Hasselblad discontinues Flextight scanners

adelorenzo · Jun 8, 2019

Reported in the Beau Photo newsletter:

Unfortunately, due to some key components no longer being available, Hasselblad has stopped producing their line of superb Flextight “virtual drum” film scanners, the X1 and the X5. In addition, there is absolutely no stock remaining either, so there is no way of supplying any more as of this writing.

Lachlan Young · Jun 9, 2019

I'm actually surprised they lasted in production as long as they did - I'm guessing the parts that were discontinued involved the electronic boards - which are probably 10+ years obsolete & replacement thereof would require a major design & manufacturing investment.

Doug Fisher · Jun 9, 2019

>>which are probably 10+ years obsolete & replacement thereof would require a major design & manufacturing investment<<

Hopefully, they saved a decent number for use completing warranty repairs over the next few years!

Doug

Lachlan Young · Jun 9, 2019

Doug Fisher said:
>>which are probably 10+ years obsolete & replacement thereof would require a major design & manufacturing investment<<

Hopefully, they saved a decent number for use completing warranty repairs over the next few years!

Doug

Same thoughts here!

Though I think it's one of the big problems that now has to be faced of how we make high end scanners from here onwards - the Hasselblads likely had a last manufacturing run of components at various points in the last decade, with an intended end date somewhere in the 2020's, but with the regrowth in demand for analogue photo materials, the stock of machines depleted far faster than anticipated.

I think the biggest mistake with so many of the high end machines was their non modularity - ie mechanics, optics & sensor/ electronics all done to non-standard designs. In some ways, that was necessary 25-30 years ago, but from here forwards I think it's now a necessity that the electronics in future scanning equipment must be interchangeable to reduce the obsolescence risk - especially with the move from SCSI to FireWire to USB-3 to USB-C as high data capacity buses. And there are 70mp CMOS 24x36 sensors out there, that if set up with appropriate optics, illumination & a precise enough optical plane could go speeding past pretty much anything that went before. Add pixel shift etc & it's got some real potential I think. Major cost would be designing & manufacturing an adequately precise unit to hold it all together...

Richard Man · Jun 9, 2019

In some sense, the mechanic aspect of the Flextight is the tough part, and they should last "forever" with proper CLA. If I can get a junker old Flextight, I bet one can design new motor driver and main boards... (love my Flextight 848 - just replaced the drive belts)

Richard Man · Jun 9, 2019

Of course the big problem is reverse engineer the low level protocols....

calebarchie · Jun 10, 2019

I have feeling it may not be the boards but something else. I need to have a chat with the rep and report back. Best not assume things though. Last time I checked, Hassie was expressing interest in working with PhaseOne on their current system perhaps a contributing factor.

Bests

rayonline_nz · Jun 11, 2019

B&H list them as discontinued now.

Edit. That makes me think about the impact onto film photography. AFAIK by in large most are shooting b/w film and enlargers are still available. With color photography now that drum scanners are no longer serviceable officially and now Hasselblad Imacon Flexscans adding to the list to Nikon and Minolta. Sure there might be some individuals who still work on them, some smaller countries like myself may need to ship their scanner overseas. Like what happened to my Nikon scanner.

For many customers, ok medium format film with a flatbed scanner still provides quite an ok result but many are shooting 35mm film. Many might be perfectly fine with a flatbed scanner also. It significantly limits it however. In 5 or 10yrs, would color film photography be affected. Adding to that the guys who still work on Nikon scanners, in 10yrs they may retire. AFAIK with Minolta scanners no one really repairs those.

I was speaking to a lab that started up sometime ago, is it true that Fuji Frontier are no longer supporting the film component?

Ste_S · Jun 12, 2019

rayonline_nz said:
B&H list them as discontinued now.

Edit. That makes me think about the impact onto film photography. AFAIK by in large most are shooting b/w film and enlargers are still available. With color photography now that drum scanners are no longer serviceable officially and now Hasselblad Imacon Flexscans adding to the list to Nikon and Minolta. Sure there might be some individuals who still work on them, some smaller countries like myself may need to ship their scanner overseas. Like what happened to my Nikon scanner.

For many customers, ok medium format film with a flatbed scanner still provides quite an ok result but many are shooting 35mm film. Many might be perfectly fine with a flatbed scanner also. It significantly limits it however. In 5 or 10yrs, would color film photography be affected. Adding to that the guys who still work on Nikon scanners, in 10yrs they may retire. AFAIK with Minolta scanners no one really repairs those.

I was speaking to a lab that started up sometime ago, is it true that Fuji Frontier are no longer supporting the film component?

More than ever, labs are reliant on Noritsu. The time to worry is when Noritsu pulls out.

brbo · Jun 12, 2019

Ste_S said:
More than ever, labs are reliant on Noritsu. The time to worry is when Noritsu pulls out.

Noritsu doesn't make new scanners anymore (if various member from the Noritsu Scanner Users FB group are to be trusted to have correct information).

Grim Tuesday · Jun 13, 2019

I wouldn't worry too much about the end of scanning, a properly done DSLR scan beats a Noritsu any day of the week. The only innovation required to fully obsolete these crazy expensive film scanners is a way to automatically advance film through a DSLR scanning rig, which while not trivial, should not be impossible.

PhilBurton · Jun 13, 2019

Grim Tuesday said:
I wouldn't worry too much about the end of scanning, a properly done DSLR scan beats a Noritsu any day of the week. The only innovation required to fully obsolete these crazy expensive film scanners is a way to automatically advance film through a DSLR scanning rig, which while not trivial, should not be impossible.

True enough, but who is going to make this automatic film advance?

jtk · Jun 14, 2019

Dust. That, plus all sorts of digital cameras that out-resolve 120 by far and just like 120 will be blessed by Photoshop.

markbau · Jun 14, 2019

I never really understood which market the Hassy scanners were aimed at. They were way too expensive for most amateurs and for that matter most pro photographers for whom a much more cost effective route was to take their film to a place that had a full on drum scanner. Maybe small print shops could cut out the middleman and make money charging drum scanner rates?

jtk · Jun 14, 2019

markbau said:
I never really understood which market the Hassy scanners were aimed at. They were way too expensive for most amateurs and for that matter most pro photographers for whom a much more cost effective route was to take their film to a place that had a full on drum scanner. Maybe small print shops could cut out the middleman and make money charging drum scanner rates?

Hass recognizes that pros don't shoot film anymore...and their market is exclusively pro.

Saganich · Jun 14, 2019

First time I saw one was in Gilles Peress' workroom in 2015 (X5 I believe) and it was being used for Magnum production work along with the darkroom in the basement which was also newly built.

rayonline_nz · Jun 18, 2019

Have any of you guys ever done drum scan? Was it scarcely done?

Sirius Glass · Jun 19, 2019

kevin70 · Jun 20, 2019

In addition to the above " no longer being manufactured " i can tell you that a service on a later model ( mine is a 949 ) has doubled in price from 3 years or so back - over $1000 AU... i was shocked ( apparently parts needed for a basic service $$$ have gone through the roof ) - so they are basically shooting themselves in the foot - there only needs to be a tech savvy guy in your vicinity and he will do ok out of this

John Salim · Jun 20, 2019

...... so, can anyone tell me what's available new on the market to take Flextight's place ?

John S

Sirius Glass · Jun 20, 2019

kevin70 said:
In addition to the above " no longer being manufactured " i can tell you that a service on a later model ( mine is a 949 ) has doubled in price from 3 years or so back - over $1000 AU... i was shocked ( apparently parts needed for a basic service $$$ have gone through the roof ) - so they are basically shooting themselves in the foot - there only needs to be a tech savvy guy in your vicinity and he will do ok out of this

They are not shooting themselves in the foot, they shot themselves in the head.

Richard Man · Jun 21, 2019

John Salim said:
...... so, can anyone tell me what's available new on the market to take Flextight's place ?

John S

Digital Transition will gladly sell you a Phase One based highest quality scanning system for... $5, $6? and some number of of zeroes following, like four zeroes ;-) The future is probably some kind of dSLR scanning.

I will hold on to my 848 as long as possible though.

PCGraflex · Jun 26, 2019

PhilBurton said:
True enough, but who is going to make this automatic film advance?

I just saw this:
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/film-toaster-dakota.167756/

PhilBurton · Jun 27, 2019

PCGraflex said:
I just saw this:
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/film-toaster-dakota.167756/

Looks nice, but it appears to be purely manual.

NortheastPhotographic · Jun 30, 2019

jtk said:
Hass recognizes that pros don't shoot film anymore...and their market is exclusively pro.

I'm laughing.

Also love universal statements about 'what pros do.'

Hasselblad discontinues Flextight scanners

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