interview with Nikon dslr general manager Steve Heiner

[KerryPierce]

IMO, the interview is much more interesting for what isn't said, rather than what is said....

http://engadget.com/entry/1234000960042753

[MHD]

hahaha... The PR representitive/minder...

bad press indeed

[the foto fanatic]

A very interesting read, Kerry - thanx for posting.

Judging by the speed at which the spin doctor leapt in, and his persistence in not wanting the issue discussed, I am assuming that Nikon-san is copping flak from all directions.

They would be a very foolish company indeed if they did not give this debate their full attention.

[sirhc55]

Just figured it all out - Nikon and the CIA are in bed together and the new software is in fact spyware that takes encrypted information from the card and sends it to a central database.

[birddog114]

Chris,
Not with CIA, Nikon doesn't like them much M15 or KGB that what Nikon is talking with them now

[Nnnnsic]

I think you mean MI5 (and MI6), Birdy.

The M15 is an assault rifle, as well as a globular cluster.

[birddog114]

I think you mean MI5 (and MI6), Birdy.

The M15 is an assault rifle, as well as a globular cluster.

Sorry, typo, yes MI6

[Nnnnsic]

Geeze... Nikon's PR reps were REAL subtle...

[kipper]

That's the most funniest read ever.

[MCWB]

Absolute muppets. Blind Freddie could have seen that the WB-encryption issue was going to come up, and yet the PR muppet had to jump in and say "oh we're not here to discuss that".

What I also found interesting was the "it's all about the glass, crap glass = crap pic" mantra. Surely in the digital age the sensor also plays a part, this is one area Canon has it over Nikon et al, at least in the entry-level dSLRs...

[Edit: typo]

[leek]

A highly entertaining read... It's a sad day when the head of DSLRs can't answer for himself... Nikon are clearly in damage control mode... I wonder how long they will persevere with this anti-competitive experiment???

[mic]

Maybe if Nikon gets really upset they will pull out the Big Nikon Plug and all of our DSLR'S will just stop working & Lust will dissapear

The forests will start growing again & I will be able to get to bed a lot earlier than in the past year of Digital Bliss

[PiroStitch]

I wonder how many advisory boards they created to discuss about forming the advisory board and how many members of the advisory board had to be consulted in pre-meetings leading to the meeting.... Good ol' Dilbert

[Spooky]

Just read this article. The interview was amusing (but saddening) however some of the readers comments were really funny. It is clear many people are prepared to say exactly what they think on this issue.

[JordanP]

It is clear many people are prepared to say exactly what they think on this issue.

and a good thing too IMHO

[dooda]

Sorry, I had to copy and paste this because it was absolutely priceless. I think that the interviewer did a great job with the issue, pushing it until Wahi sounded like some kind of PR robot. This guy has absolutely no shame (and neither does Nikon). As long as the interview can come out like some kind of commercial it's good to go, as soon as they're faced with the questions their paying customers want answers to, they go into robot mode. "So much information" eh? Yeah, Nikon has just been overloading everyone with so much information about this issue that it would simply be TOO much to go into it during this little fake interview. Kerry, thanks for posting.

"Adobe has been trying to get camera manufacturers to adopt the license- and royalty-free DNG or Digital Negative standard. Is Nikon considering that?

Saurabh Wahi, MWW Group (PR representative): Actually, let me jump in real quick. Let’s save that question for another discussion because we just want to talk about digital SLR cameras now. Is that OK with you, JD?

Well, it’s not OK, because if you don’t address some of these issues, our readers are going to rip into you. So it’s for your own good to get in front of these topics that have been swirling around the past two weeks.

Wahi: I understand. But at this point, we have put out an advisory, and we want to forward that advisory over to you, but beyond that we have no further information. So I hope that’s fine.

I don’t know why Steve wouldn’t be able to talk in general terms about these issues.

Wahi: There’s so much information out there right now, we want to make sure we can come back with specific information that can help people, and we are in the process of putting that together.

There was a report in CNET on April 21 about the encryption being broken on the white balance metadata for RAW files in the Nikon Capture application, does Nikon plan to take any action against the programmer who broke your encryption code?

Wahi: Again, whatever information that we have available right now is available in the advisory, and I can make sure I can send that out to you.

Could we just talk about the business decision of Nikon encrypting its white balance metadata in the RAW files?

Wahi: Again, the advisory contains all the information that we have available to give to you, and we’ll send that out to you.

I’d like to know what you would say to your customers who are hopping mad about this.

Wahi: The advisory contains all the information and as soon as we finish this interview I’ll send you that."

[Nnnnsic]

I so wish John Clarke would do a cover of this interview... just for me!!!... he'd do it so well...

[stubbsy]

I so wish John Clarke would do a cover of this interview... just for me!!!... he'd do it so well...

You're not the only one would get a kick out of it, but I think this is one case where there'd be no need for a new script. This one could be done verbatim.

[PlatinumWeaver]

Something that got overlooked with all the PR monkey bullshit going on is this little gem of a comment which was part of a larger comment on Nikon's software:

"we have Capture software, which is designed to be an integral part of our digital SLR systems."

How can they possibly admit that the software was actually designed to be an integral part of the system, and then charge customers for it on top of the cost of the body?

The capture software is the software we were supposed to buy isn't it? We get a demo of it with the body and then pay for the full copy?