Sony launches support program for pro photographers

Paul, I'm not sure you have ever been a member of NPS so wouldn't know. I've had great experiences with NPS over the years, especially with loaner equipment. Can you recount a personal experience with NPS where you can show credence to your remark? Otherwise, it sounds like another case of Nikon envy to me.

You're not pro enough on a pro-meter.

Im not sure what that means.
Im pro enough to make a living out of it…and thats all that counts.

@tabloid
BUT BUT BUT the Sony Pro-meter says otherwise. If you don't have TWO Sony fullframe camera, you're not a Pro!

Sony does have very high grade lenses in A-mount, but as you pointed out, Kiril, they don't as yet have a proper pro grade A-mount body to go with those lenses. Sony must also build a similar system of pro bodies and lenses for their mirrorless E-mount if they expect mirrorless to be taken seriously by the pro community. All I'm saying is that it isn't easy or cheap to build 2 different systems at once, but that's what they're faced with.

Agreed. I found your first opinion much to the point except it missed the high grade A mount body or may be a bigger E mount body. That is why I replied

The current crop of E mounts seems mostly aimed at amateurs or second body for people using other system like Canon or Nikon. The AF is a bit difficult to cope with, not impossible but difficult especially if you shoot dynamic environments like weddings. Add the lagging EVF in less than perfect light. Still I like ve my A7for my amateur enjoyment but if I had to make living with a camera it would have been Nikon as it stands today.

I've been operating a pair of A900s to earn a living with the 24-70ZA and 135/1.8 plus some glass from Minolta days. I think this program is a great idea, depending on the specifics of the service. The $100 might go towards free overnight shipping of spares or whatnot, or to simply weed out the "computer chair pros" who make a lot of noise about the problems they theoretically need solved.

Lenses: "build it and they will come" has toxic risks for Sony as a business investment. If someone hadn't come after the A900 and 24-70 Zeiss - just those two pieces - they're probably several times more expensive users to acquire (if at all possible). I'd love for SONY to make some exotic lenses but not if that makes them over-extend themselves like what happened with Minolta.

If you think that the quality from the A99 is inferior compared to the A900, you're not using your camera right. A900 was good, but the A99 beats it both in low and high iso. And it has a faster focusing response.

Hi cgarrard, Sony HK refused to fix it for me

and should fix many issues of A7/A7R cams that Sony is proud of . If for Sony thinks that A7/7R cams are proffesional tools than this service is rather a joke.

Tell that to the pros that are using them Mateus1. :)

Pro can take great shots with point-and-shot cams, but it does not mean theses cams are professional tools, A7/7R are neither though they are top Sony mirrowless cams - they have too many serious issues to be true pro tool.

Stu, so many pro landscape shooters have gone to the A7 it's insane, these are people who once shot Canikon. It's serious traction where it's very much needed.

Maybe the missing link for understanding is being a pro. Just a thought.

10 Reasons Why a Professional Photographer Left Nikon and started shooting with Sony by Jason Lanier :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wM_5nROeaw

1. As a Canon shooter, I can't be "insecure". Try it.

2. I know what they meant by "Pro".

3. Just check the comment posted before mine, from a Sony user, to see how "over analyzing" is a moot concept, in this case.

Nikon, who's been in this business quite some time, requires you to be a full time pro in order to qualify too.
https://www.nikonpro.com/aboutnps.aspx

It's about getting endorsements from well-known photographers in exchange for free publicity and very long-term loans of equipment. Obviously, Sony needs this more than Nikon or Canon. Better service is great but that's not the purpose.

It's not just about alianating or not, it's about what can be afforded. More than likely, the Canon type of program cannot be afforded right now. Could have a thing or two to do with the depth of Sony's pockets currently...

Do you fake a handicap to get to the front of the line at Disneyland?

Calm down people. If you aren't a pro, you don't need the fast turnaround. You may want it, but you don't need it. Let the pros get their gear back and get back to work. Use your iPhone in the meantime.

(And by Pros, I mean Canikon shooters. So yeah--they will no doubt quickly expand this once they see all those un-ringing phones due to the lack of pro Sony shooters.)

And, If I am an advanced enthusiast, and I have 4 Sony cameras, I am pretty sure I can get by without one of them for a couple/three weeks. No?

disagree. if you travel frequently and bring your gear, a fast turnaround could be a fairly significant importance.

if you had booked a 15K Antarctica photography trip and your main body died a week before the trip would you still feel that way Duke?

in actuality any pro worth their name or business card should have backup equipment anyways not to mention ability to rent,etc. a Non pro but serious prosumer may not have invested that much into gear.

The invitation policy is good. Keeps out the riff-raff and wealthy amateurs, allowing Sony to concentrate on delivering a good service to those who actually need it.

@Samuel - and how does that help the starting photographer that as pro aspirations get the support they need as much as a regular published professional?

the starting professional actually usually has more need for quicker turnaround on repairs since they don't have the backup infrastructure as normal pros usually do.

at least with canon and Nikon - you can get replacements / rentals everywhere. not really so with sony.

@Samuel:

No, IMHO it's a mistake. It doesn't matter whether your customers are spending disposable income (amateur) or investing because it's a cost of being in business (pros), this is about building brand loyalty and you typically don't do that by alienating a segment of your high-spending customers (the high-spending enthusiasts).

Of course Canikon pro support isn't free either, it just feels that way, because we have no idea how much of the price we pay goes to fund this.

mccad
Good thoughts. This is what Sony should have been doing for some time. But it takes a real commitment and devotion of resources. Support is the missing ingredient in so much of modern commerce and Nikon and Canon are prevailing on Pro Support as much product quality. There are few really bad cameras out there; anyone with talent could make a living with Sony, Fuji, Pentax, Olympus, Panasonic, etc.

This is aimed at pros - quick turnaround time can be a lifesaver, and pros shouldn't need to compete with high-spending customers who don't need their gear to do a job for fast service.

Just because you have money doesn't entitle you to this attitude that everything must be catered towards you.

@rrcad
I think you see it wrong. Canon and Nikon are very capable of seriously joining the mirrorless camera market.

The problem is that they might alienate their loyal customer base. Mirrorless also invokes that they need to set up a complete new lens line-up.

Which is:
A: Expensive
B: A big blow to people that have invested heavily in L-glass (Canon) or goldring lenses (Nikon).

Its bad news for DSLR owners when they get to hear that their equipment becomes obsolete. How do you think all those million of people will feel if they get to hear that the domination of DSLR is coming to an end in a few years time. Those people still think DSLR has a future.

People that are already using mirrorless already know how great the latest EVF's are and that they can compete against and OVF nowaday. AF speed is also not a real problem anymore as it was with the first generation of mirrorless camera's. Many DSLR owners have used a mirrorless camera and therefore still think its for amateurs only.