Why is Hasselblad so expensive!?

[antielectrons]

Another Pissing match..

I have no more time for you, if you can afford a Blad system, then have at it, if you can't then shoot what you can..

The camera don't make the image, you do, this is getting really old...

And please don't forget, my opinion has just as much meaning as your does..

Bye, bye, have a great eveing..

Dave

Dave, clearly you need to sit down and take a deep breath. Nobody is having a "pissing match". I have never said I cannot afford a blad. In fact I have owned several in the past. I got rid of them and now own an SL66, which is not much cheaper....

 

[Dave Parker]

Dave, clearly you need to sit down and take a deep breath. Nobody is having a "pissing match". I have never said I cannot afford a blad. In fact I have owned several in the past. I got rid of them and now own an SL66, which is not much cheaper....

Okay, fine with me, I don't care..

The last two SL66's I owned were no where near the quality of the blads I had..

So be it, I really don't give a rip..

When it comes down to it, you and I have differing opinions, Shoot what you got.

Bye Antielectrons..

 

[Terence]

Yep, Louis Vuitton is definately overpirced! The Chinese knock out near identical replicas for peanuts. MacDonalds sell garbage. Hasselblad dont. That dosent mean they should be charging as much as they do. Quality and price go hand in hand up to a point. Hasselblad choose to keep their kit prices expensive.

And a knock-off Rolex is JUST as good as a real one? I work in construction and every now and again someone turns up some knock-off high-strength steel bolts that LOOK great but that snap under a fifth of the load. Not something you want to deal with. You get what you pay for.

If Hasselblad could sell it for a lot less, then why would they allow themselves to almost go out of business? Refusal to admit it? I don't think so. People don't put themselves out of a job so easily. Look at Leica. Another finely crafted machine that requires a lot of hand-work to make and assemble. Same thing. They're struggling.

Canon "L" lenses range in price up through the tens of thousands of dollars. But they're just hunks of glass and some aluminum, right?

It's like the argument that oil companies are making too much profit. If you believe that, then why not buy their stock? They're public companies. get their reports and see how much profit they really make.

If there is sooooo much money to be made making cameras then why not give it a go? Try your hand at it and see how well you do.

 

[gnashings]

I think that the law of diminishing returns is at work here. Squeezing that last 5% of 'trickness' or quality out of anything (car,watch, camera, wine) costs a disproportionate amount of money. Some people are willing to pay extra for that little bit of betterness.
The rest of us don't care or can't even tell the difference.

That about sums it up - wether we care or not, thats a different story - but the diminishing returns always come into play!

 

[isaacc7]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that the manufacturing of the "V" system had stopped and that only the the Fuji based "H" system was being made. I don't think that there's anything going on in Sweden any longer... I'll google a little and try to find out more...

Isaac

 

[isaacc7]

Gahh, can't find what I was looking for, I'll check the Hassey pricebook tomorrow when I go to work. I dunno, maybe I imagined the whole thing, but I'm pretty sure I read that they had stopped the V line. I'll see tomorrow.

Isaac

 

[gr82bart]

Yep, Louis Vuitton is definately overpirced!

Again. To you. Don't buy it then.

The Chinese knock out near identical replicas for peanuts.

So now you're advocating that a fake is of acceptable quality. You're pretty inconsistent with your standards of quality.

MacDonalds sell garbage. Hasselblad dont. That dosent mean they should be charging as much as they do.

I see you're not comprehending the analogy examples.

Quality and price go hand in hand up to a point.

Whose point? Yours?

Hasselblad choose to keep their kit prices expensive.

Yes, they do. That's their price for their quality. If you don't like their quality, don't buy it.

Art.

 

[raucousimages]

Hasselblad's are machined by hand out of metal and some of the finest glass ever made. Not stamped tin and injection molded plastic. They last for years and along with Leica are the best supported camera systems in the world. If you want that quality you pay dearly for it, and yes part of that cost is the name. My Honda runs just fine but it is no comparison my Porsche and I know I paid a lot just for the name. I have a 501 and a SWC, I wont sell them. I hope to see my grandchildren using them. If you think I am an arrogant snob you are damn right. I have worked hard to be able to afford the best and I find that those people who complain about fine things don't own them. By the way Bronica never went to the moon.

 

[KenM]

While I don't have anything useful to add to this thread, I'll say that it certainly has been entertaining. Also, it's a well known fact that no matter how benign a topic, and regardless of the (usually good) intentions of the participants, a discussion will degrade into a flame war the longer the discussion progresses.

From a psychology point of view, it's a very interesting phenomena, and speaks volumes about human nature.

However, from a photography point of view, well, it's pointless.

Photograph with what ya got. End of story.

 

[JBrunner]

When my RZ got stolen MF was no longer my prime focus, but I found myself still wanting to shoot MF occasionally. I could not justify a Hasse or RZ for the little bit of MF shooting I still do.

So I got a Hasselbladski- a Kiev, a Hasse knock off from the Ukraine. I found it to be a capable camera for a good price and it satisfies my MF urges. It is also quirky, makes funny noises, and doesn't exactly fit together like maybe it should. It also smells funny. Sort of charming in its own way. At a glance it looks just like the "blad. It can take good pictures. It hasn't broken. Would I bet a job on it? No way.

Hasselblad is built for professional work. The kind of work where a camera breaking can cost far more that the repair. The kind of jobs where bodies are taken as a back up, despite the proven reliability of the gear. The rate on a just a few days can eat up a big hunk of the cost. Depreciation takes care of more. It is probably not the camera for a casual shooter on a budget. There are all kinds of cameras for almost any format and price range out there.

The market has born the price of Hasselbad equipment for a long time. If the market couldn't bear it, they would have disappeared long ago.

Now the market has changed. How they deal with it- time will tell.

 

[Uncle Bill]

Once I find a new job, a Hassie 500c would be a nice camera to buy. Its like this you are buying something your grandkids will use. I use this same reasoning with my M3 I inherited from my dad's estate. Yes Leica is ferociously expensive but I am getting a lot of joy from a 50 year old camera and so will my kids if I have any and so on. YOU PAY FOR QUALITY. Sorry for the shout gang.

 

[Gibran]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that the manufacturing of the "V" system had stopped and that only the the Fuji based "H" system was being made. I don't think that there's anything going on in Sweden any longer... I'll google a little and try to find out more...

Isaac

The V system is still being produced and has not been discontinued. Hasselblad has stated that they will continue to make it as long as the demand is there. That could be 6 months or 20 years! But its still being made right now. The H1-H2 body is made in Sweden by Hasselblad. I believe the backs, prisms and lenses are made in Japan by Fuji with the design of the lenses by Fuji and the other items by Hasselblad. Thats what I have read.

 

[david b]

In case someone out there owns the H1 or H2, the 16-32 film back for this camera has just gone from $1000 to $2000. That's correct....$2000 for a film back!!!

Don't believe me? Check B&H.

 

[david b]

Also...be sure to check out

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[antielectrons]

Okay, fine with me, I don't care..

The last two SL66's I owned were no where near the quality of the blads I had..

So be it, I really don't give a rip..

When it comes down to it, you and I have differing opinions, Shoot what you got.

Bye Antielectrons..

Again, you are viewing this as some sort of competition. I own an SL66 rather than a blad because it meets my needs better. Back on topic, it was a similarly overpriced bit of kit for what it was. And look where Rollei is now. They just brought out new TLR with Tele-Xenar for over $4K. Ouch! That should limit the market for their product.

 

[antielectrons]

Again. To you. Don't buy it then.
So now you're advocating that a fake is of acceptable quality. You're pretty inconsistent with your standards of quality.
I see you're not comprehending the analogy examples.
Whose point? Yours?
Yes, they do. That's their price for their quality. If you don't like their quality, don't buy it.

Art.

The point is art you can get the same quality sometimes for a lot less money. A lot less. Whether I buy their gear or not is beside the point. The thread is about the price of Hasselblad gear.

 

[antielectrons]

Hasselblad's are machined by hand out of metal and some of the finest glass ever made. Not stamped tin and injection molded plastic. They last for years and along with Leica are the best supported camera systems in the world. If you want that quality you pay dearly for it, and yes part of that cost is the name. My Honda runs just fine but it is no comparison my Porsche and I know I paid a lot just for the name. I have a 501 and a SWC, I wont sell them. I hope to see my grandchildren using them. If you think I am an arrogant snob you are damn right. I have worked hard to be able to afford the best and I find that those people who complain about fine things don't own them. By the way Bronica never went to the moon.

Not necesarily so. You have swallowed Hasselblad marketing hook, line and ... Sometimes I think they would want to be made on the moon the price they are charging!

 

[antielectrons]

When my RZ got stolen MF was no longer my prime focus, but I found myself still wanting to shoot MF occasionally. I could not justify a Hasse or RZ for the little bit of MF shooting I still do.

So I got a Hasselbladski- a Kiev, a Hasse knock off from the Ukraine. I found it to be a capable camera for a good price and it satisfies my MF urges. It is also quirky, makes funny noises, and doesn't exactly fit together like maybe it should. It also smells funny. Sort of charming in its own way. At a glance it looks just like the "blad. It can take good pictures. It hasn't broken. Would I bet a job on it? No way.

Hasselblad is built for professional work. The kind of work where a camera breaking can cost far more that the repair. The kind of jobs where bodies are taken as a back up, despite the proven reliability of the gear. The rate on a just a few days can eat up a big hunk of the cost. Depreciation takes care of more. It is probably not the camera for a casual shooter on a budget. There are all kinds of cameras for almost any format and price range out there.

The market has born the price of Hasselbad equipment for a long time. If the market couldn't bear it, they would have disappeared long ago.

Now the market has changed. How they deal with it- time will tell.

Because the market has borne the cost doesnt mean the cost wasnt expensive for what was being offered. Microsoft charges way too much for its product (which are rubbish by the way) and the market has borne their cost for decades.

I dont think a comparison with Kiev is usefull at all. They make awfull cameras and would do so even if they charge lots of $$$ for them, just like Microsoft.

 

[antielectrons]

In case someone out there owns the H1 or H2, the 16-32 film back for this camera has just gone from $1000 to $2000. That's correct....$2000 for a film back!!!

Don't believe me? Check B&H.

Apparently the high cost is becuse of its extreme quality and the fact that it was designed to take photos at extremely high temperatures as found on the surface of the Sun!

 

[david b]

Thanks for the last 10 posts to this thread.

 

[arigram]

Hasselblad's V system catalog of 2006 includes the 501CM, the 503CW, their colored series,the 555ELD, the 203FE, the 205FCC, the 905SWC and all the past lenses, backs and accessories.
That's not an indication of anything as they also have printed an X catalog...

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

this thread is getting REALLY tired. Can't we let it die so I don't have to keep seeing it in the New Posts list? Suffice it to say that Antielectrons has a serious jones on against Hasselblad, and a bunch of other folks here revere them. As has been said many times already in this thread, if you are willing to pay the price of admission, then it is worth it. If not, then it isn't. As McKeown's Used Camera Price Guide says, "The value of any given camera is the price agreed upon by the buyer and seller at the time of the sale". I know that I can take my Hasselblad around the world, ride it hard and put it away wet, and it will still come through the other end happily working away. Hasselblads don't break - they wear out. The same can NOT be said for digiwhatsits or even most 35mm SLRs.

 

[Magnus W]

Hasselblad's V system catalog of 2006 includes the 501CM, the 503CW, their colored series,the 555ELD, the 203FE, the 205FCC, the 905SWC and all the past lenses, backs and accessories.
That's not an indication of anything as they also have printed an X catalog...

The 200 series is discontinued, the 500 series is not.
Dead Link Removed

And in (there was a url link here which no longer exists) there is a link to an interview with Jack Showalter
President of Hasselblad USA Inc. where he says:

(reporter): Is it true that the V series cameras will be phased out as current inventory is depleted? Is it the end of the era at Hasselblad for pure mechanical cameras?

Jack S: No.
I’d like to elaborate, but it’s kind of like answering “Do you still beat your spouse?”…
I can only think of about 2 reasons we would stop building any product:
1) Our customers don’t want it any more and stop buying it
2) We can’t get the parts or components required to build it

I field lots of questions like this. My “stock” answer is that we are in the photography business. We will design, build and sell what we feel the market wants, so long as we can do so at a profit. We will then use a large percentage of these profits to design whatever the market wants next. That is what being a technology company is all about.

-- MW

 

[removed account4]

I shoot a Hasselblad 503cw and have a few film backs and a couple of lenses, (all purchased used, 'cept the polaroid back) but I don't think I can afford this system anymore. Prices for new equipment are insane. $425 for a proshade and $780 for a simple film back. How do they justify these prices? The technology is over forty years old. Heck, I can buy a Nikon D200 cutting edge digital camera for the price of two Hasselblad film backs.

david -
they are expensive because they are the best made.
as you have read, some folks don't think it is worth it, and others who rely on their camera to earn a living, swear by them. for a long time, hasselblad's were a status symbol for dr's and dentists &C who were hobbiests and wanted to best money could buy, just like the same folks would buy the most expensive sedan/coupe as a way to improve their driving ability. these days, with ePay, it isn't dr's and dentists who are buying hasselblad, but pretty much anyone who wants one, and it isn't nearly as expensive to buy from there ( or keh ).

PS: I take my film in to a commercial developer who, I found out, develops the film, then scans it into a computer, and then prints it on paper. Doesn't that defeat most of the reason for shooting film? Should I find someone who actually does it the old fashioned way? Would it matter?

as dave (satinsnow ) said -

scanning and light jet ( or similar technology ) is what all major pro-labs are doing. they are dumping all their traditional-enlargers &C for this sort of thing. the pro-lab near me is the same way - charges 25$ an 8x10, unless it is "traditionally hand crafted " then they charge abotu 50$ ( from what i have heard ) ... and its an rc print.

good luck!

-john

 

[gnashings]

... My Honda runs just fine but it is no comparison my Porsche and I know I paid a lot just for the name...

Nah, you buy a Ferrari and you pay for the name. You buy a Porsche and you pay for the privelage of owning the absolute best - timeless and unbeatable, world dominating uber-car and the pedigree that made it so.

The big difference in this car analogy is this: a Porsche is better in every way, including longevity and reliability and ability to take insane abuse under racing conditions, the Ferrari is just... more expensive because it can be.
The cameras on the other hand are a little different. They are the Porsche - expensive,but justified through their time proven, and time tested abilities. I don't know what the Ferrari would be - something more expensive than a Hassy but not nearly as well put together, reliable or capable.
And keep this in mind, too: the name has a huge impact on value retention. How big a difference is there between a Mamiya rz67 outfit compared to a Hasselblad when looking at brand new kits? I am actually asking because I am not sure - but I suspect the difference is a lot smaller than on eBay.