This is a very bad day for David Beckham (see him here with the HV). Hasselblad just “unofficially” confirmed they will stop selling “redesigned” Sony-Hasselblad cameras for 10x the regular Sony price. The newly announced the new “Lusso” A7r clone camera is the last of such “luxurified” Sony cameras. They also dramatically dropped the price of current “Sony clones” like the Hasselblad HV (-$8,000 at BH!).
New Hasselblad CEO, Perry Oosting released an important interview at Dpreview. And here are some key info:
1) Hasselblad Lusso: The Lusso is a strictly limited edition of fewer than 100 units that will be sold mostly through Hasselblad distribution channels in Hong Kong. It will not be sold elsewhere, and there will be no more units made.
2) Sony Luxury clones: Hasselblad will from now on “go back to our core and make the most of the expertise that exists in this company“. In short this means no more Luxury Sony camera clones will be made.
3) Partnership with Sony: Oosting says: “We still have a very good relationship with Sony, and in fact we have recently restarted that good relationship. In the long term we will work together, but there are no co-branded products on the horizon. All our design work will be done in Gothenburg, along with our concepts and production.”
Summary: It’s very clear from the interview that Hasselblad wants to focus on medium format cameras. And I bet they will work together with Sony to develop new sensors. As the Ceo said they “recently restarted” the partnership. It means something completely new is on the horizon.
My very personal dream-wish to Hasselblad: Make an interchangeable mirrorless medium format system with Sony sensors. A sort of digital [shoplink 37985 ebay]Hasselblad X-Pan (here on eBay)[/shoplink]. That would be amazing or not?
