Dear Thierry,
My leaf aptus back has a fixed camera mount so it will not fit to the Hy6. I never said there was no AF on the hy6, i only said that most people only have manual focus lenses and will have to buy AF lenses. Manual focussing is as we all know very critical with MFDB. But for a lot of people on the forum, as i understand, there will be no monney to buy all of that.
The 6008 was a heavy, bulky and slow system compared to the H1 at that time.
The Hy6 is a more integrated and up to date platform and i agree it will be a fine tool at a also "fine price". [a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=149740\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
I agree with most of this, too, but please note that the dating of the 6008 vs. the H1 are quite diffrerent. I believe the 6008 came out c. 1990, and the H1 some years (10?) later. The problem with the Rollei system is that it was thoroughly engineered and considered, but too soon. They spent much $ on data backs, and scanning backs that were just way too early, and ultimately not within the present marketplace. The 6008 series is a very comprehensive integrated update of Rollei's earlier 6006 and SL66 work, that started as an alternative to the 500C Hassy.
The differences in origins matter: Hassy has always had a better presence in the US than any Rollei SLR - Hassy's are available for rent in most major cities in the US, Rolleis not. The second hand market here is well supplied with Hassy gear - the Rollei/Schneider almost never seen in the US.
The updating moves of both companies seem almost out of step with each other - by about 5-10 years apiece. Hassy 500's to the Rollei 66, the Hassy 2000, then the Rollei 600X, back to the H1,2....3, back now to the Hy6. The difference (to me) seems that Rollei works a bit harder at certain aspects of the engineering, with more integration and perhaps a bit more demanding on the lens makers (Schneider+ Zeiss to get more variety) than Hassy did, but now Hassy is more "knit together" in their product line (Imacon) and Rollei is playing catch up.
Yes, the Hassy system is a "closed model" and the Hy6 maybe "open model" - the reality is that in the trenches (the digital back manufacturers), both these companies have backers that want to sell their backs. Also, an well worked out digital solution calls for tight knit single-source answers (alignment, sensor lenses, etc.).
Yet the marketplace of pro photographers hate being locked into one answer if they can avoid it. The cost of the backs is part of this issue - they are a huge capital investment, and require a rethink by the photographer as to their business model. Add to that buying lenses from one system, and the burden gets a bit large. If they have to change platforms in 5 years or need another system's lens (gee, who has the best shift or macro lens), they want the flexibility in their toolset, while minimizing their back investment. Who can blame them?
The new kid on the block (Hy6) raises all sorts of issues - and the predictable tensions between Phase and the Hy6 makers/backers will hopefully work its way out - the Hy6 folks will hopefully see the merit that more presence is for them (and us) a good thing, regardless of whose back is on it. That's not old world thinking, but something needed to be a player in today's market. The US is a big market, but if one has to travel to NYC to see/rent/buy a Hy6, that's not going to go over very well here. Its not just a question of having a dealer in every major town, but having a good dealer, a viable stock, and movement of product as well. More presence will be needed if this is to make it in the US. If not, well, maybe everyone gets swept away by the Canon/Nikon's of the world. After all, look what happened to GM and Ford.
At least that's one person's perspective.