The Swedish camera manufacturer Hasselblad was known for its compatibility with different lenses and accessories, allowing photographers flexibility. However, with the launch of the H3D model in 2006, Hasselblad announced it would no longer be compatible with other digital backs or allow its new lenses to be used with previous H models, going against its tradition of compatibility. This move was likely a result of Hasselblad's weakening after the shift to digital and its merger with Imacon, but may reduce photographer willingness to invest in Hasselblad instead of high-end DSLRs in the long run.

1. Hasselblad and the
End of Compatibility

2. The Swedish
The Swedish
camera
manufacturer
f
Hasselblad is
famous for
many things…
y g

3. … Having been used on the moon, for instance.

5. On reason why many photographers preferred this camera
was its compatibility with different accessories. People
referred to it as the ’Hasselblad system’.

6. The modular structure gave photographers a lot of flexibility
in terms of what lenses and film magazines to choose.

7. But those days are gone now.

8. With the launch of the H3D, Hasselblad
announced in 2006 that this model would not
in 2006 that this model not
be compatible with other digital backs.

9. And the new lens that was launched could not be
used with previous H models – you needed to
p y
buy the new (very expensive) camera.

10. So you o ed a
So if you owned an H1 and had a digital back you had to buy
a d ad a d g ta bac you ad to buy
the H3D along with its digital back – just in order to be able
to purchase the new lens.

11. As stated previously, the company has been synonymous
with compatibility since Victor Hasselblad’s days.

12. The belief in flexibility has been so deeply entrenched in the
firm that I believe those moves would never have been
made unless the company had merged with the Danish
digital back manufacturer Imacon.

13. It is clear that Hasselblad was severely wounded in the shift
t s c ea t at asse b ad as se e e y ou ded t e s t
to digital imaging and this kind of measures may have been
necessary in the short term.

14. In the long term it will just increase photographer’s
willingness to invest in a high‐end DSLR instead.

15. But who knows, maybe it was necessary.

16. Good or bad it goes
Good or bad – it goes against the
the
original idea of Hasselblad.

18. Christian Sandström is a PhD
student at Chalmers
student at Chalmers
University of Technology in
Gothenburg, Sweden. He
Gothenburg, Sweden. He
writes and speaks about
disruptive innovation and
technological change.
Find out more about Hasselblad:
www.christiansandstrom.org