Pixel 5th April 2013

ISSUE NO. 893

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THE MAGAZINE THAT UNDERSTANDS WORLD 18616716_KEX_PIXEL_COVER_EARS.indd 1 3/27/13 THE 5:30 PM

News Olympus in £42m Lawsuit 68 parties are suing Olympus for approximately £42 million relating to the financial scandal that broke in October 2011. The corporation’s Japanese headquarters were served with the details of the lawsuit at the beginning of April, and it includes action from corporate investors Nationwide, Shell, Lloyds TSB and more.

The scandal initially caused a 75% drop in Olympus’ share value, and could now cost up to 6 billion yen in compensation to these companies, from 2000 until the scandal broke.

Three former executives currently face jail sentences for their involvement in the scandal and its cover up.

Retail Sales Spring Back in February David McCorquodale, UK Head of Retail at KPMG, said of the latest Retail Sales figures from the Office for National Statistics: “This uptick in sales will give retailers a confidence boost and is hopefully a sign that consumers are feeling more secure about the future. The popularity of the latest must-have gadgets was a major driver behind this surge in sales, as consumers splurged on the newest ranges.

“But one swallow doesn’t make a summer and retailers need to continue to find ways to drive sales and keep this momentum going.

With Easter on the horizon, I hope to see retailers launch innovative campaigns to attract shoppers to their stores.

®

OF IMAGING, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

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JESSOPS: “I’M IN!” 18616716_KEX_PIXEL_COVER_EARS.indd 2

Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Peter Jones CBE puts his faith in the high street and reopens Jessops stores

Peter Jones the Dragon’s Den TV personality and entrepreneur - held an informal but busy press conference on March 28 at the Jessops shop at 139-141 Oxford Street two hours before it re-opened.

Hosting an exclusive audience including Pixel, he explained the basis and underlying strategy for the future of the company, saying that he had invested £10 million of his own money in the project and that he was giving it three years to work.

“I take risks” he explained: “I like to think that

the Jessops risks have been correctly calculated”. He went on to express hope that, in the first year, the new Jessops will achieve sales of around £80 million. Initially, Peter Jones will be chief executive, but he added that he would consider bringing in somebody else for the role if it turned out he did not have the necessary skills or abilities.

Peter explained that the key to the future success for Jessops is pricing, store location and the integration of electronic and high street retailing.

During the press conference, he repeatedly came Continued on page 3

The Pixel Indie150

Independent dealers are invited to join Pixel – for free – at our racing day in Milton Keynes and make the most of some exclusive opportunities Pixel has organised a track day exclusively for independent retailers at Daytona in Milton Keynes to take place on Wednesday 1st May.Backed by a host of manufacturers and suppliers, the day will see teams of four take part in a 2.5 hour endurance race with a ‘pit stop challenge’ thrown in for good measure.

Breakfast, lunch and drinks are all complementary for the day along with team shirts and for the three quickest teams on the day, bubbles and trophies too! Perhaps most importantly, each of the sponsors will be offering exclusive special deals for retailers on the day.

Networking and hands-on demonstrations will run throughout the day on the mezzanine overlooking the track, so dealers can get the most out of the day without ever being far from the action.

“We are very excited to be inviting independent retailers to join us for this event,” says the Organiser, Simon Skinner. “It’s been an extremely

turbulent period for most but now and with the demise of some key chains on the high street, there’s some real opportunity for the smaller dealer.

To capitalise on this, we’ve arranged for each of the team sponsors to come to the race armed with an ‘event only’ offer and with 20+ teams expected on the day, that makes for an incredible and unique opportunity.”

To sign up for the day, please contact Simon on either 01323 433700 or simon@lifemediagroup. co.uk (limited to 2 people per outlet).

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Kodak Express helps kick-start new Independant Retailer Pixel March 2013.indd 1

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Picture Kiosk 03/04/2013 16:54

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ŠRichard Walch. Canon Ambassador

03/04/2013 14:20

FOCUS

Jessops: “I’m In” Continued

Continued from page 1

back to the issue of pricing, explaining that for a retailer such as Jessops to prosper, it is necessary that store prices are comparable with internet prices, and this is something that Jones believes Jessops is in a position to achieve since the company no longer has to pay interest on about £60 million of debt.

This development is not one that is likely to please independent retailers located close to any reopened Jessops branches.

He went on to say that “the next requirement is adequate coverage of the country in terms of retail locations”. In addition to the shops in London and Birmingham that re-opened on March 28, shops in Manchester, Aberdeen, High Wycombe and St. Albans are to re-open in the next few days, and then a further 30 shops will be opened at the rate of one a day in the course of April. That will add up to a chain comprising initially of 36 shops.

Jones added that he did not envisage that the Jessops retail estate in the UK would exceed 50 shops, which would mean that a chain with about a quarter of the outlets which the old Jessops had should achieve sales amounting to over a third of its 2011 sales.

A further comment from Peter: “The key to

News Familiar Face in New Role at TheMagicTouch

Peter Jones in conversation with a journalist while a photographer and others gather round to listen

Mark Rossi, who is well known in the digital print industry, having previously worked for Xpres in both a technical and sales role, has now been appointed to the team at TheMagicTouch.

Jim Nicol, Managing Director comments: “Over the past 21 years we have retained almost all key staff and personnel - in fact, the only ones that left have since become good customers. Having Mark join the company is a great move for all concerned.

His understanding of the current market place and his vision for the future emulates our own; he is a great additional team member.”

Mark says: “Over the past 10 years in the industry I have always been aware of TheMagicTouch and admired their position in the industry. I am excited and eager to get onboard with the team.”

Mark Rossi

“We still have just as many interested customers. We will say to them – come back and see us and try us” success will be to transform Jessops into a destination retailer. which it could hardly be wholly when even at the most recent count, there were still about 17 branches of Jessops in London, and a further 14 cities with two or even three branches.” Jones noted, “We still have just as many interested customers. We will say to them – come back and see us and try us”.

Little new in layout or design The Oxford Street shop has a street-level selling floor and also a basement. At street level, cameras, lenses and accessories are sold. The products are basically arranged by brand and there are extensive brightly lit and attractive displays of all the major camera brands, with the cameras being displayed, generously spaced on playtables – so, as Jones pointed out, he has indeed secured the support from all the companies which had so dramatically failed to come to Jessops’ aid three months earlier. All processing, including the production of posters, canvases and photo-gifts is done in the basement sales area, where there is also a large format printer and four kiosks (plus two upstairs).

If the Oxford Street store is regarded as providing a model for the future of Jessops, then little change can be expected in the layout and appearance compared with Jessops’ previous leading stores. The black livery, set off with white is retained and the staff uniforms are also the same – except that the black uniform

shirts now only have the Jessops logo on them, and there is no longer sponsorship by manufacturers.

The fate of Jessops’ old personnel has come in for endless sympathetic comment.

Jones stated that this year, Jessops will have about 500 staff, almost entirely ex-Jessops people. The staff’s objectives will be subtly different and more rewarding. They will be trained and encouraged to be impartial in the products and services that they recommend to customers and there will no longer be best deals of the month. Photographic courses for customers will form also an important aspect of the new Jessops and there are already at the Oxford Street store extensive classroom facilities on the first floor.

One reporter in the room told Peter Jones that he noticed that Jessops Europe had been registered as a domain name and asked what that meant. Jones replied, “I could not possibly comment on that”; but the website of RTE, the Irish broadcaster quoted Jones as saying that he would not rule out entering the European market.

Later, Peter Jones, talking exclusively with Pixel, commented on how he saw the future of the independent photo specialist shops.

He said, “The independents will in future have every opportunity. Our revival increases it because we will be back on the high street in a big way which will increase the impact being made by photographic retailing”.

Canon’s Spring Cashback Canon have announced their Spring cashback deal, available on purchases made from 7 March until 31 May 2013.

Products included, and their cashback are: Cameras EOS 5D Mark III - £160/ˆ 200; EOS 6D £100/ˆ 125; EOS 7D - £80/ˆ 100; EOS 60D - £65 /ˆ 80; PowerShot G1 X - £30/ˆ 38; PowerShot G15 - £30/ˆ 38; PowerShot S110 - £20/ˆ 25; PowerShot SX50 HS £50/ˆ 60 Accessories EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM £80/ˆ 100; EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM - £160/ˆ20 0; EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM - £80/ˆ 100; EF 17-40mm f/4L USM - £80/ˆ100 ; EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM - £235/ˆ30 0; EF 8-15mm f/4L FISHEYE USM - £155/ˆ 200; EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM - £235/ˆ 300 Speedlite 600EX-RT - £80/ˆ 100 Camcorders and printers LEGRIA HF G25 - £75/ˆ 95 PIXMA PRO-1 - £100/ˆ 125; PIXMA PRO-10 - £75/ˆ95; PIXMA PRO-100 - £50/ˆ 60 For the terms and conditions, visit www.canon.co.uk/springcashback.

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The Big DeBaTe

With routes to market diminishing every time another retailer closes its doors, some manufacturers are taking the initiative and selling their product directly to consumers, whilst others still choose not to do so. But is this practice hastening those closures, or is it a very necessary measure for the survival and success of our industry? Pixel speaks to two manufacturers with very different approaches to this practice to find out how they support retailers who stock their products.

Terry Carey, Tiffen international We were selling at Focus under the ‘Domke Sanctuary’ banner, but not as ourselves: we sold with Cameraworld, rather than direct. This enabled us to support our products and a retailer with our presence at the show. We had a similar operation in place at BE, where we were selling with Park Cameras.

It is a major issue in our trade though. There are market forces at work which individuals cannot do anything about. See, the consumer is the end user, the retailer is a vehicle, and consumers actively seek to cut out the middleman. They WANT to buy direct from the manufacturer, as they believe they will probably get a better service.

margin is too tight, only to find them knocking the price down and giving that margin up so that they can compete with the lowest price out there. I’ve also known incidences where retailers have haggled us like mad on a price, got it down as low as we can go, found that the product sells for them and then started sourcing it cheaper through the far east.

We do and will always support the channel because it supports our ranges in getting to consumers. It’s no news to retailers that they need to really give consumers a reason to shop with them, or they will go online and buy elsewhere, be that from an online specialist, from Amazon or yes, even from the manufacturer of the product in question directly.

between a consumer buying, for example, one of our filters, and buying a marginally cheaper alternative that doesn’t fit their needs quite as well. This is the retailer’s purpose in this chain, and without it, neither the manufacturer nor the consumer needs the retailer to be there: it’s blunt, but it’s the truth. However, WITH this difference, the retailer has the opportunity to be something both the consumer and the manufacturer and/or distributor see the purpose of dealing with, they have value and they put themselves in a very powerful and hopefully successful position.

Whilst as individuals, many of us are deeply concerned about the condition of the trade, manufacturers’ bank balances do not care whether a product has been sold in a retail

“The At the end of the day, our customer is the end user, and the only way to protect our whole channel is to make sure they get what they want.

The only way to do this is to make sure stock is available to them at the price they are willing to pay” - Terry Carey We are not selling direct to consumers at the moment (other than for things like discontinued lines, which are available direct from us on the internet), but we will be, I would say within the next twelve months.

At the end of the day, our customer is the end user, and the only way to protect our whole channel is to make sure they get what they want. The only way to do this is to make sure stock is available to them at the price they are willing to pay. This is not great news for retailers, but unfortunately, that’s business.

Consumers don’t have to pay over the odds because you’ve given them a service, and manufacturers don’t have to restrict their options so that everybody on every supply chain can make a profit. I know that we, as a manufacturer, strive to bring down prices on certain products when retailers feel the

But that’s not unique to this trade. In fact, it’s given retailers in our market something of an advantage. Yes, it is frustrating when a consumer comes into your store to try out a camera and then buys it online, but they were in your store in the first place, and I think it’s really this need to touch and try which is keeping the high street alive in this sector, just as the desire to try on an item of clothing or return it easily if it doesn’t fit keeps high street fashion stores going. It’s really then up to that retailer to give that consumer a reason to buy the product there and then, whether it’s convenience, pricing, service or any of the other qualities that makes successful retailers what they are.

This, in turn, is why it’s so important for manufacturers to support this trade where they can, a demonstration can be the difference

store, through a distributor, on Amazon or on their own website, as long as it has sold.

Therefore, in this situation we find ourselves in where many towns no longer have any sort of imaging presence on their high street, I will not be at all surprised to see most if not all manufacturers selling directly so that they know consumers will have access to their products. After all, if a consumer can’t find a product In their local store, would that manufacturer rather they bought it online from them, or didn’t buy it at all? With stockists disappearing left right and centre, of course consumers will look to buy direct from the manufacturer, and few will turn business away in today’s climate.

Retailers can have an important and profitable role to play in bringing products to consumers, and are of huge value to the

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THE BIG INTERVIEW

trade and the economy as a whole. In turn, it’s a retailer’s job to take a few steps back and make sure there’s no reason for either manufacturers or consumers to want to cut them out!

Steve Lea, Project Manager Panasonic Stores.

How does having ‘own brand’ stores support the trade?

We have always endeavoured to ensure we pursue a balanced distribution strategy and are rightly proud of the commercial relationships that have been established in each retail channel. In the Independent sector, we enjoy number one in Consumer Electronics market share by some way and remain very committed to ensuring it continues to prosper and develop in what are of course very tough and challenging market conditions.

The Panasonic Store concept provides the trade - in my view - with an unrivalled opportunity to not only expand but to grow and add value to their retail proposition through our wide and diverse product portfolio and to further specialise in selling and marketing a brand in whom they and their customers trust and which may already constitute a significant percentage of their current business. Of course, however it is imperative that any such development is done in a careful,

measured way and importantly with the right business partner as any new store represents a significant investment on behalf of both parties, so we are not interested in simply pursuing a “number” but rather ensuring that new and our existing operators receive a level of support and recognition they deserve for committing themselves to our brand.

A Panasonic Store is fundamentally different from other retailers that might be local to it which also sell Panasonic products. Whereas a consumer electronics store might sell Panasonic Smart Viera televisions alongside other televisions, and an imaging specialist might sell the Lumix camera range alongside other cameras and accessories, a Panasonic Store will stock Panasonic products only, across the different segments they cover, from imaging through to audio and more. As such, the range on sale does not compete directly with the range of any other Panasonic dealers nearby and provides consumers with plenty of choice and convenience.

The market is, as mentioned previously, very competitive and every retailer will be keen to promote its own unique selling points in an effort to win new customers and maintain the current customer relationships it has developed. Panasonic Store’s are no exceptions here and have to compete in this environment in the same way, with each operator keen to offer and secure a

commercial advantage locally. The consumer is more commercially aware than ever and will shop where they can secure the right proposition for them, so I do believe that the impact is a positive one, as any local marketing activity will generate awareness and footfall in all stores.

We are actively investigating ways of developing our B2C proposition with the intention to engage more with the trade.

We are to very keen to ensure that the consumer experiences our brand in a consistent and informed way across all our various distribution channels, which is why we make such an investment in store front activity and staff training; key factors in realising this objective. In focusing on a single brand Panasonic Stores’ inevitably provide a greater retail footprint which enables therefore a more comprehensive range of products to be displayed. Store staff will be required to demonstrate a broad knowledge of our products, as they could receive enquiries on categories ranging from TV to Washing Machines to Healthcare products. Such a requirement will naturally promote a degree of specialism and at times a more in depth knowledge of certain product ranges that may not be ranged to the same extent in other stores.

Join the discussion on our forum at www.pixel.co.uk

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News Canon Withdraws from IPEX 2014 Canon have announced that they are to withdraw from the IPEX exhbition in 2014, which they had planned to attend. Patrick Chapuis, Head of Production Printing Group, Canon Europe said: “After careful consideration of our position, Canon Europe is announcing its withdrawal from IPEX 2014.

“This has not been an easy decision to make as we have previously had two successful shows at IPEX. However, just as we have encouraged our customers to ‘see the bigger picture’, we have had to look at our own bigger picture. This has involved a continuous assessment of the ways in which we communicate with our customers.

“We remain fully committed to our customers and to the printing industry as a whole, so with Canon and Océ solutions now addressing all segments of the market, we need to adopt the strategy that will most benefit our customers and indeed their customers.

“Therefore, while we will continue to consider future European industry events and their fit with our business and marketing plans, we will also continue to invest in our extensive network of showroom facilities and in a series of customer focused events across the region.”

Nero Updates Tablet Capabilities for Videographers Nero has released an updated version of its popular Nero 12 and Nero 12 Platinum multimedia suites, giving video enthusiasts even more performance and value.

Nero Recode sets the standard for making it easy and fast to convert videos to watch on other devices. The update now includes pre-configured device profiles for the latest generation of tablets and smartphones, including the iPad Mini, all iPad models, iPhone 5, iPod Touch 5G, iPod Nano 7G, Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro tablets, Windows 8 Phone and Kindle Fire HD. The overall performance of Nero Video was also improved to make editing and exporting faster. It now uses memory more efficiently to allow for longer and more involved projects. It also boosts the viewing and editing experience for HD formats such as AVCHD 2.0.

The Alpha and Omega As most Pixel readers will have gathered from the grapevine by now, Alpha Digital Services has gone into administration. However, we’re pleased to report that Frazer Allen isn’t going anywhere Whilst he confirmed that Alpha Digital Services has indeed gone, Frazer explained to Pixel that he and his team are continuing to trade with their separate company, Alpha Optical Distribution Limited.

This company, which was incorporated in February 2011, will be handling clients previously distributed by Alpha Digital Services including Kowa and Visible Dust, with plenty more in the pipeline.

Building on Frazer’s 40 years of experience in the imaging and optics trade, and with the help of Emma Lupton and Denys Nelson, familiar faces to many in the trade from their years at Alpha Digital, AOD sill continue to work closely with the brands it supports to bring UK retailers attractive deals on musthave products.

“It was a sad sign of the times,” said Frazer Allen about the closure of Alpha Digital. “What with Jacobs closing and then Jessops, it was inevitable that there would be other casualties in the supply chain. However, we will take forward our strengths in dealing with the independent trade, develop our core business

Frazer Allen

Emma Lupton

Denys Nelson

from the basics and we are very hopeful for the future.”

Alpha Optical Distribution Ltd are currently operating from a temporary base, but will be moving into a permanent HQ in Reading shortly. To go with the new company, Alpha have new email addresses. “The old ones were quite arduous to type, so people will be pleased about that,” laughed Frazer.

Frazer Allen: 07725081436, frazer@alphaodl.co.uk Denys Nelson: 07909227517, denys@alphaodl.co.uk Emma Lupton: 07764614513, emma@alphaodl.co.uk

London to Paris? On Your Bike!

Sponsor Pixel’s Simon Skinner to don his Lycra and cycle 325 miles for charity.

Pixel’s very own Simon Skinner is gearing up to cycle from London to Paris! Simon hopes to raise £5000 by taking part in the Cycle Challenge organised by children’s charity Action Medical Research, which will take place on 17th to 21st July.

Simon has already begun his training by cycling to work and back every day, but he’s admitted he will need to step up his programme in order to be prepared.

Sponsorships and donations of any amount are absolutely welcome as Simon begins to train in earnest for this gruelling but enjoyable event. Simon is actively seeking a commercial sponsor who would be happy to pledge a slightly larger sum in exchange for having their company branding or logo on Simon’s shirt, which will be cropping up in many pictures of the event, and a mention in the press releases we will be issuing to the industry and general media.

Those taking part in the London to Paris cycle challenge will be raising money to help

fund medical research into conditions affecting babies and children. Research currently being supported by Action Medical Research includes work around premature birth, cerebral palsy, meningitis and epilepsy, as well as some very rare and distressing conditions that severely affect children.

For further information on Action Medical Research please visit www.action.org.uk

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THE BUSINESS

Swains See Red

Swains recently undertook the challenge of raising money for Comic Relief, otherwise known as Red Nose day.

The team chose the apt Panasonic Lumix FS45 RED as the hero product, and the company contributed £1 for every sale of that model made by their sales teams on Comic Relief Friday. As they sold a grand total of 507 pieces on the day, a cheque for £507 has been issued and sent off to Comic Relief!

Swains would like to express their thanks to all the retailers who helped them raise the sum for such a good cause.

News Nikon’s Spring Cashback Nikon has launched its spring cashback promotion, which will run from 14th March – 31st May and offer consumers the following amounts of cashback on the following models, respectively: D3100 - £30/ ˆ 40; D3200 - £40/ ˆ 50, D5100 - £40/ ˆ 50, D5200 - £50/ ˆ 60, D7000 - £100/ ˆ 120; D600 - £150/ ˆ 180.

Body-only products and bundled lens kits are both eligible for this cashback offer, where applicable.

It’s Official: Internet Shopping is Boring High street is missed as ‘boring’ internet shopping takes over

A combination of the triple-dip recession, out-of-town superstores and the ease of shopping on the internet mean that many shoppers have viewed venturing into the town centre to shop as a hassle.

However, according to research by BidGrid.co.uk - an online seller themselves!

- customers do still value the personal experience of physical shopping and are finding themselves increasingly turned off by a sterile online buying experience. For big ticket items in particular, like a tablet, camera or television that they’ve been saving up for, consumers find that even the most exciting purchase is reduced to a dull pointand-click exercise.

“People tell us all the time that they love the convenience of web-based shopping, but

they’re finding the same old sites dull, dull, dull,” said Oliver Brand, BidGrid’s head of customer experience.

“I find it so impersonal, just click and you’re done. Where’s the excitement?” internet shopper Johnny Ratclife 33 Leeds said.

Others said they were put off by purchasing what they thought was a website bargain, only to be hit at the till by unreasonable postage fees. “£6.95 postage and packing for a book? Is the envelope gold-plated or something?” Mel (30, Harrogate, North Yorkshire) told our survey team about her online shopping experience.

“Our survey tells us that people even find eBay shopping a chore these days,” said Oliver, “there’s really little to choose from between dead shopping streets and deathly dull web shopping.”

What customers dislike about High Street shopping: • Expensive parking • Boarded-up shops, well-known chains closing • Lack of choice • Queuing at tills, lack of shop staff

What customers like about High Street shopping: • Personal experience • Banter with the shop staff and keeper • Fun, pleasure and enjoyment What customers dislike about online shopping: • Boredom • Online fraud • Unscrupulous auction sellers • Inflated delivery charges • No personal interaction

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THE BUSINESS

Samsung Teams Up with Usain Bolt Samsung have formed an exclusive partnership with the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt.

“Our aim with the NX300 was to develop the best camera ever made for the everyday camera user, and by combining superior hardware with enhanced features designed exclusively for professional photographers, we believe we have done just that,” said Nick Porter, Head of Digital Imaging, Samsung Electronics UK and Ireland.

So where does the connection with Bolt come in? The NX300 is FAST. “ The Hybrid Auto Focus (AF) system enables fast, accurate phase and contrast detection, while the 1/6000 sec shutter speed and 8.6fps continuous shooting mode ensure moments are never missed,” say Samsung.

The ‘NX Junior Photographer’ campaign will see Samsung and Usain Bolt work in partnership to build on the athlete’s natural

Retailers at the sharp end comment on how new measures are affecting them

love of being behind the camera and will see the six-time gold medal winning Olympian, showcase his very own ‘Usain Bolt Foundation’ to provide equipment and lessons to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Over the coming months, other activities will be launched through the exclusive partnership with Usain Bolt and Samsung for those that like speed.

Small Business Rate Relief Won’t Solve Our Problems, say Pixel Readers

“Endlessly repeating the fallacy that small business rate relief is good for town centres does not make it true.

It is not funded by government but by a supplement paid by businesses in higher value premises. Very many of those that fall into the bracket of higher value premises are town centre shops. A neighbour of mine, a stationer with just two staff - a small business by every other measure - will have to pay over £1000 extra this year now the scheme has been extended. It’s really a low value rate relief scheme benefiting prosperous accountants and solicitors who don’t need prominent premises and end up being subsidised by their struggling small retail clients.

“Large out of town retailers will pay the subsidy but they still enjoy a 3-5:1 advantage in the proportion of their costs that business rates represent compared to small independent shops above the SBRR threshold in town centres.

Those out of town retailers dominate the British Retail Consortium so I have little faith this Future High Streets Forum will do anything to benefit traditional town centres or their independent retailers. If Mark Prisk is serious

about the vitality of high streets he needs to get the small business rate relief scheme amended so it benefits small businesses regardless of the value of their premises or is concentrated on the primary and secondary shopping frontages and town centres as they are designated by each local authority’s planning policies.

Peter Jull, Zoom, Dover I’ve just received a Post Office internal management memo that’s just sent out which shows the new postal rates from April 2nd.

The good news is that there’s no change in the costs for a Letter and Large Letter.

However, here’s the bad news: For anything packed over 80 mm, the price STARTS at £5.20 for 0 -100 grms. Is the post Office management suicidal? Right now, you can send anything up to 100gms, no matter what size, to Australia for £3.30! Mail order traders (and eBayers ) will be hit in a big way. The ‘private’ alternative carriers will pick up a lot of business.

Andrew Nicholls, Bernard Hunter, Bristol

News Olympians Shop Indie; Inspire Gold Medal Service Double Olympic Gold Medalist and keen Nikon user, Pete Reed, recently visited Grays of Westminster Gray Levett said: “We were very honoured to be able to welcome Pete Reed MBE to Grays of Westminster. It is he and others like him that continue to encourage and inspire us at Grays of Westminster to push our standards of service and professionalism to ever greater heights.”

Pete Reed spent nearly three hours in the shop and left laden down with a number of Nikon boxes. In a message to Gray Levett he said: “You have a wonderful place and a cracking group of people around you and I pride myself on being a good judge of character. It was an honour to have so much of your time and it’s great to know that I can come back anytime.”

DxO Appoint Color Confidence for UK Color Confidence has been appointed exclusive UK distributor for DxO Labs. DxO Labs is famous for high quality image enhancement software, particularly DxO Optics Pro. Geoffrey Clements, Managing Director at Color Confidence, believes the DxO range of software has the potential to become hugely popular with photographers in the UK. “The DxO product range offers photographers a genuinely unique image editing proposition. With strong marketing and a greater retail presence we expect to see the popularity of this product range increase significantly.”

Nikon Moves Mid-Range Production to Laos Nikon will move production of entry and mid-level DSLRS to a £5m factory in Laos to reduce costs, according to a statement released by the company’s headquarters in Japan.

Production of these ranges currently takes place in Thailand, at a plant which will continue to put the finishing touches on the Laos-produced models.

Nikon recently altered its yearly predictions to reflect expected sales of 100,000 fewer interchangeable lens cameras than originally predicted, and up to 200,000 less lenses,

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THE BUSINESS

News Nikon to Open London Nikon School in April

The Nikon School will be based in the new Nikon Centre of Excellence located in central London, just two minutes from Oxford Circus.

John Walshe, General Manager at Nikon UK, says: “With the new Nikon School in London our aim is to provide training courses that inspire photographers to learn, explore and maximise their creative potential.

By creating a Nikon training facility in the heart of central London, we’re able to offer everyone increased access to the very latest Nikon equipment in a fantastic photographic environment.”

A new training course programme will be launched to coincide with the opening and will include a range of courses from “Introduction to Photography”, to more advanced product specific courses.

“High Value Users Still Prefer Photo Specialists”

Futuresource figures show the camera Accessories Market was worth $5.1bn Trade Value in 2012, and experts say photographers would still rather buy from specialist stores.

Worldwide demand for camera accessories including lenses, bags, cases, supports and flashes, reached a trade market value of $5.1bn in 2012, according to a new global industry report from Futuresource Consulting.

“Although worldwide demand for fixed lens cameras is declining, we’re seeing interchangeable lens cameras bucking the trend and posting solid growth in excess of 16% year-on-year,” says Arun Gill, Market Analyst, Futuresource Consulting. “In 2012, this translated to an annual average spend per interchangeable lens camera of $307, compared with just two dollars per fixed lens camera.”

Lenses represented the majority of demand, at nearly 80% of the total trade market value, followed by bags and cases, flashes and supports. Such accessories represent huge value for high street retailers as ‘add-on’ sales to camera hardware, so their growth is a reassuring trend.

Digital camera vendors - including Canon, Nikon and Sony - represented the majority of accessory sales in value terms, mainly due to their strength in lenses. For other accessories, a number of specialist brands play a more significant role, including the likes of Manfrotto, Metz and Sigma.

“In terms of purchase behaviours, many high value users may still prefer to use photo specialists to get expert advice and handle the product before purchase,” says Gill. “However, when it comes to the sale, a growing number of these users are buying through pure online players, motivated by savings of up to 25%.”

www.futuresource-consulting.com or get in touch with Simon Bryant on +44 (0)1582 500 152 or via simon.bryant@futuresource-hq.com.

A Challenge for Manufacturers

A tough time for imaging retailers means manufacturers have to innovate fast, say GfK The beginning of 2012 was challenging, especially for the DSLR market, as it was affected by some stock shortages. The beginning of 2013 would see a new challenge for the digital camera market with some important high street retailers having closed down over the last 2 months.

The total digital cameras market value declined by 19% in January 2013 compared to the same period a year ago, whereas 2012 suffered only a 10% decline. Furthermore in 2012, apart from standard point and shoot cameras, all camera categories grew in value but in January 2013 only the DSLR market managed to increase. Moreover this is an “artificial growth” as it was compared to poor January 2012 affected by shortages.

Even superzoom, which was enjoying 21% value growth in 2012, shrank by 7% in value in January 2013 compared to January 2012.

It was the first month of decline for the superzoom market since May 2011.

We can assume that only a small part of the sales share from the retailers which have closed down has been picked up by other retailers and that’s why the market decline is heavier that we would have expected.

Looking ahead, the challenge for retailers would be to succeed to attract the customers of the retailers having closed down. It is a good opportunity for each retailer selling cameras to grow their own business.

For manufacturers, the challenge would be to visibly innovate and grow the interest of customers for their new products especially as the need for camera devices has never been so important with more photographs taken now than ever.

Aline Marchal, Account Manager, Photo, aline.marchal@gfk.com 0870 603 8181 www.gfk.com/uk

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KodaK ExprEss Helps KicKstart New iNdepeNdeNt retailer

As you may have read in 25th February’s Pixel, staff at a former Jessops store in Bicester have taken over the premises to open imagex. We can now reveal that imagex has joined to Kodak Express network, inspired by the quality and capability of Kodak’s products, and the popularity of the Kodak brand When Jessops announced that they were to cease trading earlier this year, two former employees of the Bicester branch took the brave decision to take over the lease and re-open the store as an independent imaging business: iMagex opened its doors on 1st March.

Despite all the negativity surrounding high street retailing following the recent closure of leading brands, Robert Peckham and Paul Crockett knew that their blend of expert product knowledge and customer service would continue to be a hit with Bicester’s consumers, so they called upon the support of key imaging brands to help them make the iMagex dream a reality.

The iMagex team wasted no time once the lease was secured, and the store’s Facebook page kept its many fans up-to-date with how the reopening was progressing. One of the most exciting and well-received items of latebreaking news was that iMagex had signed up to be a Kodak Express store.

Robert Peckham explains that the decision to discuss Kodak with Tetenal – Kodak’s UK distributors – came very late in the day, when the team had almost cemented their other plans. ‘We thought we’d found the right partner in one of Kodak’s competitors but wanted to hear what Tetenal had to offer.”

“It totally blew me away. I was astounded by the quality of the new G4XL widescreen Kodak Picture Kiosk, and by Kodak’s ability to provide Wi-Fi connectivity for smartphone users through its Kodak Connect App. This really exceeded what I’d experienced of competitors’ solutions, and ensures that we will be able to tap into the huge revenue opportunity of prints from mobile.”

To ensure this late decision was the right one for iMagex, Robert wanted to test which brand his customers were most comfortable with, so he did a straw poll outside the store of visiting customers, and found that 9 out of 10 indicated Kodak as their brand of choice.

Robert’s decision was made for him.

So far, iMagex have installed three G4XL Kodak Picture Kiosks, which enable iMagex

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“The big and bold Kodak G4XL offers an intuitive touch-screen with flickable icons, replicating the interactive experience imaging consumers are used to with their own devices at home” to offer Next Day and One Hour services, plus a G4XE for Instant Prints. The big and bold Kodak G4XL offers an intuitive touch-screen with flickable icons, replicating the interactive experience imaging consumers are used to with their own devices at home. It’s fast, easy, and provides secure wireless connections so that customers can access their favourite photos wherever they are stored, and retailers can tap into the revenue potential all these images offer with a growing range of photo products.

In addition, iMagex have a D4000 Kodak Duplex Photo Printer for double sided photo gifts, such as photobooks, greetings cards and calendars that offer vivid, rich photographic detail. Consumers trust Kodak prints to

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preserve their images for a lifetime, and what better way to present them than in beautiful borderless photobooks and calendars, available in store? iMagex were keen to be able to offer these popular products which offer excellent revenue potential, and the D4000 suited their needs perfectly.

Keen to make the most of new opportunities and the support that Kodak can offer, iMagex have also installed the Wi-Fi Upgrade Kit across the kiosks so that customers can print from their smartphones, which is widely acknowledged as the area of the market which offers the most potential growth for photofinishing retailers and labs today.

Becoming a Kodak Express retailer allows iMagex to benefit from the Kodak Kiosk Connect App, which provides smartphone photographers with a quick and easy way to wirelessly transfer photos from their iPhone or Android Smartphone to a Kodak Picture Kiosk, where they can then make prints, cards, calendars, collages, photobooks and more using the photos on their phone.

The app also makes it convenient for consumers to select the photos that they want to print before transferring them via a secure wi-fi connection to the kiosk, making the whole process faster and easier.

Robert Peckam said: “We favoured the Kodak solution for its ability to provide Wi-Fi connectivity for smartphone users, through its Kodak Connect App. We were very impressed by the whole system, it really surpassed what we had seen from other brands and it’s exactly what we need to enable us to tap into the huge revenue opportunity of prints from mobile.”

“Kodak Express is always looking forward to developing the network by encompassing new ideas that are all designed to drive footfall,” agrees Oliver Biddles, Kodak Express Business Manager at Tetenal.

“This is our main directive, which we seek to achieve not just through instore promotions but through digital marketing and national campaigns with brand partners. We use this publicity to establish the message that Kodak Express is the number one choice on the high street for all your printing needs, and it’s clear that iMagex’s customers have taken that message to heart and agree with it.

“It’s great to have the iMagex team on board. We’re very pleased that they see how well Kodak’s offering suits their business opportunities, with our evolving strategy of looking at how to motivate consumers into printing their images. “iMagex are a perfect fit for our network with their enthusiastic and dedicated attitude. We have strong plans for 2013 to drive our services to the consumer and we are very excited and focused on achieving these objectives.”

To find out more information on how you can join the Kodak Express network contact Tetenal UK on tel: 0116 2893644 or web: www.tetenaluk.com

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FOCUS: THE FULL REPORT Focus on Imaging 2013 has generally been hailed as a huge success, especially when viewed in the light of recent high street events. But will a lack of big name support ever endanger the popularity of this fixture in the trade calendar?

The imaging industry proved its determination to weather the recession with a strong turn out at 2013’s Focus on Imaging.

The organisers of Focus on Imaging put the official attendance figure at 34,397, which they said they were very pleased with; given the current climate. Pixel attended on three days and found the show to be very busy, with a great atmosphere and lots going on in terms of on-stand activity, seminars, deals and special events. We were quite disappointed to note the absence of some major hardware manufacturers, but we were pleased to see so many new innovations and ideas which offered inspiration and opportunities to imaging dealers who visited.

Just how many of those there were is an interesting question. We did see plenty of familiar faces from the trade and noticed that we hadn’t seen others, but at such a large event it’s quite possible to miss somebody.

Trade-facing exhibitors reported varying levels of observed attendance: “It’s the best Focus we’ve ever had, without a doubt,” commented Tetenal’s Chris Castle.

“All I can tell you is we sold more hardware than we ever have before over the course of the event. We focused on selling, and it really paid off. I think it must be a combination of the right products and an industry that’s really trying to push itself forward... for retailers that want a consumer-facing unit that is both widescreen and WiFi compatible, Kodak is the only solution available to them at the moment, so we have an excellent offering for them. I’m very pleased.”

For others, though, it seemed that the amount of relevant trade visitors was outweighed by the show’s popularity with students and enthusiasts.

“We have definitely noticed that the Focus show was not attended by the trade as much as previous years,” said Francois DeFreitas of Photo-Me. “The consumers have always been part of this show but this year I felt that it was really unbalanced.”

One retailer who was definitely present was David Parkinson, MD of Wilkinson Cameras, who attended Focus for the first time in several years. “I decided it was about time to go back to Focus, in view of recent changes in the imaging industry, to see what’s new and to show my face in the wake of Jessops’ closure,” explained David. “There wasn’t a huge amount of gear to look at, which was disappointing, a lot of the products on show were on the books and digital albums spectrum. Still, there were lots of people

“Many of the big names were absent. I can only imagine this is because of the pricing of the event, and the realignment of their budgets for events and marketing.

Will Focus continue to experience this level of consumer interest if the brands aren’t there to draw them in?” visiting, which is great news for the trade in general and I bet the retailers who had stands and were selling at the event had the best Focus to date. They looked really busy.

“That said, it concerns me that so many of the big names were absent. I can only imagine this is because of the pricing of the event, and the realignment of their budgets for events and marketing. Will Focus continue to experience this level of consumer interest if the brands aren’t there to draw them in? Focus may have to look at reevaluating its pricing or I am not sure how long it will continue to survive for without the support of major brands.”

The brands that did choose to communicate with their end-users at Focus on Imaging benefited from good attendance and an enthusiastic crowd, for instance: Canon returned to Focus this year with a substantial presence. Speaking to Pixel recently, Canon’s

Lee Bonniface stressed the importance of the show for reaching consumers who would until recently have had access to Canon products through Jessops, and they certainly appeared to be providing plenty of Focus attendees with that opportunity to be “hands on” with Canon equipment.

Austin Freshwater, Professional Channel Director at Canon, said: “Focus on Imaging was a resounding success for Canon this year. The show provided a great opportunity for us to interact with both amateur and professional photographers in one single place and share our passion for imaging. Our stand was designed to bring Canon’s wide range of imaging products to life for the customers that visited and we were very proud to receive the ‘best stand award’ for our efforts.”

As always, the community feel of Focus on Imaging played an important part, and

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SHOW REVIEW

contacts continue to use this yearly event as a good chance to meet up for a friendly coffee or pint, as well as to conduct the more serious business. However, it did seem that less socialising and client entertainment was held in the evening, whether that be due to budget constraints or the overall mood of the trade.

Perhaps with the demise of Jessops et al so fresh in everybody’s minds it did not seem the right time to go out on the town on company credit cards, but whatever the cause people certainly looked brighter in the mornings - even Pixel were in bed by eleven!

Still, if it meant people had their business heads on, it could only be a good thing and for the most part it did appear that plenty of money changed hands over the course of the show, and retailers seemed enthusiastic about new lines. Roskerr offered the debut of the Peel and Stick media range and the chance to win a camera for those who came to give it a try, which proved very successful. Scott Kerr of Roskerr said: “Focus was really good for us this year. The photo wall was a huge hit, and allowed us to show off our new Rose Media Peel and Stick media for wide format machines. Our machinery sales went through the roof, much higher than expected too! All in all a very busy and very productive show, allowing us to meet with a few of our national accounts and potentially increase our product range with them.”

Busy and productive are words we like to hear when discussing the only show of its kind in the UK. There’s no doubt that Focus is an important part of the trade calendar, but it seems that it may take some consideration to ensure that it remains so as the industry continues to change and develop in the future Share your thoughts about Focus on Imaging on our forum at www.pixel.co.uk

Take the Margin Back

Following a huge amount of speculation as to the potential for margin on cameras, or lack thereof, we are pleased to be able to report a model and deal which offers retailers a 20% mark up.

Pictures for this article were taken on the Nikon Coolpix S9050, which is available in the UK exclusively through Direk Tek. The S9050 is one of the latest generation of Coolpix cameras that really pushes the advantages it can offer over a smartphone, with an attractive but hardwearing aluminium body and enticing creative ablities, plus Full HD video recording and 15.5x Zoom: the two features consumers are consistently looking for when choosing to use a camera instead of their phone for image capture.

Rebecca Marshall at Direk Tek, who have an exclusive on this model in the UK, explains “Trade pricing of the lone unit is £92 for this model, with an RRP of £139.99”.

Not content with offering almost £50 of profit on the camera itself, Direk Tek are also promoting special bundles that extend retailers’ opportunities even further.

“For £139, retailers can purchase a kit that includes the S9050 with a free Nikon Leather Case, spare battery, 16Gb SD card and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.

The RRP of this bundle is £199, and it offers real value to consumers as well as

substantial margin to the retailers that sell it on.

“Both the lone unit and the bundle will give dealers over 20% margin, which is very refreshing in today’s market.”

The S9050 camera is available in silver, and Direk Tek report that there is currently plenty of supply. This would be an ideal camera package for retailers who don’t usually carry much - or any - compact camera stock, as it offers a defined target audience and a rare margin opportunity!

www.direktek.co.uk

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Impossible Shots Made Possible

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BUDGET 2013 John Cridland, CBI Director-General, Dragon’s Den’s James Caan and the FPB’s Alan Jackman talk Pixel through what the Chancellor’s new budget means to you As with every budget, there’s a huge amount to dissect, but we’re pleased to report that the latest is generally agreed to have more for UK businesses to be pleased about than may have. Without further ado, then: Housing: “The Chancellor plans to stimulate the housing market, by providing support to trapped ‘second steppers’, through an extension of the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme,” says John Cridland.

“The Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee Scheme is a bold step, which will increase momentum in the housing market and support new high loan-to-value mortgage lending.

“The new £3.5bn equity loan scheme and the additional investment in affordable housing will increase the supply of new homes.”

John Cridland

Alan Jackman

James Caan

“The new £2,000 National Insurance rebate will give smaller firms the confidence to take on extra staff ” employees working full time on the adult minimum wage without any increase in their employer NICs..”

Dragon’s Den star James Caan says: “This is as an aspirational budget focused towards business where growth will prosper and create more jobs for the economy. The cut in corporation tax to 20% means we have one of the lowest in Europe. This is encouraging for more companies to do business in the UK and highlights that ‘Britain is open for business’. The private sector has been working hard to increase employment levels and the allowance to reduce the tax on employing people will help many small firms employ their first person and grow their businesses. This is a welcomed move and the most encouraging announcement from George Osborne’s budget today.”

Corporation Tax and Employment Allowance “A further cut to the headline rate of corporation tax to 20% in 2015 will give the UK the lowest rate in the G20.”

From April 2014, all businesses and charities will be eligible for the new ‘employment allowance’, which will reduce their National Insurance contributions bill to the tune of up to £2000. 2.5 million employers will benefit and 450,000 of the UK’s smallest businesses will no longer pay any employer NICs. Alex Jackman, Head of Policy at the Forum of private Business says: “This initiative will have a double function, that is to either incentivise employers to take on more staff, or to take the saving and boost their profitability. For many small firms who’ve been operating on extremely small margins the latter would be welcome relief. “For businesses looking to grow though, it means they’ll be able to employ an additional employee earning £22,400, or an additional four

Growth Objective for Pensions Regulator: “Addressing the chilling effect of artificiallyinflated pension scheme deficits on business investment is the right step,” says Cridland.

“A new statutory growth objective will ensure

THE BUSINESS

the Pensions Regulator recognises the need to protect the financial strength of the sponsoring employer, who will then be able to stand behind their scheme more effectively. After all, best form of protection for employee’s benefits, and the economy as a whole, is a solvent and thriving employer.”

The Monetary Policy Committee’s remit: “The impact of improving the transparency and communication of the Bank’s decisions should help amplify the effectiveness of monetary policy and support the recovery.

“More radical monetary policy options, such as forward guidance, could super-charge this further, although it seems that little is likely to change before Mark Carney takes the wheel.”

Business rates: “Conditions remain tough on the high street, so it is disappointing that the Government has not capped the increase in business rates. A 2% cap would have really helped hard-pressed retailers.”

Fuel Duty: “The Chancellor was right to dig a little deeper into his pockets once again to help soften the impact of rising oil prices. Freight operators, small businesses and hard-pressed families up and down the country will feel the benefit of this freeze on fuel costs,” said Cridland.

Jackman added: “No one wants to see fuel prices any higher than they are and small businesses will welcome that.

Prices hovering just shy of £1.50 are taking money from the pockets of consumers better spent elsewhere in the economy.

Summing up the Budget, Jackman said: “There was enough in the Chancellor’s speech to keep business happy – for now anyway.

But it’s just a sticking plaster if growth doesn’t really kick in for another year.

“Pressures for cost reduction will keep piling up until the economy sees some real growth. While we welcome the measures in here for short-term help, longer-term worries remain, and unfortunately once again a lot will rely on what happens in Europe and beyond in 2013.”

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Your Essential Guide to the Latest Launches Name: PocketWizard PlusX (and Twin Set) RRP: £89.99 (AND £169.99) Release Date: Immediate Distributors: JP Distribution The new easy-touse PocketWizard PlusX is the simplest PocketWizard ever.

Designed to provide the perfect point of entry into the PocketWizard Wireless System, the 10 Channel PlusX uses PocketWizard’s patented “Auto-Sensing Transceiver Technology” which means it will automatically switch between transmit and receive as needed.

Users just turn it on, connect to the flash or camera and set the channel using its

Name: AirStash A02 RRP: TBC Release Date: Immediate Distributors: Beta Distribution A new solution for transferring images to smartphones and tablets that lack that allimportant USB input.

Getting images onto iPads and other tablets can be a hassle. The AirStash A02, together with new Android and iOS apps, works like a Flash Drive but it has WiFi as on option to connect, meaning smartphones, tablets and iOS devices can access photographs easily without using USB. Photographers can wirelessly save and view and edit their images in the field,.

The 16GB storage of extra memory is easily swapped with any capacity SD card, providing infinite storage for images, files and videos.

Name: CanoScan 9000F Mark II RRP: TBC Release Date: TBC Canon’s new 9600 dpi CCD scanner, features advanced software for high-speed photo, document and film scanning.

Tthe 9000F Mark II features My Image Garden software, which features photo organising capabilities, including face/text recognition and PDF creation. The Scan to Cloud feature allows users to scan to cloud services with a touch of a button, while Stitch Assist enables large A3 documents and photos to be stitched together.

The model uses white LED light that requires zero warm-up time, resulting in reduced power consumption and faster scanning.

Name: AOC 60ID Professional RRP: TBC Release Date: TBC Distributors: Techdata/Maverick, Micro-P ltd and Bosse Computers

Name: VideoStudio Pro X6 and Ultimate X6 RRP: £59.99 AND £79.99 Release Date: Immediate Distributors: Computers Unlimited, JEM Distribution and Ingram Micro

AOC has broadened its range of IPS monitors for professionals in graphics and photography.

The i2360Phu boasts a 58.4 cm IPS panel with 1080p resolution and full ergonomic flexibility.

Offering a wide array of connectors, this user-friendly business model is the ultimate choice for economically and environmentally conscious professional users.

Professionals in graphics, photography and other demanding fields of applications will benefit from extremely wide viewing angles, high contrast and colour stability. With a static contrast of 1000:1 (dynamic contrast: 20,000,000:1), an ultra-short response time of only 6 ms and a luminance of 250 cd/m², this LED model offers brilliant performance at a very competitive price.

Corel has launched VideoStudio Pro X6, which includes even more advanced tools and state-of-the-art features increasing the value for a broader audience.

With support for Ultra HD and AVCHD 2.0, motion tracking and DSLR enlarge mode, Pro X6 tackles the latest in consumer video trends.

The progressive tools, combined with the editor’s ease-of-use and speed make VideoStudio Pro X6 the ideal solution for video editors of all levels.

VideoStudio Ultimate X6 offers plug-ins from proDAD, Boris Graffiti and NewBlue, providing outstanding additional value.

Name: Canon PowerShot SX280 HS and PowerShot SX270 HS. RRP: £279 / £299 Release Date: Early May Combining Canon’s DIGIC 6 image processing technology with a 20x optical zoom, these models are the ideal travel companions . The PowerShot SX280 HS has an integrated Wi-Fi function, allowing instant connectivity with other devices such as tablets, PCs or smartphones.

The HS System pairs the new DIGIC 6 processor with a 12.1 Megapixel high-sensitivity CMOS sensor to deliver exceptional images in low light, with minimal blur and noise, as well as wide dynamic range.

The PowerShot SX280 HS and PowerShot SX270 HS offer a 25mm wide-angle 20x optical zoom lens with a 4-stop optical Image Stabilizer. ZoomPlus technology digitally extends the reach of the zoom to 40x. The PowerShot SX280 HS’s Wi-Fi function allows users to transmit their images to the internet for back up and sharing. Inbuilt GPS automatically tags each picture or movie with the local time and pinpoints the location in which it was taken.

Users can quickly switch from still images to movies to record action in Full HD quality (1920x1080p) with stereo sound. Both the PowerShot SX280 HS and PowerShot SX270 HS feature new Hybrid Auto mode which records the four seconds before every shot in 720p resolution, before using Smart Auto to determine the best settings to capture the perfect shot. At the end of each day, the four-second clips are merged into one to tell the “behind-thescenes” story of the day’s images.

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THE LAUNCHPAD LAUNCH PAD Name: Coolpix A and Coolpix P330 RRP: £999.99 / £349.99 Release Date: 21st March Nikon’s new models are designed to be the perfect compacts for professionallevel photographers, with sharing via a Wi-Fi dongle.

The 16.2-megapixel Coolpix A is the world’s smallest camera to feature a DX format sensor. The Coolpix A adopts a sensor unit that does not incorporate an optical low-pass filter and features an EXPEED 2 image processing engine, also used in DSLR model.

Consumers have access to six different settings of active D-lighting, attach a compatible external Speedlight flash unit, or use the optional UR-E14 adaptor ring to attach lens filters or an optional lens hood. Photographers used to shooting with digital SLR cameras may also enjoy using a traditional optional optical viewfinder for a clearer view, attachable via the hotshoe.

The Coolpix P330 offers a Nikkor 5x optical zoom lens, HRI glass, a Neutral Density filter and a highly sensitive, backlit, 12-megapixel CMOS sensor. A new Active mode ensures clear shots even from moving vehicles. A built-in Global Positioning System (GPS) records the exact location of images as a ‘geotag’. The camera’s Wi-Fi capability enables the transfer of high-quality images and movies to a smart device* via an optional Wi-Fi dongle (WU-1a).

Name: Nikon Coolpix L320 RRP: £199.99 Release Date: 21st March 2013 Nikon has unveiled a new super-zoom compact camera with a 26x extreme wide-angle optical zoom lens, which is easy to use and ideal for photographers stepping up from smartphone use.

With a super-zoom lens and 720p movie recording, the Coolpix L320 offers great technology that is easy-to-use to make sure memorable moments are reliably captured. Easy Auto mode optimises all settings according to the light you are in, making shooting effortless.

The NIKKOR 26x extreme wide-angle optical zoom lens with 22.5–585mm range will cover everything from sweeping vistas to distant action. Meanwhile, a 16-megapixel CCD image sensor and four different automatic anti-blur functions, along with Lens shift VR (vibration reduction) counters the effects of camera shake ensuring sharp images.

All this is powered by convenient AA batteries. www.nikon.com

Name: Ilford Galerie Prestige Canvas Natural RRP: TBC Release Date: Immediate Distributors: Tetenal The new 340gsm Canvas Natural media for photo printing businesses, professional photographers and advanced amateurs has been designed in response to customer demand for a canvas with natural looking characteristics. Featuring a matte surface and natural tint, Galerie Prestige Canvas Natural is free of added optical brightening agents within the coating layer, making it ideal for stunning gallery wraps, exhibition and museum displays or other large format prints.

Name: Optrix XD5 RRP: Varied Release Date: Varied Optrix has unveiled the first ultra-rugged, camera system for iPhone 5 that enables users to record wide-angle HD videos under the most punishing conditions.

Optrix XD5 incorporates the 175 degree lens that enhances the iPhone 5’s 1080p HD optics and the clear protective membrane that enables users to continue using their iPhone while in the housing. It enhances the previous design with a thinner, lighter and stronger unibody, and a new mounting system.

Name: Kenro Designer albums & Frames RRP: From £14.82 Release Date: Immediate Distributors: Kenro Kenro’s new range supplements their established line of gift and photo frames and has something for everyone.

The Summer Garden Leaf Series boasts a soft, natural design in a range of modern colours.

Those who love to travel will enjoy the new Holiday Series, which feature two designs based on a travelogue theme. These albums include writing space next to each photo and hold up to 200 6X4”s.

The book-bound Sonata Modern Series feature a textured surface enhanced by a lightly embossed swirl pattern.

The Harmony Woodland Series displays the fine ornate detail seen in the new lines for 2013. Made from pewter zinc alloy, beautiful crystal decoration has been added to its 3D leaf design, making it a luxurious gift for any occasion. These frames are available in sizes to fit either 6x4” or 7x5” photographs.

The Reveal Modern Series are available in polished silver or black nickel, these frames feature a modern hammered-metal finish and are available in two sizes to fit either 6x4” or 7x5” photographs.

The Symphony Retro Series is a silver plated, tarnish resistant frame with a lightly curved 17mm wide decorated profile, available in a range of sizes to hold photographs from 6x4” through to 8x10”.

Additional sizes have been added to the TM Aluminium Series and the the Symphony Classic Series.

The baby range includes three new albums; the Baby ‘Celebration’ Mini Album, the Baby Memo Album Series that are available in either Pale Blue or Light Pink to store 200 6x4” Photos, and the Baby Mini Albums with lightly padded art printed covers to hold 10 6x4 inch photos.

Kenro Signature Series Professional CD/ DVD folios are now available in white as well as black in the single size, and there is also a newly launched version where two CDs can now be stored. These folios are the perfect way for a photographer to present a wedding or other commission.

For full details on these products visit www.pixel.co.uk Pixel March 2013.indd 19

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THE LAUNCHPAD LAUNCH PAD Name: JVC Power Play Everio RRP: TBC Release Date: Immediate

Name: Olympus RRP: £129.99 Release Date: Late April

JVC’s new “Power Play Everio” lineup provides unique ways for people to enjoy everyday life, whether the main interest is in recording oneself for upload to SNS sites, streaming live events over the internet, creating original video content, or exploring creative ways to use their smartphones.

The powerful 2 Hour Battery is designed to appeal to those who have been caught out when recording video on the short battery life of a smartphone.

In the new VH-520, Olympus have taken a gorgeously slim compact and packed it full of the technologies found in much bigger cameras at about three times the price. For sheer image quality, the VH-520 is way ahead of the field.

The 14-megapixel CMOS sensor and a TruePic V processor were originally developed for DSLR. Additionally, the VH520 offers a 26mm-260mm* wide, 10x optical zoom lens (20x with Super Resolution Zoom) and lens-shift image stabilisation for taking out blur. When it’s dark, ISO 6400 and HDR Backlight Adjustment are essential.

For slow-motion movie playback, there’s High Speed Movie recording, and Multi-motion Movie IS for shooting video whilst moving, which is excellent for action video.It is available in brown, black, white, red, purple or blue. www.olympus.co.uk

Name: Vortex Razor HD 50mm RRP: £649.00 Release Date: Immediate Distributors: Newpro

Name: Canon EOS 700D / EOS 100D RRP: £629.99 / £579.99 (body only) Release Date: Late April

Available in either angled or straight versions, the new Vortex Razor HD 50mm ‘scope features an excellent optical specification in a compact die-cast magnesium alloy body that complete with its 11-33x eye-piece weighs in at just 700 grams.

It features HD (High Density) premium extra-low dispersion glass objective lens with dielectric multi-layer prism coatings and XR fully coated lenses for maximum brightness. ArmorTek coating helps protect the exterior lenses from scratches, oil and dirt.

The rubber armoured body for a secure non-slip grip is filled with quality Argon gas and has a dual focus wheel for normal and fine adjustment focussing and a well balanced tripod fitting.

The new Vortex ‘Razor HD’ 50mm ‘scope comes complete with an 11-33x Razor quality eye-piece, objective and eye-piece caps and a view-through (stay-on) case. www.vortexoptics.com

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The EOS 100D is the smallest and lightest APS-C DSLR in its class. It also features a bright Optical Viewfinder – giving users the experience of a DSLR in a compact form. At the EOS 100D’s heart is a new 18 MP APS-C Hybrid CMOS AF II Sensor, which uses phase detection pixels spread across 80 per cent of the sensor’s imaging surface to provide increased AF speed and tracking performance.

The EOS 700D is powered by an 18.0MP APS-C Hybrid CMOS sensor and DIGIC 5 image processor. The advanced AF System consists of 9 high performance, cross-type points spread across the frame. With the option to manually select and adjust focus points, or simply use full automatic mode, the EOS 700D provides aspiring photographers with an easy way to explore different kinds of image composition as their confidence grows. The EOS 700D features a new, simplified 360° rotating mode dial to provide easy and swift access to the camera’s various shooting modes. A new external coating, adopted from Canon’s mid-range EOS models, also provides a more robust and durable finish. Aspiring photographers can use EOS Movies to shoot in Full HD resolution. Hybrid AF II always keeps the movie in focus, with continuous AF constantly tracking subjects during shooting.

Name: Trygger for iPhone 5 RRP: $39.99 Release Date: Immediate

Name: VTEC Lens RRP: £29.99 Release Date: Immediate Distributors: Direktek Distribution, Softline

With this easy-to-use camera clip, everyone can become a professional iPhoneographer ! The Trygger’s attachable polarizing filter cuts out glare from glass, water, metal, and hazy skies resulting in richer colors and sharper images.

The Trygger easily attaches to the iPhone 5 for a sturdy fit with a 4-sided pressure grip which ensures that no extraneous light leaks through to the lens which could distort the image. There are many apps, like Instagram, which allow the user to put cool filters on photos post-production.

The Trygger, on the other hand, utilizes the natural light to take a perfect picture. www.trygger.net

The range of camera lenses from VTEC enhance the photographic capabilities of the iPhone 5 by screwing into place, allowing you and your customers to make the most of iPhone photography.

The latest addition to VTEC’s range is the CAM-1209 Aluminium Telephoto Lens: A high quality aluminium Lens which screws into the back plate and can then be supported with the tripod that comes in the packaging. This will bring the camera up to full focus making the pictures clear and closer. www.vtec.co.uk

For full details on these products visit www.pixel.co.uk 03/04/2013 14:31

“Action cameras with connectivity have grown ten times faster than those without�

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03/04/2013 14:37

INSIDE TRACK

We Shall Not Be Moved “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”

This famous remark has been attributed to Mark Twain but I recalled it whilst reading an editorial piece in a German photo magazine this week. The subject of the article was the closure of Jessops and the writer observed: “The death of Jessops... does not mean just the end of a retail chain with sales of £236 million, it means the actual end of imaging retailers as a channel of distribution in Great Britain. There remain just a handful of chains with a few dozen shops”.

Wow: heavy stuff! Then came the piece de la resistance: “The lines of worry among the managers of the major manufacturers as they digested the news expressed themselves in the question: who now in Great Britain will be selling professionally and knowledgeably the fantastic cameras and wonderful photoproducts for the interconnected digital world.” The editorial continued: “The distribution situation in the UK is particularly bad. There, in November, specialist retail chain Comet with nearly 250 stores had thrown in the towel… In addition to Amazon, there is now almost only Dixons that can be regarded as a significant player, and that company is not well known for the quality of its technical advice to the consumer.”

What a damning indictment of the UK photo industry and how wrong that view! So wrong, in fact, that it is difficult to know where to start to disagree with it. So let’s start with that comment about Dixons. That company under the leadership of John Browett really, in my opinion, turned themselves around. They don’t need me to fight their battles for them but they palpably upped their staff training and customer service to combat the threat of Best Buy and were so successful that BB decided to throw in the towel..

And what about calling Comet a specialist retail chain? They specialised in retailing but that doesn’t mean they were a specialist retail chain. In fact they were a general consumer electronics store that included photo in its remit. Now to that statement about there remaining “just a handful of chains with a

CREDITS & CONTACTS

“What a damning indictment of the UK photo industry and how wrong that view! So wrong, in fact, that it is difficult to know where to start to disagree with it” few dozen shops.” I am sure that people like Nick Richens of LCE and David Parkinson of Wilkinsons would have something to say on that score, along with Calumet and other stores which are really run to the maximum in terms of customer experience. Places like Park Cameras, Camera World, Clifton Cameras, Grays, Digital Depot, and so on… Are they all to be consigned to history as the great monolithic CE channel rolls over them?

I think not. There remain, I reckon, about 300 specialist photo hardware shops in UK not including Kodak Express, FDIS, Snappy Snaps, Timsons etc... I would be happy for anyone to correct this figure but it’s probably not far off I am counting those for whom the selling of cameras, lenses and accessories is their core business, although many also offer print services.

Managing Director/Publisher: Lee Mansfield 01323 411601 lee@lifemediagroup.co.uk

Production Design: Laura Knight/Harriet Weston 01323 411601 harriet@lifemediagroup.co.uk

Commercial Director: Simon Skinner 01323 433700 simon@lifemediagroup.co.uk

Editorial Assistant Harriet Weston 01323 411601 harriet@lifemediagroup.co.uk

Editor: Laura Knight 01323 437946 laura@lifemediagoup.co.uk

Sales Leanne McConnell 01323 433701 leanne@lifemediagroup.co.uk

Accounts: Clare Fermor Amelia Wellings 01323 411601 clare@lifemediagroup.co.uk amelia@lifemediagroup.co.uk Published by LMG SE LTD (Life Media Group) Park View House 19 The Avenue, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 3YD 01323 411 601

Historically these stores, before the demise of Jessops, probably sold about 16% of total UK camera sales, although their business was understandably geared toward the higher end camera enthusiast. Jessops share was probably a similar % and, although it has been well documented that not all the Jessops sales potential will be turned into photo sales across the remaining retailers I have heard anecdotal but trustworthy evidence of an upturn in sales by the photo specialist in the last few weeks.

So it saddens me to think that one of our European near neighbours has such a view of the UK Photo industry, We may not have an equivalent of Germany’s Ring Foto or France’s Phox or Camara but we do have dedicated sale professionals, enthusiasts selling to enthusiasts. Clearly we need to stand up for ourselves abroad as well as at home.

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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 2013 ©

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1st May 2013 The Pixel Indie 150 has been organised by Pixel and InPrint magazines to bring together independent dealers, manufacturers & suppliers for a single day of racing & networking.

The incredible, event only deals are the icing on the cake!

The Pixel Indie 150 • 2.5 Hour endurance race with pit stop challenge.

Teams of 4 drivers (37.5 mins + test laps per driver) • 20+ unbeatable ‘event only’ deals. (Only available for this event and only for the limited number of drivers attending the event).

• Breakfast on arrival and hot food buffet included.

• Unlimited tea, coffee & soft drinks included.

• Only available for Independent dealers.

• Opportunity to network, hands-on sessions in the display area on mezzanine floor (overlooks track).

• Branded Team shirts for every driver.

• All event photography will be shared with every driver.

• Presentation with trophies and bubbly to celebrate top three positions and winners of Pit Stop Challenge.

Manufacturers are sponsoring this event so book your place NOW as spaces are limited

(Maximum of 2 people per organisations)

Contact Simon Skinner: Event organiser.

Simon@lifemediagroup.co.uk or 01323 433700 NB. This event is only open to and limited to independent retailers.

We have set a guideline so please call for more information.

Pixel March 2013.indd 23

FREE

For Independent Retailers

Daytona Milton Keynes H4 Dansteed Way Rooksley www.pixel.co.uk 23 8NP Milton Keynes, MK13

28/03/2013 16:47

24 www.pixel.co.uk

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