Hey Hasselblad sales people: your snide tone is alienating people. I hope that's not part of your marketing strategy. I'm starting to associate the brand with a decidely negative emotional response. I've worked in advertising log enough to know that is not a good thing. In fact, this is the opposite to what you want to create. This from someone who thinks the new True Focus is a good idea, and sees a real benefit in the H as a camera integrated with a back.
I'm not being snide or critical, I'm just letting you know how things look from where I sit.
I can't really determine who works for Blad or is a rabid fan. If my comment is undeserved as to Mr. Grover, I apologize.
I do stand by my comment, though. Perhaps its just the fanboys and not a certain unprofessionalism. I did appreciate the MC Hammer pants comment.
Hello TMark. I believe that I am the one that has made posts that you find objectionable. I do not work for Hasselblad and never have. I also do not consider myself a rabid fan or fanboy of any brand or product. My attitude is "You may love your stuff, but your stuff will never love you back". However, I do have a long standing appreciation of the tools and technology we use for making photographs. I also have a long standing respect and appreciation for the people that make the products that we use.
I've had the pleasure of using products from, and getting to know people from, a variety of manufacturers. These people have been interesting and intelligent folks with a passion for photography and a genuine interest in the people that use the tools they design, make and sell. So why have I posted comments that you find objectionable in tone and which lead to your characterization of me?
Well... I actually have little interest in internet forums of any kind. I'm old fashioned enough to prefer talking to people. I've observed the unending flame wars that have gone on for years between Mac and PC "fanboys" and don't waste much time reading them. They are unproductive, loaded with misinformation and misleading statements from both sides and I wouldn't consider wading into that kind of cesspool even with hip boots. But photography is nearer to my heart and with some reluctance I have waded in here on occasion.
From time to time I have posted to simply correct some bit of misinformation or comment on the financial aspects of the medium-format market. On other occasions, I have found the frequency or amount of vitriol, directed at Hasselblad by a few, rising to the level where I feel like responding. Where you find my posts objectionable I am likely responding with a tone that reflects that of the posts or posters that I am addressing. Sadly, I realize that I am not rising to their level of commentary but sinking to that level. However, having said that, companies are made up of real people and if in my opinion a company is being attacked in a manner that I find unfair, incorrect, misleading, mocking, condescending, unreasonable, uninformed or in some other way objectionable... I may respond in kind again. Hey, I'm human and have both reason and emotion as motivation.
I would like to be fair and reasonable. If I post a comment that you find objectionable, you can message me privately or post publicly your objection and I will at least extend you the courtesy of reviewing what I have written and either apologizing for or defending what I write. I can say, that I appreciate your concern over the rather nasty tone that can and does develop in any internet forum including this one. That I participate in such exchanges seems, at the time of writing them, more a matter of responding to the internet equivalent of a schoolyard bully and this is not a source of anything for which I take any pride or credit.
The manufacturers that are discussed here (Hasselblad, Phase One, Mamiya, Leaf, Sinar, Rollei and others) have two goals 1) make and sell great products and 2) stay in business. These companies are made up of some great people. They work within limitations both technological and financial that are often not well understood. Of course they are people and are imperfect and make mistakes. I have no objection to objective or subjective criticism of products or companies. But I do object to attacks of the type previously described, especially those that I feel are demeaning, misleading or unwarranted.
OK... I've got that out of my system... for now. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to vent a bit... it's good for the blood pressure.
