DHW bankrupt, the harsh reality

[eronald]

I am sure that if there were no IP issues someone would make a back sooner or later. However if DHW simply sold/made a mounting plate with all the connections present for anyone who requested it, that would presumably also solve the problems.

The contact and mechanical issues involved are crucial - it's a camera, not a computer. I think open source guys or a "normal" third party mechanical shop would probably not be able to make a part that works reliably with the required tolerances.

Edmund

Hi,

DHW could deliver an open interface to the camera with well documented connections and protocols and making them perpetually royaltee free. That would make it feasible for any interested company to develop an MFDB for the Hy6. Question is of course if such a back is a reasonable investment for any vendor. It much depends on probable number of sales.

Would Sony make such back, R&D costs would be very low as they could reuse most of the existing technology of theirs. Same would apply to Ricoh, of course, but Ricoh already has a pony in that race (Pentax 645z).

Best regards
Erik

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

I see your point.

On the other hand, I am more thinking about a commercial back, than an experimental one. It is quite probable, that a company like Sony could make a digital back at say half the price of the Pentax 645z (the Pentax is a complete camera). Would there be a say 5-8 k$ back for the Rolleiflex, it would improve the business case for HDW radically, I would think.

- There would be a surge for the backs for existing cameras
- Good sales would be possible for wide angle lenses (because of the crop factor)
- It would be the most affordable MF system (except the Pentax 645z), so I guess it would generate good sales

Best regards
Erik

I am sure that if there were no IP issues someone would make a back sooner or later. However if DHW simply sold/made a mounting plate with all the connections present for anyone who requested it, that would presumably also solve the problems.

The contact and mechanical issues involved are crucial - it's a camera, not a computer. I think open source guys or a "normal" third party mechanical shop would probably not be able to make a part that works reliably with the required tolerances.

Edmund

[eronald]

A $50-$80K back? What are salaries like in your part of the world?

Edmund

Hi,

I see your point.

On the other hand, I am more thinking about a commercial back, than an experimental one. It is quite probable, that a company like Sony could make a digital back at say half the price of the Pentax 645z (the Pentax is a complete camera). Would there be a say 50-80 k$ back for the Rolleiflex, it would improve the business case for HDW radically, I would think.

- There would be a surge for the backs for existing cameras
- Good sales would be possible for wide angle lenses (because of the crop factor)
- It would be the most affordable MF system (except the Pentax 645z), so I guess it would generate good sales

Best regards
Erik

[ErikKaffehr]

Thanks Edmund, corrected!

Our prices used to be something like 10 times US prices (in SEK resp USD) so it easy to mess up.

Best regards
Erik

A $50-$80K back? What are salaries like in your part of the world?

Edmund

[EricWHiss]

The Hy6 system supports 6x6cm (and may be one of the only modern cameras with this capability) so while you are dreaming about digital backs you might as well dream big!   

[dergiman]

Any news in this case?

[EricWHiss]

Yes, the factory is still operational at the moment but with a reduced staff.  There is an effort being made to pool investors to buy the company from insolvency and restart that I am involved with. Anyone who might be interested in this please contact me off forum.

[JV]

Yes, the factory is still operational at the moment but with a reduced staff.  There is an effort being made to pool investors to buy the company from insolvency and restart that I am involved with. Anyone who might be interested in this please contact me off forum.

Pretty soon the H in DHW stands for Hiss

In all seriousness now, I really hope that they can keep things going and get that 35mm lens (and hopefully other new lenses over time) to the market!!

[synn]

Wishful thinking, but I hope one of the 35mm format manufacturers take over DHW and use that platform to launch a new 6x6 back of their own creation (I am looking at you, Canon).

[EricWHiss]

35mm lens is ready to go into production, but was just so expensive that we were not sure people would have bought it.  But now that Leica has lenses over $10k and others close who knows?   

[JerryReed]

Eric,

Thank you for the update, my fingers are crossed.

[dergiman]

Thanks for the info, Eric. Good luck with your new venture!

[JoeKitchen]

I hope the leaf shutters for tech lenses that DHW has still manages to come to market.  The specs are much better than any other version out there. 

[Doug Peterson]

Notably the full specs of the Arca Swiss CS (electronic leaf shutter) have not been released. The spec on shutter speed released so far is "maximum shutter speed of 1/250th of a second at wide-open aperture for a Copal 1 lens."

Max shutter speed for Copal 0 lenses (the vast majority of lenses being used on tech cameras) at f/8, should be faster. How much faster remains to be seen.

[JoeKitchen]

Notably the full specs of the Arca Swiss CS (electronic leaf shutter) have not been released. The spec on shutter speed released so far is "maximum shutter speed of 1/250th of a second at wide-open aperture for a Copal 1 lens."

Max shutter speed for Copal 0 lenses (the vast majority of lenses being used on tech cameras) at f/8, should be faster. How much faster remains to be seen.

Thanks for clarifying that.  I thought 1/250th was the #0 speed.  1/1000th would be great. 

[peterv]

Wishful thinking, but I hope one of the 35mm format manufacturers take over DHW and use that platform to launch a new 6x6 back of their own creation (I am looking at you, Canon).

Why would you expect Canon to do that?

I guess if any of the Japanese camera makers would start making MF, they would build their own system from the ground up.

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

Pentax is actually making MFD, but that depends in part of them having a heritage. The Pentax 645 system has been widely popular in Japan. There seem to be a lot of very satisfied Pentax 645D/Z users producing excellent images. May be that the lenses are not the best ones ever built, but all proper samples I have seen from those Pentaxes were pretty good.

Fuji has always been a fringe player, with somewhat odd but often excellent products. I would never be surprised if Fuji launched a new and unconventional platform.

Sony is making those 50 MP, 44x33 mm sensors. They could cooperate with Zeiss and relaunch a Contax 645, but I am in the impression that Zeiss is firmly out of the MF business.

Mamiya had some very interesting platforms, paired with some impressive lenses. But, Mamiya is now controlled by Phase One and I don't think we see a lot of innovation from that company.

My guess is that any real innovation in MF may come from either Fuji or Sony. On the other hand, Pentax may also go ahead.

Best regards
Erik

Why would you expect Canon to do that?

I guess if any of the Japanese camera makers would start making MF, they would build their own system from the ground up.