Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Canon Canada is now our competition!!!  (Read 3845 times)

MikeHeywood

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9
Canon Canada is now our competition!!!
« on: April 08, 2014, 09:56:28 pm »

So Canon in Calgary has started offering portrait services through it's Imagesquare studio.  That's right, for a mere $29 you too can have your portrait professionally taken (and receive the digital copies) by the very people who sell us the gear to make our living.  I urge all professional photographers and serious amateurs who care about the profession of photography to contact Canon at studio_services@canada.canon.com , imagesquare@canada.canon.com , via twitter at @canonUSA, or call Canon Canada at 1-866-226-6634 to denounce this practice!

Here is the proof of this claim... http://www.imagesquare.ca/services#studio-services

I am spitting nails right now.
« Last Edit: April 08, 2014, 10:32:59 pm by MikeHeywood »
Logged

BernardLanguillier

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 13983
    • http://www.flickr.com/photos/bernardlanguillier/sets/
Re: Canon Canada is now our competition!!!
« Reply #1 on: April 08, 2014, 10:01:20 pm »

So Canon in Calgary has started offering portrait services through it's Imagesquare studio.  That's right, for a mere $29 you too can have your portrait professionally taken (and receive the digital copies) by the very people who sell us the gear to make our living.  I urge all professional photographers and serious amateurs who care about the profession of photography to contact Canon at studio_services@canada.canon.com , imagesquare@canada.canon.com , via twitter at @canon_canada, or call Canon Canada at 1-866-226-6634 to denounce this practice!

Here is the proof of this claim... http://www.imagesquare.ca/services#studio-services

I am spitting nails right now.

Best is to move to Nikon! ;)

Cheers,
Bernard

MikeHeywood

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9
Re: Canon Canada is now our competition!!!
« Reply #2 on: April 08, 2014, 11:27:59 pm »

Canon makes nice stuff... but they've been making some stupid, stupid business moves lately.  Nikon is definitely looking better and better.
Logged

Rory

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 528
    • Recent images
Re: Canon Canada is now our competition!!!
« Reply #3 on: April 09, 2014, 07:07:45 pm »

Beware, the grass isn't so green on the other side of the mountain.
Logged
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/roryhi

MikeHeywood

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9
Re: Canon Canada is now our competition!!!
« Reply #4 on: April 10, 2014, 03:21:42 am »

Update! Canon has removed the listing of portrait services from the Imagesquare website.  Hopefully this means that they will cancel the programme entirely.

Thanks to those who added their voice to let Canon know that they should stick to what they are best at.

Cheers,

Mike Heywood
Logged

chez

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2501
Re: Canon Canada is now our competition!!!
« Reply #5 on: April 10, 2014, 08:08:11 am »

What is the issue with them offering these services? There are thousands of other photogs in Calgary offering portrait shoots...why are you so scared of one more entering the market? Where's the beef?
Logged

MikeHeywood

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9
Re: Canon Canada is now our competition!!!
« Reply #6 on: April 10, 2014, 12:24:50 pm »

Here is Canon's official response

"Thank you for your question. Our intention is not to disrupt our valued professional photographer community. We are sorry. We built Canon Image Square in Calgary to provide unique experiences with our products, solutions and staff.

As a result of your feedback, we have reevaluated the retail sale of portrait packages. Based on our review, this program does not align with our goals. We have immediately suspended this program.

Your opinion matters to us. Thank you again.

Canon Canada Inc."

I applaud Canon for recognizing this error and for rectifying it immediately.
Logged

MikeHeywood

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9
Re: Canon Canada is now our competition!!!
« Reply #7 on: April 10, 2014, 12:28:29 pm »

What is the issue with them offering these services? There are thousands of other photogs in Calgary offering portrait shoots...why are you so scared of one more entering the market? Where's the beef?

At issue is that the studio is owned and run by Canon... they sell pro tools to pros to earn a living, not to undercut and compete in their market.  If this was a third party just trying to enter the market then there would be nothing to say.

Canon has officially apologized and cancelled this service.
Logged

Vladimirovich

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1311
Re: Canon Canada is now our competition!!!
« Reply #8 on: April 10, 2014, 01:25:18 pm »

So Canon in Calgary has started offering portrait services through it's Imagesquare studio.  That's right, for a mere $29 you too can have your portrait professionally taken (and receive the digital copies) by the very people who sell us the gear to make our living.  I urge all professional photographers and serious amateurs who care about the profession of photography to contact Canon at studio_services@canada.canon.com , imagesquare@canada.canon.com , via twitter at @canonUSA, or call Canon Canada at 1-866-226-6634 to denounce this practice!

Here is the proof of this claim... http://www.imagesquare.ca/services#studio-services

I am spitting nails right now.

and how much do you charge for the same quality portraiture ? because I guess you can't compete on anything else other than the price ...  ;)
Logged

chez

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2501
Re: Canon Canada is now our competition!!!
« Reply #9 on: April 10, 2014, 03:36:12 pm »

At issue is that the studio is owned and run by Canon... they sell pro tools to pros to earn a living, not to undercut and compete in their market.  If this was a third party just trying to enter the market then there would be nothing to say.

Canon has officially apologized and cancelled this service.

There was a camera store in a city close to where I live that sold professional cameras...in fact it was THE store to purchase professional gear, and they also had a portrait studio. Everything worked just fine in harmony. They were looked upon as one of many studios all competing for their client base. I don't see any problems or conflicts of interest.

In fact it would be encouraging to have Canon employees actually use their own gear in a professional manner to see first hand some of the shortcomings of the gear.
Logged

Steve House

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 247
Re: Canon Canada is now our competition!!!
« Reply #10 on: April 13, 2014, 11:02:08 am »

At issue is that the studio is owned and run by Canon... they sell pro tools to pros to earn a living, not to undercut and compete in their market.  If this was a third party just trying to enter the market then there would be nothing to say.

Canon has officially apologized and cancelled this service.
That's the nature of a free market economy - easy to enter the market, incredibly easy to get out of it.  It's always amazing to me to hear people say they're all in favour of competition until they actually have some.
Logged

MikeHeywood

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9
Re: Canon Canada is now our competition!!!
« Reply #11 on: April 14, 2014, 12:03:07 am »

That's the nature of a free market economy - easy to enter the market, incredibly easy to get out of it.  It's always amazing to me to hear people say they're all in favour of competition until they actually have some.

To be clear, I personally don't shoot the kind of portraits Canon was offering.  This issue was not about competition threatening my business personally.  The issue at hand was that Canon sells professional photographers their tools and became competition to their customers.  I don't feel that it is right for a multi-billion dollar equipment manufacturer to enter the a pro market and then to drastically undercut prices.

Canon's head office obviously felt the same and changed that policy immediately after they became fully aware of it.

As I said earlier I applaud Canon's change in policy and I am happy that they quickly rectified the issue.
Logged

Colorado David

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1178
Re: Canon Canada is now our competition!!!
« Reply #12 on: April 14, 2014, 12:17:29 am »

In the late 1980s our local public TV station decided to enter the corporate video production business.  A lot of their competitors were rightly ticked off about it.  It was not that there was a new competitor in the market, it was that the new competitor had equipment that was bought with the aid of an agency of the government that was supported by taxpayers and from donations from viewers.  That whole concept of a level playing field was lost on them.

Schewe

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6229
    • http:www.schewephoto.com
Re: Canon Canada is now our competition!!!
« Reply #13 on: April 14, 2014, 12:38:34 am »

Canon's head office obviously felt the same and changed that policy immediately after they became fully aware of it.

As I said earlier I applaud Canon's change in policy and I am happy that they quickly rectified the issue.

Mike...congrats on making a difference. Regardless of the boneheaded idea on Canon's part, at least they recognized that the idea was somewhat less than optimal as it relates to pro photographers. Seriously, Canon doesn't need to be shooting portraits for consumers in direct competition with freelance photogs trying to make a living. It was a dumb idea and did nothing but negatively impact an industry that is already having a tough time all by itself. Good for Canon CA for their willingness to admit the mistake and move on. To bad they screwed to pooch to begin with–hopefully the dummy that came up with the idea in the first place won't be in the position to make further stupid moves :~)
Logged

Go Go

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 172
    • New York Editorial Photographer
Re: Canon Canada is now our competition!!!
« Reply #14 on: April 14, 2014, 12:09:49 pm »

Hey Mike,

Canadiens are nice people and you got a nice response from Canon Calgary.

But you are a business person, first and foremost see this as an opportunity!

Contact them again and ask them if they might consider opening the portrait studio to guest photographers. CPS members could shoot portraits for a day or two IN Residence so to speak. This way you win, nobody looses. You create opportunity for yourself and others like you.

See farther, go farther.

Be well brother in arms.
Pages: [1]   Go Up