David wrote: > Many on the Blad list (HUG) feel that the 6x4.5 is a good "idea" but far > from what Hasselblad is aiming for with respect to film formats. It adds > autofocus to a smaller rectangular format and is aimed mainly at Wedding > photographers - those who use 6x4.5 the most. Not all Hasselblad buyers or > their "core professional" buyers are Wedding Photographers. Many, yes, but > not the larger percentage. > > This combined with the fact that the camera is really a FUJI product (yes, > it's designed and made in conjucntion with Fuji - even the lenses are Fuji > lenses and not the Zeiss glass that most Blad users revere) makes the H1 > decent but not earth shattering and does not signal whatsoever the death of > 6x6. The only other benefit to the H1 is the digital back by Kodak.
That has really not much to do with it. The new Hasselblad is not a 6X6 camera because thats not where the money is. If the majority of Hasseblad users, and not to forget potential users, wannted the square format, all Hassel need to do is to carve a square shutter opening on the new H1. The lenses covers the same image circle. 6X6 is format destined to die with film. In digital the need for stndardisation is paramount in order to achieve effective sensor production. Nobody can afford to make sensors for weird formats; particularly when in 90% of the cases the image will be cropped down to a format that fit "standard" sensors. It doesn't make sense. In spite of what been stated before in this thread, the overwhelming sucess of the latest AF medium format cameras has eroded the sales of Hasselblad and the like more than anything else. Whereas the likes of Pentax and Contax breaks sales records Hasselblad sales are down up to 60%. Most have figured out that they crop 6X6 down to 6X4,5 anyway and that the new features are worth turing the camera for verticals for. P�l
