Industry News: AP Photographers will only shoot with Sony gear going forward

[jam05]

Continue reading...

You're actually making it more stunning than what it is. Not as if the worlds media is dominated by AP images and reporting. The major networks have long ago cut cost and slimmed budgets. Images and news feeds come from an abundance of sources nowadays.

 

[criscokkat]

That may play with Amateur gear heads, but pros by and large don’t care which gear they use as long as it captures the photo they intended. That said, I wonder if the photo credit on AP images will now include a mention of Sony.... “Image by AP Photographer Joe Blow using a Sony XYZ”....

I wouldn't be surprised if it did include that on certain markets like AP's posts on Twitter and such.

 

[jam05]

Can you merge threads?

Sony strikes deal with Associated Press

Wow. Maybe political testimony / hearings will get quieter with silent shooting: https://www.dpreview.com/news/8983805391/ap-partners-with-sony-to-exclusively-provide-its-visual-journalists-with-sony-camera-gear - A

www.canonrumors.com

- A

As if they all are AP photographers. Most of them are not.

 

[Keith_Reeder]

Yeah yeah...

If it was a Canon-exclusive deal this forum would be alight with how it showed Canon's dominance in professional imaging etx

That comment says more about you than it does about what would actually happen. Canon has dominated the news agencies - for years. We just accept it as how things were or are, and now we'll accept that Sony are getting a run at it.

 

[nikkito]

Yeah yeah yeah, I still don't like Sony .

 

[Keith_Reeder]

Interesting blog from the AP honcho Derl McCrudden, deputy managing editor for visual and digital journalism:

New Sony gear ‘a game changer’ | The Associated Press

AP has a long history at the forefront of imaging technology, from the first transmission of photos over the wire to the early days of digital photography. Today's announcement that AP will equip its photo- and video journalists with cutting-edge Sony cameras and lenses is another milestone.

blog.ap.org

The reason for the switch to Sony? Mirrorless, standardisation, and "Sonys are good at video"...

 

[jam05]

I remember when the Dream Team told Michael Jordan that he must wear only Reebok attire during the 1992 Olympics. Being paid by Nike at the time, Jordan proceeded to cover the Reebok emblem with an American flag. Many Americans are very disdainful when being told what they must wear, use, and purchase. Newbies mostly likely will tow the company line. Senior staffers most likely will continue to do as they wish, being that many have multiple gigs.

 

[YuengLinger]

The independent doesn't care about AP anymore. They faded long ago with the advent of the 24 hour news coverage.

Care to show the market research backing up this assertion? How many people under 40 are watching cable news? Compare to how many get their news through social media, search engines, and aggregates, where AP pops up a lot.

 

[jam05]

It is a big deal in terms of marketing. There are many more "citizen journalists" active now with their own websites and blogs. They buy cameras, and they help feed the marketing machine.

This was a smart move by Sony and probably worked out quite nicely for AP too. I doubt Canon marketing-execs are saying "not a big deal." Hopefully they are working on other opportunities that can help promote Canon in this extremely competitive and complex business environment. For those of us who do appreciate Canon and have bought in, competition is important, but a healthy, prosperous company is essential.

You're making it a big deal. More than what it is. There are not many staff photographers anymore. AP images aren't seen nearly as much as Getty images. That's just the way it is. Most 24 hour news outlets owned by the big 3 receive images and live stream from wherever the source is. Most often from smartphones. Gone are those days of waiting for AP wire transmissions. Journalism has long evolved, with staff being cut to a third of what it once was in the 70s and early 80s.

 

[David - Sydney]

First they paint their longer lenses white to confuse on the sidelines and now this. Have they no shame?

I think that Sony painting their lens white was a poor marketing decision (aside from the heat reflecting capabilities from the colour white). Canon is known for their big whites so Sony white lenses actually increase the impression of Canon users unless you look very closely at it and know what to look for. Sony should have gone for a different colour if they wanted to differentiate from a distance.

 

[bgoyette]

Sony decided it wanted a prestigious sponsorship, and so they made AP an offer they couldn't refuse. Reminds me of the Kodak/Fuji wars leading up to the LA Olympics (Fuji beat out the yellow box for the rights to the 84 Olympics, so Kodak sponsored the US team, and bought all the broadcast... all you saw were Kodak ads for the entire run of the event.) Canon and Nikon largely have a lock on this segment, and Sony wants a piece. Even the statement from AP about their confidence in Sony seemed to be the tail wagging the dog.

 

[RickWagoner]

It has nothing to do with support or product..its a money move. Sony Put up the most money and they should because they need to get in the game of having their gear be used by real credited people that have exposure. This deal is well in the millions of dollars to AP and gear at manufacture cost to anyone AP.

 

[RickWagoner]

Also when you are working for a company like AP it don't matter what gear you use at all, not even down to the feeling of the gear matters. The people have no choice as they do what the company tells them, that is why they get paid. Real professionals that work for a company could not care or think about what gear they like...

 

[bellorusso]

This could have been expected. Canon is lagging for many years, ignoring mirrorless movement, releasing crippled cameras, their sensors are always kinda never the best on the market, being always late to all new trends. How is this unexpected to anyone? Sony really does a very good job taking over the industry. I wish Canon started thinking straight.

 

[slclick]

Careful - I once compared someone's rambling writing style on here as being like Donald Trump's, and got dumped on by Admin for being "political".

Careful is never a force for change, I could not care less if I was dropped from CR for stating the truth and truth for a righteous cause. It's just a web forum. US politics these days are life and death.

 

[analoggrotto]

When I switched from Nikon to Canon (5D Mark 3), the A7/R was fresh to the market and gave me brief pause, but it was not the right decision at the time. Sony FF Mirrorless was not serious until the A9. Now with the arrival of the R5, worthy of the RF-L lenses, I plan sale of all of my EF gear with my first RF lens in the mail, wondering if this AP move is the beginning of a dark era for Canon. How will this account switch change Sony's development patterns?

It has been said time and time again, Sony is pulling on Canon with mirrorless what Canon pulled on Nikon with AF and OIS. This is the seismic result 7 years after the fissures formed.

Today, we have the cameras that Canon really needed much sooner, I don't mean to sound ungrateful but Canon is now paying the price for not responding sooner, maybe they couldn't have responded sooner? EF Legacy was too heavy? Maybe the R5 under it's heavy wraps just couldnt have been developed quickly enough to stem the threat.

Will Canon pick-up up the pace? Or will it give up and lean back on it's other business units to earn profits? They still have only a handful of native RF lenses, the system is not complete while most EF-RF adapters are out of stock on B&H/Adorama/Amazon. Sony has been the talk of the internet for years now, countless enthusiasts have switched now a major account has followed suit. First time camera buyers with some money look no further than A7III, Sony's momentum is now validated and tremendous and this is only the first account that will turn to Sony with video becoming ever more important. All because of Sony Semiconductor.

I just hope our piles of cash in RF lenses is going to a system that will still be growing in 10 years; Sony is required to grow now (or will these major accounts leave them reliable and complacent?). The R5 is a solid statement that Canon will not give up but we need a lot of "R5"-like moves in these next few years. All of the sudden Canon is fast becoming the underdog.

It is a bit disturbing that Associated Press is dancing around like some cheap advertisement supplement for a major corporation. Sony must be shelling some serious money and promises for all of this. And media is in a state of decline right now, money is tight while distrust is ever mounting. Meanwhile, DPR is right there covering this switch like an inauguration, executive interviews and all. It's all just too well orchestrated to seem truly genuine. Just how long will this exclusivity last?

 

[sanj]

Sony makes very capable cameras. Canon makes great cameras. This decision is all about Sony's bagging a deal. It does not reflect anything else.

 

[Quarkcharmed]

AP, PJ, A9, A7 - I don't know what that means. R5, RF - those I understand.

 

[Kannon]

I wonder, whether Sony's excellent rice-cookers and VAIO laptops are included in this deal?

 

[Quarkcharmed]

Even the statement from AP about their confidence in Sony seemed to be the tail wagging the dog.

It's still harmful to Canon - the Sony's horse just sped up a little.