Hasselblad's Closed System

It seemed to have ticked many people off when Hasselblad announced their choice to close their H3D System off from other vendors. Some claimed that this is "linked selling" and was done to lock out any competitors.

It is easy to be a cynic these days but sometimes we have to realize that companies out there still care about their customers enough. The new direction Hasselblad has taken may have shaken people up, but rest assured that it is for the greater good. Here is a quote from Hasselblad to explain their reasoning:

"In truth, [the H2] was a great film camera to which a digital back could be fitted, and...Hasselblad started to look at ways that image quality and functionality could be enhanced even more through better integration...The H2 camera has not, in any way, been diminished by Hasselblad’s separate development of functions specifically for the integrated H3D. However, lacking the necessary integration of the new camera engine and Hasselblad Flexcolor software, these functions cannot work on the H2."

I have to argue that Hasselblad was 110% right for closing off their system. Why would I agree? Simple. With me having a computer science background, I have first hand experience with all the trouble of having to work with other vendors. Sure things work sometimes but other times it ends up being a mash up or a hack to get things to work with one another. Sometimes, it is just best to concentrate all your focus on a closed system. Why? To better the user experience. From the user standpoint, that means you get the best quality possible. Hasselblad has always been known for quality and having the ball in their court means that quality is carried over from the lens, to body, to digital back and finally to the software to provide you with the best images possible. And THAT is what it's all about! Hasselblad obviously has a big goal for the future and it is necessary to take this big leap forward. It may have lost them some loyal customers or it may have got people angry but you will see that it was crucial for them to fulfil their long-term goals that they have to keep them at the top of the food chain.

People are also upset that the newest lenses cannot be used on their older H series bodies. I'll agree with your there that it stinks. However, the H1 and H2 cameras in your hands are far from obsolete. Photographers are still taking amazing photos with them and they continue to be a very hot item on the resellers market. Worse case scenario, you will still be able to get top dollar for your older Hasselblad gear if you want to sell it and upgrade to the H3D. This will help lessen the blow to your wallet for a new H3D system. Also, by being a closed system, it drops the cost of owning a state-of-the-art MF camera at lower entry price. When Hasselblad makes everything, they can offer packages, kits and deals. Otherwise, you would need to purchase a full price Hasselblad body and a full price Phase One or Leaf back. That really adds up!

Is a H3D right for you? Take a look at some of the features that makes up the Hasselblad H3DII:

• Silent and Effective Heat-Sink Based Cooling System: We have removed the cooling fan found in previous generations, and have replaced it with a new passive, head-sink cooling system which uses heat-spreaders to move the heat from hot components like the sensor to the outer metal parts. This eliminates unwanted noise and the risk of moisture and dust entering into the sensor unit electronics.

• Best Hardware/Software Integration: The H system features true Hasselblad design from the start to the finish of the imaging chain, with the seamless integration that provides the foundation for extended MetaData in image files, DAC, IAA, Ultra Focus and much more.

• Central Lens Shutter: Hasselblad lenses use high performance central lens shutters, making them stable, quiet, and particularly useful for flash work at fast shutter speeds or many other tricky lighting situations.

• 28mm HCD Lens: The HCD 28mm retro focus lens has a 95 degree diagonal angle of view and is the most extreme wide-angle lens presently available in the medium-format, expressly designed for digital use with and virtually no lateral color aberration.

• CCD Not CMOS As With 35mm Systems: The sensors used in Hasselblad H System cameras use CCD pixel technology, unlike the lower CMOS technology of 35mm cameras. The result is higher image quality thanks to the higher quality electrical signal from the CCD sensors than that from CMOS sensors and a larger light reception area for each pixel.

• Customizable User Interface Controls: You can tailor various camera functions to suit your own particular way of working.

• Choice of Large, Bright Viewfinders: Choose your way of viewing your subject and tailor your shooting style to suit the job at hand with your choice of both eye level and waist level viewfinders, all featuring the market’s brightest, clearest viewing screens.

• Instant Approval Architecture for Easy Image Classification: Hasselblad Instant Approval Architecture, (IAA), provides and enhanced set of feedback tools, using audible and visible signals as well as recorded information in the file and in the file name to facilitate quick and easy classification in the field or in the lab.

• Larger Lenses + Larger Sensors = Higher Quality: The combination of larger lenses and the market’s largest sensors fives an image area almost twice as large than 35mm cameras and much higher quality over a larger area.

• DAC for Optical Purity: Hasselblad’s Digital APO Correction, (DAC), is a unique way of digitally correcting the minor optical errors, which are always present in even the highest quality lenses, automatically correcting distortion, chromatic aberration or vignetting by using detailed lens information that resides inside the RAW 3FR file generated by the new generation of Hasselblad cameras.