Hello and not good bye

[najobskalf]

Deserter!

I confess to having sent my entire, much loved, Hasselblad V system with two 503CWs, CF lenses from 40 to 180mm to ffordes! I waited for an affordable bigger-than-16MP digital back and when it arrived on the market at last, I realized that I would have to sell my Hasselblad gear to buy it - which would have been pointless. So I now have a Canon EOS 5D MkII, with 16-35mm and 70-200mm zoom lenses, 100mm macro, etc, etc. If I couldn't have Zeiss I was prepared to settle for Canon. It's as heavy as the Hasselblad, but a lot more versatile (for an amateur like me, at any rate). Incidentally, I tried using a Hasselblad 150mm Sonnar on the Canon via an adapter and the performance is superb, as you would expect. So, rather sadly, I have defected. However, unless I am banned from this forum for this unspeakable behaviour, I shall continue to follow the discussions with great interest.

 

[polypal]

Hello najobskalf,


The forum is broadminded, no pun intended here, and certainly values your honesty.
These things happen and like has often been said before nothing that can not be undone.
You would not be the first to at least partly come back on this decision.
After all there is a large amount of good used Hasselblad equipment on offer......

I remember quite a number of your posts and only regret we have not seen any recently. Please keep in contact.
An occasional picture shot with Canon does not hurt provided the picture is worth it of course.

I wish you good light and many excellent pictures with your new camera.


Paul

 

[najobskalf]

Defected

Paul Thank you for the kind words. I was incredibly busy over the past year (in spite of having supposedly retired) and had som non-serious illnesses. That and all the guilt and angst over letting my Hasselblad stuff go! (My most used lens now is the "kit" 24-105mm L series zoom. There is something quite special about the Zeiss lenses, though, other than their optical performance. Their build quality. I was sorry that Hasselblad did not maintain its relationship with Oberkochen. Clever firmware is not the whole answer.) I wonder whether the new Leica S2 lenses will be made by Leitz - surely they wouldn't outsource those? I wonder when the S2 will end up cheap on the used market - maybe in my grandchildrens' lifetimes.

 

[polypal]

As to the future and background of the S2 by Leica I have serious doubts.
Could be those cameras will be for sale a lot faster for reduced prices than Leica has in mind.

A kit with three lenses is going to cost the user around 30.000 euro.
I suppose there are not that many enthusiasts eagerly waiting to hand over that kind of money
for a camera that has yet to proof it is worth it.
I have no doubt lenses for the S2 are of mouthwatering quality.
These lenses are made by Leica, no third party production.

It will be difficult for Leica to get a piece of the action:
Hasselblad has reduced the prices for the H series last year by about 40%.
What is more Hasselblad offers the CFV39 at a strategic moment to keep all users of V series cameras aboard.
It seems the marketing department of Hasselblad is alert on any new developments.
In a way users of V series may thank Leica for the S2 camera.
It made Hasselblad decide to give us the CFV39 the first new addition for the V series in 5 years, not counting the upgrade of the CFV16.

I am happy to report sales of the CFV39 have far exceeded Hasselblads estimates.You could say this DB is selling like hot cakes.
Quite a surprise for Hasselblad and maybe enough to make Hasselblad consider a new line of lenses is to follow now.
Carl Zeiss lens department has developed a great line of new glass for the now obsolete Contax 645 camera.
The 120 APO lens is a gem that could be a worthy successor of the 120 Makro-Planar.