This Music Video Pokes Fun at Nikon Shooters
Video creator and self-described “turtleneck enthusiast,” Sam Newton has put together an amusing musical take on the identity of a Nikon shooter, one that Newton associates with someone who shoots with lesser quality gear, or a potato, to be exact.
The song is titled “Shoots on Nikon” and starts off with Newton enjoying a glass of wine in the sun when a woman walks by and flirtatiously asks if he can take some photos of her on the beach.
“Sorry, but I don’t know where my camera is at,” responds Newton, to which the woman says not to worry, she has one. She says she has a Nikon, and pulls out a lens that is taped to a potato.
“Oh god no, she shoots on Nikon,” Newton laments. “Oh no, potato.”
The story continues, and as Newton barely escapes that encounter to go to a studio where he was supposed to get his headshot taken he learns that, to his dismay, the man who was meant to shoot his studio portrait also has a Nikon attached to his tripod.
Although still a beloved brand for many enthusiasts and professionals, Newton plays in the stereotype that Nikon shooters work with older equipment that’s not quite up to par with the latest tech advancements by Canon, Sony, or even Leica.
This isn’t the first time Newton has poked fun at the brand either. In his satirical music video titled “Gear Doesn’t Matter,” which was posted just in time for Christmas last year, his lyrics state that he will take anything as a gift — except a Nikon.
Newton wrote in the description of “Shoots with Nikon” that this isn’t an attack on Nikon shooters, just more so jokingly questioning their life choices.
“This is a joke. Shoot on whatever camera you want. Nikon, please don’t sue me, I’ll sell out in a heartbeat, think of how funny that brand deal would be,” he writes.
While Nikon’s image quality has not actually ever been an issue — the Z7 II is one of the best mirrorless cameras on the market today — the company has not had it particularly easy in recent years. While Sony and Canon have managed to grow, Nikon’s sales slumped last year to the point that the company found itself deeper in the red than ever before. While the company has been reorganizing through workforce cuts and production transfers from its factory in Japan to Thailand, it has struggled to produce enough products to meet demand. The Z7 II, announced last year, is still not in stock with dealers and those who pre-ordered its recently announced Z fc may not see the camera in hand for quite some time.
More of Newton’s photography and video content can be found on his YouTube channel and his Instagram.
