Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Medium Format / Film / Digital Backs – and Large Sensor Photography => Topic started by: JV on September 11, 2014, 07:21:30 pm
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Posted on the other MF forum by Stefan Steib with a link to an article in German:
http://photoscala.de/Artikel/DHW-Fototechnik-GmbH-hat-Antrag-auf-Insolvenz-gestellt
Really really bad news… I own a Hy6 and 12 lenses.
Hopefully they can be resurrected once more!
And hopefully Leica brings out that Rollei adapter one day so that the glass can be used on the Leica S.
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A sad ending (possibly) for a proud brand.
Michael
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A sad ending (possibly) for a proud brand.
Indeed. Hopefully the good people behind the brand land softly.
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I'm hoping it won't be the ending! Fingers crossed! They came through once, or twice or four times before… ;)
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I guess theoretically they are not bankrupt yet, they filed for insolvency, hopefully they somehow do find a solution!
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Mine too. >:( :( :o ???
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That's sad. Hopefully they succeed to reconstruct the company. Apart from Hy6 which have some unique features compared to Hasselblad and Phase One, they've also made some important progress in electronic shutters for technical cameras through their HS-1000 product. It would be sad if that disappears before it got a chance to be widely tested in the marketplace.
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On the HS-1000 at 2K US per shutter, I feel it's usefulness was going to be a bit limited.
Paul
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Hi everyone,
my English is not the best especially concerning any legal terms but I think it is necessary to give some comments on the ongoing situation. Due to different reasons we had to file insolvency. In Germany you have to announce when the cash flow situation isn’t sufficient anymore, so we had to act. In the last month we recognized that our sales didn’t go the right directions which is of course as many of you know reasoned in the lack of marketing and advertising. We know that many people out there like our cameras but we weren’t able to sell this fact good enough. This is a problem we have since the beginning in 2009 because we started as a small company that had to finance itself completely.
BUT ! as Geoff mentioned correctly, insolvency doesn’t mean game over. We can still act and do business, but we have to talk about how we do business with the trustee that was called by court. We have many ideas about the future and are currently working hard to find a solution really soon.
I think there are two things that will be important to talk about, first: we will fulfil the orders and the service request we’ll get directly or through our different partners.
Second: I’m sure that we will find a solution so that nobody needs to be afraid about getting accessories or service for their equipment.
As you can imagine, we will not be able to attend photokina with an own booth, but I will be there from Wednesday to Friday and will be happy to meet with anyone interested in person in cologne during my stay.
Best regards,
Johannes
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Hi everyone,
my English is not the best especially concerning any legal terms but I think it is necessary to give some comments on the ongoing situation. Due to different reasons we had to file insolvency. In Germany you have to announce when the cash flow situation isn’t sufficient anymore, so we had to act. In the last month we recognized that our sales didn’t go the right directions which is of course as many of you know reasoned in the lack of marketing and advertising. We know that many people out there like our cameras but we weren’t able to sell this fact good enough. This is a problem we have since the beginning in 2009 because we started as a small company that had to finance itself completely.
BUT ! as Geoff mentioned correctly, insolvency doesn’t mean game over. We can still act and do business, but we have to talk about how we do business with the trustee that was called by court. We have many ideas about the future and are currently working hard to find a solution really soon.
I think there are two things that will be important to talk about, first: we will fulfil the orders and the service request we’ll get directly or through our different partners.
Second: I’m sure that we will find a solution so that nobody needs to be afraid about getting accessories or service for their equipment.
As you can imagine, we will not be able to attend photokina with an own booth, but I will be there from Wednesday to Friday and will be happy to meet with anyone interested in person in cologne during my stay.
Best regards,
Johannes
That's good to hear Johannes. Thanks for the update.
Steve Hendrix
Capture Integration
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Good to hear! I sincerely hope you will find a solution!!
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+1
Erik
Good to hear! I sincerely hope you will find a solution!!
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Johannes,
Please keep us all informed. You have many fans here.
Kind regards,
Michael
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Yes, lots of fans!
Rolleiflex is only camera brand that I know where people sport tattoos of the cameras and build cafes and other buildings in their likeness! Okay some Leica fans do that stuff too, but..
Anyhow just to back up what Johannes has written, I've just received a regular shipment of new cameras (both Hy6 and TLR's), and another carton with items returned from service this week as normal.
And if you didn't see it already, Steve Huff had the Hy6 for review last month and just posted a very nice review:
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2014/09/09/shooting-with-film-my-rolleiflex-hy6-mod-2-experience/
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After looking at all of the available SLR type cameras on the market today, I thought the Hy6 was the best thought out solution. I always hoped that some day Phase One would support the system and sell their backs with the Hy6 mount.
I hope they come out of this okay and some how convince P1 to support the system.
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Hi everyone,
my English is not the best especially concerning any legal terms but I think it is necessary to give some comments on the ongoing situation. Due to different reasons we had to file insolvency. In Germany you have to announce when the cash flow situation isn’t sufficient anymore, so we had to act. In the last month we recognized that our sales didn’t go the right directions which is of course as many of you know reasoned in the lack of marketing and advertising. We know that many people out there like our cameras but we weren’t able to sell this fact good enough. This is a problem we have since the beginning in 2009 because we started as a small company that had to finance itself completely.
BUT ! as Geoff mentioned correctly, insolvency doesn’t mean game over. We can still act and do business, but we have to talk about how we do business with the trustee that was called by court. We have many ideas about the future and are currently working hard to find a solution really soon.
I think there are two things that will be important to talk about, first: we will fulfil the orders and the service request we’ll get directly or through our different partners.
Second: I’m sure that we will find a solution so that nobody needs to be afraid about getting accessories or service for their equipment.
As you can imagine, we will not be able to attend photokina with an own booth, but I will be there from Wednesday to Friday and will be happy to meet with anyone interested in person in cologne during my stay.
Best regards,
Johannes
Hi, really appreciate your candor. Must be a difficult situation for everyone involved. Thanks for posting.
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Hi,
I got the impression that German banks are much willing to invest in famous German companies. AFAIK as I know, neither Leica nor Rollei were successful for many years but could still gain significant marketing. Leica got a 200 M€ (300 M$) injection a few years ago, could expand it's offerings and seems to be quite profitable today. But, keep in mind that Leica even developed it's own sensor for the Leica M. Development of firmware on the M9 was done by Jenoptic why the S2 firmware developed in house. So Leica essentially has developed what would be the digital back. In addition Leica developed a new set of lenses for the S2 (now S).
I guess that it is a problem for DHW that they no longer own the Rollei trade mark, that ownership is now with a different company selling different products: http://www.rollei.com/
So I guess that german banks are less interested in investing in DHW than they would in Rollei.
Another factor is that economic climate in Europe is harsh.
Best regards
Erik
German laws is strange. Each time DHW cannot be reborn by shaking off all intellectual property right (too many cross-rights) problem, which bars the potential buyer.
Xin
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Hi Erik,
Rollei's demise was caused by the Norddeutsche Landesbank several decades ago. Rollei was restructuring and starting with new initiatives, but the Norddeutsche Landesbank gave insufficient support and pulled the plug when all was only starting.
So yes, a German bank unfortunately killed one of Germany's greatest companies. "Rollei", or Franke and Heidecke, or DHW, never really recovered.
It is unfortunate that nobody in Germany feels any sense of responsibility or support toward a brand of this level, the company, and those who are still trying to keep it alive.
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Hi,
I got the impression that German banks are much willing to invest in famous German companies. AFAIK as I know, neither Leica nor Rollei were successful for many years but could still gain significant marketing. Leica got a 200 M€ (300 M$) injection a few years ago, could expand it's offerings and seems to be quite profitable today. But, keep in mind that Leica even developed it's own sensor for the Leica M. Development of firmware on the M9 was done by Jenoptic why the S2 firmware developed in house. So Leica essentially has developed what would be the digital back. In addition Leica developed a new set of lenses for the S2 (now S).
I guess that it is a problem for DHW that they no longer own the Rollei trade mark, that ownership is now with a different company selling different products: http://www.rollei.com/
So I guess that german banks are less interested in investing in DHW than they would in Rollei.
Another factor is that economic climate in Europe is harsh.
Best regards
Erik
Oh my, just saw the rollei.com website. Kinda reminds me of what happened with Bell & Howell. Sad indeed.
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Ken,
The company split into consumer lines and professional lines decades ago. Mostly what is in discussion here is the professional line, which is http://www.dhw-fototechnik.de/
AFAIK, the consumer line is doing okay and is the site you referenced.
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Ken,
The company split into consumer lines and professional lines decades ago. Mostly what is in discussion here is the professional line, which is http://www.dhw-fototechnik.de/
AFAIK, the consumer line is doing okay and is the site you referenced.
Hi Eric,
I have heard about it but had not checked the consumer line before. It is sad for the Rollei name to be used in such low end products. Obviously that has no effect on the current high end or the legacy products and services.
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Hi,
So DHW owns the Rollei trademark, too? Or is that the case that Rollei and Rolleiflex are separate trade marks?
Best regards
Erik
Hi Eric,
I have heard about it but had not checked the consumer line before. It is sad for the Rollei name to be used in such low end products. Obviously that has no effect on the current high end or the legacy products and services.
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Ken,
It might be simpler to think of the two different lines as Rollei and Rolleiflex. I know that its a bit confusing, but those consumer Rollei cameras seem just that, and priced accordingly. It doesn't strike me at all out of place, especially compared to something like the Hasselblad Lunar. Even Leica also offered rebranded panasonic digital cameras on the lower end.
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Hello Johanes,
We all think very highly of your staff, your company and the products and the service and hope this will work out somehow.
Neil
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Ken,
It might be simpler to think of the two different lines as Rollei and Rolleiflex. I know that its a bit confusing, but those consumer Rollei cameras seem just that, and priced accordingly. It doesn't strike me at all out of place, especially compared to something like the Hasselblad Lunar. Even Leica also offered rebranded panasonic digital cameras on the lower end.
And Schneider Kreuznach, etc. Many top line manufacturers lend their expertise to low end products.
Steve Hendrix
Capture Integration
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Hi,
Some interesting observations.
- Samsung was selling Pentax lenses under the Schneider label. Those lenses looked like Pentax lenses, smelled like Pentax lenses and had MTF like Pentax lenses. I don't know what Schneider contributed except the name. But I guess that the Schneider label sounded better than Hoya, Tokina or Kenko.
- http://www.rollei.com/about-us/ says that: "In 2007, RCP-Technik GmbH, based in Hamburg, acquired the European Rollei brand license rights and since then has been marketing the Rollei Consumer Products with increasing success. The Rollei products are currently present on the market in more than twenty European countries. The present Rollei product range comprises digital cameras, camcorders, digital picture frames, slide and film scanners, Fotopro tripods and photo and iPhone accessories". That description doesn't exactly sounds like Rolleiflex lending expertise to low end products.
Best regards
Erik
And Schneider Kreuznach, etc. Many top line manufacturers lend their expertise to low end products.
Steve Hendrix
Capture Integration
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Posted on the other MF forum by Stefan Steib with a link to an article in German:
http://photoscala.de/Artikel/DHW-Fototechnik-GmbH-hat-Antrag-auf-Insolvenz-gestellt
Really really bad news… I own a Hy6 and 12 lenses.
Hopefully they can be resurrected once more!
And hopefully Leica brings out that Rollei adapter one day so that the glass can be used on the Leica S.
You must have a lot of dough to have so many lenses for that cam. I didn't know about it or I may have bought one. Beautiful little cam!
I wish they made a 6x6 FF back for my SWC. 6mp and $3000 would do the trick.
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You must have a lot of dough to have so many lenses for that cam.
Unfortunately you have me confused with somebody else… Buy when you get a good deal or when the stuff is fully depreciated!
I wish they made a 6x6 FF back for my SWC. 6mp and $3000 would do the trick.
I wish there was an affordable 6x6 back as well but I don't believe it is ever going to happen…
The Hy6 would really shine with such a back but if DHW wants this to happen they will need to make it happen themselves and have somebody design such a sensor (like Leica did with CMOSIS).
Unlikely in my opinion...
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Then there was the unfortunate breakup with Sinar, Jenoptik, and Leaf, with DHW as the only party still interested in the continuation, but perhaps the one with least support. Then there were the 80ies with less than desirable quality. US representation at that time was also less than desirable. All of this has now been solved though.
At this point, ability to use the 50MP Sony sensor, perhaps in Leaf incarnation, would be important. If they could talk Leaf into once more making a Hy6 version of their Credo 50...
Alternatively, a start-up company designing a less expensive 6x6 sensor would get them once more in the spotlight.
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I met Johannes on the show floor today. He was upbeat and optimistic they can find a business solution. He was not wanting to provide any hints, which I can understand as if they are looking for a funding source, partner, or angel investor then they would not want to scare them away by disclosing anything.
Hopefully they will find such a solution as more makers is, IMO, always a good thing, and they have some good people.
That said he also clarified that they want to find this solution in the next six weeks.
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It doesn't make me happy to read how the continuation of this great brand continues to be a challenge, but I am personally not going to let that hold me back. I am no pro, and the decision is this perhaps easier for me than for some, but I have just bought a Sinar Hy6 and intend to expand my system beyond the 50/60/80/150 that I have currently, to include at least the 40 and 90. I am also looking for a suitable digital back, probably Sinar eMotion 54 or 75, and I will also get the 6060 back. I love the camera and cannot really imagine going back to the Hasselblad V system, charming as it may be.
I really hope that all these troubles can be truly put behind at some point. The long and troubled history of this venerable marque makes my heart ache.
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Hi,
Enjoy your new system!
Best regards
Erik
It doesn't make me happy to read how the continuation of this great brand continues to be a challenge, but I am personally not going to let that hold me back. I am no pro, and the decision is this perhaps easier for me than for some, but I have just bought a Sinar Hy6 and intend to expand my system beyond the 50/60/80/150 that I have currently, to include at least the 40 and 90. I am also looking for a suitable digital back, probably Sinar eMotion 54 or 75, and I will also get the 6060 back. I love the camera and cannot really imagine going back to the Hasselblad V system, charming as it may be.
I really hope that all these troubles can be truly put behind at some point. The long and troubled history of this venerable marque makes my heart ache.
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Thanks, I am sure I will, I have been using a Rolleiflex 6008i for a while now, and like the operation, but not the size, so the Hy6 is perfect.
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Thanks, I am sure I will, I have been using a Rolleiflex 6008i for a while now, and like the operation, but not the size, so the Hy6 is perfect.
The Hy6 is the best camera there is (and probably ever will be) for shooting 6x6 film (which I like). It makes life very simple. That is the way I look at it.
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Agreed. If I don't find a good digiback soon, I will splurge on the 6060 back.