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Donal Taylor
20-Oct-2004, 08:43
Slightly off-topic, but it seems like there is another casualty of the unexpectedly rapid growth of digital. Hasselblad seems to have announced they are laying off staff, phasing out the V film cameras and concentrating on digital cameras.

for those can can read Swedish better than me (my grandmother is Swedish, but I only have a smattering)

http://www.gp.se/gp/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=113&a=185270

John Kasaian
20-Oct-2004, 09:55
Dan,

LOL!

Jimi
20-Oct-2004, 10:08
Yeah, the article says another 60 persons have to go, on top of the earlier 175. There'll be 70 persons left, doing product developments in fine mechanics and final fit of the new digital cameras. Everything that's based on film will be discountinued, as far as I understand it. Whether the Xpan remains, I don't know, but the medium format has had its final run, it seems. They'll raise the prices and no discounts will be given anymore.

Ho-hum. Never was a Hasselblad guy, but it feels sad to pass over the bridge (I live in Gothenburg) and see that Hasselblad logo and knowing almost nothing is left except an empty brand, filled with asian electronics.

Ralph Barker
20-Oct-2004, 10:10
The press release regarding layoffs isn't up on the hasselbladusa.com site yet, and I don't read Swedish at all, so I can't comment on that aspect. The digital handwriting was already on the Hasselblad walls, however, when they merged with Imacon. It's only natural (and smart) for the company to respond to the market demand for digital - especially considering that portraiture, weddings, and fashion photography had been the mainstay for Hasselblad for years. Many (most?) portraiture, wedding and fashion shooters have already switched to GirlieMan digitals, so why not try to re-capture some of their traditional market?

martin_4668
20-Oct-2004, 10:32
First of all...i am well aware of the traditional square format for fine art and nature, but for Hasselblad, the real deal is in the fashion and commerce photography. Due the foramt off magazines and posters, the 645 format is much more convinient. Smaller cameras, smaller lenses etc. The large 22mp digital sensor also fits this format much better.

The traditional V system will not be discontinued. Its true they are laying of people, but thats only because Fuji is making their prime product (sales-wise) in Japan.

i have been working with the V system, and its good, but my Contax 645 is better, and have been "suffering" at least the same haevy use in my work as a nature photographer.

Hasselblad is evolving, change is good......

Ralph Barker
20-Oct-2004, 10:51
FWIW, Martin, I've always thought of my Hassy as a 645 that didn't have to be physically rotated, as the 645 aspect ratio can be cropped from 6x6 in either direction. Only on rare occasions have I used the full 6x6 square - when the subject demanded the square composition. So, while the Contax and Pentax guys were still fiddling with their cameras, I already had my shot. And, there ain't nothin like syncing fill flash outdoors at 1/500. ;-) But, I agree that evolution is a good thing for Hasselblad.

Ellis Vener
20-Oct-2004, 10:53
My contact at Hasselblad USA has asked the factory for clarification of the news release. So before you leap to any conclusions you might wantto rein in your horse.

Frank Petronio
20-Oct-2004, 11:02
Like Leicas, there are so many used Hasselblad 500 bodies that even if they ceased production today, it wouldn't matter for our lifetimes. When you can buy a mint hassy outfit on eBay for a third of the new price, why would anybody buy new?

george jiri loun
20-Oct-2004, 11:42
The article says that Hasseblad is about to end the production of film based cameras. They lose money on each film based camera. Prises on this kind of cameras will be higher now. The digital camera types will need to be renewed every few months...

Guy Tal
20-Oct-2004, 12:03
"Why not a square AF with an optional 645 back?"

Because Fuji doesn't have a design for it :)

Guy

tim atherton
20-Oct-2004, 12:14
Here's a rough paraphrase (not babelfish - by a Swedish speaker):

"60 more people are being laid off and the classical Hasselblad is being
phased out

The new danish management is cutting back activities in
Gothenburg significantly. It's the new strategy after merging Imacon and
Hasselblad.

30 white-collar and 30 production line people go. Management and
administration is now run from Kopenhagen.

Production of camera parts is out-sourced.

These 60 are over and above the 175 from earlier this year.

In the big new house that was built there will be about 70 left. Product
development (delicate mechanics) and assembly. Most assembly in the future
will require less people since Hasselblad is concentrating on wholly
digital cameras.

The digital part of production is taken care of in Copenhagen. All
electronic components are out sourced to Asia.

According to the new stategy plan the film models of Hasselblad will be
phased out (cf their FAQ my comment). The dramatic collapse of this market
has been accentuated the last few months. Hasselblad is losing money on
every camera sold.

Therefore management is taking action to lower sales. The rebates, up to
20% at the moment, will cease. The price will go up in order to compensate
for the exchange rate losses on the North American market

All taken together this means the time is out for the classic Hasselblad
model.

After merging with Imacon a digital camera has been produced in record
time (Imacon + H1).

The camera is sold for 165.000 SEK (divide by 7.36 to get USD) which is
half as much as the H1 with a separate digital back.

Hasselblad is looking for a profitable position in the segment for digital
MF.

The first version of H1D has 22 million px. The product is compared to the
another for professional users, the Canon EOS 1Ds that has 16,7 mp, but
costs half as much (the Canon).

Hasselblad is entering a whole new product cycle. Up until the recent H1
Hasselblad had essential been making and selling the same camera system
since the 60's. The product line of digital models will have to be renewed
as often as every few months."

Word from Sweden is that all film models are on the chopping block - some will just be phased out quiker than others with a few model bases becoming a part of the digital system

Mike Troxell
20-Oct-2004, 17:18
"Hasselblad is evolving, change is good......"

I believe the full quote is " Change is good, you go first...." :)

Enrico
20-Oct-2004, 18:24
Very well said Mike...

martin_4668
21-Oct-2004, 00:17
My contact at Hasselblad USA has asked the factory for clarification of the

news release. So before you leap to any conclusions you might wantto rein

in your horse.

--Ellis Vener

I am working in a shop with a vast stock and clients of both Hasselblad and Imacon. We are stocking the complete line. Our shop is less than 5km from the Imacon factory and office here in Copenhagen.

I am not reading press releases, I am talking to the production and sales people over a beer every now and then....I am not jumping to cinclusions.

To mike....well said, very "market-like" Our sales of V system has declined very much, but they move once in a while, the H system..well, the production cant keep up the demand.

John Kasaian
21-Oct-2004, 13:08
I guess this means that the next astronauts to moon walk might be packing Speed Graphics;-)

Lars Åke Vinberg
21-Oct-2004, 13:22
This thread seems to have gotten of on the wrong foot by posters who do not quite understand Swedish.

The fact is, Hasselblad is outsourcing production to cut cost, just like Leica and others have done for decades. Now, this is a newspaper article, not a press release - the journalist speculates that this is the death of film cameras at Hasselblad. I respectfully disagree.

george jiri loun
21-Oct-2004, 16:09
Sorry Lars, but I respectfully disagree with your words. Just a few citations from the article: "Hasseblad nu satsar allt pa heldigitala kameror" - Hasseblad now puts all the effort in to the entirely digital cameras". "I planen ingar att fasa ut de modeller som tillverkas för vanlig film" - "it is planned to phase out those models that are produced for normal film". "Sammantaget innebar det att den klassiska Hasselbladerens tid i praktiken ar ute" - All in all it means that the time for the classical Hasselblad cameras is over".

It's surely sad but yet another Swedish ikon is gone...

tim atherton
21-Oct-2004, 16:25
"It's surely sad but yet another Swedish ikon is gone..."

Dang - when did they get rid of Elin Nordegren and Saab...?

Frank Petronio
21-Oct-2004, 17:20
The latest Saab is based on a Subaru frame and guts, so there.

tim atherton
21-Oct-2004, 17:40
Oh well - I guess there's still ABBA, even if they are on 3/4

george jiri loun
21-Oct-2004, 17:52
Saab?? What's that???

Jim Rice
22-Oct-2004, 10:40
Before we were married (circa 1985) my wife went to buy a new car. After inquiring about a Saab, the salesman said "There's a reason why it's pronounced 'sob' " and sold her a Subaru GL. It was unkillable.

martin_4668
25-Oct-2004, 01:27
We´ve heard that Pentax wil quit their entire line of mediumformat. Extremely low sales, no possibily of digital backs.