In case there was any confusion, I am in no way trying to vilify the creators who went to Japan. Many of them are my friends, try really hard, and make interesting & compelling content. My issue is with the system, not individual creators. Please don't go ripping on them in their comments. I didn't make this video to tear down other RU-vidrs or divide us. Thanks. 🤓🙏
I don’t know Gerald, I’m seeing a lot of people mobbing on creators and Lumix now. You talk about the influence RU-vid creators have in your video and now your influence has kind of backfired on to others. You have power in your position and you definitely chose to use it.
It's too late. You made them all look like sellouts and now they're getting negative comments. I've already seen a handful of unsubscribe comments on a few channels I follow. I like your channel Gerald, but you cant be surprised at that reaction right? You threw your weight around, and this is the consequence. I think the part of your video you should've edited out is when you described how Lumix must assume other creators will follow orders. I'd assume you wouldnt like the S9 because it isnt made for you given your technical rigor, while some others like lifestyle products. Not necessarily that they're more obedient.
You explained it yourself - people have different standards for cameras. For someone who vlogs in short bursts and doesn't care about a record limit, they don't really need to be watching Gerald Undone style overheating torture tests. Why would Panasonic buy you an expensive plane ticket or send you the camera so you can clickbait its "shortcomings" for views? That would be bad business. It's ONLY business after all. Nothing more, and nothing less. No emotion, just business. So they invite creators with an audience who will get the most value out of a camera with these features. The s9 is not for YOUR audience. That's it bro. You explained it yourself.
@@controllverse4013 Any camera is for his audience. He tests the dynamic range. He is the most technical reviewer. Anyone serious about any camera will watch Mr Undone
I have no problems calling out what happens with influencers trying to be overly positive about a product due to an inherent conflict of interest. Critical thinking is in short supply, as well as "being real." I think the best ambassadors / influencers are those that showcase a new product features without putting other competitors down, and show real world use cases, without being overly gushing positive about the product they got paid to travel to check out. Also helpful- if they are comparing a "successor model" - show what exactly is new, improved, different. This can be done in straightforward ways without the super hype koolaidTM. The worst are the ones that repeat company claims without checking and hype it up like the best thing ever. Or even test a new product in scenarios that are not really stressing it and claim that it does very well in that area. Remember the OM Systems OM-1 unveil? 2 stops better DR/ISO? There were was even an ambassador mis-using photontophotos to "prove it." That was pretty incorrect. I did see a RU-vid that has a channel on cheap used old cameras, all of a sudden showing the S9 in quite a positive light- an outlier in his channel given this is a brand new (not even released) model. What I do have to chuckle at is all the people that think an ambassador/influencer early access "review" is a review, but then that's why it works. These are all inherent conflict of interest even with the best of intentions- because of human psychology- it's only on the natural side of things to be overly positive and if you get more freebies, you have the potential to slide into a real sellout. And the companies of course know this. Don't apologize for this. I think it's good to keep a certain perspective when looking at these videos, and it sure feels a bit weird. This doesn't go only for Panasonic, but for all companies/brands.
Could not agree more on your points here. And I enjoy the passion/tirade. If it helps, this also applies to audio brands. ZOOM no longer sends me products (for loan or for free) to make reviews because they lent me the Podtrak P4 for review and I said in my review that it had a noisy headphone amp. They told me to take the review down. So instead, I bought the recorder and left the video up. They haven't talked to me since (that was in 2020). But what I really wanted to say is that your new lighting design is 🔥 which makes your skin tones so much better (and more like you actually look in real life).
@@blackbugmedia They still have some good products, despite what their marketing people in Japan do or say. The issue was with the marketing bosses in Japan, not at ZOOM USA. My contact at ZOOM USA was the one who probably got in trouble for not "managing" me more carefully. He's a great guy and I felt bad for him. Their F3, F6, and F8 recorders are very good. Their H series recorders are mediocre and ok for beginners, but not very robust for serious filmmaking or content creation.
@@curtisjudd Thanks for the clarification. I actually wanted a H-series for the purpose of plugging into DJ’s mixer at live music events. (And some occasional amateur filmmaking) I would’ve been ok with some noise, considering its price. I just wanted to see how bad/good it is. I’m still considering Tascam X8, on which I watched your review. Thanks for that.
@@blackbugmedia I'd go for the ZOOM F3 before the H series or Tascam. Similar price range, much cleaner recorder. My review: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-THEBOa0UUJo.htmlfeature=shared
He’s not lying, he finds a good couch and sets up camp at the Sony events, witnessed it numerous times 😂 He’s as good at sitting as he is at camera reviews.
@@strippedlist thats not his deal......hes a tech guy, a tool guy, like an armorer or something. Im kind of the same way, just admiring and finding the best camera gear is often far more fun than using the gear. And thats ok, I would bet that the vast majority of camera engineers are pretty average photographers, if even that
As a full time video producer, I tend to gravitate to the videos on RU-vid where the person reviewing the product has worked with it for a while in multiple scenarios and can touch on the positives and the negatives equally. Those videos are much more helpful to pick the right camera(or other gear) to rent, which I then use in multiple real world scenarios before making a purchase. Purchasing a new product that I will use for multiple years before upgrading again takes research, thought, and testing so I do not waste money on something that does not perform in the way I need. Thank you for the content that you produce.
Yeah me too, the best “reviews” are the ones like 1 year with camera X or Z. Thats when they really speak the truth, reviews on schedule when company give it too you for a short period of time will never give you a deep knowledge too “influence” people too get it. Plus i never bought anything on lunch like that there is no camera or other gear that i would get that fast.
I buy the shit with my own money that I think I might want to actually use and my channel is small, but I take a lot of shit for "switching" all the time. I guess if I got it for free and and I had 500K subs it would be all right?
The problem with many small channels is that they are often fanboyish and brand-loyal even without having any access. So their reviews are imho often just as skewed towards certain brands and products as bigger channels who get paid. I believe the best solution is to watch really big channels who are beyond wanting early access and don't really care about it.
Respect. I think it would only really take a few well known creators to establish a new ethos. These companies apply pressure to creators because they know they're relying on the content to plug their paying sponsors. E.g. if major creators draw a line in the sand, it could enact change.
It's not my strategy, cause I would like to have a lot of views, but so far this is my reality :D. I would probably reject most of the proposals anyway. Or do 1 review and been never contacted again :D. The only camera I would probably review positively is S5IIX. I really like that camera, but switching to L-mount from e-mount is to expensive.
I was scratching my head with so many reviewers being overly subtle about S9 omissions like no hot shoe , shutter or and the f8 lens. This explains a lot
@@strippedlist But his nerd approach to cameras is crucial to all professionals and amateurs. He's a unique camera enthusiast that adds so much to the table just like CineD.
I feel like a lot of the distrust of gear reviews started around the time of the DJI Mic 2 release when almost every creator was telling us it how crispy clear it sounded, even when our ears were telling us otherwise. And then they had to make videos about "Oh, we forgot to turn off the low cut. Now it sounds great right? Almost as good as Rode? Maybe?" but our ears were telling us - no, it still sounds the same.
I will have huge respect for the first RU-vid 'reviewer' who uses a camera for a year and produces some meaningful and worthwhile work with it and then publishes their review.
Kudos to you! I watched your video and felt like you were one of the few people who was completely transparent about the camera and didn't get on the hype train like many of the other reviewers.
@@rmrpictures1 hey thanks. It’s definitely one of the reasons that I got my samples while there but recorded my actual video back in my studio instead. Wanted to have some distance from it all.
When Fuji switched things up on us and started sending review units after embargo I kind of thought it was a weird move. I think this only applied to us in Canada. But, honestly didn’t really impact views being a few weeks late. And since we got it later we can actually open and view the raw files which I think is important to include in a review. I also I agree with you on Sony. Probably the best camera brand I’ve dealt with. You don’t have to worry about saying anything negative and they are always there to listen and improve which is a huge reason to like them not only as a company but also the products they make. I might make my own video off this topic because there’s a few things I’d like to add .
Fuji takes so long to ship a new product anyways, I would rather pre-order it on release day and wait for post-embargo videos to do a thorough test on a production unit so I can decide if I want to cancel my pre-order.
Back when we shot the launch video for one of these companies they asked that my wife not be included in the videos because "certain countries will get upset". I included her anyways (last minute addition...oops) and they left us off of the NAB rollout despite everyone in the department saying it was the best launch video they had seen for their cameras. So...you're not wrong. It exists.
@@LukeNeumann Ah. Joking aside, that’s not cool. Panasonic isn’t covering itself in glory here. I have no dog in this fight but am happy to see Sony being rewarded for doing the right thing.
Gerald you are the man. Please never change. If our fellow creators can't take a bit of criticism then that's on them honestly. You go on a press event and become a marketing tool for a new product then you have to expect to be criticized for it. It's just a stupid camera anyways and they will do just fine moving on and / or hopefully use this moment to reflect and think about how they (we) have helped build this flawed system. Us creators can easily become disconnected with not only ourselves but also how the audience perceives us. That's why a commentary like this can be a helpful reality check. Who would have thought that "You"Tube works the best when you are true to yourself and not compromise to please corporations for a bit of vanity and monetary gain? Do sponsorships and brand deals if you need to (or want to), totally fine. But do not pretend you are not benefiting from the privileges you are receiving. Almost every S9 review had a sponsor in them so they got their paycheck. Just own it and grow some thick skin.
I think the main issue on YT are people reviewing gear that they actually don't need or use and basically change brands and products every week just for clicks and views. Anyone reviewing products (especially cameras) should have a real use for it and know how to film first. Personally for example I only review stuff I either need for a specific project or that would complement my kit in a genuine way for my documentary work. I say no to 95% of requests I get and I always make sure to say what I like but also what I don't like and what doesn't work, regardless of the company or product.
"You don't review that brand anymore." I guess it's great that some folks review everything, but that's really only useful for the viewers that haven't dedicated themselves to a brand. I'm not really gonna watch a video about a camera brand I'm not monitoring. I don't know why anyone would, unless they're looking to switch. But I'd really rather watch a review by someone that's invested in the brand than someone just reviewing to make another review video.
I don't think you can expect professional reviewers of any range of products to have an ongoing use for every product. If you ask someone who uses X day in day out to review X, you will only receive a users perspective, not the view from someone who can place X within the broader contextual landscape in which it is situated
@@lindsaywebb1904 I think you need this when people review cameras against cameras or lenses against lenses. I personally value opinions from people that have extensive knowledge of one system or brand other another because it shows real case scenarios.
They were not told in advance what the product was going to be. But the rumors did suggest it would be a compact camera, perhaps a full frame. We will never know if they had known it would have no EVF and no flash capability if they would have still gone.
It started with Philip Bloom and not showing how bad the Canon 5Dmkii line skipping was. I decided to never listen to what he thinks again. Gerald is totally on point here. Bravo! The real sin here is that the brands are trying to get free advertising AND influence the content of that free advertising. Gerald is right. This has got to end.
Back when I was reviewing camera gear, I never managed to get in with any of the main brands, but many of the lower end brands that I did deal with seemed to be more than happy to receive criticism, as long as it was fair and constructive, they kept coming back. Kind of seems like big RU-vid channels are obviously going to prioritise the big brand stuff because that's what pulls in the views, but the big brands are happy to play the market and drive the hype, where as the smaller brands have a genuine interest in addressing feedback - It would definitely be a wake up call to some of the big brands if youtubers stopped putting videos out straight away and instead did a more in-depth test - brands would have to start to listening to feedback or be left with no marketing power
I miss your gear reviews, but I do love your new videos as well, still entertaining and I always learn something from them. Just sad that we still have to discuss whether we live on a globe or flat earth.
It made me think why you had exchanged your subject domain 100% with convincing flat earthers about the globe. The reason probably isn't, that you want your funeral eulogy praise you as "he had served mankind by spending half of his life with arguing against flat earthers on RU-vid" 😉 The actual reason must be more profane, i.e. more subs and more views, than with just photography? This probably indicates how much the system photography enthusiast market has shrunk by now.
Northrups watch this video: "BREAKING NEWS...100mp SONY CURVED SENSOR COMING SOON" Chris & Jordan watch this video: Make another 20min review about a nothing camera without actually saying anything: "This camera has a screen, it has a lens mount and fits batteries which is amazing and super useful for content creators on the go" Jared Polin: benchmarks everything to the autofocus in sports cameras since he only knows how to shoot sports. All basically useless. Amazon customer reviews are much better which is a sad state of affairs.
@robiulahmed yeah the video came across as salty rather than genuine. Regardless, anyone who watches Camera Conspiracies knew this was all going on behind the scenes. Interesting that they invited him though. Much more critical than gerald
Wow. I'm in the 3D printing space, and this spoke to my SOUL man. The "certain companies are punitive" - big time. Respecting brands who don't try to get me to filter... totally. Everything you said was spot on.
What annoys me is when reviewers say "we can't show you the RAWs because this is still pre-production" or "This feature may improve with production firmware". If the camera is not ready, do not send it to reviewers. Reviewers should refuse to review products if the manufacturer will not let them do a complete review.
This is totally wrong. Giving you as much info as early as possible is a good thing. As long as they are clear as to what data they don't have, and preferably post a full review later, there's no issue.
It's the double-edged sword of a desync between hardware/software. Firmware update potential over the life of a camera vs. when is it "complete." IMO, buy for the features it has NOW, not future promises - which reviewers are pretty good about caveating. What's not so great is that when/if those updates happen down the line they usually aren't a big enough headline to get a new wave of videos and you can't revise a youtube video to add in new context, so it's harder to follow up as a consumer and see if the possible pre-production hiccups actually got addressed.
RU-vid has become an embarrassment where gear “reviews” are concerned. I only learn from what the reviewers won’t talk about now rather than the exact same talking points as the other “reviewers”. I’m glad that light is being shone on this issue.
This is a great video, i just started making some camera content so it's good to know the behind the scenes stuff. This is exactly why i focus on long term reviews, i just always found it more useful when shopping around
I've been an Apple cert'd master trainer for their pro apps, back in the legacy Final Cut Pro days. I produced training videos, related product updates, reviews on FCPX updates, etc. But once I began questioning the incompleteness of FCPX after a about two years, I got cut off from being a beta testers for Apple, my inside contact with Apple who I was friends with for years just up and stopped responding to me and vanished. It all stopped. I've also noticed Apple is ver seriously doing some heavy censoring of the posts in their FCPX user forum. It's just corporate greed refusing to face truthful facts. This has been American corporate culture my entire life. Glad you did this video. I could be any influencer talking about the corporations in any industry, it all rings sadly true. Thank you for being honest. I'll be subscribing to you now, because of HONESTY (hint, hint, corporations).
The most insane thing about this is that it just doesn't apply to cameras and gear, it applies to video games, movies, TV shows, apple products, etc. It's an entire aspect of tech/media/publicity that absolutely needs a systematic change from the ground up and this video is incredible, so thank you.
Right? Isn’t that exactly what a prescreening for a feature film is like? Hype up the film guys and sit them in a room with the director and main actors? Like who isn’t gonna get excited for that kind of experience?
Yep, snazzy labs has made similar videos about Apple not liking criticism either. It is the capitalist world we live in, one wrong word and your business could be in tatters, so they all do this horrendous nonsense Gerald mentions.
The one that touches on my interests is running shoes. I can only think of two major RU-vidr who do shoe reviews who buy 100% of the shoes they review.
Thanks for making this video, Gerald! I have similar experience in the automotive sector, where some brands will simply ghost creators for not being enthusiastic enough about their product. On the other hand there are those, who see value in constructive criticism, and we see improvements from model to model or generation to generation. Kudos to those brands, though more often than not it's a matter of long time relationship with the person in charge of PR. They are not your friends, but knowing them for 20 years, as they move from brand to brand helps. As for launch events, I think they are designed for print media, where a journalist on a salary could afford to spend a couple of days traveling to-and-fro an event (and loved every minute of it!), write a brief note of what was being presented, and awaited a review sample back home to do a full piece for their magazine in two months. As freelancers we make money creating content, not watching presentations, which could have been an e-mail. I don't recall the last time I was surprised to learn something at an event that I haven't read in the press release. And I always ask for a press release prior to the event to prepare at least 80% of the script to film the review in the brief time we get with the product. And the last time I learned something valuable from an engineer present at the launch event was probably 10 years ago. These days they are all prepped, and never go off script, so they will not tell the media anything beyond the scope of the press release related to this specific event. So yes, similar experience, being first no longer carries much value, and products actually worth reviewing are few and far between. One could say we're jaded :)
Ok, the only point I’d add here is that some of the reviews are very entertaining. Kai and Lok, Jordan and Chris, etc: their videos are often very entertaining as much as they might be informative. If I want the bare, deep, truth I’ll watch you or Richard Wong and others. Most of the time I will watch Kasey first to see what the heck the Board was thinking!
I work in the film Business and have worked on quiet a few comercials. I hear the marketing people talk about "social" (social media, influencer marketing) all the time and let me tell you.. They dont give a shit about them. They loooove using influencers for marketing because compared to classic tv ads, having an influencer with a few million followers talk about you is DIRT CHEAP. You couldnt even pay for the CATERING for the film crew for those few thousand bucks. Imfluencer marketing is the absolute king cost/impact vise, and thats why they do it. They dont really care about feedback either, i have worked with working dops and photographers, who have gotten unmarked samples MONTHS in advance to use and give feedback on, they sign an nda and cant tell anyone about it, but they are getting PAID to use the stuff. Feedback loops are pretty much closed when the product comes to marked (and influencers get their hands on it). Im sorry to have to say this, but in the eyes of the brands, all youtubers are just marketing tools, no more.
This makes total sense. And it is also simply a sensible approach to prefer jolly super positive youtubers that are much more likely to cteate a positive impression of your product.
I quite love what you have to say about Sony and about respect for brands.. Immunity to risk is not something any reviewer can guarantee, and I would rebound that to cinema reviewers as well. Dishonest product reviews has led us to a worsening world. Thanks, Gerald, for having integrity.
Wow... I had actually just been talking about the current state of RU-vid and photographers and all that. I hadn't seen anyone else talking about it, assumed I was the only one, and just talked into the void about it for a bit. Now, seeing this, hearing your perspective from "that side" of the RU-vid space, and even just hearing the raw and real tone in your voice as you talk about this is unbelievably refreshing. Bravo.
Ironically, I had the same kind of conversation about RU-vid tech reviewers just a week ago. I think the G9 release may have revealed the problem for many people, who didn't notice it before.
I've probably reviewed more products over my lifetime than most and I must say that this video is a long time coming. It seems the junket experience started with the automotive manufacturers (who used their clout with magazine ads to get positive reviews) and then tricked down to the consumer electronics industry in the 1990's. During my decade with the Today show, I didn't accept the free trips (as NBC paid my way) and other than the WSJ, others in attendance at the events were very much like what you described in your video. In this day and age, it seems there's more "influencers" than true reviewers and that has tarnished the credibility of online reviews. Keep up the good work!
Good on you, Jared. I simply don't trust “embargo lifted” reviews that all come out on the same day, and especially if they all take place in the same locale. I wait for channels who review actual production units that are purchased by the channel or on loan to the channel by entities other than the manufacturer. That eliminates a lot of the pro product bias. Loved this video!
To be honest, I don't think camera manufacturers are interested in "reviews" from RU-vidrs and influencers. What they are looking for is marketing. You get to make a video about a new product that gets you views and thus revenue. They get free-ish marketing for their product. That's how the influencer economy works. Thorough reviews are certainly an available genre, but I seriously doubt camera manufacturers are particularly interested in yours or anyone else's reviews. Not because they are evil, but because it likely doesn't mean as much to their R+D teams as you might think. Product design is based off of extensive market studies, not as much on individual feedback as we'd all like to think. They make a product they think will sell and make money, not necessarily the product they think ticks the most boxes for the most highly regarded reviewers.
While there's a lot of truth in what you're saying about having free marketing, I think any company is interested in a RU-vidr's review if it's not a good review and if that RU-vidr has a significant audience. Look what happened recently with MKBHD and that AI pin that he panned. That review hit the company hard and you can't convince me they didn't care about that review. But you're right about the fact that they want the free marketing and they're going to cherry-pick who they give access to get the coverage they want. Apple did that for years with one writer that always had access. I think some RU-vidrs should decided on whether they want to be PR folks or not. It's okay if they do. I like reading and watching about new products like anyone else. But there's plenty of room for the real reporters of the truth that bring true value to their audiences. It might not be as glamourous as getting chauffeured around in Tokyo or Stockholm by big brands, but if their audience is large enough, they'll definitely get the brand's attention.
Same as gear review websites before youtube was a thing, right? Unbiased review sites are those that have the scale to buy their own stuff and test it all independently. Consumer reports etc. (Not a good site for camera reviews btw, where the deep details matter).
Cal Newport wrote a book called "Be so good they can't ignore" you about what really matters in work life. He took the quote from Steve Martin on how to be successful in show business. The most important thing is being good. RU-vid often forget focusing on quality.
Was looking for this. A great next watch for those interested is Colin and Samir's interview with Tim Ferriss. Make a product (podcast) so good, you can demand things from advertisers to fit your ethics/business/style that no one else can... because advertising on their shows just isn't as good.
Firstly, I'm a huge fan, and you make many great and valid points. However, I find it odd that companies have been doing this for years, Sony wrote the book on this. But people only want to pipe up at Lumix, this is a pattern I've seen repeated a number of times with Lumix products, particularly where Sony/ Canon products are praised and Lumix products are criticised when in reality those products are borderline identical, or at least close enough to not warrant such drastically oppposing view points. It feels like some extreme fanboy brand assassination. Which is ultimately amounts to shooting oneself in the foot, as less competition means dominant brands can charge more and get away more anti-consumer practices (subscription services for firmware anyone) I hate this silly game of brand assassination. We need a more brands, we need choice, we need competition. Not out of brand loyalty, but in service to getting the best deals/ products for us. It's so odd to me that as Lumix begins to make strides, many creators on here just don't want them to do well. Who is this helping?
Exactly to your last sentence. It almost feels like everyone wanted Panasonic to be the lovable loser. I remember when everyone said the moment they fix AF, they'll surpass Sony. Then the moment they do, all of a sudden the hate turns up x100. I'd be very suspicious if anyone who makes a video like this, now goes to a Sony trip. Theyd have no idea who's denied or invited to those outside their own experience, so you cant verifiably say Sony is more tolerant. Just possibly more tolerant to the famous big dogs.
You're absolutely right Gerald, and as you mentioned, it doesn't happen only in the "cameras" world! Another growing issue I frequently encounter is brands asking us not to disclose how we received the goods, or at least not to mention that the specific video is sponsored in any way!
I like that Sony wants the feedback. I like that Fuji stopped doing beta FW reviews (No excuses/caveats to hide behind). Gerald - I’m stingy as F**k, but this got my wallet on the table. Well said.
Gerald probs needs a pareon that will fund purchase of cameras, then his incentives align with viewers, not camera companies. Thanks for leading theway tornado
I agree, but then does Sony act on anything? I ask because they still rarely update firmware, and they still cripple hdmi out at 4k60. :/ My A1 cost how much again and I can’t sent 8k out over hdmi? 😂😂😂🤦♂️ Maybe someday.
@@FloydTaylor If he could have, he would have. His content is worthless without bots using it to illegally promote viral advertisements. He is the problem and he doesn't know how to handle his ego yet.
@@thisismygearWell, Sony does listen and improve, but pretty slowly compare to Nikon lol. But in the case with a1 and 8k hdmi out, I think that mighty be hardware limitation, since hdmi 2.0 bandwith is limited to 4k60 for uncompressed video signal, unless the camera hardware somehow supports hdmi 2.1.
@@FloydTaylor The problem with that is we'd have to wait months for reviews, and I for one have bought many expensive pieces of gear based solely on Gerald's review as it drops when the item hits the market. To make a purchasing decision I have to ether watch 20 RU-vid reviews, or 1 Gerald review. I much prefer the latter.
The irony is that Panasonic should pay Gerald for this video as I now know more about the S9 than I care to from all the videos responding to this video.
This was spot on. Thanks for sharing. These conversations are what need to be put out there. Playing the game has good rewards but also risks (and for me, it's super tiring...) I went back to just doing my own thing and remembered how I started - with my own gear and my own thoughts
THE LUMIX GH5 WAS MY FIRST CAMERA FOR VIDEO PRODUCTION IN 2017 AND IT STILL IS IN 2024. AND NOW YOU KNOW WHY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HONESTY. MUCH LOVE AND SUCCESS IN WHAT YOU REALLY LIKE TO BE. AND THANKS FOR NOT PLAYING THE GAME OF OTHERS! I'TS YOUR GAME IT'S YOUR CHANNEL AND I WISH YOU'LL HAVE FUN WITH WHAT YOU DO. CHEERS GERALD 😃🙌🔥 by the way. I never buy a product when i'ts just coming out. I'm observing a product that I'm interested in for a long time before I buy it ;)
Gerald, take the frustration you felt as a “viewer” and now multiply that for those of us that are the actual audience. We are exhausted trying to suss out the truth through the same 30 talking heads who are all shoving sunshine up our asses because they don’t want to jeopardize their precious brand relationship. I used to love camera RU-vid. Now, hate is a strong word but it’s most definitely the next stage of grief for me. It’s all so obvious and annoying and disheartening if not downright disgusting in certain cases where it’s clear that relationships were not disclosed. The world needs less press conference regurgitators and more people talking about PHOTOGRAPHY. Love your stuff. Keep it up.
This is psychology. They give you good conditions, they pay for your trip, they treat you well and therefore, as a content creator, it is more difficult for you to say negative things about the company. Unfortunately, many content creators fall into this trap. This is especially evident in the videos about the Panasonic S9.
Not trying to politicize things, but this reminds me of a quote Jordan Peterson said once that has always stuck with me. “Systems tend toward corruption.” What was once pure and creative, can often turn sour contrived once money and clout gets involved. That LUMIX incident that happened to you is wild. That is conceptually no different than lobbyists punish on politicians for not adhering to their behind the scenes agenda. It’s gross to think that the same sort of behavior happens in the camera world. Kudos to you for your integrity-a true “ronin” 👏🏻
I feel like this conversation was half on point, half youtuber with head up own a**. Do companies treat youtubers as marketting vehicles - 100% agree they do. Is this problematic and worth calling out, yes also totally agree. Does that mean that when they say, 'we don't think this camera is for you', it's a personal attack on specific youtubers? No I don't think so. I can't see how the S9 would appeal to someone who already uses a cinema camera every day (or has a studio full of professional gear). Someone invested in the technical minutae of video production does not have 'a beginners mind' anymore. Part of that is about them actually knowing their audience for this camera - beginners and lovers of small cameras. The second concern is that after camera reviews full of infinite praise, the #2 most popular content is hatestorming on a product or brand, to which you've opened up the floodgates here, and the hatestorm content is no more honest than the overly postive content. I think we are all going to be seeing content dumping on Panasonic for weeks because it gets people clicks.
I think where the waters get really muddy is mixing actual reviewers (You, Gordon Laing, Petapixel) with camera dweebs like me. "Ooooo, new camera, let me play!!" I am not a review channel by any stretch, but instead enjoy sharing my unbiased experience after some real-world usage. I think some non-reviewers come off as genuine while others perhaps...let's say, feel the pressure to "be so excited" about the camera.
Omar, you are one of the YT’s I trust the most. For many reasons, but one is you STILL praise the strengths of older gear. Anyone who uses both newer gear and older gear knows this to be true. I love my Xpro2 more than my X100VI. 😉
I can see why the fellow you tubers that support you names came up, they are the ones that will say what they think about something, pros and cons. I always wondered why I went back to one of their reviews before a purchase, I now know why.
Props to making this video. Was never interested in being a camera reviewer but if I had I know that “playing the game” would always be at the forefront of my mind. And I never liked that aspect.
I'm not sure this wasn't teleprompted. But I'm not judging. Some people are great at writing things down but not so much at talking to a camera for 20 minutes. You might think it's easy, but just try it for yourself once.
Big big fan of the honesty, transparency and call to action. The whole idea that someone can go on RU-vid and make a living and do what they love is at risk if nobody can trust the people on it because of a flawed system that just pushes products that people probably can’t afford it probably don’t need. The photography world is great, the personalities are amazing and the dedication to their videos is top notch. That fact that there’s SO much pressure to constantly push products and cozy up to brands is just NOT fun for anyone and makes it awkward for the creators. I feel like you’d be hard pressed to find a creator that thinks this system is sustainable and working great. Nobody says anything about it because they know the impending backlash from brands, other creators and people in the comments. It always blows my mind when people face any kind of hate for honesty and transparency- especially when it’s done with good intentions and in a factual, non hateful way. A system where honesty is punished is so sad so thank you for actually saying your truth here
Camera reviews shouldn’t be done by clueless RU-vid muppets who never managed to create a single exceptional photograph in their entire life but spend the majority of their time talking to themselves in front of a camera instead. Unfortunately manufacturers think they have to adapt to those clowns because it seems like having a popular YT channel and talking rubbish all the time seems to be more valuable than actually creating stunning photography. That’s the reason why all current cameras are a nightmare to use for actual photographers because they are full of useless stuff, optimised to become a RU-vid star overnight with a single button press instead of prioritising image quality and user experience, and people are forced to believe by RU-vid that they can’t take a single picture anymore without a buttload of computational aids…
Love this. I want to watch videos from people who tell me how it is. I'm using RU-vid to get advice, and to help me make decisions. Brands need to be able to take criticism - that's how you make better products. If you make better products, word gets around, and guess what - people buy more of your stuff. I love my Fuji X-H2. I watched tons of videos of people saying the AF isn't as good as other brands. It was clearly demonstrated by numerous people. I knew that - and I still bought it - and yeah - it's isn't as good as the A7iv I hired. But that's fine - because I was informed, and Fuji I think (if the latest firmware updates were anything to go by), are at least trying to fix it. Don't only get people who you know are going to praise you to review your products - take it on the chin and use all of this content to better your products. Everybody will respect you more for it and your sales will benefit. Just my two cents anyway.
Adhering to embargoes has been a thing I keep seeing more and more creators not caring about hitting anymore. They put out the video after it when they feel it’s ready. Rushing to hit the embargo only leads to rushing, stress, missing things, making mistakes, and burn out. It’s not worth it.
What killed me was that after watching vids for years, I finally bought a real camera. It was a Sony a7S II. First day, I got the error about sensor misalignment. I google the error, and it turns out that this is a known issue. The solution is to smack the camera body. What in the actual f? I had watched dozens, or hundreds of videos about cameras. Sony was very heavy in the rotation. How had no one ever mentioned that this recall-worthy issue existed?
That's why the lag time is sooo important. Marques Brownlee has talked about adhering to the timeline of the embargo is extremely difficult to produce a good review of something and when there's sample size significant enough to warrant a known issue isn't one of the ones he got in testing and makes reviewsblook dishonest. If you look around on most big name products it's a bunch of reviews when it first came out and if the viewers got one of the good ones they might have not have even experienced the issue.
lol, Sony makes good cameras, but they dont have the best quality control. I used several FX6s and a FX9, and the control dial on all of them has minor encoder issues, when you try to scrow down in the menu, it sometimes it scrow up or randomly up and down a few times.
That's why I respect Nikon and how they market (or the lack of it) when they launch products. It's actual working photographers who get to use them most in their chosen field of photography. And I think the chaperone thing is more for them to be able to hear feedback in person and maybe provide explanation on features.
Thanks for going public on this. If nothing else, it will increase my skepticism about pre-launch "reviews" of products from Panasonic. Not because those making them are necessarily corrupt, but because the whole process of pre-selecting one's reviewers definitely is.
I'm SO glad you're talking about this. I'm really disappointed with the state of RU-vid camera reviewers. I've watched as nearly every RU-vidr has become a shill for nearly every camera related product. I had an "aha" moment a few years ago when the Canon R5 came out and one of the biggest / my favorite RU-vidr shilled it. He said it was a photo+video powerhouse. When it later came out that it was overheating and not good for video, I realized I can't trust anyone on RU-vid anymore. Well, only a few can be trusted, like you.
But the Canon R5 is a photo and video powerhouse. Wolfcrow made a feature film with it. I can’t remember who did the video on the R5 but it was something like “awesome camera; awful marketing” because it was… Canon pushed it as an 8K weapon when it wasn’t. It was a fringe feature that had serious limitations.
Hello Gerald. How you describe Lumix rejecting you from Japan for the S9 at 22:27 doesn't sound like they are punishing you. I'm hearing that the S9 is more of a causal camera for casual people whom might not understand your in-depth test. Even though I absolutely love your in-depth reviews, they might hurt how Lumix is trying to market the S9 because the reviews are in-depth. It might not have anything to do with honestly showing the pros and cons.
Great video. Mad respect for all your points. My only comment is that this push-pull conflict/friction between brands and reviewers is not unique to RU-vid but is the very nature of product and relationship marketing. It may be that the evolution of RU-vid creators has come to the natural point where creators are experiencing the negative effects of coercion, because - make no mistake - it is absolutely coercion. A little here, a little there. A nudge here, a suggestion there.... But, I think most people are aware of that this happens throughout all marketing and advertising and that truly "objective" reviews don't exist. Each review may be independent and unbiased, but marketing relationships are all inherently coercive. From the viewers' perspective, I would hope we all recognize we all have our biases anyway... that even a 51% objective review is still useful, taken with a 49% grain of skeptical salt. At the end of the day, we all must neither be too naive nor too jaded to absorb information and do with it what we will. And, your channel is one of the best for this product category, so kudos for providing your unique and impassioned perspective on what you and other creators do. (By the way, I pre-ordered the S9 despite its weaknesses, because there were 3 strengths that make it extremely valuable to me. But, I can see why others wouldn't.)
Man, thanks for this video. As I’m growing I kinda feel like this is the next step of natural progression as a RU-vidr. Get bigger, work more with brands, get early access to products, attend events etc - this is really eye opening and is making me reconsider my approach. Tech RU-vid in general is in a weird place right now. People are buying fake views and subscribers all over the place, just so they can work with brands and charge money. Brands are happily paying for fake views too… it’s nuts. Appreciate you as always!
This is exactly what is happening on RU-vid and guys/girls like Gerald will figure out there is another more lucrative market emerging, the one six months from launches where the reviewer buys the product and gives us a review after having used the product sufficiently. THESE are the videos I now seek and I completely ignore launch shill videos of all products. Two different markets of viewers, two different types of creators, and creators can’t play in both markets because the audience in market number 2 will lose all respect and avoid you if you create for market number 1. I think Gerald is ahead of the game and finding a new business model among creators.
Honest review of the Gerald Undone channel: smart guy, rigorous to the point of near anal-retentiveness, honest, moves fast and covers most of what you might care about. Only real downside is this is basically a technical gear-head who is not himself a filmmaker or photographer of any note. Essentially, he's not an artist, and the danger with his content is it may seduce or mislead artists who should care less about specs than he does, into buying gear that is over-priced or otherwise sub-optimal for the kind of filmmaking they want to do. So understand: his reputation for technical excellence is deserved, but are you making precision jet engine parts, or are you making movies?
I always said no to camera events cause I thought they were pretty lame and then I went to one and I dont think ill ever go again (like you said only good thing about them is hanging out with friends). unless its in maui then im going everytime. i like the honesty Gerald.
Man I have never heard such articulate, accurate and impactful words from a tech content creator! Don't remember me watching a 20+ video completely in one go in last many months! Amazing Gerald! Absolutely amazing!
I appreciate this honesty. As a video professional, I often have to watch more than one video (sometimes all of them) to actually FIND the nuggets of truth like the few cons most creators choose not to share because its a deal breaker to the consumer. Not the worst outcome because I enjoy learning about tools. But it is awful when they're all surface level cotton candy reviews.
Watching all the S9 reviews was shocking to me, its way too positive for a camera that is only 200-300 dollars less than the S5 II but has at least 6 major features removed for like a 30% size reduction? Madness! To top it all off, it comes with a manual focus F8 lens, are you kidding! The price should of been way lower, and it should of bundled with that upcoming zoom lens, why would you get an S9 now and then buy that lens later it will end up costing more than the S5 II!!!!!!!
The S9 was designed as a hype-train shakedown. With the rise of street photography and demands for a full frame X100 and XPro4 coming out the LUT features seriously awesome but LUMIX chose to launch it with a Camera with no intrinsic value. It’s manufactured e-waste.
@@adidabax6809 I’m not a LUMIX fanboy (I have used Lumix but mostly Canon and some DJI & Sony now), but I’ve noticed that LUMIX is always getting pooped on compared to the other big names - who remembers the GH5 autofocus gate? RU-vidrs made it sound like the worst camera ever b/c they only hammered the AF. It was a really good camera. I don’t think the S9 is the most fantastic camera ever, but I can see the positives in it. It’s jumped into a market competing with Sony and Fuji now. I’ve been following camera reviewers on YT for over a decade, back when everyone was on Canon switching to Sony and I see the back-to-back Sony, Fuji, DJI, Canon content flood my feed when the new thing launches and it’s almost always super positive barely negatives on those launch videos. It makes it easy to tell who is in whose pockets. But it is mostly LUMIX getting pooped on. They’re no better or worse. All these RU-vidrs’ videos are the reason for X100V and VI, DJI pocket 3 and every Sony (released in the last 10 years) to get over-hyped and sold out for months. I get that being a serious RU-vidr IS a job and they have to get paid somehow, and I get where Gerald is coming from, but seems unfair for a Sony guy to make this video after a LUMIX launch.
I love this brutal honesty, and it’s why I trust Gerald’s reviews and opinion pieces. Regarding the feedback loop between creators and brands, I would say my biggest pet peeve has been companies making design decisions based primarily on criticisms from RU-vidrs. An example is the tilt vs fully articulating screen. As someone who primarily does photography and only occasionally shoots a little video, I would prefer a tilt screen always. But I’ve seen YT reviewers complain about an otherwise great camera because it doesn’t have a fully articulating screen - a specific need for a video creator. I think this creates an outsized megaphone for the preferences of people making videos. I love my Nikon Zf - it might be my favorite vintage style camera ever, but the fully articulated screen drives me batshit crazy when trying to shoot low angles. I can get the shot faster with one of my Fuji cameras because I’m not futzing with the screen. The Zf is clearly meant to be photo-centric - the manual control dials are a pain for video, and it’s a replacement for the Df, a photo-centric DSLR. So why did Nikon go with a video-centric screen design over the tilt of the Z6/7? I think it’s because of YT reviewers having an outsized voice at the table. I think this is another side effect of what is a not great system for reviewing gear.
But the elephant in the room, Gerald, is that you're all doing the same thing: reviewing products and endorsing products. Everything you folks do is tied to the products themselves, and that's where the video ends and a new one begins. Don't get too tough on your peers; you're all in the same room.
They’re always in the same room. He just says something in 1 video then the crying babies from the other side are squealing. Is he telling lies? Is he’s too tough or his peers are too soft?
I respect your transparency and authenticity so much. Literally why you’re my favorite camera reviewer. Thank You so much man. Honestly. Its so hard finding authentic reviews in this space.
The best kind of reviews are ones where the reviewer buys the camera, uses it, and sells it and gets an unrelated sponsor. No early release. Only after the camera is officially launched. Marcus Pix is a great example but he reviews much older gear with a specific target of light and inexpensive.
There is a balance, people ARE interested in the latest gear, but like you wrote interest in gear doesn’t end after the hyped release, at least not if it is a good product. People buying and actually using their own gear are a great source of information, especially if they have been using the gear over a more extended period of time. You’d be amazed how many products practically disappear from YT after the initial hyped release. Puts the hype in perspective. Good piece by Gerald, honest appraisal by a professional who has reached the point of having a successful personal brand.
@@Getoffmycloud53 That's key, developing a trustworthy no-hype reputation that gives real value in terms of purchase decisions vs. those who simply hype or are over enthusiastic in everything they see! Gerald is being courteous by calling them enthusiastic people who love gear... I'm more cynical about it. I think the best strategy, as I've seen over the past 15 years of RU-vid, is to wait until after the hype and only listen to a trustworthy reviewer at that point. Cheers!
People making content have to make money, it's work to make good (keyword) content. Therefore I can't speak against ads, I even let ada play fully on content I like. I read too many people who don't want ads but then they don't want to pay to subscribe for good content they like either, but somehow expect the creators to put time, money and effort into good content and magically make a living lol
I wonder if any of this (controversy) has to do with the fact that it is Lumix and that the camera in question is not necessarily a “professional” camera (despite it having some pretty powerful features).
Thank you for this video Gerald. I'm big fan of Panasonic, I've supported them since GH2 and I myself own Gh5s and S5 and I always find your reviews very informative and unbiased. It was so strange to watch these overhyped videos from RU-vidrs I follow for years. I felt I'm loosing grip with reality. The brands should stop treating us all, RU-vidrs and viewers like a puppets. I thought Lumix is different and trying to establish good relationships with clients. But it looks like they are loosing the grip with reality. I think they deserve a little punishment from the community. Let's all stop pretending that when company is spitting in our faces it's rain.
I'm glad you made a video about this. Hopefully this opens up a broader conversation in the community about "reviews". If you ask me, we should do away with the word altogether, but thats a topic for another day. :)
Really appreciate you for this, Gerald. As someone newly in this “phase 2” I’m glad you’re speaking up. Absolutely feel that pull to “be first” despite all my best performing (and most fun to make) videos being well after the gear is actually released. Taking this to heart and look forward to hanging out on your comfy couch at the next Sony event
Fantastic video! Camera reviews are not for the brand, book reviews are not for the author, car reviews are not for the manufacturer...they are for the audience.
This is a great video for all of us to hear. New creators and seasoned creators go through the same fears and you are right we should change the way we view ourselves and what we stand for in our category.
Your video really reminded me of a video game magazine we have in France. They also have a secondaty monthly magazine dedicated to hardware components and tech. Those guys won't take any pre-production products, or pre-release versions of games to test them. They will release their tests not on release date of the game or product, but 2 to 3 weeks later, once they've bought it themselves, tested it / played through it and they are ALWAYS brutally honest. There is of course other magazines and websites competing with them. They almost all get hardware or games in advance to test it before release and have a review up by the time the thing actually drops. And they all give better grades, are more enthusiastic and are less critical about a game or a product they reviewed. The only reason that the first guys are still able to publish their magazines even though they are buying all the things they test is because there is trust, and people trust their judgement (also they're extremely competent with what they're testing in general). They survived by being honest when countless video games magazines had to close doors... generally with a thundering silence because no one cared about their opinion anyway and not having it anymore didn't make much of a difference in the end. My message would be this : if you manage to get yourself to the "reference" status, someone that people will gladly cite as a reputable source that is mostly unbiased, then you don't need to care about what the brands or corporations think of you. Even if you don't get send anything you know that you can do it later and people will still be waiting to know what you think about it. And about that Lumix S9 : it's an S5II where too many corners have been cut, both in video (super short record times, no headphone jack, downgraded IBIS) and for photography (no shutter, slow redout sensor, no EVF, no flash whatsoever since there isn't even a hotshoe and with e-shutter only it's useless). It a strange mix between the Sigma FP and the Sony ZV-E1. Lumix says it's both for photo and video... it's maybe for short form video and super casual photography in which case for the same price you could get a high end smartphone that would most likely do the same stuff. Simply a weird release. If feels like it was super close to being super great, but it broke an ankle 3 meters from the finish line.
I was trying to tell the brilliant Darren Moston at NAB, people like you and him are on a list of people I watch every video you produce and I don’t give a damn whether it’s the embargo day or later your videos will get watched. There’s others I don’t watch at all and I’m interested to see how this evolves. Integrity and trust takes years to build but is worth gold at the end. Just my humble opinion.
I had to pause to go get a cold beer for this one. Thanks for telling it straight up as anyone not in the space knows it goes on. Your ratings will always be higher from your audience if you are balanced and honest.
Ironically as a lay consumer my impression is that LUMIX is the most transparent, in particular through LUMIX Live. I note your comments about LUMIX USA so I assume it is LUMIX Japan… maybe a ‘cultural issues’; a hyper sensitivity to criticism? BTW - I’m really disappointed with the S9 because it is a great camera for normal people like my 18 year old daughter but it is not the one stop shop S5IIX in a pocketable package that I wanted!
I’m a happy GH5 and S5ii X owner and given the generally high quality of the cameras, it surprising that the LUMIX marketing folks are so insecure. The engineers at LUMIX are doing a great job, the bean counters are allowing great features to be included without the horrible market segmentation of companies like Sony. So why are the marketing folks not confident in the products standing on their own? As they refine PDAF they are going to directly compete with Sony and Canon on features. Corporate needs to clean house and bring in people who convey confidence in the brand by accepting and welcoming earnest, complete reviews.
The Panasonic people may have been insecure, because the product itself wasn't as compelling (as other Pani products). It seems to target a very specific niche.
