Nikon’s Facebook page is blowing up with comments. But not for the right reasons

Giant camera manufacturer Nikon has found itself the subject of scrutiny on the web, but not for the reasons the company might have hoped for. In yet another example of how social media doesn’t always work in your favour, Pixiq points to a post on Nikon’s Facebook page which reads:

A photographer is only as good as the equipment he uses, and a good lens is essential to taking good pictures! Do any of our facebook fans use any of the NIKKOR lenses? Which is your favorite and what types of situations do you use it for?

Needless to say, the post didn’t go down well with Nikon fans, or photography fans in general. The backlash on Nikon’s Facebook page has been brutal with over 2,000 comments on the post, most of which are critical. And the post has been the gift that just keeps on giving, with additional comments on Nikon’s Facebook page in the past 12 hours questioning the thought process behind the post.

While some are under the impression that this is all one big publicity stunt by Nikon, going by the adage, any kind of press is good press, others feel that insulting your userbase isn’t going to gain you any points.

Most photographers are highly insulted by the statement that implies that the camera does all the work for you, or that you can only take good photos if you use expensive equipment. It is also this kind of misguided marketing which makes people believe that all it takes is buying a DSLR camera to turn them into a professional photographer, or that the number of megapixels make a huge difference. The reality is, your camera is not what makes you a photographer.

One commenter, Chad Hudson, succinctly got his point across in two words, and we have to agree:

eye > lens

It’s been 12 hours since the unfortunate statement was posted, but so far Nikon has kept quiet, and has yet to respond to the backlash.

It would seem that there are many more lessons to be learned the hard way in social media. Despite the fact that it has become an intrinsic part of any company’s marketing strategy, the boundaries, risks and mistakes that can be made are still very much an issue that companies will have to continuously deal with.

What do you think? Does Nikon need a lesson or two in social media or are people over-reacting to the statement? Let us know in the comments.