Luxurious, exorbitantly priced Hasseblad Lunar camera delayed until summer

 

 

When the Hasseblad Lunar was first announced at Photokina last year, the exorbitantly priced camera left many gobsmacked. Essentially just a Sony NEX-7 with a luxuriously customized body, the Lunar was pegged for a spring 2013 ship date. Now that date has been pushed back to summer, which means those who have been lusting after it will have to wait even longer to get their hands on the €5,000 camera (currently a little north of US$6,500).

Apart from its prodigious price tag, the Hasseblad Lunar made a splash due to its large, custom grip that could be crafted from materials such as wood, carbon fiber, leather or even precious metals, depending on your taste. Hasseblad has made no bones about this being a luxury camera. And it appears the luxuries the more than US$5000 premium over a Sony NEX-7 provides are largely cosmetic ones.

Last month, a Hasseblad spokesperson claimed the Lunar was ready for an April launch, and that now has been pushed back to June 2013. Keep in mind, the Sony NEX-7 was announced in August of 2011, making it a year old by the time the Lunar came on the scene, and it will be almost two years old by time the Lunar is set to ship. Maybe (though unlikely) Hasseblad has pushed back the release to allow for a newer set of internal organs.  But on the other hand, image quality might not be the first concern of buyers willing to drop €5000 on this camera.

 

Mahogany grip, anyone?

 

Or perhaps carbon fiber is more your style.