After 43 years of distribution of Hasselblad branded cameras and lenses to the Australasian region CR Kennedy have handed the reigns over to the officially authorised DJI retail business – D1 Store.
Back in 2017, DJI acquired a majority stake in Hasselblad after holding a minority share the previous year.
This meant seeing DJI drones of late sporting Hasselblad lenses – as seen on the latest DJI Mavic 3 Pro drones. Furthermore, DJI has integrated the proprietary ‘Hasselblad Natural Colour Solution’ (HNCS) colour system to their drone camera systems.
At time of going to press, Hasselblad cameras are not to be found on the CR Kennedy website nor the D1 Store.
As there are currently seven retail D1 Store outlets (with more on the way), DJI may be looking to appeal to a wider audience directly through these stores instead of Hasselblad being seen only in a very small number of specialty photography stores. Being the only 'real' cameras in store may bring Hasselblad cameras to the front and centre instead of being surrounded by other brands and competing photographic products.
Founded in 1934, C.R. Kennedy is Australia’s largest importer and distributor of photographic equipment and lists over 70 brands on their website. Their head office and main warehouse is located in Melbourne with branch offices and warehouses in Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Perth and Sydney.