Medium Format Forum

Register a free account now!

If you are registered, you get access to the members only section, can participate in the buy & sell second hand forum and last but not least you can reserve your preferred username before someone else takes it.

Whats going on

doronski

New Member
As I posted here previously, I had my V system gear stolen and I am still trying to replace it all. Yesterday a distributor wrote to me and said that the 120mm Makro Planar lens "is no longer being made and not available anymore." I know there are some vendors that have stock but the sentiment was disturbing. Any thoughts?
 
That's a rotten thing to happen to you, at least the thief has taste. I have a fear that Hasselblad will become only a badge for an over-priced bit of Far Eastern digital kit. Zeiss optics are likely to have no place in this.
 
Relax lads, all's well.

I know of no announcement of any lenses being discontinued. The 120 is still listed on the Hasselblad site. All the V lenses can be used on the newer H bodies ... and Hasselblad continues to support the V system with digital solutions... that work on even the oldest body.

My V equipment has never been so busy, film one minute, digital the next.

The Zeiss optics perform wonderfully, and will do so well into the future.
 
Thanks Marc and others who have commented. This however is a cut and paste from the New Zealand dealer that I contacted:

Hello 50mm lens is due anytime soon (1-2 weeks). The price is $4775.50 inc GST. 120mm has been discontinued and no longer available. PME-45 is due the same time as the 50mm and the price is $2813.00.

As he is an official 'blad dealer this still concerns me.

Doron
 
Maybe the answer is to email hasselblad-usa to see what comments they have regarding this lens' possible/actual demise
 
Being an Australian, I have no surprise that in NZ you might have been given a "bum steer".

There have been absolutely NO announcements about any of the V series lenses being discontinued in the past year. I say this confidently because I am on both Hasselblad and Zeiss' e-newsletter lists and receive their printed publications regularly too.

I'm sure if you contact a real (I mean substantial) distributor or dedicated professional MF dealer in places like the US or UK you will find the NZ guy is wrong.

But I could be wrong
happy.gif
so I have called the Australian exclusive Hasselblad importer and they told me there has been no such announcement.

Whenever I am concerned about such announcements I always email the manufacturer and find I get responses in about 24 hours - so you can always get the truth "from the horse's mouth" and email Zeiss and Hasselblad if you like
happy.gif
.

It is possible there is a big delay in availability as production numbers must be relatively small these days and these lenses may be batch produced which can cause big gaps in availability if current stocks sell quickly - and a dope in NZ might interpret such a message as production cessation.
 
A point of CLARIFICATION - the CFi version of the Makro-Planar 120mm is itself was recently REPLACED by a CFE version of the same lens. The 120m remains available.

If your dealer anywhere in the world is out of stock, then next shipments of 120mm lenses will be CFE versions only and depart the factory on 21st May for their destinations.

So, a dope would say "the 120mm has been discontinued" and fail to add that a 120mm CFE has be inserted - an announced change to the 120mm as Hasselblad elected to offer the data-bus feature in this focal length - a likely response to increasing customers' preference for a CFE version that now justifies the higher manufacture cost of that focal length.

I would not be surprised if Hasselblad progress CFE replacements for CFi only lenses over the near future - the H series CF adapter offers great functionality for V series CFE lenses and the increasing use of digital backs on V series bodies enables those users added features only enabled by data-bus fitted lenses.

And, in case anyone wonders - the optical formula etc remain as per the CFi lens - the 120mm remains in production but just as a CFE lens.

I hope this puts the concern to rest.
 
Back
Top