XPAN Framing Accuracy--and the lack of it

You could call Hasselblad and ask them perhaps it needs repairing or a CLA. My meter on my Xpan 1 works intermittently so i called Hasselblad UK and they will CLA and repair meter over the Christmas break.
 
Jim: I don't see the 45mm frameline under any circumstances, even with the standard view selected.

Simon: I understand hasselblad USA won't touch the XPAN. My usual Hasselblad guy, David Odess, says he doesn't know about the XPAN. So I'm thinking, maybe Peter Rosenthal, or Fujifilm USA, or else KEH? I'll have to make some phone calls.
 
It's a strange world sometimes isn't it? Hasselblad UK will service and repair my Xpan 1 but Fuji Film UK will not touch my GSW690II??
You could try to call Hasselblad UK and speak to someone in the service department better than emailing. I need to find the number so i will PM it you.
 
Rob-F said:
Jim: I don't see the 45mm frameline under any circumstances, even with the standard view selected.

Simon: I understand hasselblad USA won't touch the XPAN. My usual Hasselblad guy, David Odess, says he doesn't know about the XPAN. So I'm thinking, maybe Peter Rosenthal, or Fujifilm USA, or else KEH? I'll have to make some phone calls.
Click to expand...

Rob,
Well it certainly seems its a repair issue.

It's appalling that Hasselblad USA are not giving any support to a camera that has not been discontinued for very long. I'm not sure of the consumer law situation in the USA, but normally companies are obliged to carry spares and arrange for repair for about 7 years.

The Hasselblad 'Global Website' (http://www.hasselblad.com/service--...es/spare-parts-for-discontinued-products.aspx although not specific to repair carries the following statement:

"Spare parts for analogue camera products can be supplied for at least 10 years after production stops. Hasselblad will to the best of its ability supply spare parts for analogue camera products up to 20 years after production stops."

I should try complaining to someone more senior at Hasselblad in the USA or Sweden.
 
Rob,

It seems that Hassleblad Europe is still offering service, though some repairs might involve sending the camera to Sweden. I agree with Jim, this is certainly not what we would expect of Hassleblad. Your camera needs repair, it looks like something mechanical though rather than electronic.

Derek
 
Here's how it went:

"Hello, Fuji USA? I need to get my Hasselblad XPAN fixed."

"Uh, we don't work on those, send it to Hasselblad."

"But this is really a Fuji camera. Fuji made it."

"Really. We've never seen a Hasselblad come through here."

"Well, it's a Fuji TX-1, rebadged as a Hasselblad."

"We don't work on Hasselblad."

"Now, it's not a 6 x 6. It's 35mm. Fuji TX-1."

"Oh. It uses film?!! We only repair digital. You can send it to a place we recommend in Florida--Southern Photo."

"Hello, Hasselblad USA? I need my XPAN worked on. No 45mm framelines."

"OK send it to us. with a note explaining the problem."

The Moral of the story: Just call Hasselblad in the first place, don't believe everything you read over on that other camera forum.

Excuse me, I have some packing to do.
 
Here's an update: Hasselblad USA sent me an estimate. It will cost $165.00 for a CLA, plus $200 for a "frameline assembly." And $24.00 shipping. So I just authorized a $389 repair job.

And I was hoping it was maybe a $29.95 adjustment. Some litle screw loose, perhaps. That's the end of that fantasy.

I'm searching for the right way to look at this. OK, $165 is not bad for a CLA. But $200 for a "frameline assembly?" Hmm, maybe it won't really need that when they tear it down.

Maybe just a screw loose?
 
Rob.. IIRC the Xpan was designed by Hasselblad and the design was then taken to Fuji who were the contractor for the camera. So the Hassie isn't a "rebadged" Fuji, even tho made by Fuji as a contractor. It was Fuji who ... basically took the Hassie and tweaked it just enough to have a "new" camera from Fuji. Close but still enough difference for the lawyers at Fuji I imagine. There's lots of stuff on the internet on this 'six degrees' thing.

Did you check with Southern for repairs to your camera? I'm curious because I own one too. And I'd like to know of alternatives in case I ever need to get repairs. They seem to be good, I've used them for repairs to other cameras but not the Xpan.
 
Jan: No, I didn't go that route. When I learned that Hasselblad USA would indeed repair my camera, I decided not to push my luck! It is good to know that Southern is an option for camera repair, though!
 
An update: I see where I started this trhead on December 7th, and mailed the camera to Hasselblad on the 14th. They received it on the 19th. So two months later, having heard nothing other than a request for authorizing the repair, I was getting nervous. I emailed them this past weekend. The reply was that they just received a part, which had been back ordered from Sweden, and should be mailing it back in a couple of days.

Sure glad I wasn't in a hurry.
 
Rob-F said:
Here's how it went:

"Hello, Fuji USA? I need to get my Hasselblad XPAN fixed."

"Uh, we don't work on those, send it to Hasselblad."

"But this is really a Fuji camera. Fuji made it."

"Really. We've never seen a Hasselblad come through here."

"Well, it's a Fuji TX-1, rebadged as a Hasselblad."
Click to expand...

The Fuji version was only officially sold in Japan - this was part of the agreement with Hasselblad, so no surprise that Fuji USA knows nothing about servicing this camera.

Similarly with the Hasselblad H1/2/3 645 series - you can find Fuji versions of this camera in Japan.
 
My XPAN is back, as of today, and for the first time, it has 45mm framelines! Unfortunately I can't try it out, because Hasselblad returned it with dead batteries. I left the 3V Lithium batteries in when I mailed it; they returned it with the batteries; but they are now kaput. They must have been good a few days ago, for the final checkout; but not now. One measures 1.77 volts, the other 1.9. It seems Lithium batteries can just conk like that.

Well, as soon as I can get to the store for batteries, I will be back in the panorama business!
 
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