For the market leaders, they sure are complacent....

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Rich - 12 Feb 2006 01:22 GMT

Canon DSLRs suffered from all sorts of software, electronic and
mechanical problems. As well as some issues with their old
lens designs being used on their FF DSLRs. Now Nikon releases
the D200 and this crops up. Why is it the two main companies
seem to have major problems with product releases while
the lesser companies like Olympus, Pentax, etc, don't?
Is it that hard to release products that work properly?

from dpreview;
Nikon USA (and Europe) have both added knowedge base entries which
confirm the existence of the so called 'banding issue'. According to
the USA entry this affects only "a limited number of early-production
D200 cameras" and that if you have a D200 which exhibits such banding
"Nikon will, without charge, evaluate your camera to determine if
adjustment to the camera's image output level is required. Adjustment,
if required, will optimize the camera's image output level, thereby
reducing visible banding to a minimal level."

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Paul Richardson - 12 Feb 2006 04:36 GMT

> Canon DSLRs suffered from all sorts of software, electronic and
> mechanical problems. As well as some issues with their old
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> if required, will optimize the camera's image output level, thereby
> reducing visible banding to a minimal level."

Camera's especially DSLR's are subject to the same manufacturing
foibles as any other consumer device. Rushing to get to market,
incomplete manufacturing test suites etc... make this happen, it no
different than first run problems of any other manufactured product...

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David Dyer-Bennet - 13 Feb 2006 01:07 GMT

> Canon DSLRs suffered from all sorts of software, electronic and
> mechanical problems. As well as some issues with their old
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> the lesser companies like Olympus, Pentax, etc, don't?
> Is it that hard to release products that work properly?

Yes, actually. Especially if you're on the cutting edge of a new
technology and operating under strong market pressure.

I don't see any reason to believe the other products are better,
actually. I suspect they're being used by so few people, and such
uncritical people, that similar small problems simply wouldn't be
noticed.

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RichA - 13 Feb 2006 05:26 GMT

Uh, I think if someone coupled a lens to their camera and....it didn't
work, or produced banding in their images, etc, even the uncritical
would probably notice.

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John Meyer - 13 Feb 2006 08:15 GMT

> I don't see any reason to believe the other products are better,
> actually. I suspect they're being used by so few people, and such
> uncritical people, that similar small problems simply wouldn't be
> noticed.

What a ridiculous thing to say. Why would you expect a Pentax or Oly
user to be less critical than a Canon user?

I'm not a Nikon user, but I've been loosely following the banding
problem on DPreview. It is an obvious problem and unacceptable in any
camera, let alone one as expensive as the D200. If my Pentax showed that
kind of error, it would have been returned immediately.

It's reasonable to say that the larger the user base, the more notice
the complaints will get on any forum. But to suggest that other camera
users are oblivious or tolerant of defective products is absurd.

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One is always considered mad when one perfects something that others can
not grasp. - Ed Wood

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David Dyer-Bennet - 13 Feb 2006 16:12 GMT

> > I don't see any reason to believe the other products are better,
> > actually. I suspect they're being used by so few people, and such
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> What a ridiculous thing to say. Why would you expect a Pentax or Oly
> user to be less critical than a Canon user?

I'd expect a critical user of digital 35mm gear to have chosen Nikon
or Canon, in the current phase of the market.

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John Meyer - 15 Feb 2006 01:58 GMT

> > > I don't see any reason to believe the other products are better,
> > > actually. I suspect they're being used by so few people, and such
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> I'd expect a critical user of digital 35mm gear to have chosen Nikon
> or Canon, in the current phase of the market.

Then your expectation would be wrong. Explain to me the hoards of Nikon
users who feel the banding issue is nonexistent, or if it does exist,
should be tolerated.

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One is always considered mad when one perfects something that others can
not grasp. - Ed Wood

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David Dyer-Bennet - 15 Feb 2006 17:59 GMT

> > > > I don't see any reason to believe the other products are better,
> > > > actually. I suspect they're being used by so few people, and such
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> users who feel the banding issue is nonexistent, or if it does exist,
> should be tolerated.

That's a rare issue on one new camera. And many people in for example
the "D1scussion" mailing list are getting paid professional work done
with their D200s. Even more with their D2xs. Lots of pro
photographers using Nikon gear.

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TW - 17 Feb 2006 03:36 GMT

I think there is problem associating image quality with pro. There are many
amateurs who routinely produced truly amazing pictures while more than a few
professionals produced ordinary and unexciting pictures. What professionals
use has little to do with image quality but more to do with ability to deal
with physical abuse.

>> > > > I don't see any reason to believe the other products are better,
>> > > > actually. I suspect they're being used by so few people, and such
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> with their D200s. Even more with their D2xs. Lots of pro
> photographers using Nikon gear.

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Charles - 17 Feb 2006 20:36 GMT

>Canon DSLRs suffered from all sorts of software, electronic and
>mechanical problems. As well as some issues with their old
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>if required, will optimize the camera's image output level, thereby
>reducing visible banding to a minimal level."

If they are already the market leader, why should they change
anything? If the market accepts what they are doing, then they must
be doing what the market wants.

that's what I think.

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x2lls@hotmoil.com - 17 Feb 2006 23:25 GMT

>>Canon DSLRs suffered from all sorts of software, electronic and
>>mechanical problems. As well as some issues with their old
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
>
>that's what I think.

Company names mean nowt.
It's who they employ that counts.

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