Photokina 2012 - Hasselblad Lunacy
September 18, 2012 at 20:29 I really must write first of all about this new, just introduced Hasselblad´s APS-C mirrorless system camera. It´s name really, of course, is not Lunacy but Lunar. Why? Because this year is the "anniversary of 50 years of Hasselblad photography in space". Check. "Mirrorless Lunar sets new standards for materials and technology". Okay, lets play along even though I must at this point say that the technology is from Sony NEX-7. The difference from Sony technology is that it Lunar is "assembled in Sweden", what ever that means. Furthermore Lunar is "a distillate of Hasselblad tradition and cutting edge technology into a revolutionary and amazing design".
Design
Directly from behind this revolutionary and amazing design is exactly the same as Sony NEX-7 except for the different contour of grip which is about 10% of what you see back there. That´s the achilles heel of so many fancy design cameras, they look so digital from where you, the photographer, see it. Oh yes, Sony logo is changed into Hasselblad Lunar logo and, most of all, AF-MF/AEL switch is changed into something less clear. Why? They say that "the contrast in colour between the camera body, the lens, and the protruding control buttons, is faithfully reproduced to offer an evocative vintage look with a decisively elegant appeal". That´s why buttons are protruding. Let´s look at this vintage look and elegant appeal in some images I took at Hasselblad booth:
The top is machined high-grade aluminium ("more durable and much tougher than magnesium") plated with 24K gold. A gold plated pop-up flash, too. Black material around Sony E mount is naturally Compression Moulded Carbon Fiber because "this process combines the strengths and lightness of carbon fibers with the precision and design freedom of injection moulding parts. Lunar is the World´s first camera using this exceptional material". The grip here is mahogany "with waxless matt finish to optimise the grip. The best Italian wood is selected to create grips that come across like paintings of artistic perfection. Attention focuses on the most beautiful wood grain, on the original shades of colour, on the compactness and fragrance of the finest wood. Each camera is a little masterpiece that makes it absolutely unique." The (very) protruding "controls are made of uncoated natural titanium, typically used to produce strong and lightweight aerospace components. Controls made of this valuable material are guaranteed to last virtually forever without a sign of wear or oxidation". That sounds exceptionally good, doesn´t it. And that thingie attached to these perfect materials is... well it´s a regular Sony zoom, but "assembled in Sweden" and named Hasselblad.
For all luxuriously driving shooters we have here a grip which combines "the very best Italian full-grain leather with perforated full-grain leather, the one used for the most exclusive car steering wheels and interiors for the leading state-of-the art manufacturers". Of course you have "the possibility to choose from wide variety of styles and colors." And "each grip recounts a tale of class and elegance that your fingers can read by covering the countless paths scored by the texture of these extraordinary materials". I am not quite sure what this means but I guess those cows did have a long and interesting life while walking these countless paths and gaining extraordinary experiences from barb wire. Anyway "the charm of times gone by is revived in a technologically perfect camera". Oh my, I salute thee, oh mighty NEX-7 in fancy clothes. This body has gold plating, carbon fiber and titanium as usual, but now, could also this lens and Sony LA-EA2 adaptor be "assembled in Sweden"?
Quite sporty, don´t you think? If the price of very best Italian leather feels too steep, you can also have alcantara on grip. Gotta love this structured carbon fiber.
Here we have an example of another wood and this time this painting-like grip of artistic perfection is made of olive tree. Maybe some of you have visited Lapland and know what a kuksa is. I guess our Swedish designer has been inspired by those artistic forms. Besides already mentioned wood you can also order a grip of beech or pear. Carbon fiber and titanium and Sony as usual but now we a different style of top plate showing a neutral Physical Vapor Coating. This "cutting edge technology in the field of surface treatmets" was "developed as a hardening treatment for high speed cutting tools". Sounds logical and sharp cutting but actually "it has recently evolved into top class aesthetical finishing. It combines outstanding hardness, second only to diamond, with beautiful bright colors". I wonder if Paul Smith designed Leica X2 with its bright colors has also physical vapor coating.
Last but not least we have an option to have "high-tech style" carbon fiber on carbon fiber. "The carbon grip combines a decisively high-tech look with the exceptional characteristics of resistance and lightness found in this extraordinary material. Available in three different shades of colour (black, titanium and silver), this is the right choice for those who love minimal style and exclusive details." Also that compression-moulded carbon fiber looks outstanding.
So, this is how it goes: You can choose any of these (and more) amazing materials and design your own Hasselblad Lunar body with the best possible taste. They assemble your chosen luxury together and send it to you at the cost of 5000 euros, delivery not included. I would say this is not too much for "evocative vintage look" because Lunar is "the ideal luxury camera". With the Lunar body you can have a Sony lens "assembled in Sweden" or be cheap and go and buy an ordinary Sony lens which, of course, is not as luxurious. As far as I know you can not send your own NEX-7 to Hasselblad to be pimped because it is assembled where non-assembled pieces of Ikea furniture are made.
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Pekka Potka
I´m must correct one mistake in previous text because Angry Swedes are now throwing their eggs at me through my mailbox: Hasselblad Lunar is not a Swedish design. Hasselblad is not related to any country but is owned by an investing company. Still, hopefully and sincerely "assembled in Sweden" is true and more than just fancy words to make things look glamorous among the aimed target group for marketing. And yes, the grip did not feel bad at all in my hand when I tried the camera. Shapewise the design is sound even though the protruding controls where a bit high for my thumb. Just buy matching gloves if you want to keep enjoying the "fragrance of the finest wood". ;-)
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Hasselblad, Lunar, Nex-7, Sony, mirrorless in Camera Bodies
Reader Comments (9)
What were they thinking? Were they thinking at all?
It must hurt since they didn't contact your local sauna producer or maybe the old tire manufacturer from beloved Finland to make a design so you have to make such a fuss out of simple "manufactured on Sweden" text. This is almost on same level as your car-bragging photos. Yes we know have a BMW, and yes many other people do too... :-)
Btw. I agree, what were they thinking when they decided go public with this freak-of-camera!?
Did I hurt your feelings HK? The term Hasselblad representative used was assembled, not manufactured. Several times. I do think that my previous model BMW Z4 is still a piece of great Danish design and as such a beautiful object, but beyond that an 8 year old car is not worth much in money nor an object to bragg about.
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Maybe the people at Hasselblad made it to "take the piss" (good old English phrase) out of the VC who bought them out!
The problem I have now, is I look at my beautiful old Hasselblad camera and lenses and I don't want to take them out - I might be seen and get associated with some one who would buy such a monstrosity.
I am also very surprised that Sony would allow themselves to be associated with it.
But who forgot the marble grip? I would have seriously concidered buying one if they had one with a grip of white Carrara marble. And under the counter they could also offer few with ivory grips for rich South-East Asian customers. I wonder now what kind of tripod and bag would suit this camera...
P.
Oh this was a fun article!
Hasselblad, thank you for making me laugh out of cameras! Keep on the good tasty work here!
Hasselblad, you get an "F". Maybe you can sell two of these cameras: one to Paris Hilton and the other to Lindsay Lohan. Real photographers will run away from your so-called "camera".
It is ugly, insultingly expensive, and offers nothing creative or new.
I think it is a great camera, makes sure my old V series is going up in worth as i am replacing the system soon to leica S. because I predict in a couple years, hasselblad is just HISTORY, albeit a great one...
How to take a perfectly good camera, dress it like a clown and sell it at vastly inflated prices to retards.
Hasselblad, I salute you.