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Upgrade Frustration

G

googaliser

Member
I have a rather frustrating situation. I am off to Asia for 3 years to work on a specific project. My rangefinder and a DSLR will be my work horses. I am therefore selling-off any equipment that is likely to depreciate or is bulky. I want to travel light and don't want to put valuable equipment into storage.

Unfortunately my H3DII50 and lenses may have to go. I haven't decided yet - but its an option. It ticks the depreciation, bulky and not going to be used extensively boxes. Its a tough and somewhat sad decision to have to make - but prgmatism and commercial reality must prevail. If I leave H - I may return - but this isn't a camera to have just sitting on a shelf for a few years - it needs to earn its keep.

When I bought the 50 - I was told by my dealer that I would get an upgrade to the 60 - when available for £X. Confirmed apparently by H. That was a year ago - and still no date for the 60 upgrade.

I have asked my dealer for this in writing - they have said 'no' - speak to H. I sent H a letter last week - no response yet.

I need H to confirm the upgrade option in writing and whether it is transferable. This obviously makes a big difference to the attractiveness secondhand (read 'value') of my 50 should I decide to sell it.

I am seriously frustrated because we are dealing with big money here, and I don't actually know for sure what I own - or therefore can sell.

Part of the enjoyment of owning aspirational equipment is that the owner is treated with respect, honesty and a first class service. I cannot say that I am experiencing this with H. Don't even get me started on the delays and lack of clarity.

This experience may well result in a self-fulfiling prophecy where I do sell the camera and may never return to H. My rangefinder manufacturer is very keen to offer an alternative solution on trial.

Any views on this would be much appreciated.

Rgds
 
For several reasons this is a sad message.

It is sad to see an owner of a an excellent H series camera offer his kit for sale for practical reasons that are absolutely valid.

It is even more sad to read that communication from Hasselblad is still not up to the level that can be expected from a leader of the industry.
Better communication and more respect for customers must be the areas where the new CEO of Hasselblad must invest.
No excuse that Hasselblad currently has a much smaller staff than it used to have in the days of V series cameras.

Would you believe the name of the Hasselblad owner that bought about every lens, body, digital back including an Imacon scanner was not even known by the former CEO?
To make matters worse this client was also one of the photographers whose work was shown more often by Hasselblad.


Paul
 
paul,,

stop us from drooling...my money is now hostage by my camera shop...i am waiting for my h4d60..So now , hassy said late march... but i feel for you googliezer.. can you delay your trip a few months...

lemon
 
Thanks guys. I cannot delay my trip... So the options as I see it are:

1) Bring the 50 with me - wait until H finally get their act together - ship it back to Europe - pay the upgrade cost, deal with a whole world of potential customs issues, ship it back to Asia. Now I'm out of pocket by the camera value & the upgrade cost - and since I'm out in Asia - may be trickier to sell.

2) Sell the 50 as is and let the buyer fight it out with H as to whether the camera or the original buyer were entitled to the upgrade. I take a big financial hit since I would only get current 50 market value.

3) Sell the 50 now with an upgrade option to someone who desperately wants one. I put the money to better use & I return to H when my work warrants it again.

Clarity from H on this would be much appreciated. A year ago I refused to buy the 50 without the upgrade option - who would pay fair money now for one without it ??

Rgds
 
Option 1a:

Depending on when the 60MP body becomes available you could leave the 50 MP body with Hasselblad or your dealer and have them ship the 60 MP to you or sell the 60 MP as soon as it is available.

Potential buyers of a 60 MP body will pay more than the current value of the 50MP + the cost to upgrade.
 
polypal said:
Option 1a:

Depending on when the 60MP body becomes available you could leave the 50 MP body with Hasselblad or your dealer and have them ship the 60 MP to you or sell the 60 MP as soon as it is available.

Potential buyers of a 60 MP body will pay more than the current value of the 50MP + the cost to upgrade.
Click to expand...

That is of course a very smart idea - as we have come to expect from you Paul. Thank you...
 
Still no reply to my Email dated 10th February to David Summerfield at Hasselblad UK.

Paul Claesson - if you're reading, your UK colleagues are letting the side down here...
 
they told me $8k at the time at purchase of the h3d50...to get the the h3d60...its now like 12.5k for the h4d...ok....ok...

i just wished..they get the numbers right...Paul..what the explanation on this..deal..


Lemon
 
Isn't there a regional rep for Hasselblad that your dealer can contact?

My dealer here in Michigan talks directly to Gina, the regional rep for our area. We've never talked directly to Hasselblad in Sweden/Denmark.

The dealer should be handling this, and should have provided the upgrade confirmation paper work ... I get all information and documents from my dealer ... and he keeps a copy for himself. He has all of my records and warranty information in duplicate.

When I decided to upgrade my H3D-II/39 to a H4D/60 through the Hasselblad trade promotion last September, I sent a Purchase Order to my dealer, who then forwarded a sales order to Hasselblad.

Phase One and Leaf are the same. Dealers are the contact point. This is the reason you have to carefully shop for dealers as well as cameras.



There are couple of things you could do:

The real attraction isn't necessarily just the 60 ... it's the H4D. Your 50 can be upgraded to a H4D/50 in Denmark.

The 50 meg is still an attractive option for many compared to the 60. It does longer time exposures and works with the HCD lenses without any additional crop factor. The 50 performance is a known, the 60 is not.

As I understand it, warranties on used Hasselblads are not transferable to the next owner without an inspection and approval of the camera in Denmark. What you have to do is clarify how immediately turning around and selling a H4D/60 to a different person would be handled by Hasselblad. IMO, that is a dealer issue.

The release date of the H4D/60 is projected as being late March ... maybe ... and maybe not. Plus, there is no way of telling where you will be on the list of those waiting for the new camera when it does start shipping. Frankly, I have no idea when mine will be available either. I'm hoping it is by June 2010 because my H3D-II/39 warranty expires then. That is also a dealer issue.

I'd get going on selling the lenses immediately. PM me if you have a 35-90 zoom : -)

-Marc
 
Thanks - thankfully I received clarification from my dealer. The new owner will have the H4D upgrade option. I have decided to sell - please see the classifieds if interested
 
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