Fujifilm's Versus Sony's Customer Service Philosophy; More Value For Your Money Or More Money for Your Value?

Fujifilm's corporate philosophy or Sony's corporate philosophy?  Does it matter to you?
(Press images courtesy of Fujifilm and Sony)

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I'm really impressed with what Sony has brought to the market in the way of mirrorless camera systems.  They push the envelop and cause the other manufacturers to step up their games to compete.  I've been very seriously considering buying a Sony camera but I may not.  Here's why.

Yesterday, Fujifilm released another major firmware update for the X-T2.  Included in the upgrade are improvements and additional features. I have copied the entire list from the Fujifilm website and pasted it at the end of the post.  Here are a few of the upgrades: focus bracketing, more precise focus points (by dividing each focus point into 5 sub-points thus enhancing accuracy), enhanced low light focus capability down to -1 EV, autofocus ability with lenses as slow as f/11, in-camera ability to create and name different folders on your memory card, the ability to change the size and positions of your in-EVF and LCD data as well as a bunch of video upgrades.  

Sorry, but I'm not a video guy so I didn't really concentrate on these features but I understand that the firmware update will allow you to record F-Log (kind of like recording in RAW but with video) in-camera as well as provide several slow motion options, etc.  

Also, and this is Fujifilm being thorough as well, whenever there has been a large upgrade to the firmware, Fujifilm sees fit to put out an addendum to their user manuals to reflect the new features and changes.  All of this is very much appreciated.

This is the third major firmware release since the camera hit the shelves in September 2016—less than 3 years.  Each time Fuji releases a major firmware update it is like getting the next generation camera for free.  Their well thought out updates bring real value to Fujifilm camera owners.  They seem to listen to their customers and implement incremental improvements.  I cannot say with enough emphasis how much this benefits we photographers.  You can download the version 4.0 of the firmware for the X-T2 from Fujifilm's site here.  The changes in the user's manual can be found here.

On the other hand Sony, which receives the most press nowadays due to their rapid development and release of some really good mirrorless cameras (no complaints about their cameras), has not been known to provide major firmware updates to the gear they have sold their customers.  In fact, in the past they even created an "App Store" so you could purchase additional capabilities for your Sony camera.  No free lunch.  One example is that if you wanted the ability to do time-lapse photography, you could buy the software for an intervalometer function.  Yep. Buy.  If it is not included when you bought your camera, you don't get it unless you buy the succeeding mode it seems.  At least that is what I have found.  There may be an exception here and there, I just don't know.


The following statement is a direct quote from DPReview's interview with Kenji Tenaka, Senior General Manager of Sony's Digital Imaging Business Group.

"We’re still in the early stages of challenging the market with our products, and the new model cycle is relatively rapid, compared to our competitors. But the next step is to increase our market share. And if we want to reach new customers, we need [to make] new types of cameras."

According to the site Fujirumors.com, when Sony was asked about upgrading their existing cameras and firmware, this is what Fujirumors,com published: 

“Fujifilm releases slower new models and delivers lots of improvements via firmware, Sony instead choses (sic) to be agressive (sic) on the market by releasing tons of new cameras as soon as they can with little firmware support for older cameras.”  

 In other words, Fujifilm allows you to keep your older camera, keep it up to date with new features, functions, improvements and much "value added" to the hard earned money you spent for it while Sony chooses to make you buy a new camera if you want anything more than you originally purchased.  To me, that means Fujifilm gives me more value for my money and Sony wants more of my money for any additional value.  Sounds pretty straightforward to me.

As I mentioned in the first paragraph, for a few months now I have been considering buying either a Sony A7III or A7RIII simply because they are tremendous photographic tools and I wanted to use and exploit their advanced features for making images.  Its one of those things that I don't need but something I want.  I've been saving my money and it would be an entirely discretionary purchase.  We're talking about a camera body that costs either $2000 US or $3200 US plus several $K US in lenses to go along with the new body.  That is a lot of cash to put out in a discretionary purchase.  I don't know about you but I have to think very carefully before spending that kind of money.

But now my thinking is that my investment in a Sony camera would return even less value (ROI) as I would be forced back into that “buy a new camera to get better performance or upgraded features cycle" as it used to be with my Nikons as opposed to the payback I now get with Fujifilm’s take care of our customers philosophy, i.e., "We have you as a customer and we want to show you that we want to take care of you as a customer and keep you as a future customer" philosophy, in my opinion.  Canon is similar in their philosophy to Sony and Nikon.  They also get you into the circular cycle of buying a new camera whenever you want improvements.  Personally, I'm done with that.  I've wised up. The time has passed for that kind of corporate philosophy.

As much as I would like to have one of the new Sony mirrorless cameras, they lost me as a customer before they even had me.  I'll stick with Fuji.  I feel as though they care about me not just care about getting my money.  They give me improvements in my camera bodies as a value-added customer service.  That kind of thinking is important to me and, I think, how future companies will have to think as global competition rises.

You have to ask yourself, "Do you want to buy a camera every five or seven years or so with continuous improvements as well as more features to your current body along the way or spend your money to buy a camera every two or three years or so to get improvements and upgrades?"  I know my answer.

I would like to praise and thank Fujifilm for what they give us for free and for their corporate philosophy of Kaizen.  I'm sure that many of you out there feel as I do and have become loyal Fujifilm photographers as well.

Just some food for thought.

This is from Fujifilm's website highlighting the improvements in firmware 4.0 for the Fujifilm X-T2.  By the way, they provide upgraded firmware for most of the other cameras as well.  The X-T2 I now own is a vastly improved camera from the one I purchased in September 2016.  Thanks again Fujifilm.

• 1.Addition of “Focus Bracketing”
  The update will enable the photographer to shoot focus distance bracketing up to 999 frames. When the photographer starts shooting, the focal location is shifted with each activation of the shutter by the step of focus shift set from 1 to 10.
• 2.Compatible with the newly developed cinema lens FUJINON MKX18-55mmT2.9 lens and FUJINON MKX50-135mmT2.9 lens
  The upgrade will add compatibility for the newly developed FUJINON MKX18-55mmT2.9 lens and FUJINON MKX50-135mmT2.9 lens
  1) Aperture information can be displayed on the monitor. The upgrade allows users to select T-stop or F-stop.
  2) The upgrade allows users to check the focus distance with the distance indicator shown on the monitor.
  3) Automatically corrects the distortion and the color/brightness shading.
  4) Camera automatically calculate the White Balance based on the lens position and deliver the color expressions with Film Simulation modes.
• 3.Enlarged and customizable indicators or information
  The upgrade allows users to enlarge indicators and information in the viewfinder and/or LCD monitor. This upgrade will also enable users to customize the location of where the information is shown on the display.
• 4.Addition of F-log SD card recording
  The upgrade allows users to record F-log movie data into their SD card.
• 5.Addition of 1080/120P high-speed video mode
  The upgrade allows users to shoot 1080/120P high-speed video (1/2, 1/4 and 1/5 speed slow motion), ideal for recording spectacular slow-motion footage.
• 6.Enhanced Phase Detection AF
  Latest updates to the AF algorithm provide the following performance enhancements :
  1) The low-light limit for phase detection autofocus has been improved by approximately 1.5 stops from 0.5EV to -1.0EV, raising the precision and speed of autofocus in low-light environments.
  2) The range at minimum aperture has been expanded from F8 to F11. For example, even when using the XF100-400mmF4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR with the tele converter XF2X TC WR, phase detection autofocus can now be used.
  3) Major improvements have been made to the AF-C performance while operating the zoom, which provides major benefits when shooting sports and other scenarios in which the subjects moves unpredictably.
  4) Finely-detailed surface textures of wild birds and wild animals can now be captured at high speed and with high precision as a result of improvement in phase detection autofocus.
• 7.Addition of “Flicker Reduction”
  For enhancing the quality of indoor sports photography, the upgrade allows users to reduce flicker in pictures and the display when shooting under fluorescent lighting and other similar light sources.
• 8.Addition of “Select Folder” and “Create Folder”
  Enables the user to choose the folder in which subsequent pictures will be stored. And also enable to enter a five-character folder name to create a new folder in which to store subsequent pictures.
• 9.New functions are added to store and read of camera settings by FUJIFILM X Acquire
  Once connecting a camera to a computer via USB cable, the “FUJIFILM X Acquire” allows users to backup/restore camera settings to/from a file. With “FUJIFILM X Acquire” (ver.1.7 or newer), CUSTOM REGISTRATION/EDIT settings are also stored and read.

Of course, all of this is my opinion.  Your opinion may differ.  But opinions are neither right nor wrong, just opinions.  YMMV.

Thanks for looking. Enjoy! 

Dennis A. Mook 

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