All the feedback I’ve gotten from readers about recent camera launches, particularly Nikon’s Z5IIC one, made me realize that the camera makers haven’t figured something out yet.
Basically, it’s this: there have been so few new camera launches this year that each one stands out in isolation. All the various brand loyalists have nothing to do until their maker finally announces something, so they pile on to announcements of products that they have no interest in. What this produces is viral negativity.
Yet even when a brand does launch something for its brand loyalists, the problem persists, because the likelihood that the one product announced is for someone already using the brand is low to start with, and even lower if the new product enters below what they’re already using (e.g. Canon R8II, Nikon Z5IIC). A similar thing happens with products that are far outside the target range of the brand loyalist (e.g. Sony FX5).
The negativity that’s spreading across the Internet right now about new camera products is thus not just brand loyalist sniping, but also whining about “when are they going to announce something for me?” For those in the latter category, don’t worry, from what I know of product plans at multiple companies, many of you will get your update at some point in the not too distant future.
Two problems lie at the bottom of all the complaints I keep hearing: (1) so few releases spread out over a long period of time; and (2) the inability of any brand to actually market themselves as a brand. Specifically, as a brand that’s working to stay consistent and broaden their offerings and appeal. Moreover, there’s another issue that’s working against them, especially when they introduce lower-end models, and that’s (3) inflationary price creep.
You can see those last two things with Canon’s R8II and Nikon’s Z5IIC announcements. Both are trying to reinforce the bottom end of their full-frame lineup with models that get people into their system. Both are fighting price points that are getting too high for that effort. Imagine if the R8II was US$1399 (implying eventual discounts down close to US$1000) or the Z5IIC was US$1199 (implying the eventual return of the US$1000 entry full frame camera). The way the camera companies generally handle this is to discount the previous generation—the current R8 is US$1449, not the US$1899 of the coming camera—but parts supply issues are making that difficult to prolong. If you only have X number of parts, you’re going to want to put it in the higher priced, new product, not the product you’re discounting to provide a tantalizing price.
That’s #3. But #2 isn’t getting enough attention, either. The thing that struck me most about the Nikon Z5IIC is that they took virtually no Z9-generation feature out. Auto capture is missing, but that’s a hugely sophisticated feature—also not marketed well by Nikon—that few understand or use. But things like Pre-release capture, Pixel shift shooting, and Focus shift shooting are in this “beginner’s, casual camera.” Holy shutter release, Imageman, that means that everything I learn to do with a Z5IIC pretty much applies to every Nikon camera up through the Z9, should I ever need (1) a better body build, (2) an EVF, (3) more pixels, or (4) more performance. Where is that message in Nikon’s marketing? (Canon and Sony aren’t getting it right, either.)
But it’s #1 that’s causing the most issues. Every release is now coming in isolation. It’ll be the only new product the significant photographic community will have to talk about that week (maybe even that month). That means you’ll either go virally negative as everyone weighs in on “why this is the wrong product for me” or virally positive as everyone discovers “wow, I wasn’t expecting that.” Have we had a virally positive moment this year? I’m not so sure we have.