Sony and the Associated Press just announced a new exclusive partnership, giving Sony a firm lead in the race to be considered the industry standard for photography and videography. Sony will begin distributing equipment including the full frame mirrorless Alpha series, 4K XDCAM, and a wide variety of lenses and accessories to journalists around the world.
AP video journalist Renata Brito covers protests at the Spain-France border, Nov. 12, 2019, using Sony equipment. (AP Photo)
For years, the photographic equipment arms race has dominated discussions between photographers (we’ve all experienced those die-hard Canon vs. Nikon arguments) and forced the leading companies to constantly re-envision and revolutionize their product lines. Now, with Sony becoming the exclusive equipment provider for the AP, hundreds if not thousands of professional photographers and videographers in 100 countries will cast their previous gear alliances aside in favor of Sony equipment.
“This is a game-changer for the AP and will give us way more flexibility into the future,” Derl McCrudden, the AP deputy managing editor for visual and digital journalism, explained in a video posted with the announcement. Among the reasons provided for the shift to Sony, McCrudden cited the ability to share gear among crews and the importance of maintaining a standard for cutting edge technology in the field. He went on to explain that because the rollout will include multiple camera models for videographers and photographers to choose from, AP members can utilize the best possible gear for each job rather than what they simply have on hand.
AP video journalist Bram Janssen takes video of a silverback mountain gorilla in the Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda, Sept. 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
The AP’s Director of Photography, J. David Ake, was most enthusiastic about the silent shutter of mirrorless cameras and the related benefits of shooting unobtrusively. “We truly can become flies on the wall, without that annoying shutter sound interrupting the scene,” he said in the announcement.
The new partnership is certainly likely to shake things up in the photography industry during an already financially unstable time. Is this another nail in the coffin for Canon and Nikon? Let us know what you think about the AP's shift to Sony in the comments!
Lead image courtesy of AP: In this photo shot on Sony equipment, Georganne Moline competes in women's 300-meter hurdles at the Weltklasse Zurich Inspiration Games at Mt. San Antonio College, July 9, 2020, in Walnut, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
I wonder who'll be paying for all that new equipment and how they'll be disposing of the old stuff.
The old Canon gear was leased from Canon, so it'll just go back to Canon. As far as paying for the new stuff, wouldn't be surprised if it is heavily discounted.
Or free
"The old Canon gear was leased from Canon, so it'll just go back to Canon."
Hopefully that means cheaper used/refurb stuff hitting the market soon!
Ending of the article linked below by Dana:
Congratulations to all involved — and if you want some used Canon gear try B+H or Adorama in the coming months!
Interesting. I'm guessing this is one of the advantages of being 5 years ahead of the competition in the full-frame mirrorless space. Obviously the current crop of Canon/Nikon bodies have closed that gap with the exception of dual card slots, but I doubt that large corporate purchasing decisions like this are made overnight.
I also think this deal might have been in the works for quite a while. The A9ii addressed a lot of the issues from sports photographers and journalists. Good news for the average Sony shooter as well, since this points to Sony being in it for the long haul.
So I guess if a news photographer shoots with a Canon, or Nikon it's fake news.