Panasonic Lumix issues apology after users discover images taken with Nikon camera on Lumix S9 product page

Stock images can be found in promotional material for not just the Lumix S9 (available for pre-order on Amazon), but also for other products like the Lumix S5II, DC-G100 and the G VARIO 12-32 mm lens is also found to use stock images, as can be seen below.

To be fair, the text “Images and illustrations are for illustrative purposes only” was included on the page. However, the implicit expectation of a potential customer is that the photos would at least be taken with a Lumix camera, ideally featuring the AF system being advertised. An ‘illustrative image’ taken with a Nikon DSLR in 2016 can hardly be considered representative of a recently launched Lumix mirrorless camera’s capabilities.

Here is the translated statement issued by Panasonic on its website:

We have received many inquiries regarding the images on the product website of the new full-frame mirrorless single-lens camera Lumix S9. 

The images used on the product website to introduce functions and scenes were partially licensed images from a stock photo service. 

In addition to insufficient consideration of whether the images were appropriate for the product pages of a camera that generates creativity, the annotations on the website were in a location and with content that was difficult for customers to understand, as they were not taken with the new product. 

We take your comments seriously and have reconsidered. We will make the content easier to understand and communicate with users in a user-friendly manner. As a camera manufacturer, we will strive to meet your expectations. We will discuss a review of the content of the Lumix website so that we can meet your expectations as a camera manufacturer. 

We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere condolences to our loyal customers and to all Lumix fans and camera enthusiasts. We are very sorry for the anxiety and concern this situation has caused. All of us involved have renewed our commitment to face everyone more sincerely and make changes.

The statement appears to focus more on not correctly placing the disclaimer below the images (the disclaimer was at the bottom of the page), rather than acknowledging that their use could be misleading to customers.

For now, the company has removed most of the photos from its website. A new disclaimer under each image states that other equipment may have been used to take the photo.