Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden
Left: Victor Hasselblad established the company’s photographic division. Middle: Historic photo taken by the Hasselblad camera in space. Photo: NASA. Top right: The first camera with central leaf shutter and flash sync on all shutter speeds. Right: The mirrorless X1D-50c. Bottom: The revolutionary X1D-50c.
The first camera on the moon Hasselblad was founded in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1941, and is the leading manufacturer of digital medium-format cameras and lenses. The brand lives by its desire to create in order to inspire, and produces cameras with studio quality in a handy format for consumers. By Kristine Olofsson | Photos: Hasselblad
Hasselblad rose to fame with a Mercury rocket in 1962, when astronaut Walter Schirra brought his own Hasselblad camera to document his space journey. The resulting photos had such amazing quality that NASA began a collaboration with the small Gothenburg-based camera manufacturer. The brand has since become a well-known name in photography circles, and the leading manufacturer of analogue cameras. ”Iconic photos with a high recognition factor from those days are most likely taken with a Hasselblad,” notes Bronius Rudnickas, marketing manager at Hasselblad. After the digital revolution, Hasselblad became less well-known in the consumer market and their digital cameras were largely used in the niche market of professional studios, thanks to their extremely advanced technology and the high price that comes with such quality. ”Digital Hasselblad cameras were only used in large studios and not recognised 44 | Issue 114 | July 2018
by consumer photographers, and this was something we wanted to change,” Rudnickas explains. With the goal of making Hasselblad famous again among consumer photographers, without compromising on quality, Hasselblad introduced their game-changing X System cameras in 2016. As the first mirrorless, portable and affordable cameras of their kind, their success was indisputable. ”The demand was so high, that we got more orders in ten days than we normally receive in a year. We even had to rebuild our factory,” Rudnickas says with a smile.
base of both hobby photographers and professionals,” Rudnickas says. Among the most advanced cameras are the X System prosumer cameras, such as the X1D-50c, and the H System camera H6D400c MS, a camera that takes the highest resolution medium-format images available. ”We want everyone to try what we like to call ‘the Hasselblad experience’,” Rudnickas says. ”That means discovering the outstanding and accessible quality that you only get with a Hasselblad. No matter if you are photographing while travelling, professionally or simply during everyday moments.”
Studio technique in the palm of your hand Hasselblad has finally made its way back into the hearts of consumer photographers with its handy formats and high quality. The famous technology is the same, but the size is much smaller and more convenient. ”It is great to see that we, once again, have a solid consumer
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