For anyone who would like to see just how differently the rumor about DJI acquiring majority control of Hasselblad could have been reported from the way way Kevin Raber chose to "report" it, the story from LuLa was picked up by Tech Crunch. After simply describing the rumor as reported by LuLa, Tech Crunch went on to say the following as commentary.
"Hasselblad, which was founded in 1941, was once known for making the most advanced cameras on the market. Their cameras were even used by NASA throughout the 60s, meaning theirs was the technology used to create those iconic moon photographs from the Apollo missions. DJI is the privately held, venture-backed leader in a burgeoning new hardware segment, consumer and commercial drones.
While Hasselblad’s cameras are known as some of the best on the market, they are prohibitively expensive running anywhere from a few thousand dollars to more than $40,000 for a single SLR body. Questions are now swirling about how DJI will use, and possibly even manufacture, Hasselblad’s cameras.
Will DJI leave the business of Hasselblad to operate like an independent subsidiary, but continue to ensure its cameras are easily integrated with DJI’s drone rigs? Or will DJI use Hasselblad technology to entirely replace the cameras used in their consumer-level drones like the Phantom and Mavic? Either way, the deal seems like a win for both companies.
DJI’s cameras are actually pretty good, probably best in class, but they’ve been missing the name recognition of a company beloved of professional photographers. This deal provides them with the brand legacy, while also giving them access to some of the best albeit niche camera technology in the world.
And whether they like it or not, Hasselblad’s approach to focusing only on ultra high-end cameras hasn’t exactly paid off. The company has floundered in recent years, and ownership has changed hands multiple times with the most recent being a 2011 acquisition by Ventizz, a European private equity firm. Now they have a formidable parent company in DJI that is a powerhouse both in China and the U.S. with significant manufacturing advantages due to their size."
Strange, that report does not contain the subtext that the barbarians (i.e., the Chinese) are at the gate ready to trash the iconic brand, and the employees are already fleeing in mortal fear.
Kevin Raber is, of course, free to spin the rumor any way he wants. Just spare me the sanctimonious crap that he cares deeply about the medium format digital market and wants to see the few remaining companies in the space prosper so there is competition, because competition is good for us as photographers. Anyone who actually did care would not have spun the rumor the way he did. After all, here is what happens when you don't have competition. You have Phase One as the 800 lb. gorilla in the medium format digital market selling only very high priced solutions for $40,000+ for a camera body and lenses whose sheer size and weight are just a bad joke at this point for many of us. So who innovates and develops a radically different approach with the X1D and the GFX? Not Phase One!