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Hy6, more lives than a cat

I love the Hy6, such a beautiful system! Glad to see they're back in some kind of production. It killed me that Leica bought SINAR instead of Rollei. What I really want to see though, is the Rolleiflex FX-N back in production. I hate thinking we live in a world where you can't buy a new Rolleiflex if you want one.
 

DougDolde

Well-known member
Does Phase or Leaf still make a back that fits this camera? Seems like they would have a tough time getting any traction if not.
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
One day I'm going to break down and buy a HY6 to support my Rollei lenses that I have for my 6008 I2 and 6006. I've looked forever to find a P20 DB for the Rollei but maybe the best solution is to suck it up and get the plastic fantastic HY6 which at least supports better MFDBs.

Very happy to see another one of the nine lives for this system ... !! :thumbs:
 

MrSmith

Member
a credo 80 and HY6 would be more expensive (by the price of a mirrorless MFD body) than a H6D-100c here in the UK with no dealer support and no trade-in option.
is there even a market for this camera? i get that if there was an ecosystem of backs/software/support around it then its a great piece of kit but without these it seems like pissing in the wind.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
a credo 80 and HY6 would be more expensive (by the price of a mirrorless MFD body) than a H6D-100c here in the UK with no dealer support and no trade-in option.
is there even a market for this camera? i get that if there was an ecosystem of backs/software/support around it then its a great piece of kit but without these it seems like pissing in the wind.
For those with a good selection of lenses for the camera, I suppose it is an alternative. Then there are those who simply like it or who have one that they will replace. Finally, there are some hardcore film users that insist on being able to use film (6x6) and digital on the same autofocus camera body and who have enough money not to care about that side of the equation.

There are a thousand rational reasons not to buy this camera, but I could think of a few good reasons not to buy a Nikon F6 back in the day as well. It didn't help much :)
 

Geoff

Well-known member
Lovely system. Been using Hy6 since 2011, and Rollei 6000 since 1992. Totally flexible, and very well thought out. Taken Hy6 up to 14,000' and into Ecuadorian jungle, no problems.
 

dougpeterson

Workshop Member
Leaf Credo 60 and 80 apparently still come with Hy6 mount.
I can confirm we can still deliver Credo in Hy6 mount. However, and this is not sales BS, I believe there is exactly one left in new inventory and I'm unclear whether they can/will still make production runs in the future. It was never a big seller, even by niche standards.

Point being, I'd suggest, very strongly, looking at a system that has modern/ongoing support like the XF or H system. However, if you love the Hy6 (and I agree there is a lot to love) and want a Leaf digital back for it, I'd email us soon.
 

Stuart Richardson

Active member
I used to use the Hy6. It is a nice camera with a good interface. I think it is probably best suited to use with a film back these days. For the cost of getting a modern digital back on there, I feel the returns would be limited. The lenses were very nice, but I am not sure how well they will suit high megapixel digital. When I switched to the S system, the lenses were clearly better prepared for digital. The Phase, Hasselblad, Leica, Fuji and Pentax options suggest to me that the reasons for the Hy6 are not really so strong anymore...especially given the extremely precarious nature of the company. I waited a few years for the 6x6 film back before I finally gave up and left the system. They did eventually make it, but it was too late for me...
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
I used to use the Hy6. It is a nice camera with a good interface. I think it is probably best suited to use with a film back these days. For the cost of getting a modern digital back on there, I feel the returns would be limited. The lenses were very nice, but I am not sure how well they will suit high megapixel digital. When I switched to the S system, the lenses were clearly better prepared for digital. The Phase, Hasselblad, Leica, Fuji and Pentax options suggest to me that the reasons for the Hy6 are not really so strong anymore...especially given the extremely precarious nature of the company. I waited a few years for the 6x6 film back before I finally gave up and left the system. They did eventually make it, but it was too late for me...
Exactly! This camera is the only 6x6 AF camera around, the only competitor being the 6008 AF. To me that's a tempting option, although a rather expensive way to shoot film.
 

DougDolde

Well-known member
I used the Roller 6008 Integral for a while with film. It was a nice camera with good lenses.

But who wants to shoot film anymore ? Certainly not me but I know some do.
 

DeckardTrinity

New member
I do as well, although have precious little free time these days to shoot either.

I got into the Hy6 system about 7 years ago, and still think it is a great system that was all but abandoned by those who created it. I shoot whatever slide, negative, or b&w film I can get my hands on through it, and when I want digital, the Credo 80 back produces the most stunning images coupled with all of the Schneider glass that make up the Hy6 ecosystem. Just like the music industry, I think we will see a resurgence of film in the photography industry - we went from vinyl, to tape / vinyl, to CD, then all sorts of weird pseudo recordable digital formats (DAT, MD, DCC, ADAT, etc), then pure digital (MP3, AAC, FLAC), and now, after all of these years, wouldn't you know it, but the vinyl market has been _growing_ these past few years, while CD sales shrivel up. And tape is even making a comeback in some niche areas too.

I'm going to sit tight and hold on to all of my Hy6 gear - shoot it, care for it, and hopefully one day, make some money off of it in the form of sales to clients who want an artistic look with film, alongside the purity of a digital capture.
 

FromJapan

Member
A surprising number of photographers still shoot film, and I am glad to say that my film sales business is doing well.

Kumar
 
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