Last week, the UK’s biggest still photography expo, Focus on Imaging, took place at the NEC in Birmingham. In between meals with major manufacturers, I managed to find time to circumnavigate the event floor, play with some gear and have a few interesting conversations.
The star of the show was, without doubt, the Fuji X100, which is both smaller and lighter than I had anticipated. Furthermore its EVF, whilst not perfect, is perfectly useable and seems to work well in conjunction with its optical viewfinder. Fuji were surprised by the sheer number of people with DSLRs saying they want one as a second camera. They were also surprised that the three most requested features (for a future version) were interchangeable lenses, 1080p video and an articulated monitor…which they seem to have heard loud and clear…
Taking a rather different approach to compactness, but still generating a huge amount of interest, was Panasonic’s new GF-2, which could also do with an articulated monitor and 1080p (instead of 1080i…or some weird hybrid thereof…). However, even without these things, or sensor based image stabilisation, it presents a very interesting proposition, especially if Panasonic bring to market their mooted fast 17.5mm and 25mm lenses.
There were no announcements from Sony, though a reliable source in the company informed me there will be no new full frame camera until 2012 and that when the Alpha 700 replacement finally appears, later this year, although it will feature 1080 video, it will be 1080i not 1080p. So it’s fortunate that the F3 looks so good!
Given their past reliance on Sony sensors and their recent statement about producing their own sensors in the future, this raises some interesting questions and perhaps even clues about the future direction of Nikon, who had no new product announcements, but were showing their D7000, which, of course, offers 1080p video (albeit at a fixed 24 FPS).
Is it just me that feels the urge to slap a bunch of manufactures upside the head with a 5D MkII whilst asking ‘Hello, have you heard of Canon?’
At the other end of the cost spectrum and generating substantial interest were the only two Pentax 645D medium format cameras in the country (one of which had been brought over specially from France). Like the Fuji X-100, the 645D is smaller & lighter than I had anticipated. It sits very nicely in the hand and feels like a camera you could shoot with all day…and you’d need to…all day, every day, to justify its ten grand price tag. Admittedly that’s only two thirds of the price of a Hasselblad featuring the same Kodak sensor, but, in the brief time I played with the 645D, its autofocus seemed sluggish by comparison and it lacks both the finesse and the options of more tried and tested medium format systems.
Two companies attending Focus for the first time were Samyang and JVC. Samyang showed, not just their entire current range, but a prototype 7.5mm f3.5 fisheye lens for multiple mounts, that I suspect will be a big seller when it is released.
Although JVC did not display the 4K2K concept camera shown at this year’s CES, I was able to discuss their 4K2K strategy. From what I understand, 4K2K is not an ‘if’, but a ‘when’, the when being later this year (or possibly 2012). As matters stand, the initial release of this technology is likely to be in a GY-HM100 body, in separate PAL and NTSC versions, with 24p, though this is subject to change…especially now that we’re talking…
Eizo showed their very recently announced ColorEdge CG275W 27-inch monitor, which seems ideal for image professionals needing to work with both moving and still images, as its pseudo 10bit display offers just about every colour space you can think of, from Adobe RGB to Rec709. It may not be a grade 1 CRT, but I would happily have one on my desk for critical reference, which is not say that I would not just as happily have one of the similarly specified Spectraview monitors shown on the NEC stand.
On the accessory front, my big discovery was, what appears to be an excellent range of low budget HDDSLR supports, loupes, etc., made by Foton and distributed in the UK by Just. I look forward to testing these at a later date. B+W announced a new clear glass filter that’s multi coated on both sides, for people who want to protect the front elements of their lenses but don’t want to use the more traditional skylight or UV filter approach. B+W also announced a new multicoated 10 stop ND filter, but said they will not be releasing a variable ND filter as it is impossible to create one to their exacting standards.
Expo Imaging, makers of the Expo Disc, announced Flash Benders, which is not a command, but a flexible reflective light modifier that sits on top of a flash gun and can be bent into pretty much any shape. Giottos announced that later this year they will be bringing to market a tripod suitable for both stills and video. However, it will not have a fluid head or a bowl, which seems to defeat the object somewhat.
And Finally…it was good to see the Disabled Photographers Society at Focus. If you have old kit lying around that you don’t need or want, you might like to consider donating it to them, so that they can adapt it for and loan it to disabled photographers, or sell it to raise funds.
© 2011 – 2015, Paul D. All rights reserved.
