Silverfleet Capital to Buy Hasselblad?

[Canon Rumors Guy]

We’ve heard in the past that various companies had taken a look at Hasselblad’s books with interest in purchasing the struggling Swedish camera and lens manufacturer. We know for certain that Canon had done so a few years ago.</p>
<p>New reports suggest that Hasselblad, which has been in serious financial trouble for quite some time now is out of cash. It’s rumored that Silverfleet Capital, who owns Phase One, may be interested in purchasing the company.</p>
<p>More to come…</p>

 

[zim]

the fledgling Swedish camera and lens manufacturer.

eh?

 

[Canon Rumors Guy]

the fledgling Swedish camera and lens manufacturer.

eh?

fixed

 

[Bennymiata]

It would be a shame for Hasselblad to go under.
Not that I own one, but my father used to have a few of them.

I wonder if Fuji is getting nervous, as they make the Hasselblad lenses.
I reckon that Fuji should buy Hasselblad. It would be a good fit for them and would men their MF lenses will keep being produced.

 

[retroreflection]

Various companies looking at the books and then NOT buying usually means that there is a fundamental and nearly insoluble problem.
If Phase One (grew up as MF digital) is OK, the problem is probably the legacy costs of a company that used to serve a larger market (Hasselblad lost many MF film shooters). Out of cash would make for firesale pricing, but it might still be a loser.
Fuji would be better served by shifting some MF lens employees into Instax production, and then put a digital back on their own MF film offerings.

 

[Bennymiata]

It will take someone (or some company) with some vision and some good ideas to turn Hasselblad around, but if they are losing money hand over fist, using their current setup obviously won't work, but the name is too good and too highly valued to just shut down.

Apart from supplying them with MF lenses, I thought Fuji would be a good match as they could develop some high end mirrorless cameras using the Hasselblad name, which would certainly be better and more saleable than grossly overpriced Sony P&S's.

 

[Sporgon]

I have to say that now more than ever I don't get DMF. I understand that there will always be people who will want to differentiate themselves both psychologically and physically from the masses, but you have to consider that MF was declining towards the end of the film era as 35mm emulsions became better, and in those days there was significantly less difference in price and a significant difference in IQ, whereas now ?

There clearly is a place for DMF, but it's tiny - a bit like the MF sensor size compared with film.

 

[kaihp]

Various companies looking at the books and then NOT buying usually means that there is a fundamental and nearly insoluble problem.

To me it sounds like a poisonous cocktail of sharply decreasing market from above, an 5Ds(R) eating them from below, an owner who likely to want a lot for the Hasselblad name.

Even if you collected all the MF/LF companies into one, would you be able to make a sustainable business?
Even Canon and Nikon is getting pushed hard from the cellphones.