Canon has been taken to task lately with regard to what is perceived as mediocre upgrades to products and overall connection with customers.
While the Canon 7D Mark II has the looks of a solid camera, the upgrade is considered insufficient by some with common complaints referencing not enough resolution for both still images and video. The lack of an affordable 4K camera anywhere in Canon’s product lines exacerbates the 7D Mark II criticism. Likewise, on the very low end, the Canon Rebel series has been stuck in a stale upgrade cycle for several generations now.
While many of Canon’s cameras from low-end to high-end models are great products on their own, the competition is trouncing Canon in the innovation department. Sony is a frequently cited example of a company “doing it right” and “listening to the consumer” with cameras like the A7 Series, among others.
Most recently, Canon set up a perfect storm of criticism with its “We See Impossible” marketing campaign. The company took out a full page ad in the New York Times to tease the launch of something new and, presumably, huge. When the teaser revealed that the it was all part of a new marketing campaign, users lashed out at Canon’s lack of connection with its customers in numerous online channels. A parody of Canon’s new ad even mocked Canon for its lack of innovation and ability to keep up with the competition.
User’s continue to criticize Canon for not listening to its customers. Well, perhaps Canon is now doing so.
In a recent survey sent out by Canon CPS, it asked several questions about the cameras users owned or used. Some of the questions asked how users felt about those other brands in terms of whether Sony or Nikon listened to them or cared about their needs.
The survey also asked whether Canon products excite users and whether customers felt appreciated.
Of course, we will never know the results of this survey. However, if the response to these survey questions was anything like open-ended criticism we’ve seen online in recent weeks, Canon may have gotten an earful in response to these questions.
It’s worth noting that Canon has clearly identified the right questions to ask in response to the criticism we’ve all heard – or maybe even have been a part of. The question remains, however, if Canon will respond in its upcoming products.
If you didn’t receive this survey, how would you respond to these questions from Canon?
JCortes says
Don’t be fooled by Sony. They rarely listen to their customers. For example, they pretty much forgotten the A mount crowd and refuse to release any firmware that actually improves A mount. Sony currently is only focusing on E mount.
ug says
My A77ii strongly disagrees with you…
Eric says
I do think canon has lost touch with their consumers, not considering what they want, but telling them what they’ll get. I also belove canon hoards technology , I think they have far superior products to what they currently sell, however if sales are still good, why release something better. Only when their sales fall drastically will they start to release game changer equipment again.
Tim L says
Canon makes really solid products but in many respects they are not competitive products. (I think you just said that.) Like Eric, my sense is that Canon doesn’t offer the consumer the very best gear they can make; they offer the bare minimum required to convince customers to upgrade. I also suspect that the engineers in their sensor division left for lunch ten years ago and never came back. At some point Canon will notice this, right?.
And what about the consistent rumors that when Canon finally responds to requests for a high megapixel body it will arrive in the form of a giant, heavy, and expensive body that is, again, uncompetitive with the D810s and A7rs that beat them to market? If that’s the way it plays out I’ll just have to laugh at Canon’s cluelessness.
Forget Sony. Compare this to Fuji. They don’t have to say they are listening to their customers; anyone who is paying attention can see it. The AF in my X-T1 doesn’t hold a candle to the superb AF in my 5D3 but the dynamic range of the Fuji’s APS-C sensor is easily better and its high-ISO noise performance is incredibly close. The glass is competitive with Canon’s best L glass at a fraction of the cost, size, and weight. And a month from now, a firmware upgrade will add more than 10 new user-requested features (that’s additional functionality; not bug fixes) not just for its latest body but for many older ones as well.
Funny thing is, if Canon could take the 5D3’s functionality and performance and shrink it down to the size of Fuji’s X-System I’d buy it in a second. But Canon apparently isn’t willing to cannibalize its existing product line. Apparently it would rather let other companies do that instead.
Autolycus says
Whilst I have recently voted with my wallet in support of Canon products, by selling my Sony RX-10 and replacing it with Canon’s new wunderpointundshoot – the G7X – I have to agree that their “Customer Care” leaves a lot to be desired…
I mean, come on – USD $50 for a spare NP-13L battery…? Is that greed, stupidity or simply failing to recognize that if you can only take a couple of hundred images with one battery, then carrying a spare becomes mandatory…?
Then – in Hong Kong, where I live, the ‘Club Canon” puts on several seminars & training courses in how to get the best from their products every month. That is laudable in itself, buy there is just one tiny fly in that particular ointment – all these courses are in Cantonese – and I don’t speak Cantonese (other than the usual few words for taxi drivers and restaurants), so telling one all about these wonderful training opportunities is something of a kick in the teeth for HK’s expat customers.
And don’t even get me started on the current “Online only: User Guides for their new cameras – which means printing & binding one’s own tome if you really want to know all their is to know about your latest toy… Having said that, the basic printed booklet in the box is better than some and is enough to get you going.
Though I still maintain that printing all their User Guides, in all languages, in one big printing shop in China – then shipping a few of each with each batch of cameras to every consumer country would work out comparatively inexpensive – and keep those customers that like the printed word happy.
Muthanna says
How can I receive this survey ?
is there a link or so?
Eric Reagan says
No. It was an email that I’m assuming Canon sent out to certain CPS customers.