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Archive 2020 · AP switching to Sony cameras

johnvanr
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p.5 #1 · p.5 #1 · AP switching to Sony cameras

Surfnsun wrote:
Makes sense for AP & Sony to announce the deal. To be honest, I don't read the Associated Press.

If you read news in English, you read the AP. Almost everything goes in some way back to the AP, Reuters and, nowadays, Bloomberg.

Jul 24, 2020 at 12:01 AM

thaddak
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p.5 #2 · p.5 #2 · AP switching to Sony cameras

>Up to now, has AP been using a mixture of different platforms, from different manufacturers?
>
>Yes, we have. We used one manufacturer for stills, and a different manufacturer for video.
>And we’ve been happy with those brands, we’ve used them for years, and they’ve supported
>us with their equipment.

From the article, AP has had that arrangement with 2 vendors, 1 for stills and another for video but now Sony has "won" that arrangement for both stills and photos.

People are weird, it's ok when "their" brand is the preferred partner but when another brand usurps that role, the sky is falling.

Surely people are not so naive as to think business dealings are entirely based on technology/skills alone, and relationships don't matter? Sometimes who you know is just as important as what you know.

Wait a few years, when AP switches to another brand (say Pentax because they like DSLR) the Sony haters will be in force saying this proves Sony cameras are bad, not good enough, etc, etc.

Strange, since that announcement I still take the same "boring snapshots taken with an expensive camera" look as I did before. Didn't help me one bit.

Jul 24, 2020 at 12:11 AM

pdmphoto
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p.5 #3 · p.5 #3 · AP switching to Sony cameras

LBJ2 wrote:
FWIW

"We have a few hundred staff photographers around the world, and about that many video cameras [in our equipment pool]. And probably intro the thousands of freelancers, regular and occasional. This switch to Sony applies only to the staff photographers and videographers. "The freelancers are independent contractors, what they use is up to them.""

So a few hundred+ Sony cameras? What's the big deal?

Jul 24, 2020 at 12:26 AM

1bwana1
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p.5 #4 · p.5 #4 · AP switching to Sony cameras

johnvanr wrote:
A deal that's called a partnership and that is apparently exclusive. No way the AP could actually afford in this day and age to pay Sony for that kind of special service, so it's clear the quid pro quo is Sony being able to market this and this thread shows they're reaping the benefits already.

Oh, I think AP can afford camera equipment and support contracts.

AP has revenue of about $518 Million a year.

They have about 300 staff photographers. Let's estimate that each one on average gets about $20,000 worth of gear. That is only $6 Million.

Chump change. Cameras are cheap!!

https://www.zoominfo.com/c/The-Associated-Press/22614062

Jul 24, 2020 at 12:28 AM

Beni
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p.5 #5 · p.5 #5 · AP switching to Sony cameras

I think this brings up some interesting questions that will be faced as hard edged pros like these start using the system. It's like having an army contract, suddenly you start realising just how well your gear will stand abuse and unconventional usage in the hands of people who didn't pay for the gear and are only, ever, interested in results under extreme pressure.

Some sample questions I can think of, musing out loud, how good is the sony flash system? Does it have a solid wireless flash system? Are there good external battery systems available for Sony flash? We're going to start finding out just how good the weatherproofing is on these bodies. As more and more lighting moves over to LED, is that going to be a banding problem on locations that will now only allow silent shutter? How are the other electronic shutter limitations going to affect PJ type shooting? How will both the photographers and editors deal with the sheer amount of imagery created by 20fps? Can forces unfriendly to the media simply use powerful roving lasers to destroy PJ's unprotected sensors and ensure lack of coverage (apologies if that's a naive question)?

Personally I think it's a very good thing. When a system is built to be taken to the extremes that are PJ work, that's when it truly becomes robust and answerable to its problems. For example perhaps the A7r4 and 200-600mm problems will be properly addressed now.

Jul 24, 2020 at 01:48 AM

Holger
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p.5 #6 · p.5 #6 · AP switching to Sony cameras

Beni wrote:
I think this brings up some interesting questions that will be faced as hard edged pros like these start using the system. It's like having an army contract, suddenly you start realising just how well your gear will stand abuse and unconventional usage in the hands of people who didn't pay for the gear and are only, ever, interested in results under extreme pressure.

Some sample questions I can think of, musing out loud, how good is the sony flash system? Does it have a solid wireless flash system? Are there good external battery systems available for Sony flash? We're going...Show more →

Regarding weather proofing:
"We tested cameras from several manufacturers in really harsh zones from the Arctic to the rainforest, to hostile environments, to hurricanes. The overwhelming response from the photographers was that they really liked the Sony equipment: the way it worked, the way it felt, and the image quality."
https://www.dpreview.com/interviews/2999935759/interview-we-talk-to-ap-director-of-photography-about-switch-to-sony?utm_source=self-desktop&utm_medium=marquee&utm_campaign=traffic_source

Jul 24, 2020 at 02:40 AM

Holger
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p.5 #7 · p.5 #7 · AP switching to Sony cameras

pdmphoto wrote:
So a few hundred+ Sony cameras? What's the big deal?

People read this headline. See photographers on site with Sony gear. See photographers at interviews, political rallies etc. not disturbing the interview while shooting and will see a big benefit of Sony equipment.
That is great marketing.

Jul 24, 2020 at 02:42 AM

nhsonyshooter
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p.5 #8 · p.5 #8 · AP switching to Sony cameras

johnvanr wrote:
A deal that's called a partnership and that is apparently exclusive. No way the AP could actually afford in this day and age to pay Sony for that kind of special service, so it's clear the quid pro quo is Sony being able to market this and this thread shows they're reaping the benefits already.

So I guess your not going to answer the question?

"Just curious what kinda so called "preferential treatment" you are so worried about Sony getting?"

Jul 24, 2020 at 04:48 AM

Bob_S
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p.5 #9 · p.5 #9 · AP switching to Sony cameras

Notice that they went for Sony, in their words, mostly because they could use the same bodies and the same lenses for stills and video.
It saves them a bunch and streamlines the process.

Often, usually on these boards in particular, people seem to lament the video features of the cameras and wonder why all manufacturers bother to include video.

It's because most shooters, even those that were still only, are becoming hybrid video/stills.

It's very important and not having decent video in a stills camera in 2020 would be risky.

Jul 24, 2020 at 04:49 AM

Bob_S
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p.5 #10 · p.5 #10 · AP switching to Sony cameras

1bwana1 wrote:
Oh, I think AP can afford camera equipment and support contracts.

AP has revenue of about $518 Million a year.

They have about 300 staff photographers. Let's estimate that each one on average gets about $20,000 worth of gear. That is only $6 Million.

Chump change. Cameras are cheap!!

https://www.zoominfo.com/c/The-Associated-Press/22614062

There's no way they're paying for that gear, at the very most they're on a wholesale rate, either way, it's great for both of them. Sony has the publicity and AP get the best equipment.

Jul 24, 2020 at 04:52 AM

mcbroomf
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p.5 #11 · p.5 #11 · AP switching to Sony cameras

A few more words from AP

Jul 24, 2020 at 05:39 AM

Charlie N
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p.5 #12 · p.5 #12 · AP switching to Sony cameras

Product support. Not many cameras can shoot LED lights without banding in silent mode. All cameras use SD’s, easier to support. Lastly, saving settings and ability to push out copyright and connectivity settings from file. Imagine having a group of cameras all setup in seconds to an FTP, and WIFI settings preloaded into camera. This can streamline workflow greatly, for 99 percent of us, these additions to the cameras don’t mean much and Sony had a lot of negative press for the A9ii. This was obviously their goal for a long time, to crack into the pro market with the most efficient tools. It worked.
johnvanr wrote:
No independent journalism company should do exclusive deals with other companies. AP should pay for their gear, whatever that gear is, so they avoid any suspicion of bias.

Jul 24, 2020 at 05:49 AM

teddoman
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p.5 #13 · p.5 #13 · AP switching to Sony cameras

Kind of makes me wonder how important the shared E mount for stills and video was in the economics of the deal.

It seems like that might reduce the overall size of their lens purchases if both sides of the AP pulled lenses from the same lens pool. It'd also help standardize and reduce the staff time that would have to be used supporting different systems.

Jul 24, 2020 at 05:57 AM

Beni
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p.5 #14 · p.5 #14 · AP switching to Sony cameras

Holger wrote:
Regarding weather proofing:
"We tested cameras from several manufacturers in really harsh zones from the Arctic to the rainforest, to hostile environments, to hurricanes. The overwhelming response from the photographers was that they really liked the Sony equipment: the way it worked, the way it felt, and the image quality."
https://www.dpreview.com/interviews/2999935759/interview-we-talk-to-ap-director-of-photography-about-switch-to-sony?utm_source=self-desktop&utm_medium=marquee&utm_campaign=traffic_source

I also always believe marketing and managerial spin just on their say so.

Jul 24, 2020 at 06:14 AM

mapgraphs
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p.5 #15 · p.5 #15 · AP switching to Sony cameras

Something doesn't add up... AP lists 29 staff photographers worldwide...

https://apphotographers.photoshelter.com/index

Jul 24, 2020 at 06:32 AM

sjms
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p.5 #16 · p.5 #16 · AP switching to Sony cameras

what doesn't add up?

it is a photoshelter site set up by AP that happens to have images by x amount of their collective group

Edited on Jul 24, 2020 at 06:58 AM · View previous versions

Jul 24, 2020 at 06:36 AM

mapgraphs
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p.5 #17 · p.5 #17 · AP switching to Sony cameras

AP: "We have a few hundred staff photographers around the world..."

Jul 24, 2020 at 06:48 AM

realVivek
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p.5 #18 · p.5 #18 · AP switching to Sony cameras

mapgraphs wrote:
Something doesn't add up... AP lists 29 staff photographers worldwide...

https://apphotographers.photoshelter.com/index

So, they got Sony gear for those 29 photogs and generated so much news.

Jul 24, 2020 at 06:50 AM

Holger
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p.5 #19 · p.5 #19 · AP switching to Sony cameras

Beni wrote:
I also always believe marketing and managerial spin just on their say so.

Note the fact that they don't actually say anything about the conclusions of that testing re reliability despite the sentence structure being (too) carefully fashioned to hide that fact.

I've no doubt that the A9II is a tough and reliable camera but I'm looking forward to hearing about it from the actual PJ's in comparison to their 1Dx's and D5's, not just spin from the suits making decisions in the boardrooms.

It is not Sony's marketing department saying so, but the customer. If sealing would be inadequate, why should they use Sony then after testing the cameras? They seemed to have considered it good enough for their needs.

Jul 24, 2020 at 06:53 AM

Holger
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p.5 #20 · p.5 #20 · AP switching to Sony cameras

mapgraphs wrote:
Something doesn't add up... AP lists 29 staff photographers worldwide...

https://apphotographers.photoshelter.com/index

This is a *featured* list, as far as I understand.

Jul 24, 2020 at 06:55 AM

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