Come on, Fuji Rumors has been trumpeting the release of the Fuji 50R and the likely price point for months. The 50R and the price were hardly news. Same with the GFX 100S. Everybody has known about it for what a year? The only surprises to me were (1) the relative high price point, (2) it is perhaps 9 months away from release, and (3) IBIS. Only #3 is positive news. If Fuji had said that the GFX 100S would shipping in two months and the price was $7000, THAT would have shaken up the market. They didn't. The one real piece of news that I didn't see coming was Phase raising the white flag, leaving the cropped MF marketplace to Fuji and Hasselblad and doing a deal with Fuji on C1. Is that such a big deal that it imperils Hasselblad's very existence? Not as I see it. Fuji was already selling a boatload of GFXs to photographers who were totally committed to Capture One. They still bit the bullet and apparently learned to live with LR/ACR. My sense is that the vast majority of prospective X1D/X2D buyers are let's say enthusiasts who couldn't care less about Capture One. To them, it's just a fringe alternative to LR that isn't worth the bother to learn. If the purchaser of an X1D wants the very best raw converter, there is Phocus. It's not nearly as feature rich as C1, but the raw file conversions of X1D files out of it are superb.
Was I surprised that Hasselblad had no announcement at Photokina about the X2D or an H7150? Somewhat, but I don't read that much into it. We know the X2D is coming; we just don't know when. There are likely very good reasons why Hasselblad chose not to make a "development" announcement on the X2D. One, they want to avoid a repeat of the premature announcement/release of the X1D. Two, why announce a successor to the X1D when you don't have the replacement product ready to go? The sales of X1Ds would dry up overnight. Fuji could pull of the 100MP announcement because it had the 50R ready to go at less than half the price of the GFX 100S. Three, why play your hand about the features of the X2D in advance at Photokina where your news is in the shadow of the Nikon Z, Canon's mirrorless, Fuji's announcement about the 50R the 100S and C1, etc?
I agree about Phase and where the company may go in the future. Spin off the software business, which does seem to have a bright future, and then sell the vestiges of the camera business to a buyer that can incorporate the valuable assets still left. Who would that be? Hasselblad! That would solve two problems. The combined company would have the X1D as the high volume, cropped MF platform to continue to develop. It would also have the the Phase XF and the Phase lenses for the very high end. The Hasselblad H body and most of the HC lenses are in need of a serious update, and Hasselblad could avoid that effort and expense.
quote author=eronald link=topic=126511.msg1072192#msg1072192 date=1539137383]
If we edit out the personal attacks, I would say that there are some interesting strands of thought in your post.
Before Photokina 2018 I was totally bored with the MF market. I started the thread, but did not really understand that the competitive landscape might be significantly modified. And then the Fuji 50R pricing hit, the C1 deal, Phase giving up on crop, and the Fuji Ibis 100Mp announcement, no response from Hassy, and no 150MP Hassy H, and suddenly MF looked like an island after a Tsunami.
In the wake of such an upheaval I agree that financial investors may call time on P1, while Hassy is a strategic purchase by DJI. On the other hand P1 may have some significant hidden software revenue and also potential from C1, and may survive as a software house. I have no idea what the numbers are on their cultural stuff and aerial mapping cameras, but I do suspect that military customers in Europe would prefer not to purchase their tech from China
Let me correct you however on the view of the market as a marathon - it is more like a mass wrestling event where new fresh fighters arrive in the ring as old and fatigued brawlers get choked out or simply walk away. The role of a commentator is only to call out significant events so viewers can focus on them.
Pentax seems to be such a walk-away, and I agree that Phase may follow. However nobody would really miss these two contenders in 2018, not in the way the Hasselblad V, Rollei and Contax products are fondly remembered.
As regards Hassy and DJI, I suspect that something is going on between DJI and Sony; one thing which might happen is DJI consolidating Phase and Hasselblad, thereby consolidating their aerial mapping activities and acquiring software to help keep the Hassy product line alive. Still photography, let's face it, may be entering a phase as a mature market in which strong consolidation is inevitable.
Edmund
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