We all know medium format is a small market.
Given that, medium format seems to have develeoped into a closed end system, in other words one brand of back for one specific brand of camera.
Hasselblad started it with the H-3 and regardless of claims after Photo East most people know that all future H developement will go to the all in one H camera and H back.
I don't fault Leaf and Sinar for doing the same with the HY6, but as far as more options those options come with a qualifier.
Where do you buy the Rolliflex version of this camera outside of Russia or Japan and does Sinar sell the camera, lenses only without their digital back, because I have seen no pricing to suggest this?
If you like those brands great, your set, but things change fast in the digital world and what is the favored digital back today can be quickly limiting or problematic tomorrow.
I can list some compelling reasons to own more than one brand of digtial back and unless the camera platform accepts all brands easily, I do believe that is limiting.
After all in the film days would you buy a AGFA only RZ or a Kodak only V system?
In regards to the cameras functionality, the HY6 has been advertised as a square format, waist level camera from the beginning and though it now shows a prism finder, since it doesn't have a right angle grip like a Canon or Contax, it seems clear that the designed way to change orientation is by rotating the back.
That isn't brand bashing, that's just the information that has been given to us from the start by the manufacturers and from Sinar's own press release they make mention of future square format sensors, so it's just logical to assume that's the intended direction for this camera.
I'm glad this camera is coming to market but would be much happier if Iknew that it was available as a stand alone camera that was sold at a competitive price without a digital back. Maybe it will be but so far I have yet to see any information regarding this.
Obviously your a fan of Rollei and Sinar and predesposed to be positive towards that brand.
That's your choice and the current business model of digital backs will probably suit you just fine, though I find all of the new medium format offerings to come with an asterick at the bottom of the page which reads, to buy our camera you must buy our back.
That just seems to be the way the industry is headed and once you buy into one brand of digital backs, it's difficult and costly to swtich. The manufacturer's want you to stay with their brand for your career. Why else does every db maker have a schedule to trade in your back (or in hasselblad's case your older H-1) and receive huge discounts for the next model.
I guess that is the reason you see very few modern digital backs for sale on E-bay and I have to assume that this system is in place to protect the db market.
What does Leaf and Hasselblad do with all the used Aptus 17's and H-1's? They can't really be worth that much to them in parts so I assume it's to keep the resale market closed.
Personally, I'm not a fan of any camera, not to the point of positively pushing that brand.
I use a Contax and obviously have no agenda to spread the Contax word as they are out of business, though I am sure that if they were in business today deals would be in place for their cameras to be proprietary to one or two single brands of backs.
I boght the Contax(s) way before I bought a digital back and at the time could compare and put any of the 4 db makers backs on the camera (actually still can).
Try that with the new H3 or the HY6, buy the camera first and then compare all backs.
For the record I use Contax not for the camera but because of the focal plane design I can and do use a variety of lenses from Pentax, Contax, Hasselblad and Harteblei.
All produce a different look and once again since Contax is out of business there is no agenda to lock any digital back out of their system and other than the Mamiya 645 the Hasselblad and this new Rollei doesn't seem to be headed in the direction of 3rd party lens options.
The bottom line is nobody wants to selll just cameras, that's not where the money is.
JR
you looking at a lot of cash for a camera that doesn't reallly have a clear agenda.
what do you mean by no clear agenda?
Is the HY6 a truly universal camera platform or is it just a marketing tool for Leaf and Sinar to sell more backs?
I think Thierry has made it clear (more than once) that Phase is free to go ahead and make a Hy6 version of the Phase One backs. No-one is stopping them. Same goes for Hasselblad. In that respect the Hy6 is totally open - no-one is locked out. Do you think Hasselblad supplied Sinar with ready-to-go adapters to fit the eMotion backs onto the H series cameras?
Does it have full functionality today with the 645 and smaller sensors or will it only really be funcitonal once a square sensor is announced?
What functionality could possibly depend on the sensor size?
The fact the back only rotates by removing it tells me that it's not really there until we see new sensors.
You could always turn the whole camera, as with the Hass H, Contax or Mamiya. Or you have the choice of rotating the back - a choice the others don't give you. Why complain about having more choice?
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