no bitterness here, just don't get what's holding them back.
There is no bitterness, just disappointment, and that comes from people that have written the check(s) to Hasselblad, Phase and Leaf.
These aren't armchair photographers, or workshop givers that shoot 4 no pressured sessions a day. These are professionals that love photography but also have a huge responsiblity to deliver to their clients and to grow their business.
A lot of the people replying here have spent a lot of money buying medium format and the result is the dslrs caught up quickly, while medium format just kept on with the same dependency on more megapixels at the cost of slow workflows.
To make matters worse it's hard to have confidence in the medium format industry as a whole because there has been so many broken or late promises. I mean how'd you like to be the guy that bought two AFI's right before Phase "acquired" the Leaf "assets"?
In fact what does that phrase mean, other than Phase acquired the Leaf assets without the service liability?
Or the H1/H2 user that was promised complete compatibility with all digital backs only to find the newer H lenses would only work on a Hasselblad backed camera.
Or the guy that bough the AFD III thinking there would be leaf shutter lenses only to find the next generation DF is the one that will allow leaf shutters . . . the photographer that bought the new and improved Harteblei Tilt shift for the Mamiya only to see it quietly discontinued.
These are professionals that work damn hard for their money in a very trying and unforgiving industry, being asked by their equipment makers to keep upgrading for very little benefit.
I think we need new tools, though the more I think about it I doubt if larger frame formats is the real answer, at least at their current price point and usability.
Regardless of the tone of this and other threads, there is a series of long running circumstances with medium format that defies logic.
Kodak was an inch away from a modern digital back with a swing out lcd, multiple crops in the software, shooting to portable cf cards and once they seemed to get it almost right they exited. Leaf got close with the AFI which would allow a quick turn of the back to go from horizontal to vertical, but it required taking the back off the camera and losing connection. They almost were there with the rotating sensor but then got absorbed by Phase/Mamiya and Leaf's are now just another Phae/Mamiya bodied back with another Dalsa sensor.
Hasselblad probably has the most complete system of lenses and accessories but this last marketing move with a countdown to another countdown just amplified the fact that medium format really has nothing new to say, other than the phrase "superior image quality".
I could go on, but the fact is medium format has broken a lot of good will and confidence and I don't think they're going to get it back running the same business model, with the same message at the same high prices.
IMO
BC
