British Photographic Industry News October 2018

Photographic British

Industry

news

OCTOBER 2018 • £3

Putting the photo trade in the picture for over 35 years

www.bpinews.co.uk

THE FUTURE IS MIRRORLESS ... that’s the manufacturers’ message as we reveal essential new gear for autumn 2018 & early 2019

P

28

P

22

P

16

P

8

IN THIS ISSUE…

CANON EOS R

PHOTOKINA REVIEW

TRADE CASE STUDY

BUSINESS ADVICE

The full facts about the manufacturer’s full frame contender as it joins rivals in getting serious about mirrorless

We report on the biggest news from Europe’s biggest photo show, including Leica, Panasonic and Sigma’s exciting alliance

How one of Fujifilm’s shops of the year did a ‘roaring’ trade at the zoo, thanks to advice & support from the manufacturer

High street versus online needn’t always be a battle. Opportunities are to be had by learning from what each does well

M I R R O R L E S S R E I N V E N T E D A I N

N E W

B E N C H M A R K

O P T I C A L

P E R F O R M A N C E

Whether shooting stills or videos, the new full-frame Z series pushes the boundaries in imaging quality and lens capabilities, enabled by the all-new Z mount. Unleash full creative freedom with the newly designed NIKKOR Z lenses, or choose from over 90 fully AF/AE compatible NIKKOR F lenses*. Experience revolutionary optical performance in a compact form factor today.

ALL-NEW FULL-FRA ME SYSTEM | QUAD VGA EVF | N E W Z M O U N T & N I K KO R Z L E N S E S | I N - C A M E R A 5 A X I S V R | F U L LY A F /A E C O M P AT I B L E W I T H O V E R 9 0 N I K K O R F L E N S E S * *When paired with the optional FTZ mount adapter For more information visit www.nikon.co.uk

Logo based around Anders font.

3 possible logo uses.

ODE TO COLOGNE W

Photographic British

Industry

news

Published monthly by

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

Editorial | October 2018

Gavin Stoker, Editor gavin@bpinews.co.uk @GavinStoker

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Please direct all advertising enquiries and sponsorship opportunities to gavin@bpinews.co.uk Publisher’s Office: 31 New Road, Richmond, Surrey TW10 7HZ. Legacy Media Ltd accept no ultimate responsibility for accurate reproduction of digital artwork created by third parties.

Insurance and carriage of products submitted for inclusion in reports rests with the owner. News, data, prices, interviews and opinion are printed in good faith E&OE. Content including advertising artwork created by Legacy Media Ltd or its agents is ©2018 Legacy Media Ltd. ISSN: to be advised.

e completed this edition of BPI News immediately after this year’s Photokina – the last of the biennial exhibitions, before it returns with swiftness in May 2019 and is annual thereafter. Going into the show there was continuing controversy about changes to its frequency, length and focus – especially after decades of status quo – with the view that this may be ‘the last big one’ voiced by many dealers and manufacturers we spoke to in advance.

Those same voices did, however, still consider it worth making the pilgrimage to Cologne, even if a fair few of the big camera and accessory unveilings took place in weeks leading up to the show, rather than being saved for the event itself (with some notable exceptions of course – see our Photokina review on pages 16 to 18). This made for an unusually hectic lead-in for those of us who report on such things.

Time spent by the Rhine is not just

DON’T MISS OUR NOVEMBER EDITION! Copy due by October 23rd at latest.

REQUEST OUR 2018 PRODUCTION PACK for crucial dates via info@bpinews.co.uk

STAY INFORMED: SUBSCRIBE TO BPI NEWS EACH MONTH! Don’t get left in the dark. Make the most of real world advice and news about your trade and have 10 issues of BPI News delivered to your door for just £30 including postage (UK mainland only). Contact us to place your order and to enquire about overseas rates via info@bpinews.co.uk

COVER IMAGE: Future tech, as witnessed on the Canon stand for our main cover image, but also throughout Photokina 2018, which took place in Cologne last month. Turn to page 16 now for our round up of the show’s biggest news!

about announcements of shiny new kit, though. Any global gathering of the photographic ‘clans’ also retains value as a great opportunity to catch up and network, leading to possible business down the line. Plus, as far as the western world goes, it’s still the biggest photographic exhibition out there.

While trade chatter these past two or three months has pretty much all been about the run up to Photokina – and rumours of what was being released, or not – there’s still been plenty of other stuff going on too. Those that weren’t exhibiting have been doing the usual gearing up for pre-Christmas sales that would happen this time of year anyway, even if it wasn’t a Photokina year, and we’ve news of their products in this edition as well.

With retail bonanza ‘Black Friday’ on the horizon next month, this is also the point in the calendar when there is a lot of talk about how, where and when to best extract spend from customers… and the roles bricks and mortar stores and online sales have to play. Are they still uneasy bedfellows, or two sides of the same coin, now that many high street retailers retain a healthy online presence too? It’s not uncommon for us to be told that online sales for high street stores over Black Friday weekend match or exceed takings during the Christmas period, so exploring the ‘clicks versus bricks’ relationship is important. And that’s just what we’ve done in our business feature on page 28.

As we’ve said time and again – BPI News is about giving you the full picture.

Now back in stock www.swains.co.uk

@bpi_news

sales@swains.co.uk

01485 536200

BPI News | October 2018 3

News

promotions Camera AG

Lumix National Trust POS Complimentary 12 month national trust membership with the lumiX FZ200 or FZ72

©National Trust Images/Matthew Antrobus

es he

20.3-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor, 4K video capture, Digic 8 processor, plus a maximum 10fps capture speed.

With what’s described as ‘classic style DSLR ergonomics’, users also have the option of using the eye level electronic viewfinder (2.36 million dot resolution), and shooting in Raw as well as JPEG. The camera is due to arrive this November at an SRP of £519.99. www.canon.co.uk

SONY’S WIDE BOY COMES INTO FOCUS The electronics behemoth has launched a new large aperture, wide-angle prime lens in the FE 24mm f/1.4 GM, which arrives this month with a price tag of approximately £1,450.

While ostensibly for its full frame cameras, the manufacturer says the optic is also suitable for its APS-C sensor mirror-less models such as the Alpha 6500 and 6300. Featuring a design described as ‘compact and lightweight’ at 445g, the premium ‘G’ series lens is further claimed to be capable of delivering high resolution images with beautiful bokeh. Pitched at both photographers and videographers, this latest introduction brings Sony’s E-mount compatible lens total to 48. www.sony.co.uk

Buy a PEN, get a lens free Description

• Complimentary National Trust Membership Campaign POS

Leica goes back to black to take a speCial piCture you need to go to speCial plaCes

With instant cameras being seemingly all the rage at present, the premium brand has expanded on the white and mintA3 Poster coloured offerings in its own range to now offer the Leica Sofort (‘sofort’ being German for ‘instant’) in sober black.

The manufacturer adds that a special highlight of the black version is that the ‘Sofort’ branding is picked out in white lettering around the camera Now you and your family can discover hundreds of new special places with the National Trust and capture every stunning detail with the award-winning new LUMIX FZ200 or FZ72.

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

T48046 Panasonic_A3_Poster.indd 1

21/08/2013 13:54

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

©National Trust Images/Matthew Antrobus

laCes

With many companies choosing to unveil new product just ahead of Photokina last month, the photo stalwart was no exception in introducing the Canon PowerShot SX70 HS, which updates the SX60 HS. Despite the ‘70’ in the model name this is a bridge camera with a 65x optical zoom, providing a focal length the 35mm equivalent of a whopping 21mm to 1365mm. Other key features to pitch to your customers include a 3-inch vari-angle LCD screen,

©National Trust Images/Matthew Antrobus

onth national trust e lumiX FZ200 or FZ72

CANON TAKES IT TO THE ‘BRIDGE’

body. Dealers may wish to know that a range of accessories described as ‘comprehensive’ is available for the camera. This includes both straps in mint, Wobbler orange and black and white and cases in black or brown. A further advantage of the camera is that it utilises Fuji’s widely available Instax film packs (as well as Leica’s own branded version). www.leica-camera.com

In addition to the current winter promotions we’ve covered on page 20 of this issue, Olympus UK has announced a further deal to warm sales for its retail partners this season, whereby anyone buying one of its PEN E-PL9 cameras will, for a limited time, get a free M.Zuiko Digital ED 30mm f/3.5 Macro Portrait lens. The lens is worth a standalone £249.99.

The offer started on October 1st and runs until January 6th next year.

Naturally T&C’s apply and those who make a purchase need to register their camera purchase online via www.olympus-imagespace.co.uk/epl9free-lens/ to be able to make their claim. www.olympus.co.uk

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

Hang Tag

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

21/08/2013 13:56

T48046 Panasonic_A4_Cling.indd 1

A4 Cling

British

Industry

21/08/2013 13:59

Supported by

news

Items shown are for reference only and are not to scale

4 October 2018 | BPI News

www.bpinews.co.uk

News

PHOTOKINA ORGANISERS REPORT ‘POSITIVE’ FEEDBACK As we sent this issue to press within a hair’s breadth of the completion of yet another Photokina exhibition, one that was, this year, not without change, the show’s organisers got in touch with some early feedback from exhibitors and visitors (see also our first hand report of the key new launches, starting on page 16).

With a visitor number of 180,000 reported, the President and Chief Executive of Koelnmesse, Gerald Böse, comments: “The feedback of exhibitors and visitors has been entirely positive.

Exhibitors at the stands were especially pleased, both at the frequency and the quality of the visitors. Visitors in turn very

much appreciated what they experienced here. This confirms that we are absolutely on course with the commenced reorientation. Several companies have already signalled that they wish to expand, return or exhibit for the first time in 2019 based on their experience this year. This especially applies to the broadcast and cine segment, in which we expect especially high growth in 2019.”

Optimism also comes from the chairman of the German Photo Industry Association (PIV), Rainer Führes, who adds: “We have experienced the most innovative Photokina in years, with many new products in all areas of the

value creation chain. The industry once again demonstrated in Cologne that it is to be reckoned with: imaging technologies have become indispensable in every day life and in all industry branches. We manufacturers offer the complete portfolio of solutions and products for this. We have derived from many good talks this week that we are on the right course as an industry and with the restructuring of Photokina.”

The Cologne based trade show will make a speedy return in May 2019, when the dates for your diary will be Wednesday May 8th to Saturday May 11th. www.photokina.com

NEW FACE, NEW FUJI COMPATIBILITY FOR ROTOLIGHT British lighting manufacturer Rotolight is back in the news again this month, having appointed a new Business Development Director in Tim Haskell (right). Tim has worked for a range of recognisable names in the trade over the past 30 years, including XP Distribution, Bowens International, Planet Video Systems and Calumet Photographic. His brief at Rotolight is to ‘take ownership’ of day-to-day operations, helping to drive sales and build brand awareness.

“We are delighted to welcome someone as experienced and passionate as Tim to the Rotolight team, especially considering his excellent reputation in the industry with manufacturers, customers and vendors alike,” enthuses Rotolight MD Rod Aaron Gammons. “We are a rapidly

expanding business and having someone of Tim’s calibre on board to help us cement our reputation in the market, while growing our presence in new and existing markets, is a real coup.”

The second spot of Rotolight news is that it has announced a High Speed Sync (HSS) transmitter optimised for Fujifilm camera systems – in collaboration with Elinchrom – which it says is one of the first HSS transmitters available for the Fuji system.

“We’ve seen a lot of demand from Fujifilm shooters eagerly awaiting the compatible HSS transmitter so that they can unlock the full potential of the Rotolight range,” claims Rod Aaron Gammons. “And we are delighted to now welcome them to the family.”

Fujifilm UK Marketing Manager Andreas Georghiades adds: “As the system grows, so do the

demands from our users for compatibility with third-party accessories. This is why we are so happy to have an HSS transmitter for our X Series and GFX System so that our photographers can expand their creativity with the use of the Rotolight range.”

Transmitters are already available for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus and Panasonic camera systems, with the new addition for Fuji users retailing at £229. www.rotolight.com

BPI News is your mouthpiece to the photo trade, so use it! Send your press releases and news items direct to: info@bpinews.co.uk @bpi_news

BPI News | October 2018 5

News

NEW FULL FRAME MIRRORLESS CAMERA FROM ZEISS Zeiss has joined the growing list of those releasing or developing a full frame mirror-less camera, with its own offering to be called the ZX1, as announced at Photokina last month.

Telling us that both sensor and lens have been developed in house at Zeiss, the result is a claimed ‘first class image quality’ combined with operation said to be as intuitive as shooting with a smartphone. The camera features an integrated Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/2 T* autofocus lens wedded to a 37.4 megapixel sensor. Raw images can be processed in camera and there’s a generous 4.3-inch touchscreen display.

Another unusual feature is a whopping 512GB of internal memory, providing space for either 50,000 JPEGs or 6,800 Raw images. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB. Zeiss’ Head of Consumer Products Jörg Schmitz says that the target

audience for its camera is the “ambitious, professional creative… who wants to inspire as many people on the Internet as possible.” The company adds that the camera will be available early next year, with the recommended retail price to be announced nearer that time.

For more, see: www.zeiss.com/zx1 In related news, the high-end lens company has announced a new Batis 2/40 CF lens (above), which it says

bridges the current gap in its line up between its Zeiss Batis 2/25 and the Zeiss Batis 1.8/85. With a 40mm fixed focal length and f/2 aperture, it is described as the standard lens in the Zeiss Batis family, featuring a quick autofocus and extremely short minimum focus distance.

Developed for the Sony mirror-less full frame A7 and A9 series of cameras, the SRP of the new lens is £1,129.99. www.zeiss.co.uk

LOMO BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

Calumet Manchester re-brands as Wex Photo Video The former Calumet Photographic store in Manchester has been re-branded, re-fitted and re-opened as a Wex Photo Video outlet, with the opening day honours last month being undertaken by music photographer Mike McCartney, brother of Paul. The ‘new’ Wex is located at Unit 4, Downing Street Industrial Estate, Charlton Place, Manchester M12 6HH. “We’re excited to open the doors to our advanced new showroom in Manchester, where our team of experts will be on hand to give advice on a vast range of photo and video equipment for those at all levels of experience,” says Matt Devine, Head of Content at Wex Photo Video. www.wexphotovideo.com

Analogue camera brand Lomography has ‘brought back’ a popular instant camera variant in its Lomo’Instant Explorer, originally designed by Kristopher H for Lomography x Fashion Walk, and featuring a mass of his intricate blue illustrations.

“This stunning piece was so popular we decided to bring it back,” reveals UK Marketing Manager Hannah Brown.

“The Lomo’Instant takes the Fuji Instax Mini film, it has a MX (multiple exposure) button and adjustable aperture settings for added creative fun.”

As well as the basic camera package at £79, there is a second combo option

that adds fisheye, close up and wideangle lens attachments for £105, all-in. www.lomography.com

BPI News is your mouthpiece to the photo trade, so use it! Send your press releases and news items direct to: info@bpinews.co.uk 6 October 2018 | BPI News

www.bpinews.co.uk

The Creation Station

Direct access to cloud images when your customer connects their device to the CS1 kiosk Welcome to

Photo Express

NEW FEATURE: CLOUD PRINTING The CS1 kiosk now comes with a MikroTik HAP solution for phone Wi-Fi which enables your customers to download their images from the cloud automatically using the store's own internet.

FAST AND EASY IMAGE LOADING Multiple options to connect via Phones, Tablets, USBs, Memory Cards & Social Media

DIGITAL PASSPORT SYSTEM: • Passport photos are instantly verified via the Government Website.

• The time taken to complete or renew Passport applications is considerably reduced.

• The new system is more secure.

• Your customers will save a total of £20 in passport application and checking fees.

• The CS1 kiosk connects to your existing printer.

NEW GIFTING PRODUCTS:

Greeting Cards, Wrapping Paper, Slates Passport Holders, Personalised Engraved Frames

Plus over 90 existing products: Clocks, Calendars, Photo Mugs, Phone Cases, Aluminium Panels & much more

INTERESTED? Just drop us an email to uk@tetenal.uk.com to find out more.

YOU ALREADY HAVE A CS1 KIOSK? Get in touch to find out how to include the new features and add new products to the kiosk.

Exclusively from Tetenal Ltd | TEL: 0116 289 3644 | tetenaluk.com/cs1kiosk

BPI News Extra

‘R’ YOU READY FOR CANON’S FUTURE PROOF FULL FRAME EOS? Promising professional results, the leading camera brand has joined the battle for full frame mirrorless supremacy this autumn with the launch of the new EOS R and compatible lens line up.

BPI News drills into the features of its system for the future to share with your customers

F

ollowing successive iterations of its consumer targeted, APS-C sensor incorporating EOS M mirrorless camera series, Canon has an eye on the future with its first full frame mirrorless model: the EOS R (which was available to touch and try at Photokina last month). This follows hot on the heels of Nikon’s rival Z system we reported on last month, and will also mount a challenge to Sony’s A7 series.

Like its pro-grade rivals, Canon has re-designed its existing mirrorless mount for the EOS R system from the ground floor up. The new mount is the ‘RF’ mount. This means that there is an all-new RF lens line up to go with the new model and its future generations.

The reason behind the new mount is to give the brand greater flexibility when it comes to lens design. Features include a 12-pin connection for added strength when longer lenses are deployed, while it boasts a flange back distance of 20mm and a wide 54mm mount diameter.

by its mirrorless range, with the EOS R boasting 30.3 megapixels in total. It also comes with a latest generation Digic 8 processor and what’s claimed to be the world’s fastest auto focus (locking onto target in as little as 0.05 seconds), while also impressive is the ability to find focus in low light conditions equivalent to -6EV. While it can track subjects at 5fps, its maximum frame rate of 8fps is achieved via fixed AF. There is, naturally, plenty of opportunities for photographer customers to get hands on with this camera, not least via the ability to ‘touch and drag’ the AF, with a whopping 5,655 AF positions selectable.

Further showing its mettle, the Canon EOS R features a weather sealed,

Above: New system, new lenses, new body, new adapters. The new EOS R should prove the right fit for pro photographers looking to take advantage of the portability (and quality) of a full frame mirror-less system.

Below: Four new RF lenses have been introduced alongside the camera so users can hit the ground running

customisable magnesium alloy body, variangle screen and an eye level viewfinder boasting a high 3.69 million-dot resolution with 100% coverage. Naturally any new mirrorless camera also features video shooting and at 4K resolution at that, with the EOS R being no exception.

For those photographers looking for ‘total discretion’ it also offers completely silent shooting, thus opening the EOS R up to a possible audience of wedding photographers and photojournalists. Also benefitting this audience is ‘always on’ Bluetooth’ and the Canon Connect Camera app.

FOUR NEW RF LENSES Interestingly the new mirrorless series appears to be taking inspiration from premium compact cameras(as well as, naturally, DSLRs), in that all RF

PLENTIFUL FEATURES (AND PIXELS) Aside from a new mount, the deployment of full frame sensor has also allowed Canon to increase the resolution offered

Big news from Canon this month: new full frame mirror-less camera system in the EOS R, with four directly compatible 8 October 2018 | BPI News

www.bpinews.co.uk

Canon EOS R Promotion lenses will feature a customisable Control Ring, via which users can adjust aperture, shutter speed, ISO or exposure compensation, thereby ensuring there is no need to look away from the subject to effect such changes, the brand believes. With lens ergonomics described as ’intuitive’, Canon believes the camera and lens combo will deliver a ‘natural shooting experience’.

There are four new RF lenses available – two immediately, with a further pair arriving in a couple of months. These include the RF 50mm f/1.2L USM, described as the fastest prime lens in its class, and capable of delivering stunningly shallow depth of field and remarkable low light performance, claims Canon. SRP is £2,349.99.

Also available is the RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM and is described at the first full frame Canon lens to feature Nano USM, which, says the brand, delivers a smoothness in focusing that makes it ideal for filmmakers. Other attributes include fast and silent auto focus and five stops of image stabilization. SRP is £1,119.99.

The third new lens is a standard zoom in the RF 28-70mm f/2L USM that offers a world first for full frame cameras of f/2 brightness throughout the zoom range. The lens barrel also boasts a shock absorption mechanism. This arrives in December and has an SRP of £3,049.99.

The fourth new optic, likewise available this December, is the RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM – that aperture indicating a super fast performance, with its perspective also making it ideal for street, travel and close up photography. SRP for this one is £519.99.

ALL THIS, AND ACCESSORIES TOO As one would assume, Canon is also providing three new lens mount adapters to allow more than 70 EF and EF-S lenses to be used with the new EOS R system, delivering, claims the manufacturer, ‘levels of performance and functionality previously seen with EOS DSLRs’. With the EF-EOS R Mount Adapter priced at £99.99, a further mount adapter option adds the control ring found on RF lenses to enable users to maintain their set up whether using RF, EF or EF-S mount lenses. This Control Mount Ring Adapter is £199.99.

Both are available this October. There’s also a drop-in mount filter adapter, allowing users to drop in a circular polarizing filter or a variable ND filter.

Dealers have the ability to piggyback the sale of accessories with an EOS R body, via the availability of three mount adapters, a battery grip (below) or a Speedlite flash (on right)

‘WORLD’S LIGHTEST’ TELEPHOTOS, PLUS EOS-M PRIME It’s not just all about the new EOS R system this month. Canon hasn’t forgotten existing users and has unveiled what it is calling the world’s lightest 400mmm f/2.8 and 600mm f/4 lenses, plus a 32mm mirrorless lens for the EOS-M series, pitched as ‘pioneering’.

The white finish, L-series lenses in the EF 400mm f/2.8L III USM (£11,999.99 SRP) and EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM (£12,999.99 SRP) are aimed at action and wildlife photographers and feature the advantage of image stabilisation said to be the equivalent of five stops, to enable hand held shooting. Weather sealing guards against dust and moisture, while the manufacturer says fluorine coating enables easy cleaning. The weight of the optics has also been dramatically reduced, down to 2840g. When used for shooting video, pull focus effects can be achieved, using focus controls and focus presets. Hard cases and a new short hood are optional extras, and the two lenses are available this December.

Arriving earlier (this month) is the £499.99 EF-M 32mm f/1.4 STM. Described as premium, the pitch to your photographer customers for this lens should be that, in offering a 51mm equivalent focal length, it is perfect for portraiture, candid photography and natural looking compositions. Obviously the fast/ bright f/1.4 aperture ensures that it fits the bill for low light photography, whilst delivering an attractive ‘bokeh’ effect into the bargain, plus close focusing down to 23cm.

HURRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CANON’S AUTUMN CASHBACK! The company’s autumn cashback offer under the banner of ‘Finding a New Story to Tell’ was still ongoing as we went to press; but with it due to end on October 17th at the time of writing, you’ll want to waste no time in informing your customers of the offers on the table. For example, there’s a generous £250 cashback redeemable upon purchase of an EOS 5D Mark IV, or a respectable £100 on an EOS 80D. The same amount is likewise redeemable upon purchases of the EOS M5 and PowerShot G1 X Mark III. Video cameras, DSLR lenses, binoculars and a handful of printers are also included in the latest money-saving scheme.

There’s the ability to offer even more financial incentives for your customers to buy, courtesy of the fact that some of the lenses in the scheme are additionally covered by Canon’s Lens Rewards program.

For example a £220 cashback on the purchase of an EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens can be combined with a lens reward of £105 to make a total saving of a whopping £325.

Naturally terms and conditions apply. For further info please visit www.canon.co.uk/autumncashback and www.canon.co.uk/lens-promo

Further accessories include a compatible BG-E22 battery grip allowing for two high capacity lithium ion LP-E6N batteries to be used, and for easier handling when the camera is in the vertical position, plus Speedlite EL-100 flash for the EOS R. In terms of pricing for the camera itself, meanwhile, it’s £2,349.99 SRP body-only with mount adapter, or £3,269.99 for a kit that bundles camera and mount adapter with RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens.

For more on all of the above, please speak with your local Canon rep and visit the URL below. www.canon.co.uk

lenses announced and access to 70+ more via adapter. Also check out its autumn cashback at canon.co.uk/autumncashback @bpi_news

BPI News | October 2018 9

News

DNP AT PHOTOKINA: ALL THE NEWS FIT TO PRINT

T

he Japanese print specialist put on a show of strength in Cologne last month, showcasing a plethora of new print products and ideas to entice the trade.

These included Metallic Media, described as a luxury option for its DS820 dye sub printer. This is also ‘white label media’ without any backprint, says DNP, letting photographers’ photographs speak for themselves. The new Metallic Media joins the already available Standard Digital and Pure Premium media options for the printer.

Also shown at Photokina was DNP’s ‘Yodabooth’ selfie-shooting solution, built around its DS620 printer, which is said to fit perfectly within the box, with a latch door enabling easy media re-loading.

Also featured are a Canon DSLR, flash and a microsoft tablet. A light yet sturdy construction allows for easy transportation and it can be set up in under five minutes with no extra tools required; therefore seemingly making it perfect for events photography. Retailers can either sell the booth as an all-in-one selfie booth, bundled with the DS620 printer and get recurrent media sales – or rent it out for events and thereby generate additional business.

Likewise new is SnapLab Pro, which is DNP’s flagship photo software embedded in a DST4 Lite order terminal, boasting a new visual design which is claimed to provide an optimum customer experience and intuitive navigation. With operation essentially ‘plug and play’, SnapLab Pro is designed to help you attract new business and boost your revenue. The terminal

New Metallic Media (above), the eye catching Yodabooth (below in yellow), and SnapLab Pro software (above, right) were demo’d at Photokina last month

and software has been designed to be compatible with a host of DNP printers, including the DS620, DS820, DS80DX, DS RX1 HS, DS RX1, DS40, DS80, and Fargo DTC1250e card printer.

Another talking point at the show was DNP’s ID+ photo ID system that as it sounds can quickly and easily produce all kinds of ID photos. The set up comprises the manufacturer’s ID 600 photo printer and a touchscreen tablet with an integrated camera, embedded with ID+ software. DNP says its compact solution requires little space and can fit easily on any table top. Producing ID photos via this route involves just four simple steps: choose the template of the required country, select the ID type (ID card, passport, visa, or driver’s license), receive a biometric confirmation

control print, and, finally, obtain your ID photo in 12.4 seconds.

Further current DNP solutions include its DS Lab order management software, which is said to be fully compatible with the SnapLab Pro customer service interface embedded in the DST4 Lite terminal. Described as ‘the best professional minilab partner’, DS Lab is a behind the counter solution for order management, said to be so intuitive that no specialist training is required. Fully scalable, as many ordering kiosks as necessary and up to 12 different printers (USB hub required) can also be added.

Finally there’s DNP’s free software utility Hot Folder Print. This allows for the likes of an event photographer, or those retailers offering photography, to enjoy a swift and simple print workflow. Available for both Windows and Mac operating systems, the software is claimed to enable users to get their prints in an instant in the format they choose. www.dnpphoto.eu

Take the tube with Kenro The proactive distributor has a trio of NanGuang tube lights to pitch to photo retailers and their photographer customers, to enable them to ‘paint with light’ and introduce dynamic effects into their photographic compositions. The smallest of the trio is the TRGB1208B at 77cm long and a weight of 834g. SRP

is £329.44. The 16W light contains 400 LEDs, is powered using an included AC adapter and has a battery built in.

Next up is the mid range TRGB1412A, a 30W light that boasts 750 LEDs, is 1.2m long and weighs 1.5kg.

Supplied with an AC power adapter only, SRP for this one is £449.94.

The third option is the range topping TRGB1212B, which can also be used wire free thanks to a pair of built in batteries.

It’s also supplied with an AC adapter for longer use. This 32W light is 1.17m long and weighs in at 1.3Kg. SRP is £479.94.

“There are certain dynamic lighting effects that can prove very difficult for film makers to achieve, because the kit

is too costly or the set up too complex,” believes Kenro MD Paul Kench. “These new RGB tube lights from NanGuang offer a great all-in-one solution that can also be used for standard studio lighting and really pack in value for money.

Stills photographers and film makers alike will find a whole range of creative possibilities opened up with these lights, whether in the studio or out on location.” www.kenro.co.uk

BPI News is your mouthpiece to the photo trade, so use it! Send your press releases and news items direct to: info@bpinews.co.uk 10 October 2018 | BPI News

www.bpinews.co.uk

DS-RX1HS

DS820

DS620

DP-SL620 II

ON-SITE DYE SUBLIMATION PRINTING ASK FOR PRINT SAMPLES

Deliver dreams instantly

5 FINISHINGS FOR 1 MEDIA*

Matte Fine matte Glossy Luster Partial Matte

*contact your local distributor for more details

Wide range of formats & media

High performance

Panoramic prints

Stunning prints at a minimal cost

Photo strips

Compact size for easy transport

Square prints

Reliable on-site and in the studio

Pure Premium & Standard Digital media

Perfect for photobooths and events

Metallic media

High speed printing

Perforated and sticker media

DNP PHOTO IMAGING EUROPE sales@dnpphoto.eu www.dnpphoto.eu/en

bb&b - Photos: istock, DNP

Expand your business with new printing opportunities

BPI News Extra

GET UP TO SPEED ON FUJIFILM’S NEW X-T3 Swelling the chorus of those manufacturers declaring ‘the future is mirrorless’, Fujifilm has just such a new camera in the premium X-T3. BPI News attended the UK launch and got to trial it at the Goodwood Revival festival…

F

ujifilm joined the throng of manufacturers – Canon, Nikon, Leica and Panasonic – all unveiling product in the weeks prior to Photokina last month.

Quoting Futuresource-provided market information to us, Fujifilm UK’s General Manager for Electronic Imaging Theo Georghiades declared at the launch of its new, upgraded X-T3 compact: “It’s all about mirrorless. It’s a phenomenal year for the enthusiast. We’ve almost reached that time where mirrorless overtakes DSLR.” Although the total market was down 12%, Theo told us, mirrorless had risen by 12% in value terms. “People are now spending more on mirrorless than they are DSLR,” he added.

Warming to the ‘future is mirrorless’ theme, it was also stated there have been a greater number of recent improvements in the area of video performance on mirrorless cameras, when compared with DSLR, and that, as predicted, the enthusiast segment of the market – Fujifilm’s £700 to £3000 ‘heartland’ – is eating away at DSLR. According to Futuresource data shown to us by Fujifilm, mirrorless will be bigger than DSLR by 2020.

Though Fujifilm is not offering a DSLR or a full frame mirrorless model like other big name rivals (the X-T3 sports an APS-C chip), the reason, says Theo, is that: “we see ourselves

We see ourselves as the ‘best balanced’ system, when compared with the competition. It’s about carrying less and shooting more” Fujifilm UK General Manager Theo Georghiades (shown here with Makoto Oishi) as the ‘best balanced’ system, when compared with the competition. It’s about carrying less and shooting more.”

He adds that, in order to allow your photographer customers to do this, the company currently offers 34 compatible lenses for its X system cameras. With this latest X-T3 upgrade, the brand is also coming into the fourth generation of its sensor and processor technology, with the new ‘T’ therefore “going to the next stage.”

YOUR CRIB SHEET FOR THE X-T3 Following the above market overview from Theo, it was the turn of Fujifilm’s product specialist Makoto Oishi to outline the features that made the X-T3 special in its manufacturer’s eyes – chief among these being the fact that its newest mirrorless camera offers “high performance in a small and lightweight body”. Key specification includes a resolution of 26.1 megapixels

(an improvement on the X-T2’s 24MP) alongside a claimed faster AF performance and higher image quality.

Additionally it offers 100% AF area coverage, up to -3EV low light performance, plus 3x faster processing speed. Battery life is claimed to be good for up to 390 frames according to CIPA standard testing, an improvement on its forebear’s 300 frames. Aside from that, size and weight have been kept much the same as the earlier X-T2, says its maker. It features the convenience and expandability of dual SD card slots, and is offered to photographer customers in a choice of either black or silver bodies. In terms of the build, each side of the camera is now fashioned from magnesium alloy, while a lockable dioptric adjustment dial has been added.

Also on board is a new monochrome adjustment function (available in Monochrome and Acros Film Simulation modes) that gives the option of both a “warm and cool monochrome expression,” according to Makoto-

Revved up & ready to go: Fujifilm’s newest XT-3 premium mirrorless camera features a 26.1 megapixel 12 October 2018 | BPI News

www.bpinews.co.uk

Fujifilm X-T3 launch Glorious at Goodwood: Bright sun and a variety of lenses used with the Fujifilm X-T3 body, including the 18-55mm kit zoom, are capable of delivering shots with plenty of detail and colour. Show this to your customers; they’ll be equally impressed!

At a glance: Fujifilm XT-3 n Features new fourth generation back-illuminated X-Trans CMOS sensor and X-Processor n 26 MP effective resolution n Includes a 3.69 million dot resolution electronic viewfinder san, plus a Colour Chrome effect that produces deeper colours and a more contrast-y image when shooting subjects with highly saturated colour (such as a flower for example). The camera is also claimed to be capable of more accurate and faster phase detection and eye detection.

Other must-haves found on the X-T3 include touch screen operation, a 3.5mm headphone jack, plus – an industry first in our eyes – a totally removable cover protecting its video

n 3-inch tilting touch screen LCD (1,040K dots resolution) n 4K video recording, with support for 10 bit colour depth ports (which can be lifted off the camera allowing for better cable access, rather than just flipped open).

Accessories for canny retailers to piggyback on the sale of an X-T3 include a new vertical battery grip (with a bigger horizontal grip), enabling the capture of a much-improved 1,100 frames, a spare port cover for the one that can be removed, plus a remote release.

n Up to 30fps continuous shooting in 16.6 megapixel (1.25x crop) mode n 16 Film Simulation modes n Inherits the existing X-T2’s retro design and comes in a choice of completely black or silver and black bodies n SRP £1,349 body only or £1,699 with 18-55mm zoom

Two of a kind: The X-T3 arrives in a choice of black body, or classic looking silver and black (left).

Accessories include a battery grip in the VG-XT3 (below)

Price-wise the X-T3 itself is £1,349 body only in silver or black, or £1,699 in a kit that includes an 18-55mm zoom lens. The standalone optional grip (VG-XT3), as mentioned, is £299.

The camera is available now, having gone on pre-order as soon as it was announced in early September.

In conclusion, Fujifilm very much believes “this is the year of mirrorless.” www.fujifilm.co.uk

resolution, touch sensitive LCD screen, improved battery life plus processing speed. More info at www.fujifilm.co.uk @bpi_news

BPI News | October 2018 13

Minilab News

PHOTOXPORT DEBUTS TWO NEW NORITSU WET LABS For those looking for a workhorse printing solution, two new powerful ‘G’ series wet labs from Noritsu were unveiled at Photokina 2018. PhotoXport MD Derek Fieldhouse tells us more…

At a glance: Noritsu QSS-3901G and QSS-3904G n 640x640 dpi, 12 bit resolution as standard (comparable with a 79 megapixel image at A3 size)

W

e often cover the dry lab solutions offered by Leicester’s printer specialist PhotoXport (currently Noritsu’s Green III and IV) but sometimes – particularly for those retailers and mini labs fulfilling a large amount of orders and turning over a high volume of prints – only a wet lab will do.

Enter the brand new Noritsu QSS3901G and QSS-3904G – the former replacing the 3701 lab and the latter replacing the 3704G – which debuted in Europe at Photokina last month, and are now available to order in the UK via PhotoXport MD Derek Fieldhouse.

G LASER = IMPROVED PRINT QUALITY As regular readers will be aware, the ‘G’ in the model name denotes their deployment of high tech ‘G’ laser technology, enabling higher resolution prints than could previously have been imagined, plus enhanced reliability compared with previous models.

“It’s a G laser in both models, delivering 640 dpi resolution, while a lot of the components used are different to the earlier 37 series, because of changes in compliance laws, in order to make them as future proofed as possible,” Derek confirms.

In short, these are the very latest and best heavy-duty machines for those in

the trade wanting to maintain the silver halide route, with the higher model number the 3904G the one to go for if you need speed as well as quality. It can deliver a whopping 2,120 6x4-inch prints per hour, approximately, compared with a still very impressive 1,480 prints per hour for the 3901G. So, while the 3901G is being pitched as ‘for businesses that need versatility’, the 3904G is the option for businesses that need speed.

“They are also capable of handling Fujifilm’s new ultra thin paper, which, in turn, allows for the production of thinner photo books, or books with more pages, thanks to the raw materials the printer produces. The trend is for the consumer to look for a thinner page that resembles a traditional printed page in a book, but is actually a silver halide print of superb, high quality.”

A further advantage is that the new 39 series model is more compact than the previous wet lab, says Derek, while still being able to deliver a maximum print size of 12x36-inches for those wanting to offer panoramic prints to customers.

“The main audience for these new machines is pro labs and school labs,” Derek concludes. “For key retail sites who need a machine capable of delivering high volume, this is the only one that is going to meet that requirement – which has been proven already by pre-orders.”

To speak to Derek and his team about

PhotoXport is offering Noritsu’s two new wet labs in the 3901G and 3904G, as demo’d at Photokina. L to R: Noritsu Japan’s Hiro Tokunaga (with layflat book made using thinner print media), Noritsu’s software engineer Luke Stutters and PhotoXport MD Derek Fieldhouse

n Compatible with Fujifilm’s new thinner print media, allowing for production of photo books that resemble traditional books, but are actually comprised of high quality silver halide prints n Maximum print size of 12x36-inches n Print speeds of 1,480 6x4-inch prints per hour (3901G) or a massive 2,10 prints per hour (3904G) approximately n High quality prints from Raw files as well as JPEGs, without the need to convert the image n EZ Controller feature to optimize the look of prints n Triple or quad magazine system option, to avoid the need to replace magazines very time you change print sizes

ordering a Noritsu QSS-3901G or QSS-3904G for your own business, the contact details you need are below. www.photoxport.com

Call PhotoXport about Noritsu’s latest two ‘G laser enabled Noritsu wet labs now on 0116 2675907 14 October 2018 | BPI News

www.bpinews.co.uk

Photokina Review

PHOTOKINA 2018: ALL ABOUT MIRRORLESS You don’t need a crystal ball – or fairytale mirror – for it to become clear that an increasing number of influential manufacturers are declaring photography’s future is mirrorless.

BPI News spent three days in Cologne to get the inside track on the latest developments, alliances, products and promises…

One ‘L’ of an alliance: Leica, Sigma & Panasonic team up

O

ne of the most surprising bits of news at Photokina this year was that Sigma and Panasonic have formed the ‘L-mount alliance’ with the camera mount’s originator, Leica. This means that Panasonic’s forthcoming full frame mirror-less camera will use the Leica mount and Sigma will start manufacturing lenses in support of it.

“The high end mirrorless market has huge potential for growth,” reasons Leica Chairman Dr Andreas Kaufmann.

“Panasonic has been a trusted long term partner and we highly respect Sigma; it has a unique lens line up. Both partners offer different benefits for our alliance and allow us to grow our mirrorless business. It will have a positive impact on existing L mount products.”

Panasonic Vice President Junichiro Kitagawa believes that the L mount offers excellent durability and enables a variety of lenses. “The L mount alliance is like a rocket for us into the high end camera business. This alliance of strong players will make a fundamental difference and realise significant growth for the DSC market. It will create additional business opportunities for all partners.”

Sigma CEO Kazuto Yamaki was similarly enthusiastic at the announcement in Cologne, adding: “We’ve decided to work with Leica and Panasonic for the customers’ benefit. The L mount system will be one of the major full frame systems.

We will continue to deliver innovative and unique high quality products.”

Power of three: L to R: Sigma’s Kazuto Yamaki, Leica’s Dr Andreas Kaufmann and Junichiro Kitagawa from Panasonic. Shown right is Leica’s newest S3 camera

The big reveal of the alliance slightly overshadowed the fact that Leica had new announcements of its own at Photokina, including the new Leica S3 medium format digital camera. Stefan Schulz, its Head of Product Management for Professional Camera Systems, described the S3 as “an evolution of the camera rather than changing things unnecessarily”. The camera features a 64MP medium format sensor, 4K cinema-resolution video and is scheduled for launch in spring 2019.

Leica’s Global Director for Photo, Stefan Daniel, also revealed that it has a new app – Leica Fotos – which he described as “the gallery in your pocket. It will make it

simpler than ever to connect your camera and your smartphone.” The app was due to be rolled out from October 24th.

The manufacturer is of course active in the smartphone market (supplying lens technology) as well as with more traditional system cameras, in response to what it calls “a growing diversity of target groups.”

Thus, CEO Matthias Harsch added that: “Leica has decided to present a much wider view of the company at this Photokina.” www.l-mount.com www.leica-camera.com

BPI News is your mouthpiece to the photo trade! Send your press releases and news items direct to: info@bpinews.co.uk 16 October 2018 | BPI News

www.bpinews.co.uk

Photokina Review

A fistful of Sigma’s

I New system, new format for Panasonic

I

n celebrating both 100 years of Panasonic and 10 years of the Lumix G series (having launched the world’s first mirrorless camera in the G1 in 2008), the big news from the brand at the show were a pair of new Lumix S series cameras in the Panasonic S1 and S1R. These are two full frame sensor incorporating mirrorless models utilising Leica’s L mount. Its Head of Imaging Yosuke Yamane told us that the series was “a specialised product for professionals… the culmination of Lumix DNA and worldwide optical technology.” He added that the adoption of the L mount provides photographers with unlimited potential and creativity.

The difference between the two forthcoming ‘S’ cameras is that the S1R offers 47 megapixels for “ultimate picture creation”, according to its maker, while the S1 will provide 24MP “for next generation photo and video creators.”

Other features to note include a new Venus Engine processor, 4K video at up to 60P, double card slot for both SD and XQD media, plus three axis tilting LCD, a large, high resolution EVF offering a quality ‘very close to human vision’, dual image stabilisation system (body IS and lens IS), and dust and splash-proof body with sealing on all seams to prevent moisture ingress.

With a promise of its new S system launching in early 2019, it added that there will three new lenses for early 2019 too, with a total of 10 new lenses promised by the end of 2020. There will also be eight Leica L mount lenses available for when the camera system launches.

The manufacturer was also keen to demonstrate it wasn’t abandoning the

existing Micro Four Thirds mount and Four Thirds system in the process however.

“Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds will co-exist and grow simultaneously,” Yosuke Yamane told us. A case in point is that there is a new Micro Four Thirds lens in development, described as ‘unique’ in the Leica DG Vario-Summilux 1025mm f/1.7 wide angle zoom, suitable for both photo and video shooters.

In related Photokina/Panasonic news, the company’s European Marketing Manager Mike Owen (pictured below with a mock up of the new S system camera) revealed that it is raising brand awareness by partnering with the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, sponsoring the Lumix Peoples’ Choice Award. It is also setting up a ‘Lumix Pro’ professional services program, designed with a global reach in mind and offering support to professionals on the road.

There will be a dedicated telephone hotline and a range of customised services. See lumix-pro.com for more. www.panasonic.co.uk

n addition to its inclusion in the L-mount alliance, the Japanese lens manufacturer introduced five new optics at Photokina for other users of other leading mounts and camera systems.

These include two ‘Art’ series lenses in the 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM (right) and 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM (below, left). The former will be available in Canon, Nikon, Sigma, Sony E mount and eventually L mount, too, with product landing in January 2019 at a UK price yet to be set. The 40mm f/1.4, which Sigma UK’s Paul Reynolds (Above, right, with Sigma’s GM Graham Armitage) described to us as an ‘underestimated focal length’, is aimed at portrait and street photographers and was originally designed by the brand as primarily a cine lens. This one arrives in October at a price that’s also still TBA. The third new product is the 70-200mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM ‘Sports’ series lens (right). With its construction a blend of magnesium, polycarbonate and thermally stable composite, it features nine FLD glass elements, full weather sealing, focus limiter plus focus recall functions and an Arca Swiss compatible tripod mount. Available in Canon, Sigma and Nikon mounts this December, expected pricing is in the region of £1,300£1,500, but again this is to be confirmed.

The fourth new lens is the 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM (left), a 10x zoom again forming part of Sigma’s Sports line up. This again features magnesium in its build – indeed the company tells us that it has built its own magnesium plant to take ownership of its production – and features an image stabiliser, push-pull or twist zoom mechanism, and focus lock with positions marked out for the user. Again it features an Arca Swiss tripod mount and is compatible with Sigma’s USB dock, giving it a degree of future proofing.

SRP is already confirmed for this one, at £1,899.99.

The fifth and final new Sigma lens for now is the 56mm f/1.4, which is a Contemporary series lens (right), expected to be around the £400 mark. This will offer compatibility with the Sony E-mount and Micro Four Thirds, with availability from this November. It goes without saying that all lenses sold via Sigma UK additionally come with the benefit of a three year limited warranty. www.sigma-imaging-uk.com

BPI News is your mouthpiece to the photo trade, so use it! Send your press releases and news items direct to: info@bpinews.co.uk NEVER MISS AN ISSUE! Read BPI News online at issuu.com/bpinewsonline

BPI News | October 2018 17

Photokina Review

Fujifilm returns to & expands GFX system

W

ith Fujifilm’s General Manager Toshi Iida telling us that his company has witnessed a 60% growth in two years for the X and GFX series of products (cameras and lenses) and is currently the number two player for mirror-less cameras worldwide, the brand chose to deliver news at Photokina of two further GFX products on the way: the GFX 50R and the GFX 100 Megapixels – the latter in the development phase and due in the first half of 2019.

“This is a new era of mirror-less,” Mr Iida said, adding that new models “should be free from the old legacy.

We must provide something way better than DSLR, otherwise there’s no point.”

With rival manufacturers launching full frame mirror-less cameras in the weeks leading up to the show (and at the event itself), he went on to reference this by saying with a smile: “today is all about GFX, which, compared with the 35mm format, is ‘super full frame’.”

The ‘R’ in the GFX 50R model stands, incidentally, for ‘rangefinder’. Offering a 51.4MP image sensor, it is described as 25mm thinner than the 50S and lighter by 145g. “This is a breakthrough, lightweight, back-to-photography, super full frame camera,” Mr Iida added, stating that when used in combination with a GF50mm f/3.5 lens provided the world’s lightest medium format camera combo. With November availability promised, a price was given in US dollars of $4,500 + tax.

The company also unveiled a newly updated GF lens roadmap, outlining that users would soon have 11 directly compatible lenses in total, the three new roadmap additions being the GF 100200mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR, the GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR and GF 45-100mm f/4 R LM OIS WR. It also announced

Paper named Maxima. This was described as a new silver halide colour photographic paper, with Tetsuya Iwasaki, General Manager for Photo Imaging Products Division, adding: “we are the market leader for photographic paper. This is the best of the best silver halide photographic paper. It offers beautiful shadow detail and an exceptional colour gamut.”

Finally, with instant photography another big growth area alongside mirrorless, Fuji introduced the Instax Square SQ20, with a ‘shoot, rewind, print’ concept. It comes in a choice of two colours – black or beige – with two shutter buttons and October 20th onsale date. Also announced are two new colours of the existing Instax Square SQ6 in ruby red and aqua blue.

that, meeting the needs of professionals, the GFX will be fully compatible with Capture One software, with various free or subscription based software packages available to suit the level of user.

With regard to the GFX 100 Megapixels camera, still at the concept phase, the company stated that this will be the first 100MP mirror-less model, will feature in-body image stabilisation and will offer 4K video. At Photokina, we were told that price will be around $10,000 + tax.

Media wasn’t forgotten either and at Photokina the brand introduced a new Fujicolor Crystal Archive Professional

www.fujifilm.co.uk

A plethora of big announcements from Fuji at Photokina included a new 100MP ‘super full frame’ model (above), 51.4MP sensor 50R (above right), a new G mount lens roadmap and a new model and new colours for its Instax instant camera series

Photokina is due to make a speedy return in May 2019. The dates for your diary are the 8th through the 11th. www.photokina.com 18 October 2018 | BPI News

www.bpinews.co.uk

Print News

Emily Watson, Paul Hibbs and Nikki Stringer (from left to right) with the Epson SureLab D3000 at Tiny Pixels

Printer delivery to Tiny Pixels by Tetenal

BIG TRANSITION FOR SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS TINY PIXELS After years of outsourcing to a photo lab, Tiny Pixels recently brought printing in-house with leading inkjet technology from Epson, the Epson SureLab D3000

Lancashire-based business Tiny Pixels are experts in School and Nursery Photography and have been trading for over a decade.

The team prides itself on offering customers a choice of creative, natural looking photographs at affordable prices. To deliver this promise Tiny Pixels have long been relying on a local photo lab to which all print jobs had been outsourced.

At the end of 2017 Tetenal Account Manager Chris Allsopp stopped by at the business to get a better picture of their situation and understand if Tetenal could help optimise their workflow.

Chris remembers the visit: “I met Business Manager Geoff Watson and he explained that all their work was printed externally. I understood that print quality was sometimes inconsistent which also

caused delays in their workflow.

When I suggested to gain full control over the printing process by bringing it in-house, Geoff was sceptical.

However, he came back to me a few months later to discuss the options and I talked him through the benefits of Epson’s inkjet technology.”

Bringing printing in-house In early 2018 Tiny Pixels decided to fully commit to their own printing solution and purchased an Epson SureLab D3000 through Tetenal.

Geoff Watson explains the decision from his point of view: “We had been working together with the external lab for several years, but as they got busier we realised we needed a more reliable solution.

Chris Allsopp at Tetenal then invited us to see the Epson SureLab D3000 at their show rooms in Leicester. We saw the printer in action and were convinced straight away. It was a big step for us and we did have concerns

Distributed in the UK by Tetenal Ltd

|

how the team would manage as none of us came from a printing background. However, six months down the line I can now say that it was definitely the right decision.”

Offering complete piece of mind In addition to supplying customers with the right printing solution, Tetenal can also organise the entire equipment delivery and setup process, giving the customer complete piece of mind. At Tiny Pixels the challenge was to bring 120kg of equipment up to the first floor. Following the site survey it was decided to employ the help of a fork lift truck!

Optimising the workflow After the successful installation and half day training in February, Tiny Pixels have now accomplished their first peak season of school photography with the new lab.

Office Manager Emily Watson, who is in charge of the printer, now looks

back at the last few months: “The first season with the new printer went really well. The entire workflow is now in our hands which makes it a much smoother process, even at busy times.”

User-friendly printing process Emily further explains how her initial concerns turned out to be far from reality: “First I was nervous as this is something I haven’t done before and I thought it would be complicated to get a full understanding of the printer.

When I saw how user-friendly the machine is, I was completely taken by surprise. The training with Tetenal was a half-day session at the end of which I had a good understanding of what I needed to know to use the printer for our business. Apart from that, the quality is stunning and so consistent.”

"The first season with the new printer went really well. The entire workflow is now in our hands which makes it a much smoother process, even at busy times.”

Would you like to find out how the Epson SureLab D3000 could work for your business? Get in touch with the Tetenal!

Emily Watson, Office Manager, Tiny Pixels

TEL 0116 289 3644 marketing@tetenal.uk.com

TEL: 0116 289 3644

|

www.tetenaluk.com

Olympus Autumn Promotion

2X OLYMPUS WINTER PROMOS = A BIG DEAL

The manufacturer is aiming to heat up sales for its retail partners this autumn and winter via a pair of promotions featuring three OM-D cameras and lenses. Plus, we re-cap on how it’s supporting talent and product via its London gallery…

E

Capture spectacular phot os of your trip with one of the world’s most mobile camera syste ms and claim your cash back now!

*Offer and purchase period:

£85

1st October 2018 to 15th

UP TO

UP TO

veryone likes a good deal – and that’s just what Olympus is serving up to its retail partners and their customers this autumn, to further encourage footfall and sales.

Its first promotion kicked off at the beginning of September and runs through until January 15th 2019.

Designed to encourage your customers to try what Olympus is pitching as ‘the most mobile camera system’, if they buy an OM-D E-M1 Mark II and up to three M.Zuiko Pro lenses within the promotion period they’ll receive the bonus of cashback. For example there is a £175 ‘bonus’ to be claimed on an OM-D EM-1 Mark II camera body, and a further £125 bonus to be had if also buying a M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f/1.2 Pro lens as well, to give one example.

Your customers will need to submit their details and a copy of their receipt at the special online claims site, which also allows customers to add more than one product to their claim by selecting the relevant item from a dropdown menu. Claims must be received by February 15th next year,

January 2019.

Terms and conditions

*Offer and purchase period:

apply. Go to: bonus.ol

the usual terms and conditions apply, and any queries should be directed to Olympus@sales-promotions.com.

A second winter promotion kicked off on October 1st, which is essentially a cashback on both the OM-D E-M10 Mark III and OM-D E-M5 Mark II bodies, plus six compatible lenses in the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f/2.0,

M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.8, M.Zuiko Digital ED 75mm f/1.8, M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8, M.Zuiko Digital ED 75-300mm f/4.8-6.7 II and the M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4.0-5.6. Keeping things simple, this second promo also winds up on January 15th next year.

Again, usual T&C’s apply and details can be found via bonus.olympus.eu

along with our regular exhibitions and private views,” says Olympus UK Marketing Manager Georgina Pavelin.

“This is in addition to it enabling support of emerging and established artists from all creative backgrounds, from painters to sculptors and of

course photographers. We are looking forward to continuing to share some exceptionally talented individuals’ work.”

Opening times for the After Nyne Gallery are 10am to 6pm Tuesday to Saturday. More details can be found at www.afternynegallery.com

£550 1st September 2018 to

15th January 2019.

ympus.eu

Tell your customers about Olympus offering cash ‘bonuses’ when buying any of three OM-D bodies (including the E-M10 Mark III, shown) and/ or lenses

OLYMPUS’ SPACE IS THE PLACE! In our July/August edition we brought you news of the manufacturer taking up residence at the After Nyne Gallery (at, fittingly, number 10 Portland Road) in London’s Holland Park. Having launched with exhibitions supporting work by Olympus photographer ambassadors Steve Gosling and Martina Govindraj, in the weeks following it has become a bustling venue hosting subsequent exhibitions by fellow artists. The intention of the gallery space is both to support their work and, naturally, highlight the creative capabilities of Olympus cameras. It follows previous ‘pop up’ spaces in Bishopsgate and Bermondsey in the East of London – and the brand says that it has further big plans.

“The gallery will also act as an events and education venue to host workshops and photo walks,

Supporting talent and highlighting camera quality: Olympus’s gallery in West London is proving the place to be; so plan your own visit!

Two autumn promos offering bonuses upon purchases of OM-D cameras and lenses. Details at: bonus.olympus.eu 20 October 2018 | BPI News

www.bpinews.co.uk

YOUR TRIP, OUR CONTRIBUTION

£8 5

0 5 5 £ K CASHBAC

U P TO

U P TO

Capture spectacular images with one of the world’s most mobile camera systems and claim your cashback now!

K CASHBAC

Claim up to £85 when purchasing an OM-D E-M5 Mark II/E-M10 Mark III or M.Zuiko lenses. *Offer and purchase period: 1st October 2018 to 15th January 2019.

w

Claim up to £550 in total when purchasing an OM-D E-M1 Mark II & up to 3x additional Pro lenses. *Offer and purchase period: 1st September 2018 to 15th January 2019.

Go to: bonus.olympus.eu Terms and conditions apply.

Minilab News

CALL OF THE WILD NETS GREAT RESPONSE FOR FUJIFILM

Back in May we wrote about Island Photo Centre in Ryde, named ‘Shop of the Year’ at the Fujifilm Business Endeavour Awards. Proving the worthiness of its win, its proactivity has continued since, with a recent promotional day at the Isle of Wight Zoo involving Fujifilm product experts showcasing Fujifilm Imagine and Instax. BPI News finds out more…

F

or a retailer to thrive in a challenging climate, it’s got to be about more than just shifting product, as we noted back in May when writing about the award-winning Island Photo Centre in Ryde, on the Isle of Wight, whose relationship with Fujifilm stretches back to 2008 and the installation of its first dry lab.

“You constantly have to be innovating and trying new things,” owner Steve Brown told us. One of these proactive measures was the setting up of photographic workshops, which proved popular and had the knock-on effect of generating more sales of hardware, and, particularly, prints and frames, for Steve’s business.

The success of his photographic courses led to a day out at the Isle Of Wight Zoo last year, hosted in association with Fujifilm, naturally, and arranged through the zoo’s own camera club, whereby people could attend and try out photographic equipment in close proximity with the

The show was well received with customers purchasing on the day and increased sales following the event. We have had some great feedback including requests for another show next year.”

Island Photo Centre owner Steve Brown, pictured left with his shop staff animals. This in turn proved so popular that Steve Brown was inspired to host an even bigger promotional event at the zoo this September just gone. His idea was, he told us: “to put together a set up where people can come along to the zoo, try out different lenses and cameras and get a print out so that they can see straight away what they’re like before they buy them.”

ZOOMS AT THE ZOO “We initially made contact with the zoo in arranging an evening event with their camera club last year,” says Steve, recalling the latest event’s genesis. “Following this we had a Fujifilm ‘X’ series day

attended by Fujifilm product trainers and distributor Swains, which was very well received. So this time we thought it would be good to expand on the idea.”

In support, Steve reveals that Fujifilm ran two Instax social media promotional competitions, which were well received and increased both his email database and awareness of the Imagine mobile app amongst his customer base.

“As well as advertising the zoo event via social media, we also contacted all our local camera clubs, advertised it via posters in our shops, plus utilised

Boost your print sales in 2018! Get in touch with Peter direct on 01234 572138 or via photoprintservices_UK@fujifilm.com 22 October 2018 | BPI News

www.bpinews.co.uk

Fujifilm Advertorial No time to lose... to catch Fujifilm’s solutions roadshow as it calls at a final three venues this October.

Get plenty of business boosting ideas from the experts!

n October 18th: Ireland/ Dunadry Hotel in Antrim The roadshow on each day is open from 2pm to 8pm. To entice visitors from the photo trade, Fujifilm is running equipment demos of its acclaimed Frontier-S Dry Lab, Imagine Kiosk software, plus new digital passport software. Alongside this it is showcasing 24-inch wide format printing on the Epson P6000, the Epson Workforce Pro gift cards, plus Sawgrass’ photo gifting kit for onsite production of personalised gifts such as mugs and T-shirts.

Fujifilm’s photo related goods, some of which we have covered in previous editions of BPI News, include: Wunderbar and Casbar, square printing,

The Majestic

10th October London

16th October Livingstone

18th October Antrim

Radisson Blu Edwardian, Heathrow

Macdonald Houstoun Hotel

Dunadry Hotel

To RSVP visit: bit.ly/photo_solutions

Bring this

on along with ati y vit

WIN

A WEEKEND BREAK FOR TWO

w• ra

Visit us at a roadshow event near you to talk about how our range of products and solutions can help your photo business make the most of the growing trend for personalisation

4th October Harrogate

in

Racecourse

r FREE prize ou d

n October 16th: Edinburgh/ Macdonald Houston Hotel, Livingston

Authorised distributor to our Independent Photo Retail Partners

3rd October Cheltenham

adhesive frames and Shacolla (double sided self adhesive panels that can be used for photo displays). On top of this it has also been sharing the benefits of its ‘outlab service providers’ that can help retailers offer phone cases and cushions.

Merchandising and promotions are more important than ever to the photo retailer, and here too Fujifilm can help via a range of shelving solutions that make it easy for stores of any size to create exciting and inspiring sales displays. And then there’s the brand’s independent photo retailer marketing program, which, as regular readers will be aware, includes marketing support, its Business Endeavour Program, plus on-going business advice from Wendy Gray at Inspires Consultancy.

Fujifilm has been partnering on its autumn roadshow with distributor Swains, who is sharing its own frames and albums solutions, many of which link with Fujifilm’s Imagine kiosk.

As we say, remaining dates are limited, so hurry along to the venue nearest to you to get the full picture when the roadshow rolls into town! As a further incentive there is also a FREE prize draw for attendees to enter into, if bringing along Fujifilm’s invitation, with the prize of a weekend break for two. To receive said invite you’ll first need to register (or ‘RSVP’) by visiting: bit.ly/photo_solutions. See you there!

Photo Canvas

Fujifilm Solutions UK Roadshow

Turn your favourite photos into beautiful canvas prints

Frames

“Every personalised photo product can be exactly that – totally personal”

Frame your favourite photos and memories

David Honey Fujifilm Director of Photo Imaging

Prints direct from your mobile

Holiday Memories Turn your holiday pictures into unique photo memories

Ask in store for details STORE NAME www.yourwebaddress.com

o

So, in short, the remaining dates for your diary are: n October 10th: Heathrow/ Radisson Blu Edwardian

Show Time 2pm til 8pm

2nd October Exeter Mercure Rougemont Hotel

int

There’s no time to spare if you want to catch the remaining dates on Fujifilm’s October tour, showcasing its print products and services to the trade. As we detailed in our Sept cover edition, it will already have called in at Exeter, Cheltenham and Harrogate by the time you read this – so thanks from Fujifilm if you attended these – with an October 10th Heathrow date at the Radisson Blu Edwardian about to happen, followed by a date up near Edinburgh at the Macdonald Houstoun Hotel in Livingston (October 16th), and a final date in Ireland at the Dunadry Hotel in Antrim (October 18th).

entered

In order to keep track of footfall and new and potential customers, free entry was via printed tickets only available from Steve’s two stores on the island (with the second one located in Newport).

“We handed out 220 tickets of which 161 were used, alongside of course the general public visiting the zoo that day.”

Naturally the $64,000 question is did the promotional day at the zoo repay the investment of time and energy on behalf of Steve, his staff and those from the manufacturers who attended in support?

“The show was well received with customers purchasing on the day and increased sales following the event,” the store’s owner reveals. “We have had some great feedback including requests for another show next year.

Since the event was such a success it’s definitely something we’re considering.”

Marketing Manager Peter Wigington adds: “Congratulations to Island Photo Centre’s Steve, Amanda and all the lovely people involved in their fantastic promotional day. One of the key benefits of being an ‘IPR’ partner is the support we can provide to members through working with Inspires Consultancy. And, as you can see, it’s not just about help with store layout, merchandising displays and sales training, but also hands-on help with promotional days such as this.” If you’d like to talk to Fujifilm about how it could help with your own business, the contact details you need are at the bottom of this article as usual. www.islandphotocentre.co.uk

Your invitation to join us on the Fujifilm Solutions UK Roadshow

e to b

KEEPING TRACK OF CUSTOM

RUSH ALONG TO FUJIFILM’S SOLUTIONS ROADSHOW

ou

word of mouth,” enthuses Steve.

Like Fujifilm’s other retailer members, the business further had the benefit of the services of the knowledgeable Wendy Gray of Inspires Consultancy, in helping to promote the day and run an Instax competition. The zoo was also very accommodating.

“In return for donations to photograph the animals using their restricted camera portholes, we arranged free entry with the zoo. We had a photographic competition running on the day along with a tombola and a raffle to win a camera.”

Ask in store for details STORE NAME www.yourwebaddress.com

Ask in store for details STORE NAME www.yourwebaddress.com

Ask in store for details STORE NAME www.yourwebaddress.com

Visit us at a roadshow event near you to talk about how Fujifilm’s range of solutions and innovations can help your photo business make the most of the trend for personalisation of photo products and services.

Show Time 2pm til 8pm

2nd October Exeter

Photo Related Goods • Wunderbars & Casbar • Square Printing

4th October Harrogate

Racecourse

The Majestic

10th October London

16th October Livingstone

18th October Antrim

Radisson Blu Edwardian, Heathrow

Macdonald Houstoun Hotel

Dunadry Hotel

Equipment demos • Frontier-S Dry Lab • Instant Photo Kiosk • Epson P6000 - 24 inch wide format printing • Epson Workforce Pro - Gift cards • Sawgrass Dye Sub Photo Gifting kit - in-store mugs, T-shirts etc.

Software • Imagine (kiosk, online, mobile) • Digital Passport

3rd October Cheltenham

Mercure Rougemont Hotel

• Adhesive Frame • Shacolla Outlab Service • Phone cases • Cushions Instore merchandising & display • Trestles • Shelving Independent Photo Retailer Partner marketing program • Marketing Support • Business Endeavour Program • Inspires Consultancy

Joining us on the roadshows will be Swains, our authorised distributor to our Independent Photo Retail Partner marketing scheme.

• Instax & Instax Share • Traditional frames & albums • New Christmas gift ideas • Christmas camera offers

Boost your print sales in 2018! Get in touch with Peter direct on 01234 572138 or via photoprintservices_UK@fujifilm.com @bpi_news

BPI News | October 2018 23

BOOK NOW TO BOOST YOUR AUTUMN SALES!

(COPY DUE FOR NOVEMBER EDITION BY OCTOBER 23RD) Utilise the unique marketing opportunities that BPI News provides, giving you the chance to get your message across direct and in full!

Continuity of excellence: Make a big impression with the photo trade in print & online by having your products & services featured in BPI News.

Contact us for rates!

o Just tw f issues o s w BPI Ne fore e to go b mas!

Christ

Talk to the trade! To avoid disappointment, book your adverts and advertorial features now for our next issue…

P

artner with BPI News, the UK’s longest running and best-established photo trade magazine and make your marketing budget work harder in 2018! Available as both a print version posted out to the industry’s key decision makers, plus an online version hosted at bpinews.co.uk and

on the ISSUU e-magazine platform, this is your golden opportunity to get your products and services seen!

From distributors to retailers, manufacturers to wholesalers, we’ll help increase the visibility of your brand beyond the reach of your sales force… getting you in front of decision makers in the UK photo trade and

telling them of the margins and profits you can deliver for them. We’ll also help push your product launches, informing retailers not just of what they should be stocking, but, crucially, how they should be selling it, along with details of marketing materials you can supply for that extra push.

CONTACT BPI NEWS NOW to request a handy PDF of our 2018 PRODUCTION PACK containing all the year’s key copy due and publications dates, page sizes and options for advertising. Get in touch via gavin@bpinews.co.uk or call 0208 274 0578.

BPI News Product Focus

PRINT, SAVE & PROFIT WITH THE DPS GROUP & EPSON

Epson’s cost-saving Photolease and Print & Save schemes, facilitated by re-seller the DPS Group, bring extra benefits and savings to those introducing or replacing printers. BPI News finds out more…

I

n an uncertain age, peace of mind is worth its weight in gold. And that ‘gold standard’ is exactly what Kent based Epson reseller the DPS Group can provide those looking for both a great initial deal on a printer and aftercare with it.

A case in point is Folio Albums, a company featured before in BPI News, which produces high quality, hand made fine art albums (see www.folioalbums.com).

Such attention to detail obviously necessitated an equally comprehensive approach to choosing the right printer – Epson, via the DPS Group.

In fact seven 24-inch Epson SC P-7000 printers were supplied to help the company upgrade its existing Stylus Pro 7900’s and produce its 12inch books. The machines were leased under the very competitive Photolease to give customers lower prices for ink and supplies, as well as full support and warranty on any new printers purchased.”

Under the Epson Print & Save direct debit scheme the customer merely logs on to a web portal to ask for, for example, five ink sets to be delivered, a great price. Both these options are and Epson will ship them out. available now to interested parties.

Satisfied customer Stewart Randall of Folio Albums says: “We have a long standing relationship with the DPS Group PEACE OF MIND WITH and Epson printers. I was looking for ‘EPSON PRINT & SAVE’ the best value and those guys came in DPS Group MD Maneesh Patel explains with the best value product – plus my further: “Print & Save is for businesses able ton of research had suggested Epson to estimate how much ink they’re going was the best in terms of quality. to use over a three year period and is a “The printers are all on the Print & contract with Epson, facilitated by us as the Save scheme, all under warranty and re-seller. The customer needs to know how all perfectly synchronized. The DPS much ink they’re going to use and it only Group has a very good relationship works when they’ve bought new hardware. with Epson so we were able to negotiate “So when someone like Folio Albums a good price. It’s not a huge company, orders printers from us, an estimation is so we find them very approachable. made as to how much ink they might use “By leasing the printers it means over the scheme’s three years. A set direct that lump sum of cash can remain in debit goes out every month to Epson; it’s the business and we can distribute the as straightforward as a phone contract. cost of the printers over the duration Via Epson‘s secure online portal, dealers of our contract. With a three year request ink, maintenance tanks and other lease and a three year warranty, it supplies up to the contracted value, plus all synchronises perfectly for us.” there is the peace of mind of Epson’s If news of the Photolease scheme and Print three-year enhanced warranty. It’s for & Save has whetted your appetite, get in discerning companies and customers – if touch with Maneesh Patel or Gary Crawley on you make that commitment you’ll get a 0208 466 7230, or email sales@dpsb.co.uk better price. So it’s a very beneficial way www.thedpsgroup.co.uk

“Print & Save is for businesses able to estimate how much ink they’re going to use over a three year period and is a contract with Epson facilitated by us. If you make that commitment, you’ll get a better price, with extended printer warranty support too.”

DPS Group MD Maneesh Patel scheme, which tax efficiently spreads the printer cost over three years, thus avoiding tying up large bundles of your business’ cash. Furthermore, Folio Albums opted to join Epson’s Print & Save scheme, also arranged via the DPS Group, which provides a set amount of ink and consumables at Epson Managed Print Services: Epson Print & Save

SAVE TIME AND MONEY

Customer

Above: A long term customer of the DPS Group and Epson is Stewart Randall of Folio Albums (pictured), who points out that the former, for him, delivered the best value, while the latter delivers the best in terms of image quality. His company joined both the Photolease and Print & Save schemes, as detailed here

Epson Print & Save

ENGINEERED FOR BUSINESS

Left: Save £’s by signing your business up to Epson’s Print & Save scheme when you purchase or lease one of their printers via the DPS Group

Get in touch regarding Epson Print & Save and the Photolease scheme NOW on 020 8466 7230 @bpi_news

BPI News | October 2018 25

BPI News Product Focus

TENBA OFFERS TRADE ‘TOUGH’ CHOICE

Protecting your customers’ camera gear from many ups and downs is the durable new Tenba Axis Tactical Backpack collection, now available via distributor MAC Group

W

ant to make a tactical choice when it comes to choosing which camera bags to stock and sell this autumn? Then say hello to a new toughened line up of Tenba ‘Axis’ tactical backpacks, distributed to the UK photo trade via MAC Group Europe.

Kicking things off, there are three available packs: the Axis Tactical 20L Backpack, Axis Tactical 24L Backpack and Axis Tactical 32L Backpack – the model numbers indicating the capacity of the bags – namely 20, 24 and 32 litres. This enables them to stash up to two mirror-less, DSLR or cine cameras with lenses as long as 400mm f/2.8 (the latter accommodated by the 24L and 32L models). As the high level of spec indicates, they’re being aimed at prolevel photographers and videographers, along with those who are simply passionate about their photography.

“We are so excited about this range, as it offers plenty of capacity, is robust, packed with functionality and is extremely comfortable.” enthuses Loraine Morgan, Mac Group’s newly appointed Brand Manager for Tenba.

“It comes complete with the Tenba hallmark of ‘Never Compromise’, so photographers, videographers and storytellers don’t need to worry about how they get their gear to where they’re going; they can completely focus on the task of capturing the moment.”

Tenba Axis backpack advantages: n Three point camera access n Almost limitless expandability thanks to ‘Molle’ exterior webbing n Padded laptop sleeve included n Can fit two mirror-less, DSLR or cine cameras with a lens length up to 400mm (24L and 30L packs) n Also fits DJI Mavic and similarly compact drones n Height adjustable Airflow harness provided n Front organising panel aids usability n Tripod compatible (secure virtually any size of tripod to the pack) n Rain cover provided – removable in order to wash or dry

We are so excited about this range, as it offers plenty of capacity, is robust, packed with functionality and is extremely comfortable.”

MAC Group Tenba Brand Manager Loraine Morgan (pictured right) the military over its 40-year company history. Uncompromising materials and hardware have been used in their construction, including a specially coated hydrophobic exterior to repel water, plus YKK zippers and clips and heavily reinforced stitching; further marking this range out as a quality choice.

A feature of the exterior – ‘Molle’ webbing – along with ‘military standard’ pouches, allows for almost limitless expandability and the attachment of Tenba tools.

Furthermore, the packs are designed to suit any shooting style, due to the fact that they can be accessed via three points: from the top, the back and the sides.

There’s comfort provided in spades too, thanks to a new, height adjustable Airflow harness that allows the packs to be customised to fit just about any torso size.

TENBA GETS TOUGH Made to withstand extreme levels of weather and abuse, the new Tenba Axis Tactical Backpack collection claims to take inspiration from the ultra durable bags Tenba has previously made for

PACKED FULL OF FEATURES Tenba’s latest Axis backpacks are ‘military tough’, with weather proofing built into their design, as shown

Cameras can be removed from the packs via side access while they are being worn, via the top if working within a tight space, and, thirdly, from

the rear for those occasions when your customers want to have access to the entire contents. The webbing on the exterior of the packs enables the likes of Battery Pouches and Memory Card Wallets to be added to the set up. The webbing also features a subtle thread that is highly reflective, thus ensuring safety when walking or cycling at night.

Located inside the rear access panel is a protective sleeve capable of housing a laptop too: 15-inches in the case of the 20L, and a device 17-inches in size for the 24L and 32L. The height adjustable airflow harness allows for easy, micro adjustments, while comfort is provided by perforated foam and ventilated mesh to keep air flowing on warm days. The packs can be further streamlined by removing the supportive hip belt, if wished.

A front organising pocket provides plenty of space for cables, batteries and other accessories, while being deep enough for a rain jacket or oversized camera gear. Usefully, a removable rain cover for the packs is also provided, along with space to stash a tripod of virtually any size. In short, these products are not

Get set for autumn sales by ordering Tenba Axis backpacks from MAC Group now on 01902 255 500 26 October 2018 | BPI News

www.bpinews.co.uk

BPI News Extra

SWATCH THIS SPACE... only tough, but also accommodatingly versatile, so should appeal to a broad and discerning range of photographers.

Suggested UK pricing ranges from £180 to £225, depending on size and model chosen. Shipping

began the beginning of October.

To order stock, get in touch with MAC Group Europe now on 01902 255 500.

For more info direct your browser at www.macgroupeu.com or see www.tenba.com

NEW BRAND MANAGER FOR MAC GROUP As mentioned in the article opposite, MAC Group Europe has gained a new recruit this month, with the announcement that Loraine Morgan has been appointed Brand Manager for Tenba and Shimoda camera bags and accessories.

MAC Group reveals that Loraine brings with her a wealth of marketing and product management experience, having previously held roles within the photographic industry for 10 years.

“We are excited that Loraine has joined our team,” enthuses MAC Group Europe Managing Director Gary Sutton. “She has considerable marketing and industry knowledge, and so will be instrumental in driving Tenba’s marketing initiatives.”

Loraine herself adds: “I am really pleased to have joined the team at Mac Group Europe and am extremely excited to be part of their journey in bringing new products to market, as well as raising the profile of Tenba & Shimoda amongst consumers.”

As those in the trade will be aware, US brand Tenba was established in New York in 1977, and, thanks to an ever-growing range, is continuing to gain popularity amongst discerning

photographers – as well as with retailers dealing in and selling their products.

Trade members will also know that MAC Group operates a ‘company within a company’ policy, with each product having its own full marketing, sales and distribution support. In addition, each brand draws strength from MAC Group Europe Ltd’s dealer network and long-standing relationships throughout the industry.

The net effect is a strong unified team devoted to helping brands thrive.

For more, get in touch with MAC Group direct via info@macgoupeu.com and 01902 255500. www.macgroupeu.com

Shimoda

®

E X P L O R E

@bpi_news

M O R E

New dry lab media is on the way from PermaJet, as witnessed at Photokina, where it was hosting a swatch book by way of a tease (stand and staff shown here). The newbies in question include DryLab Prism 240gsm, which is described as a unique microporous paper with a silky stippled finish.

It is said to offer an instant dry coating, outstandingly vivid colours and a honeycomb-textured surface.

A second new addition is DryLab Artist 230gsm, which offers a fine art matt surface with a canvas-like embossed texture. Pin sharp results and vivid colours are promised.

Another contender for your dry lab is DryLab Pearl 240gsm, described as possessing a warm toned pearl surface with an instant dry, water and fade resistant coating. This one is said to be ideal for reproduction of both colour and monochrome images.

The fourth option is DryLab Metallic 240gsm, which, as the name indicates, is a paper that looks ‘metal’ in appearance. This is claimed to offer incredible detail and clarity, for those looking to deliver a ‘high visual impact’.

National Sales Manager Jeremy Pridgeon tells us he will have further details on the above to share with BPI News readers soon. So ‘swatch’ this space, or get in touch via the URL below! www.permajet.com

Photography in the round

Olympus photographer ambassador John Nassari has launched a new online software tool that allows his fellow photographers to turn their photos, videos and audio clips into an immersive 360° viewing experience. Described

by John as ‘the ultimate storytelling tool’, the Nassari360° software is said to be user friendly and is available in a choice of ‘Pro’ or ‘Pro Plus’ subscription packages at either a nifty £360 per annum or £550 per year respectively, as well as a free 30-day trial to kick things off. Wedding photographers, documentary photographers, storytellers® and even estate agents are obvious possible beneficiaries of the software.

E X P L O R E M O R E www.nassari360.com

Shimoda

BPI News | October 2018 27

Business Advice

A TWIST IN THE (RE)TAIL While they may not always be the best of friends, the Internet and the high street needn’t be the worst of enemies either. In fact, what one lacks the other can turn to its advantage and lessons can be learned, reckons business expert Adam Bernstein

I

t’s been suggested for some time that online retail poses a risk to the existence of the traditional bricks and mortar store.

To an extent, there is some truth in this.

But others would argue that the retailers who’ve disappeared from the high street had long-term health issues and were likely to have exited the world of retail anyway.

What we can be more certain of is that retail in general is finding life competitive amid concerns that British consumers have been hit by poor wage growth, rising prices and worries over what may (or may not) happen to the economy next March after ‘Brexit’.

John Lewis’s recent news would seem to prove the point. Against this competitive background it’s noticeable that those photographic retailers who are surviving are specialists who’ve found a niche that cannot be served by box-shifting sheds.

So, while many are lamenting the socalled dying high street, the reality is that the retail landscape is changing and evolving. The out of town mall (which itself once posed a threat to the local high street) has been struggling and the supermarkets are moving into smaller and more local high street locations. In this changing environment a flexible approach seems crucial.

28 October 2018 | BPI News

MAKING THE CONNECTION Interestingly, the world of online is looking at taking on a high street presence and, as a January 2017 report in The Telegraph noted, a number of e-commerce firms are making a play for bricks and mortar locations. Chinese mall operator InTime Retail was the target for e-tailer Alibaba, and Amazon could be coming to a high street near you. It started in its home city of Seattle and is planning a global rollout, bit by bit. In fact it opened up a pop-up store last year in Central London that lasted for the duration of its Black Friday offer.

While this may appear like more competition on the local level, there is good news in all of this for retailers.

Firstly, this shows that bricks and mortar isn’t dead. It’s changing, but it’s most certainly not moribund.

Secondly, as a 2016 report from market research firm Verdict Retail (now Globaldata) noted, some 90 percent of all retail sales in the UK have a connection with a physical store on the high street. Whether this means browsing, information gathering, or click and collect, the interaction is there.

And for the photographic trade, where often technical, complex, and to an extent hobbyist products are involved, that means

an assured future for retailers that offer both well-priced products and good service.

So how can high street retailers co-exist with, compete with – but not fight against – online?

LET’S GET PHYSICAL The first point to note is that, where and when possible, most people like to physically examine what they are buying – even food – while gaining what is hopefully impartial advice from someone knowledgeable.

Granted, it is often easier to buy online, and Amazon has finessed this into an art form, but the downside is that it’s very impersonal and it can be problematic to resolve issues if/when they occur.

Further, deliveries are fraught as reliable time slots don’t really exist, fakery is most definitely an issue online, and prices aren’t always lower.

The advantage that independent retailers need to play upon is the personal service that can be offered, whereby the customer is buying not just the product, but years of trusted unbiased experience.

That said it’s just as important to remember that society today has indoctrinated us to demand goods instantly.

If you’ve not got a product the customer

www.bpinews.co.uk

Bricks & mortar versus online

will go elsewhere – online. But if you do stock the item they may well purchase it without delay. Online cannot match this.

For some, shopping is a social act and the niche retailer that can tap into this to ‘make friends’ with their customers will engender a loyalty that online can’t fully replicate. Plus, as noted, for others, it’s all about the touch, feel and excitement of handling an item. Testing is vital to today’s buyer and can only be accomplished

in store – especially when it comes to today’s higher-end premium cameras; products potentially costing thousands.

A MULTI PLATFORM APPROACH? Just as online is considering moves towards the high street, should high street retailers always consider going online?

It’s an interesting question that many

have tried to answer, but online isn’t always the panacea we expect. Take the world of social media, where firms have jumped head first into the likes of Twitter and Facebook. Earlier this year pub chain Weatherspoons said that it was shutting down its social media accounts because they were a distraction from the business and rarely seemed to do much good – the company was particularly concerned about individuals being ‘trolled’.

Turning to e-commerce, here customer returns have led to many retailers struggling with rising costs and administration. A report on Ecommerce News in January noted how consumers expect delivery and returns to be free and that this could lead to some 200 e-tailers ceasing trading.

On the other side of the fence, consumers can lose out when buying online because the cost of returning low cost or overly large items is simply too high in relation to the item’s value.

This all seemingly makes a good case for bricks and mortar retailers to do nothing other than sell on the high street and leave the online world to its own devices.

It’s quite clear that while e-commerce continues to evolve, there will always be an important place for bricks-andmortar stores for customers who want to interact with products and who value a personalised customer experience. The key, though, is just that: to make the experience personal, while also being flexible enough to implement changes if necessary, as the retail landscape undergoes further transitions.

Top tips for competing with online EMPHASISE SPEED AND CONVENIENCE As a brick and mortar retailer, highlight your ability to provide instant gratification to customers. Tell them they can walk out of your store with items instead of having to wait, or pay for shipping. Tell them also that you’ll help them with any difficulties they may have with their purchase.

CONSIDER OFFERING SAME-DAY DELIVERY If Mohammed can’t get to the mountain, make the mountain go to Mohammed. In other words, if a customer wants or needs a product quickly, try to find a way to get it to them the same day, even if that means a detour on the way home.

You could win a customer for life and future recommendations too.

@bpi_news

WORK WITH YOUR LANDLORD AND/OR TOWN COUNCIL You all want the same thing – success and more footfall – so consider what you can collectively do to bring more shoppers in.

Is it possible that a collective of traders could run regular events that draw customers to your stores? Could local parking charges be suspended regularly on what are normally quieter days/times?

Can the town’s Facebook page or mobile app be used to promote the town’s traders?

Make yourself a visible local presence.

FIND THE UNIQUE You need to be unique, so that means stocking goods (and offering services) that cannot be searched for by barcode.

Mass-market products are instantly comparable; distinct bundles and different products may alternatively be the answer.

FLEXIBLE PAYMENTS Most will buy with little thought. But there will be some who will buy only with some help. If you don’t already offer interest-free credit, see if it’s an option. It’s true that interest rates are low on savings, but it’s also the case that bank borrowing carries cost.

Allowing customers to spread payments over (say) 18 months can make a new camera body and lens more achievable, especially if it carries no interest.

COMPETITIVE PRICING Price matching works for some retailers, but for others it can kill margins and therefore a business. Try to be more creative with promotions you run. Offer promotions that reward loyalty rather than dishing out discounts.

BPI News | October 2018 29

News

SONY CLAIMS WORLD’S SMALLEST TRAVEL ZOOM CAMERAS Two new Sony compacts are shipping this month (October) in the pocket-friendly shape of the Cyber-shot HX99 and HX95, which are being pitched as the world’s smallest in their class and are very much peas from the same pod. Specifications include a zoom range stretching from an equivalent 24mm all the way up to a ‘super telephoto’ 720mm, Bionz X processor, AF speed of 0.09 seconds, 4K movie footage, plus new features including Eye AF, Raw format image recording, touch focus/touch shutter function and location data acquisition via Bluetooth. There’s also an 180° tilting LCD screen to allow for easy framing of the ubiquitous ‘selfie’ or a group portrait.

In terms of differentiation between

the models, the control ring of the HX99 can be customised with functions such as manual focus or step zooming.

Suggested pricing is £450 for the Cyber-shot HX99 and £430 for the HX95. www.sony.co.uk

RICOH SAYS GRRRR It may have been relatively quiet of late, but Ricoh unveiled a beast of a high-end compact to coincide with Photokina in the Ricoh GRIII, the latest in a much-acclaimed series that those in the trade will recall stretching back some 20 years. The newest model has a fixed lens offering the equivalent of 28mm in the 35mm format and an effective resolution of 24.24 megapixels.

It also boasts 3-axis sensor shift shake reduction and the ability to shoot in Raw (DNG format) as well as JPEG. Although the camera inherits the GR series concept, Ricoh says this latest iteration features a newly designed lens, a new image sensor and a new imaging engine.

Like many products unveiled at Photokina, there is a short wait for the GRIII’s arrival, which is due to be launched in early 2019.

More news as we have it! www.ricoh-imaging.co.uk

Heavy metal Hahnemühle Paper specialist Hahnemühle has joined a bunch of those in the industry who launched metallic-in-appearance media in or around Photokina. Its own latest offering is called Photo Rag Metallic and is described as a fine art inkjet paper with a silvery shimmering finish, as well as being the perfect choice for prints with bold colours or deep blacks.

Compatible with pigment and dye inkjet systems, the other properties of the new 100% cotton media are a solid feel weight of 340gsm, a natural white property without optical brighteners, while it is also described as acid and lignin free, as well

as being ‘age resistant’. It’s available in boxes of 25 A4, A3, A3+ and A2 sheets as well as various roll media configurations.

For more, visit the URL below. www.hahnemuehle.com

INFINITY GOES BEYOND… New specialist distributor InfinityX, who we first featured in our Photography Show report issue back in April, announced its distribution of several new products in and around Photokina this year. These include bringing supplies of the Astora LED lighting range to the UK, of which there are three different models, in the Astora Wide Panel, Astora Spot Panel (example shown here) and the Astora Soft Panel.

“We are extremely pleased to officially announce Astora lighting as the latest addition as we continue to build the product portfolio within InfinityX Distribution,” says InfinityX MD Steve Cumbers. “With such competition in this space, it was important for us to select the right brand to work with to be able to offer real quality, value, reliability and outstanding features across the range.”

Get in touch with Steve and his team via 01206 855882 or email info@infinityx.tech

BPI News is your mouthpiece to the photo trade, so use it! Send your press releases and news items direct to: info@bpinews.co.uk 30 October 2018 | BPI News

www.bpinews.co.uk

Fujifilm Solutions Fujifilm Solutions UK Roadshow Fujifilm Solutions UK Roadshow Roadshow “Every UK personalised photo product can be

exactly that – totally personal” “Every personalised photo product can be exactly that – totally personal” “Every personalised photo be and Visit us at a roadshow event near you to talk about howproduct Fujifilm’s rangecan of solutions innovations can help your photo business make the most of the trend for personalisation exactly ofthat – totally personal” photo products and services.

David Honey Fujifilm Director of Photo Imaging

David Honey Fujifilm Director of Photo Imaging

Visit us at a roadshow event near youFujifilm to talkDirector aboutofhow Fujifilm’s David Honey Photo Imaging range of solutions and innovations can help your photo business make the most of the trend for personalisation Show Time of photo products services.

Visit at a roadshow event near you to talkand about Fujifilm’s range solutions and 2pm us til 8pm 2nd October 3rdhow October 4thofOctober innovations can help your photo Exeter business make the most of the trend for personalisation Cheltenham Harrogate Mercure Rougemont Hotel Racecourse The Majestic of photo products and services.

Show Time 2pm til 8pm 2nd October 3rd October 4th October Show Time 2pm til 8pm

Exeter 10 October 2ndthOctober London Exeter

Mercure Rougemont Hotel

Mercure Hotel RadissonRougemont Blu Edwardian,

Cheltenham Racecourse 16 October 3rdthOctober Livingstone Cheltenham

Macdonald Houstoun Hotel Racecourse

Harrogate The Majestic 18 October 4ththOctober Antrim Harrogate Dunadry Hotel The Majestic

Heathrow

10th October 16th October 18th October Antrim ToLondon RSVP, visit bit.ly/photo_solutions - and bring the invitation along to be entered into • Adhesive Frame Livingstone

Equipment demos a FREE draw to win a weekend two Hotel Macdonaldfor Houstoun Dunadry Hotel Radisson Bluprize Edwardian, • Frontier-S Dry Lab th • Shacolla th th Heathrow • Instant Photo Kiosk Outlab Service • Epson P6000 - 24 inch wide format printing • Phone cases • Epson Workforce Pro - Gift cards Macdonald Houstoun Hotel Radisson Blu Equipment demos • Adhesive Frame Joining usDunadry on theHotel roadshows • Edwardian, Cushions • Sawgrass Dye Sub Photo Gifting kit - in-store Heathrow • Frontier-S Dry Lab • Shacolla will be Swains, our mugs, T-shirts etc.

Instore merchandising & display • Instant Photo Kiosk authorised distributor to our Outlab Service • Trestles • Epson P6000 24 inch wide format printing Independent Photo Retail Software Equipment demos •• Adhesive • Phone cases Frame Shelving • Epson Workforce Pro - Giftmobile) cards Partner marketing scheme.

• Imagine (kiosk, online, • Frontier-S Dry Lab • Shacolla Joining us on the roadshows • Cushions • Sawgrass Dye Sub Photo Gifting kit in-store • Digital Passport •be Instax & Instax Independent Photo Retailer Partner • Instant Photo Kiosk will Swains, our Share mugs, T-shirts etc.

Outlab Service Instore merchandising & display • Traditional frames albums marketing program •Photo Epson P6000 24 inch wide format printing authorised distributor to & our Related Goods •• Phone cases • Trestles • New Christmas gift ideas Marketing Support •• Epson Workforce Pro Gift cards Independent Photo Retail Software Wunderbars & Casbar Joining us on camera the roadshows •• Cushions • Christmas offers Business Endeavour Program •• Sawgrass Dye Sub Photo Gifting kit - in-store • Shelving Partner marketing scheme.

• Imagine (kiosk, online, mobile) Square Printing will be Swains, our • Inspires Consultancy mugs, T-shirts etc.

• Digital Passport Instore merchandising display • Instax & Instax Share to our Independent Photo Retailer&Partner authorised distributor • Trestles • Traditional frames & albums marketing program Independent Photo Retail Software Photo Related Goods • Shelving • New Christmas gift • Marketing Support Partner marketing ideas scheme.

• Imagine (kiosk, online, mobile) • Wunderbars & Casbar • Christmas camera offers • Business Endeavour Program • Digital Passport • Square Printing • Instax & Instax Share Independent Photo Retailer Partner • Inspires Consultancy • Traditional frames & albums marketing program Photo Related Goods • New Christmas gift ideas • Marketing Support • Wunderbars & Casbar • Christmas camera offers • Business Endeavour Program • Square Printing

10 October London

16 October Livingstone

18 October Antrim

Personalised Greetings Cards now made easy with Kodak Kiosks and NEW Adventa Cards

Creating personalised cards is now even easier with Kodak’s simple to use software and Adventa’s new self adhesive blank cards.

Personalised cards can be created through a standalone Kodak Kiosk or through the Kodak APEX system.

You’ll find lots of different templates for your customers to personalise with their own photos and words to create something totally unique.

Now you can compete with online card suppliers but with the convenience of instant creation or store pick-up options.

In best ‘Blue Peter’ style, here’s what you’ll need to create personalised cards • • • •

A Kodak G4XL, G4XL II or G20 kiosk running version Kodak 5.0 software or above A Kodak 6” or 8” thermal printer Adventa Greetings Card blanks with a self adhesive front Watch our step-by-step video at www.tetenaluk.com/cards

And that’s it!

Contact Tetenal today to discuss how Kodak retail solutions can bring a host of profitable items to your customers. © 2017 Kodak Alaris Inc. The Kodak and Kodak Moment trademarks and Kodak trade dress are used under license from Eastman Kodak Company.

Available from Tetenal Ltd | TEL: 0116 289 3644 | tetenaluk.com/cards