Why Sony Is a Company All Photographers Should Be Supporting

About a week ago I was in New York City visiting for pleasure and decided there was no way I could leave without visiting my favorite store in the city: the B&H superstore. This was something I had been looking forward to since it would be the first time I could get my hand on the new Sony a9 and see what all the fuss was about. During my visit, I was absolutely floored by the performance of the a9 and how the Sony kiosk had way more attention than anywhere else in the store. This along with the recent announcement of Canon’s 6D Mark II and Nikon’s company woes made me realize how much the industry needs a company like Sony.

Pushing Technology and Innovation Further

As working photographers, we all know that gear isn’t everything. There’s no amount of money that can buy your way to obtaining the eye needed to succeed in this craft. Putting that aside, technology is a big part of the industry and there is no escaping that. When Sony released the a7S II and a7R II it pushed the boundaries of what we thought was possible in terms of a full-frame prosumer camera. Then directly after that they released both the a6300 and the a6500 which completely changed the game again for crop-sensor cameras. In doing so, Sony has shown that you can guarantee to get your money’s worth in every camera you buy from them. As a company, they are starting to phase out the days of having to buy a dedicated video camera and a dedicated photography camera because they can do both in one at a very high level for a solid price point. They essentially set the standard for cameras in both full-frame and crop-sensor cameras in less than two years. This is causing market pressure on all camera manufactures to keep up or be lost in the noise and will further push the industry to give us better technology at a faster pace.

Answering the Critics

I also remember first learning about the Sony E-mount camera systems and noticing the amount of push back the community was giving them. Whether it be the overheating, weatherproofing, battery life, and or dual card slots Sony, has gone above and beyond in addressing the issues and facing them head on. A prime example is the newly released a9 which practically had the entire list of features that critics had been saying was holding back the Sony ecosystem. If someone would have told you that there would be a full-frame mirrorless camera holding its own against Canon and Nikon flagships in a sports environment would you have believed them two years ago? I think things like this are the reason why the lackluster specifications of the new 6D are met with such harsh criticism. The consumers are starting to expect the features to match the price tag and I feel like personally Canon has now missed the mark on their last two full frame releases, hence the growing pushback towards Canon. While Sony has their own issues I still think that out of all the cameras on the market their cameras fit more styles of work than any other brand.

I want to be very clear that this article isn’t me trying to convince you to shoot or buy Sony products. They aren’t perfect and we should never expect any product or company to be perfect. Hell, at one point I left the Sony ecosystem because my needs had changed. I just want everyone to shoot what fits them best and what you are most comfortable with. Just simply understand that Sony is attacking the norm and pushing the boundaries of the industry. In the end this will lead to better products, more attention to consumers, and better performance-to-dollar spent for all camera manufactures. This is more than enough reason for me to continue to support the company going forward.