Show Notes

Greetings everybody you’re listening to the Liam Photography Podcast, I’m your host Liam Douglas and this is Episode 413 for Thursday July 25th, 2024.

Nikon Sees RED

As soon as Nikon announced its surprising acquisition of the U.S.-based cinema company, RED, in March, people began speculating about what the move would mean for Nikon and RED cameras alike.

The following month, PetaPixel reported that Nikon and RED engineers had already begun working with each other, but that a new camera using both Nikon and RED technology was still “a few years” out. Developing new cameras takes a long time, after all.

In an interview with Nippon, Nikon’s president Muneaki Tokunari reiterated the company’s plans to improve its video technology and pointed toward the potential to increase Nikon’s market share among video users and the industry at large by leveraging the technology it acquired when it purchased RED for $85 million.

Tokunari points specifically to the increasing demand for video features and functions in mirrorless cameras and notes the overall recovery of the interchangeable lens camera market, calling Nikon’s purchase of RED a “business opportunity” to boost camera sales.

Earlier this month, PetaPixel reported that new CIPA results showed that the worldwide digital camera market hit a three-year high.

The Nikon executive also notes that increasing sales in China have significantly contributed to the camera industry’s recovery.

“Sales in China have grown to a level similar to those of Europe, while growth is big in emerging countries such as those in South Asia,” Tokunari explains.

Speaking to RED specifically, Nippon writes, “Japan’s Nikon Corp. aims to expand its market share for cameras by utilizing the video technologies of a U.S. movie camera company it acquired in spring, President Muneaki Tokunari has said.”

At the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) exposition in Las Vegas in April, Nikon and RED executives told PetaPixel that “Future products will be a kind of combination of each’s strong technologies. After the completion of the acquisition on April 8, the engineers from both companies started communicating and sharing information with each other. Both engineers, their style of approaching tech is similar, so we expect that those will keep a synergistic effect for the future of the business.”

Nikon’s Keiji Oishi, now RED’s new CEO, noted RED’s compression technology and color science expertise. However, Hiroyuki Ikegami, executive vice president and General Manager of Nikon’s Imaging Business Unit, added that understanding and integrating RED’s technology will take time.

In the shorter term, Nikon is actively investigating ways to support 16-bit REDCode RAW in its existing Nikon Z cameras, like the Z8, Z9, or new Z6 III. (LINKS) “Please expect something, not soon, but in the near future,” Ikegami said in April.

“We understand each other and will develop something and hope to make a really ‘wow’ product together. Nikon, MRMC, and RED: these three companies’ collaboration will generate a really great future, we believe,” Ikegami said.

“Each brings something to the table that each can benefit from. It’s very exciting to see where the roadmap can go even if it takes a few years to get there. It’s exciting to see those elements together,” Oishi added.

Polaroid’s Latest Collaboration 

Polaroid, no stranger to collaborations, has announced a project with Eames Office that will bring a sleek new version of the Polaroid Now Generation 2 instant camera to market.

“Since the 1970s, Polaroid and the Eames Office have been at the forefront of design and technology, democratizing creativity and pushing innovation boundaries,” Polaroid explains. “Charles and Ray Eames, among the most important designers of the 20th century, believed in accessible design, mirroring Polaroid’s aim to simplify photography for everyone.”

Charles and Ray Eames (née Kaiser) were an American married couple and industrial designers who are well known for their work in modern architecture and furniture, although they also worked in graphic design, fine art, and film. Charles died in 1978, aged 71, and Ray passed away a decade later at age 75.

The tail end of their careers overlapped with Polaroid’s height of instant camera influence, and both brands have long been known for their practical designs and blending of technology and art.

“Charles and Ray’s holistic vision of design encompassed communication and education, which became evident in their masterful films for Polaroid. In turn, the instant camera soon led to an expansion of their creative signature and became an important feedback tool in the design process. The Eames Office is delighted to build on this shared design legacy with the Polaroid Now — Eames Edition,” says Eames Demetrios, artist and director of Eames Office. Demetrios is the grandson of Charles and Ray Eames.

The new Polaroid Now Generation 2 instant camera model comes in “Elephant Hide Gray,” and features a bold wrist strap inspired by the iconic Eames Toy’s geometric pattern. The gray colorway is said to be an homage to “the timeless Eames aesthetic,” and reflects “elegance and sophistication.”

Aside from its facelift, the Eames Edition camera is identical to the standard Now Generation 2. The instant camera features a self-timer and double exposure modes, a two-lens autofocus system, and recharges via USB-C. The instant film camera uses Polaroid i-Type and 600 film.

“It’s a collector’s item not to be missed,” Polaroid says.

The Polaroid Now Generation 2 Eames Edition is available now for $129.99 directly from Polaroid. It’s also available in a bundle with color i-Type film and a Polaroid photo box for $149.99.

13-Year-Old Shot Dead Over Camera Sale

A 13-year-old boy was shot dead during a camera sale at a park after two parties agreed to meet over OfferUp.

Matthiew Stavkovy had his life taken on Tuesday, July 16, at Turnkey Park in Kent, Washington, part of the Seattle metropolitan area, after being shot in the torso.

According to Kiro7, Stavkovy and three friends went to meet a man at Turnkey Park after one member of the group had agreed to sell a camera, accessories, and a backpack. The man had responded to an ad on OfferUp.

The buyer called himself “Zedd” and agreed to pay $1,850. PetaPixel doesn’t know the specific camera model.

The meeting was set for 9 p.m., at which time the group met with Zedd who was with another man.

As the two parties negotiated payment, a third man appeared and pulled a gun from beneath his sweatshirt.

The camera seller was shoved to the ground and the backpack was taken from him. Three to four gunshots were fired in the melee.

Stavkovy and his friend attempted to flee the scene once they saw the gun and ran to their four-wheel ATV. But one of the shots hit Stavkovy in the back.

His friend drove Stavkovy to a nearby apartment block where, despite the best efforts of first responders, Stavkovy succumbed to his injuries.

Detectives served a search warrant to OfferUp to reveal Zedd’s IP address. Police surveilled his home and spotted Zedd with the stolen camera backpack.

Zedd was arrested and the camera gear was recovered.

Faysai Jafar Abdullahi, 18, appeared in court on Friday in connection with the murder. A judge reportedly found probable cause for first-degree murder, attempted murder, and first-degree robbery.

According to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, a judge set bail at $2 million. Abdullahi remains in custody at the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle, according to the Daily Mirror.

A verified GoFundMe page has been set up to raise funds for Stavkovy’s funeral and memorial fund.

“Matthiew was an inspiration to all those that knew him,” reads the tribute. “He was a talented young man who excelled in every area of his life.”

Canon Getting Flak Over R1

On Tuesday morning, a day before the R1 was announced, I was finalizing our coverage and looking over the materials Canon prepared. “The Canon EOS R1 is Ahead of the Game,” a header in the press release promised. I scratched my head in confusion.

While there are products across Canon’s camera line that I can point to, the most relevant and recent example is the R1. Since it is the flagship — a word Canon selected to describe the new camera, not me — it bears with it the same expectation all flagship cameras do: it must feature the height of technology a company is capable of producing. There are no bars held on a flagship and it stands as the example of what all the other cameras in a line aspire to be.

“Photographers, if you ‘make it’ as a pro, you’ll one day own a flagship,” is the public perception of these kinds of cameras.

As such, the R1 serves as the perfect exemplification of an issue: Canon isn’t able to win when it comes to price or technology. Worse, its decisions in the mirrorless era have resulted in it losing the crowd on the stage of public opinion.

So while I think Canon’s R5 Mark II is a much more compelling camera than the R1, looking at Canon’s marketing materials and the shooting opportunity that was provided to us, you would see that the R1 was the clear priority. Before we were handed sample units to test out, we were given multiple slides worth of information, told the R1 was carrying on the legacy of the 1-series, and that it was the pinnacle of Canon’s capture technology.

After peeling back the layers and forcing ourselves to isolate what it was that the EOS R1 offered, we were left realizing that there was not as much here as Canon hoped to convince us there was. Holding the R1 in my hands and thinking about what it offered versus how much it was going to cost, “ahead of the game” were four words that felt in direct conflict with reality.

Canon isn’t shy about charging high prices for its products. While it has some more affordable camera bodies, its lens selection is exceptionally weak when it comes to affordability. On the one hand, Canon can be praised for focusing on high-end optics when it launched into mirrorless. Attracting and supporting professional shooters should be the priority. However, on the other hand, now years later, the options are still mostly very expensive.

It is taking some steps to address this by finally allowing Tamron and Sigma to release lenses for the platform, but these will be limited to APS-C lenses, meaning full-frame users still only have one option: Canon and its expensive first-party glass.

Canon told me earlier this year that its choice to bar third-party lenses from its RF mount was a “business strategy.” In short, it could make more money by making its products the only option. Those words kept ringing in my ears and did so again when I saw the price for the R1: $6,300.

That’s more than the Sony a9 III with its global shutter, more than the Nikon Z9 with its higher resolution sensor, and nearly as expensive as the Sony Alpha 1 which melds speed and resolution in a way that justifies its high asking price.

From a “value” perspective, the R1 is the weakest among all of the cameras it competes against. It loses when it comes to resolution against everything except the a9 III and even though it has what we believe is the fastest scanning rolling shutter sensor we’ve yet seen, the a9 III has a global shutter, making it more suited for the same tasks Canon is aiming the R1 toward while costing less.

Could Canon charge this much for a camera? Of course — but only if it has the technology to back it up.

If you look everywhere on the EOS R1 except at the sensor, it’s jam-packed. It has eye-control autofocus which is incredible, it has a better viewfinder, a robust set of customization options, intelligent autofocus, two on-board chips to improve speed and reliability, a sturdy yet lightweight body, and great battery life. At this point, it looks like the full package.

But then you look at the sensor, and suddenly much of what I just said loses its luster. That’s because no matter how good the rest of the camera is, if it can’t do it at a resolution that matches its contemporaries, it falls short.

Right now, sensor design is one of just a few spots where camera companies can flex technology. Yes, Sony manufactures the sensors for basically everyone except Canon, and in those cases, it’s what is built around those excellent sensors that end up selling a photographer on a particular brand — you have to get that sensor part right first, though. Canon did the opposite and went for the features that would normally excite photographers but neglected to realize it put the cart before the horse.

As we’ve said, the EOS R1 is more like an EOS R3 Mark II than anything else. Canon is charging a price as though it has a camera that’s “ahead of the game” when it in fact only halfway there.

Canon seems confused about what it means to have a flagship camera in 2024. Flagship now means versatile and, unfortunately, the R1 is incredibly niche. It is designed for a very specific, small subsection of professional media photographers. While it has a lot of nice surrounding features, the most important aspect of any camera now is the sensor, and it is there that Canon falls short in some way versus every competitor.

Even stranger, the R1 targets the exact same niche audience that the R3 does, giving Canon two very expensive camera bodies that support the same small subset of users. I should mention, this market isn’t exactly healthy. Photojournalists aren’t paid well and the top-shooters aren’t even buying their own cameras — those are provided by their agency like Reuters, AP, or Gannet. You know, the three major media outlets that already signed deals with Sony.

The 5D Mark III was such a runaway success that Canon was able to build up an immense amount of goodwill with photographers. The Canon brand became synonymous with performance and professional capability and that trickled down to all of the more affordable models. I remember looking for my first DSLR and feeling like there was no choice except a Canon Rebel. Canon filled out the top-end of DSLRs well with the 1D series too and from the perspective of so many photographers, it was making the best cameras for the most people.

Canon has been riding that wave of goodwill now for more than a decade. I was talking with a friend and professional photographer last week and I asked him to tell me the last time he was excited about a Canon camera after the 5D Mark III. He paused for a while before saying he thought the original R5 was pretty good, which I agreed with (I own one).

But over 22 years, he could only name one camera? I’m sure there are other examples that some photographers loved like the 6D or the 1DX Mark III, but for the most part, I argue Canon has been feeding on the momentum it gathered way back in 2012.

That river has dried up. Canon’s “business strategy” in the mirrorless era have resulted in high prices and worse technology, and photographers have noticed and sentiment has shifted. Whether it is the locked-down RF mount (Canon is the only company that chose to close its mirrorless mount) forcing photographers to buy expensive lenses, the company asking you to buy new cameras to use its newest lenses’ aperture rings, or the company’s weak renewable energy targets, it all adds up.

The result is a brand that feels like it is squeezing its customers for every last cent. It is the most expensive and most limiting camera system and that makes people feel taken advantage of and unappreciated.

Canon saw its operating profit decline from January to March of 2024 by 5% compared to the same period last year. This is the first time in four years that its profits declined compared to the same period the previous year. It cited slower-than-expected digital camera sales and “weak” shipments, which makes a lot of sense — what from Canon was worth buying?

When the rest of the camera industry is trending in the opposite direction and some competitors are swimming in record profits, I think that’s the question Canon needs to keep asking itself. The R5 Mark II is very good and I expect it to sell well, but is that enough when Sony and Nikon are producing multiple popular cameras — both of them doing so while charging less? It should be noted that the cameras the R5 II competes well against are at least a couple of years old now, too. What happens when Sony releases an a7R VI or Nikon pulls out a Z8 Mark II? How will the R5 Mark II look then?

Whatever happens, I hope Canon sees that its strategy is not set up for long-term success. Some changes need to be made, and I hope that happens before it has to cut more good people.

Canon says it is “ahead of the game” and if it’s referring to the same game everyone else is playing, I’m not sure it knows how to read the scoreboard.

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