Big News From PhaseOne and Hasselblad

Phase One released some very interesting news last night....
1./ Hasselblad are discontinuing the H2, replacing it with the H2F, which will have limited features when used with a digital back.
2./ Phase One will be releasing their own camera system early next year.

So Hasselblad are continuing along their crazed path of closing off the H platform to other manufacturer's backs. Limiting the choice you give photographers is never a good thing. Imagine what would happen if Canon decided no-one could use their lens mount to make third party lenses! It's a very short sighted plan.
It seems Hasselblad don't care about their H1 and H2 customers unless they also happen to own a Hasselblad back.
We all had our suspicions that this would happen eventually.
Phase One have stocked up on H2 bodies for those customers who still want them and will of course continue to offer platform swaps for those who want to change camera systems.

Anyway, the good news is that Phase One will have their own camera platform at the beginning of 2008. I'm afraid there are no more details than that so the speculation and rumour mills will have to fill in the blanks. Will it be a Rollei Hy6 clone?

2008 is going to be a very exciting year in the digital back world!