Panasonic falsely advertises 77 cameras and lenses with photos taken with other products

Panasonic been subject to harsh criticism lately in Japan after the Lumix S9 was marketed with photos that were not taken with the full-frame camera. Instead, Panasonic simply used stock photos alongside images that were taken by Panasonic brand ambassadors with Lumix cameras, but not with the Lumix S9.

In response to this criticism, Panasonic launched an internal investigation in which all Japanese Lumix product pages were examined. The results of this investigation have now been published in a statement. As a result, a total of 77 products were found to have been marketed with photos that were not taken with the respective product, including eight Lumix S cameras, six Lumix G cameras and dozens of lenses. 

Panasonic has promised to improve, stating that product pages will be revised and only photos taken with Lumix cameras will be used in future. However, the company has not ruled out the possibility of using images taken with other cameras with the same lens bayonet and a sensor with the same resolution, but these images will be clearly labeled so that potential customers can recognize that photos have been taken with a different product.

Misleading marketing can create false expectations, especially with cameras. For example, the Lumix S9 was advertised with a stock photo of a running dog that suggests fast and precise autofocus, but this picture was actually taken with a Nikon camera. As the EXIF data is usually removed from the camera manufacturer's website, it is often impossible for end users to trace this.