to me, they all fit in the same bucket, together with expecting to be able to "hold the equipment" and test drive them, which is definitely a must and very reasonable when it comes to such equipment. However, it is at the same time much more difficult for the dealer to provide such service with Phase or Hassy or S2 gear than it is to open a box with a Coolpix or a S100. For instance in my local it is not possible to test drive anything, period - nor it is to rent equipment. Nor it is to go to a different dealer, for that matter, unless you want to go to a different country in the process

So, a great idea in principle, but not easy to implement without crossing the boundary of slander/defamation, and not easy or simply impossible to implement in other areas of the world than the US...

Just my 0.2 worth.

 

[JoshMerwin]

I have had a lot of experience with Fotocare. They have always been great and gone out of their way to help me out when issues with equipment come up or when I'm looking to buy something. I always deal with Rich there. I'm not questioning your experience, just letting others know my experience. I have also had great experiences with CI & DT as well. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any of them.

 

[fotoflood]

I have a lot of experience with Fotocare and have bought a fair amount of equipment from them through the years - mostly for the convenience - their shop was just a few blocks from my studio. I'm a fairly easy going guy, but I finally got sick and tired of their attitude and TERRIBLE support. My last experience was so unpleasant, that I decided never to do business with them again. There are lots of really good dealers who go out of their way to support their clients, Fotocare is not one of them.

Jack

 

[malmac]

An interesting thread.

I really wanted to buy a Hasselblad H4D 40 - so contacted my State Dealer - at first he was pleasant and helpful.
GREAT.

Then I could not get him to respond - I tried 4 times, even going to his office and leaving my business card - no response - so I gave up (maybe he had a valid reason but I never heard what it was).

So I then contacted the Hasselblad Dealer in Sydney, David at Silver Pixel - he was absolutely fantastic -

Unfortunately - it took quite awhile before I got down to Sydney - by then the IQ series backs were due for realease - so I choose to go with the Phase system.

If Hasselblad had provided follow up in a timely manner, I would certainly have purchased a H4D.

Service can really make the difference.

Regards.


mal
Australia