The Luminous Landscape has reviewed the Hasselblad H2 and asks the question, “21st Century Ubercamera of Dinosaur in Waiting?” They continue to write –
“I have now used almost every medium format camera made in the past 30 years, and I can state without hesitation that the H1 / H2 Hasselblads are the most advanced cameras yet, with features that are really meaningful for the pro or advanced amateur photographer. It’s an unalloyed pleasure to use, and a highly productive tool.”
But, the days of film are now mostly past. Both the present and the future belong to digital, and this means that the H cameras, as among the last of their breed, must support and interface with any and every medium format back on the market for both Hasselblad and other back makers to be successful. If Hasselblad / Imacon plays hardball with other back makers, freezing them out, or charging exorbitant licensing fees, and if Mamiya and Pentax fail with their 645 integrated digital cameras, Mamiya with the ZD, and Pentax with its yet to be released offering, Hasselblad may well end up being the last man standing.
No industry segment can long survive with just one entrant, even one as good as the H2 from Hasselblad. A healthy industry needs competition, and if that isn’t allowed to thrive, even in a niche market like medium format digital, the game could well end up being lost for winning. Ubercamera or dinosaur. Time will tell.
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