Editing Hasselblad (section)

== Company history ==

The company was established in 1841 in Gothenburg, Sweden, by Fritz Wiktor Hasselblad, as a trading company, F. W. Hasselblad and Co. The founder's son, Arvid Viktor Hasselblad, was interested in photography and started the photographic division of the company. Hasselblad's corporate website quotes him as saying, "I certainly don't think that we will earn much money on this, but at least it will allow us to take pictures for free."<ref name="Hasselblad history – Hasselblad">{{Cite web|url=http://www.hasselblad.com/inspiration/our-story/hasselblad-history|title=Hasselblad history – Hasselblad|website=www.hasselblad.com|access-date=2016-04-20|archive-date=2017-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026055522/http://www.hasselblad.com/inspiration/our-story/hasselblad-history|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1877, Arvid Hasselblad commissioned the construction of Hasselblad's long-time headquarters building, in use until 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.photo90.it/storia_della_hasselblad.htm|title=Storia della Hasselblad|website=www.photo90.it|access-date=2008-04-06|archive-date=2023-03-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326023217/http://www.photo90.it/storia_della_hasselblad.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> While on honeymoon, Arvid Hasselblad met [[George Eastman]], founder of [[Eastman Kodak]]. In 1888, Hasselblad became the sole Swedish distributor of Eastman's products. The business was so successful that in 1908, the photographic operations were spun off into their own corporation, Fotografiska AB. Operations included a nationwide network of shops and photo labs. Management of the company eventually passed to Karl Erik Hasselblad, Arvid's son (grandson of founder F. W.). Karl Erik wanted his son, [[Victor Hasselblad]], to have a wide understanding of the camera business, and sent him to [[Dresden]], Germany, then the world center of the optics industry, at age 18 (c. 1924).

Victor spent the next several years studying and working in various photography related endeavors in Europe and the US, including [[Rochester, New York]], with George Eastman, before returning to work at the family business. Due to disputes within the family, particularly with his father, Victor left the business and in 1937 started his own photo store and lab in Gothenburg, Victor Foto.

===World War II===

During [[World War II]], the Swedish military captured a fully functioning German aerial surveillance camera from a downed German plane. This was probably a [https://www.deutsches-spionagemuseum.de/sammlung/handkammer-hk-125-7x9 Handkammer HK 12.5&nbsp;cm/7x9], which bore the codename GXN and the military account number Fl.38510.

The Swedish government realised the strategic advantage of developing an aerial camera for their own use, and in the spring of 1940 approached Victor Hasselblad to help create one. In April 1940, Victor Hasselblad established a camera workshop in Gothenburg called Ross AB in a shed at an automobile shop, working in the evenings in cooperation with a mechanic from the shop and his brother, and began designing the HK7 camera.

By late 1941, the operation had over 20 employees and the Swedish Air Force asked for another camera, one which would have a larger negative and could be permanently mounted to an aircraft. This model was the SKa4. Between 1941 and 1945, Hasselblad delivered 342 cameras to the Swedish military.<ref name="Hasselblad history – Hasselblad"/>

In 1942, Karl Erik Hasselblad died and Victor took control of the family business. During the war, in addition to the military cameras, Hasselblad produced watch and clock parts, over 95,000 by the war's end.

===Post-war===
After the war, watch and clock production continued, and other machine work was also carried out, including producing a [[slide projector]] and supplying parts for [[Saab Automobile|Saab]] automobiles.

The first successful commercial camera for Hasselblad, was the Hasselblad Universal camera, which was made by Szilárd Szabad. This camera was produced in over 1500+ units over a span of a few years, and quickly became the preferred all-around workhorse of the majority of professional Scandinavian photographers. It is perhaps the most important Hasselblad camera made, as it was what got Scandinavian professionals to move away from Kodak and Agfa, which had more or less 90% of the professional market at the time. 

Victor Hasselblad's real ambition was to make high-quality civilian cameras. In 1945–1946, the first design drawings and wooden models were made for a camera to be called the Rossex. An internal design competition was held for elements of the camera; one of the winners was [[Sixten Sason]], the designer of the original [[Ursaab|Saab bodywork]].

In 1948, the camera later known as the 1600 F was released. The new design was complex, and many small improvements were needed to create a reliable product; the watchmaking background of many of the designers produced a design which was sophisticated, but more delicate than what was permissible for a camera. Only around 50 units were produced in 1949, and perhaps 220 in 1950, of what collectors have now designated the Series One camera. The Series Two versions of the 1600 F, perhaps as many as 3300 made from 1950 to 1953, were more reliable but still subject to frequent repairs, with many units having been cannibalized or modified by the factory. The biggest problem was its shutter, a focal-plane shutter that was hard to keep accurate. Using 120 size film it was formatted to a square {{Nowrap|6 × 6}} cm or 2 {{frac|1|4}} × 2 {{frac|1|4}} inches, which meant there was no more need to turn the camera on its side.

In 1954, they mated the groundbreaking new 38&nbsp;mm [[Zeiss Biogon|Biogon]] lens designed by [[Ludwig Bertele]] of [[Carl Zeiss AG|Zeiss]] to a shallow non-reflex body to produce the SWA (supreme wide angle, later changed to super wide angle). Though a specialty product not intended to sell in large numbers, the SWA was an impressive achievement, and derivatives were sold for decades. Hasselblad took their two products to the [[photokina 1954|1954 photokina]] trade show in Germany, and word began to spread.

In 1953, a much-improved camera, the 1000 F was released. It too had a focal-plane shutter which led to its final replacement by the 500 C but nonetheless provided a big leg up in the medium format. It had a very fine 250&nbsp;mm f4 Sonnar sport lens that made it a great wildlife camera. Lenses ranged from a 60&nbsp;mm Distagon, standard 80&nbsp;mm Planar, and on up to the 250&nbsp;mm.

In December 1954, the 1000 F camera received a rave review from the influential American photography magazine, ''[[Modern Photography]]''. They put over 500 rolls of film through their test unit, and intentionally dropped it twice, and it continued to function. But the 1000 F also had shutter problems and finally gave way to the lens-mounted, tried-and-true Compur shutter, retaining its focal-plane shutter/curtain only to mask the film until the Compur shutter closed, then opened to expose the film. This was a far more dependable system, even though it meant having a shutter in each lens.

=== Hasselblad camera comes into its own ===
The real turning point for the company occurred in 1957. The 1000 F was replaced by the 500 C. The landmark 500 C design formed the basis for Hasselblad's product line for the next fifty years, with variants being produced until 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hasselblad Historical - concise tabulated history of camera models |url=http://www.hasselbladhistorical.eu/HS/HSTable.aspx |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=www.hasselbladhistorical.eu}}</ref> It was not until 1960, though, that Hasselblad's cameras became profitable; prior to this point, the company was still being entirely supported by sales of imported photographic supplies, including their distribution of Kodak products.

In 1962, [[NASA]] began to use Hasselblad cameras on space flights, and to request design modifications. The first motor-driven camera, the 500 EL, appeared in 1965<ref>Wildi 2000</ref> as a result of NASA requests. While Hasselblad had enjoyed a slowly but steadily growing reputation among professional photographers through the 1950s, the publicity created by NASA's use of Hasselblad products dramatically increased name recognition for the brand.

In 1966, with the increasing success of the camera division, Hasselblad exited the photographic supply and retailing industry, selling Hasselblad Fotografiska AB to [[Kodak]].

=== 1970s onward ===
[[File:Hasselblad 2000 FC M with Zeiss Planar 80mm f2.8 T* lens.jpg|thumb|Hasselblad 2000 FC M with Zeiss Planar 80mm f2.8 T* lens]]
In 1976, Victor Hasselblad sold Hasselblad AB to a Swedish investment company, Säfveån AB. When he died in 1978, he left much of his fortune to the [[Hasselblad Foundation]].

In 1977, the 2000 series of [[focal plane shutter]] equipped models was introduced. The 2000-series cameras had been intended to provide full exposure automation. The 2000 FC however was rushed and introduced without the automated features, partly because of a rethink about the way the automation should be accomplished (electronic vs. electro-mechanical). It was the last new camera produced during Victor Hasselblad's lifetime.

In 1984, Victor Hasselblad AB went public, with 42.5% of the company being sold on the Swedish stock exchange. The next year, Swedish corporation Incentive AB bought 58.1% of Hasselblad, and in 1991, they acquired the remainder of the shares, taking VHAB back to being a private corporation.

In 1985 Hasselblad established the subsidiary, Hasselblad Electronic Imaging AB, to focus on digital imaging and transmission systems.<ref>Hasselblad 2007</ref>

In 1991, the 200 series of automated [[focal plane shutter]] equipped models was introduced. This was the last major technical development in the course of the classic (now known as "V-System", after Victor) Hasselblad camera.

In 1996, Hasselblad was sold, with the new owners being [[UBS AG|UBS]], [[Cinven]], and the [[Hasselblad management]].

=== Fuji, Shriro, Imacon, and the digital age ===
In 1998, Hasselblad began selling the XPan, a camera designed and made in Japan by [[Fujifilm]].

In 2002, they introduced the H-System, retroactively renaming their original camera line the V-System. The H-System marked an essential transition for the company. It dropped the traditional Hasselblad square negative format, instead using {{Nowrap|6 × 4.5}}&nbsp;cm film and a new series of lenses. The then owners had no confidence in Hasselblad's already advanced digital project returning a profit, and, seeing the relative success in the market of the modern (i.e. fully automated) 645 cameras made by manufacturers like Pentax and Mamiya, closed down Hasselblad's digital department and directed all effort towards making this 645 film camera. The H-System is largely designed and manufactured by Hasselblad, with Fuji's involvement being limited to finalizing Hasselblad's lens designs and producing the glass for the lenses and viewfinders. Fuji was allowed under the agreement to sell the H1 under their name in Japan only.

In January 2003, the [[Shriro Group]] acquired a majority shareholding in Hasselblad. The group had been the distributors for Hasselblad in Japan, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia for over 45 years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.shriro.com/hasselblad.html |title=Hasselblad |access-date=2007-10-12 |publisher=Shriro Group |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031091846/http://www.shriro.com/hasselblad.html |archive-date=2007-10-31 }}</ref>

The following year, in August 2004, Shriro Sweden, the holding company of Victor Hasselblad AB, and Swedish subsidiary of Shriro Group, announced the acquisition of high-end scanner and digital cameraback manufacturer, Imacon (established in 1995 to launch the Flextight scanners). The intent of the move was to correct the mistake the previous owners made when they thought there was no money to be made selling digital products and put a stop to Hasselblad's own advanced digital project, and to renew Hasselblad's ambitions in the professional digital photographic sector.<ref name='DPR 2004'>{{cite news | title=Hasselblad and Imacon merge | date=2004-08-17 | publisher=Digital Photography Review | url =http://www.dpreview.com/news/0408/04081701hasselbladimacon.asp | work =Digital Photography Review | access-date = 2007-10-09 }}</ref>

The move was perceived as part of an industry-wide move to respond to the trend away from film to digital. Christian Poulsen, chief executive of Hasselblad after the merger (previously founder and CEO of Imacon), said, "They finally realized there was no future. It was impossible to keep Hasselblad alive without digital".<ref name='IHT 2005'>{{cite news | first=Andreas | last=Tzortzis | title=Facing a digital world: Famous makers from yesteryear run to catch up | date=2005-05-30 | publisher=International Herald Tribune | url =http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/05/29/business/photo30.php | work =International Herald Tribune | access-date = 2007-10-07 }}</ref>

This has secured their market position, with nearly all of their previous medium format camera competition going through sale ([[Mamiya]]), closure ([[Contax]], [[Bronica]], [[Exakta]] 66, [[Kiev (brand)|Kiev]]), or greatly reduced market presence ([[Rollei]], [[Pentax]]—which was also sold to [[Hoya Corporation|Hoya]]), and other medium format digital back makers being faced with accordingly restricted markets. Despite this Hasselblad has struggled to turn a profit relative to the market share leader [[Phase One (company)|Phase One]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.proff.se/foretag/victor-hasselblad-ab/g%C3%B6teborg/fotoutrustningar/13095623-1/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131107145553/http://www.proff.se/foretag/victor-hasselblad-ab/g%C3%B6teborg/fotoutrustningar/13095623-1/|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 November 2013|title=Victor Hasselblad AB – GÖTEBORG – Se Nyckeltal, Befattningar med mera|date=7 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.proff.dk/firma/phase-one-as/frederiksberg/fremstillingsvirksomhed/13477705-2/|title=Phase One A/S – Frederiksberg – Se Regnskaber, Roller og mere<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=2014-05-15|archive-date=2017-03-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320143702/https://www.proff.dk/firma/phase-one-as/frederiksberg/fremstillingsvirksomhed/13477705-2/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 30 June 2011, German private equity firm Ventizz announced it had acquired a 100% stake in Hasselblad.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/07/05/hasselblad-bought-by-capital-fund-could-the-hasselblad-4-kidz-kamera-be-coming-soon/ |title=Hasselblad Bought By Capital Fund, Could The Hasselblad 4 Kidz Kamera Be Coming Soon? |last=Biggs |first=John |date=2011-07-05 |publisher=[[TechCrunch]] |access-date=2020-01-05}}</ref>

In late 2015, Chinese aerial photography and drone manufacturer [[DJI]] acquired a minority interest in Hasselblad. In early January 2017 DJI acquired the majority stake.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/1/6/14188914/dji-acquires-hasselblad-majority-stake |title=DJI reportedly acquires majority stake in historic camera company Hasselblad |first=James |last=Vincent |date=January 6, 2017 |website=The Verge |publisher=Vox Media|access-date=January 9, 2017 |quote=The news was first reported by photography site The Luminous Landscape, with TechCrunch confirming the story based on testimonies from "multiple industry insiders."}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.foi.se/rest-api/report/FOI%20Memo%206903 |title=Kinesiska bolagsförvärv i Sverige: en kartläggning |last1=Hellström |first1=Jerker |last2=Almén |first2=Oscar |last3=Englund |first3=Johan |date=2019-11-27 |agency=[[Swedish Defence Research Agency]] |pages=10–11 |language=sv |trans-title=Chinese company acquisitions in Sweden: a survey |format=PDF |access-date=2020-01-05}}</ref> In August 2018, DJI announced Mavic 2 PRO, the first drone to carry a camera featuring the Hasselblad branding.<ref>{{Cite web |title=DJI Introduces Mavic 2 Pro And Mavic 2 Zoom: A New Era For Camera Drones |url=https://www.dji.com/newsroom/news/dji-introduces-mavic-2-pro-and-mavic-2-zoom |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203141448/https://www.dji.com/newsroom/news/dji-introduces-mavic-2-pro-and-mavic-2-zoom |archive-date=2023-12-03 |website=DJI}}</ref>