The Nikon D800 and the First Casualty

Nikon D800

As most of you know, by now, Nikon released the Nikon D800 in late April 2012. It's a big sucker huge camera with a monster 36 megapixels sensor. Trey Ratcliff of Stuck In Customs wrote in January 2012 DSLRs are a dying breed – 3rd Gen Cameras are the Future and would not buy any more “big” dSLR and would keep his Nikon D3x “forever” until he would buy a good Sony NEX… type of camera. As soon as the Nikon D800 became available, he immedidately bought one and is now a convert.

But back to the first casualty: Hasselblad. Hasselblad is the first casualty. On 18-May-2012, Hasselblad has announced a price cut of 20% to 23%. By the time all the discounts and the “right” promos are taken into consideration, we are getting in the 40% discount range. The announcement is at: http://www.hasselblad.com/price-reduction

Now you can go as far as your dream will take you – for a lot less money.

Now the H4D-31 (incl. 35-90mm lens) is reduced by 3,565 euros; H4D-40 unit is down by 1,000 euros; the H4D-50 by 3,000; the H4D-60 is down 6,200 euros; the H4D-50MS by 3,000; the H4D-200MS by 4,500 and the CFV-50 Digital Back by 2,000 euros.
You can get substantial discounts on new Hasselblad H System cameras by simply trading in your old gear. And now, for the first time, you can trade in from a CF-22 and CFV-39 to a CFV-50!
PLUS: In a separate stand-alone offer customers who buy a new Hasselblad and lens before the end of July will be eligible to purchase a second lens at just 50% of the manufacturer’s recommended sales price.

Hasselblad: May-2012 (their words, my emphasis)

Many, many photographers, especially in the fashion industry, have switched already from their Hasselblads to the Nikon D800, for their studio work where Hasselblad reigned supreme. Dealers have now full Hasselblad systems available from studio consignments. One dealer has 3 of them and was trying to sell me one, as a lot, at 50 to 70 percent of retail.

  1. I suspect that these photographers already had both Nikon and Hasselblad systems
  2. If their Hasselblad system sells, they can make get some cash

I expect that in the very near future, Phase1/Leaf & Mamiya will also follow suit and/or come out with a 120 megapixels sensor.