Hasselblad prices have really gone up

Ai Print · Dec 10, 2020

Old Gregg said:
I pay little attention to prices, as I already have all Hasselblad gear I need. My biggest worry is availability of parts that wear out. Even little things like viewfinder diopters. What if my vision gets worse and I won't be able to find a -2 or -3 one? When my backs die, will I be able to find a replacement? I have developed a new kind of GAS: "more-of-the-same-thing GAS".

I have had that kind of Hassel-gas since about 5 years ago. Hasselblad is by far my most important system so it just keeps getting bigger and better backed up.

I have the manuals and tools to work on bodies and backs, understand how to and have serviced the latter. I have 4x 501CM bodies that have all been serviced by David Odess in the past 3 years, 12x A12 III backs, a rarely used A24 and a A16 as a parts horse. I have a spare 80mm CF as a backup to my CFe and 9 other CF, CFi and CFe lenses.

As of today I have a Flexbody and brand new 907x body that came with the CFV II 50C back so now this system can use nearly every lens Hasselblad has ever made, including Xpan lenses.

This system is such a joy to use and maintain, it has been a no brainer investment.

BMbikerider · Dec 10, 2020

It is not only Hasselblads. The price of most used film equipment has gone up, some more than others. Could it possibly be due to the lack of new film cameras. In the 20 or so years since digital came on the scene virtually none have been made and those that have may by lying unused in someones store space, some will have broken and cannot be repaired and some will be worn out.
I don't think it is peoples greed so much as the lack of supply. I have a bill dated 22nd June 2016 when I bought a Bronica ETRSi complete, together with a spare back, plus 150mm and 40mm lenses and I paid £499 for the lot from a well knw UK dealer . Try to find one now in as good condition you are going to have a mighty search and if you do find a good one and the other parts you will pay at least £900.

Ai Print · Dec 10, 2020

Old Gregg said:
@Ai Print Four identical bodies? I find it telling that you haven't branched into 200-series. I have two 500-series bodies (one of each color) and if I ever get a 3rd one it will probably be 203FE

It may sound crazy but it really was (is) a fairly common practice among pros since you always want at least 2 bodies on a job and one may be in the shop being maintained. Since these can no longer be bought new, it only makes sense these days if they are bread and butter cameras which these are for me.

As for the 200 series, once Hasselblad and other top shops stopped working on them, I lost interest.

campy51 · Dec 10, 2020

I am by no means an expert on Hasselblads or any other film camera, but my opinion is Hasselblads are the best looking and it feels great in your hand, but I find the Bronica and Kowa Six much easier to focus and they have better viewing screens. I would assume the Mamiya is also good.

NB23 · Dec 10, 2020

BMbikerider said:
It is not only Hasselblads. The price of most used film equipment has gone up, some more than others. Could it possibly be due to the lack of new film cameras. In the 20 or so years since digital came on the scene virtually none have been made and those that have may by lying unused in someones store space, some will have broken and cannot be repaired and some will be worn out.
I don't think it is peoples greed so much as the lack of supply. I have a bill dated 22nd June 2016 when I bought a Bronica ETRSi complete, together with a spare back, plus 150mm and 40mm lenses and I paid £499 for the lot from a . Try to find one now in as good condition you are going to have a mighty search and if you do find a good one and the other parts you will pay at least £900.

Ok we’re not talking thousands, juste a mere doubling of price, of what was 450.

Hardly anything to get excited over imo.

While it’s good to see that the prices haven’t plunged, I’m not overly excited (from an investment point of view) by the fact that Leicas were 900$ and they are now 1400. All in all, it’s pretty much peanuts.

For it to have been a proper investment, One should have purchased 300 Hasselblad 500’s back in 2005, and with the hassle of selling all of the 300 bodies, this surely wouldn’t be such a sweet deal as we are making it sound.

Anyhow, it’s good to simply be able to use cameras and sell them with 0$ loss. A cost of ownership of Zero Dollars, for quality equipment: now that is the real deal!

Playing with the Best, for Free!

Arthurwg · Dec 10, 2020

Not a;; Hasselblad stuff has gone up.. i see bargains in the motorized cameras and some lenses, like the 150 and 250. Yes, newer backs are expensive, and so are the "D" screens.

Sirius Glass · Dec 10, 2020

Ai Print said:
I have had that kind of Hassel-gas since about 5 years ago. Hasselblad is by far my most important system so it just keeps getting bigger and better backed up.

I have the manuals and tools to work on bodies and backs, understand how to and have serviced the latter. I have 4x 501CM bodies that have all been serviced by David Odess in the past 3 years, 12x A12 III backs, a rarely used A24 and a A16 as a parts horse. I have a spare 80mm CF as a backup to my CFe and 9 other CF, CFi and CFe lenses.

As of today I have a Flexbody and brand new 907x body that came with the CFV II 50C back so now this system can use nearly every lens Hasselblad has ever made, including Xpan lenses.

This system is such a joy to use and maintain, it has been a no brainer investment.

The 907x body body is expensive for my tastes, and I would rather spend that kind of money for travel. Also I would have to rent Photo$hop.

Sirius Glass · Dec 10, 2020

Old Gregg said:
Why did everyone stop servicing 200-series? I don't get it. Having a focal plane shutter is not unusual. Leicas, Nikons and most 35mm cameras use them. My Mamiya 645 Pro has one, it's great. On paper, 203FE is perfect: you get faster glass (easier focusing), higher shutter speeds and a decent light meter for all viewfinder types.

Some of the focal plane shutters were intolerant of finger pokes, but basically they were not rugged and the parts are not available. Even when parts and service were available, my Hasselblad repairman strongly discouraged me from even looking at the 200 and 2000 series. I am glad that I listened, even though I wanted them.

Ai Print · Dec 11, 2020

Sirius Glass said:
The 907x body body is expensive for my tastes, and I would rather spend that kind of money for travel. Also I would have to rent Photo$hop.

Oh, I certainly hear you on the price, not a cheap item by any stretch. Couple great things of note though. Prices have come down quite a bit, I sold my last one at half of what I paid for it but I only needed to add another $1,000 to the cash in hand from the sale to upgrade.

Another great thing is that this really pushes the V system back into the spotlight so while they may not re-tool and produce another V, they may re-tool and offer upgraded parts and expand their refurbishment / repairs of legacy gear if these backs keep selling well.

Hasselblad has had some dark days in recent years, it is great to see them innovating and yet staying true to their legacy.

campy51 · Dec 11, 2020

I have a 500 C/M and a 503 CW with a 50mm 80mm and a150mm CF lenses and would like to trade one for a Mamiya 7 but those prices have gone through the roof and I would probably have to add some cash.

Sirius Glass · Dec 11, 2020

Ai Print said:
Oh, I certainly hear you on the price, not a cheap item by any stretch. Couple great things of note though. Prices have come down quite a bit, I sold my last one at half of what I paid for it but I only needed to add another $1,000 to the cash in hand from the sale to upgrade.

Another great thing is that this really pushes the V system back into the spotlight so while they may not re-tool and produce another V, they may re-tool and offer upgraded parts and expand their refurbishment / repairs of legacy gear if these backs keep selling well.

Hasselblad has had some dark days in recent years, it is great to see them innovating and yet staying true to their legacy.

Most of my lenses are CF and I have two Cs. So none of them have the electronic interfaces.

Jeremy Mudd · Dec 11, 2020

campy51 said:
I am by no means an expert on Hasselblads or any other film camera, but my opinion is Hasselblads are the best looking and it feels great in your hand, but I find the Bronica and Kowa Six much easier to focus and they have better viewing screens. I would assume the Mamiya is also good.

I would agree that the Kowa Six viewfinders are brighter than a 500c stock screen - but a 500c/m is about the same as a Kowa 6. The Mamiya RB67 viewfinder is very bright and a joy to use. The Mamiya 645 Pro/TL viewfinders are dim in comparison to the RB67. A lot of that has to do with sheer size.

The only problem with comparing a Kowa Six to any Hasselblad is the fact that there are many dead Kowa Six's out there that are DOA and difficult to repair, and their lenses, while sharp, are notorious for their leaf shutters failing. I own a few Kowa Six's including the last in the line-up - the Super 66. When they are working they are great cameras and are a joy to use. I've repaired many this past year and have rebuilt and sold 3 of them that have suffered originally from various issues. The entire Kowa medium format line-up was only produced for 6-7 years max so the number of spare parts and people that are willing to work on them is dwindling greatly in comparison to any Hasselblad.

Don't get me wrong - I do love my (working) Kowa's. And the Six line, to an extent, has also seen an uptick in value over the last year or two. I still wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking to get into 6x6 MF and wants something that is hassel-free.

Ai Print · Dec 11, 2020

Sirius Glass said:
Most of my lenses are CF and I have two Cs. So none of them have the electronic interfaces.

That’s the beautiful thing Sirus....they can be old C lenses and work perfectly, no cables, no mess. Just slap the back on like a regular film back, set the ISO you want to use and click away! It’s ingenious what Hasselblad has done here, they have truly thought of everything.

Sirius Glass · Dec 11, 2020

Ai Print said:
That’s the beautiful thing Sirus....they can be old C lenses and work perfectly, no cables, no mess. Just slap the back on like a regular film back, set the ISO you want to use and click away! It’s ingenious what Hasselblad has done here, they have truly thought of everything.

Thank you for the information. Yes, it is great, but I do not want to go digital until film is no longer available. I figure that I might just be able to use film for at least the next twenty years and by then the phones will be much better.

GarageBoy · Dec 11, 2020

Still affordable vs their hey day - hard finding a clean 500CM though (you know, one where the back of the camera hasn't been mauled by people who haphazardly shove backs onto them) - the lenses are still undervalued

500CM/CX/CXI are pretty much the same price these days

I want to like the 2000/200 series, but the number I've run across with electronic issues makes me hesitant

Ai Print · Dec 11, 2020

Sirius Glass said:
Thank you for the information. Yes, it is great, but I do not want to go digital until film is no longer available. I figure that I might just be able to use film for at least the next twenty years and by then the phones will be much better.

I totally understand, you know my preference as well. I only shared this to give insight that Hasselblad is back to kicking butt and this could help keep the V system even more relevant as the total system approach to creative outcomes could serve to broaden it’s appeal.

It sure can’t hurt.

Tom Kershaw · Dec 11, 2020

campy51 said:
I have a 500 C/M and a 503 CW with a 50mm 80mm and a150mm CF lenses and would like to trade one for a Mamiya 7 but those prices have gone through the roof and I would probably have to add some cash.

I have two Bronica SQ-B cameras alongside a Mamiya 7ii, and would be cautious of the notion of a rangefinder as a replacement for a SLR camera. Of the three lenses I own for the Mamiya, the 43mm and 65mm are reasonably easy to use, but the 150mm takes some practice and is not particularly close focusing.

zischga · Dec 11, 2020

I just took a look at ebay, damn these prices are steep.

Back in 2010 I bought this set for 850$:
-Hasselblad 500C/M with the chrome chipping off, but other than that it was fine.
-150mm C (quite bad condition) + 80mm C T* lens and 1x A12 back, Polaroid back, extension rings

Then I sold it in 2012 for I think 1300$ and bought back a nicer kit in 2014 for incredible 1200$:
-Hasselblad 503CX (mint, with original documents and packaging, acute matte D screen)
-80mm CF lens
-2x A12 backs (latest version with darkslide holder), one needed servicing for 100$.

The 503CX mentioned above is still working great and gets a lot of use.
I noticed that A12 backs are getting really expensive, even the old ones that need servicing.
A few years ago a useable A12 back was about 100-120$ now it is closer over 200$.
Currently I just have a CF 80 and CF50 FLE, as soon as I get my hands on a CF 150mm,
I don't care about the prices, because I have everything I need and don't want to sell

Ai Print · Dec 12, 2020

Gregg,

I have been a full time professional commercial and editorial photographer for over 33 years. I have many friends who are too, some quite famous, Pulitzer winners, multiple administration White House press photographers, big name ad campaign shooters, you name it. I also know young up and coming photographers who also use both film and digital, many prefer to not have to rely on a computer for every single thing associated with the output of an image.

None of us are focusing on computational photography, just great camera makers who make what we want and need and with service offerings that turn gear around fast when in for maintenance and repairs. All of us are different but we do have one thing in common, we want to keep making a living in a manner that allows us to be who we are, stay true to ourselves and our vision.

Even with all the new fangeled tech, eye controlled focus, etc. great systems that are modular, flexible and versatile rule the day. Hasselblad is back to being that system so that is how they are kicking butt, technically. And hopefully they have a good economy of scale, niche though it is.

I have no idea what the future holds for camera makers but I know what my future holds and in it’s hands will always be a Hasselblad.

Old Gregg said:
I am not sure there's a single photo gear manufacturer who's "kicking butt" right now. A dedicated photo-taking device is no longer a mass product, as the total addressable market has been greatly reduced to mostly professionals and "prosumers", thanks to smart phones. This means that Hasselblad, Sony, Nikon, Fuji, Leica, Canon - all of them, will be going after every $3K+ deal for a photo-taking device. Those devices are computers with lenses (among other sensors!) attached to them, so whoever is better at fusing software and hardware will win. My view is that computational photography is what pros want, and whoever gives them that will own this smaller, but still substantial market. Computational photography has the potential to replace light and Photoshop. You can even re-focus after a photo is taken. Sounds outrageous but true. Is Hasselblad working on lidars to build 3D models of a scene? New sensor tech which records light value but also its angle for each pixel? ML models and inference chips for automatic framing, cropping, sky replacement and face touch-ups? If not, maybe they should just throw their digial aspirations out the window and become the only producer of medium-fromat film cameras.

etn · Dec 12, 2020

Sirius Glass said:
The 907x body body is expensive for my tastes, and I would rather spend that kind of money for travel. Also I would have to rent Photo$hop.

Took the plunge on one of those and I have to say, yes it's freakin' expensive but it is worth every cent to me (might not be the case to everyone). Well, it was until I had to send it back to Hasselblad on warranty - still waiting for them to return it. That sucks but those things happen and the global situation does not make things easier.
My travel budget is close to nil those days anyway.

Adobe is not needed. Phocus is quite decent from a usability point of view (although not the best out there), and obviously very good from an image quality point of view.

The digital back opens new possibilities while keeping the 500 form factor which I love. I definitely do not see it as a replacement to film, just a complement.
This one was taken with the CFV 50c ii, 503CW, CF 65mm.

Richard Man · Dec 12, 2020

I love my 203FE, too bad I like 4x5 and 8x10 too!

Anyway, Hasselblad still works on 200 series.

And I test drove my 203FE with a CFV II 50C recently. As seamless as one gets. This is the modern camera that makes the Hasselblad nameplate proud. Can't afford it though, heh

Sirius Glass · Dec 12, 2020

Sirius Glass said:
Thank you for the information. Yes, it is great, but I do not want to go digital until film is no longer available. I figure that I might just be able to use film for at least the next twenty years and by then the phones will be much better.

I can buy a 50 Megapixel [35mm] camera so the 50 Megapixel Hasselblad is photographically like a 10 Megapixel [35mm] camera. That is no great shakes for me.

Huss · Dec 13, 2020

4season said:
Wow, congratulations on timing your sale magnificently during the "Leica Bubble" era. I wonder if you'd be able to realize half of that price today? I think I had completely divested myself of Leica M by 2012: the sale prices were just too good.

The asking price now is almost $300,000.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LEICA-MP-1...469322?hash=item3daeab560a:g:DB8AAOSw4A1fkxBA

Huss · Dec 13, 2020

Not a HB, but a couple o years ago I paid $500 for a Leica R9. Asking price now is $1900! Crazy thing is I just bought a like new Nikon F4 for $185. Using the F4 next to the R9, well, I like the F4 just as much, if not more.

4season · Dec 13, 2020

Huss said:
The asking price now is almost $300,000.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LEICA-MP-1...469322?hash=item3daeab560a:g:DB8AAOSw4A1fkxBA

That's a vintage original, not a modern reissue.

Hasselblad prices have really gone up

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency