Why No Hasselblad Reviews?

Hello,

just wondering, does anyone know why there are no reviews of Hasselblad or Mamiya digital cameras on this site?

Thanks in advance.

Bjorn.

Ugh, I don't know if they are even available yet.

Secondly phil would have to receive one

thirdly, It would have to get in his que for review (not everything gets reviewed)

fourthly, reviews take time. Figure a few months from the time it hits the street.

I would guess though that a review is more likely at a site like luminous landscapes. Micheal is a MF/LF guy. If you are looking at that kind of gear, that site is the place to look.

Thanks,

the reason I ask is because the line with medium format is getting more and more blurred and would be great to see some of these brands added to the site.

A review of something like the Hasselblad H2D (which has been out for a while) would be great and once the new 39mp H2D39 and the 22mp ZD come out, a review of those would garner a lot of interest I am sure.

Bjorn.

There are lots of equipment which is not reviewed on this site, that is even more relevant. Lenses and printers would be nice. For MF gear, there are other places, like luminous-landscape and rob galbraith.

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Zakk 9, the number 9 zakk

Hi! I would love to read high level medium format digital review like only Phil is able to do.
Kind regards
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Se

This is just a simplistic guess...maybe, with all the digicams out there, plus the usual dSLR releases for 80% of us (E330, 30D, D200, etc.), I would assume that the actual market for the Hasselblad would be so small that the review time is better spent on something that most of us may even consider buying, say, between $500 to $2000...the hasselblad market is quite limited, wouldn't you think???...and, one who would buy it is probably not seeking advice from forums like this...IMHO
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To be is to do...Socrates
To do is to be...Sartre
Do be do be do...Sinatra

I see your point Marsha but by reviewing these high-end cameras this website could really establish itself as 'the source' for everything 'digital camera.' Until DPReview does this, I don't think it could make this claim (I am not sure whether it makes this claim right now or not but the site does have a very good reputation).

Given how many hundreds of cameras are already reviewed here, it would be great if they could also add this relatively small number of what seem to me to be truly ground-breaking cameras.

Here's to DP Review becoming the 'Borg' of camera review sites.

Bjorn.

so it would be hard to sell 7MP cameras once the folks have seen what a 22MP camera can do.

I suspect at least one magazine has reduced its standard of printing so people won't notice the limitations of digital cameras.

Seems to me that anyone needing a very high megapixel back, body and lenses would not read reviews on a site such as DPReview. In all probability, they would rent / borrow a system for evaluation from a pro-camera supplier and trust the word of other photograpers who use the system.

Besides, DPreview caters to consumer cameras such as the D2x and 1Ds-II which are in the general price range that a large number of folks can buy I suspect that the price range of the Hassy / Mamyia is currently well beyond the price range of the Canon / Nikon crowd.
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tony
http://www.tphoto.ca

I think the opposite is true. Especially with super high-end cameras there are features and capabilities that are not readily apparent by renting it for a day or two.

I thiink many pros already use the reviews on this site recognizing that it makes a lot more sense for one person to do a super thorough review and to make all that detailed information for the pros to use.

I think it is true that someone buying an expensive camera such as a Hasselblad, etc. would not buy it without first testing it for a day or so but that by no means means that the review would be rendered redundant. I think it would be an extremely useful reference for comparison of ones personal test experience with the camera.

Anyway, it sounds like it is pretty unlikely that these cameras will be added to the site but I guess there is always hope...

Bjorn.

I agree - it could be very interesting to read a review of the Hassy which is the first digital integrated Hassy made. It could be very interesting to see how it compares on all fronts to D2X, 1Ds Mark II etc. Especially since i do believe alot of pros at some time consider a Hassy - Hell im only still a pro to be, but i too has considered Hassy even though i'd have to shell out more cash.
I've worked with Hassy on several occasions and it's a VERY nice tool.

I for one would really like to see some tests not only of image quality and the normal stuff but also about the use in differen situations - Say for portrait work(even though that area has little interest to me), in a fashion shoot, on the road for landscape work etc.

But i do understand perfectly why they exclude MF on a regular basis since the audience isn't that big for it. But a single review or two comparing a quality digital MF with the high-end 35mm cams could be very interesting

Not to say quite unique for this site - If anybody knows of a review of the digital Hassy somewhere online please let me know

Tony, I'll give you 5 stars for that answer.( ). You hit the nail on the head. You got a perfect score of 5 stars. I'd agree and say that 99.9% of this forum could not afford those very high end camera's. And the every high end users probably have their own millionaire web site to discuss the issues with a $30,000 camera.

Watch a hole bunch of people say...I can afford one of those 30,000 camera's (in denial). And for those out there that can afford 30K, can you lend me about 2 million on a verbal promise to pay you back, someday.

I've wondered the same but I came to this conclusion after working with a few other pro Hasselblad users.

Film is becoming niche for 35mm SLR users, but Digital is still a niche for mf/lf users. Seriously, most of the guys I've worked with are are pro's in the near big leagues swear and use readily film for this. Just the way it is right now. The Mayiama might be a the break with the "low" price tag of 11 grand... we'll see if Phil gets one. Other than that, prolly would be worth Phils time since prolly less than .01% of his readers use digital MF.

Hassleblad and other MF's make unrivaled image quaility and evenness of exposure when handled correctly. There simply isn't a "demand" yet. its growing tho... as soon as i get a computer than can handle a freakin 32bit 160 meg raw file.

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I'd take the right eye over the right equipment any day.

Another possible explanation is that some camera manufacturers just do not toss around review copies of their cameras to everyone who wants one. And, at $30,000 or so, I can understand it if DPreview does not want to shell out for their own 39 mp Hassy.
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Jim

I thought about this for a few more minutes and this occured to me...

The most glowing review in the world is not likely to add anything to Hasselblad's reputation with its potential market. On the other hand, anything but the most glowing review might harm that reputation and cost them some sales.

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Jim

John Novak said:

Tony, I'll give you 5 stars for that answer.( ). You hit the
nail on the head. You got a perfect score of 5 stars. I'd agree and
say that 99.9% of this forum could not afford those very high end
camera's. And the every high end users probably have their own
millionaire web site to discuss the issues with a $30,000 camera.

Click to expand...

Ahem...this is the 'professional' forum, isn't it? So from a commercial p.o.v. I don't have problems with a price tag that for sure is high for a non.commercial (re amateur).

I never heard a carpenter complaining that his big circular saw costs much more than a Black&Decker
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Kind regards,
Peter B.
(English - not my native tongue)

Questioning price can be a very professional approach. The initial price is $30,000. What's the depreciation rate? What's the expected return on investment?

If those numbers don't work out, buying it is not a good professional decision.

Time and again, I've seen good professional photographers dig themselves into big holes with too much capital investment. Going the other way and stinting on the proper gear can also be dumb, but big mistakes are often tied to the biggest price tags.

I've bought a lot of such gear myself. At the bankruptcy auctions of professional studios.

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Jim

Jim, I absolutely agree. But this rules for any business / self employed - you may as well replace 'photographic studios' with 'carpenters' in your post.
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Kind regards,
Peter B.
(English - not my native tongue)

Yeah i agree - Hasselblad donøt need any reviews at all to sell their stuff. Hassy's are loved by alot of photographers who already own and buy tons of the stuff. The reason i'd like a review was froma personal desire to see how they compare to the high-end 35mm cams to see how blured the line between 35mm and MF has gotten and just of personal interest

I dont know how it is in the US, but in Denmark ALOT of pro photographers use Hassy equipment with digital backs and a digital back is already extremely expensive - In our country a digital back can cost upwards of 40-45.000$ and on top of that you have to add the camera itself along with lenses.

If they dont use Hassy they most likely use Sinar for packshots, also with a digital back.

Ofcourse there are some who use 35mm, but most the places i have visited have all used Hassy and Sinar so even though they are expensive product people seem to be willing to pay the cost.

A photography-company i visited at some point called up the seller of the new integrated Hassy and asked for price on the camera along with 3-4 lenses and some other stuff at a price for which you could get a very nice car for. If they desided to buy i dont know since i wasnt around at that time - but it didn't in any way seem like that big a deal to them even though it was alot of money. They looked at the advantages they could get out of it and if it would help in their daily work and if it did - then the cost can be justified just like a multi million dollar machine for a big company can be justified if it adds value of some kind.

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RDKirk
'TANSTAAFL: The only unbreakable rule in photography.'