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So it could not be done until this week

"That said, the ZD and Mamiya kit is a real breakthrough toward more affordable MF digital capture. It's great that MF digital has been opened up to more players who wouldn't otherwise be in the game at all due to the over-all price of entry. That first step is the hardest one, and the ZD has made it relatively easier."

That very much sounds like Hasselblad: we do what we do; others may play also; but we do what we do still - as if there are no others.

The ZD for people who can't afford Hasselblad? That's one way of looking at it.

One would have hoped that competition would be able to set prices in (downward) motion. But that only works, of course, if you recognize and acknowledge that there is competition to begin with.

Regarding competitors as companies that sell stuff to people that wouldn't buy your stuff to begin with is not even close.

So "What will Imablad do?"
"Nothing. Go on as if nothing happened."
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But mind you: it may work!

On the other hand: the similarly aloof attitude the then-owners held against digital almost put an end to Hasselblad.
 
Hasselblad has never been the least expensive player in the market ... just the opposite. Prices may not slide downward, but we may get more for the same money.

Mamiya's offering fits their brand positioning as well may Pentax if they ever get it together.

As far as prices are concerned, everyone has lowered the price of entry... just not enough yet. The first 16 meg Kodak DCS backs were $20,000. Adjusted for inflation, the current 16 meg digital offerings are less than half of that.

I'm off to a week of shooting on location, see ya all in a week : -)
 
Just the opposite indeed.

Not because they had to, because they could be (and then, why not? Right?).
And yes, they indeed could (well... as good as). Back then. But can they still be? Do they not too have to move with the market?

They are still playing in the wrong end of the market: the shrinking bit. The bit that needs livening up to change that.

"Not enough", and 'too late' also, are things they have become good at in Gothenburg.
Their expensive, already vacated, new building at Pumpgatan is iconic for how things go for the company - allusions (but mostly illusions) of grandeur, but no income to keep up the facade.

They do need to get cracking: compete with Mamiya, instead of again assuming an we're-above-it-all" attitude, and leave the market to Mamiya and whoever else decides that prices do indeed need to be lowered.

So we'll see.
 
I don't think the Mamiya is for people who can't afford the Hassy.
I can afford the Hassy at the moment but I have choosen the Mamiya because in my opinion it's a better way to start now cheaper and invest in lenses, I now have all the lenses I wanted from 35 - 80 - 120 - 105/210 and still have some money left for futher upgrades.

When I choose the Hassy way I would have had the H2D22 and probarbly one or two lenses and would be out of budget for this year.

The choice is more an economical than a losers system :D
 
G'Day Frank:

Pay no attention to those who would take a walk down the 'slippery road' of "price=performance".
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Although it is generally true that a well made product (automobile, camera, coffee, T-Shirt, etc.) will cost more, you don't always get what you pay for.

Nor do you have to follow the road that says "if you can afford it, you should have it". Sam Walton drove an old pick-up truck most of his life. I think he could have bought a fancy SUV or sports car. I guess he just liked his old truck, and saw value for money.

Consumers are much more informed than they ever were, and the smart companies are listening to what the consumers are demanding - regarding capability, performance and price. The smart companies.

I 'love' my Hasselblad 500 series because it has always been a good 'tool' for me. And yes, I can be happy just to hold one, to enjoy the design and to marvel at the thought that went into the modular concept. The same goes for my Leicas. Even my brassed up old Nikon F. But the reality is that the times they are a changin', and I'm not sure that at least one, maybe two, of "my" manufacturers are able to keep up to speed. (Or maybe they want "out" of the amateur world entirely. They sure are producing fine, though expensive and elite, products)
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Your explanation here why you chose a Mamiya set-up makes a lot of sense to me. And the results you displayed support your decision. (I didn't see an automatic watermark over your pictures that said "taken with a cheapo Japanese MF camera.")

Once again, "horses for courses" for everyone here (and what would I do with all my collection), but the Mamiya seems like a bargain workhorse to me, with thoroughbred breeding, and the ability to win.
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Cheers,

Colin
 
In a similar vein, I have two Mamiya 6 bodies and the three lenses which were available for it plus the associated close up and panoramic kits. i keep one with the panoramic adapter permanently affixed. I have had these since 1996 and although I don't use them much now since I am looking for an economical way to scan medium format, I love them. They take excellent pictures and are generally a joy to use. They were superseded by the Mamiya 7 as it was thought at the time that the 6x7 format was preferable to the 6x6 format. I know that it was a good choice since one very rarely sees Mamiya 6 gear for sale. People are hanging on to it.
Best wishes,
John
 
So there we have it: a those-people-wouldn't-buy-our-product-anyway-so-why-try-to-compete? attitude will serve no purpose, except perhaps make sure that some people may indeed not buy "our-product", just because of such a silly attitude.

If that would indeed be what they are thinking, one has to wonder where Hasselblad will move to next. A shed in the back of the CEO's garden?
Let's hope that the competition (Mamiya, Hy6, hopefully others too) will be able to set things moving in the right direction, keeping MF alive in the Digital Age too.
 
Frank:

Beautiful!

Hasselblad prices have come down just since last year on the H system and I know that in todays market they will have to compete with Mamiya and others. If for no other reason 35mm has done some old fashion b___kicking, so for now especially there are fewer fish in the water. There are many professionals that have and continue to use Mamiya and there are countless, of magazines and magazine covers shot with Mamiya cameras and lenses.

This week I spoke to camera store owners and managers all over the USA and learned that Hasselblad has imposed such large stocking programs that many do not want to invest so much money into one line of products, V included and no longer continue to stock their products.

I am willing to wager that if you had conducted a test on this forum asking which system was used for your photographs, you would not goton many takers putting money on the line attempting to identify the system.

BTW: Frank this is the medium format forum!

Regards:

Gilbert
 
I think you can never guess from an internet version from which camera it came (well ok a P&S maybe :D)

I know it the medium format forum but it's very quiet at the Mamiya board :D
 
Frank wrote:
I know it the medium format forum but it's very quiet at the Mamiya board :D

It will get busy soon.

Eduardo
 
"I know it the medium format forum but it's very quiet at" another part of the medium format forum.
???
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