Editing Digital camera back (section)

=== Mergers and partnerships ===
During the first decade of the twenty-first century the digital back market began to change and consolidate quickly. One trend was the displacement of medium-format film cameras were by [[digital single-lens reflex camera]]s based on smaller, 35&nbsp;mm film cameras, which can offer high-quality results with no more expense than medium-format film gear. At the same time digital workflow was increasingly easy. This is leading to the development of all-digital medium-format cameras which do not need separate digital backs.

[[Bronica]] and [[Contax]], formerly two of the largest medium-format camera makers, went out of business. Fuji ceased production of their 680 medium-format film cameras. [[Mamiya]] crossed the product line divide in 2004,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dpreview.com/news/0409/04092902mamiya_zd.asp|title=Mamiya ZD and digital back|website=dpreview.com}}</ref> announcing a medium-format digital camera, the [[Mamiya ZD]]. The imaging technology used in this camera is also available as a separate digital back, the ZD Back, which can be used with Mamiya's film cameras. Shortly after the product was announced, the company was sold. [[Pentax]], for whose cameras digital backs are not available, sells a medium-format digital camera.

Another trend is the release of new camera systems designed to tightly integrate with digital backs; this provides users with the ability to use film, but is easier to use for digital work than a film camera with a less-integrated accessory digital back.

Under pressure from digital camera back manufacturers, long-established medium-format SLR manufacturer [[Hasselblad]] eventually merged with back maker Imacon under the Hasselblad name. The post-merger Hasselblad worked with Fuji to develop a new line of cameras (Hasselblad's first in over 50 years) designed to closely integrate with digital backs, particularly the former Imacon models. This meant that Shriro (owner of Hasselblad/Imacon) and Fuji could squeeze out other back makers, sending those manufacturers (and the remaining medium-format manufacturers) seeking their own partnerships.

Mamiya announced a partnership with Phase One, which resulted in Phase One buying a major stake in Mamiya. Jenoptik commissioned [[Rollei]] to work with Sinar to develop their own tightly integrated platform, the Hy6. The Hy6 was also marketed by Leaf under their name and using their backs. The Sinar HY6<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.image2output.com/products/photographic/cameras/hy6-camera.html|title=Sinar HY6|website=image2output.com|access-date=January 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208124428/http://www.image2output.com/products/photographic/cameras/hy6-camera.html|archive-date=February 8, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> keeps the unique facilities of the rotating camera back and live image functionality.

During this process, several product lines of digital backs were discontinued. Kodak stopped making their own backs in 2004, shortly before purchasing Leaf. Fuji had their own line of backs, but certainly only one product line will be produced by Fuji and Hasselblad together leaving the Leica/Sinar group as the only European digital medium-format and view camera manufacturers.

Sinar is now a subsidiary of Leica and are continuing developments of high technology digitisation with more spectrally accurate systems <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.image2output.com/products/photographic/cameras/ctm-camera.html |title=CTM Camera - Cameras - Photographic - Online Store |access-date=February 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208124440/http://www.image2output.com/products/photographic/cameras/ctm-camera.html |archive-date=February 8, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and optional image size output from a fixed sized cameraback for increased speed