BPI News February 2015

INSIDE: PMA/CES REVIEWED + SPRING FAIR & PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW PREVIEWED

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PUTTING THE TRADE IN FOCUS • WWW.BPINEWS.CO.UK

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NEW YEAR, GREAT GEAR Why 2015 is shaping up to be the year of 4K, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and selfie sticks...

Plus we examine which cameras will sell

Cover image taken from 4K video: see inside.

Photographed by Ross Grieve on Panasonic GH4

OPEN NOW: FOR THE LATEST INKJET MEDIA & PHOTO FINISHING NEWS

BPI News

EDITORIAL

February 2015

Looking forwards, not backwards

T

he start of a year is a great chance to mentally wipe the slate clean and look to the months ahead with a fresh perspective. Luckily, as far as the photo industry goes, we’ve already been given a helping hand and started with a bang courtesy of a handful of new camera releases at CES at the start of January, with more trickling out in the weeks that followed.

As I write this we’ve already got both CES and The Societies’ Convention, which followed a mere 10 days later, firmly under our belts. And we’re now – in this very issue – talking about the Spring Fair and The Photography Show, both centrally held at the Birmingham NEC, meaning that there’s no (or little) excuse for anyone in the trade not to attend.

So what can we expect out of 2015? Will the popularity of both drones – or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to give them their proper term – and ‘selfie sticks’ for mobile photo photographers that we witnessed increasing over the ‘silly season’, continue long into this year? Will 4K-video capture, and the ability to extract an 8-megapixel file, as uniquely demonstrated for our cover shot this issue, be an exciting message to share with your customers? Anything that is new can feel like a breath of fresh air and provide a fresh sense of motivation.

It’s infectious.

And as the dark months give way to brighter days with the promise of spring, naturally spirits will lift, cameras will come out of hibernation – if in fact they ever went away, now that everyone has cameras in phones and tablets – and we can all look forward to the year ahead not just with renewed hope, but also with renewed vigour. See you next month, for a packed preview issue in advance of The Photography Show!

Gavin Stoker, Editor

NEWS

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Nikon has a bunch of new compacts alongside its D5500 DSLR with tilting touch screen, Fujifilm once again refreshes its line up of compact ‘X’ series cameras and adds a pair of bridge cameras and toughened model, while Canon also goes compact crazy plus Tetenal offers an exciting 3D printer to the trade FEATHERS FLY AS NEW LUMIX LAUNCHED 9 BPI News was invited to check out the newest addition to the Panasonic range in the GF7 system camera and also try our hand at 4K capture on the GH4 and FZ1000 courtesy of filming birds of prey; resulting in an encounter that was a little too close for comfort! The brand tells us why it’s 4K all the way in 2015 OLYMPUS PUTS BEST FOOT FORWARD 12 The photo brand has been one of the most proactive in the business these past few months as far as getting its kit into customers’ hands goes. Just before Christmas it organised a trip for 50 photographers to visit the ballet in London, to encourage them to swap their DSLRs for compact system cameras THE SOCIETIES SHOW REPORT 16 We cover the three day Trade Show that forms part of The Societies/ SWPP annual Convention in London each year, in doing so being the first UK industry event of the year. Lots of familiar faces networking and selling, as 2015 gets underway and Juliet and Phil Jones celebrate another successful event PRODUCT OF THE MONTH: LYTRO ILLUM 26 One of the most talked about products of the past few months is now on sale in the UK, after an initial unveiling at Photokina last year. The Lytro Illum allows photographers to re-focus shots after they have been captured. Does this shatter the rules of photography as we know it, or provide a possible future?

COVER: 4K-razy! Panasonic is hoping the world will go mad for 4K capture this year as its flagship GH4 and FZ1000 cameras feature the ability to grab 8 megapixel stills from 4K video as per our cover image courtesy of Ross Grieve COPY DUE DATE FOR MARCH 2015 BPI NEWS IS FEBRUARY 18TH…. ISSUE POSTED OUT END OF FEB. GET YOUR PRODUCTS IN FRONT OF THE TRADE BEFORE THE PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW IN MARCH!

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE LATEST UK PHOTO & IMAGING NEWS send your email address to info@bpinews.co.uk Overseas annual subscription £50. For details email info@bpinews.co.uk View back issues online at http://www.bpinews.co.uk/

BPI News is published monthly by BPI Partners Ltd EDITOR - Gavin Stoker Email: info@bpinews.co.uk Tel: 07990 974 367 Please direct all editorial requests, news and press releases to info@bpinews.co.uk

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CONTENTS

21-24th March 2015 THE NEC, BIRMINGHAM

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.

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NEWS

High five from Fujifilm

Nikon adds Coolpix, gets into the swing

WHILE OTHERS are easing back on compact releases, Nikon is looking to plug the gap with three new releases in the Coolpix 3700 (at £99 SRP), S2900 (an Argos exclusive) and L31 (£79).

The slender 20-megapixel CCD sensor incorporating S3700 seen in red above, with Wi-Fi and NFC, HD movies and 8x optical zoom, has availability from February 26th, whereas the others are available immediately.

The 16 megapixels L31 (purple line art version shown above) meanwhile is described as easy to use and affordable, and comes with a 5x optical zoom.

To enable you to sell to the widest customer base possible, the Coolpix S3700 comes in a choice of black, silver, red, pink, blue, plus blue ‘line art’, whereas the L31 is available in black, silver, red and a purple line art option.

In related news, and with some in the trade partial to a round or two, the photo giant has introduced a couple of extremely cool looking laser rangefinders for the golfing fraternity in the Coolshot 40 and 40i, along with a pro model in the Prostaff 7i.

The ‘40’ model is designed exclusively for measuring actual distance and can be used for competition if the local rules permit its use! The ‘40i’ model meanwhile incorporates Nikon’s angle compensation technology to display

FUJI HAS unveiled five new cameras to the photo trade in the X-A2 (bottom left), XQ2 (top left), FinePix S9900W/S9800 (top right) and FinePix XP80 (centre left). The premium interchangeable lens X-A2 with 175° tilting LCD and 16.3MP APS-C sensor will be on sale in the UK from March, available in black or brown, and as a kit with the XC16-50mm Mark II silver lens for £449.99 SRP. Available at the same time is the super compact and lightweight XQ2, in black or silver this time at an SRP of £329.99. This camera has a 2/3-inch CMOS sensor, 4x zoom lens with f/1.8 maximum aperture plus Fuji’s Classic Chrome Film Simulation mode.

Two very similar 50x optical zoom, 1/2.3-inch 16.2 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor bridge models arrive the same month in the S9900W and S9800, priced at £299.99 and £259.99 respectively. The ‘W’ model differs from its sibling by virtue of offering wireless communication. More affordable still is the toughened FinePix XP80 at £199.99 available in four different colours: black, purple, blue and yellow. The XP80 is waterproof, shockproof, freeze-proof and dustproof as well as offering wireless connectivity, 5x optical zoom lens and 1/2.3-inch 16.4 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor.

Bolstering its X series camera support, the brand has also recently announced a trio of lenses. These are the Fujinon XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR lens, bottom right, available from February at a suggested £899.99, the XC16-50mm II lens and the XC50230mm II lens. The ‘WR’ of the 16-55mm zoom denotes that it is weather resistant – hence offering a great dealer opportunity to piggyback on sales of the weather proofed X-T1 camera. www.fujifilm.co.uk

sloe-adjusted distance. The ‘7i’ (front of our group) updates the previous ‘7’ model and is said to offer one of the most accurate measurements under 600 metres and makes long distance measurement up to 122 metres possible. It is said to be suited to ‘all outdoor applications’. A trio of gadgets to sell alongside the cameras perhaps? www.nikon.co.uk

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OLYMPUS has issued a ‘comprehensive’ software upgrade for its Stylus 1 compact, a previous Red Dot Design award winner as BPI News reported last year. This adds interval shooting (capturing up to 999 shots, at one second or 24 hour intervals) and time lapse video capabilities, as per the OM-D. Your customers also get compatibility with the latest app that allows a smartphone to be A3 Poster used as a remote shutter release, as well as Small Target AF and Focus Peaking indicators. For a free download see http://bit.ly/STYLUS1Firmware At last month’s CES wireless memory card supplier Eyefi also announced it had to take a speCial piCture you need to go to speCial plaCes partnered Olympus tospecialmake Eyefi mobile apps and Eyefi Cloud available as a Now youwith and your family can discover hundreds of new places with the National Trust and capture every stunning detail with the photo management and synching solution for all Olympus camera customers. This award-winning new LUMIX FZ200 or FZ72. means that those taking shots on a Wi-Fi enabled Olympus can potentially share and view the pictures anywhere via the Cloud service. See also page 12 for more Olympus UK activity. www.olympus.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.

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

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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

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Trust Membership EXCITING TIMES lie ahead as disCampaign POS tributor Tetenal is offering US company MakerBot’s range of 3D printers to the trade. The key sectors for 3D printing have still to emerge as different businesses and educational establishments discover how the new technology can benefit them individually. But, as Tetenal’s Marketing Manager Craig Bird believes, this can also be seen as a benefit: “MakerBot is an exciting addition to our printer portfolio and it willWobbler be interesting to see what sectors it takes us into. Our existing Epson business is very strong and continuing to grow. The addition of a 3D printer range will enable us to make in-roads into the design and educational sectors where our portfolio of existing products will also be of interest”.

MakerBot has its own website www.thingiverse.com where more than 35,000 projects, models and items are available for downloading for free. Tetenal is presently settingHangup a demonstration showroom, and will also stock a 3D scanner and all assoTag ciated consumables. Further information from Tetenal’s Phil Barker on 07595 203764. www.tetenaluk.com

NEWS EXTRA

Nikon brings touchscreen tech to DSLR

“S

ince the explosion of smartphone technology, there has been a huge wave of innovative and creative photography worldwide. The D5500 is a chance for your customers to really expand on their photography skills whilst providing outstanding results.” So believes Nikon UK’s Simon Iddon, Product Manager for the DSLR category. The new camera comes in various kit configurations, including as a body only option in red or black at £639.99. Alternatively sell it with a standard 18-55mm VR II lens (again in red or black) for £719.99 or with 18-140mm VR black lens for £899.99.

Obviously designed for those looking to make the step up from smartphone photography, the camera’s core features are a 24.2 megapixel DX-format sensor, an ISO range of 100-25600 and built-in Wi-Fi, along with a ‘monocoque’ construction, tilting 3.2-inch screen, and deep grip to improve handling. We also get 39-point AF and 5fps capture speed. As has been something of a trend of late, the usual optical low pass filter has been omitted here to eke out just a tad more detail in shots. Thanks to the built-in touch screen photographers can now swipe through images and pinch to zoom in or out during playback – as with a smartphone or tablet. Nikon also claims that the D5500’s contrast detection AF system is 20% faster than the D5300 when using Live View.

Sales of the new DSLR were due to start on February 5th at the time of writing.

As you’ll be aware of by now, Nikon has launched its first APS-C sensor DSLR with a vari-angle touchscreen in the D5500. BPI News finds out more from Nikon UK’s Group Product Manager for DSLR Simon Iddon (right) and checks out two new lenses starting out in DSLR photography.

The D5500 screen doesn’t just flip out and reverse in the best 5000 series tradition, it also offers touch screen functions for the first time in a Nikon DSLR

Two new lenses make light work In tandem with the new DSLR, there’s also a new compatible telephoto zoom lens in the AF-S DX Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II, with a suggested retail price of £279.99 and with sales starting February 5th.

“The new 55-200mm is an extremely portable and lightweight update to the already popular Nikon zoom lens,” claims Edward Allinson, Junior Product Manager, Lenses & Accessories.

“The great thing about this lens is that it’s affordable and easy to use, making it an option for those just

With the portability factor and superior new design, this lens also sits in line with our Nikkor 18-55mm VR lens. When paired together these two lenses can be enjoyed by DSLR users looking to expand on their photography, whilst doing it cost effectively.”

Obviously the new lens, which weighs 300g, also suggests itself as the perfect opportunity to piggyback a sale with that of the D5500 DSLR. At the pro/enthusiast end of the scale there is a further new lens in the AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4 PF ED VR, with a heftier price tag of £1639.99.

This is being pitched as the first F-mount Nikkor to be equipped with a Phase Fresnel element for blending a compact build and telephoto reach with superior image quality.

A fluorine coat has been added to actively repel water, dust, and dirt without comprising image quality.

Edward says: “Nikon constantly strive for new and innovative ways to ensure that each new lens offered is even better than the last. The new 300mm is a perfect example of this.

The new and improved lightweight design makes for greater portability, allowing photographers the freedom to shoot whenever the opportunity arises. With new and improved features and optical quality, DSLR users can benefit from unrestricted usage and optimum shooting.” This second lens should be available for selling by the time you read this. www.nikon.co.uk

The new 55-200mm version is an improved companion for the D5500 with kit lens.

The 300mm f/4 PF ED VR is for full frame pro use – ultra small and light

The bottom line: new Nikon DSLR aimed at smartphone users plus two new zooms in AF-S DX Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II & 300mm f/4 PF ED VR BPI News | February 2015 5

NEWS Industry celebrates wins at The Societies Trade Awards

Swains online is site to behold HAVE YOU checked out Swains’ new trade-only website, online now at swains.co.uk?

Suitable for viewing on smartphone as well as tablet and desktop, this is the place to find out about latest product pricing and special offers, get product information and high resolution images, plus see accessories flagged up and linked to relevant hardware. Naturally you can also manage your Swains’ account via the site, place orders quickly with the aid of account ‘favourites’ and search items by product name or manufacturer. Be the first to see the new Swains site at swains.co.uk

Taking the prize

Get Canon value bundles direct via DirekTek CANON’S new products have now arrived at DirekTek, with value bundle options for most models.

For example, dealers can grab the IXUS 160 in black, red, silver and white with an 8GB Class 10 SD card and case for only £71. The camera’s attributes include 20 megapixel resolution, 8x optical zoom, HD movie recording and a range of creative filters.

Alternatively Canon’s SX530 bridge camera is available in black with a 16GB class 10 SD card and a case for £239.

Features include 50x zoom, 16 megapixels, full manual controls, high-speed burst shooting, WiFi and NFC connectivity. For the full range of Canon Products, contact DirekTek. Call 01494 471100 or email BPI Feb 2015.pdf 1 22/01/2015 sales@direktek.co.uk

THE HIGHLIGHT for many at The Societies’ annual Convention, held again this year at the London Metropole Hotel in Edgware Road (see report pages 16 and 17), was the chance to raise a glass – and promptly down its contents – at the awards ceremony held on the Saturday night (January 17th this year).

Its Trade Awards witnessed winners in fifteen categories, ranging from the Best Professional DSLR to the Best Professional Photographic Service, with the victors voted for by the 7,500 members of The Societies.

Here the winner of the Best Professional Digital Camera was the Canon 5D Mark III for the second year running, while the same manufacturer took Best Professional Flashgun for the Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT. Best Pro Inkjet Paper this year was Permajet Oyster 271. Winner for Best Lighting for the second year running was the location-friendly Elinchrom Ranger Quadra RX. The Best Software going was taken by Adobe Lightroom, while Best Professional Lens made it a hat-trick for Canon as its EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM took top honours.

Best Professional Printer was also bagged by a familiar name, with Epson taking said trophy for its Stylus Pro 3880.

Winner of the Best Stand at the event was paper manufacturer GF Smith. www.swpp.co.uk

MPA appoints female President FOR THE second time only in its 62 year history the new President of the Master Photographers Association is a woman; not just any woman mind, but top pro photographer Faye Yerbury, half of the distinguished husband and wife team with hubbie Trevor Yerbury.

“I am absolutely thrilled with my appointment as National MPA President – it’s a very great honour – and I guess that so-called, and nationally infamous, ‘glass ceiling’ for women has been breached yet again,” laughs Faye.

The past year has also seen the ‘power couple’ celebrate the 150th anniversary of the eponymous Yerbury Studio business. Trevor adds: “I think my great grandfather, who started this business back in 1864, would be reasonably content with the progress made over the past one and a half centuries!”

Other milestones have included the couple winning a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Societies/SWPP last year, and Fellowships from the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) – also in 2014 – for their ‘outstanding contribution’ to photography.

Spring into action…

Canon’s Matt Beard is congratulated by The Societies CEO and organiser of their London Convention and Trade Show, Phil Jones, for the Best Professional Digital Camera or the Year and Best Professional Flashgun of the Year titles – voted by thousands of members of The 09:59 Societies. See news story above.

to register for a free ticket and then jump into your car to catch the Spring Fair at the NEC until February 5th. In this issue Nedis, Fuji and Kenro reveal the photo products they’ll be pitching to the broad Spring Fair retail audience. With over 300,000 new items on show across 13 market sectors, you may discover a great way to add originality to your store; diversity is the name of the game for 2015. The countdown to The Photography Show (21st-24th March) has started. Just because your business has not got a physical stand there doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities to be had. Start planning now to take advantage of the spin-off generated by manufacturers and distributors working hard on your behalf to drive footfall back through your stores. Remember your staff, trade and professional customers can now register for free entry now at www.photographyshow.com till March 18th to avoid £18 on the door.

Share your feedback, news and views with publisher Clive Insley via info@bpinews.co.uk or call 07713 622304.

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The po Contact electrical 269110 4 retailer organisation ‘retra’ to discuss your membership NOW on 01234 www.retra.co.uk BPI News | February 2015 7

8 February 2015 | BPI News

BPI NEWS EXTRA

Feathers fly as new Lumix launched B PI News was lucky enough to be among a select group of UK journalists invited to attend a preview of Panasonic’s first camera launches of 2015. Hosting the event at Ham House, Richmond, the venue chosen because the electronics giant and the National Trust have an ongoing promotional partnership (and it also allowed various members of the press to be terrorised by birds of prey), the brand’s Barnaby Sykes kicked off proceedings by announcing an extension to another partnership, this time with Leica.

“This,” he said of the long-term association that sees Panasonic camera lenses stamped with the Leica name, “gives shop staff the confidence to sell our product.”

Barney went on to tell us that Panasonic’s core strategy for 2015 is all around 4K capture – as regards both photos and video – with the manufacturer plugging the fact that photographers can grab an 8.3 megapixel still from a stream of its 4K video that is perfectly good for professional use up to A3 – a boast backed up by its demos at The Societies Convention last month (see also page 16’s show report). “Your customers will never take a bad shot again. Presently we can shoot 4K at 30fps, but we’ll be able to shoot at 60fps before too long. And soon we’ll be at 8K resolution by the time the Japan Olympics come along and be able to grab a 33 megapixel image.

“Demand for 4K has taken manufacturers by surprise; we believe 32% of the imaging business in 2015 will come from 4K product.

At the same time CSC is being driven by value – higher price products are selling better.” Panasonic also revealed that it is increasingly seeking to place its imaging products in the hands of potential customers, with slots booked at the Travel Show, the Baby Show and the 50+ show, not to mention a stand at The Photography Show in March.

Get lucky with the ‘7’ Category Manager Dai Mukai then took us through the attributes of its first system camera release for this year, the GF7. The reasoning here is that, with worldwide CIPA figures suggesting CSC is up 11%

Panasonic revealed the Lumix GF7, TZ70 and more besides at a preview of CES and New Year launches, demonstrated with the aid of birds of prey, while stating it’s otherwise 4K all the way…

Above: Dai Mukai with a wise companion. Right: TX70 travel zoom with Leica lens. Below: Panasonic product specialist Mark Baber and colleague.

Top right: selfie stance for GF7.

Bottom: BPI News editor Gavin mistaken for a field vole.

while DSLRs are down 27%, “DSLR won’t be a sustainable business in the near future,” according to Dai. In terms of the customer you should be pitching it to, the GF7 is aimed at the entry-level user, who will further be enticed by the flip up back screen

to enable ‘selfies’. “The selfie feature is important,” reasoned Dai. “The term selfie was mentioned 92 million times on Twitter in 2014 which was 12x more than the previous year.” The GF7 boasts a serious looking DSLRlike design and the same sensor and processing engine as the premium GX7. A kit with a 12-32mm lens is being offered to retailers and at 266g it is lighter than the preceding GF6.

There’s also a handful of new non-interchangeable lens compacts coming in March. Heading up these is the TZ70 travel zoom, featuring 1m dot resolution LCD, 30x optical zoom and 12 megapixel resolution. Sitting alongside the older TZ60, the TZ70 offers Raw shooting, a control ring and NFC for a suggested £349. Next up is the TZ57, replacing the TZ55 in offering a higher resolution LCD, 25x optical zoom and more user friendly interface for £229 SRP. There’s also an entry level 12x optical zoom ‘super zoom’ in the SZ10, which features a 180° tilting monitor and Wi-Fi for £139, plus an FT30 ‘tough’ camera that replaces the FT25 and will retail at £129 in four colours.

Camcorders also haven’t been forgotten and here Panasonic is introducing 4K models in the WX970 and VX870, plus Full HD recording products in the V770 and W570.

“We’re really passionate about 4K and delivering it to the market,” summed up Barnaby Sykes. “We’re introducing 4K photo mode to camcorders and placing a Leica lens in our camcorders, as well as a second camera built into the back of the LCD.” The video cameras also offer an HDR movie feature, which Panasonic reckons ”is going to be as big as 4K.”

To check out the new line up yourselves, speak to your Panasonic rep or visit www.panasonic.co.uk BPI News | February 2015 9

NEWS EXTRA

Fujifilm ‘on a roll’ with innovative new media I t may be early in the year, but Fujifilm’s already aiming to make 2015 count by introducing a host of exciting new media products for photofinishers, designed to be used for everything from the creation of promotional banners and posters to the reproduction of fine art. In short, if you have a need for a particular presentation product to meet demand, or win fresh custom, then Fujifilm has a solution.

Inkjet Media Product Manager Peter Hayward took some time out from his busy schedule to talk us through its varied new offerings. At the time of writing these could be experienced in person on stand L61, Hall 1 at the NEC’s Spring Fair, with Fujifilm keen to stress that its new products need to be seen – and even touched – to fully grasp their quality and finish.

For galleries, retailers, framers and minilabs, there’s never been a better time to ‘spring into action’ thanks to the new Fujifilm Photographic Artwork media range says product manager Peter Hayward

An exciting ‘photofinish’ Added to Fujifilm’s media line up is an ultra tough yet lightweight Tyvek banner, available in sizes of 610mm x 30m or 915mm x 30m. This is joined by a separate, same-sized scratchresistant roll up/pop up banner, with 700mm and 800mm stands available for pull-up displays.

“The benefits of this product are that once the surface has been printed, it hardens, which becomes a lot more resistant to scratching when you pull it in and out of the roll up, negating the need to laminate and removing a production step,” Peter explains. With the product more affordable and easier to utilise, it’s no surprise that Fujifilm has sold a lot into retail. “All they have to do is print it and mount it in the pop-up unit, making it a really good POS option.”

Two options for bespoke digital wallpaper – either one panel or a whole wall - are also being trialled at the show. “We want people to touch and feel and see which one they prefer. We want to give people the product that is most appropriate for their needs,” Peter reasons.

Repositionable vinyl or fabric, at a size of 610m x 30m, joins the innovative line up. “On a good painted surface such as doors, or even on felt walls of exhibition stands, it will go up easily, using a low-tack adhesive. It doesn’t damage

Six of the best new media options for your Fujifilm (and other) wide format inkjet printing service – tough materials ideal for pop-ups and indoor or outdoor banners, self-adhesive repositionable art, ready mounted prints for rapid point of sale display production, and more. All were on show as BPI News was mailed out to you, at the Spring Fair which we flagged up in the last issue as a date for your calendar.

Switch Frame TOO is an improved redesign of the original Switch Frame

the surface you put it on, making it very useful for point of sale. Retailers can even sell it to their customers as ‘sticky posters’ for display in the home.”

The fabric version has a softer surface than the vinyl so has an attractive look and feel, suggests Peter, adding that it is marginally more dimensionally stable.

Another inspired option is the faux canvas paper. This is cheaper than a poly canvas, yet with a quality finish that is much more vibrant.

Suitable for portraits and artwork, it can be used on all Fujifilm stretching systems, such as Wunderbars and Switch Frame. Rolls are sized 610mm x 30m, and feedback has been ‘terrific’.

Fine art solutions haven’t been forgotten either, with Pro Pearl 290gsm paper suitable for portrait, gallery and exhibition output, plus Lustre 250gsm suggested for general photo work. Also available is Photoboard, coated with either Gloss or Pearl surfaces, and which is well suited to signage, portraiture, POS and posters. New doublesided Matt Board provides ‘instant signage’ at sizes A1, A2 and A3+.

Sure to likewise hit its mark is Arrow – “so-called, because of the shape of the corner pieces we use on the frames”. This is an alternative canvas stretching solution to the Wunderbars, yet maintains simplicity and a professional finish.

Another launch at the show, Switch Frame TOO, is a redesign of Switch Frame to reduce the product cost, whilst improving its compatibility with Wunderbars and the new Arrow frame. Switch Frame TOO can be used with all the inkjet media in the Fujifilm range.

Finally a new addition to the Matt Bond range is a 120gsm media suitable for personalised wrapping paper, POS and posters. “It offers a much better image saturation,” notes Peter, “so will provide a much more vibrant product. It also wraps well.”

Spring Fair aside, Fujifilm’s Mark Wade, Senior Product Specialist for Photofinishing, will also be on the road with samples to show interested parties. Alternatively you can also head straight to www.fujifilm-inkjet.co.uk for more solutions right now.

Trade parties should contact Peter Wigington for all your Fujifilm imaging needs via pwigington@fuji.co.uk 10 February 2015 | BPI News

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11

NEWS EXTRA

Olympus puts best foot forward for 2015

W

ith rumours swirling of a possible OM-D E-M5 upgrade on the way, Olympus UK invited 50 photographers and enthusiasts to try out its OM-D range, including the flagship E-M1, compatible lenses and accessories during an exclusive viewing of rehearsals for the Nutcracker ballet at London’s opulent Coliseum, St Martin’s Lane.

As the lights dimmed and the curtain rose, the assembled group was able to try out a vast assortment of prime and pro optics, including the 45mm (90mm equivalent) and 75mm f/1.8 (150mm), to capture and ‘freeze’ fast moving subjects in low light – a demanding scenario for any photographer.

Fortunately with Olympus’ imaging support squad dispensing kit and advice in equal measure, Arnaud Stephenson, product stills photographer for the ENO and fellow dance photography specialist Sisi Burn were on hand to provide encouragement and professional tips and tricks. The aim was to enable those of us less experienced with shooting fast-moving live events in tricky lighting to get the best possible results with the Olympus gear.

Having been shooting classical, orchestral, dance, opera and jazz performances for the past 20 years – including the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall – Sisi is a fountain of knowledge. “The reason for choosing Olympus’ OM-D series was based on the small size of the cameras,” she explained. “The other factors were the price and the quality, which is getting better with each new generation. Also, when I’m shooting orchestras, the really quiet shutter of the mirror-less models is a distinct selling point.

“At the Proms last summer I was using the E-M1 with a 35-100mm f/2, which is fantastic for being quiet and covert as nobody bats an eyelid.

Plus the viewfinder is incredibly helpful with stage lighting as you can see exactly what’s happening and watch for when the light changes.”

Photojournalist and dance photographer Arnaud ‘Cookie’ Stephenson also shared his advice for capturing ballet stars’ graceful movements. For example, to get the

With its Image Space events – including inviting 50 enthusiasts to the English National Ballet to try out kit – continuing a-pace, and its custom-driving deals extended, the manufacturer is getting the year off to a flying start…

best exposure, the photographer will set his OM-D to spot metering and auto ISO. “The OM-D’s range of ISO 200 to ISO 2500 will deal with most of the dynamic differences in light you encounter. You can lock those settings and just concentrate on the dancing, think about timing, listen to the music for the dramatic swells that suggest something is about to happen, and watch the dancers’ legs and feet. They’ve spent their lives on achieving idealised perfection. And now, in the Olympus OM-D cameras, we have the tools to be able to depict that.”

Armed with such expert knowledge the stage was set for the assembled to be able to avoid putting a foot wrong, and create some great ballet images. As they enjoyed free coffee and mince pies afterwards, the consensus among attendees was that Olympus and the ENB had put on a great show; the OM-D right up there with the star attraction.

of Andreas Voegele.

Image courtesy 1:2.0 Digital ED. M.Zuiko 12mm

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Capturing views from the auditorium with near-silent Olympus OM-D system cameras

Grip deal extended to spring

Photographers Arnaud and Sisi

Further good news for Olympus dealers is that the proactive brand has extended its free HLD-7 camera grip promotion worth £189.99 SRP, redeemable upon purchase of an OMD E-M1, until March 31st, 2015.

The added lure for your customers is that the HLD-7 is dust, splash and freeze-proof, having been specially developed for use with the equally weatherproofed E-M1. The HLD-7 extends the camera’s battery life plus allows for more flexibility in shooting portraits via an additional shutter button. Furthermore, it’s conveniently equipped with two control dials and two function buttons.

For further details simply head to olympusuk.sales-promotions.com

Visit www.olympus-imagespace.co.uk to keep up with future customer-facing events and potential sales opportunities 12 February 2015 | BPI News

M.Zuiko 12mm 1:2.0 Digital ED. Image courtesy of Andreas Voegele.

GET A GRIP! CLAIM A BONUS GRIP WORTH ÂŁ189.99 WITH THE AWARD-WINNING OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1

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Pick up a leaflet in-store or visit olympus.co.uk/promotions for further details.

BPI News | February 2015 13

NEWS EXTRA

Canon blitzes trade with new product bonanza

W

hile many photographic brands are culling their compacts, Canon is birthing new ones – seven additions to its IXUS and PowerShot line ups were in fact announced to coincide with the CES show at the beginning of January.

Pitched at those point and shoot photographers looking to get creative is the boxy N2 designed to fit the palm of your customers’ hands and featuring a new touch screen that tilts up to 180°, activating the dedicated selfie mode (naturally). It’s available now at £289.99 SRP. Slightly more conventional in appearance are the new super zoom models in the PowerShot SX530 HS (50x optical zoom) at £329.99, SX710 HS (30x zoom) at £329.99 and SX610 HS (18x zoom) at £229.99. Both Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity is offered on these models that also feature an Auto Zoom function and intelligent IS (image Stabilisation).

There are also three new stylish IXUS compacts in the IXUS 160 at £99.99 SRP, 165 at £129.99 (both 8x optical zoom) and 170 (12x optical zoom) at £149.99. All three cameras boast a 20-megapixel sensor, Smart Auto shooting and Creative Filters described as ‘fun’.

All the seven models were due to be available by the time you read this.

Camcorder ready for order Also due for February release are three new LEGRIA series camcorders: the LEGRIA HF 68 at an SRP of £349.99, the LEGRIA HF R66 at £329.99 SRP and the LEGRIA HF R606 at £249.99. Compatibility is offered with NFC connected devices and Canon’s newly announced Connect Station CS100. The video cameras boast a 32x optical zoom, with the R68

The major camera manufacturer started the New Year with a bang by over-hauling its compact and camcorder product ranges.

BPI News reports…

is compatible with FlashAir SD cards, allowing the storage of footage on a smartphone or tablet without a dedicated Internet connection.

Everything is connected As mentioned above, the 11th new product from Canon this year is the Connect Station CS100 (below). This is being pitched to your customers as a unique photo storage device N2

SX530 HS

SX710 HS

SX610 HS

IXUS 170

LEGRIA HF R68

model including a new wide attachment lens that can be quickly mounted to provide

a 26.9mm focal length, thus enabling the user to cram more into shot. The R606 meanwhile

that allows photos and videos to be quickly and easily saved, shared and viewed – all from the one accessible location. In a nutshell the device acts as a central hub for up to 1TB of storage in the home, with data imported from NFC enabled Canon cameras and camcorders with a single touch. It’s not just manufacturer specific however as images can be imported from other cameras via USB or smartphone or tablets via Wi-Fi or a web browser.

The Connect Station CS100 can connect to a large screen TV via HDMI, or for more casual viewing, your customers can wirelessly view their albums on their smartphone, tablet or computer via a web browser.

Prints can also be made straight from the device to a wireless printer.

There’s a little bit of a wait for this product as June availability is promised. www.canon.co.uk

Watch out for the 11 new Canon announcements being ready for stocking: 7 new compacts, 3 new camcorders and one new data hub 14 February 2015 | BPI News

NEWS EXTRA

Big Mac whets trade appetite for ‘exceptional’ margins An exciting new partnership between US giant MAC Group and Chinese manufacturer Benro, ‘MAC Group Europe’ has a bunch of familiar faces at the helm, marketing and distributing a host of high margin photo accessories In our photograph: back row, from left, Guy Shirm, Mark Hoskins and Gary Sutton. Front: Nigel Fielden, left, and Jan Lederman right.

T

here’s a new photo business coming to the UK, albeit one with some recognisable faces and products. Launching at the beginning of March via appearances at video show BVE plus The Photography Show, and promising the largest margins in the business, MAC Group Europe is newly responsible for supplying and marketing Benro photo and video tripods (formerly via Kenro), along with Induro tripods, MeFoto’s fun photo products, Tenba bags and German glass Vü filters, the latter having debuted at Photokina 2014.

We met up with New Yorkbased President of MAC Group Jan Lederman and the freshly formed MAC Group Europe team in London, headed up by Managing Director Nigel Fielden, joined by UK Sales Director Gary Sutton, Export Sales Director Guy Shirm and Product Marketing Manager Mark Hoskins.

“We believe in the old fashioned way of selling: people to people, so have put together our sales team and will be bringing our message face to face with the dealers. We only sell through dealers and we’re offering exceptional margins for dealers,” promises Jan. “With more pictures being taken globally than any time before, by everyone from pre-teens to grey haired people

“Our goal is that dealers make good money selling our products because that is what will attract them to us and keep them coming back.”

– Nigel Fielden, Managing Director who love it as a hobby, we believe it’s an exciting time for photography and videography – and a huge opportunity.

“Benro is a very aggressive, cool, young Chinese company with unbelievable technology, significant innovation and a phenomenal price/ value relationship, while MAC Group is almost 30 years old, having started in the States as a premier marketing, distribution and sales company.

We’ve put these two together as the core goals of Mr Liu, the President of Benro, and I are identical, and we now have MAC Group Europe.

Benro Aero 4 travel tripod for video

The first thing we will be doing is creating and building the brands and the associated personality, which includes point of sale and things that you have never seen before. MAC Group Europe is privately owned, so our ‘boss’ is the dealer and their end user.”

As well as introducing new brands to the UK market, MAC Group Europe is as of March 1st distributing Benro throughout UK, France and Germany. “Today Benro truly has a personality of its own – it’s known by photographers and filmmakers as being ideal for those on the go, and we’ve established a significant market share in a short period of time. It’s the only manufacturer in the world that I’m aware of that has travel tripods for video. Its products are truly precision manufactured.”

According to Guy Shirm, who has joined the company from Lowepro, MAC Group Europe aims to become a strong number two in the tripods and bags market within the next three years, and will be on a mission to inspire and motivate its other distributor partners in the rest of Europe.

“Our goal is that dealers make good money selling our products because that is what will attract them to us and keep them coming back,” adds Nigel Fielden.

Jan Lederman, Chairman of the European company, reveals that it will also be rolling out its unique education programme, already a success in the USA, to UK colleges and universities. “We work with students and educators to provide them with the tools they need and then offer the students substantial discounts should they choose to buy from us. We will always direct them to one of our retail partners.” In this way MAC Group hopes that it is winning the hearts and minds of the next generation of photographers.

Extensive point of sale material, products and trade prices are available via: www.macgroupeu.com operational from the beginning of March.

With “hundreds of new products” promised by Jan Lederman – to be showcased in our next edition – this new company launch is very definitely a date for your diary.

Meet Macgroup Europe on stand G29 at BVE London (February 24th-26th) or at stand D120 at The Photography Show BPI News | February 2015 15

SOCIETIES CONVENTION 2015 REPORT

Keeping up with the Joneses T

he London Hilton Metropole Hotel in Edgware Road was once again the venue for The Societies Convention, a glitzy gathering of photographers and the trade, with its 7500-strong membership examining the wares of up to 200 exhibitors.

The annual event is the first opportunity of the year, as far as the UK photo industry goes, to network with peers, catch up and sell to customers, in advance of the Photography Show in March (whose organisers were also present with their own stand at the Convention). We dropped in on the Saturday, a day topped off by the traditional trade and photography awards ceremony in the evening, which saw the likes of Canon and Epson emerge as major prizewinners, big name social photographers including Faye and Trevor Yerbury in attendance, plus The Societies’ MD Juliet Jones taking on hosting duties solo for the first time.

Those exhibitors we spoke to on the floor of the trade show told us that they valued The Societies Convention as much for its networking opportunities, as its opportunities to sell. A case in point: the Panasonic stand, which was demo-ing the 4K shooting capabilities of its GH4 and FZ1000 cameras, from which an 8 megapixel still can be ‘grabbed’, was utilising printer and paper supplied courtesy of nearby stand holders Fotospeed, while Intro2020’s Lyto Illum (see review pages 26-27) was being demo’d on both the Cameraworld and Park Cameras stands. We also spotted fellow exhibitor Rotolight’s latest circular ‘Neo’ light being put to good use by the video team on Panasonic’s stand, who incidentally had sold one of

Another successful Societies event for Juliet and Phil Jones and their tireless back up team with thousands attending the seminars and masterclasses. Cameraworld see eye to eye with Lytro Illum, Big Dog McGillicuddy shoots for Olympus; Canon, Tiffen, Panasonic, One Vision Imaging, ProAm labs, Fujfilm Professional, The Photography Show and Permajet meet the dedicated visitors.

Save the dates for 2016: Full Societies Convention runs January 20-24th, with Trade Show taking place 16 February 2015 | BPI News

January 2015 saw The Societies – widely known in the trade for its largest group, the SWPP – hosting the 13th annual Convention, including masterclasses and trade show. BPI News was there to catch up with proud organisers Juliet and Phil Jones and big name exhibitors including Cameraworld, Park Cameras, Canon, Panasonic, The Flash Centre, Fotospeed and Rotolight....

This page: left to right in rows from top: John Greenwood shows ProAm’s new website to Clive Insley; BMM’s Bob Campbell reports good interest in Clik bags alongside his OnOne software demos; Emily Whittle (left) with the TFC Elinchrom team; Alexa Guignes with new Canson papers, Tiffen’s Daniel Waite demonstrates Steadicam; Reg Atkins and the Park Cameras team; Julia, Briony and Catt of Portrait Professional software; Ben Herlinger with Fotospeed’s Panoramic paper; Photomart’s impressive range of printers; Rotolight’s Alex French and Chris Eady.

their £2K+ video cameras via retailer partners at the show on the strength of a quick 4K demo. The sense was that everyone was being helpful and upbeat – with that bonhomie even lasting to the end of the second afternoon of the trade show (which took place Friday to Sunday, the masterclass element of the Convention having begun beforehand on the Wednesday). Panasonic, incidentally, was a brand new exhibitor this year, as was tripod brand Sirui UK Ltd, previously launched by Vic Solomon in BPI’s pages.

As we learnt in our Convention preview issue last November, up to 25% of attendees arrive from overseas.

This international reach was also reflected in the awards ceremony on the Saturday evening, with a host of Eastern European photographer names proving to be veritable tongue twisters with their multitude of ‘k’s and ‘v’s. As Juliet Jones told us: “Our overseas members spend a fortune, so exhibitors absolutely adore them. People from Eastern Europe, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, along with the smaller Mediterranean countries, don’t have something similar to the Convention in their own country. So when they come over here they spend an absolute bomb.”

Success is such that dates have already been announced for the next Convention in January 2016. Early birds will want to speak once again to Sam Scott-Smith to book a space on 01279 815575 or email sam@adpointmedia.co.uk

on 22-24th January. For stand bookings get in touch with Sam Scott-Smith on the contacts given above BPI News | February 2015 17

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Items shown are for reference only and are not to scale

Supported by

ALSO NEW from Konig is a range of high quality camera cases, available in four different designs to meet the needs of the majority of photo enthusiasts, and offering a smart design at a competitive price (with SRPs from £24.99) runs the pitch. There is the compact and water repellent KN-PB10 holster suitable for lightweight DSLRs, or the compact and water repellent KN-PB20 shoulder bag, also suitable for lightNational Trust POS priced. The mid range, mid size option is the KN-PB30, weight Lumix DSLRs, and identically which accommodates DSLR plus accessories including lenses and flashgun. The bigDescription is•the Complimentary National described as a versatile camera backpack with special gest option KN-PBP10, Trust Membership accessory compartment, adjustable dividers, a tripod strap and waterproof rain cover Campaign POS for optimal protection.

WITH SALES of ‘selfie sticks’ having shot up over the Christmas period – whereby the reach of the smartphone shooter’s arm is artificially extended via said stick, allowing for a more ‘professional’ photograph – distributor Nedis is offering dealers new Wobbler products here also in the Konig KN-SMP10 and KN-SMP20 (which adds a remote shutter option), both described as offering a universal phone grip and compatibility with GoPro and other action cameras. The pitch is that with the selfie stick, blurry or unsteady pictures are a thing of the past – just tell your customers to check with the concert venue or theatre if they’re considering using one indoors!

The selfie sticks will be available from Nedis UK this March, while the bags and action Hang Tag cameras are available right now. See adjacent feature for all the contacts you need. www.nedis.co.uk

BPI NEWS PRODUCT FOCUS

Dealers enjoy special chemistry with Nedis

H

ow were your Christmas and New Year sales? If there was any twinge of disappointment or unfulfilled expectation, or you just want to build on an already profitable business, help is at hand. Providing dealers with an extensive product line up some several thousand strong, distributor Nedis UK’s electrical items will sit comfortably alongside camera gear on your shelves.

“We’re talking sound bars for TVs, retro-style radios and Bluetooth headsets, not fridges,” notes Key Accounts Manager Alastair Wilson.

These can be ordered little or often as desired, and boast the kind of profit margins that those purely pushing camera kit can only dream of. Alastair adds that his company can help photo specialists plug the hole left by plummeting compact sales, or even manufacturers withdrawing their compact ranges entirely. “The message is that whether you’re a camera retailer or a mini lab, dealers can do well with Nedis, via things you can sell in a photo store that wouldn’t look out of place.”

Products worth prescribing Pharmacies are also doing well with Nedis. A case in point is Dean & Smedley in Market Street, Ashby de la Zouche, which has its own photo and video department run by Dean O’Shea (right). Dean tells BPI News that despite a drop in camera sales revenue, overall profits were up 14% for the Christmas period compared to the same season last year. This success is something he largely attributes to its Nedis-sourced kit and a desire to try new things.

“We’ve all got to start thinking outside of the box,” agrees Dean.

“If your knowledge is up to it and your staff are good sellers, we can always sell cases and cards, but the biggest issue is the margins, with the competition we’re getting from the Internet and the ‘sheds’ as we call them. Alastair used to come to me 25 years ago when he was with Kyocera-Yashica and you’d easily make 35% to 40%. The same went for Fuji and Ricoh in the film days. But now I make 8% from a Canon sale, and even with Christmas promotions you’d be lucky to make 12%. Some of

With continuing decline in compact sales following the rapid growth of digital camera ownership a decade back, Nedis UK’s message of stock diversity is not only valid, it’s essential, argues the supplier’s Alastair Wilson and chemist Dean O’Shea…

“The message is dealers can do well with Nedis, via things you can sell in a photo store that wouldn’t look out of place” – Alastair Wilson, Nedis UK Key Accounts Manager

those are bundled in with a case and a card, so you’ve lost the opportunity to upsell too.

“It’s not just a photographic industry now. Nedis has done the right thing to say ‘photographic means electrical’. Being a pharmacy we’ve always done well with electric razors, and link our gents’ section to boys’ toys, like cameras. But now we’re doing well with retro radios and small CD jukeboxes. As you’re doubling your money on the Nedis items, if you do have to compete with the Internet and with somebody who’s gone out and done their homework, then there’s still no problem. In our eyes it’s all about creating an experience for the customer. If you’ve done that then the customer doesn’t mind paying a little bit more anyway. But you can’t rip them off or they may never come back.”

In terms of his own shop layout and items therein, Dean compares it to a department store or branch of John Lewis, even though its history is as one of a chain of pharmacists.

“Each of our 11 pharmacies have photo kiosks in them and orders are fed back here to the processing lab out the back,” he explains. “I also service other camera shops and pharmacies in the area. It’s quite a lot of business for just the two of us, but we’ve had to do it, as we can’t just rely on camera sales.

“With a bit of luck Nedis will be helping us massively in 2015. We took a big order of the retro radios last November, piled ‘em up near the counter and 50% went in two weeks.

By contrast we have had years where we’ve struggled to compete with the Internet. But in October my website (ukphotoprinting.com) went live, and with Nedis being so far ahead of other suppliers, we now also have the opportunity to populate our site with its stock on a daily basis. On the basis of what Alastair has achieved with other dealers out there, it’s a no brainer – and I see Nedis being an even bigger supplier to our shop this year.”

Shore up your own bottom line with Nedis’ help on 0116 253 0325 or visit www.nedis.co.uk BPI News | February 2015 19

GREAT NEW LOOK GREAT NEW FEEL

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20 February 2015 | BPI News

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SPRING FAIR PREVIEW

Kenro ready to spring into action P

hoto frames – both ‘analogue’ and digital – are just some of the many offerings to the trade from Kenro for 2015.

Alongside traditional albums and frames, showcased at the Spring Fair in Birmingham (Hall 4, stand B03) as you read this, the distributor – an award winner at last year’s Gear of the Year – also supplies an extensive selection of hardware. The latter can be found at The Photography Show (stand F82)at the end of March – so there are two chances for the trade to handle new product and chat to MD Paul Kench and his team in fairly swift succession.

“At the Spring Fair we’ll be exhibiting a number of new designs along with all of our popular ranges,” says Paul. “And of course our latest catalogue reveals a number of new albums and frames we’ll be launching there. We enjoyed good sales of our products this Christmas, especially our albums and frames, and are now all focused on a really good 2015! We’re putting our best foot forward as ever and expanding on the broad appeal of our albums and frames.”

In terms of albums that might sell well through retailers at this time of year, there is Kenro’s Holiday Series of winter montage designs, which can accommodate 200 6x4-inch photos, plus its Tundra series of book bound memo albums, in red or dark grey, that can hold the same size and amount. For those looking ahead to spring and summer there is alternatively the Summer Breeze series with a bird and butterfly or rose and butterfly design.

New frames include the elegant Chester series available in either black and white with a generous 35mm wide profile, raised filigree design and removable picture mats, with frame sizes running from 7x5-inches to 8x10-inches.

Also looking smart are Senator frames, available in black, white and silver with a flat profile 20mm wide and 29.5mm deep. Frame sizes go up to A3 in size, suitable for wall hanging. Alternatively the popular Frisco series of wooden frames has a new stablemate: the Frisco Whitebrush. These frames boast a 10x16mm profile with MDF backs and freestanding easels. Each

The distributor is exhibiting its massive albums and frames line up at the NEC’s Spring Fair, February 1st to 5th, which you’ll have to dash to catch. Otherwise there’s its extensive 2015 catalogue for browsing and date at The Photography Show

New frame styles and albums are introduced every year to keep your stock fresh

frame is supplied shrink wrapped with protective corners. Sizes range from 6x4 inches to A3. “The Spring Fair has always proved valuable as a platform to meet new and existing clients,” adds Paul. “Retailers come from across the country to experience a wide variety of products and we always ensure that we have something interesting to tempt them on our stand.”

In terms of hardware, Paul flags up the Nissin i40 flashgun. “We had the Fuji fit in just before Christmas and the interest in it has been huge.”

Further new gear includes Reflecta’s RPS 10M Film Scanner that has a whopping 10,000dpi resolution, built-in dust and scratch removal process at £696 SRP. There are new action cameras from Braun too in the Braun Jumper 720p ActionCam HD with waterproof housing at £49.50 SRP and Braun Champion Full HD ActionCam with Wi-Fi and waterproofing for £110.22. Also four new Braun digital frames ranging from 7-inches to 18.5-inch, with prices starting at £50 have recently launched. “And we have a lot of new Marumi and Nissin product on the way which we’re planning to launch at The Photography Show,” promises Paul.

You don’t have to wait until then however. To view Kenro’s full range and become a stockist visit www.kenro.co.uk or call 01793 615836 for further information or to request a catalogue. All standard orders received by 1pm are shipped the same working day. Orders can be placed by phone, email or fax, or online via the dedicated trade website.

“Retailers come to Spring Fair from across the country to experience a wide variety of products.

We always ensure that we have something interesting to tempt them on our stand.”

– Kenro MD Paul Kench

Paul Kench (left) receiving his Gear of the Year Award from Bauer’s Ian ( Reg) Grundy at the Practical Photography awards.

To become a Kenro stockist please visit www.kenro.co.uk or call head office on 01793 615836 for further information BPI News | February 2015 21

NEWS

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Fotospeed at full speed for 2015

You’ve got mail!

Matthew Pierce, Future’s Head of Content and Marketing for Photography, on the power of email newsletters

F

otospeed’s Toby Herlinger (right) has been in touch to update the trade on a successful exhibition at The Societies Convention, mid January (see also page 16 and 17 for pictorial report). “Overall the trade show element was very good, “ he says.

“On the Friday it was absolutely rammed, and although it was quieter on the Saturday we actually sold more, because people had obviously come to buy – we sold out of our Panoramic inkjet media packs!

“Fellow exhibitor Panasonic has a photographer ambassador by the name of Ross Grieve (cover photographer for this issue of BPI News), who is also a customer of ours and uses our media, and had told us that Panasonic’s big push for this year is all about 4K and being able to take stills from the 4K video of the Panasonic GH4 and other 4K offerings.

“So we had a long conversation with them and decided to dip our toe in the water at the SWPP. We supplied the Epson R3000 with Fotospeed Photo Smooth Pearl paper and our inflow solution for the printer. The generic profiles we have on our website for our paper and ink-flow were so good out of the box that Ross didn’t feel the need to do custom profiling which is always nice. And the printed results were pretty outstanding up to A3. We’re playing around now with some of the 4K image files to see how far we can push them – we’re thinking they’ll go to A2.

“So we’re going to be rolling out this idea to The Photography Show and doing a much bigger more interactive 4K printing demonstration on the Panasonic stand (SWPP show demo table with big screen, top) as well as doing stuff on our stand. It’s a friendship that’s going places.

“To a certain degree 4K video capture is changing the photographic industry – if you are a wedding photographer doing four hours of video at 30 frames per second… I’m not saying it would replace stills photography as that’s a lot of frames to go through but it’s an amazing tool and the moment’s not missed. And hopefully if people are getting the shots that they want, they’re going to print more, so everyone’s a winner.

“We’re making it as cost effective to print as possible and making it as easy to print as possible with the colour management side of things. We’ve got growth in all areas of our inkjet products, which is really positive!” www.fotospeed.com

E

mail newsletters. They might not be very sexy – but here at Future we find that they remain one of the most effective methods of engaging with our audiences.

In the photography group we’ve been working hard to grow our email newsletter lists over the last few months, and as well as dramatically increasing our potential customers, we’ve seen our audience engagement levels rocket too.

As with most digital marketing, our start point has been making sure we have engaging content that people want to read. All the smart SEO and PPC campaigns in the world will be wasted if your content doesn’t appeal to your audience.

Obviously as a market-leading publisher of photography content, we’ve got a bit of a head start when it comes to editorial content – and our archive of photography tips, tutorials, videos and interviews has been useful to delve into on a weekly basis.

But the beauty of email delivery is that content doesn’t need to be thousands of words long to get good response. In fact, often the shorter the better. ‘Listicle’ style articles (number-based content lists, now prevalent all over the web) can be easy to write and extremely effective. The template structure and requirement for pithy pointmaking enforce a discipline and simplicity to your writing that’s both easy to digest, and familiar to readers.

Of course it’s best if your newsletters link through to a fantastic content-rich website; one designed to effectively sell your goods in an environment that has user experience at the heart of the design...

But assuming that’s a given(!), focus on building your audiences and get them comfortable with regular communication that adds actual value to their inbox.

And on frequency and timing: test, test... and test again. We send the Digital Camera email out weekly, at midday on a Friday. But the time of your mailout should be dictated by your audience. And the beauty of email is the ability to – very simply – use multivariate testing to tell you what works and –- just as importantly – what doesn’t.

Plus, there are now so many great email newsletter services, templates and packages with powerful free functionality that there’s almost no excuse not to add regular email newsletter communication to your marketing tactics.

We’ve managed to grow our Digital Camera World email database to more than 60,000 subscribers over the last six months. Mainly through social sign-ups, competitions, website calls-to-action, quizzes, in-magazine marketing and events data capture. But always with engaging content underpinning our activity, and all while maintaining a clean list that constantly delivers some of Future’s best open rates and click through rates.

So the next goal we’ve set ourselves is 100,000 by the end of the summer. And is there any other medium you can think of that could – at almost no cost – generate another 40,000 potential customers to your business? If you can, do let me know. By email (obviously). matthew.pierce@futurenet.com

See your company and your products featured in BPI News – email info@bpinews.co.uk 22 February 2015 | BPI News

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BPI News | February 2015 23

BPI NEWS PRODUCT FOCUS

Sigma well placed to drive sales in 2015 With over 40 lenses for full frame and APS-C cameras, including three for CSC cameras, plus cutting edge optical stabilisation and award winning innovation at a very fair price, Sigma UK looks forward to a successful year…

Your Sigma UK sales contacts Andrew Morris, National Sales Manager (Greater London, the Home Counties and South of England) Tel: 0208 449 7737 Fax: 0208 449 6461 Mobile: 07860 494 128 Email: amorris30@btconnect.com

Y

ou can only make a success at retail if you’ve got the right product at the right price plus a strong, proactive sales team to place a headwind behind it. Luckily Sigma UK has been able to place a tick in each of those boxes, and nothing has changed as far as 2015 is looking, with familiar faces gracing its sales team (see contacts panel on this page), eager to support retail partners big and small as the year gets underway.

40 ways to make an impression As a reminder for Sigma dealers and other interested parties, the manufacturer currently offers 40+ lens options at varying price points covering full frame and APS-C sensor digital SLRs – meaning, in short, it offers the proverbial ‘something for everyone’. Selling points here include cutting edge Optical Stabilisation systems and innovative technologies such as Hyper Sonic AF, not to mention that the latest range sits under the umbrella of Sigma Global Vision, that sees not only its optics sorted into three easy to pitch line ups – Sports, Contemporary and Art – but also the introduction of other

customer friendly services such as the Mount Conversion Service, and its USB Dock, whereby the Firmware of its products can be updated by simply hooking them up to the PC friendly device.

On top of this there is Sigma Japan’s stringent ‘A1’ MTF quality control and testing process, incorporating Foveon’s 46MP sensor.

The Foveon sensor is also used in Sigma’s cameras, comprising both DSLR and compact, which are award winning products in themselves, as we have previously flagged up in the pages of BPI News.

Cameras and lenses aside, Sigma also has four new filter ranges, previously announced at Photokina last September. These are water/oil repellent and anti static Sigma WR Protector, Sigma WR UV Filter and Sigma WR Circular PL (polarizing) filter. On top of these there is a standard Sigma Protector filter. All provide the trade with the opportunity to piggyback the sale of a lens with the sale of a filter to protect said purchase, and are claimed to be ideal for various types of lenses from wide angle to telephoto. Thread sizes are: 46mm, 49mm, 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm, 82mm (all

thinner frames), plus 86mm, 95mm, 105mm (normal frame type).

Rounding out your sales opportunities, there are additionally three Sigma flashguns to choose from. First up is the EF-610 DG Super, suitable for most DSLRs and with a powerful Guide Number of 61 plus TTL wireless flash function.

Next in line is the EF-610 DG ST, a multifunctional shoe type flash (but without the wireless capability) again suited to most DSLRs, and with the same guide number. The third option is the EM-140 DG, an automatic multifunctional macro flash ideal for illuminating and subsequently photographing subjects in fine detail. Guide number is 14 at ISO100.

See Sigma’s salesmen at The Photography Show There will of course once again be ample opportunity to catch up with and chat to the Sigma sales team at The Photography Show – crowds permitting – where it will be demonstrating the latest product line up on stand B82. “We hope to see all of you there,” adds Sigma UK General Manager Graham Armitage.

Ray Fitchett, Regional Sales Manager (Lancashire, Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, West Midlands, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and North, Central and South Wales) Tel/Fax: 0121 311 0567 Mobile: 07973 116 483 Email: sigma@rayfitchett.com Donald Spencer – Agent (Scotland, Northern Ireland, Cumbria, North East England and Channel Isles) Tel: 01506 843510 Mobile: 07836 380995 Email: don.spencer@btconnect.com

Head office: Graham Armitage, General Manager Tel: 01707 329 999 Fax: 01707 327 822 Email: sales@sigma-imaging-uk.com www.sigma-imaging-uk.com

Equipment imported by Sigma Imaging UK Ltd comes with the added benefit of a 3-year warranty. See www.sigma-imaging-uk.com 24 February 2015 | BPI News

Create a beautiful framed display, straight out of the box.

COME AND SEE US AT

TETENAL - STAND C101

Introducing La Moda Collection Stunning framed displays made simple.

The La Moda collection means anyone can create an eye catching display of their favourite photographs. The box set includes 10 frames & a unique T-measure tool which allows easy spacing to achieve exact positioning.

Four possible display combinations to choose from!

Frame Type Box set contains 10 Frames to make a stunning display.

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Choose from four simple to follow design templates available in each pack.

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La Moda is one of the new Deco Range of stylish contemporary frames available exclusively in the UK from Tetenal.

TEL: 0116 289 3644

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BPI News | February 2015 25 www.tetenaluk.com

BPI NEWS PRODUCT OF THE MONTH

Intro2020 Illum ‘illuminates’ E

veryone claims ‘you’ve got to see it to believe it’ and mostly that’s just hype. And yet, in the case of the Lytro Illum – imagine a ‘stealth’ version of a regular bridge camera or DSLR, complete with matt black paint – you really do have to view the results and have a play around to fully grasp the concept of being able to re-focus a shot postcapture. Its exclusive UK distributor Intro2020 tells us there are 50 outlets stocking the much-discussed device at the time of writing, including Wilkinsons, Wex, Park Cameras, Cameraworld, Calumet and Jessops.

Not intended as a way of shooting and producing plain 2D prints –there are cheaper and more conventional devices to achieve that – the Illum is instead designed to create threedimensional ‘living images’. The description is ‘living’, because the portion of the image in focus is manually adjustable after the shot has been taken. Simply tap a spot on the large 4-inch angle-adjustable touch screen or, alternatively, when your shots have been downloaded and fed into the specialist software, click a portion of the image with your computer’s mouse to see focus shift to wherever you’ve selected.

This hitherto impossible feat is now a possibility thanks to light being captured at multiple angles to create rich 3D data. This data is intended to be enjoyed digitally; and with pictures from the Lytro Illum designed to be viewed on PCs, smartphones and tablets, could this, indeed, be the future of photography?

The biggest wow factor and best results are delivered when there is something of visual interest in both the foreground, middle and background, so using the Lytro Illum requires a more patient, considered approach to image creation; this isn’t a device for purely pointing and shooting. With a price tag of £1299 we feel that you’ll need and want to demo the camera to customers to sell it. While we do know that Intro2020’s product specialist James Finch has been visiting dealers to bring them up to speed on the potentially revolutionary product, interested parties in the trade will also be able to examine the Illum for themselves on the Lytro stand E61 at The Photography Show in March.

We get our hands-on with the new Lytro Illum, available exclusively via Intro2020 in the UK, put it through its paces and discover whether dealers should be stocking the potentially groundbreaking ‘light field’ camera – plus how to pitch it if they do…

James Finch of Intro2020 demos the Illum at the Societies Trade Show in London

Where does Illum fit in?

The obvious initial question is: if you have stock of the camera to sell or are considering adding it to your shelves, to whom should you be pitching the Lytro Illum? Intro2020’s Marketing manager Jane Nicholson tells us that a major fashion house has just had its fashion show photographed using the camera. And when we sat down with James at Intro, he also mentioned advertising, estate agents and architects, as well as businesses and hotels – seeing obvious advantages to hosting an animated ‘living image’ on their website, that could be used to highlight various features in turn, automatically pulling focus from one to another.

So, given the fact that it encourages you to think differently about how a photograph is composed and shared, how easy is the Lytro Illum to get to grips with and operate? BPI News was lent the camera for a couple of weeks.

For starters we’re thrown a curveball in that we’re not to think in terms of megapixels here but ‘Megarays’ instead, of which there are 40, courtesy of its ‘light field’ sensor, a customized 1/1.2-inch CMOS chip. This is married with a non-interchangeable lens, offering a 30-250mm equivalent focal length in 35mm terms (or 8x zoom) and constant f/2 aperture. While you can shoot stills, the camera doesn’t presently offer a video

option, though you can do the next best thing and export the files as animations, bringing one section of the frame into focus while another blurs.

How much of the shot is in focus – the depth of field – is controlled via an on-screen depth scale, with displayed units running from centimetres to metres. It’s possible to focus as close as 0cm, with the lens glass touching the subject.

While that sounds impressive, it takes a bit of trial and error to get the most effective results. That said, one could argue the beauty of photography is that it is all about experimentation, and experimenting with light at that.

As this camera will hold appeal for photo enthusiasts as well as

Check out the Lytro Illum first hand at The Photography Show this March by heading to the separate 26 February 2015 | BPI News

Photographic British

Industry

news

a future for photography Left: the Illum is a chunky camera in the hand. Below and right: a couple of examples of actual shots, refocused in the computer (it can also be done on the touch screen). Just tap the mouse, trackpad or tablet touch screen on a spot, and the focus shifts instantly. You can play back the shot as an animation with the focus changing.

☛

☛

☛ ☛

businesses seeking that elusive wow factor, there is a degree of customization possible, in that the direction in which the lens rings – of which there are two, one for zooming the other for focusing – turn can be altered. The lens barrel has a smooth, rubber-textured feel, aiding grip.

Patience is required when setting up a shot, with some subjects (chiefly those providing more than a single point of interest) lending themselves more readily to being portrayed in an image with 3D-like depth than others, so this isn’t a straight replacement for a bridge camera or DSLR – it’s entirely its own unique thing. It does feel closest to a bridge camera in terms of handling however, despite the lack of eye

level viewfinder, partly because of its aluminium and magnesium construction plus that prominent lens. In combination this ensures that it weighs a chunky 940g without battery. Dimensions are officially 86x145x166mm.

Image file sizes (Lytro Raw or X-Raw) can top 60MB, so a fast, high capacity SD is required, which presents an obvious opportunity for retailers to add a card sale to any transaction. These image files can be exported as MPG video animations, and hosted online or anywhere else. They can also be simply saved as standard JPEGs, once you’ve decided where you want to ‘fix’ focus for a particular shot. We should add that JPEG file sizes are

output much smaller at a couple of MB, so these are not really designed for billboard-sized prints, more reference tools. Apart from Adobe Photoshop, workflow compatibility is offered with Lightroom and Apple’s Aperture software. There is also Wi-Fi on board the camera, but presently compatibility offered just with iOS, not Android. We also get a vacant top plate hotshoe provided for possible accessories, though no built-in flash. Exposure can however been manually tweaked to ensure images are sufficiently bright and the weight meant that we weren’t often troubled by instances of camera shake/unintentional blurring.

Conclusion and advice Over the past five years a handful of digital stills cameras, from both Sony and Fujifilm, have allowed us to create either a 3D photo to display on our flat panel TV, or achieve a lenticular-like effect, giving the illusion of an image with immersive depth. But as soon as they arrived, such gadgets almost immediately

disappeared; 3D was no longer the ‘next big’ thing, as we moved on to 4K capture. What’s to say the Lytro Illum won’t likewise be a flash-inthe-pan? The obvious answer is that more of us now exclusively view our images on handsets and tablets, compared to even five years ago.

The Illum was created with that very end use in mind; it delivers shots you can almost step into. For those in the trade worried about how technological advances have quickened the demise of traditional photography, the positive view to take is that this could be the next evolutionary step in ensuring photography has a future.

Whether you regard it as a bit of a curio, or a re-writing of the rulebook, courtesy of being able to re-focus a shot after it has been taken, this is ultimately one camera that you really must try yourselves.

Fortunately you have the opportunity to delve into the finer details via Lytro.com, or call in at stand E61 at The Photography Show at the NEC late March for a one-toone chat with the team.

stand E61. Contact Intro2020 now for stock via sales@intro2020.co.uk or call 01628 674411 BPI News | February 2015 27

BPI NEWS BUSINESS BOOSTER

‘It’s going to be another great year’

F

ujifilm’s FDIS Marketing Manager Peter Wigington has been in touch with BPI News to bring us up to date with the successes of its Fujifilm Digital Imaging Service network.

“The FDIS group have enjoyed a great trading year on the whole,” Peter tells us, summing up 2014 and looking ahead to the rest of 2015. “December in particular was exceptional with around 30% more paper and media shipped to the stores compared to last year.

The highlights of the run up to Christmas were the sales in canvas prints and photobooks. Our new Photobook Brilliant and Fastbook products, available on the Fuifilm Imagine kiosk, shipped from our own production lab in Belguim and printed on Fujifilm Crystal Archive paper, certainly helped. For the coming year we are planning some brilliant in-store promotions for the FDIS members and, to increase our retailer support, we have taken on a new Imagine consultant specifically to work with them to get the most out of their new Fujifilm Imagine software and boost sales even more. It’s going to be another great year!

Already off to a successful start is FDIS member Mark Preston of City Photographic Ltd (retail floor, top picture) due in no small part to proactively promoting his offers and business across social media and local radio. “It is extremely important that all FDIS retailers use promotions, social media and other platforms to communicate to their customers,” he believes. “Christmas was extremely busy, with a lot of the trading happening within the last few weeks.

Christmas eve was particularly hectic with customers purchasing prints, frames and sizing images to fit odd frames. This all helped contribute to the fact that sales for Christmas 2014 appeared to have increased for us, compared with previous years.”

Big sellers for the retailer were single print orders and frames.

Demand for photo restoration, photo gifts and wide format printing also increased. Film processing stayed consistent. But Mark adds that the biggest surprise for him was the great increase in demand for Fujifilm Instax cameras and film.

So believes Fujifilm’s Marketing Manager Peter Wigington, right, discussing his FDIS retailer partners.

We hear too from the guys at City Photographic who have got 2015 off to a profitable start

services to suit the time of year, for example tailoring them to ‘Student course-work hand-in dates’, Easter, Fathers Day and Mothers Day. We also do various studio promotions along the way. So have a variety of services and products to offer your customers and have brilliant displays of them all year round. Run the FDIS promotions, use your customer data, communicate to customers via the website, social media and e-newsletters. Also, look at services that can be outsourced. Going forward, we are currently offering next day prices for all our four-hour services on Saturdays.”

Another FDIS member makes ‘wheel-y good’ progress

Neil Collier ready to set off with bicycle, above, and en route

At the finish, above, and showing off all the sponsorships on his white jersey, backing him to raise £2,000 for Maggie’s Cancer Centre in Swansea

“The secret to making the shop a success is having a variety of products and services both online and in the shop,” Mark replies when asked for advice for FDIS members looking to replicate his upturn in sales. “We run all the FDIS promotions and we tweak our

In related news, network member Neil Collier of Colliers Photo Imaging, which won FDIS ‘Shop of the Year’ in 2013, has been doing his bit for charity and got in touch to tell us about completing a bike ride from Paris to Swansea, covering 360 miles over four days along with 44 other riders. In the process he raised £2,000 for Maggie’s Cancer Centre in Swansea.

“During the training and fundraising I gained support from Fujifilm UK, Delkin Devices, Photowonder and some local businesses in my bid to hit targets,” says Neil. “I was permitted to wear their logos on my own cycling jersey for promotion of the event.

“Following this, I have produced out a number of customised pop-up banners for promotion of other cycling events and also for souvenirs for the riders. During the ride I was armed with a Fujifilm XP-150 digital camera and a Polaroid Action bullet head camera. I captured images and video clips throughout, then produced a DVD as another souvenir for the riders. A group photo was taken on our last day, which I then printed, framed and posted to facebook. I had orders placed for over 30 riders who wanted to buy their own print. The money raised from these framed prints went back in to the fundraising pot for the charity. The whole thing has proved to be as good for business as it was for keeping fit!”

To boost your own business, get in touch with Peter now on 01234 572138 or via pwigington@fuji.co.uk 28 February 2015 | BPI News

THE INSIDE TRACK

‘Bigger, stronger, brighter…’

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his year there were relatively few new product announcements and a lack of the revolutionary developments that we have seen in previous years. I think that’s partly down to the show following hot on the heels from Photokina, whereas that’s not the case every year. However it was good to be able to meet up with various people from the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands, plus my predecessor Nigel McNaught received a distinguished service award for his 13 sterling years. It’s encouraging that there are still people interested enough to want to go, even though Photokina dominates from a European perspective and this show follows on soon afterwards.

In terms of developments in video and still capture, 4K was everywhere – everything, as always, is getting bigger and stronger and brighter. Some of the TVs on display had the most incredibly sharp view. For certain applications the difference between a regular photographic image and one grabbed from 4K video is getting very marginal; it’s like in the old days when we had a one megapixel camera… soon everyone wants a two megapixel model, then four and eight megapixels – the resolution creeps up and soon we’ll have 8K. You get to a point when the amount of megapixels in a camera is no longer that important – it’s good enough for the vast majority of people who use them.

In terms of photo finishing there were no obvious trends, apart from Noritsu was pushing its dry processing as being eco friendly and easy to use. I also chaired a few seminars for the PMA. One of the most interesting was speaker Heino Hilbig’s presentation on why people are not using cameras and favouring phones for photography instead. His suggestion was that we need to make photography less geeky and more fun; an iPhone will take a perfectly good picture for most people. Yet you compare it to a DSLR or bridge camera, which is covered in lots of buttons and controls that nobody ever uses except for the professionals.

Photography should be something you do as second nature. So you can’t blame

Dazzled by Las Vegas’ bright lights and 4K TV screens, UK PMA Director Don Kennedy reports back on developments and highlights from January’s PMA Conference, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES)

Selfie-stick phones and flying drones – CES in action

phones for the lack of camera sales because it’s actually the design of the cameras that is more of a problem. That’s an interesting take when you consider camera manufacturers are adding in yet more features to differentiate their products from smartphones. At least as far as the mass market is concerned, a higher degree of automation rather than complexity is needed.

Hilbig also asked: ‘Where do we stand today in the photo market? What are the reasons for this situation? Who can change the situation?’ He argued that

by applying mathematical formulas to extensive market research data we can get a clear picture as to what is really going on. We are all feeling helpless about the camera industry, as compact camera sales have plunged and DSLR sales have plunged right behind them. But looking at these steep declines against known sales models shows us that it’s not the two major things we feared. It’s not market saturation. It’s not smart phones.

Therefore, it must be another reason.

The primary reason for these steep declines is, he thinks, failure to

“You can’t blame phones for the lack of camera sales because it’s actually the design of the cameras that is more of a problem…” communicate. Look at photos of camera store windows and displays from the 1980s as compared to today. Nothing has changed in those windows. The market underwent an incredible destructive re-organisation with digital and smart phones, yet we still are selling and making cameras in styles they way we did in 1980; an eye opening presentation for sure.

The PMA has also undergone a recent re-organisation, putting in place a new Chief Executive and joining forces with an association management company to outsource some of the things it does for members. It can therefore provide a greater level of support. So it’s a re-invigoration of PMA, which is looking at how it can deliver more benefits to its members going forward. I’m still signing up new members, which is good news, and the question I have for them all is ‘what would you like from this association?’ I’m getting a lot of varied responses – but I do want to improve things and deliver what people want. I’ll be at The Photography Show for anyone who wants to come and find me for a chat.

For trade issues get in touch with UK PMA Director Don Kennedy on 0785 004 6464 or DonKennedy@pmai.org

BPI News | February 2015 29

BPI NEWS EXTRA

22-24 MARCH 2015 THE NEC, BIRMINGHAM

Trade fired up for the 2015 show Stand space is almost gone for The Photography Show, March 21st to 24th.

But even if you’re not exhibiting, this exciting update may well sway you to attend

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ooking to draw the crowds – over 30,000 attended 2014’s inaugural event – and provide your products with maximum exposure and footfall, Future has announced more big names on its Super Stage at the NEC. These include photographers Don McCullin (famed for his iconic Vietnam War images), Tim Flach (anthropomorphic animal and horse photography), Tom Stoddart (photojournalism) and Martin Parr (quirky interpretations of the everyday).

On top of this, 84 new exhibitors have been added for 2015, including Leica, Sony, and Pentax/Ricoh. As stated previously, the event can now be found in Hall 5, the NEC’s largest space, located closer to the station. To accommodate the expected footfall, a food hall has been added, along with a gallery in the same location. Aisles – packed last year – have been widened to allow for a better visitor experience.

There are also a couple of new partners this year: the Association of Photographers and TimeInc, formerly IPC Media.

Once again, the Bowens Lounge will be the place for visitors to meet and enjoy a relaxing beverage on the show floor, while enthusiasts will be able to enjoy an even more packed schedule of live events, seminars and educational features.

Newly introduced is Streetscape – an urban setting – where pros will instruct visitors in the art of street photography – a Filmmaker Theatre, which is a seminar theatre dedicated to HD DSLR film making, plus an area demonstrating the possibilities of creating great photos with a Smartphone (Mobileography). The Saturday and Sunday will also witness the hosting of a Beginner’s Masterclass,

a half-day conference on both days aimed at demystifying equipment, techniques and terms for novices.

Making networking work Any trade or industry themed show is also a prefect opportunity for networking, whether you’re a manufacturer, retailer, minilab or pro photographer. There is the Bowens Lounge available each and every day as mentioned above. Added to this for 2015 is a Pro Happy Hour for the final hour of the show on Saturday and Sunday. There will also be networking drinks for professionals on Monday 23rd March from 5pm to 8pm, during which 10 pro photographers will be sharing tips and tricks with their peers as part of a fast paced presentation. On top of this the Master Photographers Association are holding a networking event said to be ‘like no other’ in the Bowens Lounge on

Monday from 4pm to 5pm, which is designed to help professionals build a creative team by introducing them to stylists and models.

From the above it’s clear that the team from The Photography Show is working harder than ever to pitch the event at the widest possible audience. Keeping up with the times, a special show ‘app’ is downloadable via the Apple Store, Google Play or: http://bit.ly/1L2LezT Clearly, it appears, there will be something for everyone.

To secure a last minute spot call Jonny Sullens, Head of Events, on 020 7042 4301 or email: jonny.sullens@futurenet.com For media partnerships Marketing Manager Grace Turner is your contact on 020 7042 4303 or email: grace.turner@futurenet.com Trade must register before March 18th for free entry to the event. After this date, trade visitors will have to pay standard entrance fee.

Our March issue is The Photography Show preview edition. Until then stay updated via www.photographyshow.com 30 February 2015 | BPI News

s d e l rte p Ex

rs a n emi

ors t i b i h + ex

cts u d o r p w Ne

200

The Photography Show is the event for professional photographers.

Join us this March and:

• See what’s new from over 200 leading brands including Canon and Nikon

• See Don McCullin, Mary Ellen Mark,

Martin Parr and more on the Super Stage

• Get top business advice and enhance your creativity at the Pro Conference

Book your ticket today (for free)*at:

photographyshow.com *Advanced trade registration closes at 17:00, 18 March, adult ticket rates apply after this date.

BPI News | February 2015 31

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