bfitzgerald wrote:Seriously now..backstage 101 is not a place where things happen, it's a PR stomping ground, and the odd user question which gets a reply. It has next to nothing to do with product development.
One Sony expert said..
"Hi Everyone. Trust me. We're listening. Your feedback was sent along the moment it posted."
And did they listened to A200-350 users? They listened to what mid model users want (A550 etc..missing stuff etc)?
Nope. I'll start to take that a bit more seriously when Sony have actual products, that DO take users views into account. Real products that is, not mock up ones in a glass case.
Throwing in odd "Sony paid for" celebrity photographer...is not convincing.
Barry, I don't blame your scepticism about Backstage 101, although I've been visiting it for six months now in order 1) to keep my ear out for what is going on, and, 2) to give Sony some feedback--but I haven't seen you there except once very recently.
Yes, one Sony "expert" did say "Hi everyone. Trust me. We're listening. Your feedback was sent along the moment it posted."
Nothing wrong with that--but for a long time that's all I saw anyone from Sony say, that kind of thing. But a change of attitude seems to be underfoot. Several new "experts' seem now to be participating, and they seem to be much more helpful and responsive. Several of the Artisans of Imagery seem to be for the first time seriously participating in the forums, even though some may not like what they have to say.
More importantly, Paul Lambert is by no means a "celebrity" photographer, nor is he paid by Sony. (Not to say that we should diss what experts and photographers paid by Sony have to say. We have been complaining that Sony had nothing to say; now that expert Sony reps are saying something, we diss them because they are paid by Sony?)
Lambert is a professional working photographer. His take on things is probably better informed, and is certainly due as much respect as yours. And I venture to say that his views on these matters are somewhat more accurate than yours, as are those of DK and George Schaub, the editor of
Shutterbug, both of whom I have heard you discount,. Schaub you openly belittled, for no other reason than he disagrees with your views about Sony's recent cameras.
To me, the evidence is that Sony is putting a great deal of corporate effort into the A7xx, and expect it to be a camera that will be so very good, and so ground-breaking, that the several omissions that will inevitably occur, that always occur in moving from one major model to another, will pale by comparison. That is what Sony expects. I hope they are right. In any case, when a company makes the enormous effort I believe Sony is making, they deserve respect, not constant mockery. In the end, nothing but good can come from their effort.
We will know quite soon about some of the new cameras and lenses. I believe that most of us, at least, will be very pleased.
