its easy to come across as bashing hasselblad when expressing frustration at the lack of communication/stock availability/commitment to the future from them - that's not my intention.
I've been a Hassy shooter for a while now and I think the X1D is a thing of beauty. But they do have strong competition with the GFX 50/100 and I just hope they recognise that (I have/had brand loyalty with the H series - its hard for me to get onboard with the X series at this uncertain point)
Well, the X1D has been out for about three years. During these three years, Hasselblad released:
- The X1D, with pretty constant FW updates which not only fixed bugs but added a lot of features, some pretty substantial (i.e., electronic shutter);
- The 21mm, 30mm, 45mm, 65mm, 80mm, 90mm, 120mm Macro, 135mm lenses;
- 1.7 TC;
- Adapters to use H, V and X-Pan lenses;
- (Almost delivering) new battery charger + cable shutter release
Fuji released, in about the same timeframe:
- The GFX 50R, and recently the 50R (same camera, different body);
- 23mm, 45mm, 63mm, 110mm, 120mm Macro, 250mm, 32-64mm, 100-200mm;
- 1.4 TC;
- Adapters (H mount, macro adapters)
These are facts, pretty undeniable: HB released 1 camera (not counting the colour version, 4116, etc); 8 lenses; 1 TC converter; 3 adapters. Fuji released 1 camera + 1 of the same with different shaped body; 8 lenses; 1 TC converter; 1 H adapter and 2 macro adapter.
Plus, Fuji announced and prototyped their new 100MP version, which is not out yet; Hasselblad said they moved to an "announce when ready to ship" announcement policy, so they might as well have a new camera in the same stage of development as the Fuji 100MP, just we don't know about it. Or not. Either way, it doesn't seem to me that the lineup is much different, but I agree that he communication and marketing strategy are, and your comment tells me that Fuji's is probably more successful - at least with customer approaching their gear the way you do, of course, others might feel different.
Coming to communication etc., we are truly in the realm of opinions and personal preferences: some might prefer Fuji's approach, others Hasselblad's (or Leica's for that matter, since they are very similar). On the one hand, I appreciate it that everyone would like things to be communicated to them the way they like, but at the same time we should accept that camera makers might think differently. Whether we like it or not it's of course a different story - I came from three years of Leica, as an Ambassador, so trust me: I know your frustration, perhaps even more so since people for some reasons thought I should know all the secrets and just not tell them, while the truth was that I really didn't know much more that the general public - and if and when I did, I couldn't tell anyway, having signed a NDA.
About speculation, well that is fun, but is just that: fun, and an exercise, nothing more, as long as we don't have any more facts. Adding my .02 of speculation, this whole stock situation + the unloading of the old X1D demo cameras tell me that something is coming, and pretty soon too, since I don't quite see Hasselblad reps going to shows and such without any demo cameras. However, this is just my proverbial .02, nothing more.
Coming to your last message, you are obviously free to trust HB or not, of course, and I am not trying to change your mind (why would I). Personally, adding the facts up + the signs, I don't think HB is doomed, on the contrary. The X1D has been a great success, and they would be foolish not to capitalise and develop on that. As I said in my previous message, I very well could be wrong, but that's my impression
On a side note, I used Leica SL for three years, for most part of which we had the 24-90mm, 90-280mm and 50mm f/1.4 and that was it. Then, Leica released the 16-35mm. Then, the 75mm and 90mm. Total: 6 lenses in three years, vs. HB 9 in pretty much the same period of time. If you check the Leica forum, talks of doom periodically appeared; then, the L-mount alliance was announced and everyone rejoiced, then it appeared that Sigma didn't support the SL in their Sigma MC-21 adapter and everyone was pissed again, and so on... that's just life on forum. The real world, often, is much less dramatic
Best regards,
Vieri