Does Sony simply license the Zeiss name?? I have no idea. Zeiss has been involved in pretty amazing stuff over the years.
The H-System ended in stagnation while the V-System was abandoned entirely
Good summary of the corporate ownerships. Hasselblad's official web page still shows the H system as a current product. One body even accepts a film back, they write. Do you have any information about the H becoming an orphan?
https://www.hasselblad.com/h-system/
(Please no debate that dig. "full frame" can do everything and only posers and rich dentists buy digital medium format.)
I just want to correct some rumors and half-truths circulating in this thread regarding the company history. In 2003 Hasselblad was bought by the Hong Kong based Shriro Group, which in the following years, pushed Hasselblad more into the direction of digital solutions by concentrating on the H-System and buying Imacon, but also keeping a core production line of the classic 500-System, while gradually abandoning the 200-System. By presenting various digital back solutions (CFV), the company emphasized its ongoing commitment to the V-System.
In 2011 Hasselblad again changed ownership when it was bought by the German investment group Ventizz. This is where the drama really stated to unfold. The H-System ended in stagnation while the V-System was abandoned entirely. Instead, Hasselblad presented a series of Hasselblad labelled Sony Cameras (Lunar etc.) for a hilarious price, without offering any additional benefits apart from more stylish looks.
In 2015 Hasselblad was gradually taken over by DJI. This ended the "Sonyblad"-era and the company developed a range of new innovative products. With the X-System, Hasselblad presented a new, compact but very capable medium format system. It also started to offer new digital backs for the V-System.
Good summary of the corporate ownerships. Hasselblad's official web page still shows the H system as a current product. One body even accepts a film back, they write. Do you have any information about the H becoming an orphan?
https://www.hasselblad.com/h-system/
(Please no debate that dig. "full frame" can do everything and only posers and rich dentists buy digital medium format.)
Some corrections to the corrections?I just want to correct some rumors and half-truths circulating in this thread regarding the company history. In 2003 Hasselblad was bought by the Hong Kong based Shriro Group, which in the following years, pushed Hasselblad more into the direction of digital solutions by concentrating on the H-System and buying Imacon, but also keeping a core production line of the classic 500-System, while gradually abandoning the 200-System. By presenting various digital back solutions (CFV), the company emphasized its ongoing commitment to the V-System.
In 2011 Hasselblad again changed ownership when it was bought by the German investment group Ventizz. This is where the drama really stated to unfold. The H-System ended in stagnation while the V-System was abandoned entirely. Instead, Hasselblad presented a series of Hasselblad labelled Sony Cameras (Lunar etc.) for a hilarious price, without offering any additional benefits apart from more stylish looks.
In 2015 Hasselblad was gradually taken over by DJI. This ended the "Sonyblad"-era and the company developed a range of new innovative products. With the X-System, Hasselblad presented a new, compact but very capable medium format system. It also started to offer new digital backs for the V-System.
Some corrections to the corrections?
The IEEE article has a good summary of Hasselblad's digital and financial transition (https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5986497/) , which GG12 was nice enough to link on post 41, as some people may not be able to access it.
But in summary:
1948 - 1st camera
1976 - sold to Swedish investment company Säfveån AB
1984 - bough by Swedish corporation Incentive AB
1985 - starts investment in Digital imaging
1996 - Sold to UBS Capital (Swiss) / Cinvan - ditches digital group and contracts with FujiFilm
2002 - Digital/Analog H-system
2005 - purchased by Shiro Group (Hong Kong), and purchases Imacon the next year
2011 - purchased by German equity group Ventizz
2015 - DJI becomes majority share holder
Up until 1995, Hasselblad was well capitalized, and had a healthy research project into Digital imaging with their Dixel 2000 well received and used by journalists. Incentive withdrew the capital and sold Hasselblad, so when UBS took over, it had no research budget. The new owners ditched the digital department and contracted with Fujifilm, and the rest was history.
Hasselblad was well down the H path before Shiro pick it up. However, Shiro did make it a closed system.
Well, seems like 1996 was the year of destiny for Hasselblad.
Well, seems like 1996 was the year of destiny for Hasselblad.
Zeiss also would not make auto-focus lenses.
Seriously,I have owned Hasselblads since 2007 and the longer the company has been away from the Hasselblad family, the more lost it appears to be getting. I have been told that the company has taken to withholding 200 series and 2000 series parts for sales or repairs and making V Series repairs harder to obtain just because it can, not to any business reason.
Seriously,
I find it hard to believe what you have been told, but if you have proof I'll become a believer. What's your source? This sounds like something a repair person would say when they can't find a source for spare parts or doesn't want to make an effort to.
To understand you must first realize that Hasselblad has no ties to Sweden....
I have a Sony RX100iv P&S camera. The lens says Zeiss on it. I assume Zeiss manufactured it for Sony. Whether they did or not is beside the point. Sony uses Zeiss. I think that's help them sell their cameras. I do have to say the photos for a 1" sensor is very good. They look great on my 75" 4K HDR TV (it's a Sony too.and make great prints. How much of that is because it's a Zeiss lens, I don't know. But I'm very happy with it.
To understand you must first realize that Hasselblad has no ties to Sweden. A mainland Chinese company owns it. Look at the current bodies, and lenses, and see where they are made. The mystic that Hasselblad created for itself is gone. If you want a "real" Hasselblad you'll need to buy into the "V" system.
Why did Hasselblad move away from Carl Zeiss lenses for their new H-system? Was it because of AF technology? Or did Carl Zeiss refuse to manufacture the H lenses for Hasselblad? Did Fuji offer them a deal they could not refuse ..... ?
Just curious ....
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