Nikon 1, the star of the mirrorless world.

[RT_Panther]

the most common mirrorless I have seen in the wild.

Same here in my neck of the woods...

 

[lenshoarder]

I'm wondering how Sony is doing in this segment seeing as that's the most common mirrorless I have seen in the wild.

I've said the same many times over the years.

 

[robbie36]

Sadly, word of mouth doesn't equate to a huge, national advertising campaign.

I know I am one who continually says that Olympus spending vast fortunes marketing M43 would be a complete waste of money but I just think it is terribly old fashioned to believe 'word of mouth' doesnt equate to a huge national advertising campaign.

Look at movies such as 'After Earth' and 'White House Down' that quickly sunk without trace despite US$100m marketing campaigns - sunk based on 'word of mouth'. And if you havent even heard of the movies it all goes to show what US$100m buys you nowadays.

 

[robbie36]

Back to the Nikon 1 - Thom Hogan posted an interesting article on the Nikon 1 on sansmirror.

News/Views | Sans Mirror — mirrorless, interchangeable lens cameras | Thom Hogan

He sums up the Nikon 1 like this...

The big marketing problem Nikon had with the Nikon 1 was simple: 1" sensor. The way you get around the fact that you've got a smaller sensor is to prove that it doesn't matter. That means lots of big, impressive, well done images. Lots.

Unfortunately the day that Nikon proves that 'a small sensor doesnt matter' is the day they have written their own obituary. 60% of Nikon's sales and 80% of profit comes from DSLRs. Their business plan is based on convincing the consumer that they need a 'DSLR' and need a 'larger sensor'. And that is the true dilemma Nikon has in marketing the Nikon 1.

 

[Replytoken]

I know I am one who continually says that Olympus spending vast fortunes marketing M43 would be a complete waste of money but I just think it is terribly old fashioned to believe 'word of mouth' doesnt equate to a huge national advertising campaign.

Well, I have not heard of either movie, but I have had limited ability to get to a movie theater these past few months, so I may not be the best judge of how well one can spend $100M USD.

But, back to Olympus, I believe they have good word of mouth with the E-M5, but just do not seem to realize it and how to capitalize on it. It often seems that a vast majority of enthusiast photographers who bought the E-M5 and are happy with their purchase often site the need or desire to carry less weight without sacrificing much, if any, image quality. Let's face it, I would guess that a vast number of aging boomers with discretionary income are getting a bit tired of lugging around a huge bag of equipment when they travel. And I would also suspect that carrying a P/S camera does not cut it, unless it has a good sensor and/or lenses.

Olympus really needs to launch a campaign in the US featuring accomplished photographers who have shed the weight, but not the image quality. They need to emphasize the joy of travel without feeling like a pack mule. I know that I am not letting go of my D300 and vast array of lenses, but most of it is now going to stay home when I travel, especially by plane.

Look at it this way, how do you sell a two-seat convertible to a person who is currently driving a large SUV? Sell it on fun, and sell it is as a second car. Both the E-M5 and the E-P5 are nice physical designs, and often draw comments on their looks. I often get comments when shooting with my E-PL2 and E-PL5 (not so much with my G3), not unlike what people probably said when the first Miatas hit the road ("Hey, cool retro design!"). Play to people's sense of style and fun, but emphasize performance as well.

Why not create the "Olympus Challenge"? Find a number of full frame or APS-C photographers who have not shot M4/3rd's, and let them loose with an E-M5 or E-P5 for a week or two while travelling. Remind people how much fun it is to take photographs. Unlike Nikon, Olympus can run a campaign on the quality of small sensors without hurting their own sales.

At a minimum, Olympus needs a new advertising agency, or at least a new ad campaign. My last email from them mentioned Route 66, a highway that I have always wanted to travel, but the layout of their message was so boring that I had no interest in reading further or following any links. Failure IMHO, since it is a subject that I always find fascinating. Now, I did just go back and look at the interview video with John Sterling Ruth, and it hits on what I mention above, but Olympus needs to get that message out there.

--Ken