British Photographic Industry News February 2017

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Panasonic ‘Marches’ on with new 4K shooting camera trio… whilst a key UK photographer ambassador rates its newest GH5 – inside!

BPI News attends the annual Societies Convention & Trade Show – the first UK photo event of the year & an indicator of what’s to come

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PRODUCT To the Manor Born: Get sales advice as Fujifilm unveils its spring 2017 collection at Althorp, including test shots from the big hitting GFX, X100F & X-T20

SPRING INTO ACTION! WITH NEW KIT FROM CANON, FUJIFILM, PANASONIC, KENRO Cover image taken on a pre-production Fujifilm GFX 50S – see our centre spread

GHI Computers expands photo business with second Kodak Express store GHI Computers started trading in 2001 and currently has two stores in the Tyne & Wear area, both of which now have both a dedicated Kodak Express section integrated into the original computing business.

Moving into the current Jarrow retail premises in 2006 and adding a Kodak kiosk into their store was the starting point of taking photo retail into their business. GHI Computers then opened the first Kodak Express store as part of the Jarrow business in early 2016.

Business owner Gavin Holder has recently decided to build on the success and also add photo services to the GHI branch in South Shields.

Here we speak to owner Gavin Holder: How did you start integrating a photo business into your existing retail operation?

Initially we have provided a photo printing and passport ID service within the GHI Computers shop through the Kodak instant print kiosk. With a single kiosk and just one window vinyl displaying the service, we’ve received a steady income stream and have regularly joked that the kiosk had won ‘Employee of the month’. This

lead to our decision to set up a dedicated photo area in the Jarrow store with Kodak Express in early 2016 and now we have recently added the second Kodak store into the South Shields branch.

Why KODAK EXPRESS again?

The Kodak brand remains the leading name on the high street for photo services and we felt this identity would give our business the greatest change for success.

We visited the Demo KEX Store at Tetenal’s Leicester office when initially joining the network and this gave us the confidence and inspiration to see what we could achieve under the KODAK EXPRESS banner. Our experience with the first store convinced us that it made sense to continue down the KODAK EXPRESS path What was the driver for adding a photo area into the second store?

The first Kodak Express store we opened was doing really well from day one so it was simply the obvious conclusion to draw and bring Kodak Express into our South Shield business as well.

As in the first store the large GHI store remains as one open space but we now have two clearly defined trading areas with separate external signage and internal styling.

Are you offering the same range of services in both stores?

The basic range of services is the same but our second Kodak Express premises are generally bigger which allows us to include more kiosks for instant printing. We also have a large format printer for all poster prints and canvas.

Moreover, we are always keen on introducing new products to meet the demands of our customers.

Currently we are looking into sublimation printing for a range of different gifting items.

What plans do you have for Marketing the new business?

Both stores are quite lucky in terms of high footfall as one is based next to a supermarket and Shopping Centre and the second on a high street. However, we are planning to do some local advertising as well as different PR activities and promotions to increase awareness of our new photo services in South Shields.

"Our first KODAK EXPRESS store was so successful, it was the obvious decision to open a second one."

Contact Tetenal to discuss how you could join the Kodak Express Network TEL 0116 289 3644 www.tetenaluk.com

Managed in the UK by Tetenal Ltd | TEL: 0116 289 3644 | www.tetenaluk.com

EDITORIAL | February 2017

Photographic British

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published monthly by

EDITOR Gavin Stoker Tel: 020 8274 0578 Tel: 07990 974 367 ART EDITOR Michael O’Connell EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES Please direct all editorial requests, news and press releases to info@bpinews.co.uk ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Please direct all advertising enquiries and sponsorship opportunities to gavin@bpinews.co.uk.

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Insurance and carriage of products submitted for inclusion in reports rests with the owner. News, data, prices, interviews and opinion are printed in good faith E&OE. Content including advertising artwork created by Legacy Media Ltd or its agents is ©2017 Legacy Media Ltd. ISSN: to be advised.

T NEXDATE! 17 20 Y COP s March Y SHOWh,

ew 0t APH BPI N OTOGR e Feb 2 d y du r PH lishe is ou EW. Cop nd pub nth o ta VI PRE sted ou f that m o po end the

Analogue + digital = best of both worlds

W

e’ve already had a positive start physical books are also back on the rise. to 2017. Not only did our Dec/Jan Part of the appeal may be nostalgic. Yet issue of BPI News gain our biggestreportedly teenagers and twenty-somethings ever online readership, plus some lovely are buying into analogue alongside their comments from the industry – we’ve also had parents. Record players have been one of the major product announcements from Canon top tech gifts these past two Christmases. and Panasonic coinciding with CES, swiftly Just perhaps, down the line, people will followed by another successful Trade Show rediscover the joys of printed images and we hosted by The Societies (see page 14). With could see some resurgence there?

Gavin Stoker, The Photography Show fast approaching (to Normally such news prompts discussion Editor which BPI News is, again, a trade partner) we of ‘which is best’? Does vinyl sound warmer gavin@bpinews.co.uk than MP3’s? A media that is always chasing also have a bunch of new Fuji models @GavinStoker to welcome – including its 50MP GFX 50S soundbites often over-looks the fact that (our cover star). both can co-exist. We can shoot on film – and Whilst all these are digital products, analogue has shoot digitally. Both have different qualities. One may be steadily been making a comeback. Print readership better for a certain application than the other, but both remains healthy and constant, we’ve news this issue offer equally valid means of expression. Moreover, they of Kodak reintroducing its 35mm Ektachrome film, also now offer the retailer two possible sales avenues. whilst Fuji’s Instax camera success – appealing to those Whilst we can choose for ourselves the medium by of us who remember instant-print Polaroids from our which we create and share images, one thing it appears childhood, and our own children – prompted even Leica we have less control over is the turbulence on the world to recently get in on the analogue act. It seems there is stage. Or do we? This issue we’ve asked our business something in the air, a desire to connect (or re-connect) expert to provide top tips on protecting, surviving with something tangible. and thriving in the wake of Brexit, Trump and financial Witness the fact that vinyl record sales have currently fluctuations. Turn to page 26 for more – and see you overtaken those of digital music downloads, and that, back here next month for our big Photography Show even in the age of e-readers and e-books, sales of Preview edition.

CONTENTS 04 NEWS Canon has a couple of new PowerShots and a pair of IXUS’s, The Photography Show announces its punter-enticing Super Stage speakers – and more!

08 PANASONIC ‘MARCHES’ ON WITH NEW 4K-CAMERA TRIO The electronics giant has new camera bodies and lenses arriving for spring 2017. We attend the London preview and finally get hands-on with the GH5 10 EPOS NOW = RETAIL ‘WOW’ The Kent based DPS Group is now offering us retail solutions alongside its printer offerings. We find out more from one of its satisfied trade partners

16 FUJIFILM SPRING COLLECTION BPI News gets to grips with the GFX, X100F and X-T20 to bring you sample images and advise on sales patter 14 THE SOCIETIES CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW 2017 BPI News reports from the show floor where exhibitors included familiar brands and retailers Canon, Fujifilm, Sigma, Camera World, Park Cameras and Rotolight 21 KENRO SPRINGS INTO ACTION The pro-active distributor has got 2017 off to a flying start with

the launch of its new 60-page brochure, available on request in print form or as electronic PDF 26 BULLETPROOF YOUR PHOTO BUSINESS Whilst we can’t directly affect what’s going on in the wider world, there are measures we can take to make sure we do make the best of Brexit, Trump et al

Subscriptions, back issues & BPI News online Overseas annual subscription £50 (Cheques payable to Legacy Media Ltd).

For details email info@bpinews.co.uk. View current and back issues online at www.bpinews.co.uk

Swains are delighted

to be appointed the distributor for MIOPS in the UK.

The MIOPS Smart Trigger is a camera and flash trigger combined in a single unit.

It has the capability of detecting light, sound and laser events to trigger your equipment at the perfect moment to take great pictures.

On top of that, it offers advanced intervalometer and cable release modes for timelapse, HDR and timer controlled photos. MIOPS Smart can be used as a standalone device, but the true power is released when the dedicated smartphone app gets in action.

Pricing starts at £179.99

RRP.

Contact Swains on 01485 536200 or visit www.swains.co.uk for more information.

01485 536200

@bpi_news

sales@swains.co.uk

www.swains.co.uk

BPI News | February 2017 3

NEWS

FUJI SCORES AN ‘A’ GRADE THOUGH FUJI has concentrated on the higher end lately with releases of the X-T2 and forthcoming GFX, it hasn’t forgotten about more affordable ‘X’ options, with the X-A3 appearing last summer and the X-A10 announced in December, just missing our Christmas issue.

As with rivals in its mid range price bracket, the X-A10’s designed to help photo retailers tempt smartphone photographers to upgrade. It shouldn’t be a hard sell either: on the 16.3 megapixel APS-C sensor X-A10, the rear LCD can be flipped up to face the subject for selfies, while built-in eye detection auto focus makes sure subject’s eyes are automatically sharp.

Retro styled, this simplified Fuji nevertheless shares many features with its bigger ‘X’ series brethren,

The X-A10 should tempt smartphone photographers to upgrade, whilst the XP120 is a fun option for thrills ‘n spills

including Film Simulation modes and, here, Full HD video rather than the latest buzzword of 4K. Thankfully we also get Wi-Fi connectivity, making this a viable choice for your customers wanting the facilities of

interchangeable lenses and a largeish sensor, yet not a big price tag (£499 SRP).

In related news, the manufacturer has also released a new waterproofed toughened camera in the XP120, plus swish new Graphite Silver Editions of Fuji’s flagship cameras the X-Pro2 (at £2149 SRP) and X-T2 (£1649), pre-orders for which (including £100 trade in bonus program) were running throughout January.

The 16.4 megapixel XP120 meanwhile weighs just 203g, features wireless connectivity to smartphones, a 3-inch 920k-dot resolution, 5x optical zoom starting out at an equivalent 28mm, and is expected this February. www.fujifilm.co.uk

Swains promises ‘best ID system yet’ FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS of its ID Station, the proactive distributor has cranked things up a notch for 2017 with the launch of a new addition to its passport range, the ID Station Photomatic. This latest set up comprises a Sinfonia dye sub printer, Canon DSLR and tablet PC. The DSLR sits on a mount attached to the tablet, which controls the camera and is designed to simplify the process of taking passport pictures; in fact Swains suggests that this is the fastest and most reliable passport photo system yet. What’s more it can email and save passport pictures onto

4 February 2017 | BPI News

a USB stick if required – offering dealers the potential for making additional sales. Going forward, Swains promises ‘premium’ support for your system to look after you every step of the way. Get in touch now on 01485 536200. www.swains.co.uk

Can’t ig-Noor Nikon NIKON IS PUTTING cameras in hands and encouraging the next generation of photographers by continuing its partnership with international photo agency ‘NOOR’ – meaning ‘light’ in Arabic – into 2017. A programme of master classes for aspiring photojournalists is taking place from now until spring in Amsterdam, Berlin,

Paris and Manchester – the latter scheduled for March 30th until April 2nd. Photographers living in the countries and cities where the master classes are taking place are eligible to attend – with 15 places available at each. www.nikon.co.uk www.noorimages.com

www.bpinews.co.uk

NEWS

CANON ‘REFRESHES’ COMPACT AND CAMCORDER LINE UP THE LEADING BRAND has kicked off 2017 by refreshing its compact camera line up for the spring – including one of the most obviously retro-inspired Canons we’ve seen to date in the PowerShot G9 X Mark II. Key features to share with prospective owners include a 1-inch 20.1-megapixel sensor, aluminium body 25% slimmer than the previous iteration and continuous shooting speeds of up to 8.2fps. It also features a 3x optical zoom and 28mm wide-angle lens. In summation, its manufacturer is pitching the Mark II version as a ‘pocketable

powerhouse’. With February availability promised, SRP is £449.99.

The above flagship compact aside, there are three further new cameras in the slim and stylish 10x zoom IXUS 185 (£119.99 SRP), IXUS 190 (£169.99 SRP) – also available this February – plus 45x zoom PowerShot SX430 IS (£229.99 SRP), promised later this year. The cameras all feature Wi-Fi, with the 190 and SX430 IS adding NFC connectivity with smartphones.

Lastly there are three ‘refreshed’ Legria brand camcorders in the HF R806 (£249.99 SRP), HF R86 (£319.99 SRP), and HF R88 (£329.99 SRP). New features include the ability to alter frame rate mid recording and an ‘all-new’ body finish. Coming equipped with a 32x optical zoom, the R88 model goes one step further in featuring a WA-H43 wide angle lens adapter for those customers of yours looking to capture landscapes.

‘Compact’ is the watchword when it comes to Canon’s spring 2017 camera and camcorder line up

www.canon.co.uk

Begin the year re-charged NEW BILLINGHAM SALES

HEAD

©National Trust Images/Matthew Antrobus

GETTING THE YEAR STARTED 5 Pro Traveller charger that can the power specialist Ansmann replenish between one and four PRESTIGIOUS CAMERA BAG has a couple of new products to batteries as well one 9V NiMH/NiCd manufacturer Billingham has a Lumix National Trust POS tempt the trade with – available (PP3 block) battery. Also included new Head of Sales for its UK retail via its distribution partner Peak is a USB charging output, switch operation in Denise Sutton – part Complimentary 12 month national trust membership with the lumiX FZ200 or FZ72 • Complimentary National Development. First up is its Japanese mode mains adapterDescription for worldwide of what the brand describes as Trust Membership plimentary 12 month national trust made Ansmann Max Pro NiMH use with adapter plugs plus a Campaign 12V POS its continuing focus on growth bership with the lumiX FZ200 or FZ72 rechargeable batteries – the selling vehicle adapter for charging in cars and expansion into the lifestyle point of which is that they can be or motor homes. To order stock get market sector. “Denise brings recharged up to 2100 times. What’s in touch with Peak on 01489 796979 with her a wealth of knowledge more, thanks to a low self discharge or email sales@peak-uk.com and experience both of the feature they will retain up to 80% of photographic sector, but also the their power for a year. Pre-charged, www.ansmann.co.uk wider retail environment,” explains the AA or AAA batteries are ready International Sales Director Harry to use straight from the pack. Blister Billingham. “Her previous successes A3 Poster cards holding four batteries or boxes with Fujifilm, Casio and DayMen holding 50 pieces were based on sheer hard work and Wobbler are available to determination, which are qualities order now. we value here at Billingham.”

The second Denise adds: “Heading up and e you need to go to speCial plaCes scover hundreds of new special places managing the UK Sales channel is pture every stunning detail with the Ansmann item 0 or FZ72. is its Powerline going to be an exciting challenge. ©National Trust Images/Matthew Antrobus

to take a speCial piCture you need to go to speCial plaCes Now you and your family can discover hundreds of new special places with the National Trust and capture every stunning detail with the award-winning new LUMIX FZ200 or FZ72.

Promotional period: 22/08/2013 – 31/12/2013. Promotional terms apply, please see panasonic.co.uk/promotions *Leica is a registered trademark of Leica Microsystems IR GmbH. ELMARIT is a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG

T48046 Panasonic_A3_Poster.indd 1

21/08/2013 13:54

©National Trust Images/Matthew Antrobus

Complimentary 12 month national trust membership with the lumiX FZ200 or FZ72

Our stand at this year’s Photography Show, at the NEC, will be a wonderful opportunity for me to meet some of our customers and hear of their experiences.” Get in touch via 01384 412700. www.billingham.co.uk

to take a speCial piCture you need to go to speCial plaCes Now you and your family can discover hundreds of new special places with the National Trust and capture every stunning detail with the award-winning new LUMIX FZ200 or FZ72.

Hang Tag

BPI News is your mouthpiece to the industry. Send your news to info@bpinews.co.uk

Promotional terms apply, please see panasonic.co.uk/promotions ems IR GmbH. ELMARIT is a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG

Promotional period: 22/08/2013 – 31/12/2013. Promotional terms apply, please see panasonic.co.uk/promotions *Leica is a registered trademark of Leica Microsystems IR GmbH. ELMARIT is a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG

21/08/2013 13:56

T48046 Panasonic_A4_Cling.indd 1

21/08/2013 13:59

A4 Cling

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Items shown are for reference only and are not to scale

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BPI News | February 2017 5

NEWS

KODAK ALARIS GOES ANALOGUE, APPOINTS NEW CEO

Leica takes aim at the purists THE LUXURY CAMERA BRAND was extremely busy up until the last throws of 2016 and it appears to be starting 2017 with the bit similarly between its teeth; witness the launch of the potentially iconic Leica M10.

Described as “a camera for the purist”, by the manufacturer’s UK General Manager Jason Heward, BPI News was treated to an early handson. Said to be deliberately “harking back to the days of analogue cameras”, the 24 megapixel, full frame sensor incorporating model has just three physical controls adjacent to the 3-inch screen on its backplate, and is claimed to have had its dimensions slimmed down to ape the width of an analogue film camera. Splashproof, but not waterproof, it is nevertheless the

Leica MD Jason Heward delightedly takes aim with the new Leica M10

first M series camera to feature Wi-Fi, so there have been some concessions to modernity. Video capture does not feature however, in order to “avoid distraction”.

SRP for the solid feel, covetable camera is £5,600, with accessories including a handgrip in black and silver. A Leica M10 protector comes in a choice of black, red or brown, whilst there are straps and a leather pouch also available for those who would like to piggyback accessories on a sale. Also worth noting is the fact that there are currently around 26 lenses in the Leica M family. www.leica-camera.com

ONE OF THE MORE INTERESTING announcements to come out of the Las Vegas CES show last month was that Kodak Professional Ektachrome Colour Reversal Film was being re-introduced to the market (see also our Editorial this issue about the whole analogue & digital resurgence). The news feels both timely yet curious, given that Kodak Alaris’ chief focus lately has been on software apps to encourage printing from digital devices. Formerly discontinued in 2012, Kodak Professional Ektachrome Film was praised for its extremely fine grain, clean colours, great tones and contrast.

“Film is our heritage and we remain committed to meeting the evolving needs of today’s film shooters,” explains Kodak Alaris President for Imaging Paper, Photo Chemicals and Film, Dennis Olbrich.

“We’ve been listening to the needs and desires of photographers over the past several years and wanted to bring back a colour reversal film. In assessing the opportunity, Ektachrome was the clear choice.”

Also at CES, the Eastman Kodak Company announced the reintroduction of Kodak Ektrachrome Super 8 Film to support the adoption of its recently introduced Super 8 movie camera.

Eastman Kodak will produce Professional Ektachrome film for distribution by Kodak Alaris. The two businesses believe that the combined scale of Ektachrome Super 8 and still film products creates a viable and sustainable business opportunity for both companies.

In related news, Kodak Alaris has a new CEO in Marc Jourlait, who will be based in Rochester, New York. Jourlait’s previous role was as Deputy CEO of Navico, said to be a global leader in marine electronics.

“It is an honour and privilege to join

and lead Kodak Alaris,” enthuses Jourlait (pictured above). “We have all of the necessary ingredients to successfully deliver on our plans: an iconic brand heritage, cool technology and innovative portfolio, new growth initiatives, and dedicated and passionate employees around the world. www.kodakalaris.com/go/profilms

A century of Nikon THIS YEAR SEES the photographic brand celebrate its 100th anniversary – a milestone not to be sniffed at. As well as a telegram from the Queen (possibly), it has launched a new ‘100th’ logo and website as part

of its own celebrations – head to the URL below for a celebratory film and a record of the company’s distinguished history.

Its actual ‘birthday’ is July 25th this year, and there are reportedly anniversary activities planned

throughout this year, with further content being added to the site as that date draws nearer. Watch this space! www.nikon.com/100th/

BPI News is your mouthpiece to the industry. Send your news to info@bpinews.co.uk 6 February 2017 | BPI News

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R e v e a l th e n e x t s te p for your ph ot ogra ph y busi ness

En q u ir e TO D A Y

Li mit ed exhibit ion spac e available C o n tact Ri ch ard Macey at ric hard.m ac ey@fut urenet.c om for in fo r mati o n

p ho to g r a p hys ho w.c o m

BPI NEWS EXTRA

PANASONIC ‘MARCHES’ ON WITH NEW 4K-CAMERA TRIO

Fantastic four: Your customers can choose from black & silver, orange, tan or black bodied GX800’s, as shown here

Electronics powerhouse announces March GH5 flagship mirror-less availability and details two further new products you should be stocking for spring 2017. BPI News gets an early preview…

A

ny and all of your customers who have bought into the Panasonic brand, or are considering doing so, should be directed to its fresh product reveals in the GX800 compact system camera (replacing its maker’s GF line-up), plus the FZ82 60x optical zoom all-in-one (see right). The electronics firm has also now given us an on-sale date for the Lumix GH5 (see below), teased at last September’s Photokina. It arrives March 20th. As we were told last year, your target customer for the range topper should be skilled amateur photographers and pro videographers. Body only SRP is £1699, or it’s £1899 with 12-60mm lens (M-kit) and £2199 with the 12-60mm Leica lens version (L-kit).

Accessories include a new battery grip and an optional DMW-XLR1 microphone adapter.

Quoting Futuresource data at a London preview last December, Panasonic UK’s Senior Product Manager Barnaby Sykes told us mirror-less sales were up by 17% year on year and that DSLR had also grown by 8%. This indicated higher priced/higher value product was growing in importance. It will surprise no one that 60% of the camera market now consists of models above £300. “4K is becoming a buzzword in imaging,”

or refreshed lenses, including the 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 zoom Leica DG Vario-Elmarit lens available as a kit or separately. Also coming February and March are four renewed/ refreshed optics in the 12-35mm, 35-100mm, 45-200mm, and 100300mm.

East & west unite to showcase the new line up: L to R: Barnaby Sykes, Mr Uematsu (Panasonic Japan), Filipe Sa Nogueira, Helen Wilson, Yoshitaka Kishi

Cameras as curtain raisers for retail theatre

Barney added, by way of a nod to the fact that its Lumix line up is 4K video equipped. “It’s important because of the huge growth in 4K TV.” We were also told that Panasonic’s overall share of the imaging market is 14% – respectable, given it doesn’t offer DSLRs – and that for CSCs, its market share wavered between 16 and 17% between 2015 and 16. “£1000 to £2000 is the fastest growing segment of the CSC market, up by 225%,” enthused Barney. “We will attack this segment very vigorously.”

Going forward into 2017, Panasonic is all about getting cameras into hands – a policy it pursued with the National Trust for the past couple of years – revealing that it wants to expand on its camera club days and “increase theatre with retailers”.

Hopefully with the launch of the company’s models for 2017 – including the GX800, which replaces the ‘GF’ line, including the GF7 – in this regard Panasonic has some show stoppers on its hands.

The manufacturer is pitching the GX800 as its most affordable CSC. Key features to note include a 16MP sensor, 4K video at 3P, 1040K resolution 180° flip up screen and a choice of body colours in black, silver, orange and tan. Featuring body integral Wi-Fi and coming bundled with a 12-32mm lens, pricing is sub £500 and it should be available by the time you read this (end of Jan).

Also on the way are five new

As mentioned in our intro, the GH5 and GX800 aside, Panasonic has a new fixed lens model in the FZ82 “We’ve had a buoyant year in the fixed lens market and our market share is up,” says Barney, explaining that it has 31% of the market share for premium compacts and 50% market share for superzoom.

The FZ82 bridges both of these markets, coming as it does with a whopping 60x optical zoom. The accompanying selling points are a 20mm wide-angle lens – appealing therefore to estate agents – along with a 4K photo mode, 1170k dot EVF and 1040K dot touch screen LCD. At its heart is a 1/2.3-inch 18MP sensor and the camera is equipped with a new Venue engine. The £329 camera has March availability. www.panasonic.co.uk

New Panasonic products at a glance: Lumix GH5, GX800, FZ82 plus 12-60mm, 12-35mm, 8 February 2017 | BPI News

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PANASONIC GH5 PROMOTION

HOW TO SELL THE GH5:

BY PHOTOGRAPHER STEVEN CLAREY ONE OF THE ELECTRONIC GIANT’S photographic ambassadors has been trialing the new flagship CSC for the past couple of months. “In fact I was given number one – the first camera,” says freelance photographer and filmmaker Steven Clarey (pictured).

So who better to give us the steer on how specialist retailers should be pitching it... and why customers should be buying it: “Portability is a key reason,” Steven says. “We live in such a fast paced and dynamic time for the photographic and filmmaking industry, so being able to carry all my lenses, four bodies and laptop – basically a portable studio – in just the one backpack is a huge plus.

“The GH5’s new 20.3 megapixel sensor without the low pass filter is a really big jump when compared to the already impressive GH4. The colours are lot nicer and I’m noticing more contrast – everything seems to be sharper across the board. I would tell people who were at one time concerned about Micro Four Thirds not living up to the image quality of DSLR that the GH5 and GX8 are now there; the image quality’s incredible and the extra resolution really helps.

“The low light capability of this

Steven and fellow UK photographer ambassadors were lucky enough to travel to Japan for early trials of the Lumix DMC-GH5. This image showing the famous Mount Fuji was taken on one of them... camera number one in fact!

reduction has improved drastically.”

In short, Steven believes that the GH5 has taken what was already there on the GH4 and improved it. “It’s maybe not as revolutionary across the board as the GH4 when it came out, in offering 4K at the price that it did, but we’ve higher frame rates, higher bit rates, a nicer, more professional body, faster AF plus focus tracking.

“The GH5’s new 20.3 megapixel sensor without the low pass filter is a really big jump when compared to the already impressive GH4.” camera is also much improved over the GH4, especially for video, where ISO1600 was previously the ceiling.

Now I’ve been shooting at ISO6400 and getting lovely results. Noise

Steven’s Japanese jaunt also stopped off at the ancient capital of Kyoto. The photographer says the GH5 gives him better colours and more contrast than its predecessor

Panasonic has really looked at anything photographers may have had issues with as regards the GH4 and fixed them across the board. In fact, over the past 12 months I’ve been in contact with the engineers, giving them feedback that has fed into the GH5. It’s been cool to be involved with it, as it’s the product I use to make a living with, you know. It really does now feel like a professional camera.” www.stevenclarey.com

The photographer is probably best known for his signature action shots - on both video and stills. Here the higher frame rates of the GH5 again come up trumps!

35-100mm, 45-200mm & 100-300mm lenses. Visit www.panasonic.co.uk for more information @bpi_news

BPI News | February 2017 9

BPI NEWS PRODUCT FOCUS

EPOS NOW = RETAIL ‘WOW’

Best known to BPI News readers for its inkjet print solutions, distributor and re-seller the DPS Group is offering the photo trade installation of the acclaimed Epos Now system, already up and working successfully at retailer Photo Village.

We find out how your business can benefit…

P

hoto retailers and minilabs: are you looking to install, upgrade or swap your current EPOS system to keep track of stock, sales and most importantly profits?

Then the DPS Group can definitely help. Known throughout the trade as a print specialist, it’s expanding its offerings to include an EPOS system provided by Epos Now (top right), a 2016 winner of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Innovation.

“The pitch behind Epos Now is that a lot of retailers are looking for accurate sales and stock reporting, so they can see potential flaws in how their business is running,” explains the company’s Jonathan Green. “A business can see what times are their most and least busy, then manipulate promotions/offers in real time to increase footfall on the days and times they see fit.” Thanks to info being Cloud-based, it’s accessible not only from anywhere in the world but on any platform as well. There are even features that can be used to drive more revenue through your business, such as advising staff of promotions. For example an alert will pop up telling staff an item is half price if the customer buys two.

Installation is simplicity itself: Epos Now is ready to use straight out of the box. Once you’ve logged in, a support team will give you a call to make sure it’s all up and running.

“There is also a dedicated app store,

which means that there’s infinite functionality. We’re moving away from what people might imagine to be the limitations of a till system.

Functionality can be tailored to the individual business and retailers can build their own app, if they need it, so there’s a lot of flexibility.”

Plus if you’re a camera retailer with two or three stores, there’s not only the ability to pull reports from each individual store but also the facility to see how well the complete business is doing overall.

Take the till to the customer

Retail

perfect for trade shows and events!

Simon Handley, Manager of Photo Village, based in Orpington, Kent, has been using Epos Now for a couple of months. “Photo Village offer a wide range of photographic and printrelated services,” he explains. “Our photo studio offers family portraits and new-born photography, as well as corporate headshots and product photography for local businesses. In terms of printing we do everything from postermPOS and canvas Thephoto, complete solution

POS toGO

In terms of investment required and which Epos Now system to go for – there are a couple singled out as being the most popular. There’s the traditional core product at £1199 (plus VAT), with a second more portable option in the tablet-based POS to Go (shown right) at £799 (plus VAT).

This gives retailers the opportunity to literally take the till to the customer and take payments by cash or card;

Trusted by 30,000

+ businesses

printing to t-shirt printing, workwear and promotional products.

“For us, Epos Now is a great solution; it’s very straightforward, with a lot of options. It helps me keep track in terms of stock levels, profits and wastage. At anytime, I can generate a report to check revenue, profits, stock levels and to see which products and services are performing the best. If you’re computer literate you’ll get your head around it fairly quickly, as it is very intuitive. You can set up categories to keep things organised; for example here I’ve got photo and poster prints as a category and within that I have the various print sizes and prices. If you’ve added products on your laptop at home, it updates as soon as you turn the till on. There’s good support offered as well, which is obviously important.”

Trade members interested in ordering or finding out more about the Epos Now systems are strongly advised to get in touch with the DPS Group’s Retailer Sales Consultant Michael Nash on 020 3157 4038, or email sales@dpsb.co.uk

Award Winning Software

Plug and play straight out of the box, “Epos Now helps mehospitality keep track of stock or retail POS levels, profits and wastage.

At anytime, I can generate a report to check revenue, profits, stock levels and to see which products and services are performing the best.”

– Simon Handley, Manager, Photo Village Trusted by 30,000+ businesses

AppStore

Perfect for all Industries

All in the Cloud

Epos Now retail solution – at a glance: n Capacitive touch screen n Dual Core Intel Processor n Award winning retail software n Solid State Hard Drive n 80mm receipt printer with super fast print speed (230mm/sec) n High quality, all metal, lockable cash drawer n 12 month warranty

n Configuration and installation n Customisable dashboard for instant snapshot of sales & stock n Accessible from any device anywhere in the world (remote management via the Cloud) Complete systems can be had for just £1199.

For enquiries about DPS Group products, call Retailer Sales Consultant Michael Nash on 020 3157 4038, or email sales@dpsb.co.uk 10 February 2017 | BPI News

www.bpinews.co.uk

6”

6”

8” 1 unit

360

*sheets/hr

8”x10” 6”x4”

5”x7”

2 units

8”

720

*sheets/hr

3 units

8”x39” (203x1000mm)

6”

1440 *sheets/hr

MINILAB NEWS

FUJIFILM GIVES RETAILERS THE POWER TO ‘TAKE CONTROL’

Maximize Your Business Opportunity

The retail and minilab trade is raving about the quality and flexibility provided by Fujifilm’s Frontier-S DX100 Drylab (see page 11 advert) as we head into 2017. BPI News gets the lowdown from those already using it successfully in their businesses…

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Ideal Printer for KIOSK System, Minilab, or Event Photography Time Photography describes itself

e’ve heard the phrase ‘take control’ uttered a lot in the political arena of late, but that hands-on element and flexibility over output – from postcards to banners and everything in between – is exactly what Fujifilm’s Frontier-S DX100 Drylab is itself providing the photo trade, including of course, clued-up members of the Fujifilm Digital Imaging Service (FDIS) photo retailer group.

Small

as a small independent photographic business specialising in schools, weddings and family portraits. The company’s Virginia (shown left) says that she wanted to take better control of her workflow and better manage output, settling on and installing two Frontier-S DX100 Drylabs for a few key reasons.

“Firstly, having the ability to reproduce prints at a variety of sizes is incredibly important in the school photography sector, not only because the customer expects it but also for increased sales opportunities,” she correctly notes. “The more sizes we can produce the more chances we have to upsell. With the DX100 we are High Quality Frontier Inkjet Printer also able to easily produce panoramic prints, which are always in high using 6 colored inks demand, especially for class photos.”

Quality important Flexible system configuration to as meet budgetas quantity and customers needs Virginia adds that quality of prints is, of course, just as important as volume of prints when it comes to making a sale and reaping a decent profit margin. “Image after image, the

“I would definitely recommend the DX100 Drylab to any photographic business that is looking to take more control of their printing and increase the print options they can offer their clients.”

– Time Photography, social photography specialists

printer renders each image superbly,” led to us buying the second unit. she says. “And the number of images “I would definitely recommend the that the printer can fulfill without DX100 to any photographic business having to check or adjust anything that is looking to take more control of is incredible. There are days where I their printing and increase the print have just let it run for hours at a time.” options they can offer their clients.”

Portability is also key: the Frontier-S DX100 Drylab’s space A potential business saving design not only avoids taking expander up pricey real estate in store – its required footprint is just 0.19 square Virginia isn’t the only member of the Sizes accommodate metres – but Versatile “fits perfectlyPrinting in the trade to be wowed by the Frontier-S boot of our car without us having DX100 Drylab.

We recently caught up various demand of customers to lower the back seats or make any with Deejay Photography’s Dilip Joshi, other adjustments. It is also perfectly who was lucky enough to win one last manageable when moving from year via a competition run with The Easy maintenance shoot toSpace shoot.” Saving Design and Societies at their annual convention Put simply, the Frontier-S DX100 (see also page 14 this issue).

Drylab is a real workhorse. “It’s “For me, as a small business powered us through the busiest owner who needs portability and time of year without complaint. The profitability, I find this printer fact that it quickly became such an extremely useful,” he says. “It has integral part of the business is what the ability to cope with varied

Boost your print sales in 2017! Get in touch with Peter direct on 01234 572138 or via pwigington@fuji.co.uk 12 February 2017 | BPI News

www.bpinews.co.uk

FUJIFILM PRINT PROMOTION

print volumes and in terms of consumables and quality, you would be hard pressed to find a better solution.”

The printer has also allowed Deejay Photography to expand their business. “I had been outsourcing the printing aspect of my photography business and I’d generally considered the process of managing both the photography and printing workflow at weddings and events a little daunting.

However, winning the DX100 offered me the chance to expand my commercial opportunities, especially at weddings, and sell prints during the event, rather than afterwards.

“I was asked to take photos at a fundraising evening at which I was assisted by my 18 year-old daughter.

She managed the sending and printing of the images, as well as mounting them and collecting the

money. Thanks to the DX100, this was such a straightforward process that I was able to leave her to it and focus completely on taking the pictures.

The evening was a huge success and raised some much-needed funds.”

In running a pro business, Dilip has to be sure of not only the printer’s quality but also its consistency. And here again is where the Fujifilm-S DX100 Drylab comes up trumps. “I have to be confident that the images are going to be reproduced faithfully and this really is where the DX100 comes into its own, time after time. Looking to the future I can foresee a number of areas where the DX100 will help me improve my business. For example I can now bring in a second shooter on larger jobs and money taken from selling prints on the night will cover that cost.”

Fujifilm’s DX100 printer was crucial to the success of last summer’s Wonder Photo tour - allowing the printing of 1000’s of bespoke magnetic prints and bringing a smile to the faces of visitors to the Wonder Tour van

A true ‘Wonder’ – whether on tour or in-store Last summer you may recall we reported on Fujifilm’s proactive Wonder Photo tour that called in at various key festivals and events – all designed to promote printing and get people printing more. Here too the Frontier-S DX100 Drylab really came into its own – being instrumental to the tour’s success.

“The initiative was driven by Fujifilm’s passion to create an immersive and fun brand experience that could educate as well as entertain the general public,” Fujifilm Marketing Manager Peter Wigington reminds us, adding that taking the DX100 along for the ride was an ‘obvious’ move. “It allowed us to print

the 1000’s of free prints that we were giving away at every festival quickly, efficiently and with exceptional image quality. The DX100’s small 0.19 square metre footprint also meant that it fit easily into the compact printing area in the back of the Wonder Photo Tour van.

“Simply put, this is a fast, reliable, cost effective solution and powerful printer with a surprisingly compact footprint. It really can help you to take your business to the next level.”

To find out more, or order in a Frontier-S DX100 Drylab to start boosting your own business, get in touch with Peter at the contact details below.

Fujifilm Frontier-S DX100 at a glance: The Frontier-S DX100 Drylab is the printer of choice for busy retailers and minilabs. Here’s a few reasons why: n Capable of printing up to 360 copies per hour in a variety of sizes – from 5x3.5-inches to 8x39inches n It utilises the VIVIDIA dye-based 6-ink system to deliver the detail, quality and speed to satisfy the most demanding photographers and customers n Boasts a choice of glossy, lustre, silk or fine art matte paper types n Roll paper is available in lengths of 65m, and widths of 102mm, Deejay Photography’s Dilip Joshi (pictured with Peter Wigington) says the DX100 printer has allowed him to expand his business - and print at events, including a fundraising evening (images that were turned into prints, including Labour MP Chuka Umunna, shown here)

127mm, 152mm, 203mm and 210mm n A choice of print resolutions: 720x1440dpi in High Quality mode or 720x720dpi in Standard mode n Weighs approximately 23kg including roll paper and ink cartridge n The unit’s footprint is a space saving 0.19 m2 – ensuring it is as portable as it is flexible

For more call 01234 572138 or email photoimaging_uk@fujifilm.com

Boost your print sales in 2017! Get in touch with Peter direct on 01234 572138 or via pwigington@fuji.co.uk @bpi_news

BPI News | February 2017 13

TRADE SHOW REPORT

BIG SOCIETY: THE SOCIETIES CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW 2017 The sun has set on another successful outing for the organisation, who hosted their annual Convention with Trade Show element in London the middle of last month, topped off by a glittering dinner at which Awards were presented to the best in photographic products and pictorial creativity.

BPI News reports…

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espite a chilly start to the year, with the omnipresent threat of snow and train strikes, there was a warm welcome for the photo trade at the annual January Convention & Trade Show, hosted by umbrella organisation The Societies, most commonly referred to in the trade by its most prominent element: the SWPP (Society of Wedding & Portrait Photographers).

We attended on the Friday and Saturday (13th and 14th of January) and heard positive noises from the exhibitors we spoke to – familiar names to BPI News’ audience including Fuji, Sigma, Fotospeed, Canon and Olympus – regarding both visitor attendance and interest in their products. A few commented on the make-up of the audience too – in that it seemed there were a greater number of professionals and high end users in attendance

compared to competing events.

Organisers had the impression that attendance was on the up. We spoke to The Societies Juliet Jones – seen here with husband Phil – after the event. “It seemed to all go really well,” she agreed. “Certainly the amount of booking forms I’ve already had in for next year, which is brilliant, suggests it was a very good show.”

Previous exhibitors who re-booked immediately after the Convention were further enticed by an early bird discount. “I’ve had wonderful emails back saying how great it was. I also thought it was the best dinner and awards we’ve ever done. There was a strong trade presence and I don’t think I’ve seen an audience before where everyone stood up for the Special Achievement Award (see our news pages for more – Ed). There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.” www.thesocieties.net

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NEXDTATES: ’S R : YE A ntion

onve 4th Full C0th - Sun 1 1 8 1 s Wed nuary 20 Ja ates: how Dy 14th S e d da Tra FREE 12th - Sun018 Friday January 2

To discover the benefits of partnering with The Societies, or reserving your show space for next year, 14 February 2017 | BPI News

www.bpinews.co.uk

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TRADE SHOW REPORT 9 6

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THE SOCIETIES: MORE THAN A CONVENTION

10 7

Of course, The Societies always makes the point that it is more than ‘just’ a Convention – it offers enticements for its trade partners all year around. These include:

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WHO’S WHO?

n Profile-raising via regular targeted email blasts to the database of the fastest growing worldwide association for serious photographers n Being able to reach and audience of photographers keep to spend money on their business or hobby – over 7,500 members in all n Exhibition space at Digital Roadshows up and down the country attracting between 200 and 300 attendees, as well as the annual Convention (shown here), which can attract around 14,000 n Supportive features and articles in Professional Imagemaker magazine, published six times per annum n Promotion via a dozen websites spread across the various strands of the Societies n A complete package offered via an organisation with over 25 years experience To discover the benefits of partnering with The Societies, or reserving your show space for next year, the lady you need to talk to is Sam Scott-Smith on 01279 815575 or sam@ adpointmedia.co.uk

1. Organisers Juliet and Phil Jones, 2. One of the rewards for visitors to the show was that Olympus had set up a camera clinic for its users, 3.Fotospeed’s Ben and Toby Herlinger were on hand as usual to talk visitors through their ink and papers, including enticing show deals, 4.Camera World was one of the specialist retailers at the show – along with Park Cameras – who drew a steady crowd throughout, 5. Fujifilm’s stand proudly showcased its popular X series camera range , 6. PermaJet had a great show, not only attracting custom, but also being voted ‘Best Professional Paper’, 7.Hasselblad’s Mark Witney, flanked by colleagues at the show, found there was much interest in its X1D, 8. Regular exhibitor Manfrotto’s tripods and bags drew steady interest, 9. Future’s Photography Show team were all smiles in anticipation of next month’s event, 10. Olympus’ Clare Harvey-May demonstrates the OM-D E-M1 Mark II to the delight of attendees, 11. Sigma’s 500mm lens was the talk of Photokina – and it’s light enough for single fingered operation!, 12. Rod Gammons Snr flanked by Sunny Kataria (left) and Chris Eady, 13.A big part of any Convention is the chance to view the cream of images submitted by the 7,500 strong membership , 14.Major exhibitor Canon’s stand was lively throughout the day, 15.Panasonic’s Barnaby Sykes and Yoshitaka Kishi paid a flying visit

the lady you need to talk to is Sam Scott-Smith on 01279 815575 or sam@adpointmedia.co.uk @bpi_news

BPI News | February 2017 15

BPI NEWS EXTRA

TO THE MANOR BORN: FUJIFILM’S SPRING COLLECTION The one-time film giant turned premium camera manufacturer chose the plush setting of Althorp, ancestral home of the Spencer family, to finally share the price of the GFX 50S (from £6199 body only) and launch the X100F, ‘a classic re-imagined’, and X-T20, junior model to the X-T2, into the bargain. BPI News was in attendance

The GFX 50S comes with 63mm lens for £7,600 or it’s £6199 body only. Both options include viewfinder. Extras include a bracket to allow the viewfinder to tilt, plus an adapter for the use of Hasselblad lenses, as shown.

Three further new cameras from Fujifilm (see page 4 for the other two) to add to stock for spring 2017 in the GFX 50S, 16 February 2017 | BPI News

www.bpinews.co.uk

FUJIFILM NEW CAMERA BONANZA En pointe: Taken under the tutelage of photographer Luciano Romano on a pre-production GFX 50S utilising twin flash heads to help freeze the movement of the two dancers and plastic prop sheeting image has not been altered in any way

Classic Hollywood style lighting set up by UK photographer Damien Lovegrove and again captured with the GFX. All the shots on these pages were taken by our editor, showing that the Fuji and a spot of tuition can make anyone look good!

“It’s an interesting time and a tough time, but globally mirror-less is increasing by 10% per annum.

We’re the market leader for pro mirror-less camera.

Mirror-less will be bigger than SLR by 2019.”

– Adrian Clarke, MD Fujifilm Electronic Imaging Europe

I

t’s an interesting time and a tough time, but globally mirrorless is increasing by 10% per annum.” So says Fujifilm’s Adrian Clarke, MD Fujifilm Electronic Imaging Europe, who kicked off the brand’s presentation of its three new big spring announcements, each of which is in addition to the earlier reveals of the X-A10, XP120 and Graphite Silver Editions of the X-Pro2 and X-T2 (see news page 4).

He also suggested that his brand is the market leader for pro mirror-less cameras and that “mirror-less will be bigger than SLR by 2019.”

Clearly Fuji’s message for 2017 is

adapter to allow certain Hasselblad lenses to be utilised.

The two cameras being launched alongside it were until that point only the stuff of conjecture: the X100F, described by Adrian as “a classic re-imagined”, following on from the original introduced five years ago, plus the X-T20, pitched as a “junior model to the X-T2.” This had been that it is wasting no time in hitting the prefaced by Fuji telling us “demand ground running. Its choice of venue for the X-T2 has been amazing; we for unveiling its newest threesome – can’t supply the demand.” the Althorp estate, ancestral home of There are also three new lenses the Spencer family – also indicated on the roadmap in the 110mm f/2, that it is aiming high and has products 23mm f/4 and 45mm f/2.8, whilst to match expectations. We all knew March 1st will see the launch of about the 50-megapixel mirror-less the Fujifilm Professional Service, medium format GFX 50S, of course, aiming to offer quick and efficient for most of us the biggest camera repair and maintenance to its pro news to come out of Photokina 2016 photographer users – anyone buying and the promise that it would cost a GFX, or those who own at least ‘well under’ ten grand. Well now we two pro camera bodies and three XF have a retail price of £7,600, including lenses, being automatically included. viewfinder and lens (GF 63mm f2.8 R Moreover this service is being offered WR), with March availability. Optional free to those who qualify for the first extras include an adapter to allow two years of its existence (otherwise the EVF to tilt, as well as an H mount it’s £260 per annum).

GFX in full effect… plus two new ‘X’ series Adrian Clarke explained that the 4:3 aspect ratio sensor incorporating GFX was “roughly the same size as a full frame DSLR” in terms of portability (despite its own chip being 1.7x larger than a 35mm full frame sensor), and, having held one in the hand ourselves on launch day, we’d have to report that it’s neither as bulky, or weighty, as images would suggest. In fact the camera is under 1kg. Adrian added that Fujifilm had gone for a 51.4MP resolution because “pixels are a bit like a drug; people always want more.” He also argued in his opening address that “the bigger the sensor the bigger the bokeh effect,” leading, he surmised, to a more three-dimensional looking result with the GFX. Other features to note are its touch screen – which allows users to zoom into a capture image to check detail with a couple of finger taps – plus familiar Film Simulation modes,

X100F and X-T20, plus XF50mm f/2R WR compact telephoto lens. For more, please visit: www.fujifilm.co.uk @bpi_news

BPI News | February 2017 17

BPI NEWS EXTRA ape-ing the likes of Velvia. The camera has also been weather sealed in 58 places.

UK Marketing Manager Andreas Georghiades drilled further into the key details retailers should be pitching to their customers for us, including the fact that since the GFX features a X-Processor Pro “it focuses very, very quickly”. The manufacturer has also given the unit a professional build quality because, asking price aside, “it needs to be able to go anywhere.”

The 50MP behemoth also features a low noise mechanical shutter, two LCD monitors – one on the top plate showing key settings, and the

Equipped with 23mm f/2 lens, the solid feel X100F is capable of delivering sharp, naturalistic results, even hand held in low light

Fujifilm’s X100F is available to retailers and customers in either silver and black or all black body, as shown here

other at the rear of the camera for composition and review – with the addition of a colour chrome effect, selectable via the camera menu, able to achieve vibrant reds on flowers in camera, to give but one example.

Moving on to the X100F, this is said by Andreas to feature “the highest image quality ever seen in the X100 series.” Lightweight yet solid construction allows for one-

handed operation, with Full 1080P video capture offered and the chance of using conversion lenses.

Thirdly, there is the “dark horse of the cameras we’re announcing” in the X-T20. This includes 4K-movie recording of the same quality as

The new X-T20 with 50mm f/2 lens also acquits itself well in lower light conditions, as another hand held image, from our session with photographer Martin Hogeboom, proves

the X-T2. The type of customer you should be pitching it at is everyone ‘from early adopter to advanced user” according to Andreas. There are two colour options: a black and silver body, or all-black.

The final new product from Fuji for this spring is the XF50mm f/2R WR compact telephoto lens.

This features a fixed focal length equivalent to 76mm in 35mm terms, with a maximum aperture of f/2 for beautiful bokeh, weather sealed at 10 points around the barrel and weighing 200g. Speak to your local Fujifilm rep for more on this and all new products now.

There are three new lenses for the GFX on the roadmap in the 110mm f/2, 23mm f/4 and 45mm f/2.8

www.fujifilm.co.uk

Fujifilm’s new spring line-up at a glance:

GFX 50S

X-T20

X100F

Fujinon XF50mm F/2 R WR

Fujifilm’s bold statement: a mirrorless medium format digital camera with a 51.4 megapixel sensor 1.7x larger than a 35mm full frame chip. Needless to say, it claims the highest image quality ever from the brand. Releases March at £7,600 SRP inc. standard lens or £6199 body only.

24.3 megapixel, APS-C sensor incorporating interchangeable lens compact shooting 4K-video.

Pitched as a junior model to the X-T2, it is available in a choice of two body colours. Available late Feb at £799 body only, £899 with XC16-50mm lens, or £1099 with XF18-55mm.

Premium 24.3-megapixel camera with APS-C sensor, Film Simulation modes, X-Processor Pro, Advanced Hybrid Viewfinder and pixel count 1.5x that of the X100T. Available 16th February in black and silver with an SRP of £1,249.

Fixed focal length lens equivalent to 76mm in the 35mm film format, with a maximum aperture of f/2 for beautiful bokeh, weather sealed at 10 points around the barrel and weighing 200g.

Available late February at £449 SRP.

Get in touch with your local Fujifilm rep now to order stock of its latest X-series models 18 February 2017 | BPI News

www.bpinews.co.uk

BPI NEWS PRODUCT FOCUS

NEW INKJET WIN SEES PERMAJET ‘ON A ROLL’

Following a successful showcase at The Societies’ Trade Show – at which its Oyster 271 was named Best Professional Paper, the fourth time it has picked up the award – print specialist PermaJet is rolling out a new range of Dry Lab media. BPI News finds out how it can add ‘jet power to your own minilab or retail business

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nkjet media specialist PermaJet is on a roll – if you’ll forgive the pun – off the back of a win for its inkjet paper for the fourth time at The Societies Convention & Trade Show (see page 14 for our full show report). This year its Oyster 271 was crowned Best Professional Paper in front of 500 photographers and photo industry representatives from around the world. It’s the third time Oyster 271 has won the award, with 2015’s win at The Societies going to Titanium Lustre 280.

“We’re thrilled to be receiving this award again,” says new face at PermaJet, Marketing Executive Abi Symons. “Oyster 271 is one of our most popular media types, so to have it recognized as the best professional paper for a third time is an honour.”

This win comes on the back of the culmination of the company’s recent 18-month-long series of improvements, which included a complete revamp of its packaging.

As if that accolade wasn’t enough, it has added reason to celebrate this month; with the launch of high quality Dry Lab Rolls available in Gloss and Satin finishes. Claiming to fit all current makes of dry lab printers, these come in sizes that range from 4 inches up to 12-inches, and in lengths of 65 metres and 101 metres.

PermaJet’s Marketing Executive Abi Symons collects the award for Best Professional Paper from The Societies’ Ben Jones

by calling 01789 739 207.

As those in the photo trade will be well aware, the inkjet media brand has 34 years’ worth of experience in the photographic industry – with its wealth of expertise and technical knowledge being equally longstanding. PermaJet’s Sales Manager Doug Morgan adds: “After two years of extensive testing we can now say

we have the best value Dry Lab Rolls on the market, and will continue to ensure these are unrivalled in quality.” Looking forward to next month, PermaJet will also be exhibiting at The Photography Show at the NEC, where they can be found on stand F91. www.permajet.com

PermaJet Oyster 271 at a glance: n A subtle pearl/lustre paper, with a base weight of 271gsm n A true photographic feel and finish n Fully compatible with both dye and pigment inks n Instant dry resin coated paper finished with a UV protected microporous ‘supercoat’ for superior water and fade resistance

Make the switch

n Suitable for both colour and monochrome images

But it’s not all about the product – or the acclaim. PermaJet prides itself on customer satisfaction too. Fine art printers and framers, Launceston Framers have been using the latest Dry Lab Rolls, with the business’ Phil Glew informing us: “Since we switched to PermaJet Dry Lab Rolls, our customers have noticed a remarkable difference in quality.

The results we have achieved with this paper are exceptional.” Naturally, don’t just take their word for it, request a free Dry Lab Roll sample

n Exceptionally low colour error with Ultrachrone inks and a low ‘metamerism’ index (where a colour may appear of a similar shade to a second colour under different conditions) n Available in A4 and A3 sheet packs

Launceston Framers’ customers have noticed a marked difference in quality since it started using PermaJet Dry Lab Rolls

n Three-time award winner for Best Professional Paper at The Societies Convention & Trade Show

Get in touch now! Request a free Dry Lab Roll sample from PermaJet by calling 01789 739 207 @bpi_news

BPI News | February 2017 19

NEWS

THE PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW IS LOOKING ‘SUPER’ Trade wins at The Societies FAMILIAR NAMES AND BRANDS in the photo industry were among the big winners at the annual dinner and awards night, hosted by Juliet and Phil Jones as the climax to The Societies’ annual Convention & Trade Show (see also page 14 report). The trade part of the awards had 15 categories in total, from the Best Professional Digital Camera to the Best Professional Photographic Service, as voted for by the photography organisation’s 7,500-strong membership.

Canon (below) did typically well on the night, bagging Best Professional Flashgun for its Speedlite 600EX II-R, Best Professional Printer for its Pro 1 device, Best Professional Lens for the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II, plus Best Professional Digital Camera for its EOS 5D Mark IV. Among the other awards on the Saturday, Best Professional Paper went to PermaJet (see also page 19), the Flash Centre’s Elinchrom brand took Best Professional Lighting, whilst Loxley Colour (pictured top) bagged Best Professional Album & Best Professional Product. For the full list of winners and pictures visit the below URL: thesocieties.net/trade_awards16/

PREPARATIONS ARE WELL underway for next month’s annual dose of ‘TPS’, with Future’s sales team all smiles and the line up for its ‘Super Stage’ – traditionally the big draw for crowds other than the kit on display, with previous speakers having included Bailey and Rankin – now announced. Sharing their expertise with the masses across various sessions for 2017’s event are Albert Watson, Nadav Kander, Frans Lanting, Jill Furmanovsky, Julia Fullerton-Batten, Clive Arrowsmith, David Alan Harvey, Alex Webb and Louis Cole (shown above).

In related news, The Photography Show is asking for 60 second video submissions that could lead to their entrants being fast-tracked into a career as a

professional photographer. Judges are looking for demonstratively original ideas and flair rather than high production values. Entrants must also submit three of their best images. Deadline for entries is February 17th. For more head to: www.photographyshow.com/

60-seconds-to-change-your-life As trade members will be aware, the event takes place this year from March 18th through the 21st at its regular venue of Birmingham’s NEC. www.photographyshow.com

Last year’s ‘60 second’ winner (centre) received their award from Nikon & Future

Epson’s wide appeal THERE’S A NEW BIG GUN of the printing world in town; the new 17-inch, 10-colour SureColor SCP5000 – designed for photographic, professional proofing and fine art applications – replaces the existing Stylus Pro 4900. The P5000 comes with UltraChrome HDX inks that are said to be 1.5x denser than the previous generation, with a wider contrast ratio and results that deliver optically clearer, sharper images. As we’d expect it offers versatile media handling, autoswitching between its high capacity front paper cassette (holding 100 sheets of premium media or 250 sheets of ‘standard’) and roll media feeder. Its roll media spindle enables

the production of panoramas and roll prints up to 30.5m.

“The SC-P5000 brings all the SureColor printing technology into a 17-inch desktop model, giving photographers, designers and pre-press professionals the very best results,” believe’s Epson’s Professional Graphics Sales Manager Phil McMullin.”Colours are so precise that you can print in complete confidence, knowing the exact colour you want will be perfectly reproduced in the finished print. And you don’t even need to be an expert to get

these results.” The new printer is available now at £1,795 + VAT. www.epson.co.uk

BPI News is your mouthpiece to the industry. Send your news to info@bpinews.co.uk 20 February 2017 | BPI News

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BPI NEWS PRODUCT FOCUS

KENRO SPRINGS INTO ACTION WITH NEW FRAMES & ALBUMS BROCHURE

The pro-active distributor is exhibiting at the NEC Spring Fair February 5th to 9th (Hall 4, stand C45) – and launching its line up of frame and album products for spring 2017 into the bargain. BPI News gets the lowdown from MD Paul Kench on what you should be stocking and selling…

K

enro is starting 2017 with a bang – or rather a thud – as its new 60-page brochure lands on your doormat (an electronic PDF version is also available to the trade on request). Hot off the press, this showcases a range of exciting new products for the year from the Swindon-based distributor, including two all-new photo frame ranges – the Bergamo range in variety of home décor styles and the Tundra range of wood poster and collage frames – as well as additions to the Avenue, Senator and Rio ranges.

“We’re at Spring Fair and we’ve got a brand new catalogue,” outlines Kenro MD Paul Kench by way of its first news of 2017. Detailed on the opening pages is the home décor influenced Bergamo range (below), providing the options of the Antique Silver Series with single and multi aperture mounts, the Bergamo Rustic Brown in single and multi apertures, plus the Bergamo Blue & Cream and Box series. “We’ve gone for a warmer, homely type design this time around to enable the frame to appeal to our traditional photographic retailers and those into interior design. The ‘Home’ market – just look at John Lewis at Home – is very ‘now’ – and we wanted to give our retailers something

2017 Albums & Frames

2017 Catalogue

Packed full of high-margin sales ideas: Order a hard copy or PDF of Kenro’s new 60-page 2017 brochure now on 01793 615836 featuring all the exciting products on this page

that would appeal to this customer segment whilst also working for their core customer.”

High quality & high margins As usual with Kenro, it has strived to make its new high quality products very affordable. “They also provide a good, attractive margin, which is very important for our retailers,” Paul adds.

“If you’re already selling a camera then selling a frame alongside offers you a much better margin. We also

“Our frames and albums provide a good, attractive margin, which is very important. Our area managers have samples and can recommend what might work best for your type of store and maximise the return on your retail space.” – Kenro MD Paul Kench offer the trade flexibility when it comes to ordering the quantity they want – anything from single units to enable them to test the water, to a case full. To help those who may have restrictions on space in store, minimum carriage paid order value is only £150 plus VAT. Our area managers will have samples and can

recommend what might work best for your type of store and maximise the return on your retail space.”

Found on page 26 of the new brochure is the Tundra Series (above), MDF frames available in poster sizes up to A1, plus collage frame options in 40x50cm and 50x70cm. “These have become very popular because of retailers offering poster printing services, with the price points and margins making them very attractive. If you’re offering a poster print, a frame in A2, A3, A1 is a very easy add-on sale.”

A contemporary option arrives in the Rio Slimline Series (page 23 of brochure), a slimmer version of its premium Rio range in solid rubberwood. “It’s a handfinished frame with a really nice quality grain on it,” Paul explains.

Kenro suggests its Senator range (top right) will also be popular this year. This has been expanded to include a range of Box Frames

in 6x6, 8x8 and 12x12-inches, in either a black or white finish. While these arrive this month, already available are new Avenue silver plated frames (page 10), augmenting its existing black and white options. With all the frames, there is plenty of gifting potential – and they are steady sellers all year round, as are Kenro’s albums, including the popular Green Wood and Aztec Series, London Highlights and Baby Zoo (below).

If you’ve missed Spring Fair or are unable to make it along, of course a print or electronic copy of the catalogue can be requested direct from Kenro. Simply contact sales@ kenro.co.uk or call the team on 01793 615836. You can also request a visit from one of its team for advice on which frames would work best for your store. www.kenro.co.uk

Let Kenro advise you on the best mix of products for your store. Call 01793 615836 for the new 2017 catalogue NOW @bpi_news

BPI News | February 2017 21

Business owners Graham and Joy Brealey

THE BENEFITS OF INVESTING IN EPSON EQUIPMENT CONTINUE TO MOUNT FOR THE PICTURE GALLERY After successfully switching their wet lab to the Epson SureLab D3000 business owners Graham and Joy continue to upgrade their photo printing equipment with help from Tetenal The Picture Gallery & Framing Centre in Bedford is a family run business established 30 years ago

by Joy and Graham Brealey who have diversified their business over the years.

Initially starting with a picture framing and mount cutting service established in their factory in Bedford, Graham and Joy also run a retail shop where they first took on photo processing with a wet lab.

After about ten years of running the wet lab they evaluated the latest photo printing equipment on the market and decided to commit to a dry lab - the Epson SureLab D3000.

From ‘wet to dry’ Business owner Joy explains why the conversion to a dry lab has been the right decision for the business: ”Our

new Epson D3000 is much more reliable than the previous wet lab we had, it’s also easier to maintain and very user-friendly. We had the machine installed by Tetenal in 2015 and it’s been running smoothly since then with minor issues easily solved.”

from photo printing to bespoke framing, photo gifts as well as ID and passport prints and an in-house photo studio. In addition to the store our website is very popular and even attracts customers from across the country for our framing services.”

Full range of services

Help from Tetenal

In addition to the Epson D3000 Joy and Graham have three Kodak Kiosks for instant printing in their shop, as well as a large format printer for canvas and poster prints.

The first floor of the retail premises contains a photo studio which also contributes to the Picture Gallery’s business as customers coming for a photo shoot walk through the shop. Joy confirms the wide range of services at The Picture Gallery: “We really are a one-stop shop for our customers as we can offer anything

After a very successful Christmas season and a sales record beating the previous year, Joy and Graham continuously aim to further improve their business. They are currently planning to upgrade two of their kiosks and use the opportunity to partly change the shop layout. “We are working together with Tetenal to develop a dedicated instant printing area in our store where customers can print their pictures in a relaxed, modern atmosphere and be inspired by different product samples.”

Integrated solutions The Picture Gallery is a perfect example of how Tetenal, as a multi brand photo hardware solutions provider, can help new or existing businesses decide on the right mix of equipment as Marketing Manager Craig Bird explains.

"Rather than push our customers down the route of one particular Hardware brand, we look at what will work best for the individual business.

In this case the combination of Kodak Instant Print Kiosks and Epson Printers helps The Picture Gallery maintain and build on their customer base" Contact Tetenal to find out how their integrated solutions can help your photographic business.

"Tetenal are helping us to develop a dedicated instant print area in store"

Official Distributors of Kodak & Epson Photographic Print Solutions TEL 0116 289 3644 marketing@tetenal.uk.com www.tetenaluk.com

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BPI NEWS AWARDS NOMINEES

VOTE NOW: TO PICK YOUR WINNERS IN THE 2017 BPI NEWS AWARDS!

Everyone loves getting recognition for a job well done – and this year it could be you! Yes, it’s that point in the calendar again, as one financial year ends and a new one begins, where we cast eyes and minds across the preceding 12 months and ask you to select your Product of the Year and your Promotion/Campaign of the Year in our annual BPI News Awards.

NEW INSIDE: HANDS ON WITH NIKON 1 AW1 + OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1

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“The nominees with the most votes are our winners – as straightforward as that! So don’t delay, cast your vote TODAY. Tweet us your choices @bpi_news or email info@bpinews.co.uk”

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hat’s right, we’re looking for just two overall winners from our list of nominees on this spread. And keeping things ultra simple we’ve not only reminded you of those choice products we chose to highlight in our Product of the Month write-ups for each edition of BPI News (you’ll find another on page 28 of this edition), but also the key promotions and campaigns your marketing departments undertook issue by issue!

So marketing managers, agencies and PRs; galvanise your teams, customers and retailers into voting for you. Last year’s winners were the ones who did just that, running successful social media campaigns to motivate supporters to vote.

So take a leaf out of their book and you too could be victorious in this year’s BPI News Awards.

AB

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£3.00 July/Augu st 2013 Future best sellers from top tech show IFA

WE’RE MAKING OUR LIST…

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No need to check it twice as we spotlight bags, lenses, straps, filters BPI NEWS EXTRA & more Gray matter still firing to order after now for 30 years Christmas!

PROMOTION OF THE YEAR Grays Of Westmin ster 30th Annivers

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Nikon-only specialist Grays of Westminster – supplier of cameras to A-list movie stars and Hollywood directors – is celebrating 30 years in business this year, with a commemorative book released this January. BPI News speaks to owner Gray Levett about surviving and thriving through three decades ‘Grays of Westminster – The Legend and the Legacy’ by Gillian Greenwood,

Future best sellers top tech show IFA

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IS + COMMENT + NEWS OPEN NOW FOR ANALYS BPInewsOct13.indd

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ong-serving trade figure Gray Levett is what we’d term an ideal interviewee: plenty of stories to tell, and full and detailed answers given to each enquiry. You can’t help but imagine his customers receive similarly comprehensive responses. Indeed, as a young camera shop assistant Gray recalls being routinely drilled for technical knowledge by an army sergeant-like employer – resented at the time, but appreciated as invaluable training later on.

Many in the trade will already know that Gray was inspired to first pick up the camera to photograph rock and blues bands at club nights as a student in Bournemouth – subsequently getting a job at local camera shop N Hartle Photographic so he could buy equipment at a more reasonable rate. “I was taking pictures of bands like Jethro Tull on their first tour of the UK, The Who, Black Sabbath, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers – groups like Ten Years After went on to play Woodstock and become huge stars,” he recalls.

nuary 2016

Yes, Grays is not your average camera shop and Gray Levett is not your average proprietor. So, in some ways it’s not so surprising that he’s managed to weather the highs and lows of 30 years in business – the last 23 as a ‘Nikon only’ specialist.

He puts the longevity down to hard work – having begun as a mail-order specialist in a spare room at his late sister’s (“good margins and very low overheads”) – along with, of course, exceptional customer service.

“You have to be a professional in whatever you do in life if you want to succeed,” Gray believes. “And if you know your subject and can think with the information and have manual dexterity with your equipment, any professional in that field will recognise you as professional too. Far more importantly, your knowledgeable professionalism will be communicated to the customer and you will be listened to.”

OPEN NOW FOR ANALY SIS + COMMENT + NEWS BPInewsOct13.indd

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Last year Sony and Fujifilm came neck and neck in terms of volume of votes for Product of the Year, whilst Grays of Westminster proved to be a soaraway social media success and bagged Promotion of the Year with a wealth of customer votes. This year, it could be you!

WINNER

No need to check it twice as we spotlight bags, lenses, straps, filters & more to order now for Christmas!

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“You have to be a professional in whatever you do in life if you want to succeed. Far more importantly, your knowledgeable professionalism will be communicated to the customer and you will be listened to.”

Moving to London and taking jobs at the London Camera Exchange and Fox Talbot (“the number one shop for the Nikon man”) in an effort to broaden his career, a love of music and imagery also stood him in good stead when he and his camera later spent five years in Los Angeles in the late 70s/early 80s, epicentre of the music and movie business. Naturally he has many stories to tell from this time and the years leading up to it too – including fielding phone calls from Kate Bush, who he’d fortuitously met pre-stardom through a mutual friend. The tale of him listening to a teenage Kate playing piano in the next room whilst he does the washing up is charming and fascinating in equal measure, as are visits to his present emporium by likes of Stanley Kubrick, David Suchet and ‘off the record’ A-listers.

is published January 2016,

24 December 2015 / January 2016 | BPI News

From small acorns… to copper plates

my business had been established for a long time – hence going for the copper plate design style, like bankers Messrs. Coutts & Co. I wanted to give it a sense of heritage, that wasn’t there to begin with.”

The Grays of Westminster logo is therefore based on Gray’s personal signature and the copper plate style of Coutts. The former barber’s shop in Churton Street was also given a facelift to deliver an experience for customers akin to entering a jewelers rather than a high street camera shop. “I never did developing and printing and selling films because you could get that in your chemists,” he reasons. “So why not do the things that you can’t get elsewhere?

Because we’re in very much a secondary retail location that doesn’t get much passing trade, we don’t have cameras in our windows at all – instead we have beautiful pictures of equipment. Initially we did all the major camera brands, but looking through other store adverts I saw that we didn’t particularly stand out in any particular way from any other dealer.”

As regular readers will be aware, the solution of going ‘exclusively Nikon’ was inspired by a chance visit to the all-year-round Christmas Shop that used to be located near London Bridge – an improbable success at the time. “I thought that if you could run a business selling products that would only be in use for three weeks per year, would it not be possible

Gray reveals his store’s traditional signage was inspired by old cheques from bankers Coutts - this example signed by Charles Dickens and in Gray’s ownership!

“When we announced we were going to go exclusively Nikon, a lot of people in the trade thought we were insane. Now when I bump into certain of the original naysayers they tell me: ‘Gray, I always knew it was a good idea.” for Grays of Westminster to offer a of blood, sweat and tears over the specialist service just selling one past 30 years. But for anything in brand and be equally successful? this universe to be successful, you’ve Nikon had always been the camera got to work hard. Nothing can be I’d wanted when I was a student gained without that learning curve. but couldn’t possibly afford. Funnily Persistence is also, absolutely, the key enough I had owned a Canon before to longevity.” and thought they were well made, but back in the 1970s it was the Nikon F that captured my imagination. I loved the lenses and liked the philosophy of the company, in that everything was based around the lens mount, 23/09/2013 19:25 and so there was a degree of non-obsolescence. I was also a fan of the movie ‘Blow Up’, which featured a photographer played

by David Hemmings shooting on Nikon and Hasselblad.”

This romantic view carries through to the way Grays of Westminster now sells us the ‘romance’ of owning a Nikon.

“I used to stare in the windows of camera shops at Nikons and Hasselblads and think ‘oh my God, I’d love to own one of those. But when we announced we were going to go exclusively Nikon in 1992, a lot of people in the The book by Gillian Greenwood trade thought we were insane and (Features Editor of Nikon Owner wouldn’t last. But it just occurred to magazine) commemorating 30 years me that there were a lot of camera of Grays of Westminster – subtitled shops and you had to stick out. Nikon ‘The Legend and the Legacy’ – is UK also liked the idea very much. published January 2016, with a “Now when I bump into certain of forward by Mr. Kazuo Ushida, the original naysayers they tell me: President of the Nikon Corporation.

‘Gray, I always knew it was a good idea.’ It hasn’t been without its share www.graysofwestminster.co.uk

+ FEATURES + MORE !

From a humble start in 1985 fuelled by a £100 start up and tiny adverts in the back of Amateur Photographer, Grays in Churton Street, Pimlico, has grown into a destination store with a global customer reach, producing its own Nikon centric magazine, and last year gaining a Royal Coat of Arms (see our previous feature in BPI News Dec 14/ Jan 15).

“As customers became more interested in visiting us, it became imperative to move from the spare room into shop premises,” Gray recalls. “Originally the business was just called ‘Grays’, but I realised that by association with a location – ‘positioning’ as it’s called – it would gain something that is known and well thought of. I thought I’d need to give people the impression that

with a forward by Mr. Kazuo Ushida, President of the Nikon Corporation BPI News | December 2015 / January 2016 25

How to vote

“We’re looking for just two overall winners from our list of nominees on this spread. So marketing managers, agencies and PRs; galvanise your teams, customers and retailers into voting for you. Last year’s winners were the ones who did just that…”

This one also keeps things nice and easy.

Simply mail your choice of Product of the Year and/or Campaign/Promotion of the Year to info@bpinews.co.uk, or get your customers to share your nomination and Tweet us their selections of Product of the Year and/or Campaign/Promotion of the Year to @bpi_news The nominees with the most votes are our winners – as straightforward as that! So don’t delay, cast your vote TODAY.

Our BPI News Awards Nominees Life moves pretty fast, as fictional character Ferris Bueller once noted. That is never more true than in the world of tech, and so you might

require a quick reminder of all that has gone before this past year. Luckily we’re here to help you decide, and pick your winner, or winners, with this handy month-by-month refresher guide. Simply run an eye or finger down our list of nominees and see what jumps out at you.

Then get on your smartphone, tablet or desktop and send us your choice/s.

We’ll be presenting nominees with commemorative, framed certificates at The Photography Show in March, and announcing your winners in our May cover edition of BPI News.

So don’t miss out, use your clout! Here are the nominees month-by-month:

Don’t delay, cast your votes in the BPI News Awards today! Send your winning Product of the Year 24 February 2017 | BPI News

www.bpinews.co.uk

23/09/2013 19:25

BPI NEWS AWARDS NOMINEES Photographic British

Industry

oPeN Now For: dIgITaL

Promotion/Campaign of the Year Nominees: DPS Group Indigo Inkjet paper, or Panasonic Lumix G National Trust campaign or Intro2020 Cullman bags & tripods feature

ADVICE

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BPI NEWS SEPTEMBER 2016:

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Olympus UK team takes to the stage to promote new pro audio gear

We visit Leicesterbased print specialist Tetenal & discover how its support could boost

Promotion/Campaign of the Year Nominees: Hama’s advantage hammered home, The Societies Convention & Trade Show, or Kodak Alaris’‘Kodak Moments’ 4-page pull out

manufacturers

THE

BIG PICTURE industry Fresh ideas for the photo to boost trade and win custom!

l sales Clever suggestions for seasona INSIDE THIS ISSUE: NEDIS

with Main cover image photographed – shipping now the new Nikon D500 DSLR

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Panasonic takes the wraps off three new Lumix cameras and discusses plans for the 6K shooting GH5, arriving 2017!

Beat the bankers! Our on resident expert advises both business insurance & business banking to safeguard your retail future

BPI News meets the Japanese team responsible for the ground-breaking GFX new Fujifilm mirrorless medium format camera

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Product the Year Nominees: LumeJet ‘photonic’ print technology, DNP Biometric software or Rotolight Anova Pro LED

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Big name brands reveal their summer deals to tempt customers to spend and increase your footfall

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Our three winners will enjoy a three-night break in Dubai for two people.

We’ll take you on an enchanting desert safari, to the Burj Khalifa for a decadent high tea and the chance to capture unique photos from the tallest building in the world.

Product the Year Nominees: Hasselblad H6D, or Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8 DC HSM & 30mm f/1.4 DC DN lenses, or Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ80 travel zoom

BPI News braves the crowds to get to the heart of & bring The Photography Show you our special report issue

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Canon cameras with Wi-Fi technology give you the freedom to do more with your photos and movies. You can easily transfer photos to your smartphone for editing and sharing or tablet and backup new images to cloud services like irista.

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BPI News Trade Awards 2016 finalists profiled in pictures. Who do you want to win?

Cast your vote now!

Product the Year Nominees: Nikon D500 or Lowepro Photo Hatchback series

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Promotion/Campaign of the Year Nominees: Photokina 2016 ‘Shine on the Rhine’, Tetenal Leicester HQ re-fit, or ‘Thinking outside the box’ with Nedis UK Product the Year Nominee: Olympus Tough TG-Tracker

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Goodbye PMA, hello Imaging Alliance. We examine how we can come together to secure the future of our ever-evolving trade

How & why Fujifilm UK brought its Wonder Photo concept to the masses, on a whirlwind tour of UK summer festivals

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We preview the world’s biggest photo imaging the exhibition, spotlighting must-see manufacturers, suppliers & products

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Promotion/Campaign of the Year Nominees: Panasonic’s Pre-Xmas Camera Bonanza, or Sony’s Big Lens Focus Product the Year Nominees: Leica Sofort instant camera, Fotospeed square format inkjet papers

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Making memories & winning new custom with Fujifilm: An idea both clever & touching from Colliers Photo Imaging

Photo Must Haves!

BPI NEWS OCTOBER 2016:

Bulletproof your photo business to avoid Expert trade advice on how of the year ahead. uncertainty & take control Turn to page 26 now!

Turn up the heat on sales this winter with the latest & greatest in photography & minilabs: the world of see our picks of the latest high-margin essentials!

BPI NEWS EXTRA En pointe: Taken under the tutelage of photographer Luciano Romano on a pre-production GFX 50S utilising twin flash heads to help freeze the movement of the two dancers and plastic prop sheeting image has not been altered in any way

FUJIFILM NEW CAMERA

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VOTE NOW! YOUR INDUSTRY NEEDS YOU... in to choose your winners the BPI News Awards!

See inside

We survey the big name photo manufacturers, distributors & suppliers to share their desires for Christmas 2016 & predictions for 2017

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See iNSide: for New

Photo Gear froM NikoN

+ Mac GrouP + keNro

DIARY 2017 A run through of the essential photo trade dates, exhibitions & events for your Filofax this coming year, including CES, BVE, SWPP & TPS

+ kodak + aNSMaNN!

OPEN NOW FOR: FUJIFILM 2017 Photographer: Dave Kai Piper Model: Stephanie Rebello

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PRODUCT

6

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We road test Olympus’s just released E-M1 Mark II flagship system camera with a trade day at the races. Can it claim thoroughbred status?

WALL PLANNER + SIGMA LENS DEALS

ADVICE With the most crucial sales period of the year upon us, we discover how the photo industry can minimise challenges by maximising assets you already have!

+ FESTIVE CASHBACKS!

NEWS

Panasonic ‘Marches’ on with new 4K shooting camera trio… whilst a key UK photographer ambassador rates its newest GH5 – inside!

SPRING INTO

REPORT

To the Manor Born: Get sales advice as Fujifilm unveils its spring 2017 collection at Althorp, big including test shots from the hitting GFX, X100F & X-T20

BPI News attends the annual Societies Convention & Trade Show – the first UK photo event of the year & an indicator of what’s to come

CANON, FUJIFILM, ACTION! WITH NEW KIT FROM

“It’s an interesting time and a globally mirror-less is increasing tough time, but by 10% per annum.

We’re the market leader for pro mirror-less camera.

Mirror-less will be bigger than SLR by 2019.”

– Adrian Clarke, MD Fujifi lm Electronic Imaging Europe

PRODUCT

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Snapshot of the Photo Trade

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Classic Hollywood style lighting set up by UK photographer Damien Lovegrove and again captured with the GFX. All the shots on these pages were taken by our editor, that the Fuji and a spot of showing tuition can make anyone look good!

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ess beat busin you How to sure & make cialdom rate hikes foul of offi don’t fall bargain! into the

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PLUS!

PANASONIC, KENRO

Cover image taken on a pre-production

TO THE MANOR BORN: FUJIFILM’S SPRING COLLECTION

Fujifilm GFX 50S – see our centre

spread

The one-time film giant turned premium camera manufacturer chose the plush setting of Althorp, ancestral home of the Spencer family, to finally share the price of the GFX 50S (from £6199 body only) and launch the X100F, ‘a classic re-imagined’, and X-T20, junior model to the X-T2, into the bargain. BPI News was in attendance Three further new cameras 16 February 2017 | BPI News

from Fujifilm (see page

4 for the other two) to

I

The GFX 50S comes with viewfinder and 63mm lens for £7,600 or it’s £6199 body only. Extras include a bracket to allow the viewfinder to tilt, plus an adapter for the use of Hasselblad lenses, as shown.

add to stock for spring

2017 in the GFX 50S, www.bpinews.co.uk

t’s an interesting time and a tough time, but globally mirrorless is increasing by 10% per annum.” So says Fujifilm’s Adrian Clarke, MD Fujifilm Electronic Imaging Europe, who kicked off the brand’s presentation of its three new big spring announcements, each of which is in addition to the earlier reveals of the X-A10, XP120 and Graphite Silver Editions of the X-Pro2 and X-T2 (see news page 4).

He also suggested that his brand is the market leader for pro mirror-less cameras and that “mirror-less will be bigger than SLR by 2019. ” Clearly Fuji’s message for 2017 is

X100F and X-T20, plus @bpi_news

adapter to allow certain Hasselblad GFX in full effect… plus lenses to be utilised. two new ‘X’ series The two cameras being launched alongside it were until that point only Adrian Clarke explained that the 4:3 the stuff of conjecture: the X100F, aspect ratio sensor incorporating described by Adrian as “a classic GFX was “roughly the same re-imagined”, following on size from the as a full frame DSLR” in terms original introduced five of years ago, portability (despite its own plus the X-T20, pitched as chip a “junior being 1.7x larger than a model to the X_T2.” This 35mm full that it is wasting no time had been frame sensor), and, having in hitting the prefaced held one Fuji telling us “demand for ground running. Its choice in the hand ourselves on of venue the X-T2 has been amazing; launch for unveiling its newest threesome we can’t day, we’d have to report – supply the demand.” ourselves the Althorp estate, ancestral that it’s neither as bulky, home of or weighty, There are also three new the Spencer family – also lenses as images would suggest. indicated on the roadmap in the 110mm In fact that it is aiming high and f/2, the camera is under 1kg. has products 23mm f/4 Adrian and 45mm f/2.8, whilst to match expectations. We added that Fujifilm had all knew March 1st will see the launch gone for a about the 50-megapixel of 51.4MP resolution because mirror-less the Fujifilm Professional “pixels medium format GFX 50S, Service, are a bit like a drug; people of course, aiming to offer quick and always for most of us the biggest efficient want more.” He also argued camera repair and maintenance in his news to come out of Photokina to its pro opening address 2016 that “the bigger the photographer users – anyone and the promise that it would buying sensor the bigger the bokeh cost a GFX, or those who own effect,” ‘well under’ ten grand. Well at least leading, he surmised, to now we two pro camera bodies and a more have a retail price of £7,600, three XF three-dimensional looking including lenses, being result automatically included. viewfinder and lens (GF with the GFX. Other features 63mm f2.8 R Moreover this service is to note WR), with March availability. being offered are its touch screen – which allows Optional free to those who qualify for the first extras include an adapter users to zoom into a capture to allow two years of its existence image the EVF to tilt, as well as (otherwise to check detail with a couple an H mount it’s £260 per annum). of finger taps – plus familiar Film

XF50mm f/2R WR compact

telephoto lens. For more,

please visit: www.fujifi lm.co.uk BPI News | February 2017 17

BPI NEWS NOVEMBER 2016:

BPI NEWS DEC 2016/ JAN 2017:

BPI NEWS FEBRUARY 2017:

Promotion/Campaign of the Year Nominees: Digital Splash 2016 spread, or Sigma mirrorless lens line up

Promotion/Campaign of the Year Nominees: ‘Make the Smart choice for 2017 with Noritsu/ PhotoXport’, or Fujifilm-sponsored wall planner, or Kenro Saramonic spread

Promotion/Campaign of the Year Nominees: ‘To the Manor Born’ Fujifilm spring 2017 collection, The Societies Show Report, Panasonic GH5 launch

Product the Year Nominee: Olympus E-M1 Mark II CSC

Product the Year Nominee: Sony A6500 camera

Product the Year Nominees: Nikon KeyMission 360, or MeFoto Air tripods via Mac Group

CLOSING DATE FOR VOTES: THURSDAY APRIL 20TH 2017. WINNERS ANNOUNCED IN BPI NEWS MAY & Promotion/Campaign of the Year choices to us @bpi_news or email info@bpinews.co.uk @bpi_news

BPI News | February 2017 25

BPI NEWS BUSINESS ADVICE

Bulletproof your photo business

At this point, many of us may be meeting discussions of ‘Brexit’ with a roll of the eyes. With much uncertainty continuing – and that likely to be the case for an extended period of time – what can businesses do to make the best of it, and, in unprecedented times, thrive rather than merely survive? Business guru Adam Bernstein has a variety of suggestions for the photo trade…

O

n June 23 last year the electorate spoke and declared, albeit with a small majority, that it wanted the UK to leave Europe. The issue is that, with the government favouring a ‘hard’ Brexit and attempting to trigger Article 50 to formally begin the process of Britain leaving the EU, businesses still need to prepare for change.

But, with retailers, suppliers and manufacturers already fighting on all fronts – against Internet price slashing, new and existing competitors, and rising costs because of a dip in sterling – what can (and should) the trade do to plan ahead?

Budgeting for business Every business has fixed and variable costs. While the former is harder to tackle, there should be scope to nail down the latter.

The first step, according to Love Energy Savings Managing Director Phil Foster, is to rein in spending where unnecessary. Some of the biggest culprits are business insurance, card service providers and business energy bills. So large savings can potentially be made by switching energy suppliers to one with lower tariffs or better terms, while there are also savings to be had on insurance products.

Ian Cass, Managing Director of the Forum of Private Business (FPB), goes further and says to also compare bank charges and look at

26 February 2017 | BPI News

“Predicting the post- Brexit landscape is a fool’s game.

But preparing for it, as best you can, by maintaining flexibility in contractual arrangements, and by anticipating change where possible, is a must.” joining a buying group – of which there are a number in retail. No matter how good a negotiator you are, you are limited by size. Indeed, with inflation forecast to rise to 4% in 2017, the examination of budgets and purchasing has never been so important.

Business membership organisations including the FPB and Federation of Small Businesses offer many cost saving services, along with regular advice and education to deal with Brexit, in addition to many other business issues.

Currency counter measures The biggest immediate change post-vote has been the drop in the value of sterling, which is going to affect everyone – especially the firm that self-imports. However, as Halo Financial’s Director David Johnson notes, while the fall in the value of the pound evokes a sense of dread in some, it presents opportunity for others.

“For those selling in sterling, this is all disastrous stuff; unless of course preparations were made in advance to limit the damaging effects of a fall in the value of the pound.”

However, those wanting to protect their position at this point in time can still consider a number of options.

“The first is a forward contract which allows companies to buy their currencies against the pound at predetermined exchange rates for up to two years ahead.”

There will be those who seek to manage risk but take advantage of any positive developments that might come along. For them the best path might be to use automated tools more commonly deployed by investors. Johnson explains: “Stop Loss orders limit the risk of negative exchange rate movements and are triggered automatically if the pre-set exchange rate is breached anywhere in the world on a 24 hour a day basis. Options are another tool that can be used to guarantee specific exchange rates. Limit Orders are

also automated and offer the ability to take advantage of beneficial exchange rate spikes even if that happens outside of your local trading hours.”

Ultimately, those importing products need to plan and anticipate the potential for negative market movement and use countermeasures accordingly.

Options for finance Another area to consider is the terms and products used for financing.

Businesses need to review their financial exposure to overdrafts and loans that are expensive, to take one example. If at all possible, new products need to be negotiated and most certainly overdrafts put into disuse – they’re repayable on demand and will strike chaos should

www.bpinews.co.uk

BPI NEWS ‘BREXIT SPECIAL’

a bank call them in.

On this, Cass says the UK now has a healthy alternative funding market and “the issue is education and small businesses taking the time to learn about the options out there.”

At the same time, it wouldn’t hurt to revisit the provision of point of sale finance. It may make no odds to your customers as, for example, interest free credit only varies according to its duration and the deposit. However, for the retailer it may be possible to negotiate better terms and lower charges. In fact, it may even make sense to evaluate the value of offering interest-free credit – does it bring in more than it costs? Consider also the rental of POS systems and the cost of accepting credit cards.

See the online comparison site: www.comparecardservices.co.uk.

@bpi_news

Reviewing and updating contracts Moving on, the decision to leave the EU has clearly placed business in a position of not knowing the future with any real certainty; individuals, businesses and politicians are all in the dark. However, the one thing that can offer certainty is what can be agreed and documented between parties – in other words, what can be proven in a contract.

Will our Brussels-derived laws and regulation remain unchanged, or will some of the key European legislation fall away? Will we be faced with the imposition of trade tariffs? Will we be able to rely on the availability of labour from the EU? As Ed Rimmell, partner in the Brexit planning team of Veale Wasbrough Vizards, points out, the grandly titled Great Repeal

Bill “might give us some comfort, as there won’t be an immediate and wholesale amendment to 40 years of European legislation. But change at the point of Brexit, and in the years following, is inevitable.”

This means that it’s never been as important to ensure that your contracts are reviewed and updated.

Rimmel adds: “Predicting the postBrexit landscape is a fool’s game. But preparing for it, as best you can, by maintaining flexibility in contractual arrangements, and by anticipating change where possible, is a must.”

Firms in the UK and EU will need to adapt, and to respond to the challenges ahead, in terms of contracts that they currently have in place, and those that are being negotiated. Granted, it’ll be tough to negotiate with product suppliers and the large corporates, but there may be scope with landlords and staff.

On this, Rimmel advises: “consider whether their contracts – particularly long term contracts – give the necessary flexibility to adapt as the landscape changes. Companies should consider whether to push for the right to make amendments and to put new contracts in place.”

In particular, he suggests you may be able to adjust the commercial terms if the consequences of Brexit materially affect the costs of servicing the contract; be able to bring the contract to an end if the consequences of Brexit materially change the commercial viability of the arrangement; and write in a mechanism to renegotiate key provisions where the contract is affected by changes to legislation or regulation associated with Brexit.

Of course this process will not be appropriate for all contracts; its importance increases with higher value, longer-term arrangements.

That said, Rimmel thinks companies should consider whether standard terms might benefit from appropriate provisions.

The other side to the process involves anticipating any possible contractual trouble ahead.

“Organisations should consider dusting off their existing contracts, and asking whether they give the flexibility to deal with changing circumstances – perhaps through change in law or force majeure provisions,” says Rimmel. Ultimately, even though there may be limited scope to change these arrangements now, as the old adage runs: ‘forewarned is forearmed’.

The photo industry perspective Graham Armitage, General Manager of Sigma Imaging UK, considers his workforce to be broadly representative of the population, while employing one non-British national. “As one would expect, immediately after the result of the referendum there were many points of view, ranging from elation to fear and optimism to pessimism,” he notes. “But as time passes, people have realised that the world hasn`t ended and life goes on.” Graham adds that the company has experienced no employee issues “and nobody at Sigma Imaging UK Ltd will lose their jobs as a direct result of Brexit… nor will anyone be extradited!”

“As time passes, people have realised that the world hasn`t ended and life goes on.”

- Sigma General Manager, Graham Armitage All of Sigma’s products are manufactured in Japan, which means that the company’s purchases are directly influenced by the yen/sterling exchange rate.

“The most marked result of the Brexit decision was a weakening of our currency, with the pound devaluing against the yen by well over 20%. It is clear that, as things currently stand, the increase in cost will inevitably find its way to the high-street retailers and the consumer will have to pay more for our products.”

Armitage does make the point that his company’s responsibilities remain in the UK, however: “we are not tasked with exporting to other countries worldwide, or within the EU, so we do not expect to be affected by open borders and tariff barrier problems.”

BPI News | February 2017 27

PRODUCT OF THE MONTH

BPI NEWS PRODUCT OF THE MONTH: SONY A6500

Announced back in the November 2016 edition of BPI News, the electronic giant’s latest mirror-less model at £1,499 SRP is our first Product of the Month for 2017, arriving in stock and on shelves as you read this...

S

ony’s enthusiast-beloved A7 series may rule the proverbial roost when it comes to full frame sensor photography from a relatively compact package, but it’s perfectly true that not all your photographer customers will want, or moreover need, a full frame chip. If they’re instead looking for a premium APS-C sensor-incorporating offering, the manufacturer’s latest interchangeable lens mirror-less camera in the A6500 could well fit them like a glove this winter.

The E-mount unit is, as we’d expect, solid in appearance, solid in weight with lens attached when gripped in the palm, and indeed a solid performer when it comes to intuitive handling and quick response times.

Even on a cold and drizzly day at Mercedes World – adjacent to Sony UK HQ – for a spot of hands-on testing, the camera impressed us from the off. Or rather it met our already high expectations. With, variously, a 50mm f/2.8 macro lens and 300mm telephoto strapped to the front of the camera to enable close ups in the museum part of the building, followed by action shots snapped from a distance on the race track outside, we were fully concentrating on what was in front of our lens, rather than what the camera was or wasn’t doing. Which is always a good sign. Thankfully given the inclement weather, the camera claims dust and moisture resistance. With protective seals around the buttons, rain proved no barrier to image creation.

All weather vehicle: Whether indoors in the dry or outside in the wet, Sony’s E-mount A6500 is capable of delivering razor sharp detail

Pedal to the metal

lenses proved sufficient to pick up each muddy fleck flicking off the tyre, or spray showering a shiny reflective We were almost exclusively utilising the A6500’s eye level sensor-equipped bonnet. Indoors, the tricky mix of daylight entering via large glass 2.4-million dot resolution electronic panels and harsh artificial lighting viewfinder when lining up our shots didn’t seem to confuse the camera’s and trailing our moving subjects, white balance unduly. We mentioned though the unit does feature the the camera is quick when it comes to now ubiquitous tilting LCD (a 3-inch, performance; officially the camera’s 921K dot touch screen no less) at the AF determines focus in just 0.05 rear as an alternative compositional seconds, but in practice it’s blink-andaid. However, as is increasingly the case in these days of technological excellence, we immediately forgot we weren’t viewing our vistas through an optical viewfinder.

Picture wise, though not every single frame of our moving subjects was always 100% pin sharp, in the gloom of a grey day and with zoom extended to full 300mm setting, Eye level viewfinder or tilting LCD, the detail provided by the twinning of A6500 puts users in the driving seat for 24.2 effective resolution and provided framing and reviewing images

you’ll-miss-it quick. Improvements over the earlier A6300 model include tweaks to how many image files can be captured in a sequential burst – up to 307 shots – speeds of 11fps with continuous auto focus and up to 8fps in live view shooting mode provided.

Like potential rivals in the Olympus E-M1 Mark II £1,849 SRP, which like the A6500 also features five axis in-body image stabilisation, a recommended price of £1499 may initially look steep, but, when viewed in comparison with what else is currently out there, including Fuji’s XPro2, it’s not prohibitively so. For those customers of yours who haven’t already bought into Fuji, Olympus et al, then, the compact Sony could provide an enticing means of fast tracking them to better image creation. www.sony.co.uk

BPI News is your mouthpiece to the industry. Send your news to info@bpinews.co.uk 28 February 2017 | BPI News

www.bpinews.co.uk

NEWS

NUTS ABOUT THE PENTAX KP

Gary Sutton

Scott Baggaley

US. “When you start up a business, you have the luxury of being able to choose people for your team you know have the skills and can work together – as long as you can persuade them to come! Gary was one of the founding members – it was always in my mind that he would take over the reins in time.

All in all, exciting times for Mac Group – full steam ahead!”

THE HERITAGE BRAND now wholly owned by Ricoh, has unveiled a new ‘high end’ DSLR in the Pentax KP. With your customers able to choose either black or silver bodies, the robust looking model is said to offer a newly designed compact chassis and light sensitivity up to ISO 819200, plus an APS-C CMOS sensor boasting 24.32 effective megapixels.

Suggesting suitability for outdoor use, it is further weather resistant, dust proof and can operate in temperatures down to minus 10°C. Ready to stock at the end of February, SRP is £1099.99.

www.eu.macgroupus.com

www.ricoh-imaging.co.uk

Tom Clunn

NEW ROLES, NEW FACES AT MAC GROUP DISTRIBUTOR MAC GROUP EUROPE has had a bit of a staff re-shuffle – and witnessed a couple of new appointments – since we last spoke to the team. Formerly its Sales Director, Gary Sutton has now taken over from Nigel Fielden as Managing Director, though Nigel remains with the company as Operations Director.

Of course, many in the trade will recall Gary from his previous roles with Samsung and latterly General

Imaging Europe.

Joining the new-look Mac Group is Scott Baggaley, who takes up the role of Digital Marketing Manager, and Tom Clunn, who joins as Brand Manager for Phottix. Previously Tom was UK/EU Country Manager at Interfit Photographic.

‘I was persuaded to set up Mac Group Europe in early 2015 with a team of just six people,” recalls Nigel Fielden, who will also be spending time on projects with Mac Group

Fresh Fresnels from Kenro HELPING TO SHINE a light on profit for the retailer, the distributor has announced a trio of new NanGuang Fresnel lights in the CN60F, CN100F and CN200F. Pitched as being idea for both stills photography and video use, the lights are said to be more directional and often preferred when strength and direction is more important than heavily diffused lighting. As its model name suggests, the CN60F offers 60W of power, operates silently and is cooled by passive airflow. Kit includes barn doors, carry bag, light stand and bracket

plus power adapter.

SRP is a VAT inclusive £527.94. The CN100F and CN200F offer 100W and 200W of power respectively, and retail for £995.94 and £1,620. “The whole of the NanGuang lighting range offers such great value, and because of this it is much easier for photographers to purchase additional lights to cater for all types of photo shoots,” believes Kenro MD Paul Kench. See more from the distributor on page 21 of this issue, including news of its spring 2017 frames and albums brochure, available on request.

In related Kenro news, it also has a newly upgraded version of its Sevenoak Electronic Panoramic Ball Head available at £83.94 SRP. “This new Electronic Ball Head joins our other two ‘manual’ Sevenoak Panoramic Heads in the range, “ explains Paul. “The beauty of this electronic model is the new range of creative possibilities opened up by the flexibility of the settings.”

BRIT PHOTOGRAPHER Martin Parr, well-known for more than four decades for his wryly kitsch photographic images documenting the everyday, is being honoured with an Outstanding Contribution to Photography at this year’s Sony World Photography Awards, with the ceremony due to be held on April 20th in London. To coincide, rarely seen black and white images from Parr’s early career will be exhibited at Somerset House, alongside some of his most talked about work, books and films for a limited run stretching from April 21st to May 7th. “As an artist Parr has created a unique visual language that is deeply serious, but its inherent humour has ensured that his work has an almost global understanding,” believes World Photography Organisation CEO Scott Gray.

www.kenro.co.uk

www.worldphoto.org

Parr for the course

BPI News is your mouthpiece to the industry. Send your news to info@bpinews.co.uk @bpi_news

BPI News | February 2017 29

NEWS

Intro2020 shines light on new gear JUST MISSING our previous issue’s deadline, Intro2020 has launched the Metz ‘mecablitz’ M400, a compact flash system suited to mirror-less cameras. Powered by four AAA batteries, it is available in Canon, Nikon, Micro Four Thirds, Pentax, Sony and Fuji fittings. Key

selling points for your customers are that the M400 has a zoomswivel head covering a field of view matching that of a full-frame 24105mm lens, with a guide number of 40 (in metres at ISO 100/21°) at the 105mm position. SRP is £121.99 and the flashgun is available now.

Staying with lighting, Intro2020 has also introduced the Lume Cube (shown right), described as a powerful LED light source that brings professional quality lighting capabilities to everyday life. The light is said to be suitable for use as either a video light or still photo strobe and incorporates a rechargeable battery that lasts 20 minutes at full brightness, or more

than two hours at 50% brightness.

Lume Cube can also be attached to any tripod or camera accessory. The full line up of products includes a Lume Cube single pack, twin pack, quad pack and a GoPro kit, plus a selection of five accessory mounts

for smartphone, hot shoe, GoPro, plus two drone mounts. Call 01628 674411 for more www.intro2020.co.uk

LONG WAIT ‘FOUR’ QUATTRO IS OVER ANNOUNCED WAY BACK in February 2016, Sigma’s sd Quattro H was due to have arrived for sale by the time you read this, and had been given a price of £1499.99 SRP. The special attribute of the ‘H’ model is that it is the first camera to feature the newly developed APS-H size Foveon X3 Quattro direct image sensor (26.7x17.9mm) with whopping 51-megapixel equivalent resolution, according to its maker.

The triple-layered chip – with one

layer each for blue, green and red – features 25.5 megapixels in its top layer. It further boasts a Sigma SA mount and is compatible with all the lenses in Sigma’s Contemporary, Sports and Art line ups, as well as the DNG (Digital Negative, a widely recognized alternative to Raw) format. Speak to your Sigma rep for more. www.sigma-imaging-uk.com

Strike a Lite!

New tripods & bags DISTRIBUTOR INTRO2020 is also pitching a ‘first’ at specialist photo retailers: the ‘Slik Lite’ travel series tripods (right) are claimed to be the first to feature a removable LED torch in their centre column. The idea is that this can then illuminate your customers’ camera bags when shooting at night.

There are five models in the range: three are manufactured from high-quality aluminium, and the other two from lightweight 8-layer carbon fibre. All feature a gearless, detachable and invertible centre column that separates to convert to a short column for low-angle

photography. Also included are ball and socket head, rubber feet and a tripod carry case. Available now, prices range from £121.99 for the most affordable aluminium offering, to £415.99 SRP for the top dog carbon fibre model.

At the time of writing a series of new product lines bearing the Cullman branding where also due to land in the UK. These include new tripod ranges – Mundo and Neomax – new Stockholm photo bags (below), ‘CUlight’ LED video lights (top) and a new Cullmann FR60 flashgun (right). We’ll hopefully be speaking to Intro soon to hear more about them! www.intro2020.co.uk

BPI News is your mouthpiece to the industry. Send your news to info@bpinews.co.uk 30 February 2017 | BPI News

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I am what I share. nikon.co.uk The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. Android® and Google Play® are trademarks of Google Inc. *This camera´s built-in Bluetooth® capability can only be used with compatible smart devices. The Nikon SnapBridge application must be installed on the device before it can be used with this camera. For compatibility and to download the SnapBridge application, please visit Google Play® and App Store.