X1D is listed discontinued

[bernardl]

I am wondering whether Hasselblad is aware about the very poor perception of the photographer community about the way they manage the communication related to the future of the H and X platforms.

Cheers,
Bernard

[Sandy Blaser]

I have written a number of articles in the forum about this situation with Hasselblad....Their failure to meet  their own Lens Roadmap, the
situation with cameras/lenses being out of stock at dealers....More importantly, I have contacted some dealers looking to order the XCD 35-75MM lens, and find the dealers just as dis-heartened as the customers....One of the dealers has pulled out of Hasselblad, because of the current situation....I also was told by one of Hasselblad's older dealers, that there has been a difference since DJI took control....I don't know if it is coincidental, but the dealer stated that there was much better communication before the "takeover".......One of the problems could be that the new owners are trying to push Hasselblad to develop/produce more products for their needs, whilst Hasselblad is not geared to do so......Whatever it is, we are being treated poorly by Hasselblad, and that is a SHAME.....Now even the Hasselblad Store is "Out of Stock" of the X1D this week......pretty sad.......If they are coming out with a replacement, now is the time to announce it, not wait another 2 months....I am afraid a lot of customers will simply switch to the Fuji GFX product line out of frustration. knowing that Fujifilm at this point. is acting more credible and professional-they make promises and keep them, and they provide plenty of product to Dealers, who after all, need product to make a profit....

[Greg]

Communication has been a real problem for Hasselblad since I entered MFD many years ago.  It is just the way Hasselblad operates.  They really got burned when a former CEO announced the H4D60 almost a year before they could deliver it.  It was done to dampen interest in the Phase 60 Megapixel offering, but in my opinion, it was a severe blemish on the Hasselblad brand.  Since then, communications from the company have been practically nonexistent.  New management (?) or not, I can't see a lot of difference in communications coming from Hasselblad.  They certainly follow these forums and know exactly how we feel, so I have come to the conclusion that they simply do not care.  After the wildly successful X1D, they were overwhelmed with trying to fulfill orders.  The teething problems with the camera and software became a huge problem for a small company.  For me, it was totally expected and was handled in a very professional way.  So, I was, have been, and am totally satisfied with my X1D.  I doubt Sony, Canon, or Nikon could have handled it as well as Hasselblad.  The blood sport of bashing Hasselblad may have some effect on their communication problems.  Why give the army of Hasselblad bashers any ammunition at all?  And, they may have a point there.       

[Bill_Evans]

I am wondering whether Hasselblad is aware about the very poor perception of the photographer community about the way they manage the communication related to the future of the H and X platforms.

Cheers,
Bernard

In all fairness, I think you may be generalization a bit concerning the "poor perception of the photography community". I am very satisfied with the X1D as a product and the conduct of Hasselblad including their communication. Especially when compared to other brands that I've used like Sony and to a lesser extend Fuji.

By all accounts Hasselblad created a very successful camera in the X1D and loads of photographers are out taking images which leads me to believe it's only a small, but vocal, community that has a poor perception of Hasselblad.

[fotophil]

Based upon very recent E-mails with the Hasselblad On-line Store it appears that new X1D Cameras are not available from Hasselblad because the product has been completely discontinued with respect to the production of new cameras. I was told that there may be some CPO (used) X1D Cameras made available for the European Market but currently there are no such plans for the US Market. Lenses, accessories, repair parts and service will continue for the X1D. It seems reasonable that Hasselblad has devoted their somewhat limited resources to developing the replacement X2D and maybe even the 35-75mm Zoom. The new camera is coming and we just have to have patience or switch to Fuji.

[dubois]

...I am afraid a lot of customers will simply switch to the Fuji GFX product line out of frustration. knowing that Fujifilm at this point. is acting more credible and professional-they make promises and keep them, and they provide plenty of product to Dealers, who after all, need product to make a profit....

I very much doubt this. These are two very different camera systems; conceptually and haptically and likely to be aimed at very different audiences. Probably the only thing in common is the sensor and even then the results are quite different because of the profiles. Both systems are truly excellent. I've tried both and found them like chalk and cheese. 

I suspect that photographers who are looking at this sector of camera really know what they want and will choose the system that fits their requirements best. For example, someone who uses outdoor flash may well want to opt for a system with a lens with leaf shutter. Fuji does not offer this so for him or her Fuji is unlikely to be a contender.

It seems to me that we should leave Hasselblad (or any other manufacturer) to make their own decisions about what to announce and when to announce it and how they deal with their distributors. They, after all, will have the information and knowledge to make those decisions. We just speculate and assume that we know best.

Despite the few gremlins I'm delighted with my X1D. I look forward to the next variant but in the meanwhile I will continue to use this excellent tool.

[ceoofhell]

I believe the (maybe many more) photographers who doesn´t bother to post on a fanboy forum or to argue with a camera manufacture are of more importance or at least have a bigger effect for the Hasselblad brand than all the rants in this forum.

The X1D is a tremendous camera and it will not fail because of ergonomics or image quality. If it fails it does because of Hasselblad, the missing reliability, the non-existing communication with their clients, the unpredictable timeline of long time promised (and probably necessary) products.

I have no idea how many clients or possible clients turned their backs to Hasselblad, silently, without notice to Hasselblad, the dealers or the fan group. They just decided that image quality is not everything (and it is not, IMO), they need lenses Hasselblad doesn´t deliver even after they promised, they need 100% reliability of the hard- and software, they need trust in the long time strategy of Hasselblad and the X-System. They might even think the RAW Converter is more important than the RAW File itself. I know, crazy idea. In all these regards, Hasselblad fails by large counts or could be much better (because they have a good product).
These silent photographers who have no time to argue or rant or write posts, they might have bought Fuji, Nikon, Canon, PhaseOne, Pentax or whatever gear. And they shot pictures good enough for them and their clients. And they just accept and carry around the big, heavy bricks by Fuji, Canon etc. They colour correct their images in post to their needs. But they don´t accept to be misleaded (timing) or to be let down (Problems with the Body) by a camera manufacture that wants to have their money. And they don´t cheer just because the body finally works without (huge) flaws after a few firmware updates and stops at the Swedish repair shop.
Hasselblad doesn´t care (very good) for their clients (at least in respect to open, honestly and reliable communication, timelines and product reliability), why should the clients care more for Hasselblad? There are plenty of other products, brands and promises out there.
After this long post from me, you probably know that I am not one of those photographers 😉 I still have my X1D and lenses. But I don´t think it is a very smart decision. It is more heart than brain. But I don´t have to earn money as a photographer. But even I am do not like to pay 100% working money for 100-x% working products (x is your personal experience, mileage and judgement).

That is my opinion, nothing else. And it might only matter for me. But I know for sure, I am not alone.

Michael

[hcubell]

The X1D is a tremendous camera and it will not fail because of ergonomics or image quality. If it fails it does because of Hasselblad, the missing reliability, the non-existing communication with their clients, the unpredictable timeline of long time promised (and probably necessary) products.

That is my opinion, nothing else. And it might only matter for me. But I know for sure, I am not alone.

Michael

"Missing reliability, non-existent communications with the customer base and unpredictable timeline of promised products."
The reality is that Hasselblad is damned if it does (communicate about future products), and damned if it doesn't (as this thread aptly demonstrates). Whenever Hasselblad has announced a forthcoming product or lens, they have either failed to deliver it on the projected release date, or released it as an incomplete product that required a series of firmware updates to reach a reasonable level of performance and reliability. In the case of the X1D, it was both. Hasselblad has apparently concluded that they are better off only announcing/previewing new products when they are ready to be released with a high level of expected reliability, and accepting the unhappiness on the part of some of its customers that it is "uncommunicative." They have picked their poison. I would like to know what's coming just as much as everyone else, but I am quite comfortable leaving it to my imagination. The X1D and the stable of lenses work exceptionally well for me as things stand today. I aalso don't in any way feel that Hasselblad is mistreating me as a customer by not "communicating" to me. I do feel mistreated if I have a service issue with a product and the manufacturer is not responsive in fixing it. That has NOT been my experience. At least in the US, Hasselblad has been exceptionally responsive. For example, a bunch of owners of X1Ds have had issues with the control wheels. Hasselblad US has replaced them with amazing speed on warranty.
Of course, there is another possibility why Hasselblad isn't preannouncing or talking about new stuff. They just may have some exceptional products that they want to keep secret for competitive reasons. [G] Nobody saw the X1D coming back in June, 2016. Just maybe Hasselblad is thinking outside the box again.

[ceoofhell]

I have to disagree. They have to communicate at least a lens roadmap with dates (they did) and meet their own release dates (they didn't). Instead they say, as heroic as possible "we only communicate when we know our products are ready" (which, btw. is a brand new strategy of H because many of the X-System products weren't ready for prime time when they were released), just shows that their project management is as poor as their quality management.

Regarding quality management: there was never an excuse for sending out defective products to customers, even not timing reasons.

If they don't know when they are ready to ship, this is a bug, not a feature.
To not communicate to clients in ANY way, is poor PR.

And of course I am talking about things like lens roadmap. No-one is expecting that they announce an innovative product like the X1D successor long before shipment. That would be nonsense.

I'm just saying that
a) H has the worst client communication I can imagine
b) H has no reliable strategy for the X-System communicated on which you could make business or investment decisions
c) H has shipped too much flawless X-System products from the very first day until now

The X1D-50c and their lens lineup is amazing (if you have a version without all the little devils inside). But bad management can kill even the best product and/or brand reputation. That's why I'm saying FOR ME the Hasselblad decision is by far more Heart than Brain.

P.S.: quick repair/turnaround times (were much longer here in Europe in my experience) are only half as good as flawless product quality from the beginning. But everyone judges a brand or product different.

[Bob Andersson]

At the risk of stating the obvious I suspect that Hasselblad would love to announce the X1D Mk 2 as soon as it can and benefit from a sales surge of bodies and glass. But I think it only makes business sense to do so for a low(ish) volume product once there are relatively few unsold X1D (Mk 1) cameras as well as, of course, a fully debugged Mk 2 ready to trundle down the production line if it isn't already doing so. Yes, Panasonic were able to pre-announce the S1/S1R but they weren't cannibalising a current product line by doing so.

Lens roadmaps are another matter and phantom glass is  both useless as a refractor of light and very effective at disenchanting the customer base. 

There's a similar wait going on for the successor to the Leica SL and similar frustration in forum space as Leica remains as tight lipped as Hasselblad. As a potential purchaser of the Mk 2 (full disclosure: I'm currently hedging my bets as I'm also on the waiting list for the SL2  ) I am a little concerned by some of the customer relations stories I read here on the forum but I try to remind myself that bad news travels fastest!

[hcubell]

I have to disagree. They have to communicate at least a lens roadmap with dates (they did) and meet their own release dates (they didn't). Instead they say, as heroic as possible "we only communicate when we know our products are ready" (which, btw. is a brand new strategy of H because many of the X-System products weren't ready for prime time when they were released), just shows that their project management is as poor as their quality management.

Regarding quality management: there was never an excuse for sending out defective products to customers, even not timing reasons.

If they don't know when they are ready to ship, this is a bug, not a feature.
To not communicate to clients in ANY way, is poor PR.

And of course I am talking about things like lens roadmap. No-one is expecting that they announce an innovative product like the X1D successor long before shipment. That would be nonsense.

I'm just saying that
a) H has the worst client communication I can imagine
b) H has no reliable strategy for the X-System communicated on which you could make business or investment decisions
c) H has shipped too much flawless X-System products from the very first day until now

The X1D-50c and their lens lineup is amazing (if you have a version without all the little devils inside). But bad management can kill even the best product and/or brand reputation. That's why I'm saying FOR ME the Hasselblad decision is by far more Heart than Brain.

P.S.: quick repair/turnaround times (were much longer here in Europe in my experience) are only half as good as flawless product quality from the beginning. But everyone judges a brand or product different.

I am not sure exactly what it is that you expect Hasselblad to "communicate." Why does there have to be an announced "strategy" for the X system? What would it be (except for the next body to be more reliable out of the gate)? Look at the DNA of the camera and that tells you where they will go with it in the future. Just like the Leica M and SL cameras. I sure hope that Hasselblad doesn't mess with the UI and the form factor, or try to fill it up with a bunch of "features" that just get in my way. As for lenses, I actually think the lineup is pretty complete. All I would like is a mid range zoom, and that's coming at some point.
It's interesting to me that there are three manufacturers of cameras left in Europe. Hasselblad, Leica and Phase. They are all pretty much the same in terms of being tight lipped about future plans. Phase has been adamant that it would not announce products until they are ready to ship. Leica does sometimes preannounce stuff and then takes flack for not delivering. These are very small companies that make wonderful products. I am willing to cut them some slack. They are not Panasonic or Sony or Fuji, with vast R&D, engineering and optical design resources. Hasselblad does not even make its own lenses. It is at the mercy of a third party Japanese manufacturer.
Everything in life involves a set of trade offs that are unique to each of us. Pluses and minuses. Buying a camera is no different. If the X1D and the lenses were not the best camera system for my needs that I have ever used, I am sure I would evaluate it differently.

[bernardl]

They went from a CEO who was communicating extremely well - at the risk of overselling - to one that doesn't communicate at all.

Like most things in life, there is a middle ground that is often superior to extremes.

A communication such as:
1. We are working on a major new camera release for the X system. It is too early to communicate an exact release schedule but we are targeting the second half of 2019,
2. We are working on an H7D that will ensure that H customer will continue to benefit from best in class sensor technology

Would be a great step forward.

Yes, my H6D-100c is stable and still delivering great images within its limited shooting envelope. Yet, auto-ISO would make it an order of magnitude more useful for casual shooting (something it does very well compared to a P1 XF)... and I know that Hasselblad has never committed to deliver that. So I am wondering, does it make sense to stay within the H system or should I just accept the major financial loss and move towards Fuji small FF with the confidence that they will keep updating the system as a fast pace?

The lack of communication of Hasselblad makes such wanderings dangerous for them...

Cheers,
Bernard

[hcubell]

A communication such as:
1. We are working on a major new camera release for the X system. It is too early to communicate an exact release schedule but we are targeting the second half of 2019.

Perhaps it's me, but as an owner of an X1D and 4 lenses, I just have no need for a communication of that sort. I am completely confident that they are working on a successor to the X1D, and they intend for it to appear at some point in 2019. However, if I owned an H6, I agree, I would be more concerned about where Hassleblad is headed with the H system. Many of the lenses are getting long in the tooth, and I doubt that Fuji is a reliable partner at this point for future development of lenses.

[Neimad]

My crystal ball is telling me that Hasselblad will take the opportunity of the 50 years anniversary of the moon landing to launch the X1D mark II ...

[vsbhk]

My crystal ball is telling me that Hasselblad will take the opportunity if the 50 years anniversary of the moon landing to launch the X1D mark II ...

I wish I had purchased a new body when it was discounted by B&H. I'm being told for nearly a year now that the release of the new body is imminent - wish they were speeding things up a little as rental cost is adding up in the interim.