Interview with Nikon executive: “Zf captures the hearts of young camera fans”
Phileweb (translated) published an interview with Mr. Takuhide Tsuji from Nikon Imaging Japan (Nikon received the 2023 DGP Imaging Overall Gold Award). The Nikon Zf is a big hit and it is still out of stock in many retailers:
Q: (Phileweb) Furthermore, the Zf, which won the Jury Special Award, was released on October 27th, but I hear that it is difficult to obtain. How do you analyze the background behind its explosive popularity?
A: (TsujiAlthough) Although quantitative data is not yet available, the Touch & Try event held at Nikon Plaza prior to the launch attracted young customers in their 20s and 30s, as well as those visiting Nikon Plaza for the first time. Many customers came to visit us, and we could feel the change firsthand, thinking, “This is a slightly different demographic than our usual customer base.”
Here is the interview recap from Digicame-info:
- Sales of the Z 8 have been strong so far. The performance, price, and marketing of the product work well together, and we have received more reservations and purchases than expected, and we are feeling a great response.
- Initially, some people said that (the Z 8) was just a matter of cutting the grip underneath the Z 9, but it was extremely difficult to achieve the same performance as the Z 9 in a downsized body. did.
- At the Touch & Try (Z f) event held at Nikon Plaza prior to its release, there were many young customers in their 20s and 30s, as well as customers visiting Nikon Plaza for the first time. The demographics of our usual customers are a little different.” I felt the change firsthand. The Z f has been widely accepted by people of all generations, from old Nikon enthusiasts to new customers.
- We put a lot of effort into social media (to appeal to young people). I feel that one of the main reasons Z f has been able to gain so much popularity is that we were able to properly deliver our message to places that we couldn’t reach before.
- With the rise of smartphones, it is inevitable that the market for compact cameras and entry-level cameras will shrink. However, as the number of people seeking higher image quality increases, the demand for interchangeable lens cameras is gradually expanding. There are changes that can be seen in the response to the Z f and Z fc, which have been accepted by a wide range of people, and we believe that there is still plenty of room for growth in our industry.
Nikon Japan: Nikon Zf in short supply