Hasselblad - I am so disappointed

[Timothy]

B&H was offering these till the end of May with a $3000.00 discount, so I took the plunge and bought the Flextight X1. Of course it is built like a tank and I am impressed with the workmanship, but the interface is Firewire - which was awesome - about 10 years ago. So after spending $16,000 after tax and shipping, I still need to buy a $35.00 adapter from the apple store so I can use the Thunderbolt outlet. Then I discover that the adapter is for thunderbolt to Firewire 800, which does actually make sense, but the stupid Hassy Firewire is only 400. So it is going to wind up being slower than current USB, but more to the point I still can't even turn the ###### thing on !
Now I am also worried about the operating system. I noticed in the registration process that the latest version of the Mac OS that is supported by the Hassy software is 10.7, but of course the current version is 10.9.
For such an expensive, supposedly "top shelf" product, it sure has a lot of catching up to do.

Please do not tell me that was why they were selling them at such a discount.

 

[Richard Boutwell]

Keeping around and maintaining "old" computer equipment is nothing new with scanners. I know we're not the only ones who still have OS9 computers (and backups) around to run drum scanners, a 10.4 PowerMac G5 for secondary a scanning station for flatbeds and as a scan server (because OS9 doesn't network directly to machines running 10.6 on), and 10.6 to run software that doesn't run on 10.4 or 10.7-10.9.

You might want to try to find an older MacPro that you can use as a dedicated scanning station, or keep an extra hard-drive dedicated as a boot disk for an older operating system. As scanners become less and less relevant to computer manufacturers there is going to be more of a need to bite the bullet and keep around the special equipment and software to run what is going to be a more specialized workflow.

Just be thankful that the newer imacon/flextight doesn't still need a SCSI connection.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Oh ,yes, SCSI,I remember those thick inflexible cables and clumsy connectors,still got a box full of them,heading for the bin.

 

[Timothy]

The more I think about it, the more I see that Richard is right. As film declines there really is no demand for a high end scanner like this anymore except among people like us. Still, if I am doing someone a favour by taking (otherwise) unwanted inventory off of their hands, it should either be at least up to date enough to be useable for now, or cost a whole lot less. And with the whining out of the way, I did get it to work.
There are cords for Firewire 400 at one end and Firewire 800 at the other end, but I could not find any locally today. I did find an adapter for Firewire 400 to 800. So, I tried the Apple Thunderbolt to Firewire 800 adapter, FW800 cable, Firewire 800 to 400 adapter at the scanner. It did not work. The iMac could not find the scanner.
I have an old MacBook Pro with ports for both Firewire 400 and 800, and it is running a version of OSX6, which is supposed to be appropriate. So I tried plugging in the FW400 to it, feeling resigned to the idea of a separate 'scanning station' as Richard had suggested. It still did not work. Again, the 'Flexcolour' software runs fine, but it can not find the scanner. I had hooked up the FW800 cable from the MacBook to the FW800 - Thunderbolt adapter on the iMac, with the intent of transferring the scans to the iMac for editing and QTR printing. Almost by accident, I noticed that the iMac was now able to find the scanner. After a couple of scans and experiments it seems that all of the features are working now, but only if I daisy chain the MacBook Pro in between the iMac and the scanner. And I will have to make room for all of these cords somehow.
It is bizarre and frustrating but holy jumpin' ! When you get it going, this scanner is slick. It does a 4x5 negative so fast, and with such breathtaking results, it is hard to keep up with.

Now let's see if I can print. ....

 

[C_Campbell]

Hi Tim, I recently purchased a (gently used) Imacon 848, and just set it up this past week. I have a variety of Macs, but I wanted to use a brand new MacBook Pro 13" (Retina) with the latest FlexColor 4.8.13, so I went through a similar process. I initially had problems getting the Mac to see the scanner, and solved it by swapping out cables. Strangely, I was using a known-to-be-good Firewire 800-400 cable, but it didn't work with my Firewire-Thunderbolt adapter. I switched to a FW400 cable, and then used a 400-800 adapter to connect to the Thunderbolt adapter and all was well. I ended up ordering a good Belkin Firewire 400-800 cable from Amazon.com, and that works fine going directly from the Imacon port to the Thunderbolt adapter. I have, however, found that the connection process is a little strange, and I don't yet have an absolutely reliable sequence. I typically turn on the scanner, boot the Mac, launch FlexColor, and then plug in the Firewire cable with its Thunderbolt adapter into the Mac, and that is working well. In FlexColor, I sometimes need to go to File > Devices and select the scanner, which shouldn't be necessary, but sometimes is. So my advice would be to try different combinations, stay flexible, and don't hesitate to call Hasselblad for tech support. Eric Peterson is extremely knowledgeable about the scanners, having formerly been with Imacon before the Hasselblad acquisition.

Christopher Campbell

 

[toyotadesigner]

The more I think about it, the more I see that Richard is right. As film declines there really is no demand for a high end scanner like this anymore except among people like us.

That's only half of the truth. In fact, in Germany almost every publishing corporation for magazines features the X1, and I guess it's the same situation in the US and CDN.

The Hasselblad history is weird. Some time ago it belonged to Fujifilm in Japan, but now it's in the hands of some weird hedge fond corp, and they definitely don't have any interest in spending money for anything - they just want to make profits. That's why the brand loses shares in the market. PhaseOne is the clear winner.

Anyway, congratulations for your Flextight X1. Keep it running as long as you can. I really wish I could afford that machine...

BTW, if you have a local network and connect the scanner to the MacBook, setting the permissions right you can access the scanner from your iMac as well. Your FW800 cable between the two machines is just another network cable in this setup.

 

[Timothy]

Thanks to all for advice. It is working now, with a kind of makeshift network. But yesterday I got the Hasselblad customer service desk to agree that the scanner would not run on any recent computer with the cable it shipped with, and so they are sending me, at no charge, a FW400 to FW800 cable, so I can connect it directly to the iMac.

 

[toyotadesigner]

Good news - thanks for the update! However, what I always criticize is that the manufacturer doesn't deliver this FW 400->800 (or any small and cheap part!) with such an expensive scanner.

Now let the fun begin and enjoy your scans...

 

[coisasdavida]

FWIW probably all cords I have seen that connect FW400 to FW800 are FW400 cords with adapters on one end. That shouldn't be a problem.

I have to say I keep around 40 SCSI cables in one cabinet just for peace of mind. I run a few different scanners on SCSI still today with the help of pre-intel Macs of different vintages, from beige to MDD.

 

[drmoss_ca]

I use a Flextight 848 (well, normally I do, it went off to NJ for a service three weeks ago) connected with a FW400 cable to a third party FW400-FW800 adaptor that is itself plugged into an Apple FW to Thunderbolt adaptor. Works just fine in a current MBA running 10.9. The speed of the FW400 interface is irrelevant; the scanner can't outpace the connection so the FW400 isn't the rate-limiting factor. I kept my Nikon 9000 just for this eventuality, and it is so much slower than the 848. I doubt Hasselblad will ever make scanners with a more modern connection, as the market for them must be tiny.

One other point that might be relevant to some: I used to connect it to a MBP 15" and it would only be recognised at one of the Thunderbolt ports, but not the other. It didn't matter how correct I was about powering up the scanner before plugging in the cable, one of those ports never worked with it (but did for other Thunderbolt devices).

Chris

 

[drmoss_ca]

Count me disappointed too!

I'm very pissed off right now. Six weeks ago I sent my 848 away to New Jersey for service and repair. It had been working just fine until one day I put in a negative holder and it came back out canted to one side. As it came back out the metal clip that the negative holder slides into was out of place and it caught on the metal tongue at the back of the light table. It started making clicking noises as it got stuck and I switched it off straight away. Then I switched it on again and used Flexcolor to lock the mechanism for transport. I have the original box and packing materials, so I bundled it up and sent it back to NJ after a few e-mails. I'm in Canada, and the customs at the border held it up a long time as they were certain it was some kind of medical device ("scanner" and the sender is an MD) emitting noxious radiation. Eventually it got to NJ and after a two week wait in the queue I got an estimate of about $600 to fix it. Yes, said I, in my innocence. I enquired after it two days ago and was told it had shipped last week. It arrived back today, and on putting in a negative holder to see if all is well guess what happened? Just the same. This time the mechanism tried to moved the negative holder back and forth as it does for a preview and it caught again on the metal tongue at the back of the light table. Clicking noises and before I could hit the power switch the transport broke and moved so that it snapped the light tube. Just for fun, a black plastic part rolled out of the scanner down the light table. On e-mailing NJ, I was asked about damage to the box etc. Flexcolor's maintenance menu shows that the scanner's last service was on 4th August and that it has had 36 scans without a feeder and zero with one. I thought this meant it hadn't been tried with a negative holder, but I am told by the very polite Maryann Murphy that this refers to something other than a holder, perhaps the multiple-holder mechanism that the 848 and X5 support. She has agreed it must go back to them but has been coy about answering my questions about shipping arrangements. Having spent $600 on the last repair and around $300 shipping it there by Purolator and $200 by UPS getting it back, I'm $1100 down and no better off. I don't think I should have to pay anything more for Hasselblad to make right what they missed.

I may be an amateur, but I still have things to do. I have been asked to photograph the annual staff party at a local business ('as long as you use film'!) in ten days time. I have a Nikon 9000 and a Konica Minolta 5400 as backup, but I've been spoiled by the Flextight, and I now find that six weeks of using the Nikon have been wretched, especially as I have to use Vuescan instead of NikonScan given Apple's relentless march of progress. To add to it all, I was diagnosed with leukemia two weeks ago, and while it might seem silly and a good example of denial in action, I had been rather counting on getting my scanner back and enjoying a few films before the chemo starts. Since Hasselblad are the only game in town that are going to be better than the Nikon 9000 and the Plusteks, I have ordered an X1 this evening from B&H. I can't take the cash with me and my widow can sell it when I'm done with it. But I am so angry that Hasselblad have the nerve to charge so much and do such a rotten job. I hope you all have better experiences with your scanners - they are the best but Hasselblad isn't doing its part as far as I'm concerned. Should they manage to repair the 848 I will sell it, but you can be sure I will test it out first!

Chris

 

[toyotadesigner]

I feel very sorry for the development you have been going through. It leaves me speechless.

It appears to me that Hblad never opened your scanner, otherwise the technician would have seen the faulty part.

I don't know how much a flight from your location to NJ will cost, but I would have booked a flight to NJ, take the scanner into my cabin luggage and bang it onto the desk of the US CEO.

Another option for you might be to unpack the second unit upon arrival, pack the defective unit into the box and return it to B&H, stating it is defective and request a refund. Then somebody else will have to solve the problem with Hblad, and you can concentrate on more important things in your life.

All the best for you!

 

[StoneNYC]

I feel very sorry for the development you have been going through. It leaves me speechless.

It appears to me that Hblad never opened your scanner, otherwise the technician would have seen the faulty part.

I don't know how much a flight from your location to NJ will cost, but I would have booked a flight to NJ, take the scanner into my cabin luggage and bang it onto the desk of the US CEO.

Another option for you might be to unpack the second unit upon arrival, pack the defective unit into the box and return it to B&H, stating it is defective and request a refund. Then somebody else will have to solve the problem with Hblad, and you can concentrate on more important things in your life.

All the best for you!

I like this plan, but remember that might be considered "international fraud" and though chemo is free if you're in jail, I don't think that's the right plan for him.

 

[toyotadesigner]

StoneNYC,

what do you call the behavior of Hasselblad then?

My dictionary comes up with these terms:

intentional fraud
purposely fraudulent action against customers
intentional scam
intentional deception
intentional deceit
fraudulent deceit

Now pick the one you like most!

In Europe it is a standard procedure for many customers to successfully fight back, because we don't accept the arrogant behavior of large corporations.

 

[StoneNYC]

StoneNYC,

what do you call the behavior of Hasselblad then?

My dictionary comes up with these terms:

intentional fraud
purposely fraudulent action against customers
intentional scam
intentional deception
intentional deceit
fraudulent deceit

Now pick the one you like most!

In Europe it is a standard procedure for many customers to successfully fight back, because we don't accept the arrogant behavior of large corporations.

In America we foolishly let the corporations control us...

I doubt you could claim international fraud against a company, they are too big.

It sucks. I was more just protecting the OP from accidentally doing something that could get him in trouble. Not saying it's not a bad idea though...

 

[Pioneer]

Sure you can. They will either pay you off with a properly signed non-disclosure agreement or throw 10 attorneys at you and overwhelm you with paper and stall tactics. That is the American Way.

 

[drmoss_ca]

Don't worry, I shan't do anything dishonest (anyway, how would it make anything right to dump the problem on B&H, even if the two scanners were the same model?) The X1 has arrived and (despite my nervousness after the last experience with the returned 848) works perfectly. I believe UPS has delivered the 848 back to Hasselblad today, so next week I will probably get a boilerplate e-mail to tell me it is in the queue for assessment, and then the e-mails might get interesting. If it weren't so expensive, it would be funny. The first try with a negative carrier resulted in the carrier coming back out at an angle, then lots of clicking noises as the drive got stuck, then the rollers came out of their sockets and the light tube broke and finally a small piece of black plastic was ejected and rolled a cross my desk. All very cartoon-ish. I just want them to fix it and then I will sell it. It has been an excellent scanner, and I can't say anything better than that I have bought a new X1 as I don't really want to live without one. I have no complaints about the very helpful Maryann Murphy, but i have to assume she has some crappy techs working in the service department.

I have discovered since my original post that I am in for about 7 to 8 months of enforced vacation while undergoing 'intense' chemo (I rather wish my lovely hematologist had chosen a different word). I hope to find the energy to put the X1 to good use.

Chris

 

[Kirkland]

Definitely wont be buying this then. What's a good alternative if you have around $17,000 to spend?

 

[nodeps]

TimRoscoe,

I'm ready to bite the bullet and get a Flextight Scanner as well. The concern I have is with the firewire issues (and subsequent "networking" solution) you discussed as well as compatibility with OS X Yosemite and the corresponding Adobe Creative Cloud Suite. I'm wondering if you have been able to scan a negative (or positive for that matter) directly into Photoshop (possibly via an OS driver provided by Hasselblad) and if you have found a better solution for connecting directly via Thunderbolt (seeing that the new iMac and Mini no longer come with Firewire ports, it is of great concern to me!). Above all, how are you liking the scanner now that you have had time to put it through its paces? Any info you offer is greatly appreciated.

 

[dorigatti]

Chris, this is Carlo from Amsterdam. Greetings.
I wish you success with your chemo theraphy. A friend successfully overcame a dangerous skin cancer by combining chemo and alternative theraphy. Green jiuces and smoothies, among other things. Anyhow, best of luck.

I am also thinking of buying a Flextight X1. The local Hasselblad rep is offering the same discount deal and will go out of his way with support. I have a CFV-50 from him and I am happy with his service. That said, I am running Mac OS X Yosemite (10.10) on my iMac ans MacBook Pro. Will a Thundebold adapter and a FW 800 to 400 cable work? What is your setup and experience? Any advice will be most welcome. I have ten days to make up my mind as the offer expires on Novemner 30.