Just got this directly from Hassy:
Interesting to note that taking in old backs at a discount has apparently meant all this time the cost of the discount was simply pre-added into the retail price of the newest backs, and obviously done in an effort to corner the market --- ZING! However, now that they eliminated that foolishness, coupled with lower manufacturing costs, they're going to keep the prices of the top-end models high (read even larger profit margins) and let the secondhand market determine the price of older backs as they age --- isn't that just what the DSLR manufacturers have been doing all along?
In the end, it is the right move for them to make. However, all of us who bought in at the controlled-entry and artificially-inflated prices -- only to now lose out on future trade-in value -- will no doubt be left with a bad taste in our mouths for a very long time to come...
As I read it I think they've finally realized they need a larger installed base to support any kind of viable business model. And gee, that's such a novel concept; lower prices to sell more units!What does the new pricing strategy entail?
Simply put, it means lower prices on all Hasselblad digital products. The new, lower price level is based on two primary cornerstones. Firstly, most new high-tech products begin with a high price point, and high-end digital camera products have been no exception. Over time, increased volume and improved production techniques eventually allow lower prices and more accessible products. This is now happening in our industry. We can now produce our cameras at a lower cost and we can pass the savings on to photographers.
Secondly, by significantly lowering the retail price we are able to remove the necessity of a trade-up program, which means that even lower pricing is possible. The end result is a simple and straightforward pricing model which allows us to bring the full range of H3DII cameras, from the entry level H3DII-31 to the new H3DII-50 and upcoming H3DII-60, to photographers at a dramatically lower price. And in addition, as the proud owner of a Hasselblad H3D camera, this means that in the future you will be able to purchase new Hasselblad cameras at a lower cost, and be able to keep your previous camera as a back-up.
For most discerning photographers the only reason not to have a Hasselblad has been that they couldn't afford one. We hope that our new pricing will enable a whole new generation of photographers to experience these amazing cameras.
Interesting to note that taking in old backs at a discount has apparently meant all this time the cost of the discount was simply pre-added into the retail price of the newest backs, and obviously done in an effort to corner the market --- ZING! However, now that they eliminated that foolishness, coupled with lower manufacturing costs, they're going to keep the prices of the top-end models high (read even larger profit margins) and let the secondhand market determine the price of older backs as they age --- isn't that just what the DSLR manufacturers have been doing all along?
In the end, it is the right move for them to make. However, all of us who bought in at the controlled-entry and artificially-inflated prices -- only to now lose out on future trade-in value -- will no doubt be left with a bad taste in our mouths for a very long time to come...