Thank you dear whatever for giving us Sony NEX clones dressed up by an “elite Italy-based Design Center.” That’s a quote from a Hasselblad press release announcing the launch of “three new Stellar Special Edition compact camera editions.” The original presser is too beautiful, so here it is in its full length — albeit I wonder: who’s buying those Hasselblad Lunars and Stellars pimped up “with stunning Italian design features”?! This ennoblement of Sony NEXes must make Leica (beautifying Panasonics with a red dot) look like bloody beginners.

Photography is all about seeing. This camera however is about being seen:

I’m all for nice design but the folks over at Sony selling Hasselblad the raw cameras must be laughing up their sleeves. Fasten your seatbelt, here we go:

Hasselblad has followed up the summer launch of Stellar, its second camera aimed at the amateur and enthusiast market, with the unveiling of three new Stellar Special Edition compact cameras.

The latest Stellar models offer photographers the choice of three new camera body colors: black, white and orange — and ship with bespoke camera cases in black or white leather with signature stitching and shoulder and wrist straps.

Luca Alessandrini, Hasselblad’s New Business Development Director, said: “The launch of our Stellar brand in July was a great success and now we are offering discerning customers new options on this outstanding point-and-shoot camera. Stellar Special Edition models are now available with carbon fibre, padouk or wenge wood grips and come with exclusive leather cases specially designed at our elite Italy-based Design Center. The latest models will retail at €2,375 / £1,975 / $3,175 (excl. VAT).”

Stellar compact cameras incorporate Hasselblad’s advanced imaging technology, Carl Zeiss lenses, Full HD video and a 3.6x optical zoom capability. The camera’s wide range ISO sensitivity allows the user to shoot in almost any light.

Stellar is Hasselblad’s second camera launch in the consumer photography marketplace. Its first model, Lunar, made its global debut in the spring — and for the first time offered consumers a camera embracing traditional Hasselblad state-of-the-art image capture finesse combined with stunning Italian design features.

Maybe I’m just ignorant. Or I’d like to know what they’re smoking.

Tempted? Find more information about Stellar and Lunar on www.hasselblad-stellar.com and www.hasselblad-lunar.com.

Well, in the end, every camera is a matter of taste…