1. Canon cameras 'force' you to use their chip, as do all DSLRs. You can buy their lenses, or 3rd party ones - do we know for a fact that there can be no 3rd party lenses for the new 'blad?
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Not sure whether some other brand could produce lenses for the H system, but the fact is that nobody has over the course of 5-6 years. Besides, the problem we - Hassy H1/H2 - users have been facing with these new developements is more our inability to use the new H lenses with our existing bodies, isn't it?
We don't know yet for sure at this point of time why Hassy has seemingly decided to make the 28 mm unusable on older bodies, but if it is only because of image circle being optimized for digital, then they could have called the lens DX. Period.
A large part of H users use it with digital backs whose image sensors are all the same size as the Imacon backs. These people would have had no image circle size issue when using the 28 mm. Hassy could have prevented the usage of the 28 mm when the H1/H2 use a film back, and allowed it with digital backs.
Regarding the T/S, we are probably seeing one more impact of the problems with the kodak sensor. My guess is that Hassy considered that the color shift problems they are seeing with Kodak sensor when shift/tilting the lens need to be corrected transparently by the system.
2. Is it possible that to allow future lenses like 28mm and TS, the current camera/mount cannot be used? To throw off the design shackles to allow new and exciting lens designs may well be a brave move. Whether it is successful time will tell.
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Well, there is no stopping progress, but it is reasonnable to hope that a brand like Blad thinks sufficiently ahead when it develops a new lens mount. The H system is only a 6 years old system. They knew about 28 mm and T/S lenses 6 years ago, and if it turns out that they were unable to design their mount according to the needs of 28 mm/T/S lenses, I feel entitled as an engineer to speak of critical lack of technical competence on their part.
3. As someone pointed out Canon caused a stir in the late 80s when the EOS mount was brought out. I weathered that, and replaced my FD lenses eventually, and now I am reaping the benefits of the EOS mount being so superior to the older FD mount. Nikon have struggled by insisting on backwards compatibility and have lost to Canon as the No1 brand as a consequence. As in 2 above, maybe this is the gamble 'blad are taking - but in a much less robust sector of the market.
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Nick, agreed that a switch of lens mount can be a good move in the long term (EOS is indeed a good example), but Hassy has already done this switch when introducing the H system. Nobody would have forgiven Canon if they had introduced a non compatible EOS2 in 1996.
As far as Nikon goes, I see zero
evidence that there is a relationship between the supposed demised of Nikon and their willingness to stick to the F mount. Some people have said that the F mount isn't compatible with FF sensors, but the Kodak SLR/n has clearly proven otherwise (I know, I used to own one).
Nikon has IMHO decided not to release a FF sensor yet because their feel that the current technology isn't mature enough to provide suitable image quality in the corner of images with wide angle lenses.
They are IMHO right from a technology standpoint, and obviously wrong from a marketing standpoint judging from how many Canon shooters are extremely happy with their FF bodies - even if image quality isn't that great in the corner of wide angle images.
Cheers,
Bernard
