A photographer, by definition, is someone who takes photographs with a purpose associated with producing still images. It isn’t about creating video-related content for video. And if you were to even consider that for taxation purposes, you’d need to put yourself down as a multi-media specialist or something like that. I’m a journalist and a publisher for a living, but it’s noted that I make taxable income for photography services. And in 2025, the big camera brands failed photographers and instead leaned heavily into just making video-related products. Here’s how:
I’m aware that you’re probably going to be angry and defend the billion dollar companies while thinking that the experienced journalist is the bad guy. To that, I’d say that I’m the bad guy, but I’m not the villain. And here’s how the big brands failed you photographers.
Terrible Implementation Against AI Copying Photographs
Nikon tried to implement content credentials into their camera, but then pulled it because it didn’t work with multiple exposure mode. Sony does it, but only does it if you pay a license. Leica does it without a problem at all. However, considering what they’re charging for cameras, all this should be implemented into these devices free of charge. Instead, they’re too busy with hypercapitalist ideas and ripping photographers off.
Eventually, if each one of us doesn’t care about content credentials, there won’t be enough of us left at all to even market products to.
Not Actually Improving Autofocus
Brands say that they’ve improved their autofocus, but they’re actually just improving the detection. Try turning off the autofocus scene detection and you’ll see just how bad modern autofocus is on most cameras.
No Improvements to Color Depth and Dynamic Range Depth
Capture One does a great job with photo editing — arguably much better than Lightroom does. But the camera brands could’ve and should’ve used processors and such to improve the color depth and dynamic range even more than it is right now. I shouldn’t need to underexpose each and every photo in order to save the highlights all the time. There was surely a time where that wouldn’t have mattered in the digital world.
No Major Improvements to Weather Resistance
With Global Warming becoming worse and worse, brands are refusing to do more about weather resistance and making up excuses for all of it. However, we often can’t accurately predict the weather anymore. Just a few weeks ago, NYC got snow for a little bit and the forecast said nothing about it happening or coming.
In a world like today, our camera gear needs to be prepared for anything.
What About the Point-and-Shoot Market?
Camera brands continue to make excuses about not caring about the point and shoot market. It’s absolutely something that all of them could do, but they hold themselves back because of past trauma thanks to what the smartphone market did to the compact camera. However, a whole bunch of other camera brands have popped up and made new cameras.