Anyone excited about the Hasselblad rumor and Photokina this year?

[torger]

From the H5D promotion: "And if you think 35mm is good enough for this stage of your career, then you’d better hope that your clients are also willing to settle for “good enough”. The best clients, however, are almost never willing to settle for “good enough”. And why should they, when there are photographers out there who can provide the best?"

Ahhhh... FUD, the best type of marketing... or was that a sign of a weak business case?

 

[Shashin]

The interesting thing is from all the folks bashing Hasselblad many of you do not use Hasselbald cameras and probably never will. And a large number of you use tech cameras. Why the angst? Seriously?

 

[Jack]

The interesting thing is from all the folks bashing Hasselblad many of you do not use Hasselbald cameras and probably never will. And a large number of you use tech cameras. Why the angst? Seriously?

First off, I am not "bashing" Hasselblad or any other manufacturer. What I am doing is complaining loudly TO ALL OF THE MANUFACTURERS that shooters want and expect more than incremental advancements to the bodies. All of them are 5 years behind what DSLRs are offering and frankly I think that's pathetic. I appreciate several of you may not want or need any of those advancements, but many do. Again, my complaint is irrespective of brand.

 

[pedro39photo]

Why not full black "panther" body? half metal grey and black?
Its the new black HVD 90x viewfinder compatible with the olds H3D and H4D? and the new battery grip? its retro-compatible too?

 

[Stefan Steib]

>>>What I am doing is complaining loudly TO ALL OF THE MANUFACTURERS that shooters want and expect more than incremental advancements to the bodies.<<<<

Exactly Jack. Hasselblad became "HASSELBLAD" because Victor Hasselblad had a brilliant idea in 1941 which was shaped during the last 71 years.
HE was a REAL INNOVATOR
But hey - Innovations last for some time but wouldn´t it be time to be brave and curageous and show the world that the potential of this company is not only in refinement of a 71 year old idea ?

It´s overdue !

Regards
Stefan

 

[Stan ROX]

Re: Hasselblad H5D Announced!

And THIS is it ?

Larger buttons and better JPG´s and a new lens..... ?
Come on this is a joke !

Pffffffffff - this is the hot air from the announcement leaving the
tension zone............

Greetings from Germany
Stefan

The Canon 1DX looks like a Canon 1D Mk IV. I don't understand your POV. There are a lot more points mentioned in the release than only larger buttons.

S.
www.stanROX.com

 

[gerald.d]

Also when was that last time any camera maker -- 35mm or MF made ANY huge drastic sea-change?

Canon with the 5D Mk II.

They spawned an entire new industry with that camera.

 

[Quentin_Bargate]

Looks more like an H4D MkII than an H5D. Not a compelling upgrade proposition for an H4D owner. We need revolution not evolution. The new, smaller, S2 type
Hassy. Where is it? I like Shashin's toaster idea. I like toast.

 

[Stefan Steib]

Re: Hasselblad H5D Announced!

The Canon 1DX looks like a Canon 1D Mk IV. I don't understand your POV. There are a lot more points mentioned in the release than only larger buttons.

S.
www.stanROX.com

You are right- the 35mm DSLR´s are as old in their concept and also reaching the end of their lifecycle ! It seems clear to me that all this fast moving mechanics which makes a camera fragile, expensive and hard to build to last will soon be replaced by mirrorless, EVIL cameras of a hybrid breed between todays video and photo devices.

Real digital cameras will have ideas as the Nokia N808, as the new Nikon S800c Android based camera or Blackmagic´s or RED´s modular design.

An optical finder is a relict from the past. But we are looking into the future.

regards
Stefan

 

[pophoto]

It's true every year when a camera manufacturer or its representatives give announcement to something great to the future, it is merely incremental improvements that prove nothing more than evolutionary than revolutionary, and it's common.

I still remember Nikon's President or CEO saying the D4 will be revolutionary, sorry but it simply isn't. Neither is Canon's offerings, which I have bought into. Don't get me wrong, I am over the moon (exaggerated of course) with the improvements, but it isn't revolutionary, I think this is no different!

The Sony RX1 is revolutionary by comparison, since it is first to market, despite not being to everyone's cup of tea since not a ILS, and if Photokina 2012 we will see a fixed lens HASSELBLAD mirrorless MFD, it will be revolutionary, but perhaps played down for the same reasons, this is made up of course!

While I agree with Jack about being disappointed, at the end of the day it is what it is. Our words won't change any of this!
Anyways isn't Photokina 2013 around the corner! Just saying! ;p

 

[gerald.d]

Anyways isn't Photokina 2013 around the corner! Just saying! ;p

Nope.

Photokina 2014 is though.

 

[Shashin]

Sorry, I don't understand. DSLRs are going through incremental changes. What has changed from the 5DMkII to 5DMkIII that was more than incremental changes to performance. How is my 645D any different from any other DSLR? No live view, but then it does have a CCD. 9-point autofocus that is tunable. Multi-segment metering. Intervelometer, multi exposure, bracketing and a host of exposure modes--it does not have scene selector exposure modes nor art filters, but that is OK.

And why should MFD manufacturers be expected to keep up with the bells and whistles anyway? (I can live without art filters, GPS units, and WiFi.) It never has been the case before. 35mm film cameras were always more sophisticate than their larger brothers and that did not seem to bother photographers then.

I don't know how photographers put up with Alpa, Arca Swiss, Rodenstock, and Schneider. Imagine you have to reset the shutter manually after every exposure. No AF at all. Where is the auto bracketing? Or even the exposure modes? It is about time that manufacturers automated camera movements, especially for the price you pay. Or are tech camera manufacturers exempt from the need to innovate beyond the 19th century?

 

[Shashin]

So, Stefan, when do we see some of this great innovation you talk about in one of your own cameras? I hate to call you out on this, but it is easy to criticize...

 

[gerald.d]

I don't know how photographers put up with Alpa, Arca Swiss, Rodenstock, and Schneider. Imagine you have to reset the shutter manually after every exposure.

Imagine having to do that 92 times on the trot!

Virtual Tour generated by Panotour

No AF at all. Where is the auto bracketing? Or even the exposure modes? It is about time that manufacturers automated camera movements, especially for the price you pay. Or are tech camera manufacturers exempt from the need to innovate beyond the 19th century?

In the tech camera marketplace, you'll be seeing huge innovation tomorrow.

 

[Vivek]

So, Stefan, when do we see some of this great innovation you talk about in one of your own cameras? I hate to call you out on this, but it is easy to criticize...

I agree with that.

 

[Shashin]

The Sony RX1 is revolutionary by comparison...

Yeah, like a Minolta Hi-Matic with a sensor.

 

[pophoto]

Yeah, like a Minolta Hi-Matic with a sensor.

I have one of those! (without a sensor)

 

[pedro39photo]

I think that its was good to have a H5D 31MP entry level DMF for lower price (7.000Euros), not everyone need 40MP, but like to enter in the Medium Format.

The marketing for the medium format to be competitive need to be about the tecnical format of this cameras and not for "i have more pixels than the 35mm"

But i love the Hasselblad, and its good to see some news, i allready worked with the Phase P45 and its a great back but the camera base system its the same from 645AF from the 80´s....

Thanks, and i still love my H3D II 39MP and every work amazed me with the Raw files everytime!!!!
Pedro

 

[Stefan Steib]

So, Stefan, when do we see some of this great innovation you talk about in one of your own cameras? I hate to call you out on this, but it is easy to criticize...

Well- without arrogance, what my partners and I have already achieved with nearly no money is a worldrecord in digital wideangle, unprecedented until today. Of course this all has one big "IF": it will only be successful IF the Back makers will florish and devellop better and futureproof solutions.

HCam is already working on the B2, but this is only an evolution of the B1.
But with the B1 I think we already have done more Innovations than some other companies in years.

If I had some more R&D resources and money I am 100 % sure I could do more than this. 1. Step would be our own chip integrated into an EVIL body as described. Connected, computerized, remote and using as many pro Video resources as possible.

But - I don´t have and so I have to go other and slower ways.

in short - if I won´t do it someone else will do it. But it will happen anyway.

regards
Stefan

 

[fotografz]

I don't get it. Personally, I like things that work and evolutionary stuff tends to work with features I actual need and use.

Unknown to many, Hasselblad DID do an unexpected thing back some years ago ... they made a MFD H camera that shot direct DNGs ... great idea when it worked, but it was premature and ill fated. They immediately replaced the camera.

Now we may be premature thinking this is all there is. After all, Hasselbald's new owners did mention they were interested in new markets, and this camera wouldn't fulfill that any more than an H4D would.

Just speculating, but IF Hasselblad were to launch some cutting edge camera system at Photokina, wouldn't it be wise to soft launch the evolutionary H flagship camera to assure current H system users who DO like the camera and find it just dandy? I've got a ton of capital tied up in this system over and above the camera/back. I like the way it works and how reliable it has been through 6 bodies now, each one better than the last.

If Hassey had launched an "unknown" new technology no matter how cool it was, I'd be very slow to adopt it and interrupt the work flow, confidence and familiarity I have established with the H system. I know quite a few H users that count on their camera that feel the same.

I'll wait for the 18th to see what's up, or not. All I feel now is that the H is safe and not being replaced by some geek-o-rama tech fest with me as the beta tester after paying my $$$$$ like everyone else often does.

-Marc