The Camera Hype

I have been debating for quite some time to write this article. On one hand, I feel like I have an overwhelming responsibility to tell our readers the truth about the camera industry and the economics of running a website, and on the other hand, I know that such a provocative article would probably earn me plenty of hate from the publishing industry. But after seeing a few of the past events related to the launching of a few cameras, the same thoughts kept on creeping up and I finally decided to do it. I decided to write on a topic that nobody wants to talk about – how camera companies and everyone else involved in the camera industry are banking on people, AKA the consumers. I wrote this article primarily because of the sense of guilt I have had for years now and also because I do not want our readers to fall into the traps of consumerism. Grab a cup of coffee, sit back and get ready for some entertainment – I assure you that it is coming!
The Nikon D850 is sold out everywhere. Even if you try hard, the likelihood of you finding a sample unit at the retail price is close to zero. It is crazy to think that a camera that has just been announced was already sold out within hours after the announcement. In fact, I would argue that the D850 was sold out long before its announcement, thanks to all the Internet hype – and everyone benefits from such hype. Websites thrive on rumors, because it drives a lot of traffic that they bank on through advertising. Once the announced camera ships, they double bank, because of the profits associated with the pre-orders. Retailers love the Internet hype, because those pre-orders result in thousands of cameras being sold without much advertising effort on their sides. Camera manufacturers cash on the hype the most, as they struggle to make enough cameras to ship – the demand is so strong that they don’t have to move their butts to create awareness and spend out of their marketing budgets on advertising. Everyone involved gets a share – the bigger they are, the bigger the share. Welcome to Marketing 2.0: The Hype.

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jay_dean said:

A very interesting article, and another bashing for K.R!

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Iansky said:

Great article that serves to endorse the "Hype" that is rampant across all industries so thank you Michael.

We see so much of it prior to the launch of new products that proves baseless when the consumer gets their hands on the product for real, case in point - a colleague / fellow photographer that I know was considering upgrading his Olympus OMD EM1 to the EM2 version for his sport shooting especially with the the high frame rate 60fps!! He thought it was just what he needed then factual real world information appeared that showed this was true but the speed would not allow it to continuously follow focus so useless for fast motor racing where he wanted to pan with cars or capture fast action with follow focus.
He is now keeping his EM1 and using that and feels frustrated that he almost fell foul of this hype.
The power of the Internet and those who use it to their advantage never ceases to amaze me, in our Photographic world we all know and are aware of the "Expert reviewers" that are rife and often their hype can influence sales a great deal and help manufacturers stand or fall on sales of product.
I spent a long time researching the D500 before investing and read reviewers from all sorts (including the so called "Professional........often sponsored" reviewers) then handled and spoke to actual owner / users before taking the leap so I was able to separate the chaff from the facts and make an informed decision on a purchase that now lives up to my expectation.
It is now a case of "Buyer beware" for those who read the hype and believe it to be 100% true.

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