BPI News March 2015

DON’T MISS OUT: REGISTER FREE FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW – DETAILS INSIDE

PhotographicBritish

Industry newsPUTTING THE TRADE IN FOCUS • WWW.BPINEWS.CO.UK

MARCH 2015 • £3

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GEARING UPFOR THE BIGSHOW

YOUR INDUSTRY INSIDER

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BLISHED OVER 25 YEARS

From pocket-sized point & shoots to 50 megapixel monsters, we have your sales picture this spring

Don McCullinMartin Parr

Mary Ellen Mark

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Show highlights:• Over 200 exhibitors including; Nikon, Canon,

Olympus, Fujifi lm and Panasonic

• Rare appearances from world renowned photographers on the Super Stage

• Demonstrations and top tips from the pros on the Streetscape, IGPOTY Garden and Live Stage

And so much more.

Book your ticket today at: photographyshow.com

Featuring:

The Photography Show is the event for anyone who’s passionate about photography.

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

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Show ‘em what you’re made ofNEWS 4Samsung introduces the NX500 CSC, promising the power of the NX1 in a smaller format, Fuji reveals future ‘X’ series lenses, Tetenal promotes some familiar faces, Pentax/Ricoh is developing a full frame DSLR, plus for customers seeking serious camera protection in transit, DirekTek looks an open and shut case

NIKON REACHES FOR THE STARS 9Nikon UK’s Jeremy Gilbert and new product manager Coralie Smith tell us why your customers should be reaching for a Nikon the next time they want to reach for the stars. Plus we brave sub zero tem-peratures at London’s Icebar to bring you news of a pair of tough-ened compacts looking to warm up your sales this spring

ILLUMINATING NEW NEO FROM ROTOLIGHT 13In advance of the team’s trip to The Photography Show, Rotolight’s Alex French talks us through the features of this must have new LED light for affixing to your customers’ camera hotshoes. Developed at Pinewood studios for cinematographers and photographers alike, we discover its main selling points

BE SURE OF PROFITS WITH EPSON SURELAB 15For our four-page special pull-out, we learn that distributor and official Epson retail partner Tetenal will be showcasing the man-ufacturer’s SureLab photo finishing solutions at The Photography Show. Marketing Manager Craig clues us up on what to expect and what’s worth demo-ing at the NEC event

ONE MAC, MULTIPLE BRANDS 27We catch up with new photo marketing and distribution company MAC Group Europe, profiled in BPI News last issue, to go more into depth about the brands it has on its books – Benro, Induro, Tenba, MeFoto and Vü filters – which it will be showcasing to the trade at The Photography Show this month

EDITORIAL

CONTENTS

BPI News March 2015

Visit www.bpinews.co.uk

It’s been a mixed month, with BBC News reports of low inflation, as camera prices drop, further putting the squeeze on

dealer margins, shored up by a buoyant trade celebrating itself at the AP Awards in February and then looking forward to showcasing its wares at The Photography Show, March 21st to 24th. Don’t forget that those in our industry can gain free entry by registering online at the official website – see details on page 5 – but this needs to be done by March 18th to avoid missing out. Last year’s event was a great success for the events division of Future Publishing, not only to their relief but, frankly, the relief of the trade at large, and it seems that other eyes were watching too. Fellow publishers Time Inc (formerly IPC) will be at the second exhibition in its new larger Hall 5 location, along with Sony, Ricoh/Pentax and Leica for the first time, whilst NEC regulars Canon, Nikon, Sigma et al, at the first event in 2014, are returning to the fray. While we’ll be monitoring this year’s exhibition closely – with a full report from the show floor published here next month – it appears The Photography Show has grown into its own skin pretty quickly. Hard to believe now that just over two years ago, when Mary Walker brought the axe down on quarter of a century of Focus on Imaging, there was an open debate as to whether a dedicated photography show was still required and relevant. Thankfully the organisers have worked hard to make it relevant, and this year’s event looks to be both bigger and better than ever – going by the stellar line up of iconic photographers on the Super Stage to add further draw for potential visitors to that supplied by the big name manufacturers. Inevitably, with the official audit revealing just over 30,000 visitors last year (pretty impressive for a ‘new’ show), all eyes will once again be on the numbers for 2015, with these acting as an indicator of the health of the wider photographic industry. Can Future pleasantly surprise us twice? Whatever happens, and whether you go as exhibitor or visitor, the whole trade ultimately benefits. So, see you there? Gavin Stoker, Editor

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EDITOR - Gavin StokerEmail: [email protected]: 07990 974 367Please direct all editorial requests, news and press releases [email protected]

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Publisher’s Office: 12 Holmes Close, Sunninghill, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 9TJ.BPI Partners Ltd accept no ultimate re-sponsibility for accurate reproduction of digital artwork created by third parties. Insurance and carriage of products sub-mitted for inclusion in reports rests with the owner. News, data, prices, interviews and opinion are printed in good faith E&OE. Content including advertising artwork created by BPI Partners Ltd or its agents is ©2015 BPI Partners Ltd. ISSN: to be advised.

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COVER: Canon brings out its ‘guns’, both big and little… while the IXUS 275 HS looks the part for those seeking a stylish snapshot this spring, the real news this month is the manufacturer’s pair of pixel-packing whoppers in the 5DS and 5DSRCOPY DUE DATE FOR APRIL 2015 BPI NEWS – OUR PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW REVIEW EDITION – IS MARCH 18th… with show news ’til March 25th… POSTED OUT END MARCH. GET YOUR PRODUCTS IN FRONT OF THE TRADE IN TIME FOR EASTER

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21-24th March 2015

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THE LEICESTER based photographic distributor, which includes Kodak, Epson, Tetenal, SpectraJet, Ilford and Hahnemuhle among its brands, has promoted two key personnel to director level with ‘immediate effect’: Mark Norman MBA FCCA (top) has been appointed Financial Director and Phil Barker has been appointed Sales Director. Tetenal’s MD Mike Fawcett tells BPI News: “We have big plans for the continued growth of the business, both in the UK and Europe, so it was essential that we strengthened the managerial foundations of the company at a director level.“Mark and Phil have brought great passion and enthusiasm to the company since they started and their experience has had a positive effect on colleagues. It was therefore a nat-ural choice for me when I came to consider which appoint-ments to make.” For more news from Tetenal this month, turn to our centre ages. www.tetenaluk.com

LESS THAN six months after it announced the NX1, Samsung is pitching its new NX500 system camera as offering the core performance of that flagship CSC (also BPI News October’s cover star) in a more portable, compact form. Updated connectivity via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi claims to provide a seamless ‘shoot ‘n’ share’ experience for users, and the device is being aimed at both photographers and ‘cinematographers’. Like the NX1, the APS-C sensor incorporating NX500 offers 28MP stills and 4K video, although max burst speed is a slightly slower (but still pretty impressive) 9fps. And we do get an adjustable tilt and flip up AMOLED back screen. Availability is from March with pricing at £599 SRP. www.samsung.co.uk

Tetenal promotes familiar faces

Move over NX1, here’s the NX500

WITH A guide price of £159.99 and a trade price of £106.66 via distributor Swains, there is every reason to stock the Impossible ‘Instant Lab Universal’ for smartphone and tablet photographers. For the first time both iOS and Android users can make use of this portable analogue device that transforms digital images into classic Polaroid-type instant photos. Described as ‘not a camera’ and ‘not a printer’ the lab is a fundamentally analogue photographic tool that exposes light to film. It has a high quality four-element coated glass lens and a hand operated metal shutter. Size is a portable 148x111x62mm when collapsed, power coming via lithium ion battery. Swains’ Stuart Boston told us he is also excited about another imminent product in the ‘pixelstick’, designed to be utilised by your photographer customers for producing light paintings and which has a guide price of £329. www.swains.co.uk

Smartphone snaps become Polaroid prints

THE PHOTO giant has announced which of its brand ambassadors will be speaking on its ‘exciting new interactive stand’ at The Photography Show this month. Central to the stand will be the Nikon School stage, where speakers in-clude Kate Hopewell-Smith, renowned for her lifestyle and wedding photogra-phy, and Kirsty Mitchell, who has gained a cult following for her whimsi-cal and creative Wonderland series. Brand ambassadors Mark Pain, John Wright, Mark Seymour and Bob Martin will also be giving talks for Nikon, as will fine art fashion pho-tographer Miss Aniela, landscape pho-tographer Jeremy Walker and wildlife photographer Chris Gomersall. In terms of news slightly more rele-vant to the trade, Nikon’s I am Different marketing campaign will also play a huge role in Nikon’s presence at the show, with the ultimate aim of engag-ing and inspiring photographers to be creative and, it tells us, “think outside of the box”. www.nikon.co.ukPictures by Mark Seymour from his Hope Foundation work in India

Nikon talks to the world at

21-24 MARCH 2015THE NEC, BIRMINGHAM

Five new papers from IlfordNEWS reaches us that Ilford, available via distributor Tetenal, is due to launch five new Fine Art Inkjet papers at The Photography Show and is poised to reveal both the new papers and further plans for the future after a turbulent 18 months. Ilford will be on the Tetenal C101 Stand on Monday 23rd March.

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The annual gathering of the photographic trade, professional and enthusiast

photographer is almost upon us. Some 30,003 visitors (BPA audited) attended 2014’s inaugural The Photography Show event, which replaced the annual Focus on Imaging across the same March weekend, although this year it falls later in the month. Some 200 big names will be showcasing their wares, with the likes of Sony, Leica, Pentax/Ricoh and BlackMagic exhibiting for the first time. If you still haven’t registered for your free entry ticket you’re entitled to, you now only have a mere couple of weeks to do so in order to avoid being charged on the door. With multiple stages hosting live events spread across the show floor – and famous ‘Super Stage’ speakers including Martin Parr, Tom Stoddart, Mary Ellen Mark, Tim Flach, Simon Norfolk and Don MCullin – the event’s organisers at Future Publishing were busier than a nest of bees when we spoke as the pre-show days ticked down. But paused to give us a top ten reasons why the trade should attend any (or all) of the four days this year, March 21st-24th (Saturday through Tuesday): 1. See all of the major manufacturers in one place 2. Discover which photo products are in the spotlight for 2015 3. Hear first-hand what’s creating a buzz for consumers in imaging 4. Network with your customers attending the show and keep abreast of the competition 5. See and hear photographic legends on the Super Stage 6. Enjoy exclusive trade access to the Bowens Lounge for meetings or simply a coffee and a chat 7. Take part in Pro Happy Hour in the Bowens Lounge 8. Witness more demonstrations

and exclusive events on the Live stages 9. Get first hand product demos from a wealth of manufacturers and suppliers, including Fujifilm, Sony and Panasonic, with Sony attending The Photography Show officially for the first time. Via a series of product demos, it’s promised Panasonic, Sony and Fujifilm will be putting the spotlight on one of their cameras to give you an in-depth look at its features and capabilities 10. Be part of the ultimate photography showcase of 2015!

Join online

DON’T MISS OUT: To register/book your ticket/s for The Photography Show and to see what else is taking place visit photographyshow.com You can also follow the build up to the event on Twitter @ukphotoshow and download a free app at the official website URL above. See you there, and look out for our April cover date edition of BPI News for a full show report. 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. Trade must register before March 18th for free entry to the event. After this date, trade visitors will have to pay standard entrance fee.

Photos: the 2014 event

It’s Showtime!PREVIEW21-24 MARCH 2015

THE NEC, BIRMINGHAM

It’s just days until Europe’s biggest annual photographic event throws open its doors in a larger hall at the NEC, with even more big-draw names on the bill than last year… trade visitors have only until March 18th to register for FREE entry


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Just the ticket...but hurry!Remember your staff, trade and professional customers need to register for free entry now at www.photographyshow.com be-fore 5pm on March 18th to avoid paying £18 on the door. Start planning now to take advantage of the spin off generated by manufacturers and distributors working hard at the NEC on your behalf to drive footfall back through your stores. Top tips: Get there ready for the 10am start, as the day will fly by; try and pre-

book advance appointments with your must-see companies; make best use of that last 5pm to 6pm Golden Hour as most of the consumers will have left...so more time to talk to the trade! We want to hear your feedback and views on the show, so get in touch with BPI News Publisher Clive Insley via [email protected] or call 07713 622304.

Double vision from PanasonicTEMPT YOUR customers with two new Micro Four Thirds prime lenses to go with the manufacturer’s G-series Lumix cameras. These are a 30mm f/2.8 macro lens (H-HS030E) for life-size close ups, plus a 42.5mm f/1.7 portrait lens (H-HS043E) for those beautiful ‘bokeh’ effects. The new optics deliver the equivalent of 60mm and 85mm, respectively, in 35mm terms. Available in black from this May, the 30mm comes with Panasonic’s ‘Mega OIS’ image stabilization, and closest focus distance of 0.105m, whilst the 42.5mm, with close focus distance of 0.31m, boasts Power OIS. The second lens also arrives in May, yet with black or silver finish. www.panasonic.co.uk

Panasonic’s recently held training day at Park Cameras - see page 28

DirekTek back on the caseTHE PRO-ACTIVE distributor has an-other offering for the specialist retailer this month: a heavy-duty dustproof, water and shockproof travel case from Proper Gear. It’s designed to protect your customers’ compact system cam-era, action camera or consumer-lev-el camcorder whilst on the go, as well as in ‘high impact scenarios’, and features custom cut foam interior padding. On top of this there’s a soft rubber handle for easier transportation and two pad-locks encased in stainless steel. Trade price is £40 and SRP is £59.99. For more info see the website: www.proper.co.ukTo order stock call 01494 471100 or email: [email protected]

HAVE CUSTOMERS seeking an affordably weatherproofed system camera? Ricoh is claiming the world’s smallest dustproof and weather resistant digital SLR. The Pentax branded K-S2 also comes with a vari-angle LCD – a first for the series – Wi-Fi and NFC functionality, plus a choice of several body colours for SRP £549.99 body only, with various single, twin and premium lens kits running up to £879.99 total. Arriving with the camera (and included in the £729.99 twin lens kit) is a Pentax-DA L 18-50mm F4-5.6 DC WR RE standard zoom, also weather-proofed and with a retractable mech-anism – £229.99 when sold separately. Also new, water-proofed to a depth of 14 metres and resembling a Dalek’s clutch bag is the Ricoh WG-5 GPS, a toughened model with enhanced shock-proofing plus, as it sounds, on-board GPS unit for £259.99 SRP. Finally there’s a new compact auto flash unit in the AF201FG for Pentax interchangeable lens cameras. With a GN of 20 at ISO 100, it’s also dust proofed and weather resistant at £129.99. In related news, at Japan’s CP+ Show the company announced a full frame DSLR under development for launch by the end of 2015, plus two high-end telephoto lens-es in the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6ED DC AW and HD Pentax-D FA 70-200mm F2.8ED DC AW. www.ricoh-imaging.co.uk

Tetenal inside!IN THIS month’s issue you will find a special Photography Show edition of Tetenal’s monthly news and promo-tions booklet. As usual, it’s packed with the latest news and offers from Tetenal’s wide portfolio of products. This spe-cial edition however, concentrates on the products which will be featured on their stand at the event. So take a look and then make sure you visit Tetenal on Stand C101 at The Photography Show, Birmingham NEC 21-24 March.

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Adobe Photoshop turns 25IMAGE EDITOR Adobe Photoshop, now arguably the industry default, has just celebrated its quarter century. Moving with the times, its latest features deliv-er the power of Photoshop to iPhone, iPad and Android devices and even 3D printing. To celebrate Adobe is show-casing 25 of the most creative visual artists under 25 who use Photoshop. To be considered, artists upload their projects to Behance and use the tag “Ps25Under25.” Those selected will take over the Photoshop Instagram handle (@Photoshop) for two weeks and present their work to the world. The company also launched its latest ad campaign, “Dream On” to coincide with the 2015 ‘Oscars’, as a tribute to 25 years of amaz-ing art created in Photoshop. It includes iconic images from major motion pic-tures that used Photoshop in their pro-duction, including Avatar, Gone Girl, How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Shrek.

Version 1andVersionCS3 –now, of course, it doesn’t have a box…


PREVIEW

See the full line up of Sony cameras at The Photography Show, Hall 5, stand D71

Sony’s Digital Imaging division is trying to tempt smartphone snappers away from their

handsets and tablets and onto dedicated camera gear. Bringing retailers up to speed with how that can be done is a key message for the electronics giant, which is pinning immediate hopes on premium compacts and compact system cameras going by a recent trade event at its Weybridge HQ. “We’re the world’s largest manufacturer of imaging sensors,” explains Product Specialist for Personal Imaging Training, Sam Pilling (top right), by way of what makes it unique. “If you go out to the high street and buy any of these smart products, more than 50% of them will contain Sony sensors, irrelevant of brand. “The imaging device most people would choose to use if they’re off to the park would be the mobile phone – but the sensor size is relatively small. The sort of snap people might take looks fine – it’s bright and it’s vibrant – but we want to drive home the message that a dedicated imaging device is going to capture your memories in a much, much better resolution and dynamic range. The one-inch sensor found in the Sony RX100 Mark III is a jump in sensor size and quality immediately – we’re seeing highlights with more clarity and also there’s detail in the shadows that would just be black on a mobile phone. The RX100 Mark III can also output video in 4K – and to share the image all you have to do is tap camera and phone together.” Sony’s Head of Digital Imaging Frederik Lange chips in: “Most people who follow photography know very well that sensor size has an impact on quality, but in reality it’s not until you examine an image on a larger screen and compare a phone and a dedicated camera picture side by side that you see a big difference.” Sam Pilling explains that its own promotion team will do demos in key stores to drive home this point. “The RX100 Mark III is a key focus product for us,” he adds, “and also we want to look at compact system cameras versus digital SLRs; another key message for us, especially as a lot of our retail partners are trying to migrate to CSC from DSLR –


Sensors working overtime at Sony Unlike rivals releasing armfuls of new gear, Sony’s approach to digital imaging in 2015 is so far one of education. In advance of it exhibiting at The Photography Show for the first time, BPI News heads to Weybridge HQ to discover more

because CSC is more consumer friendly. That again sees a step up in sensor size for us, to APS-C sensors. Traditional DSLRs from an awful lot of our competitors feature APS-C sensors and it’s the sort of thing that you expect to see people who are interested in photography with. But we think that the modern consumer doesn’t necessarily want that DSLR size. Yes they want the quality, but there should be another option, and for us that’s compact system cameras. A CSC with a kit lens, 55-210mm telephoto lens, prime lens and flashgun will all fit in a small shoulder bag. What we’re trying to communicate to customers though is that you’re not sacrificing quality. You still have the APS-C sized sensor and the fantastic range of lenses.” Fred adds: “The technology and the industry is always moving toward smaller and lighter products. Our children will not shoot with big,

bulky DSLRs anymore – that’s not the future. In the UK the interchangeable lens camera market is already 35% CSC – so roughly one out of three photographers is already choosing a lighter kit.” This prompts us to ask Sony whether it’s moving away from DSLR-style bodies? “No, every time you ask the same question!” Fred laughs. “Despite what I’ve said we believe there will always be demand for a DSLR type product such as the Alpha 77 Mark II, a high specification product compared to our main category rivals. It’s not, we believe, that one imaging category will kill the other. The imaging market is suffering in general and we’re having a 25% or 30% drop year-on-year, but there’s two areas of the market that are absolutely in growth: the premium DSC market – the ‘RX’ series market – and the CSC market. New consumers getting into photography

using their mobile phones – i.e. today’s 16 or 17 year olds – we believe will choose CSC over DSLR.” Sam concludes: “And that’s a message you’ll see extended to our camcorder and 4K devices. We don’t sacrifice on quality, but the way we’ve always gone is smaller and more powerful. I’ve got an awful lot of friends and family that will keep a DSLR in a bag in the wardrobe, whereas when they want to go out to the park for a picnic there is a lot more likelihood that they’ll take a CSC out.”

“Today’s 16 or 17 year olds will choose CSC over DSLR” – Frederik Lange (right)


Bundled with this issue of BPI News is the new iLux/Godox professional lighting catalogue,

courtesy of UK distributor Photomart, also known on these pages for delivering DNP’s printers to the trade (see ad directly beneath). Newly featured within the printed insert are the Godox AD series high-powered compact bare bulb system, described as “a camera flash that puts out studio quality lighting the equivalent of 360 watts” by Photomart’s Marketing Manager Jurie Gryffenberg. Arriving early May, the Godox Wistro AD-360 Bare Bulb Flash Head Kit has an SRP of £310 and is encompassed in a hotshoe chassis no bigger than an ordinary speedlite.

The powerful bare bulbs are designed to even out-shine sunlight, with light quality similar to studio flash when shooting with the provided studio reflector. Continuing on the theme of illumination and also worth flagging up to specialist retailers is the equally new Speed Mount off-camera flash adapter for S- or EL-mount reflectors, softboxes and light modifiers. Additionally found in the catalogue are details of a Lastolite four metre panoramic background, which Jurie describes as collapsible, portable and most importantly able to be set up by a photographer within minutes. Naturally, for social photographers, it’s perfect for photographing larger groups against

and when the job’s done folds away conveniently into a carry bag.

Your luck’s in with iLux

We’ve featured Photomart’s iLux product in the pages of BPI News on prior occasions too, and worth checking out from the brand here are the iLux V-series speedlites, for which Canon and Nikon models are available. Powered by lithium ion batteries sufficient for up to 650 high power flashes, they’re suitable for high speed synching, and iTTL, E-TTL II compatible. As the spec may suggest these have been specifically designed for the demands of the working photographer, with the aforementioned battery pack providing a steady and reliable source of power on the move. The fifth Photomart featured product worth further investigation is the dual-purpose iLux LED Pro 1000LF 2-in-1 LED studio head, supplying both strobe and continuous light. This offers the choice and flexibility of either mains or battery power, via an optional DC 24V portable pack. The 14Ah battery is capable of powering the lighting continuously for two hours at full power and ‘accurate colour reproduction’ is promised. Another

advantage is that its stable and flicker-free lighting makes it perfect for shooting video. Or, when used as a studio strobe, it is capable of providing hundreds of flashes, with a recycle time as low as two seconds. SRP is £330. As a final incentive to peruse the supplied catalogue, the iLux/Godox UK professional 2015 catalogue also features an independent review of the Photomart-distributed iLux Summit 600 portable studio flash system by f2 Freelance Photographer’s esteemed editor David Kilpatrick. To place an order for any or all of the above lighting products please call 020 8527 6006. www.photomart.co.uk

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Last month we brought you news of three January-launched sub-£100 Coolpix

point and shoots in the S3700, S2900 and L31. February saw the brand add to that tally to coincide with Japan’s CP+ show, with a further seven compacts in the marginally more high end L340, L840, P610, S9900, S7000, AW130 and S33 – the latter two being ‘toughened’ models – along with a variation of its acclaimed D810, this time with an ‘A’ suffix to indicate its target audience of star-gazing astro photographers.

that is beautiful and small.” For the former customer there is the new S9900, which boasts a retro titanium silver or classic black design, vari-angle screen, 30x optical zoom, Wi-Fi, NFC and GPS connectivity, leather grip and an SRP of £279.99. The S7000 meanwhile is being pitched as its slimmest and lightest superzoom at just 27mm thick. The 16MP model has an SRP of £169.99. With summer holidays being planned there are also a couple of new ‘tough’ Nikons in the AW10, designed to appeal to the adventurer, plus the S33, which is for family use. With the former the more heavy duty of the pair, use is down to a depth of 30 metres. The AW10 further offers a 5x optical zoom, freeze-proofing to -10°C, shock proofing against drops from a height of two metres, plus a 16MP CMOS chip for SRP £279.99. The S33 meanwhile has a 13MP CMOS sensor, is waterproof up to 10 metres and shockproof to 1.5 metres. With a 3x zoom it’s available in blue, pink, white or our favourite of canary yellow. Along with the three compacts launched in January, Nikon already has an impressive 10-strong line up brand new for 2015. Along with other big names the manufacturer will also have a key presence at The Photography Show at the end of this month.

Nikon reaches for the starsIn advance of its NEC showcase, the photo giant shows support for specialist astro photography market with new D810A and adds seven new compacts…

Examine Nikon’s latest line up first hand at The Photography Show, Hall 5, stand E31/D31

“We’ve added connectivity to the line-up because we realise that this is now an important feature”

biggest range in the current market, and that it was also number one for bridge cameras last year too, with 23% market share. Given the above, it’s perhaps no surprise that latest additions include the 60x zoom, 16 megapixel P610, which also boasts a 5-stop VR anti-shake system, 400 shots battery duration, Full HD video, Wi-Fi and GPS capability, along with newly added NFC. Available in black or red, SRP is £339.99. Next up is the L840, offering an increased 38x optical zoom range, along with Wi-Fi, NFC and a tilt screen. This Full HD camera runs on AA batteries and comes in black, red or plum bodies for £209.99 SRP. The third installment in the trio is the L340, a UK exclusive model with 20MP CCD and 28x optical zoom. “Superzoom is growing in a declining market;” Coralie continued, adding that Nikon crept from 8% to 13% share of the super zoom category in 2014. In terms of who you should be pitching these cameras to, “customers include those who want to go back to the old days or someone who wants a camera

“Why?” Asked Nikon UK Group Marketing Manager Jeremy Gilbert at the London launch. “Because we can, and the D810 has been used by astro photographers for some time. With the D810A they will be able to capture the true colours of nebulae.” Jeremy displayed a stunning photograph of the Orion Nebular M42 to prove his point. “This is a significant product for Nikon which shows our support for specialist, niche markets. And there is a lot of space for people to take pictures of!” The camera will retail for £2999.99 SRP, with May availability.

Introducing the septet of compacts to the trade meanwhile was new Coolpix Product Manager Coralie Smith, recently recruited via Virgin Media. She explained that the reason for the raft of new models was because: “We’ve added connectivity to the line-up because we realise that this is now an important feature.” There were also claims that Nikon held a 20% UK market share for compacts in 2014, in having the

– Coralie Smith, Coolpix Product Manager

D810A with ideal astro 20mm f/1.8

Jeremy Gilbert, below, and Coralie Smith, below right. with AW130 in yellow and S9900 in silver

PREVIEW21-24 MARCH 2015THE NEC, BIRMINGHAM

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The brand new OM-D EM-5 Mark II builds on the precedent set by the earlier

E-M1 and E-M5. At £899 SRP for the body, it continues the system’s ethos of being as compact yet as powerful as possible for the target audience of photo enthusiasts. “We have to have a specific target group for each camera to get the messages around,” Olympus’s Michael Guthmann told us at a London preview. “We’re targeting photography enthusiasts but also those keen on movies. We’re talking 30+ males and females. The concept behind the Mark II is freedom to tell your spectacular stories.” With a definite shift towards CSC – stats suggest that 30% of the interchangeable lens camera market will be CSC by 2016 – the E-M5’s successor comes with a better shutter mechanism, while being dust proof, splash-proof and now freeze proof. “This is a camera for people who want to get up in the morning when it’s raining,” reasons Michael. As you’d expect of an OM-D, it also features 5-axis Image Stabilisation, to deliver a claimed ‘heavily improved’ video capability. With HDMI output and increased bit rate, it’s now possible to record in variable frame rates from 24fps to 60fps. The LCD also now swivels as well as ‘merely’ tilting and boasts touch screen control. More exciting still is a 40MP high resolution shot mode described as ‘breakthrough’. This captures and combines 8 successive images to produce one ultra high-resolution file, taking 2.5 seconds to process and deliver the shot. Ideal for commercial photographers shooting in the studio and quicker than a Hasselblad, says Olympus, the big claim is that it’s “also better for detail we believe than many full frame cameras”. The E-M5 additionally features Wi-Fi control, enabling a smartphone to be used as a remote control, 1/8000th mechanical shutter plus 2.36 million-dot eye-level electronic viewfinder (EVF). What’s more a new flexible FL-LM3 mini flashgun is bundled with the camera for ultra convenience and maximum clarity of results. Plus, at the time of writing, as an added incentive to drive footfall to your store, pre-orders came with bonuses including an extended

PREVIEW

Olympus invites trade to take ‘5’The photo stalwart has a new OM-D to show off to customers at the NEC this month – and much more besides! BPI News was invited along to a sneak preview to learn how retailers should be selling the new products and accessories…

Examine Olympus’s newest OM-D and extras at The Photography Show, Hall 5, stand C51, B49

powered, hotshoe-mounted EE-1 dot sight (above), plus PT-EP13 underwater case. In tandem with the E-M5 MkII, Olympus announced a new 7-14mm lens for this summer, plus a ‘Pro’ class 8mm fisheye lens with f/1.8 aperture in development, which, when released, will be the fastest on the market, it claims. Also new from Olympus is an improved M. Zuiko Digital ED 14-150mm 1:4.0-5.6 II all-in-one lens. With weatherproofed, lightweight construction and compact size it’s being suggested as a perfect partner to the EM-5. That’s not the only new accessory this month: there’s a new flash for the OM-D series as well as the HLD-8 grip – so five new products in total – whilst the promotion offering a free HLD-7 grip worth £189.99 on buying an E-M1 now continues until March 31st. On top of this there’s a new firmware upgrade for your customers to download for the E-M1 and naturally the brand will also be exhibiting at The Photography Show.

TG-860: an easy choice of Tough camera

The widest wide angle lens in its compact class at 21-105mm? Check. More than one shutter release button, for ease-of-capture and simpler ‘selfies’ no matter which way is up? Check. A 3-inch tilting LCD screen so your customers will also be able to get any angle on the action? That too, for the TG-860. Additionally the latest 16 megapixel crushproof, freezeproof, waterproof and shockproof compact boasts Wi-Fi enabled remote control via smartphone. On sale in March, it comes with a free six-month warranty extension for any of your customers signing up online for MyOlympus membership. Extras to piggyback with a TG-860 sale include a hands-free CSCH-123 Sport Holder, PT-057 Underwater Case, slip-proof CSCH-124 Silicone Jacket, CSCH-121 Soft Camera Case and CHS-09 Floating Handstrap. www.olympus.co.uk


five-and-a-half-year warranty, plus an OM-D branded messenger bag, available on redemption. A whopping four body + lens kit options were available: with 14-42mm (at £1099), 12-50mm (£1099), 14-150mm (£1249), 12-40mm Pro f/2.8 (£1499).

New accessories to partner

Introduced alongside the E-M5 MkII is an Arca Swiss compatible ECG-2 accessory grip, plus a newer version of its popular battery grip in the HDL-8, which features a headphone jack. Further add-ons include a self-

Target your customers with unusual accessories like this dot sight for birding and sports

Michael Guthmann – finding the features of the OM-D EM-5 Mark II more than easy to demonstrate and sell.

Below: hinged, rotating rear touch screen ideal for

movie making

Shower proof (upper left) and in hand with grip,flash and 14-150mm(left) as agreatpackage.Right:TG-860


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NEWS

Trade celebrates in styleBPI News regulars were out in force among those rewarded and congratulated at the an-nual awards dished out by Time Inc’s (formerly IPC Media) Amateur Photographer magazine, and sponsored by Gray’s of Westminster and Gfk. The Kenro distributed Nissin i40 flash picked up AP’s Accessory of the Year, while Enthusiast Compact of the Year went to Sony’s RX100 III, our Product of the Month last October and a BPI News Awards Finalist (see page 22). Sony also took Consumer CSC for the Year for its A5100 (see also page 7 feature this issue). Panasonic grabbed two

DISTRIBUTOR DAYMEN is pitching a new trio of tripod manufacturer Joby’s Action Series accessories and kits to the trade, comprising the Joby Action Series Hub Adaptor (£13 SRP), Action Adaptor Kit (at £17) and Joby Ultraplate 208 (£26), which is said to be very differ-ent to the standard Ultraplate, as it is an extended quick release plate with eight mounting holes. The trio look tiny, but are claimed to be possibly the most nifty little accessories ever, enabling totally bespoke action camera style set ups and for your customers’ photo gear to be attached to all sorts of things including walls, hel-mets, even snowboards. The Action Series Adaptor Kit and Hub all fit with existing Joby accessories too, so the combinations for creative photography/film making are (almost) limitless. See: www.joby.com for more. Lowepro’s ProTactic backpack series meanwhile is described as ‘super robust’ and offers on-the-fly-access to photo gear. Interiors feature a patent pending MaxFit System to help ensure maximum capac-ity, it says here, plus there’s a dedicated laptop compartment and full organisa-tion panel on the inside of the lid. Pricing is a suggested £170 for the 350 AW model which can house two DSLRs with grip and one 24-70mm f/2.8 lens attached, rising to £210 SRP for the 450 AW backpack which can accommodate up to two pro DSLRs with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. For more see: www.lowepro.co.uk/protactic

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Above: configurations using the Joby Action Accessory range. Below: Lowepro ProTactic backpacks

gongs, for Premium Compact of the Year in the LX100 and Bridge Camera of the Year in the FZ1000. Canon was comforted by wins for its Pixma MG7150 and EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS lens meanwhile in Best Printer and Zoom Lens categories. Both Enthusiast and Professional SLR of the Year were nabbed by the Nikon D750 and D810, respectively, while the Enthusiast CSC of the Year went to the Olympus E-M10 (turn to page 10 for news on its E-M5 Mark II). Premium CSC was the Fuji X-T1, while Sigma snagged Fixed Focal length Lens of the Year for its 50mm f/1.4 DG lens, which additionally won the top prize of the overall Product of the Year. Retailers rewarded by the mag’s readers for exceptional service included Camera World (Jason Mitchell, above) Grays of Westminster, LCE, Jessops and Park Cameras, along with bespoke filter and accessory manufacturer SRB Photographic (SRB’s James Condon and Terry Fogden receiving award from AP’s Richard Sibley, right).


Catch up with the Rotolight team at The Photography Show or book an appointment in advance on 01753 422750

The evolution of on-camera LED Lighting: that’s the core pitch behind the new striking-

in-appearance Neo LED on-camera and location lighting product from Rotolight, which comes with an SRP of £249. This Pinewood Studios based, family-run outfit’s latest device is available for pre-order at the time of writing, with shipping due to start this April. According to the team the Neo is packed full of innovative features including ‘True Aperture Dimming’ and a programmable fade mode. “The Rotolight Neo was developed at Pinewood after years of extensive feedback from leading cinematographers and photographers around the world as to what they would most like to see in the next generation on camera light for professional television, film and photographic use,” explains Rotolight’s Marketing and PR Manager Alex H-French. “From that feedback, the Rotolight ‘Neo’ was born, delivering never before seen technology in a uniquely versatile, highly portable package, proudly designed and manufactured in the UK.”

A ‘secret weapon’

The other unique selling point here to explain to your customers is that the Neo is the first on–camera lighting solution with an accurate colour temperature display. This claims to enable swift, ‘tune-able’ colour on location. Its output is 1077 lux at three feet (or 707 watts tungsten bulb equivalent), said to be double that of rivals. Other features of note include a 50° beam angle, totally flicker-free continuous lighting performance and the ability to power the LED light via six AA batteries for up to three hours of use, via D-Tap power cable or via mains through the included AC adapter. Dimensions are 145mm in diameter and 50mm in depth. Weight is 354g. Compact and otherwise self contained, the Neo is available as a single or multi light kit, including a 10 piece location filter pack that boasts diffusion, skin tone and ‘creative’ effects filters from £249 all in.“Delivering powerful performance

UK lighting specialist Rotolight is heavily pitching its innovative new LED lighting solution to the trade this spring, a great looking device that should be an easy sale to customers…

Illuminating new ‘Neo’ from Rotolightin a compact package, this self-contained light can be a secret weapon on any set or location, as a key light, catch-light effect, extra kick or where a nice fill is needed,” concludes Alex. “Good competitive margins are available to trade partners.” Rotolight products are available to Independent Photographic Specialists via Digital Distribution (www.ddltd.co.uk). Email [email protected], call 01442 230022 or seek out the Rotolight team in person at The Photography Show. www.rotolight.com

Capturing views fromthe auditorium withnear-silent OlympusOM-D system cameras


Rotolight: a strong history of innovationROTOLIGHT, based at Pinewood Studios, UK, is a leading manufacturer of multi award winning on-camera, studio and location LED lighting systems for photography, videography, broadcast and cinematography. Rotolight’s products have been used on major features including the most recent Bond movie ‘Skyfall’ and ‘Captain Phillips’ and are continuously used by leading photographers, DoP’s and cinematographers worldwide. The product line up includes Rotolight ANOVA V2 EcoFlood LED floodlights featuring ‘best in class’ colour rendering (CRI=95 / Skintone= 98) with Totally Flicker Free output and DMX or WiFi control via the Rotolight Magic Eye HD App for iPhone or iPad. Rotolight’s range of revolutionary LED lighting products includes the multi-award winning RL48 Ringlight – previously featured in BPI News – a highly portable 100w equivalent ring light featuring 140 degree beam angle that creates a naturally soft shadow-less lighting effect and sought-after circular catch-light (above).

Jason Lanier shoots with the Neo LED light

Alex H-French on left, with Chris Eady, right


PREVIEW 21-24 MARCH 2015THE NEC, BIRMINGHAM

Examine Canon’s new line up in person at The Photography Show, Hall 5, stand B11

Four new DSLRs, only its second ever CSC, plus a full frame lens, two printers, a new IXUS and a PowerShot ensure that dealers will have plenty of reason to sell Canon this spring …

After bucking market trends by announcing a plethora of compacts last issue,

February’s CP+ show in Japan saw Canon placing an each-way bet on the future of the market – DSLR or CSC? – by revealing a pair of 50 megapixel DSLRs, a further couple of 24MP entry level models, plus only its second-ever small format system camera in the EOS M3. Together these make for five potentially big hitters for sales going forward. Claiming to ‘break the boundaries of 35mm sensors’, the EOS 5DS and 5DS R (right) are two full frame DSLRs seeking to deliver on that promise via their whopping 50.6 megapixel sensors. The ‘R’ variant seeks to tease out a tad more detail via a low pass cancelation filter. ISO has been kept to basic range of 100-6400, manually expandable to a broader ISO50 and 12800. Visible through the viewfinder are three in-camera crop modes: 1.3x, 1.6x (still delivering 19MP shots) and 1:1. Other key selling points include a 3.2-inch LCD, 5fps burst shooting, weather resilient magnesium alloy body and 61-point AF system with 41 cross-type points. There is a wait until June for both DSLRs – and so time for your customers to save to afford the £2,999.99 SRP for the 5DS and £3,199.99 for its ‘R’ sibling. Helping to drive footfall, Canon will be running a promotion to coincide with cash-back deals on selected lenses when bought with either DSLR. Also new is a compatibly weather proofed full frame wide angle zoom in the EF 11-24mm f/4L USM. This lens (above right) becomes the widest angle ever offered for a 35mm format SLR or DLR system. SRP is £2,799.99, with March availability.

Canon hails ‘boundary breaking’ 50MP DSLRs

Canon’s second ever CSC in the EOS M3 (above right) is also playing the numbers game in featuring a 24.2 megapixel APS-C sensor, 49-point AF and latest gen Digic 6 processor. The new model, arriving two years after the original EOS M, a veritable age in digital camera years, features a touch screen, here tilting up to 180° and down by 45°, plus Wi-Fi and NFC. As with its forebear, the way to pitch the M3 to your photographer customers is ‘the power of EOS, only smaller’. Availability is from April at £599.99 SRP. Almost easy to over-look given the above big news are two more affordable DSLRs in the EOS 750D (£599.99) and 760D (£649.99 body only); the latter (right) being the more enthusiast-targeted of the two. As with the equally new EOS M3, both DSLRs feature 24.2 MP CMOS sensor

and Digic 6 processor and come with a vari-angle LCD. The 760D is said to be the one for budding filmmakers, courtesy of a raft of additional creative movie modes, including HDR and miniature effect, and this model also differentiates itself via Wi-Fi and NFC. There is a further sales option for the 750D that witnesses it twinned with an EF-S 18-55mm IS STM zoom for £689.99 all-in. There are now, incredibly, 15 cameras in the current EOS line up. Heavyweight releases aside,

More EOS for your EPOSthose pocket compacts also keep coming: a new PowerShot in the SX 410 IS (below) and IXUS 275 HS join the six PowerShot and IXUS models announced at the start of January. Canon will also be exhibiting at The Photography Show this month, so head to Hall 5 to see its line up in the flesh.


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Visit authorised Epson partner Tetenal in Hall 5, stand C101 at the Photography Show to get a demonstration of the latest Epson SureLabs. Or book an appointment at Leicester HQ now by calling 0116 289 3644

If you’re looking to equip your retail business or mini lab with a large format printer,

then Tetenal are the ‘go to guys’. The distributor has a showroom at its Leicester HQ dedicated to demonstrating the Epson SureLab range – but if you want to see it in action this month you only have to travel as far as Birmingham, where Tetenal will be exhibiting the series at The Photography Show. Here you will be able to get ‘hands on’ with the range, which includes both inkjet and solvent printers. And the beauty with Tetenal is that it is able to offer extensive knowledge of both the photofinishing market and the hardware itself, to recommend the right printer to best suit your business model. From initial enquiry through to installation and set up, Epson partner Tetenal can offer the proverbial one-stop solution. So let’s take a look at three key hardware options from the Epson line-up, which is typically the first choice of pros, but also has much to offer the consumer market…

Cost effective solution

Copy shops and photo retailers looking for a cost effective solution to expand their offerings are directed by Tetenal to the Epson SureLab (or ‘SL’) D700. This provides the ability to deliver services above and beyond the norm, including square sized prints, cards, calendars and panoramic prints up to 8-inch by 39-inches (21x100cm). Print finishes include lustre, gloss and matt, with the printer delivering natural skin tone reproduction and dynamic range for highlight and shadow details, plus deep blacks using its six colour Ultrachrome D6-5 inks. Further selling points of the D700 that might appeal are that it is easy to transport

Be ‘Sure’ of profits with Epson SureLabPREVIEW 21-24 MARCH 2015

THE NEC, BIRMINGHAM

and retailers can enjoy a low cost outlay per print. Up to 360 5x4-inch (15cmx10cm) prints can be produced per hour and, with Windows and Mac drivers provided, the device is easy to integrate into most workflow systems. Variable print lengths stretch from 3.5x 39-inches (8.9cm to 100cm) and print widths are from 4-inches to 8-inches (10cm to 21cm).

In advance of an appearance at The Photography Show, Epson Authorised Partner Tetenal, suppliers of professional large format printers to the trade, outline why your next investment should be one from its SureLab range…

You can link up to four SureLab D7 Studio dual printer units to the master cabinet with its 22-inch touch screen. The D7 system uses the versatile Epson SureLab D7000 printer, below, which can also be bought for stand-alone use.

The touch screen system can be used by your own staff, or by customers with supervision.


Visit authorised Epson partner Tetenal in Hall 5, stand C101 at the Photography Show to get a demonstration of the latest Epson SureLabs. Or book an appointment at Leicester HQ now by calling 0116 289 3644

The heavy-duty printer

For the highest productivity in the Epson range there is the SureLab SL-D3000, above, a minilab that offers high quality photo print production with a wide choice of media formats, from 3.5 x 5-inches (9cmx13cm) up to 12x 47-inches (31cmx122cm or A3+ width) on glossy, lustre and matt media. This can be boosted further with an optional 10-tray A4 sorter with long print ejection unit for high productivity and ease of use. The dual roll model option allows two different media types to be loaded at the same time, while 100-metre rolls offer excellent productivity. Up to 650 prints at 5 x4-inches (15cm x 10cm) in size can be produced per hour, with an estimated longer than average printer lifecycle of 2.7 million prints. “The Epson SureLab SL-D3000 is the most versatile printer in its class” enthuses Tetenal Marketing Manager Craig Bird. “The D3000’s ability to produce matt prints, alongside the standard gloss and lustre really does set it apart from its competition. And the quality of the matt prints really does need to be seen to be believed!” The optional print sorter automatically sorts up to 10 jobs of up to 8x12-inches (20cm x 30cm). Additionally it’s easier to print full bleed

One-stop production

Looking for a scale-able inkjet microlab which allows your business to adapt to the demands of your customers, and offers suitability for large-scale independent photo stores? Again Epson has a solution, in this case with the SureLab D7 Studio. This is controlled via an order terminal with a 22-inch multi touch screen and includes two D700 printers (key features detailed earlier) that fit inside the illuminated cabinet. The scale-able aspect of the minilab enables up to three extension cabinets to be added to the core set up (pictured on the facing page). It is designed to produce greeting cards, concertina folded photo collages, menus, flyers and other mixed media print jobs.

panoramics up to a whopping 12x48-inches (30cm x 122cm). High capacity roll media feeders provide necessary robustness, and help automatically dry and ‘de-curl’ prints so they’re ready for immediate delivery to the customer. It’s also important to note that all Epson SureLab printers come with a comprehensive 3 year warranty.

Network for workflow

Retailers and minilabs can take complete control of their Epson print hardware from one centralised control point, courtesy of the Epson SureLab Order Controller (screen shot, above). This allows you to manage orders and printers smoothly via a simple pre-set driven operation using the workflow software for photo print shops. It also features

both automatic and manual adjustment options. Furthermore the software lets you get hands-on with costing, pricing, production and scheduling functions, as one might expect. In addition there is control over elementary image editing functionality – including image size, brightness, resolution, colour, tone and red eye removal – with pre-sets configurable for the quick and easy processing of large jobs. The Epson Order Controller runs on Windows and is supplied as a site license linked to a physical location. It can handle jobs for up to four D3000/D700 printers, Epson Stylus Pro and SureColour printers. “In addition, our extensive marketing and technical support here at Tetenal can help you maximise your profit opportunities,” concludes Craig.

The D7000 printers are housed in a noise reducing cabinet, easily accessible for media loading, with a door which includes a print delivery window.

“The Epson SureLab SL-D3000 is the most versatile printer in its class. The quality of the matt prints really does need to be seen to be believed!” – Craig Bird


Married couple and business partners Pete and Jean Lerpiniere

have two main long established customers: the police, for whom they photograph passing out parades, cadets and corporate events; and the prestigious Millfield School, located in Glastonbury, Somerset.Naturally, both these clients expect extremely high standards of the couple and their work. In particular, Millfield School parents pay a lot of money to send their children to the school, so everything has to be top notch. The couple previously used a dye sub printer and got away with it, mostly because the background colours used on most portraits softened the overall effect of the image.However a request from Millfield School to shoot pupils’ portraits on contemporary-feel white backgrounds quickly showed the limitations of the couple’s existing dye sub printer. So Pete decided to look at other options. He carefully examined all the printers on the market, including options from Fujifilm, but ultimately decided he was interested in seeing what the Epson SureLab D700 could do for the business.

Journey to perfection

The photographer then researched local suppliers in his area. Unfortunately, after discussing requirements with them, he was left feeling exasperated at the lack of knowledge of the printer and its capabilities. He continued his search on the Internet and, fortunately, came across a video that Tetenal’s Hardware Sales Manager Chris Castle had posted online talking about the features of the Epson D700.Pete called Tetenal the next day and spoke directly to Chris. He tells us he was immediately impressed by the depth of knowledge and Chris’ patience in listening to his unique,

individual business needs. Very shortly after that conversation, Pete and his wife Jean embarked upon the three and a half hour journey up to Leicester to visit Chris in Tetenal’s dedicated Epson showroom. It transpired that husband and wife were both impressed, not only with the printer, but also the level of service offered by Tetenal.“When I first spoke to Chris and asked him what he could tell me about the Epson SureLab D700 he said: ‘Don’t worry, I’m your main man and I’ll tell you everything you need to know…’ And he was true to his word. He went through every detail of the printer’s capabilities whilst producing sample prints of the files we had brought with us. When we compared them to the prints we were getting from our existing device, it was a no brainer.” Pete and Jean were so impressed that they took the printer back with them the same day. In terms of the difference it has made to the business since August 2014, “we’ve had the busiest period in our history and the Epson D700 has coped with everything that we have thrown at it,” reveals Pete. “We do a mix of private and event work and our clients naturally expect nothing but the best. Luckily, with the D700, we can now deliver exactly that. What’s even more of a revelation is that whilst we have been burning through a large amount of media, we are still on the original ink set we started with! The versatility and economy of the machine has surpassed even our greatest hopes. Alongside my Nikon D4 I have to say it is the best investment we have ever made in the business.”Book your own appointment with Chris Castle and the Tetenal team now by calling 0116 289 3644.

BPI NEWS PRODUCT FOCUS

Back to school with EpsonFor a practical case study of a business successfully using an Epson D700 printer, look no further than husband and wife school and event photographers Pete and Jean Lerpiniere of JP Photographic, Maidstone Kent…

Visit authorised Epson partner Tetenal in Hall 5, stand C101 at the Photography Show to get a demonstration of the latest printers

From showroom to studio – the D7000, above, with optional wheeled transit case for events and location use seen at Tetenal’s Leicester showroom, left. Below, Jean Lerpiniere with the neat desktop high capacity printer on site… still on the first set of ink cartridges despite ‘burning through a large amount of media’.


Check out Sigma’s line up in person at The Photography Show, Hall 5, stand B82

Think photography and visualise cameras, lenses and accessories… and that’s exactly

what Sigma has announced in spades off the back of the CP+ show in Japan, with one eye focused on The Photography Show, March 21st to 24th. Among the new products are two new ‘Quattro’ branded cameras in the dp0 and the dp3, which, along with the previously released dp1 and dp2 models, bring the quirky, award-winning compact line up to four. Featuring Sigma’s proprietary Foveon X3 direct image sensor, which effectively delivers the equivalent of 29 megapixels, the dp0 incorporates a 14mm f/4 lens equivalent to 21mm in 35mm terms. Sigma suggests the camera is best suited to architectural photography, landscapes and the photographing of interior spaces. For dealers looking for an add-on sale opportunity, there is a dedicated VF-51 optical viewfinder available as an optional extra. The second new camera announcement in the dp3 comes with a 50mm f/2.8 lens attached, providing the 35mm equivalent of 75mm. Again there is an opportunity for an extra sale via its dedicated conversion lens, FT-1201, which when attached to the front of the lens magnifies focal length by 1.2 times (so the lens becomes 90mm in 35mm terms). Sigma suggests the dp3 should be pitched at customers wanting a camera suitable for mid telephoto and macro range photography. The remaining two options in the dp1 and dp2 are for wide angle and ‘standard’ photography respectively. Suitable as an extra for any of the dp Quattro series is a new BG-11 base grip announced alongside the dp0 and dp3, which can be threaded into the tripod mount of the cameras for what’s being described as ‘handgrip-style shooting’. In turn the bottom of the base grip itself has a screw hole via which it can be attached directly to a tripod. As availability and pricing for the new kit was still to be decided as we went to press, we’ll publish an update as soon as we get it. In the meantime please talk to your Sigma rep or the team direct at The Photography Show.

AP Award winner Sigma takes a standFresh from its 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens winning ‘Best Fixed Lens’ and overall ‘Best Product’ at the AP Awards, Sigma details what it launched at the CP+ show in Japan, and what will be showcased to the trade in Birmingham…

making it possible to do handheld photography for longer periods of time, while the tripod socket is detachable for transportation. Speaking of which, a further new product arrives in the TS-81 Tripod Socket for the Sports configuration of the lens as an optional lens foot. There are two screw hole sizes: 1/4 and 3/8-inch. Placed into its ‘Art’ lens category is the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM optic, a Japanese-made large aperture wide angle lens suitable for your customers to capture everything from expansive cityscapes to a star-filled night sky, its maker claims, as well as delivering a smooth ‘bokeh’ effect and aiding those who might want to work in lower light conditions. A Super Multi-Layer Coating reduces flare and ghosting, the bayonet mount is of brass construction, and the product is further compatible with Sigma’s optional USB Dock, which allows for a degree of future proofing and the direct download of Firmware upgrades. Availability date and pricing for this lens is still to be confirmed, “Though you can rest assured that it will be yet more ‘bokeh glory for less nicker’ from Sigma,” says General Manager Graham Armitage. “We’ll be able to discuss all of these products with the trade at The Photography Show in March and show whichever sample or working products we manage to get our hands on in time. Please do stop by the stand for a look see and a chat.” And if you’re looking for further Sigma product to stock in the meantime, as mentioned in our intro the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens recently won ‘Best Fixed Lens’ and Best Product’ at the 2015 Amateur Photographer awards. This is also in addition to the 50mm bagging EISA and Gear of the Year awards and DP Review Readers’ Choice Best Lens of 2014 award – so there’s absolutely no excuse not to be stocking it. www.sigma-imaging-uk.com

More modern ‘Art’

Alongside the new Quattro compact duo and accessories, Sigma isn’t forgetting its bread and butter, and so there are also new interchangeable lenses for Sigma, Canon and Nikon DSLR mounts. The ‘big beast’ here in its Contemporary

lens category is the 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM, which is being pitched as the more affordable, compact and lightweight version of the ‘Sports’ lens with the same focal range, which was first shown at Photokina last year. The thinking is that this lens enables easier handling

“More bokeh glory for less nicker,” says Sigma General Manager Graham Armitage.

Contemporary 150-600mm, above, and tripod mount grip for Sports version, left

Graham with awards forwinning 50mm f/1.4

Left, new 24mm f/1.4; above and right, dp0 Quattro, and FT-1201

dp3Quattro,left; and dp2 withBG-11



Nedis springs into action with Konig Fresh from an exceptionally busy Spring Fair, Nedis UK’s Alastair Wilson has new Konig-branded photo products to introduce to the trade this season…

The Spring Fair stand majored on Konig

For a while now we’ve been talking up distributor Nedis UK’s advantage of allowing

dealers to think outside the box and choose stock of high margin tech goods that might not be purely photographic, but which nevertheless sit comfortably on the shelves of a photographic store. This month, lest we forget that the distributor does actually offer plenty of photo gear besides, we’re showcasing its new spring 2015 collection that will appeal to picture takers and image-makers, all of which bear the ‘Konig’ brand. Latest additions include a brand new Konig Film Scanner, a trio of Konig Action Cameras (featured in BPI News Feb) plus an in-car camera CARCAM10 for mounting on a window and recording a journey. “I believe you can actually get a reduction in your car insurance if you’re using one of these,” Nedis UK’s National Sales Manager Alastair Wilson adds. Also offered in the range are two new Konig cameras in camouflage attire. “They’re equipped with Infrared to sit in the garden and film wildlife. The DVRODR20 is the

The Spring Fair stand showcased the high definition DVR security recording kit

(above). “It’s 700 line HD output, four cameras wired to a box with HDMI output, for an SRP of £359… also

suitable for any dealers to use to protect their property”

– Alastair Wilson, Nedis UK Sales Manager

BPI NEWS PRODUCT OF THE MONTH

PhotographicBritish

Industry news Nikon D5500from £639.99

body only (SRP)www.nikon.co.uk

If GfK is correct and amateur photographers are increasingly favouring CSC over DSLR due to size and convenience, Nikon’s new D5500 could be construed as part of DSLR’s fight back. On sale already, the shiny red

or matt black-bodied Nikon witnesses its maker’s inaugural example of a flip-out, tilt ‘n’ swivel touch screen. This means that potential customers can now swipe through captured images and pinch to zoom in or out during playback, making for a familiar step up for any smartphone photographer. As we noted in last issue’s news item, the high 24.2 megapixel resolution APS-C sensor DSLR comes in several configurations: body only for just over £600 SRP, with compact 18-55mm VR II lens in matching red or black for £719.99 (the configuration BPI News had to play with), or including 18-140mm VR black lens at £899.99. Being a consumer DSLR it is no surprise to discover light sensitivity sensibly restricted to 100-25600 and 5fps continuous capture, with Nikon’s now standard ‘monocoque’ (single shell) build featuring a commendably deep grip for a steady hold. With what feels like a smaller than average footprint for a DSLR – it will sit in the palm of your customers’ hands, particularly with retractable 18-55mm kit zoom selected – operational controls remain well within finger and thumb reach. We also liked the fact that Live View is now on a switch encircling the shooting mode dial, rather than being secreted away on the backplate. With a contrast detecting 39-point AF system, Nikon claims that the D5500 is 30% faster than the previous D5300 when in Live View mode. But first one has to remember to extend the retractable kit lens before shooting can begin. The bleep of affirmation indicating that the camera has achieved (auto) focus and exposure we found a little loud, if reassuring. There’s the option naturally to switch to manual control. Stereo microphones located just behind the pop up flash complete the impression that this is a fully featured camera despite the smaller body size and relatively simplified control layout. Even with the kit lens attached, detail is commendably clear and colours naturally rendered, making this a very good starter DSLR option. Suggesting anyone who buys this looking to improve

their smartphone snaps can’t go far wrong may seem like faint praise,

but the D5500 could well be all the DSLR most amateur snappers

ever require.

Touch screen focus and shoot comes to Nikon DSLRs


BPI NEWS PRODUCT FOCUS

Nedis springs into action with Konig

Get in touch with Alastair Wilson and the team at Nedis UK HQ on 0116 253 0325 or speak to your area rep

Camouflaged wildlife cameras, above, and Car camera, below

Konig film scanner,right, and new grey fabric interior Konig bags similar to the popular Camlink designs, left

Nedis UK MD Arvind Patel says: “Great to see so many trade partners and potential new

customers at the Spring Fair. Our impressive-looking stand was comfortably busy throughout the show and we even picked

up a major lead from a national retailer on the very last day.”

A great sounding dealPhoto gear aside, Nedis UK has just taken on a product line from German audio specialist Thonet & Vander. “These professional hi-fi speakers offer mega quality and the market is huge with smartphones and tablets all offering Bluetooth connectivity,” Alastair enthuses. “Thonet & Vander is German engineered and designed, although manufactured in the Far East. They set up a factory in 2007 manufacturing state of the art speakers with Bluetooth technology – because the technology in the Far East going back a few years is basically the technology we have now – and they have subsequently moved into the US market. In both territories they have won major awards for their products. Last year they shipped 300,000 units. “These are ‘active’ speakers that have a digital amplifier built inside of them, so there’s no necessity to have an additional amplifier or wires. Your mobile Phone or iPad links to them wirelessly and away you go. For the money asked, the sound quality is phenomenal. Everyone we’ve demonstrated them to has bought them from us. The top end Koloss model with 160-watt output (photo, top) absolutely blows you away. It’s outside the box a little bit but potentially the market for this sort of product is huge as most people have smart devices with MP3 audio files on them. It’s a simple sale and it’s very profitable.” Entry-level speakers start at around £100 and go up to £279.99 SRP.

standard model while the premium version is the DVRODR30, which has got a mobile phone facility built in. It records pictures and sends them via MMS to your mobile phone. I don’t know if there is anything around like that. You could alternatively use it as a security camera. If anything moves in the vicinity it is viewing, it starts taking pictures and streams them to your mobile device as it is happening.” In terms of dedicated security cameras, Nedis UK also offers a high definition DVR security recording kit, consisting of four cameras wired to a box with HDMI output. “It’s 700 line HD output for an SRP of £359,” Alastair expands. “It would also be suitable for any dealers to use to protect their property.”

Also new from Konig is a range of branded camera bags that are otherwise identical to the Nedis Camlink range – Konig apparently being the bigger name in Europe. The Konig bags offer a grey interior with green trim, as opposed to the

Camlink orange, and its rucksack-type bag is claimed to be currently one of the most popular designs within the photographic field. www.nedis.co.uk


ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Future’s Head of Content & Marketing Matt Pierce talks the trade through the latest winners in the ABCs…

Figures worth circulating

BPI AWARDS 2015

Remember to vote in the BPI Awards – email your product and promo choices to [email protected] now!

EMAIL YOUR VOTES! The finalist nominations at a glance are below – just email us your ONE choice for Product of the year, and ONE choice for BPI News promotion of the year. Send to: [email protected]

APRIL 2014Product Award Fujifilm X-T1 Promo Award Fujifilm’s FDIS Conference or ‘Dawn of a New Daymen’ campaign

MAY 2014Product Award Canon EOS 1200D Promo Award Retra membership campaign

JUNE 2014Product Award Samsung Galaxy 2 Camera Promo Award Manfrotto Pro Light bag launch

JULY/AUGUST 2014Product Award Tamron 16-300mm lensPromo Award ‘Digital Camera’ 175 years of Photography or Swains’ Roll-up Banner Promotionor SRB ‘Great Margins’ campaignor Permajet Test Pack promotion

SEPTEMBER 2014Product Award Nikon D810Promo Award Kodak Alaris Moments campaignor Tiffen Photokina News campaign

OCTOBER 2014Product Award Sony RX100 MkIIIPromo Award Fotospeed 30% extra stockist campaignor DNP ‘New Market Standard’ campaign

NOVEMBER 2014Product Award Olympus E-PL7Promo Award Ansmann ‘Power Your Christmas’ campaignor Nedis Winter Flyer campaign

DECEMBER 2014/JANUARY 2015Product Award Samsung NX1 Promo Award Sigma Free Flashgun campaignor Gray’s Coat of Arms feature

FEBRUARY 2015Product Award Lytro Illum Promo Award The Societies Trade Show reportor Kenro ‘Spring Into Action’ campaign

MARCH 2015Product Award Nikon D5500 Promo Award Tetenal Epson campaign

Vote now… or see someone else win!IT’S THAT time of year again when we come together as one to reward and celebrate the photo industry’s achievements over the past 12 months. That’s right, we’re asking you to join with us in casting your vote for overall winner of Product of the Year plus overall winner of Promotion of the Year from the list of nominees below, all of which have previously appeared in these pages. As on previous occasions, we’ll be handing out framed ’Finalist’ certificates to all nominees at The Photography Show this month. But we want you to help us choose YOUR winner in both of our two categories. Simply cast your eyes over our list and email us your two choices; it’s that easy. Victors will be announced in our April issue.

THE JAN-DEC 2014 audited magazine circulation figures have just been released by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) and it’s a fascinating set of numbers – not least in the photography sector. At Future, we’re delighted with the results. The audit shows that our Digital Camera Magazine is still the UK’s best-selling photography title in print. In fact it extends its lead over Bauer’s Digital Photo to post a combined ABC lead of 6,292. Even more gratifying is that Future’s photography portfolio gains significant mar-ket share in both print and digital. Future’s photography titles now have an extraor-dinary 80%+ market share of all ABC audited photo mag digital editions. And overall, our combined titles’ ABC market share of 47% has never been greater. Of course it’s no secret that print magazines face challenges. The print editions of Time’s What Digital Camera and Dennis’ DSLR Photography both suffer 25% declines year on year. What’s more surprising is that these latest certificates show that – for some at least – successfully finding an audience for digital editions is proving just as problematic. For instance, Digital Photo’s debut digital edition figure is – at 588 – less than 10% that of Digital Camera’s. Meanwhile, DSLR Photography sees its digital edition figure fall by more than 18% year on year, and What Digital Camera’s drops by more than 9%. The photography sector headlines:• Digital Camera is the market-leading photography magazine• Digital Camera grows its lead over Bauer’s Digital Photo• Digital Camera outsells Digital Photo in print• Photography Week is the market-leading photography title in digital format• Photography Week outsells Amateur Photographer’s digital edition by more than 5 to 1• Future increases its combined ABC market share to 47%• Future’s digital editions market share now totals more than 80% • The three biggest year-on-year combined ABC falls in Photography are: - Dennis’ DSLR Photography (down 25.2%) - Time’s What Digital Camera (down 24.1%) - Bauer’s Digital Photo (down 13.6%) Of course not all publishers release ABCs for their photography brands. Those that did not post ABC figures for the period Jan-Dec 2014 include: Advanced Photographer, Photo Pro, Absolute Photo & Photography News (Bright); ePhotozine.com (Magezine Publishing); Digital Photographer (Imagine); Outdoor Photography (GMC). What’s behind Future’s ability to buck the trend? We’d say it was investment in product development, digital marketing and – crucially – recruitment and develop-ment of our award-winning people. For 2015, we’re determined to continue deliver-ing new content in innovative ways. We’ve got major redesigns already in the works, new print and digital launches to reveal, and exciting plans for events. And just like these ABCs we’ll carry on sharing our results – because we’re proud of them. You can find all the latest ABC certificates at their website: http://abc.org.uk/


For commercial opportunities contact Matthew Pierce [email protected]

THE MARKET-LEADING PHOTOGRAPHY PORTFOLIO

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THE NEW ANSMANN Powerline Vario is a fast charger for most Li-Ion and Li-Po batteries used in digital cameras, camcorders, mobile phones, PDAs and MP3 players which also charges 2 x AA/AAA rechargeable batteries – a great charger for all cameras, flash and digital products. The status of the batteries is displayed on the LCD display with following signals: CHARGING: individual bars flash separately for 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% charge BATTERY FULL: all four percentage increments are on POWER: the whole LCD display flashes once then stops ERROR: all bars flash Charging current is 600mA for 3.7V Li-Ion batteries, 500mA for 7.4V batteries, and1000mA for two AA/AAA cells. Two flexible contact pins can be adjusted to charge most types of Li-Ion and Li-Po batteries. A 1m USB to Micro USB cable connects to the USB traveller power supply with wide range input (100-240V AC) and interchangeable mains plugs for worldwide use (Euro, UK, US and AUS), plus a 12V USB car adaptor. A handy re-sealable plastic bag is included to store the accessories included. ANSMANN offer a 3 year warranty on this product. Suggested Retail Price including VAT – £29.95

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A packed stand with a plethora of high margin products; that’s the promise to the trade

at this year’s Photography Show from the leading UK distributor of frames, albums and hardware, including the AP award winning Nissin i40 flashgun, which now offers a Fuji fit, plus Reflecta scanners, Braun branded ‘selfie sticks’ and more. “Retailers always want to draw interest and generate extra foot-fall into their stores and Kenro’s goal is to try and help them achieve that by looking out for the ‘next big thing’,” says MD Paul Kench, just back from the NEC Spring Fair, which provided his company with some quality leads. “Selfies have become so popular that people are now wanting to perfect the way they take them.” First up though, there is a new Nissin flash stable mate on the way in the Di700 Air, which will be previewed at the Show in Canon and Nikon fits, with a Sony fit arriving in May. This upgrade of the Di700 includes a wireless receiver that operates with an equally new Air Commander radio trigger, offering control of up to 21 Nissin Air System flashguns. Kenro is bundling these two units together for dealers for an of SRP £239.94 inc VAT. At the same time the Marumi filter range has expanded with additional sizes for its Neutral Density, EXUS lens protect and DHG Super Lens Protect ranges. The larger sizes are suited to photographers using longer lens or shooting broadcast video. Joining them are Marumi Variable ND filters with thread sizes from 49mm to 82mm, while for those wanting to shoot a solar eclipse, the brand has a ND filter of 100,000 density (58mm or 77mm in size). “We have seen a big increase in ND filter sales,” reveals Paul. “They seem to be the ‘next big thing’ for advanced stills photography effects and also for creating shallow depth of field for video. With filter sizes going right up to 82mm, even those with very large lenses will be able to use them to their advantage.” SRPs start at £40.44 for the fixed density filters and at £125.40 for variable. With action cameras still very popular, Kenro is showcasing the Braun Master Action Camera II.

Make a beeline for Kenro distributed products at The Photography Show, Hall 5, stand F82


Kenro: plenty to shake a selfie stick atFresh from the successful Spring Fair, the distributor is returning to Birmingham’s NEC for The Photography Show. BPI News previews its new products

This is a higher spec version of its predecessor including plentiful accessories, making it a serious contender. Also bound to raise a stir are Braun’s new Selfie Sticks, available in three colours and in wireless or standard versions. There is even an underwater option. Another Kenro brand is Reflecta, which boasts a new 3-in-1 Film and Print Scanner with an SRP of £106.38. It can digitize slides, negatives, plus, more unusually, prints. 35mm film strips of up to six images or up to three mounted slides in the provided holder can be

scanned. A holder is also included for prints. Reflecta additionally offers an accessory LED Phone TabLight RPL 21 for use by smartphone photographers, powered by its own li-ion battery. More ‘serious’ is a Reflecta VisiLux Studio Kit 130 with two flash heads, tripods, softboxes and cables and 130 watts of flash output. For those retailers thinking outside the box Reflecta also offers its USB-equipped record player for your customers to digitize their vinyl. Showing on stand F82 too will be Kenro’s gift frames and albums. So get in touch with your Kenro rep to

explore the latest product avenues, and be sure to also check out the ranges indicated above at the NEC. “There are several of our retail partners exhibiting at the show, including Camera World and LCE, so if we have a consumer wanting to buy at the show we can direct them there. We are always keen to support our dealers and last year’s event was a great success for Kenro,” recalls Paul. “We like to put the message out there that we are constantly searching for new lines to attract eager consumers into retail stores.” www.kenro.co.uk

Selfie sticksfrom Braun –the best sellingproduct whichdidn’t evenexist a couple ofyears ago

Superior packaging and products from Marumi to catch the wave – or blur it – in the trend for big ‘ND stoppers’

Award fromAP for the tinyNissin i40 –but now come the big guns, Di700 Air (right) with its wireless Commander.left

Getting a bit of the action for dealers, Braun’s rugged black box Master Action Camera III adds potential accessory sales.Learn more from MD Paul Kench, right, at The Photography Show stand F82.


For today’s photo retailer or mini lab, there are big opportunities to be had, whether we’re

talking making prints of phone images or the creation of customers’ photo books, the markets for which are growing exponentially. And Kodak Alaris is working hard to make sure it’s easier than ever for members of the trade to profit. “We have new products and solutions becoming available in 2015, which continue to push our positioning in the mobile space,” UK Marketing Manager Paul Davey (right) says of Kodak Alaris’ thrust for the first half of this year. “We have our Kodak Net-to-Retail solution which is our network of retailers connected to our Mobile App eco-system, and we’re continuing to expand that. Thanks to the introduction of new friendly consumer features, our apps continue to go from strength to strength with over 10 million app downloads to date. We’re delivering a tool to our retail partners which effectively provides an omni-channel sales platform too. Smaller retailers may not otherwise have that capability, so we’re ‘empowering’ them, especially with the growth and the sheer volume of images now available from mobile phones. “We’re being realistic here and not expecting every single image from a mobile phone to be printed, but if we can unlock a fraction of smartphone photographers to recognise these

Seek out the new Kodak photo book printer on the Tetenal stand C101, Hall 5 at The Photography Show

Enjoy a Photography Show Kodak MomentBPI News hears how Kodak Alaris is ‘empowering’ its retail partners big and small, with omni-channel solutions and a next generation photo book printer on partner Tetenal’s NEC stand to pick up on growth opportunities


A new affordable photobook printer at the ShowTALK OF Kodak Moments aside, there will also be a new Kodak-branded photo book printer being demonstrated on the Tetenal stand at The Photography Show. “The D4600 is a second generation model and our most affordable printer yet,” says Paul. “Again it’s looking to pick up on a growth opportunity and maximise the potential for our retail partners, especially with the market seeing around 10% growth in photo books year on year, with the market worth £2 billion in total.“ A duplex device, the D4600 can also deliver borderless printing. Another plus is that it is the most affordable Kodak photo printer to date and versatile with it in offering books and calendars up to 8x12-inches and double-sided cards up to 6x8-inches. Additionally there are new updates to the Kodak Adaptive Picture Exchange (APEX) dry lab, which is modular in design and allows retailers to gradually expand their offering with minimal capital investment. Updated software again capitalizes on the growth of social media: for Instagram fans, 6x6 or 8x8-inch prints are available via a supporting printer. A new processor and monitor are further available to boost performance. To find out more about how Kodak Alaris can aid your print business come and say hello to the team on the Tetenal stand at The Photography Show. There is a free introductory period being offered to anyone interested in joining the Kodak Net to Retail programme.

special Kodak Moments and encourage them to print, then that really is going to be a game changer for us and the industry too. There have been reports suggesting people are putting too much faith in the Internet being ever-lasting in terms of storing our memories. The only way to absolutely secure those images for the longer term is to print them, which is an essential message we need to put across.” Fortunately Kodak Alaris has gained traction and enjoyed success with its Kodak Moments consumer marketing campaign, which kicked off in the fourth quarter last year. “We actually managed to get ourselves ‘trending’ worldwide on Twitter, thanks to our work with Text Santa on ITV. In fact the results were pretty spectacular in terms of the numbers of people we were able to reach. ‘Kodak Moments’ is a widely recognised phrase, so by tapping into how this is used on digital channels such as Instagram we can increase engagement and interaction.”

The D4600 printer (print photo © Richard Bradbury www.reciprocity.com)

The Kodak Moments App whether used on tablet (right) or mobile (below) allows the user to create printed products anywhere then collect from your store – or do it all in-store if they wish


Speak to the guys from MAC Group Europe in the flesh at The Photography Show, Hall 5, stand D120

Since we ran our introductory feature in BPI News Feb edition, the newly formed MAC Group

Europe with its host of familiar faces has been busy preparing to begin officially trading on March the 2nd. “Putting the right people in place who understand our markets and products is important, but having the right products for the market is essential and this is one of the key strengths for MAC Group EU,” Brand Manager Mark Hoskins tells us. “The MAC Group strategy is based on a multi-brand portfolio which allows us to target more markets, more customers, more specifically and more efficiently.“ Each brand focuses on a specific attitude and style, yet the choice of brands has been developed to work together as a team, Mark adds, saying: “we believe that this multi brand approach is the right strategy for the imaging industry.” It’s brands include Benro (formerly with distributor Kenro), Induro, Tenba, MeFoto and Vu – the last of the three being the ones we’re exploring here in depth in advance of The Photography Show. However, since new Benro and Induro camera supports are being launched at the event, interested parties should seek out the team for further details on their stand D120 – and of course read BPI News April’s show report. As UK MD Nigel Fielden told us last month: “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.”

Tenba

Tenba invented the first soft sided camera bag in 1977 and the pitch has been ‘Crafted Without Compromise’ ever since. With a choice of eight ranges, Tenba’s solutions include the innovative Switch series, the world’s first professional bags sized for mirrorless cameras, plus the Transport Series Air and Car cases, designed to be shipped, checked as luggage, flown, driven, sat on and stood on, whilst still continuing to protect precious photographic equipment. The new Messenger collection is all about speed, stealth and versatility in terms of accessing


One MAC, multiple brands MAC Group Europe is all geared up to reveal its brand and product line up to the trade at The Photography Show, stand D120. With this in mind we spoke to Brand Manager Mark Hoskins for a preview

camera and laptop gear quickly. Its bags and accessories claim to provide have infinite uses, while hiding and protecting expensive equipment from prying eyes. Across all ranges Tenba bag features include military-grade water repellent nylon, YKK zips, steel D rings and waterproof bases.

MeFOTO

These colourful tripods may look like a bit of fun, but there is serious intent behind them. MeFOTO tripods use the best quality material – machined aluminium, carbon fibre tubing and durable anodised finishing, so will provide quality support for your customers’ cameras. There are three different size tripods available in a dozen different colours, featuring either aluminium or carbon fibre tubing and with weight capacities up to 14kg. This is combined with the versatility of built in monopods, while the smartphone photographer is also catered for via the Sidekick 360.

Vü filters

New to the MAC Group portfolio are US-designed Vü filters. The range comprises the best in UV, Polarization, and Neutral Density filters for filmmakers and photographers. Utilising only the highest quality materials, innovative coating processes, and patented technologies to create its products, Vü Filters are available in two series. The Ariel circular screw-in filters boast white balance multi-coating described as ‘revolutionary’ for improved light transmission. UV and Circular Polarizing filters are available in sizes from 37mm to 82mmThe Sion series filters utilise the same high quality finishes but add a Flat Wave Overcoat, a specially developed optical coating that gives the filter’s surface a ‘smoother-than-glass’ finish, making filter maintenance and care much easier. In addition to UV and Circular Polarizing filters, the Sion range also includes Variable Neutral Density filters that block light between 1-5 stops, plus fixed Neutral Density filters in 1, 2, 3 and 10 stop versions. In addition 100mm square ND and ND grad filters plus a 100mm filter round off the range. Vü filters will be launched at The Photography Show. www.macgroupeu.com

Marc Hoskins (centre back) flanked by Guy Shirm, left, and Gary Sutton. Front: Nigel Fielden, left, and Jan Lederman right.

More than fifty shades of grey from Vü

A colour-conscious line-up from Tenba (top) and MeFOTO, tripods above and Sidekick phone support below


Meet Mark Baber and the Panasonic team and test drive the new models in Hall 5, stand C61 at The Photography Show

Awards 2014

Keep up to date with Panasonic: www.facebook.com/panasonicUK

www.twitter.com/panasonicUK

www.Instagram: @lumix_uk • # 4Kphoto

4 days of product demonstrations, expert help, guest speakers, hands on opportunities, great offers & much more...

THE ONES TO COME & SEE ON STAND C61The Photography Show 2015

takes place in hall 5 at the NEC,

Birmingham. The opening times are:

Saturday 21 March 10:00 – 18:00

Sunday 22 March 10:00 – 18:00

Monday 23 March 10:00 – 18:00

Tuesday 24 March 10:00 – 17:00

When we last saw Panasonic’s product specialist Mark Baber he was at The

Societies Convention demonstrating the capabilities of extracting an 8.8 megapixel still from a 4K video file and printing up to A3 in size – something he managed to achieve whilst retaining an impressive degree of detail (see also BPI News Feb’s cover shot). This led, he notes, to sales beyond all expectation of Panasonic kit for its retail partners exhibiting at the show. Arguably it’s not until you – or your customers – witness demos such as this first hand, that it’s possible to see how valuable this capability can be – grabbing super-sharp stills from lively family movies (right). The manufacturer is also one of the big draws at the NEC this month, with a full programme of events and ambassadors to win hearts and educate minds. Again, this should have a positive sales effect for its trade partners. Riding high on critical acclaim for its 4K shooting cameras in the Lumix DMC-GH4 and FZ1000 released last year, newly on show will be the retro styled GF7 (not 4K incidentally) along with its TZ70 flagship travel zoom. The above is the culmination of a year’s worth of talks and events Panasonic UK has undertaken, visiting retailers including Park Cameras and Wilkinson’s to ram the message home that its products are now serious alternatives for photo enthusiasts. For these it benefits from the endorsement of a 20-strong team of pro photographer ‘brand ambassadors’ who have ditched bulky SLRs for the smaller format CSC alternative – and are happy to tell your customers about it. “Pro photographers sharing their experience of our brand for us can help add a lot of credibility,” notes Mark of the importance of someone other than brand employees sharing its message. “We felt it was time, especially around the GH4 release, to do more than we were currently doing at retail. This coincided with an approach by Hugh Hastings, archive manager at Chelsea Football Club

and a pro photographer, who has had to have three hip operations after carrying heavy kit for 20 years. He came along and said: ‘I’ve dumped all my Nikon and Leica kit and want to tell you why.’ From that our ambassador program has grown to 20 people, including young travel blogger Jacob James and freelance Top Gear cameraman Stuart Morgan.”

Plenty in store…

“The beauty is we don’t just put the equipment in these guys’ hands and say ‘hey, talk about this’; they’re actually using it, “ Mark Baber adds. “And that is testament to the GH4 as a game-changing product. We started off pitching internally to the staff and then it’s grown to external presentations, such as street photography days in association with Wilkinson Cameras. “It’s about putting the product in the hands of the consumer. I measure success by how many cameras we sell – and that ensures

getting the right mix of ambassador or pro, and customers to come to these events and try the kit out. We provide loan kit and lenses and then give customers a free SD card of their work, plus a bit of a critique at the end and they walk away with an offer that allows them to return to the retailer and buy the product. It’s a jolly day out with the intention of sale at the end of it. We’re seeing some great results on the back of such grass roots activity – and the shift to CSC is being made apparent by these activities.” Mark adds that this year he’s doing a lot of work with

John Lewis and Jessops, having last year helped develop the knowledge of staff in store. “There’s a couple of things we do now: we examine what 4K photo is all about from an educational perspective and then engage with those who are interested to find out how you get the best out of it, including demonstrating how easy it is to edit 4K. The future looks fantastic, as our retailer activities are evolving in line with the technology. I think it’s a great journey, it’s really exciting and its is something no one else is doing.”

Panasonic partners with the tradeTrade-facing marketing product specialist Mark Baber explains how the electronics giant has been working hard over the past year to bring key messages to retailers and customers, ahead of four activity-packed days at the NEC


Mark Baber, left, and family movie shoot with still frame grabbing potential using GH4, right


See Fujifilm in action at ‘TPS’ this March. Head to stand D21 in Hall 5 to get the full lowdown

IF ANY MINILABS or retailers are wondering in advance of The Photography Show what brand of media to stock, take a look at these fuzzy-faced fellows. Fujifilm Crystal Archive paper has been utilized to print pictures of bearded blokes – and one lady – for a new exhibition by photographer Brock Elbank, showcased at London’s prestigious Somerset House from March 5-29th. There are 80 photographic prints in the exhibition depicting the extraordinary facial follicles of the likes of the actor John Hurt and British woman Harnaam Kaur, who has been growing a beard since the age of 16 (below). With the photographer receiving over 1200 applications for people wishing to participate, the original idea of photographing 60 sitters quickly grew to photographing 80. Mr Elbank’s series of ‘pogonophiles’ was printed via Lumejet and the pictures have already gone ‘viral’ on social media before the exhibition has opened its doors. “I was completely blown away with the quality of prints that Lumejet produced for this exhibition - all output on Fujifilm Crystal Archive Paper,” says Brock. “They look phenomenal and the colour accuracy is superb.’ “I just gave Lumejet’s Paul Anderson my files and he told me he’d show me what they could do. The combination of the Lumejet S200 printer and FujiColor Crystal Archive DP11 Matte Paper worked brilliantly and the exhibition prints look fantastic.” www.fujifilm.co.uk

HAVE A customer base with a healthy amount of Fuji ‘X’ camera system users, such as the flagship X-T1? Direct them to the fact that Fujifilm has released an updated roadmap revealing forthcoming new X Mount lenses compatible with its CSC line up. Newly announced are: the XF120mm f/2.8 R Macro telephoto lens to arrive first half of 2016 and the XF35mm f/2 R, a compact and lightweight standard focal length lens, arriving latter half of this year. We also get the promise of a 1.4x Teleconverter for its XF50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR, XF120mm f/2.8 R Macro and XF100-400mm, again arriving in the second half of 2015. www.fujifilm.co.uk

Future Fujifilm lenses revealed

Public eye on Fujifilm CrystalThe Wonder StuffTOKYO’S Harajuku district is world famous for its wonderfully eclectic mix of trend-set-ting fashions. So perhaps it’s no surprise that it’s birthed yet another; namely the Fujifilm concept of the Wonder Photo Shop, which is everything photo related in the one store… from the sale of photographic goods and educational seminars to the cre-ation of photo items from a choice of 100+ templates. This year Fujifilm UK is bring-ing the Japanese concept of the Wonder Photo Shop to the exhibition floor at The Photography Show. Turn to page 30 now to see what else shouldn’t be missed!




In advance of another NEC exhibition and attendant FDIS Conference for its

dealer network, Fujifilm’s ever-proactive FDIS Marketing Manager Peter Wigington (right) has responded to recent media reports of a interview given by Google boss Vint Cerf where he warned of a ‘forgotten century’ as photos and information are increasingly stored purely digitally and may not be readable or retrievable in future. In the piece Cerf also cautioned that the virtual ‘Cloud’ that increasing numbers of us now place faith in may one day burst. This is, however, arguably good news for those in the business of photo finishing who have long been encouraging the public to make hard copies of their precious digital files. “If there are photos you really care about, print them out,” he told the Guardian newspaper. As a part remedy, Google’s Vice President also called for the development of what he termed ‘digital vellum’ to preserve old software and hardware, allowing out of date files to be recovered, no matter how old they are. “Fujifilm have been advocating this for many years,” Fujifilm’s Peter tells BPI News. “Our software development has been an ongoing research into why and how people use their images. And providing a platform for them to capture, store and share their images lies at the heart of what we do. You only have to look at Fujifilm Imagine software, which works across in-store, online and mobile platforms, to allow users to store photo projects on line, share them and print them

Find Fujifilm’s full solution at the NECFujifilm’s Peter Wigington and his team are once again heading to Birmingham for the annual FDIS Conference and exhibition of wares at The Photography Show – with print media once again back in the news…

whenever they wish either in store or have it posted to their home. “At Fujifilm all of us are really excited about The Photography Show this year”, Peter adds. “We are using the strapline ‘Be Inspired’ to bring together the four cornerstones of our stand space: our exciting range of X series cameras, our very popular Instaxs, Wonder Photo Shop Store concept and Fujifilm Imagine software. First launched in Tokyo, the Wonder Photo Shop Store concept will really help the photo retailer see how Fujifilm can help them merchandise all the fantastic ways in which photos can be used. “We’ll have our full range of photo imaging equipment of course – Drylab 650, Frontier S, DPX Digital Print Centre, DPC-10 kiosk, wide format printer, Xerox 6270 greeting card printer, Case Station phone case printer, Wunderbars and Switch Frames – and all under the one ‘Wonder Photo Shop’ roof.” Interested retailers can find out more about all of Fujifilm’s solutions – including hardware, software and print media – by visiting The Photography Show.

‘Be Inspired’ Fujifilm’s ‘TPS’ message this March. Head to stand D21 in Hall 5 to get the full lowdown

STAR ATTRACTION at the NEC will be Fujifilm’s space saving Frontier-S minilab. This is a compact, high quality six ‘Vividia’ colour ink printer generating up to 360 4x6-inch prints per hour (print speed is 10 seconds per 6x4-inch sheet in standard mode). The pitch is that it combines the pluses of dye sub printer in terms of modest footprint (46x43cm), yet delivers the vivid and accurate colour reproduction of an inkjet. Furthermore, Fujifilm believes its Quality Dry Photo Paper enhances the overall colour saturation to deliver dynamic results. Print sizes run from 3.5x5-inches up to 8x39-inches, while a customised cabinet can accommodate one, two or three DX100 printers, so the system can expand in line with your own business. It’s no wonder then that Fujifilm believes that the Frontier-S meets the diverse needs and challenges of the retail minilab, retail kiosk and even events photographer… all in a 0.75 sq m. footprint! For more info please come and chat to the Fujifilm team at The Photography Show.

Frontier-S: the new star of the showRight: new DPX Digital Print Centre

Three stationFrontier-Sminilab

sove eE X H B T O N S L T DCopyright Sovereign Exhibitions Ltd 2014

Concept proposal for Fuji @ The Photography Show 2015

NB Graphic content and furniture shown for indicative purposes only.

sove eE X H B T O N S L T DCopyright Sovereign Exhibitions Ltd 2014

Concept proposal for Fuji @ The Photography Show 2015

NB Graphic content and furniture shown for indicative purposes only.

Fujifilm The Photography Show 2015 stand concept image by Sovereign Exhibitions Ltd.


Formore information please call

01234 572138and speak to PeterWigington or email [email protected]

YOUWANT: YOU NEED:

YOU GET:

Passports& Visas

90%

Canvas& Posters

MARGIN*

MARGIN*

60%

PhotoGifts

MARGIN*50%Albums

& Frames

MARGIN*65%

Printsfrom cameras &mobile phones

MARGIN*65%

*Gross margins shown are an average across all FDIS stores and will vary depending on selling price. These figures are shown as a guide only and do not represent a guarantee of gross margin, profit or loss by Fujifilm UK Ltd.

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BPI News March 2015

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Transcript of BPI News March 2015