ISSUE NO. 865
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THE MAGAZINE THAT UNDERSTANDS THE WORLD OF IMAGING, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
Is it up to the manufacturers to educate consumers about their products?
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Kodak’s subsidiaries outside the US will continue as usual during the voluntary Chapter 11 reorganisation of the US business. Eastman Kodak Company and its US
THE NEWS
Movers, shakers, decision makers plus all the news 3-10
Chapter 11 business reorganisation in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Such a business reorganisation is designed to allow Kodak to continue normal business operations and emerge a sustainable business. Throughout the process, Kodak in the US will continue customer programs, provide employees
SPECIAL REPORT
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obligations to suppliers. Other worldwide subsidiaries, including Kodak’s UK business, are proceedings, and are operating as usual.
THE BUSINESS
decision that has been taken by our US parent
The views, facts and shaping imaging retail today
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THE NEW WORLD OF IMAGING
The technology you can’t afford to ignore, which is expanding our retail world
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LAUNCH PAD
The latest imaging products launched that you should not miss
30/01/2012
WHAT NEXT FOR KODAK?
THE INSIDER
Pixel brings you what you need to know live from CES, Las Vegas
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Managing Director Europe said: “In Europe we have seen towards businessto-business imaging applications, and are weighted towards printing. These businesses in Europe Eastman Kodak has voluntarily entered this reorganisation in
An 1892 photograph of Kodak headquarters, from the Kodak Historical Collection, Rochester University
For more information on the process, visit www.kodaktransforms.com
Pixel: Live from CES We report from Las Vegas on the trends that will shape the industry in 2012.
CES is not only the event where new products are announced: Increasingly, it is the place where recurring themes emerge and where new technologies become industry standards. Visiting this year, two trends which were inescapable amongst the imaging products were WiFi functionality and improved sound recording.
INFOLAB
Every issue we bring you an essential update from the 14 printing frontline BEHIND THE COUNTER
If you’re hands on in retail we make sure that you are 14 kept up to date and informed
purchasing, many will be pleased to see improved roadmaps for 2012.
cameras feature better photographic abilities with the convenience of instant uploading to social
Crowds entering CES, Las Vegas, January 2012
was also an area targeted by manufacturers, with
industry standard. You can read Pixel’s full report on the trends, crowds and surprises of CES on page four. For the exhibition’s not-to-be-missed imaging product launches, we bring you an extended Launch pad section, beginning on page eleven.
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FOCUS
THE INSIDER
Youtube Launches Short Film Festival
I am going to start this week’s column by asking a simple question. How many cameras do we need on the market at any one time for customers to buy? It is not a question which I am expecting anybody to be able to answer but I should imagine that a general response from you all would be “A lot less than we have at the moment!” The last few weeks, spurred on no doubt by CES, the Olympics and Euro 2012 have seen an absolute deluge of launches across the board from lifestyle compacts to hardcore pro kit. I can’t believe that it’s easy for the manufacturers or the retailers to keep up with all of this activity and I’m certain that the customers don’t stand a chance, however much they might try. All of these launches lead me on to the issue I want to raise and it is one that has been troubling me for some time. It is an issue that can be summed up in one word and that word is ‘education’. With the constant technological development of the products we are given by manufactures to inform customers about and hopefully sell, I fear that we are rapidly becoming involved in a losing battle. We all know that cameras today ‘capture special moments’, ‘allow us to share our memories’, ‘preserve our adventures’, ‘share our stories’ and of course ‘upload straight to facebook’. But what makes one model different from another? And if there are differences are the manufacturers explaining to the potential customer what they are? I don’t think so and I think that this is starting to become a problem. I know that most customers are not interested
The video sharing website YouTube have announced that their Your Film Festival will be 15 minutes long, from February 2 through March 31. Scott Free Productions, run by a YouTube channel titled Your Film Festival, that will allow users to that page to watch like best. The grand prize is a $500,000 grant from YouTube to produce a piece of work with Scott Free Productions. Participants must not be distributed before Jan. 1, 2010. “Through this programme, YouTube will vast audience, screen their work during the Venice Film Festival and potentially be rewarded in a career-changing way,” at YouTube. Life in a Day, which included footage sent in by YouTube users.
Minox Denies Compact Camera Withdrawal Minox has apologised for “any misunderstanding” following comments made to Amateur Photographer Minox DC1411 magazine. It was understood that Minox would be discontinuing product lines after Minox
are making a camera choice, but I also do not believe that they are all incapable of taking in a little knowledge. There was a time when it was possible to keep on top of these technical advancements but it is becoming increasingly technology is going, how am I ever going to camera? the manufacturers who in my personal opinion have stopped engaging directly with their potential clients to explain these advancements. Their communication is now lost in an aspirational, lifestyle fog of loveliness, which is all very well, but lacks backbone and the facts that we need to help us to sell. It is a sales pitch which lacks education. This form of lifestyle advertisement relies on the photographic press (in print and online) and the retailer (big or small) to provide that vital education to the customer. With photography magazine sales plummeting and online information often impenetrable for the uninformed that just leaves the retailer, who is trying to keep more balls in the air than is often physically possible. And yet cameras keep being launched.
News
Fantastic lifestyle campaigns, but do they really teach consumers about the product?
My plea to the manufacturers is to take a breath between launches and take a look at how you are communicating to the customer and the retailer and what you are communicating. Think about how you are promoting these cameras to us and them. Are you giving good, solid reasons to buy, considered well-made and well-priced market with cameras, which nobody wants or understands? We all want to sell cameras and help make our industry a successful and keep continually speeding towards yet another what we should be selling and why.
Photographer: “We will not do any more compact cameras”. Minox has since issued a statement, saying: “The market for digital cameras has gone markedly down, largely due to the increased use of mobile phones as a camera. For this reason, Minox is concentrating on niche products such as the Digital Camera Classic, Spy Camera, trail cameras and sport optics products, making more than 60% of the gross turnover for Minox. “Despite this, Minox will continue to market a small assortment of digital compact cameras, such as the new DC 1611 with 16MP to be introduced in May.’ To read about Minox’ current projects, visit www.minox.com
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VIVA LAS VEGAS The annual Consumer Electronics Show and PMA exhibition combined this year to bring every technology relevant to the imaging retailer together under one very large roof. Sean Samuels reports for Pixel from the Las Vegas Convention Centre.
It’s all about the connections. That was the only message being touted at this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show. Visitors to the Las Vegas Convention Centre and Venetian hotel were bombarded with innovations, creations and presentations designed to entice loyalty to a single brand. For manufacturers such as Panasonic, Sony and Samsung, which traditionally have made display technology such as TVs and projectors, but which now also make image making kit, it was easy to show off an impressive and convincing line-up of products. And, while previously some photographers new breed of kit, recent advances in both image quality and ease-of-use means it has never been easier or more appealing to sink all of your hard earned money into a single system from nontraditional camera manufacturers. Part of Canon’s stand at CES 2012
Perhaps the greatest leap forward is the near ubiquitous application of wireless technology. Samsung in particular had an array of well-built compact cameras aimed at the casual user. I handled cameras capable of transmitting images directly to computers and social networking outlets without the need for wires through built-in This convergence of previously disparate platforms also came with the promise of connectivity to each of them from wherever you are, when you want creating seamless access to your information, content, and entertainment at all times. In the age of instant information, the lure of sharing both stills and moving image is large. Canon boomed this message clearly and loudly from its stand where visitors were told over and over that the point of capture was no longer the only concern for image makers.
Clearly the overall experience for the consumer has been enriched through simplicity. Now there’s one less thing to think about and that’s always a good thing is it not? For consumers certainly, but for photographic retailers things are about to get a whole lot more complicated. It’s no longer good enough to simply cater for just point of capture. Consumers are demanding more. It is paramount these businesses embrace this concept as quickly as possible and accept image making and display technology is going to become more interconnected, not less so. Offering the right products, expert guidance and excellent after sales customer care across the range of items that consumers demand is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Manufacturers and And so it was a shame the integration of PMA did not make it easier for consumers to associate the photographic body with the glitz and glamour of CES, which was the largest ever this year with more than 153,000 attendees, according to the organisers. Rather than take a position at the heart of all this fanfare and talk of integration, PMA was hosted some distance away from the action. Major manufacturers in the photography industry I spoke with off the record, could not understand why the decision was made to keep PMA separate from CES. Their stands were in the main halls. It was the only place for them to be. This was the main stage and a great place to inform the world of your brand. Compared to the high tech multimedia world of the main halls with their celebrity endorsements, walls of 3D – with and without glasses, future shocks as imagined by writer Philip K. Dick and space was positively low-key and on the surface appeared to be quite humdrum. And yet for the industrious manufacturer the more relaxed pace of this part of the PMA area did offer the opportunity to take a far more personal approach to dealing with interested parties and potential business partners. I saw countless more smiling faces amid the manufacturers in the Venetian hall, huddled around tables, ostensibly tackling the age old problems of sales channels, product placement and staff training. Kirsten Hunter, director, Customer Happiness, Lensbaby was reported as saying: “We’ve been pretty busy; we’ve talked to our old dealers. weren’t connected to CES. We’re seeing more
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SPECIAL REPORT
Part of Nikon’s stand at CES 2012
than the photo crowd. It’s a great exposure for us as well.” James Chan, vice president, marketing, Mitsubishi Electric Visual Solutions America said that because of PMA@CES, his company was able to bring in products from the photo printer group and that it was great to be able to show all of its customers the entire brand under one roof this year. I am certainly interested to see what Pentax Ricoh, the only major camera manufacturer present in the PMA, space has planned for this year. The company may not have been a part of the camera pack, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t have a successful show. The Consumer Electronics Association claims space this year: 1.86 million square feet, into which it crammed more than 3,100 vendors who all seemed ludicrously busy with meetings frequently overlapping and impromptu chats squeezed in between. I have no doubt these people were busy, don’t get me wrong, but you have to question the quality of the productivity when I was able to learn more about a company about the stands than from the people present employed to inform. Look busy and everyone will assume you are busy, but peel away the veneer and the effects
“This year’s event validated the image making industry as a recognised state of the consumer electronics world” of a poor Christmas in the UK and the natural disasters of the past years were clear. 2012 is not going to be an easy year for the mainstream photographic community. Most manufacturers revealed fewer cameras making 19 announcements up from 16 in 2011, but Sony brought out just three compared with 11 the year before and Panasonic unveiled only Nikon and Canon represented with their high end offerings, the D4 and PowerShot G1 X respectively, but still there are numerous challenges ahead from product availability to changes in consumer behaviour, the rise of new businesses and the fall of traditional establishments. Monolithic companies have always had a tendency to move slowly, to react poorly to change, but there simply isn’t the time to behave
this way anymore, not when global retail sales of consumer electronics are expected to hit $1.04 trillion this year. Take the growth of worldwide tablet shipments in particular. This number is expected to increase from 17.6 million in 2010 to 55.2 million this year. Retailers take note - tablets are a great way to show photos and watch video. If Hollywood games, so should you. These products must now take equal place on shop shelves both bricks and mortar and online alongside cameras, Large electronics retailers already know this, which is why they carry photographic equipment and accessories as well as laptops and tablets. Independent traders might say they cannot compete, based on price alone, but this simply isn’t the case. What can mark them out from the faceless giants with the cheap prices is the personal attention to detail they can offer through loyal, well-trained staff members. And for the business considering going solely online this year - guess what, these employees can exist in the virtual world and can be made available the moment someone logs onto your website. I am aware that changes like these cost money, but since when has business expansion been about penny pinching? With companies
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SPECIAL REPORT CES 2012 IN NUMBERS A look at how the world’s biggest annual consumer electronics exhibition adds up. More than 20,000 new consumer technology products were launched this year at CES. The 2012 International CES was the largest in the show’s 44 year history, with 1.861 million net square feet of exhibit space. The previous record was 1.857 million net square feet of space at the 2008 International CES. This year also boasted a record number of exhibitors: more than 3,100 companies came to CES 2012 to showcase their latest innovations. This year’s show drew another record of more than 153,000 attendees, including more than 34,000 international attendees. Hollywood celebrities in attendance this year included 50 Cent, Eliza Dushku, Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber, Will Smith Kelly Clarkson and others. Consumers are expected to spend $1.04 trillion on electronics in 2012 (All numbers are approximate, as reported by the Consumer Electonics Association) Inside the PMA hall at CES 2012
falling to the wayside for whatever reason, now is the best time for those that can to take stock, rethink and march forwards and this is often easier for the smaller, specialist group. This year’s event validated the image making industry as a recognised state of the consumer electronics world. Now it must step up and behave like a responsible member open to innovation and the demands of the tech savvy today is everywhere and constantly on. Now that the technology is communicating so must the manufacturers and retailers. Selling connectivity requires the making of new business partners and reconnections with old ones. It is identifying the ways to do business within the vertical sectors in your market. It is also about disconnecting with old practices if they are not working. Connecting with your customers is all, so give them what they want. Holding onto traditional values serves no purpose if it means people no longer come through the door or more importantly, don’t think of you when they are looking for the next big thing. For those in the PMA hall, the feeling was the event was a success if for nothing more than the association with the consumer electronics part of Consumer Electronics Show. It paved the way for new partnerships and opportunities for dealers to expand their horizons and to that the worlds of photography and consumer electronics are no longer separate. And it may just be that the hard work of these manufacturers pays off, enabling them to take centre stage when PMA@CES returns in 2013. Did you visit CES 2012? If not, what might convince you to make the trip? Share your opinions on the forum at www.pixellive.co.uk
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THE BUSINESS
News Stay-at-home Shoppers Figures from customer-counting experts Springboard show that even though retail footfall was positively affected by a number of factors in December, it was still no match for the growth of online retail. December’s footfall to shops was higher than in 2010. Both the high street and outof-town sites performed well, growing by 15.6% and 15.9% respectively. Shopping centres rose by 8.9%. However, these numbers are skewed by circumstances, such as public sector strikes and the end of the month payday in the last week of November, which make 2011’s December trading compare favourably with the year before. In 2010, footfall over the same period was drastically dented by heavy snowfall.
World Pentax Day The 11th annual instalment of World Pentax Day s set to take place on Saturday, February 4th. World Pentax Day is an event organised by Pentax which enourages consumers to shoot images and share their results in a special event gallery. Pentax say that the aim is to “paint a snapshot of what the world looks like through the lenses of the Pentax community”. Pentax users are allowed to upload up to any Pentax camera or rebadged clone on February 4th, 2012 in their own timezone. The gallery will close to submissions on February 18th. For more information, visit www.pentaxforums.com
Will Discounting Save the UK Economy? how much more can electronics retailers afford Price slashing by retailers in the period leading up to Christmas caused the December. For comparison, this drop in the Consumer Price Index was the biggest fall since April 2009 and it was almost completely prices appealing to cash-strapped consumers. Food prices rose by 1.4%, indicating that the supermarkets were not amongst the main contirbutors to the fall. Fuel prices and other measures such as mortgage interest payments also dropped by a far smaller percentage. Market analysts expect that this relief of the pressure on household incomes will provide a huge boost to the UK economy in the coming months. Many sources cite expectations that the interest rate will fall to around 3% during spring and then further to 2% by the end of 2012. Pixel is in regular contact with Stephen Robertson, Director General of the British Retail Consortium, who explained: “This is good news for customers, who have been cutting back for a long time. They should hopefully be able to spend more now as electricals, clothing and footwear are, for the most part, cheaper than they were at this time last year. “Even before the impact of last January’s VAT rise is taken into account, shop price
year low. of soaring utility and fuel bills. In this climate, retailers deserve credit for keeping costs down.” Whilst beginning the sales traditionally held in January forward to December was a popular decision with consumers, retailers now face increasing pressure to keep selling prices down, in many cases below suggested retail prices and frequently below the trade price they have more price restraint is needed from other areas in order to take the pressure off small retailers and further stimulate the economy. Feeling under pressure to dicount? Discuss on the forum at www.pixellive.co.uk
Growth Growth from Knowledge
Jessops Look to the Skies Jessops are promoting a range of telescopes aimed at those following the BBC series Stargazing LIVE. The deal offers Jessops’ customers discounts of up to £90 on the photographic stores’ ownbranded optics. The Jessops 600-50 Junior Astronomical discounted to £29.95. Jessops 800-80 Astronomical Telescope has been reduced from £99.95 to £39.95 and Jessops Astronomical Telescope 1100-102 has The store hopes to capture a boom in sales of these products similar to when the last series of Stargazing LIVE aired. This is currently a hot topic on the Pixel forum. Join the debate at www.pixellive.co.uk
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For further information please contact Zhelya Dancheva in the UK on +44 870 603 8282 or Zhelya.Dancheva@gfk.com www.gfkrt.com/uk
h
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THE NEW WORLD OF IMAGING
THE RUMOUR The Rumour is a round up of gossip and hints currently circulating
The World’s Most Popular Camera ... ...is a phone! Market statstics show that consumers really do favour the iPhone for quick snaps. By the end of last year, more pictures on photo-sharing website Flickr were
those who may know!
camera. Statistics now show that during 2011, sales and use of low end digital cameras.
Rumour has it that… the Samsung NX200 RS retro version could be announced any day. The new camera, which is only tipped for release in South Korea, has identical specs to the existing model but features a silver-look top plate. Via sammyhub.com Rumour has it that... one of Sigma’s pre-production lenses was stolen from CES. The lens, which was one of only two pre-production models disappeared after it was unveiled on Tuesday. The missing lens ratio. Via Petapixel.com Rumour has it that... Lexar and SanDisk are not planning to release XQD cards any time in the near future. At the end of last year the new format was unveiled as the eventual replacement for CompactFlash. Lexar and SanDisk CompactFlash with new products and no XQD cards on the horizon. Via photographyblog.com Rumour has it that... Sony NEX users will soon have an adapter to allow them to use Canon EF mount lenses. Conurus and Metabones have collaborated on a “Smart Adapter” that allows electronic aperture control via the camera body but no Autofocus in the models announced so far. Via conurus.com Rumour has it that... Google will be shutting down a number of non-critical projects and services, including Picnik. Google acquired the Picnik online year. Via Engadget Rumour has it that... Eye-Fi aren’t pleased about the SD Association’s unveiling of a new Wi-Fi data transfer standard. In a blog post CEO Yuval Koren said that any company implementing the new standard would violate Eye-Fi’s patents for technology . via Eye-Fi
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sale of budget digital cameras has declined in The iPhone 4s
per cent duing 2011 which indicates cameras within this bracket are selling in smaller quantites
NBC News that the iPhone was her camera of choice for quick snaps. bricks-and-mortar imaging retailers to harness iPhone trade by offering, as of this month, the facility to connect mobile phones to kiosks in store and an app for printing direct from smartphones. Stephen Cochrane, Head of Jessops Photo, said: “As mobile number of images captured has dramatically
prices. These are the types of models consumers often bought simply to keep in their bag or pocket, but now the same consmers are already carrying a camera of similar quality within another gadget.
these ways of making it easier for them to encourage them to print their phone pictures.”
than eighty per cent of photos taken by number of photographs captured on mobile phones increases, enabling customers to print any photographic retailer.
BBC Embraces DSLR “Ongoing effort to test different tools” indicates a growing number of professional movingimage makers are using DLSRs and Compact System Cameras for their work. BBC Cameraman Johnnie Behiri is shooting parts of the BBC’s Close-Up series on a Sony NEX-5n, making him the
“I started to work with the Sony NEX5 in a normal short feature for broadcast of the project. “It is part of [the BBC’s] ongoing effort to test different modern working tools.” “The little Sony is a lot of fun to work with,” he continued, “...absolutely worry free. My
The Canon 5D Mark II
and directed a six-episode children’s sitcom for the BBC, called Shelfstackers,” Bloom’s blog quoted Dom as saying. “I shot it in an open supermaket using the 5D, and I think I’m show shot entirely on the 5D.”
the camera to the limit.” Behiri is not the only BBC cameraman using the new generation of camera. Philip Bloom,
cameras is proof, if more were needed, that there is no longer a clear distinction between professional and enthuusiast cameras.
for his own work, wrote on his blog that the BBC’s Dom Bridges was using the Canon 5D to shoot entire programmes. “I recently shot
To watch Johnnie’s work on the NEX, go to www.vimeo.com/johnniebehiri
Your Essential Guide to the Latest Launches
Name: Swann Freestyle HD RRP: £279.99 Release Date: Immediate Swann has introduced wearable video camera. The Swann Freestyle HD debuts with a high quality detachable LCD viewer, placing the Swann Freestyle HD ahead of the rest. Whether capturing 1080p video with up to 3x digital zoom or snapping JPEG images with its 8MP camera, it is waterproof to 20 metres, and can be worn on the body or mounted to bikes, cars, helmets, skateboards and more via a range of included interchangeable mounts and brackets. Swann has also included a wireless remote control. www.swann.com
THE LAUNCHPAD LAUNCH PAD
Name: Panasonic HX-DC2, HX-WA2, HX-WA20 RRP: TBC Release Date: TBC Panasonic’s new WA20 is optimised for shooting in all conditions by moisture and dust out of the camera interior. It also features a new image sensor and image-enhancing engine that captures images in dimly lit situations. The WA20 can also shoot high-quality, 16-megapixel still images. Sitting alongside the WA20, the new WA2 is fully waterproof, as deep as 3 meters for up to 60 minutes. In addition to the Full-HD video shooting, the WA2 also records 14-Megapixel still images –and includes Panorama mode for creative videoing. The upright DC2 is suitable for active use thanks to the Active E.I.S for blur-free shooting. It also features the Intelligent 15x Zoom and can record Full HD video (1920 x 1080), as well as 14-Megapixel still picture recording. www.panasonic.co.uk
Name: Samsung DV300F RRP: £179.99 Release Date: Immediate New to Samsung’s 2View range is the DV300F, with Wi-Fi connectivity. Samsung’s 2View technology and ensures users can be capture their shot whether they are behind or in front of the lens and includes Child Mode animation and a visual Self Timer. The DV300F offers16 Megapixels, 5x optical zoom and a bright F2.5 lens with a 25mm wide-angle Additional features for still image capture include the Magic Frame feature, and the Picture-in-Picture function which allows the user to insert one image with anotherand makes it possible to combine a still picture with a video clip. The DV300F also includes Motion Photo ,which allows the user to ‘freeze’ a still background around a moving subject. www.samsung.com
Name: Custom Brackets’ Nodal Slide RRP: TBC Release Date: Immediate
Name: Olympus SP-620UZ and SP 720UZ RRP: £179.99, £229.99 Release Date: February, March 2012
The Nodal Slide is used to position a lens so that its “nodal point” is over the center of rotation on a panoramic or ball head. It can also be used to mount a camera directly onto a “gimbal head” (used as a perpendicular plate). The Nodal Slide makes it possible for the photographer to adjust their camera’s position, front to back, to position the lens nodal point over the centre of rotation for accurately stitched panoramic images. Thie Nodal Slide is compatible with Arca Swiss, Acratech, Kirk, Arca, R.R.S., and many other QR plates. www.custombrackets.com
The SP-620UZ and SP- 720UZ from Olympus both offer impressive wide-angle capability for shooting landscapes, interiors and crowds and extreme telephoto potential. The SP620UZ comes equipped with a 21x wide-angle optical zoom lens (25- 525mm*) while the SP-720UZ has a spectacular 26x wideangle optical zoom (26-676mm*). The SP-720UZ offers video recording in Full HD whilst the SP-620UZ offers 720p HD. Olympus offers a 14-Megapixel CMOS sensor on the SP-720UZ and a 16-Megapixel CCD on the SP-620UZ. Each camera has its own full complement of features for movie and still image recording, like Multi-Motion IS on the SP-620UZ which cuts out camera shake even when the user is moving, allowing them to record what Olympus claims is the best quality available in a compact camera today* The SP-720UZ also features HDR Backlight Adjustment for intuitive shooting. The new UZ (Ultrazoom) models carry Olympus’ creative Magic Filters, which offer interesting effects that can be applied to video as well as still images. Both cameras offer Eye-Fi card compatibility, 3D photo shooting and a 3” LCD. www.olympus.co.uk
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Your Essential Guide to the Latest Launches
Name: Samsung WB Series RRP: TBC Release Date: January 2012 Samsung’s new Wi-Fi enabled Smart travel zoom cameras, the WB850F, WB150F, and ST200F enhance the advanced optical zoom and image quality that the WB range is known for. Housed in compact, lightweight bodies, they have Smart capabilities to facilitate the easy sharing and storing of images and Digital Compass for tagging with locations. www.samsung.co.uk
Name: Lexar Professional 1000X CompactFlash RRP: £149.99 (16GB), £269.99 (32GB), £469.99 (64GB), £799.99 (128GB). Release Date: February 2012
Name: Canon Legria HF M Series RRP: TBC Release Date: April 2012
memory card, for professional-level performance
The new LEGRIA HF M52, LEGRIA HF M56 and LEGRIA HF M506 are Canon’s latest touch-screen AVCHD camcorders, which feature Canon’s HD CMOS PRO sensor and full HD video support. Integrated Wi-Fi functionality in the new LEGRIA HF
HDTV or laptop. Both the M52 and M56 also offer direct back-up of movies to external hard-disk drives via a USB cable.
both in-camera and when transferring images from the card to a host computer for editing. This card delivers minimum guaranteed sustained read speed of 150MB per second. It supports the Video Performance Guarantee
the previous M-series, and features a Canon HD Video lens designed for fast, silent and accurate performance and minimal distortion. A 10x optical zoom allows users to shoot subjects from a range of focal lengths and an advanced iris diaphragm helps create more attractive background blur. The series features Audio Scene Select, which allows users to effortlessly record great sound by selecting one of
quality video capture at high frame rates with no dropped frames. It is available in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB models and comes with ImageRescue software for the recovery of lost or
www.canon.co.uk
www.lexar.com
transfer them to a PC. Direct connectivity with iOS devices, such as an Apple iPad or iPhone, lets users view or store their high quality movies on the go and even share movie clips to YouTube and Facebook directly from their portable device.
Name: Kodak Easyshare M760 RRP: £129.95 Release Date: Spring
Name: Olympus Tough TG320 RRP: £139.99 Release Date: February 2012
The Kodak Easyshare Wireless Camera M750 features built-in Wi-Fi so the user can connect to a wireless network and share their pictures on social media without a computer. It has a bright 3.0 inch Capacitive Touch Screen, RETINAR HD 5x Zoom Lens and a dedicated video record button, plus kodak’s smart capture mode and special effects for creative images. The new WiFi feature allows users to wirelessly back up their images to a computer or copy them to any compatible mobile Wi-Fi device. The Easyshare M760 will be available in stylish
Shockproof, waterproof and freezeproof, the new OLYMPUS TOUGH TG-320 can capture HD movies and still photos in 14-Megapixel quality. The TG320 has a host of automatic aids and a versatile lens for wide-angle group shots or special close-ups.This new Tough also
www.kodak.com
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Magic Filters and Eye-Fi card compatibility. www.olympus.co.uk
THE LAUNCHPAD LAUNCH PAD
Name: Datacolor Spyder4 RRP: £99.99 - £179.99 Release Date: Immediate
Name: Nissin MF18 Macro Flash RRP: £359.99 Release Date: Immediate
Name: Honl Photo CTO Filter Kit RRP: TBC Release Date: Immediate
www.honlphoto.com
www.datacolor. com
Name: Sigma’s 30mm F2.8 EX DN, 19mm F2.8 EX DN AND APO MACRO 180mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM RRP: TBC Release Date: Immediate
www.sigma-imaging-uk.com
www.nissindigital.com
On the Case
For more of our extensive range of products and opportunities, visit www.hama.co.uk
Name: Panasonic Lumix SZ7 and SZ1 RRP: TBC Release Date: March 2012
www.panasonic.co.uk
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INFOLAB
LET IT SNOW, SAY PHOTO LABS Few things get people out taking pictures like a snow day! A late winter could provide a boost for anyone who prints photographs. Looking out at the January drizzle, it could be forgivable to daydream about summer holidays, but in doing so you may wish away some of your best opportunities. The Beureau of Freelance Photographers’ magazine Market Newsletter recently published an article claiming that there was untapped potential in the market for photographs of local scenes in the snow, for use on greetings cards, calendars etc. The problem the article presented was that by the time snow arrives, if in fact it does at all, it’s likely to be far too late in the year to produce and sell Christmas cards. The advice to photographers, therefore, was the icy inverse of “make hay whilst the sun shines” and urged everyone to make the most of a snowfall, whenever one came, by taking scenic local landscapes. As the author of the piece discovered, sourcing a lab which can produce what they want, having the product produced and selling it on to local gift shops and places of interest, which is the usual way to monetise such
endeavours, can take months. There are futher interesting implications for consumers and the labs which serve them. Are we all leaving it a bit too late to market festive products? Surely soon after Christmas is the time to prompt families with festive photos to have them made into cards for next year. With so many consumers tightening their budgets and trying to spread the cost of Christmas throughout the year, they may just welcome such an offer. Local councils and major corporations have snow policies, to ensure business continues as usual in the event of adverse weather. Perhaps those who can sell products around a snowfall, like photographic retailers, should impliment a similar policy so that they’re ready to make the most of festive opportunities even when they don’t happen to fall at Christmas. Retailers with photo snowglobes to shift would be wise to have of sleet, and those offering to print calendars and greetings cards are not restricted to doing so in
Real snow makes a great festive image.
December. If snow falls in late February, those photos of the kids building a snowman that would have made the perfect Christmas card for all the family could be long lost or forgotten by the time traditional festive promotions start. The piece in Market Newsletter reports continuing success, with the photographer selling more of his cards each year. The author credits year-round work and being prepared to shoot his snow photos at a moment’s notice. The actual sales of his photographs to took place in September, featuring pictures he’d taken the previous winter, which demonstrates just how far ahead seasonal sales need to be planned. Your customers will also be planning ahead, so perhaps it’s never to early to think about Christmas.
BEHIND THE COUNTER
DEAL OR NO DEAL? Declining margins pose a problem for retailers throughout the year. With prices already at rock bottom, can our trade afford to discount any more? Can they afford not to? We called Pixel readers to ask the crucial questions. Phil Stebbens, Beverley Camera Centre: “We put a sale on a few days after Christmas, which ran for a couple of weeks. The gist of it was that we sold all cameras at cost, and hoped to make money on accessories but it didn’t always work as many customers will go online just to get a few quid off a memory cards. We offered smaller discounts on things like tripods and bags, and fortunately on binoculars you have more margin to start with so there’s more I could see, the discounts stopped generating interest after a week or two, so we put the prices back to normal. There’s only sense in a promotion if it’s ultimately going to result in more money.” Keith Wynn, Photocraft: “Margins are so tight, there’s nothing left to CREDITS & CONTACTS
discount on! As a small retailer, the trade prices we pay to distributors are often higher than the sale prices in some of the major stores, so if they then discount a product, we have no hope. January, I don’t think. But then, we never have a sale for exactly this reason!” Kirsty Whitehurst, 1st Cameras “We started our sale just before Christmas in order to try to catch a bit of that business. Our main drive is on high value accessories, because camera prices are so widely discounted that you almost have to go along with the market. On the higher margin items, you have space to discount want at the moment and offering a discount gives that little extra incentive to buy and yes, I think it’s helped. January’s not been bad.” Sarah Jones, Cambrian Photo Centre:
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“We’re working with such small margins to begin with, you’re almost having a sale without meaning to. You set what you think is a reasonable price, or even the lowest you can afford to offer, and someone will still accept your it for the price Jessops are selling it at?”. More often than not this price is equal to or even less than the price we have paid for the stock. That’s before you’ve offered any promotional discount. David Wollard, Redbox Cameras: “We haven’t really had a sale, so to speak. We’ve put a small discount on little items such as compact cameras but kept accessories at full price for some hope of a margin! We tend to keep prices as low as we can anyway as it’s so competitive out there at the moment. We’ll continue the discounts for a bit longer but they’ve not generated a massive amount of business yet. January has been quite slow but we’re just ticking over.” Got something to say? The forum at pixellive.co.uk is quick, easy and free to join. It’s the place for the industry to discuss the issues that matter. Sign up to see what everybody’s talking about. Published by Life Media Group Life Media House 19 The Avenue, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 3YD 01323 411 601
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All material in this publication is strictly copyright and all rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. The views expressed in Pixel Magazine do not necessarily represent the view of Life Media Group LTD. Every care is taken in compiling the contents but the publishers of Pixel Magazine assume no reponsibilty for any damage, loss or injury arising from the participation in any offers, competitions or advertisment contained within Pixel Magazine. All prices featured in Pixel Magazine are correct at the time of going to press. Copyright Life Media Group LTD 2012 ©
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