Lots of backs, just one camera ...

[eronald]

We're now down to ONE musical chair - Contax is gone, Mamiya is gone, Pentax MF are comatose.

There are now tons of digital backs (Imacon/Phase/Leaf) and just one camera (Hasselblad) if you except the Alpa, Horseman and special tools like Sinar - I wonder what the independent back makers are going to do ?

Maybe the stage is now set for Act II of this farce, when Fuji buys out Hasselblad/Imacon and starts making the chips itself ?

Anyway, knowing how corporate buyers think, we're soon going to have a buyer's market of used Mamiya gear, and Hasselblad sales are going to climb.

Edmund

[William_Good]

"We're now down to ONE musical chair - Contax is gone, Mamiya is gone, Pentax MF are comatose."

Mamiya has been BOUGHT. They are still in business.
However if the new buyer mismanages the line, the result could be its end.
I agree with your thoughts. Kind of shocking if we are left with seven 25K digital backs and ONE MF body & lens choice.
I guess we'll see what the market brings..... ; )
William

[Lester]

Why are you people worry about it so much? Contax to gone but Leaf and Phase One still makes backs for it. Mamiya has been around for a long time and there are a lots of 645 AFD cameras around, just look at ebay.  I got three AFD for my P45, one for auto lens, one for manual lens and one spare. Don't worry, just shoot.

[BJL]

Maybe ... Fuji buys out Hasselblad/Imacon and starts making the chips itself ?
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Fuji has tried and more or less failed with MF sensors. It seems far more likely that, despite the strangely wide-spread contempt for Kodak Full Frame CCD sensors, that they headed for domination or even monopoly in the "larger than 35mm" sensor niche. I hope that Dalsa can keep some competitive pressure on them.

[eronald]

Why are you people worry about it so much? Contax to gone but Leaf and Phase One still makes backs for it. Mamiya has been around for a long time and there are a lots of 645 AFD cameras around, just look at ebay.  I got three AFD for my P45, one for auto lens, one for manual lens and one spare. Don't worry, just shoot.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=63315\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

What I'm trying to say is that rental outfits and bigger catalog shooting studios, who are the mainstay of the business aren't going to buy used cameras - hunting for spares on ebay is not their business model. they will "automatically" migrate to Hasselblad now, which means a diminishing marketshare for Phase and Leaf.

A diminishinng role for Phase and Leaf is not good for us.

The rest of us will be free to pick up the crumbs on the pre-owned market - I will certainly buy a used MF camera and back in a year or two.

And, just a thought - now that independent backs will be targeted at defunct systems, maybe someone will now finally come out and do the unthinkable - make decent cheap backs for the zillions of Hasselblad V's out there !

Edmund

[David Anderson]

All this stuff is keeping me out of medium format digital.

The backs are still to expensive compared to the Canon 1DSII, and IMHO the medium format systems ( that still exist ) have a lot of development to come before they're as easy to use.
Sure, the image from some of them is VERY good, but who knows where the whole thing will be in twelve months time.

It's like buying a DSLR about three years ago, scary...

David.

[mcfoto]

All this stuff is keeping me out of medium format digital.

Hi I have to agree with you on this.If I were a 35 digital user I think I would continue to wait. I have a Mamiya kit and will continue to work with it. I don't believe Mamiya is gone. This new company if approved could breath a new energy into the company. They do have a very good MF system. plus I have really enjoyed working with the ZD and will shoot another assignment in a few days with it. If Phase or Leaf just stand by now and do nothing I will be surprised.
Denis

[BJL]

If Phase or Leaf just stand by now and do nothing I will be surprised.
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Interesting point. The merging of Hasselblad with Imacon by their common owner Shiro was more like an acquisition by Imacon, as their management became the new management, with HQ now in Denmark, not Sweden. So likewise, if a company like Phase One does not want to be boxed out by Imacon, it could make sense for them to acquire the body components and lens system they need to put in front of their backs. some of us hoped for something like that with the Contax system; maybe it will happen with Mamiya's instead.

Aside: If Phase One does this, digital MF could be monopolised by Denmark!