Give it a couple more years and Blads and the Ziess lenses will be going as cheap as all the Bronica and Mamiya stuff goes for today on Ebay.
The other question is once the cameras are no longer produced, how does one get replacement parts for repairs when they break?[/QUOTE]
I'm sure the same law that requires Tamron Bronica to perform repair and warrantee service for a period of 7 years after halting production of the Bronica line of analog cameras will apply to Hasselblad as well. I know that the mere mention of corporate responsibility swiftly chaps the hides of some of our members but...
part of doing business in the Land of the Free is that you will be accountable, in a limited way, to the legions that have made you (and your grandchildren's grandchildren) wealthy beyond imagination by supporting the very expensive professional equipment they have purchased from you in good faith. Seven years isn't THAT long anyway- it should be ten, at least. But it IS the law which makes me wonder why film makers couldn't be held to a similar standard. Wouldn't it be great to know that you had seven years to buy and stash all the film and chemistry you would ever need?
As far as repairs and parts go- you could always buy three or four good units each (they're cheap enough) of whatever cameras you plan on using and you'd be in good shape 'til the day you tip over! Repair manuals on CD for $5 and $10 are all over the place. The hardware of analog photography is the least of my worries - it's the film, paper, and chemistry that makes me nervous. If not the manufacturers halting production- then the environmentalists who scream about how dirty the analog process is etc., etc.
Don't worry- service and parts for the analog Blads and will be around for quite a while.
