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New H-BLAD/Sony A99 camera
- Thread starter markymarkrb
- Start date
dougpeterson
Workshop Member
Staying terrestrial this time?
I was expecting the "supernova" or "galaxy".
I was expecting the "supernova" or "galaxy".
EH21
Member
Definitely a surprise! I think it takes impressive hutzpah to market $2500 camera as a $11500 luxury item. I hope that these moves don't backfire on Hasselblad and dilute their good name and brand equity.
For about a week, I thought they had brought the ship back on course with the CMOS multishot back announcement.
For about a week, I thought they had brought the ship back on course with the CMOS multishot back announcement.
richardman
Well-known member
"good name and brand quality"
You mean like the Stellar and the like?
You mean like the Stellar and the like?
GrahamWelland
Subscriber & Workshop Member
I think that ship has sailed. For a brief, brief, moment I thought that Hasselblad were getting their mojo back with the CMOS based sensor announcement pre-announcement. However, they dashed that idea yet again with this corker.
Maybe they think that if they keep doing this and adding very little value-add to the underlying products that people will eventually believe that they're making significant advances. Personally, I think that on one hand they're owners of one of the best MF systems on the planet and on the other they're the monkey humping the football.
From their site: "Finally a DSLR with style, spirit and soul", "High performance has never been so luxurious".
A camera for the newly rich in emerging markets? Might work?
I guess the camera itself can be quite good, Sony A99 is not a bad camera, if they've put a sane user interface on it. And the rebranded B&W outdoor case should be nice too.
But seeing the abuse of the brand is very very sad indeed. But actually, I don't think it affects how professionals look upon their medium format cameras, if they just continue to deliver proper cameras in that space. I don't think professionals will go "oh, I'm not going to buy an Hasselblad H camera because they also make stupid rebranded overpriced Sony cameras". I think the professional customers would just see it as an embarassing side product they do and not really care much about it.
A camera for the newly rich in emerging markets? Might work?
I guess the camera itself can be quite good, Sony A99 is not a bad camera, if they've put a sane user interface on it. And the rebranded B&W outdoor case should be nice too.
But seeing the abuse of the brand is very very sad indeed. But actually, I don't think it affects how professionals look upon their medium format cameras, if they just continue to deliver proper cameras in that space. I don't think professionals will go "oh, I'm not going to buy an Hasselblad H camera because they also make stupid rebranded overpriced Sony cameras". I think the professional customers would just see it as an embarassing side product they do and not really care much about it.
Jorgen Udvang
Subscriber Member
I doubt that it keeps Hasselblad alive. Also, their intense efforts trying to hide the fact that it's a Sony camera with lots of lipstick applied, even to the point that the 18 page brochure doesn't mention with a single word that there are other (Sony) lenses than the 24-70mm available, leaves me with a very foul taste.
But they are right about one thing "... this is not just another black camera."
It's what appears to be a discontinued Sony for 3 times the street price :chug:
Although I don't think it will have any significant impact on how pro customers look at their MF cameras, there are some problems.
Releasing this product, as well as their "ferrari edition" previously signals to me that this is a company in trouble. You may be less interested in making long-term investement in a system coming from a company that does not seem to be doing well.
At least I like to support companies that do good things. Making obviously ripoff cameras is certainly not adding up on the plus side. But hey, they still do the best MF-DSLR camera, so if one wants that Hasselblad it is, and that is what's going to matter in the end I think.
Releasing this product, as well as their "ferrari edition" previously signals to me that this is a company in trouble. You may be less interested in making long-term investement in a system coming from a company that does not seem to be doing well.
At least I like to support companies that do good things. Making obviously ripoff cameras is certainly not adding up on the plus side. But hey, they still do the best MF-DSLR camera, so if one wants that Hasselblad it is, and that is what's going to matter in the end I think.
Quentin_Bargate
Well-known member
I like it (save for the price). And if it means Hassy get closer to Sony, who will be supplying both Phase One and Hassy with their new 50mp CMOS sensor, so much the better for them in the long run.
In my main job, I work in an extreme luxury market, my firm helping clients buy, sell and build superyachts. This is a world where style is key, price less so. This, and the vast market in China, India etc where new millionaires are everywhere is where I suspect Hasselblad see this camera having particular attraction.
Its clever marketing, and as Jono says, it won't affect pros buying their medium format products.
In my main job, I work in an extreme luxury market, my firm helping clients buy, sell and build superyachts. This is a world where style is key, price less so. This, and the vast market in China, India etc where new millionaires are everywhere is where I suspect Hasselblad see this camera having particular attraction.
Its clever marketing, and as Jono says, it won't affect pros buying their medium format products.
ptomsu
Workshop Member
The ones buying this camera will most probably not even look for another lens
richardman
Well-known member
I have heard that the "emerging market" that is China isn't so hot any more. When the rich Chinese starts to unload their Leica and Hassy...
Who cares? Hassy's not stupid. They know the average photographer knows exactly what it and the Lunar, etc., are. They and Sony aren't after that crowd.
They want folks who, as Quentin described, care far more for style, name recognition and having something different vs. the rest of their like-minded circle of friends vs. value and actually taking pictures. They could care less what sits inside the premium materials exterior - they're only going to take web-sized Instagram-esque jpegs anyway. Maybe 1/10 of 1% of these bodies will ever be set to RAW capture or have images see the inside of CS_.
Also, if these abominations bring in Euros and a tighter relationship with Sony, even at the cost of 1001 jokes on the web, go right ahead.
Sony has sensor tech, $$$, reach and manufacturing/marketing scale, a nice relationship with Zeiss on glass design. In turn, Hassy has strong premium-camera name recognition, their MF & rental installed base, a fat lens mount, shutter tech, lens correction firmware and True Focus. One of the next joint products could be very interesting...
They want folks who, as Quentin described, care far more for style, name recognition and having something different vs. the rest of their like-minded circle of friends vs. value and actually taking pictures. They could care less what sits inside the premium materials exterior - they're only going to take web-sized Instagram-esque jpegs anyway. Maybe 1/10 of 1% of these bodies will ever be set to RAW capture or have images see the inside of CS_.
Also, if these abominations bring in Euros and a tighter relationship with Sony, even at the cost of 1001 jokes on the web, go right ahead.
Sony has sensor tech, $$$, reach and manufacturing/marketing scale, a nice relationship with Zeiss on glass design. In turn, Hassy has strong premium-camera name recognition, their MF & rental installed base, a fat lens mount, shutter tech, lens correction firmware and True Focus. One of the next joint products could be very interesting...
I would bet it's a rebranded B&W outdoor case. I have a Linhof-branded case to my Techno, rebranded B&W with like 3x price increase. Probably a minor markup compared to Hasselblad's though
.Well, at least it comes with the 24-70mm f2.8 lens.
So its about a $4800 package with a $150 case sold for $11500 Still, not exactly a high value item obviously.It's mildly amusing that the only one posting here that actually owns a medium format Hasselblad camera is not at all bothered by this overpriced novelty. More amusing is that someone connected with the Rolleiflex/Hy6 company would be making observations as to how Hasselblad should or should not build its brand.
Andy Biggs
Member
Fools. Complete fools.
Those that buy them? Those that sell them? Or those that care about it one way or the other?