Well, Nikon ignores Thom Hogan, at least officially, and what I saw in his Z7 review was something of a sum up of his accumulated frustration with that relationship. Nikon "reached out" to various people of influence in the Nikon world, WRT the new Z models, and they chose to not to recognize Hogan as being worthy of that distinction. Please, I am not looking for a debate as to whether or not that decision was justified, just relating how the review struck me. This review had perhaps the most emotional content that I can recall as one who has been reading his articles for some time.
OTOH, readers of Hogan's reviews will see the same level of detail laid out that his writings have shown for a long time. No matter what side of the fence you sit on, I haven't seen anyone say he was incorrect with his facts, but he's no master of diplomacy, a point that apparently irritates Nikon, and allows them to treat him as a non-entity WRT Nikon products.
Anyway, JMO, others may see it differently.
I agree 100% with you. Nikon should be most grateful to Thom Hogan for all he does to inform the company about its clients and its clients about Nikon! The character / status of the reviewer does matter. Our commentary and discussion of this factor is integral in a thread evaluating the credibility of the review - civil discussion, obviously. [on the contrary, (and without going into boring reasons), there are solid reasons why nearly all youtube "reviewers" are best ignored, especially those with high profiles .] Some of us are grateful to Thom Hogan and a handful of other credible reviewers (Brad Hill, Steve Perry are others), even if they vent frustrations.\
I concur with Hogan's criticisms of the Z7 (and urgency to improve key features). Since its release, a common thread in reviews and at least 1 forum (DPR) is to propose many improvements to the Z7 camera. Many of these missing features are in the AF and customization options. While some of this may be criticism for its own sake, both Nasim Mansurov (Photography Life) and Thom Hogan share a genuine concern to see Nikon improve the camera and succeed. Moreover, to improve the Z System as a whole AND its compatibility with the F system. This is especially where Firmware fixes can resolve / fix missing features.
Moreover, the 2 reviews initiating this thread discuss the Nikon Z system in the context of Nikon's future and relationship with camera markets.... This future is a great concern for those of us invested in the Nikon System. So this thread is the place to discuss issues raised in both reviews... even better if relevant comments and criticism etc reach Nikon. The Z System arrives with the camera industry under challenges, if not in decline. And Nikon faces big challenges in Sony, Canon and other systems. There have been threads on NG discussing these matters in the past. Some readers might not be interested in this topic but they are free to ignore this debate.
Consider the collective status of the superb PF lenses; the other new F Nikkors – eg 105 f1.4E, 180-400 f5.6E TC; the excellent DSLRs – D850 and D500 especially, and the overall success of the Z cameras and the 3 new Z-Nikkors…. Then we have 60 years of the F-Mount – millions of decent lenses, mich so often feature here on NG. Together, these suggest Nikon is in a good state. But the future points to surprises and threats, where the launch of the Z7 in Thailand is instructive. Nikon spelled out its aim to sell the Z cameras to younger photographers. This market will not take Nikon seriously unless they change their support strategy. [see
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/10/01/business/corporate-business/nikon-targets-younger-net-savvy-thais-new-high-end-cameras/#.XAPrJ2gzaM9). One comment stands out in this article - "….”According to our survey, people perceived Nikon as a brand for a very skilled 40-year-old man who is difficult to communicate with,” Veera Chalieopiyasakun-kun, general manager of the sales and marketing division at Nikon Sales (Thailand), told reporters." Thus, whilst it’s great to learn cohorts of older/established customers are buying the Z7 and Z6, as well as D850s etc; it is these younger customers who should be investing in the Nikon system. Their decisions will grow the company....or Not.
Stating the obvious, Nikon’s long-term clients of the Z System are younger / emerging photographers. Here, the strategy of iterative firmware updates by companies such as Fujifilm and Olympus has key lessons. Younger clients will go elsewhere if Nikon does not roll out a strategy of iterative software updates etc. This needs the tactics of a software-based computer company as much as expertise in R&D and precision manufacturing of optics and cameras i.e. get seriously "Web-Savvy". The excellence of the EXPEED processors (to our benefit) also underscores how Nikon is also succeeding so very well with their solid state hardware
This brings us back to the subject of constructive criticism and feedback. At the Z Launch in August, and since, Nikon’s Executives could not have been more explicit. “Our goal is to become number one in the full-frame market for both mirrorless and DSLRs.” The reality is Nikon has little, if any, option but to listen and respond – to requests and, yes, fierce criticism if it's correct. Customers can be expected to invest in the camera company, which places Listen & Respond tactics at the core of its strategy of marketing and support.
