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Buy Hasselblad online?!?!?!

svenlarson1978

New member
Well that means no need to go fly to Sweden or find a niche camera store to buy one!

Although I do like the human touch when it comes to Hasselblad camera buys. I mean, we're not a Canon/Nikon/Sony (no offense!)

Hasselblad Store
 

dave.gt

Well-known member
Well that means no need to go fly to Sweden or find a niche camera store to buy one!

Although I do like the human touch when it comes to Hasselblad camera buys. I mean, we're not a Canon/Nikon/Sony (no offense!)

Hasselblad Store
Well, this is certainly interesting but how do the prices match with BH photo?
Like you, I personally prefer the human touch experience because of the superb service and assistance I received from Capture Integration. In purchasing from CI, the experience was facilitated professionally and we were able to get the exact gear we needed that fit into our 5-year business plan.

But just as important was the epiphany that we found ourselves buying not only a system (CPO), but we were invested into a team that has been indispensable for our work. The sponsors of this website are all excellent professionals. My only experience has been with CI, and I can honestly tell you that being a part of a professional "team" has made all the difference and we are delighted with the personal and professional touch.

:):):)
 

hcubell

Well-known member
Well, this is certainly interesting but how do the prices match with BH photo?
Like you, I personally prefer the human touch experience because of the superb service and assistance I received from Capture Integration. In purchasing from CI, the experience was facilitated professionally and we were able to get the exact gear we needed that fit into our 5-year business plan.

But just as important was the epiphany that we found ourselves buying not only a system (CPO), but we were invested into a team that has been indispensable for our work. The sponsors of this website are all excellent professionals. My only experience has been with CI, and I can honestly tell you that being a part of a professional "team" has made all the difference and we are delighted with the personal and professional touch.

:):):)
I completely agree about CI. I would love to work with them, as I have in the past for P1 backs. Unfortunately, they have not been able to come up with a mutually acceptable arrangement with Hasselblad to become a dealer. I gather that the profit margin that Hasselblad's existing dealer network works with is not sufficient for dealers like CI to offer the level of dealer service and support that is customary for them.
 

ErikKaffehr

Well-known member
Hi,

I am quite comfortable with buying stuff on line. I have not bought any piece of photo gear in person for something like 20 years. That included Pentax 67, my Hasselblad/P45+ kit and my present Sony A7rII kit. But, that is just me.

Before buying, I try to get all available info and read up as much as possible.

Buying a technical camera, it may make sense to work with a dealer.

Best regards
Erik


Well that means no need to go fly to Sweden or find a niche camera store to buy one!

Although I do like the human touch when it comes to Hasselblad camera buys. I mean, we're not a Canon/Nikon/Sony (no offense!)

Hasselblad Store
 
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cerett

Member
Once I know what I want, I have no problems buying equipment through B&H. That is how I purchased my H6D-100c. They are extremely reliable and have always had great customer service. But, I do understand that when it comes to photography as a business, it might be better to go through a company like CI.
 

MrSmith

Member
Some dealers are operating in the luxury sphere where the customer journey is very important and helps with the post purchase rationalisation.
so a comfy leather sofa, a coffee machine in the corner, first name terms, phone calls out of hours and a little shove in the back to convince you that a blue ring round a lens is what you really need, after all whats a few more $k on such an investment.

others just want tools and the bottom line without the extra guff. personally i have no interest in P.O.A websites/dealers i just dont have the time or inclination and want a buy button and a delivery date.


the best customer journey i have ever seen is McLaren cars, you drive down a curved road with landscaped green grass either side and noting else to distract you , suddenly the low modern kidney shaped building is revealed but you circle round in a loop with just an infinity lake between you and the modern steel and glass construction, there at the end is a single pillar holding the roof up and your car sat there in the shade, behind is a concierge holding a set of keys and behind him is an arc of historic McLaren cars to give you sense of history and what you are buying into.

maybe camera manufacturers should take a few tips from them :thumbup:
 

dave.gt

Well-known member
Some dealers are operating in the luxury sphere where the customer journey is very important and helps with the post purchase rationalisation.
so a comfy leather sofa, a coffee machine in the corner, first name terms, phone calls out of hours and a little shove in the back to convince you that a blue ring round a lens is what you really need, after all whats a few more $k on such an investment.

others just want tools and the bottom line without the extra guff. personally i have no interest in P.O.A websites/dealers i just dont have the time or inclination and want a buy button and a delivery date.


the best customer journey i have ever seen is McLaren cars, you drive down a curved road with landscaped green grass either side and noting else to distract you , suddenly the low modern kidney shaped building is revealed but you circle round in a loop with just an infinity lake between you and the modern steel and glass construction, there at the end is a single pillar holding the roof up and your car sat there in the shade, behind is a concierge holding a set of keys and behind him is an arc of historic McLaren cars to give you sense of history and what you are buying into.

maybe camera manufacturers should take a few tips from them :thumbup:
Hahaha!! I do like that perspective you just presented about the history. That would be very cool.:)

With CI, I have found all the personal, professional and creative resources we need (along with the great contributors in this forum, of course). Having used BH for decades, and all the others, it was indeed a marvelous realization that I had support even on weekends or after hours. Rental? Absolutely! Creative assistance? Absolutely! Choices of matching the proper gear/tools for the task? Absolutely!

Value-added professionalism and assistance cannot be overstated. I still use online purchasing for the usual items, thanks BH!

I do realize of course, that we are fortunate to be within a few minutes drive to the Atlanta office... not many folks have that luxury, unfortunately.

A Hasselblad store is a great thing! Bravo!:):):)
 

dougpeterson

Workshop Member
the best customer journey i have ever seen is McLaren cars, you drive down a curved road with landscaped green grass either side and noting else to distract you , suddenly the low modern kidney shaped building is revealed but you circle round in a loop with just an infinity lake between you and the modern steel and glass construction, there at the end is a single pillar holding the roof up and your car sat there in the shade, behind is a concierge holding a set of keys and behind him is an arc of historic McLaren cars to give you sense of history and what you are buying into.

maybe camera manufacturers should take a few tips from them :thumbup:
Yes, but when your McLaren brake pedal starts feeling soft 6 months after you purchased, you might value a dealer who can:
1) Identify that it's a brake valve issue they've seen in a few of the same model, saving you time in troubleshooting, and potentially saving a major crises if left untreated
2) Loan you a suitable replacement vehicle while they service your car
3) Push back against the manufacturer if they don't realize this is a systemic issue that needs to be addressed
4) Suggest you buy a different model in the first place, because they, ultimately, are the ones that suffer more than the manufacturer if you aren't pleased with your purchase, and are in a unique position to see how real world users are finding the value, reliability, and quality from various models, accessories, and driving styles.

Analogies are always imperfect. But I find yours a pretty strong one for the value of a great Value Added Reseller and great Customer Experience overall.

Not to mention your analogy included shade, a concierge, and a history spiel - the car equivalent of the leather sofa, coffee machine, and first name terms. So you do appreciate being treated in a manner commensurate with the purchase you are making :)
 
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dougpeterson

Workshop Member
Once I know what I want
One of the primary purposes a good dealer serves is to help you determine what you want.

In person testing, on location testing, raw files (DT maintains a catalog more than 200gb of Raw files now, covering huge quantities of lens/back/body/exposure/genre combinations), rentals counted toward purchase, advice from their experience helping hundreds of photographers in situations similar to yours, and expertise so that during your testing you jump past some of the learning curve (e.g. we'll notice someone struggling with focus and suggest alternative settings or methodology based on how they're struggling).
 

MrSmith

Member
Analogies are always imperfect.
They are but mine is not meant as an analogy, it's just an example of a well executed customer journey for purchasing a super luxury item that is on another level compared to any camera manufacturer.
Unless you pop open the Cristal, do up the top button of your shirt and wear Berluti shoes when you hand over a IQ back?

I was there to photograph something not buying, I don't have £1.2 million to spend on a pointless bauble of car.

Being looked after by sales outlets should be a given be they internet based or the grocers down the road, the ones that do get your custom again, it's quite simple.
 

hcubell

Well-known member
Being looked after by sales outlets should be a given be they internet based or the grocers down the road, the ones that do get your custom again, it's quite simple.
Unfortunately, the world just doesn't work that way when it comes to highly sophisticated and specialized products like digital backs, technical cameras and the like. In most parts of the world, you pay way more for these products and get a fraction of the service compared to what you get from dealers like CI and DT.
 

dchew

Well-known member
Some dealers are operating in the luxury sphere where the customer journey is very important and helps with the post purchase rationalisation.
That's really funny! You should take a trip to Dodd Camera at 30th and Carnegie in downtown Cleveland. From the orange cones you navigate driving into the parking lot to the nuggets of things they have sitting in countless cabinets from some ancient trade-in, there is not too much "luxury" going around. Just form, function and service. Heck, you can choose from six different types of sand bags in their rental department. 6!

The most luxury you will find is probably across the street in a booth at the McDonalds. No, if it is luxury you are looking for you are in the wrong place. But if you need service, support, some odd way to do a crazy set up, or if you just want to say hello to some friends, then it is the place to be.

Dave
 

DSemick

New member
Thank you for your kind words Dave. :)

Dealers such as DT, CI and ourselves (Dodd Camera) sell solutions...not boxes. As Doug mentioned, we're here to help you figure out what you want or need. A vendors website isn't going to schedule a day for you to come in and compare files between them and their competitors.

If you remove guys like us from the equation and buy it from a faceless website, you also lose your advocate if/when things happen to go wrong.

Denny
 

hcubell

Well-known member
A friendly note to Mr. Smith about your signature line. It's unclear whether you are complaining that the dealers don't email you to sell you their stuff, or you are advising them NOT to email you to try to sell you stuff. If the latter, you should put a comma after the word "Dealers."
 

ErikKaffehr

Well-known member
Hi,

A real world story. A friend of mine got a Ferrari Modena. When purchasing, he paid a lot for putting the Ferrari on the official test bed and getting a delaer warranty. Unfortunately, the car went bad after an hour of driving and went into defaults - that means very uncomfortable driving.

So, my friend went to "Google" and found out that an accelerometer on the rear axle was at error. So, he goes back to that Ferrari dealer and they start to look for it. After half an hour my friend suggests that they may look for part number si and so. So dealer asks, "you install it yourself, i presume?". My friend said, "Yes".

Now, Ferrari drivers some times overestimate friction (with the road). So, my friend wound up his Modena around a quite normal Swedish tree in a quite normal Swedish forrest. So, he needed another Modena. Once he got the new one, he found it lacked the "umph". He explained, you are not supposed to press down on the throttle without getting scared. Six month later the dealer found that problem was the air flow meter. I understand that my friend is still in doubt about that explanation.

Unfortunately, my friend is not having any issues with the Ferrari, right now. Problem is his lost his driving license driving on a fine road with the wrong speed limit. It didn't happen to him in the Ferrari, but in the family car. Anyway, my friend now rides not a Ferrari but a municipal bus to the railway station...

Best regards
Erik


Yes, but when your McLaren brake pedal starts feeling soft 6 months after you purchased, you might value a dealer who can:
1) Identify that it's a brake valve issue they've seen in a few of the same model, saving you time in troubleshooting, and potentially saving a major crises if left untreated
2) Loan you a suitable replacement vehicle while they service your car
3) Push back against the manufacturer if they don't realize this is a systemic issue that needs to be addressed
4) Suggest you buy a different model in the first place, because they, ultimately, are the ones that suffer more than the manufacturer if you aren't pleased with your purchase, and are in a unique position to see how real world users are finding the value, reliability, and quality from various models, accessories, and driving styles.

Analogies are always imperfect. But I find yours a pretty strong one for the value of a great Value Added Reseller and great Customer Experience overall.

Not to mention your analogy included shade, a concierge, and a history spiel - the car equivalent of the leather sofa, coffee machine, and first name terms. So you do appreciate being treated in a manner commensurate with the purchase you are making :)
 

jduncan

Active member
Yes, but when your McLaren brake pedal starts feeling soft 6 months after you purchased, you might value a dealer who can:
1) Identify that it's a brake valve issue they've seen in a few of the same model, saving you time in troubleshooting, and potentially saving a major crises if left untreated
2) Loan you a suitable replacement vehicle while they service your car
3) Push back against the manufacturer if they don't realize this is a systemic issue that needs to be addressed
4) Suggest you buy a different model in the first place, because they, ultimately, are the ones that suffer more than the manufacturer if you aren't pleased with your purchase, and are in a unique position to see how real world users are finding the value, reliability, and quality from various models, accessories, and driving styles.

Analogies are always imperfect. But I find yours a pretty strong one for the value of a great Value Added Reseller and great Customer Experience overall.

Not to mention your analogy included shade, a concierge, and a history spiel - the car equivalent of the leather sofa, coffee machine, and first name terms. So you do appreciate being treated in a manner commensurate with the purchase you are making :)

Some will say if that is the case , then maybe buy a car that is not failing in just 6 months for 10 times less money?
And we know whom they represent in the camera world.

Best regards,
 

JeRuFo

Active member
I look a lot younger than I am (35), always have done. Because of that I have had quite a few slightly unpleasant experiences with dealers over the past 15 years or so that I have been more or less serious about photography. "Wow, that is a serious lens, you want to play with the big boys?" when I come to pick up a 50 1.4, or dealers being quite rude and giving advice to more senior customers that are lingering in front of a Leica display whilst helping me', after I've been waiting for close to an hour for my turn, and then forgetting a few times what I was asking for. That sort of thing. Nothing major, but enough to keep me from going to your shop. After a few times I got fed up with it and I have not purchased anything from a physical shop in quite a few years unless I have no other choice (like with my last example where I wanted to test out a few adapter plates for my LF cameras to see what system would work best for me. When he finally did figure out what I wanted and looked up a few he didn't even recognize my cameras as being cameras at all..) And yes, the two shops of these examples are Hasselblad dealers too and the ones closest to me too.
 

MrSmith

Member
A friendly note to Mr. Smith about your signature line. It's unclear whether you are complaining that the dealers don't email you to sell you their stuff, or you are advising them NOT to email you to try to sell you stuff. If the latter, you should put a comma after the word "Dealers."
it’s purely there to confuse people.:thumbup:
 

bab

Active member
Its a great marketing idea, especially for rental. Now we have a place to rent a 300mm HC lens.
 
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