http://www.stunningnikon.com/picturetown/

Nikon gave 200 D40's to the people of Georgetown, South Carolina. The story is that once they handed these people the cameras, they started taking the best pictures of their lives.

Apparently, it is the camera. I will be selling my Canon stuff and picking up a few of these.

Now my secret is out. I guess I'll have to apologize to all those that have complemented me in the past few years. Drat!!! I knew I would be found out some day. It is the camera after all !!!

Guess I won't be buying another D2h or a D2x when I can. I can just pick up a couple D50s and have money to spare!

And here I was thinking that, just maybe, some of my better images owed at least a little to experience, perseverence and vision. I am chastened :rolleyes:

Mike

Does this go for Canon too? I sure hope so, because I have thousands and thousands of BAD photos I would love to blame on my camera!!! After all, if the camera is going to get credit for the good ones, they have to take credit for the bad ones too! :D

They've been playing those commercials on TV too. Shame on Nikon for perpetuating such a myth. Of course...it is that myth that has driven the prices down on all the cameras we use. I guess it's not such a bad thing. :D

Paul

Wish they'd hand out free cameras here.
I did see the tv ad and was rather miffed about it and I do use a Nikon.

I'm not sure what to think about that ad. Obviously we all know the gear only gets you so far, but trying to catch a cheerleader in mid-air with a camera that has a lot of shutter lag is going to be a bit difficult - their point with that shot. I think their point might be that DSLR's aren't big scary cameras only for professionals, and there are a lot of reasons you might want to consider one over the cute and shiny pocket sized camera that's not much less expensive. But "stunning Nikon"? Where did they come up with a name like that?

Guess I won't be buying another D2h or a D2x when I can. I can just pick up a couple D50s and have money to spare!
I'll gladly trade you my D50 for your D2x. :D

I think that a good camera is going to get better photos, regarding shutter lag, noise, file size, that sort of thing. But I think the commercial (which is where I saw this) does make it look like you can get your Nikon and produce National Geographic photos. However, what better way to get people out shooting than to give them cameras. How fun for this town.

that said, I'm off to check b&h for the D40...

I think that a good camera is going to get better photos, regarding shutter lag, noise, file size, that sort of thing. But I think the commercial (which is where I saw this) does make it look like you can get your Nikon and produce National Geographic photos. However, what better way to get people out shooting than to give them cameras. How fun for this town.

that said, I'm off to check b&h for the D40...

Adina - just wondering -is your Mom still using her 300D?

Liz

Canon are running a similar advert in the UK, showing people having fun with their cameras and coming up with NG style pics, but their not giving away free camera's or they didn't reply to my request for one.

Roger

Adina, you are a hoot!!!

Actually, Nikon used the whole "Stunning" thing with the D80 ads. They just didn't run television ads with it and they didn't give away 200 of them either (not that I'm aware of).

When my kids saw the ad, they started up with the "I wish they gave me a camera!" bit.

Yes it's a stretch (to put it mildly) that the D40 is going to give you Nat Geo quality photo's - and all you have to do is press the shutter release. Yes, WE (experienced, intelligent, card carrying PR members) know it's the photographer and not the gear that captures great photo's.

BUT, it is good marketing if you want to sell cameras. And maybe, just maybe, it will help inspire folks to go out and take photo's of things they enjoy. And that's never a bad thing.

Who knows, we may see an increase in membership here at PR as a result of this. Watch the help forum for questions like "My D40 doesn't take photo's like they showed on the TV ads. What's wrong with my camera?" Then we can gently instruct them how to become photographers and not just button pushers.

I'll gladly trade you my D50 for your D2x. :D

Well I can't quite afford a D2x yet :D

I wonder how many new "Pro" photographers there are in Georgetown now.

Hey Liz!

Yes, she is. She's got it set up on a tripod in the window facing the lake. They have like an 8'x10' window on one side of the house, gorgeous view of Lake Michigan, which is about 20 feet from the house.

Here's two that she's emailed recently...I was trying to convince her to learn some PS, but she is sticking with Microsoft Picture It for now, as it's much easier.

Adina,

The 300D is a great camera and I'm so glad to hear she is still enjoying it. Those photos are really nice. I love the 2nd one especially. Great composition. It sounds like she knows what she's doing - setting up the tripod near the window with such a beautiful view. I can relate to trying to get the best I can out of the camera. I do very little post processing myself as I get enough of the computer at work, etc.

Tell your Mom her pictures are beautiful, and thanks for sharing them.

Liz

I think their point might be that DSLR's aren't big scary cameras only for professionals...

Well, I'm doing all I can to make people keep thinkng this. Looks like Toto may be getting ready to pull back the curtain, though... :D

BTW, what Nikon's doing is my worst nightmare, heh heh. There are already too many folks think they can shoot pro work as it is. But giving away free cameras to the hoi polloi?!?

Oy vay! :cryin:

"BTW, what Nikon's doing is my worst nightmare, heh heh. There are already too many folks think they can shoot pro work as it is."

I read something to that effect recently in one of my photography books. This particular pro lamented how folks would come up to him, show him some horrid snapshots, and ask him if they should go pro. Hehehe.

On the other hand, I don't think you'll have to worry about job security because Nikon gave away 200 D40's.

On the other hand, if you lived in Georgetown, SC...

:-O

OK I looked through the site.

Out of the 200 people who were given cameras, a large number didn't get their photos on the wall today. I assume it is dynamic and different photos appear on the wall at intervals.

Of the photos on the 7 walls today, the outstanding ones that really caught my eye were by an Illustrator and a woman photographed with a painting - I guess she's an artist.

Lots of them are not sharp, despite the comments saying they are, so I guess they loas a lot in the JPEG comversion ... or the comments are from Nikon marketing.

As far as I can see, it's the people that made the best pictures.

i cant help but feel the comments are just faked. I didn't see any negative ones, only positive things, and I would have things other than compliments to say about at least a few of those photos. Some of them are good, but they really are just daily events. It's basically the same as saying "DSLRs are better than P&S's" because most of the things are just images you would normally capture with a point and shoot, and shooting it with a DSLR just makes it look nicer. I think everyone here already knows that, they're just trying to market them as "stunning" photos.

I wonder how many new "Pro" photographers there are in Georgetown now.

Very true - along the lines of what Steve said too.

Let me get this straight - with Nikon, you're not guaranteed National Geographic quality shots, but with Canon you are guaranteed excellent sports (esp. football) shots from a Rebel? :D :eek:

Let me get this straight - with Nikon, you're not guaranteed National Geographic quality shots, but with Canon you are guaranteed excellent sports (esp. football) shots from a Rebel? :D :eek:

Yes!

But seeing as there is only high school football where I live, I'm much better off with Nikon!

I found the site for the D80 campaign that Nikon did. They gave 16 people D80's and ran their first "Stunning Nikon" campaign.

http://www.nikonstunninggallery.com/

Re: the comments - I don't think they're necessarily fake, but they're definitely weeding beyond just looking for inappropriate comments. Why post negative comments about "stunning" photos when you're trying to sell magical cameras?

When you add a comment you get a reply of "Your message will be reviewed for posting (which I would expect - don't want anything foul), so come back in a few days to see if it was selected." It's the "selected" that made me laugh - "We didn't NOT post your comment because it was negative - it just wasn't selected!"

Danielle

...there are in Georgetown now.

Hmmm. Good question. If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say...

200!

;-)

I saw the ad on tv, finally and I've sort of changed my mind.
We know that you can take lousey pics with a good camera and good pics with a not so good one.
I doubt any one receiving one of these is going to think about going pro but if they can take better pictures easier of their families and important events in their lives , then good for them!
Nikon is in the business of selling cameras.

I didn't really see what's on the website, but I imagine they're all perfectly post-processed as well.


However, it was a camera that pulled me back into photography. I was into it in high school, then after I graduated my dad gave me one of his extra cameras. For fifteen years I thought I had lost my touch. I couldn't take a good shot to save my life. Then I bought a Canon Rebel Ti (film) camera. My first roll left me breathless. I COULD take good photos! They were sharp and clear and had great color, so combine good picture quality with my semi-trained eye and my pictures came out beautiful.

Thanks, it is rather stunning.

People who think their camera makes them a good photographer are stupid.

Everyone knows its the lens :D

So I've been going to Georgetown for almost 50 years, and the pictures on the commercial aren't the ones I would think of. When I think of Georgetown I think of shrimp boats, fishing boats, the seafood markets down on the water with call the cats/kittens wandering around. I think Spanish Moss growing in trees, and the only shot of that I saw seemed to be at Brookgreen Gardens, miles away from Georgetown. What about the steel mill glowing at night? The old ice house. You just dont get a real feel for Georgetown with these pictures. At least not in my view. Not that the pictures aren't nice. They are. They could just have been taken anywhere............