Pixel Magazine - Issue 956

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ISSUE NO. 956

www.pixel.co.uk

INSIDE

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October 2015

11:47 KEY 30/09/2014 MARKET TRENDS, STOCKING FILLERS, INTERVIEW WITH RAVILP_Pixel_Ears_46x53mm.indd MASHRU, THE 2NEW SONY 30/09/2014 ALPHA, PANASONIC REVEAL LUMIX GH4R, PIXEL TRADE AWARDS UPDATE AND MUCH MORE...

This Issue Includes...

• Pixel meets new Sales Director of Polaroid UK, Ravi Mashru.

P12.

• Pixel looks at the five key market trends in imaging, as we gear up for the christmas period. P14.

Kodak Moments Revolutionised

After recently conducting a survey on photo printing, Kodak Alaris has launched its KODAK MOMENTS App to make printing photos from any device more accessible to the public

• Pixel gains insight into the new Photo Me Speed Lab by Starck Kiosk.

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Leica opens its doors at The Royal Exchange Leica Camera Ltd has accounced the launch of a new boutique-style Leica Store City based at The Royal Exchange, London on Monday 5 October 2015. Following the success of its Mayfair store, Leica is expanding its retail presence with this new outlet, enabling customers in The City and East of London to experience the German brand’s full range of photographic and optics products, as well as providing access to the company’s services, such as its Akademie creative photography workshop programme.

PHOTO -

IMAGING -

Kodak has long been an ambassador in the world of photography - in particular, analogue technology and print solutions. It has a long history of making the technology available, with George Eastman patenting his first roll film in 1884. Of course, a lot has changed since then, and now the Kodak Alaris Imaging division has

taken imaging solutions into its own hands.

As it has begun to publicise its brand new, multi-purpose photo mobile application, Kodak Alaris talked Pixel thorough the findings of its recently conducted public survey, which helped to form the function of its new mobile platform.

VIDEO

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AUDIO

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TV

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PRINT

MOBILE

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STATS

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PEOPLE

In 2010, KODAK Picture Saver Scanning Systems were introduced to enable retailers and niche marketers to help consumers digitise photo prints, keepsake documents, and other printed memories.

Continued on page 6...

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RETAIL

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BUSINESS

FOR 48 YEARS AND COUNTING

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NEWS

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11:47

Print from mobile.

Profit from mobile.

The new all-in-one KODAK MOMENTS App makes it easier for your customers to capture, edit and print their mobile photos in your store.

Join today to start profiting from mobile.

To find out more contact Tetenal on 0116 289 3644 or visit www.tetenaluk.com Š 2015 Kodak Alaris Ltd.

The Kodak and Kodak Moment trademarks and Kodak trade dress are used under license from Eastman Kodak Company.

2 www.pixel.co.uk

NEWS

WELCOME To Pixel Magazine Christmas is getting ever closer, and after the mania that retailers experienced on Black Friday last year, there’s good reason to plan ahead and perhaps change the tactics slightly this year. This month, we provide retailers with a few stocking filler suggestions for the run-up to the festive period, and Gfk provide a predictive overview of some trends which might help the stock decisions along better.

It’s a time where consumers are starting to think of what those special gifts could be, and with the growing trend of photo printing seemingly at its peak, what better gift than a physical memory? Kodak recently conducted their own

research on the photo printing market; what makes consumers print more, what’s stopping them if they don’t. We look at the new Kodak Moments App, and its facilitating link with kiosks across the country, plus what this means for retailers, and consumers alike. Equally, as our cover story in In:Print, Photo-Me launches a brand new photo-printing kiosk designed by Philippe Starck.

Alongside our big stories, we also provide more information on some new releases, including one from Sony, and another from Panasonic, as well as adding to our announcement for the Pixel Trade Awards (see page 6). We hope you’re getting as excited as we are about the Awards, as it’s going to be the best year yet!

Enjoy your read!

Jenny, Editor

New ZEISS SLR Lens Family for ZE and ZF.2 Mounts The new ZEISS Milvus SLR lens family contains six focal lengths with ZE or ZF.2 mounts for DSLR cameras from Canon and Nikon.

The ZEISS Milvus lens family with precise manual focus offers high and consistent image performance across all focal lengths. The new lenses fit with the current trend toward sensors with increasingly high resolution, which in turn, require higher and higher image quality.

The lenses are suited to current DSLR cameras, and also to mirrorless system cameras of the Sony a7 series via an adapter solution. Their high-contrast rendition and low level of stray light ensure that the lenses meet the latest video standards such as HDR (High Dynamic Range) and resolutions of 6K and more.

For the user, they open up the field of professional video and cine applications.

The newly designed lenses, including the ZEISS Milvus 1.4/50 and ZEISS Milvus 1.4/85 will be availble for dealers from October 2015.

Industry News Bites Find out more info on this month’s news bites at Pixel.co.uk

Tamron announce SP 35mm F/1.8 Di VC USD and SP 45mm F/1.8 Di VC USD Tamron recently announced the launch of two fixed focal length lenses - the first to come with their new external lens appearance and branding. These new lenses provide fast f1.8 apertures together with Tamron’s renowned VC (Vibration Compensation) Image stabilisation system.

Both the SP45mm and SP35mm are compatible with full-frame DSLR cameras and APS-C format cameras. The SP 35mm Wide-Angle Lens with VC and World’s First 0.2m (7.9”) Minimum Object Distance for FullFrame DSLR Cameras provides

an equivalent focal length of 54mm on APS-C cameras.

MOD measures just 0.2m (7.9”), yielding a magnification ratio of 1:2.5, the shortest close focusing capability among fastaperture fixed focal lenses in full-frame format. The SP 45mm F/1.8 Di VC USD provides an equivalent focal length of 70mm on APS-C cameras, with MOD measuring 0.29m (11.4”), yielding a magnification ratio of 1:3.4.

Both lenses will be launched and available from October 2015 in Canon & Nikon mounts.

Launch of PortraitPro v15

- Enhanced Child Mode - More advanced Skin Coloring Controls - Improved feature detection - Support for ultra high-resolution displays (now supports Apple Retina and Hi-Res PC displays)

Anthropics Technology Ltd has recently announced the launch of PortraitPro v15 - a major release of its professional portrait retouching software. PortraitPro 15 offers a host of new features, which were the most requested by photographers.

NEW FEATURES in PORTRAITPRO 15: - Makeup Controls - Wide Angle (Selfie) Lens Distortion Correction

The new Lens Correction slider fixes distortion caused by a wide-angle lens (known as selfie distortion on smartphones), creating more natural-looking portraits from pictures taken on wide-angle lenses or smartphones.

PortraitPro 15 is available for purchase or for a free trial from www.PortraitPro.com Special launch price of PortraitPro standard edition £29.95 (regular price £59.90)

Refurbished 600 Camera 90’s Style with Impossible 600 Color Film 138492

Refurbished 600 Camera 80’s Style with 2x Impossible 600 Color Films 138814

Everything you need to get started with instant photography, including an original, refurbished Polaroid™ 600 camera, one pack of Impossible Color film and an Impossible Frog Tongue already fitted to the camera.

Includes 12 month warranty

Everything you need to get started with instant photography, including an original, refurbished Polaroid™ 600 camera, two packs of Impossible Color film and an Impossible Frog Tongue already fitted to the camera.

Note: the camera in this kit is in excellent working condition but may show slight signs of wear. It may differ in colour or design from the depicted model.

N.A.S £59.99 Guide £89.99 Tel: 01485 536 200 email: sales@swains.co.uk web: www.swains.co.uk

Note: the camera in this kit is in excellent working condition but may show slight signs of wear. It may differ in colour or design from the depicted model.

N.A.S £69.99 Guide £104.99

New

www.pixel.co.uk 3

NEWS

Panasonic Nubo Panasonic has launched Nubo into the consumer market, the world’s first mobile monitoring camera.

Taking advantage of 4G LTE, 3G or 2G mobile connectivity, Panasonic Nubo is the world’s first mobile monitoring camera that makes monitoring possible in places without WiFi connectivity.

Nubo, available for pre-order across Europe and the US from www. nubocam.com, is an untethered device that gives you all the benefits of a mobile security camera, with the added advantage of 4G connectivity.

Managed through a mobile app on your iOS or Android Smartphone, the camera connects with the Panasonic cloud, meaning you can view live streams from the camera or receive alerts without the need for a WiFi connection.

The Nubo camera will trigger alerts to your mobile device when something significant occurs in the area that is being monitored. The system enables tailored alerts and alarms, and two-way dialogue, so you can communicate.

Shipping starts in November for the EU and 2016 for the US.

Colour Confidence launch Cube Colour Confidence announced the UK launch of Cube, by Palette - a tool for creative professionals, with accurate colour capture.

Cube pairs with smartphones and desktops to save, store, and work with surrounding, real-world colour.

Using an internal spherical light source, Cube picks up the desired hue in a controlled sequence and records the raw colour values for future reference. It can output colours in RGB, CMYK, HEX, Lab, and LRV

colour spaces, with support for multiple colour profiles.

“Cube was built to make colour digital. By taking the complexity out of colour capture and matching, Cube allows creative professionals to focus on what they’re best at – creating,” says Palette Co-Founder Paul Peng.

Cube is priced at £149.95 incl. VAT and is exclusively distributed by Color Confidence in the UK. For further information visit: www. colorconfidence.com

New Manfrotto Sliders Manfrotto, world leader in the photography, imaging equipment and accessories industry, recently announced the launch of new Sliders, developed for experienced photographers and videographers, for indoor and outdoor use. The Sliders are now available in two versions, the 60cm (RRP: £359.95) and 100cm (RRP: £394.95).

Totally machined with 8 high precision steel ball bearings, the rails and the carriage can be simply adjusted.

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Moreover, the Sliders boast wheels made of an especially strong material (PSU - high performance polymer) used for its great fluidity and silence.

Photo and video heads enable smooth movement on tilt and pan.

The Slider 60 can come with 3w/ball head (£399.95) and Slider 100 can come with 3w/ball head at a total RRP of £429.95.

Samyang announce new 21mm and 50mm Photo & Cine Lenses for Mirrorless Cameras Global optics brand, Samyang Optics recently announced the introduction of four new lenses for mirrorless cameras: 21mm F1.4 and 50mm F1.2 for photo, and 21mm T1.5 and 50mm T1.3 for cine cameras.

All lenses feature bright F1.2 and F1.4 apertures and complement the existing Samyang range of compact lenses.

The Samyang 21mm F1.4 is a wide-angle manual focus lens and the Samyang 50mm F1.2 is a standard angle manual focus lens, also for use with mirrorless cameras and APS-C sensor sizes. The 21mm lens, available at an SRP of

£279.99, features eight glasses in seven groups, including one extra low dispersion lens (ED) and three glass aspherical lenses (ASP). The Samyang 50mm lens (SRP of £309.99), features a bright F1.2 aperture with bokeh and nine lenses in seven groups.

With the addition of these new lenses, the current lineup consists of 13 photo and cine lenses, all of which will be available from midOctober for Sony E, MFT, Fujifilm X and Canon M camera mounts.

Cine Lens SRPs: - 21mm T1.5 Cine Lens - £309.99 - 50mm T1.3 Cine Lens - £339.99

Ricoh Unveils Industry’s Most Advanced Fully Spherical Portable Camera: RICOH THETA S Ricoh has announced the release of the RICOH THETA S, the newest model in the RICOH THETA series of spherical cameras that capture 360-degree scenes. Unveiled in Berlin at IFA, the camera features extra-high resolution, fully spherical photos and videos captured in one simple shot, a live preview function and compatibility with social media platforms.

The RICOH THETA S captures high-resolution spherical images of up to nearly 14 megapixels. It can also record spherical video in full HD (1920 x 1080*1

pixels at 30fps) with a maximum recording time of 25 minutes.

It boasts an enlarged image sensor and fast F2.0 lenses which allow more light through Ricoh’s proprietary ultra-small twin-lens folded-optical system.

The new RICOH THETA S app for Smartphones and tablets can be used to configure settings and instantly view spherical photos and video via wirelessly connected devices. An improved WiFi® module now transfers data four times faster than the current RICOH THETA model.

The RICOH THETA S will go on sale in the UK from late October at an RRP of £299.99

www.pixel.co.uk 5

NEWS

A Trade Awards Update

Pixel are delighted to announce Nikon as a sponsor of the Pixel Trade Awards 2015

Charlotte Kemsley presenting the 2014 Pixel ‘Independent Retailer of the Year’ Award. Graciously received by the team at Cameraworld

Pixel, such as D810 ‘Innovation in Imaging’ Last month, we provided our first instalment Award last year.” of updates on our annual Pixel Trade Awards, This years’ Awards will be held at the announcing that Sony would be one of our Grange City Hotel in London on 4th sponsors for 2015.

December. Tables are We now have the selling fast, so if you pleasure of announcing want to be part of this that Nikon is our second fantastic celebratory sponsor. Charlotte Kemsley, “At Nikon, we feel proud event, which commends Head of Sales UK and to support the trade and praises everyone Ireland, Imaging at Nikon in the photographic UK Limited, comments on through this event, industry, manufacturers, being part of the event: and to have received consumers and retailers “The Pixel Awards evening significant product alike, get in touch! presents a fantastic Watch this space for platform to recognise the accolades recognised more information and development of the UK

by Pixel” announcements. photographic industry, highlighting successful Contact us for product launches and bookings and more exemplary service delivered information on 01323819007 or email within the retail environment.

Lee Mansfield at lee@lifemediagroup.

“At Nikon, we feel proud to support the co.uk or Patrick McCreanor on patrick@ trade through this event, and to have received lifemediagroup.co.uk significant product accolades recognised by

Panasonic Reveal LUMIX GH4R Panasonic reveal LUMIX GH4R at IFA 2015

addition to the high performance and functions IFA 2015 was the 55th annual occurrence of associated with Panasonic’s range of LUMIX G the world’s leading trade show for consumer CSC cameras. electronics and home appliances. Held in With the updates to the LUMIX DMC-GH4, Berlin form 4th - 9th September, the global this camera is now better trade show presents suited to both professional the latest products and and amateur videographers innovations in the heart of alike. Panasonic’s 4K Europe‘s most important “With the updates technology allows all users regional market. This to capture immersive video, year’s IFA attracted 1,493 to the LUMIX DMCwhile unlimited Log recording exhibitors spread over a GH4, this camera is allows greater flexibility and 145,000-square meter now better suited to accuracy for professional exhibition area. videographers.

Panasonic showcased both professional and Taking full advantage of the LUMIX DMC-GH4R amateur videographers Four Thirds sensor, V-Log L at IFA 2015, an advanced alike” boasts a log characteristic version of the LUMIX with 12 stops, allowing DMC-GH4, as well as a videographers to capture comprehensive software the darkest scenes and update for existing users. avoid ‘bleaching out’ details in very bright Following the critically acclaimed launch environments. Both V-Log and V-Log L have of the LUMIX DMC-GH4, the LUMIX DMCthe same characteristic curve, and the LUT GH4R comes in response to growing demand (Look Up Table) can be utilized. Log shooting from the film production industry. The photo/ also enables a wider range for colour grading video hybrid now offers unlimited Cinema in post-production.

4K recording and V-Log L video capability, in

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V-Log is also available to existing LUMIX DMC-GH4 users, via a paid software upgrade.

By purchasing the DMW-SFU1 Upgrade Software Key and updating the camera’s firmware to version 2.3, users of the original LUMIX DMC-GH4 can also enjoy the benefits of V-Log L functionality for a one off cost of £79.

The GH4R will be available from 7th September 2015 and will RRP at £1199.

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KODAK ALARIS

Kodak Moments Revolutionised Continued...

Left to right: Paul Davey, Trade Marketing Manager, Kodak Alaris, Lee Palmer, Vice Presodent of Kodak Alaris Imaging Division, Craig Bird, Marketing Manager, Tetenal UK

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ow, Kodak Alaris is offering dealers a new way of encouraging consumers to turn their digitised memories into tangible, physical prints. There has been a rapid turnaround in five years, perhaps due to the realised potential of the photo printing market – Kodak Alaris recently estimated that around two million photographs taken on a mobile or smartphone device were printed out per day in the UK. Despite the growing belief that digital was taking over, the tradition of having a printed photograph, or even album, still seems to be holding strong. Even digital strongholders are seeing the benefits of keeping print and analogue technology alive, such as Google, which recently took the stance of promoting print. This is not just applicable to the photography sector either, with vinyl on a record (excuse the pun) high in over 18 years. Analogue has now become a supporter of digital, and vice versa, rather than its predecessor and underdog.

In recent years, we have seen the demand for analogue technology and a more traditional means of keeping memories alive increase. In

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2011, Kodak launched new offerings to meet the growing demand for high-quality photo books and other photo products. Consumers demanded higher quality paper, bigger and better photobooks, and more choice in how to present their printed memories. Since then, Kodak Picture Kiosks have been providing easy access to photo printing, allowing users to tap into – and easily make prints or photo products from – the increasing number of images stored online, namely on social media sites such as Facebook.

Kodak Alaris was born in 2013 out of this demand for preserving photographic memories.

They recently conducted some research, carrying out a survey to discover the true relationship between digital and analogue; between smartphone memories and printed memories. The research found that people in the UK store an average of 651 photos on their mobile phones, meaning that a potential 11.8 billion photos are lost in the ether – a real threat seeing as more than a third of people in Britain have lost photos from their smartphone. The research also found that 1 in 10 (13%) people

don’t take any steps to protect their photos, whether printing, backing up on a PC, or posting to social media. Whilst 78% of people would print photos taken on a smartphone to put on display, they are deterred from doing so due to either a perception that photos taken on mobile devices aren’t good enough quality (31%), or are difficult to get from a mobile to a printer (15%), or because they simply don’t know how to print from a mobile phone (19%).

In order to face this problem head on, Kodak Alaris created the KODAK MOMENTS App, which is a free, all-in-one app that provides multiple pathways for users to print their photographs: delivery, click & collect, and instore kiosk instant self print.

Lee Palmer, Vice President of Kodak Alaris Imaging division, EAMER, said: “11.8 billion photos is a significant number, and over a quarter of people were ‘devastated’ to lose their pictures. Considering we live in a digital world and are likely to have experienced some form of digital loss, be it a document, e-mail, or something as valued as photos, it’s surprising that so many people aren’t doing more to

KODAK ALARIS

Key #KodakMoments 1853 – Bausch & Lomb founded 1884 – George Eastman patents first roll of film 1892 – Eastman Company is renamed The Eastman Kodak Company 1900 – World’s Image Centre 1901 – George Eastman becomes major benefactor in Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) 1921 – Eastman School of Music founded 1932 – George Eastman sadly commits suicide 1935 – Kodachrome invented by Leopold Godowsky, Jr. and Leopold Mannes 1949 – George Eastman House opens 1958 – Haloid company changes name to Xerox 1969 – Photographer Nathan Lyons Founds The Visual Studies Workshop 1969 – Xerox moves its world HQ to Stamford, CT 1987 – Kodak, Bausch & Lomb and Xerox employ 60% of Rochester’s workforce 2009 – Kodachrome is discontinued 2012 – Kodak, Bausch & Lomb and Xerox employ 6% of Rochester’s workforce 2012 – Eastman Kodak files for Chapter 11 in US 2013 - Document Imaging and Personalised Imaging businesses were divested from the Eastman Kodak Company and now represent divisions of Kodak Alaris Inc. 2014 - Kodak Alaris announces regional headquarters in Shanghai

prevent themselves from having to deal with the frustration this causes. With the new KODAK MOMENTS App, there’s a solution.”

The app works directly with the in-store kiosks, if that pathway is chosen, linking up through unique WiFi codes for each customer.

The app’s intuitive design and easy navigation make printing anything from 4”x 6” to 12”x 8” prints, including square options, simple. Users can enhance images with text, filters, red eye

reduction and cropping. They can also preview their images and order different sizes and copies. WiFi-enabled KODAK Picture Kiosks are available at KODAK Express and selected Tesco stores, but Kodak Alaris is looking to expand further into many more stores across the country and internationally.

Gadget Girl presenter Nikki Moore commented: “As someone that takes a lot of pictures, particularly of my children, I can totally relate to feeling devastated at losing photos. Kodak Alaris’ study highlights the need for people to take measures against losing their content, as you don’t realise quite how much it’ll impact you until it happens, and by then it’s too late. I’m a real advocate of printing my photos as then they are not only safe but also available for everyone to enjoy. The KODAK MOMENTS App makes this really easy to do.”

People aren’t just worried about losing their photos (30% have lost photos through defunct technology, such as floppy disks (32%), mini disks (22%), VHS (12%), and zip disk (11%); almost half of people surveyed (46%) are worried about not being able to access their photos in the future, due either to technology change or just not being able to find them in

the depths of the digital world.

The KODAK MOMENTS App’s all-in-one features include: • Choose from a wide range of products and prints on your mobile device anywhere, anytime • Upload your photos directly to a Wi-Fi enabled KODAK Picture Kiosk and print your photos instantly to take them home straight away • Order your prints to be delivered direct to your home, anywhere in the UK • Order on the go and arrange to collect your prints from your nearest store on the same day • Take photos with the inapp KODAK MOMENTS camera and capture your moments and memories • Edit your photos by cropping, rotating, and adding colour filters and captions

“11.8 billion photos is a significant number and over a quarter of people were ‘devastated’ to lose their pictures”

Lee Palmer, concluded: “Simple acts, such as printing photos, are an easy way to protect your memories. Our new, free, all-in-one KODAK MOMENTS App lets you capture, edit, share, and print life’s special moments, enabling people to enjoy their precious memories for years to come.”

Read on in our In:Print section for more retailer information.

www.pixel.co.uk 9

BEHIND THE COUNTER

Behind The Counter

Pixel’s Behind The Counter section shines the spotlight on counter-staff to delve into the daily life of photo retail

Chloe

Ellie

Tamsin

Behind the Counter turns the spotlight on counter staff in photographic shops across the country with a mix of silly and (slightly more) pertinent questions. Here, counter staff at Wessex Photograhic have kindly provided the answers you’ve been dying to know.

If you own/run/work in a camera shop and you’d like to get involved, please email jenny@pixel.co.uk What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you in store?

Tamsin: Assumed the person in the picture was a man, told the lady (who it actually was) so, to which she looked mortified! Must remember to use “person in the picture”!

Ellie: My trousers once ripped as I bent down to grab something for a customer! Thank goodness the counter is waist high…

Do you see the Smartphone market as a threat to traditional camera sales?

Tamsin: Yes! When smartphones come out with a ‘26MP camera’ that’s all people think they need. But they aren’t a patch on a proper camera’s image quality.

Ellie: Yes and no. Yes in the sense that phones are easy to carry around, whip out, and use. No in that they still don’t print out very well as physical photographs (especially when filters are involved) which usually inspires customers to invest in an actual camera.

If you could have any camera equipment you wanted for free, what would it be?

Ellie: Let’s go the whole hog – Canon EOS 5D Mark III with all the trimmings.

Chloe: Ooooh, tough one! Possibly a Hasselblad, there’s just too many to choose from!

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Do you think the ‘digital revolution’ is to blame for many independent retailers going out of business recently?

cameras and the latest Fuji Instax camera coming out, film has become quite a hot commodity for our younger customers.

Tamsin: Not so much the digital revolution, we could survive that. It’s people’s unwillingness to pay the worth of something. I’d say it’s more the online shopping part of it that’s the biggest threat to us.

Do you provide a printing service and/or a film development service?

Ellie: Yes. We stay competitive with other major high street retailers but it’s hard when you’ve got the likes of Amazon breathing down your neck.

Chloe: It is when online stores are offering prints for about 3p. Customers think it’s great… until they see the quality.

What got you into photography in the first place?

Ellie: At university, a friend of mine got a gig at Bestival and asked me to be his roadie for the weekend, taking photos and videos of his band performing on stage. I have never looked back since!

Chloe: I’ve always had an interest, I even went to college to study it. I envy people who take photos for a living.

Have you seen an increase in younger people interested in film photography?

Ellie: Oh yes! Between photography students from the school near us using manual film

Ellie: Photo printing, large format printing, posters, canvases, 35mm and APS neg developing… you name it we can do it!

Chloe: We can do just about anything and everything!

What camera do you use?

Ellie: Panasonic Lumix G6 with a 50mm Canon lens. Sacrilege, I know, but it takes a gorgeous photo.

Chloe: I have a few… about 3 cameras and my lovely XM-1. I tend to use film more as it produces a completely different outcome.

What’s your go-to photo face?

Tamsin: Anything that doesn’t look like my normal face apparently!

Ellie: Hiding behind the camera.

Chloe: I like pulling silly faces. In years to come, when my children look back on them, they’ll think I’m mad!

SONY

The New Sony Alpha Sony recently announced the latest addition to its award winning series of compact, full-frame a7 cameras with the introduction of the a7S II

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ffering ultra-high sensitivity, a dynamic ISO range and 5-axis image stabilisation for shooting control, the a7S II enables a higher level of photographic expression from previous models, and incorporates a host of pro-style movie functions, including the ability to shoot 4K video with full pixel readout and no pixel binning in full-frame format. The new BIONZ X image sensor optimises the dynamic range across the entire ISO range also, and broadens the range of tonal gradation in bright environments and minimises noise in dark scenes.

Video The a7S II can record 4K movies internally in the XAVC S format. Full pixel readout without pixel binning is also employed when shooting Full HD movies, which means that it collects information from approximately five times as many pixels as is required to generate Full HD. In a first for the a7 series, the a7S II can record 120fps at 100Mbps with full pixel readout without pixel binning in full frame format. The a7S II also has the ability to shoot 4x/5x slow motion footage internally, which can be immediately reviewed on the camera screen.

Video functionality has been further enhanced with technology, such as: • S-Gamut3.Cine/S-Log3 and S-Gamut3/SLog3 profiles, which deliver wide dynamic range

• 14-stop latitude in the S-Log3 gamma setting • Support of S-Gamut/S-Log2 which is very popular among cinematographers and videographers • A new Gamma Display Assist function that allows users to monitor images or check focus when recording S-Log movies • Zebra function has been improved for even greater control Image and User Improvements The new a7S II is equipped with the innovative 5-axis image stabilisation system that is proving extremely popular in the a7 II and a7R II cameras. This allows for camera shake correction along five axes during shooting, including angular shake, which has the greatest impact on image.

The autofocus system on the a7S II has been upgraded and now offers 169 AF points for fast, precise focusing with greater accuracy.

The power of the image sensor means that the absence of noise in images generated enables the Fast Intelligent AF to detect contrast more easily and react speedily even in low-light situations.

The XGA OLED Tru-Finder in the a7S II has been upgraded and offers the world’s highest viewfinder magnification of 0.78x (roughly 38.5 degrees in diagonal field of view). The use of ZEISS T Coating ensures sharp reduction of reflections on the viewfinder and, unlike an optical viewfinder, the OLED Tru-Finder can be used to instantly show how exposure

• Ultra-high sensitivity • In-camera 5-axis optical image stabilisation • Internal 4K movie recording • Wide range of professional movie functionality including • High-speed AF with enhanced accuracy in wide ranging scenes and advanced shooting functions compensation, white balance and other selected settings are affecting the displayed image.

A number of enhancements have been made to the look and feel of the α7S II to make it more user friendly, reliable and intuitive: • A lighter magnesium-alloy • Redesigned shutter buttons • Silent shooting mode can be activated for 5fps continuous shooting • Reinforced lens mount to ensure greater resilience, particularly when attaching third party lenses • USB camera charging capabilities whilst in operation • Wifi and NFC compatible and fully functional with Sony’s PlayMemories Mobile app The new a7S II full-frame interchangeable lens digital camera from Sony will be available in Europe in November 2015, priced at approximately £2499.

www.pixel.co.uk 11

POLAROID

An Instant Hit

Pixel Magazine brings readers an exclusive interview with the newly appointed Sales Director for C&A Marketing/ Polaroid in the UK, Ravi Mashru

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ixel Magazine has been knocking on Polaroid’s (and strategic licensing partner, C&A Marketing Inc) door for some time now - in fact a few years. Lots of products have been announced during the reign of C&A Marketing Inc (C&A); lots of press launches promising still & moving lighting solutions, Jobya-like tripods and a handful of rather expensive instant print cameras, but to date, none seem to have really penetrated the traditional UK market.

This seems to be all about to change though, with a new corner turned in more recent times; the latest product offerings appear to deliver in ways their predecessors did not. Polaroid seems now to have revitalised itself as a leader in instant technology with the famous launch of the Cube Action Camera last year. With the success of its rapidly growing range of instant products, Polaroid seems to be capturing the attention of the nostalgic pre-digital crowd and offering something new to digital natives.

The range now consists primarily of instant print cameras, stand alone printers enabled with NFC for fast, social sharing, along with a nifty action camera – which, at first glance seems to have the R&D team at GoPro on their guard.

The early successes of these new products has brought with it new funding, which has been deployed in the UK to reinforce and grow it’s infrastructure, personnel and support services to both the retailer and the end user.

These developments herald significant steps for C&A and further suggest the likelihood that they are ready to roll out their (stronger) product range in the UK territory, and beyond their traditional (Amazon) route to market.

Ravi Mashru is just a few short weeks into his new position as UK Sales Director for C&A Marketing/Polaroid and his enthusiasm for the role is palpable. Pixel’s Simon Skinner posed a handful of questions in an attempt to glean some information on their intentions and of course, how Pixel readers can get involved and benefit from this iconic brand.

Simon Skinner: Hi Ravi, tell us a little about the game plan for Polaroid in the UK Ravi Mashru: With the ever increasing demand for mobile devices and the hunger for instant connectivity with WiFi and Bluetooth, C&A are able to provide a wide array of smart/ instant sharing devices and products, including products and services that promise to fulfill the day to day needs of your reader’s customers.

These products will become available within

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Ravi Mashru, Sales Director of C&A Marketing/Polaroid UK

key strategic partners in the UK including many high street retailers, specialty destination stores and telecoms outlets. Everyone wants this stuff and, as such, I am going to ensure it will be available everywhere in the UK. Can you outline the categories that currently make up the Polaroid offering via C&A? Everything instant! Our philosophy is to take Polaroid back to its roots and create products from the brand’s DNA, which is simply ‘instant’.

We’re taking it from analogue, through digital to Smart technology. We’re also producing action/ lifestyle camera’s, IP security and a host of photo accessories.

You mention Sakar - you were there working with Abbas (Bhanji) before C&A and Polaroid - what happened there?

It’s quite straight forward really – Abbas isn’t going anywhere, I had got to a point in the company where I had reached my ultimate potential (European Sales Manager) and the opportunity came along to head the UK operation for an exciting brand, which I had some experience with. Abbas is a great guy and known by many of your readers. I’ll always be grateful to him for passing on such valuable knowledge to me - knowledge, which is already paying off in my new role. Ultimately though, the opportunity to manage this category was simply too good to pass up.

So within the categories you’ve outlined, what’s new?

So far as the instant digital products are concerned, some of your readers may have heard that C&A recently - well, nine months ago - bought out the company that develop

POLAROID

and make the ‘ZINK’ paper that we use. The technology is incredible and gives us the ability to print edge to edge. Alongside that, owning the company gives us the ability to offer extremely competitive pricing when compared to ‘other’ instant print brands. For example, 30 sheets of (2x3”) paper from us come in at £14.99, with a 50 pack at just £23.95.

On top of this, and in time for IFA, where Ravi has just returned from having manned the Polaroid stand, we’ve just launched the new Compact Digital Instant Print Camera: the Polaroid Snap.

How was that received?

Overwhelmingly! Never in my sales career have I seen such a response from buyers. Everybody wants it!

What, would you say have been the contributing factors to the revitalisation of the Polaroid brand?

It is clear to us that the biggest asset we had, was the Polaroid brand. With over 75 years of history, Polaroid is one of the few globally recognised brand names. The company had a reputation for being a leader in innovation; after all, this was a company that had grown from a garage startup in 1937 to a billion-dollar pop-culture phenomenon. Yet, the digitisation of photography caused many to view the old Polaroid cameras as obsolete.

Rather than betting the company’s future on a new generation product line, Polaroid decided to leverage its strong, recognisable brand name and enter into strategic license agreements with companies who manufacture modern product categories which aligned with the values that the Polaroid brand encapsulated. I also think that time has its part to play; I can see certain nostalgia when it comes to analogue products. It’s new to some and familiar to others. Regardless of that though, C&A has done a grand job of presenting the product to a modern-day market, working with globally recognised design agency, Ammunition, who have already done a great job for Apple and other brands, such as Beats (headphones).

photo specialists, consumer electronics and further along, telecoms outlets too. Once we have satisfied and fulfilled demand in the UK, we will look to expand across the EU (if we are still in it). On top of all of this, we’re aiming to make 4x3” prints available by CES 2016.

So with that in mind, tell us how the brand was received in Germany for IFA. We had a tremendous IFA, with the launch of the Polaroid Snap as well as the launch of Cube+ WiFi Lifestyle Action Camera. It is certainly exciting times ahead for us all at C&A, who are consistently evolving alongside technology to develop cuttingedge products in growing categories.

There certainly seems to be a huge buzz with both retail and consumers. One thing I constantly heard during the event was: “Polaroid is back with a big bang!”

“One thing I constantly heard during the event was “Polaroid is back with a big bang!”

What are your plans in the coming months and in the run up to the festive period - and beyond?

I am in the midst of building my team here in the UK and this will be an ongoing project as the products establish themselves in the market. As I outlined earlier, I’m targeting a range of stores with the products, including

You can read more about the launch of the Polaroid Snap instant camera in our IFA roundup piece on page 18.

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FIVE KEY MARKET TRENDS IN IMAGING As we gear up for the crucial retail period, let’s take stock of the key trends retailers can capitalise on

“The digital detox holiday industry has come to prominence this year, offering a solution to the ‘addiction’ of social media.

But the very existence of this market evinces our apparently unstoppable desire to remain ‘connected’ at all times”

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mall is still Beautiful It isn’t long ago that, to achieve high quality photographs, the only real option was an SLR. How things have changed. Two key market segments that have really taken off this year have provided consumers with compact options that don’t sacrifice image quality. Compact Premium (Large Sensor Fixed Lens) cameras offer a simple route to stunning images and are an attractive option as a portable second camera. Compact System Camera (CSC), meanwhile, has brought different brands into competition with SLR, potentially stealing customers. Both of these segments have gone from strength to strength in 2015 - the only segments to grow in both volume and value. So, while phones - or ‘phablets’ - start reverting to larger screens, small is still beautiful in Digital Cameras and can expect to sell well this Q4.

Always Connected The digital detox holiday industry has come to prominence this year, offering a solution to

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the ‘addiction’ of social media. But the very existence of this market evinces our apparently unstoppable desire to remain ‘connected’ at all times. A strong element of this has been the sharing of images to showcase our lives to the world. The selfie phenomenon pushed this to new heights, but it is the basic connectedness of Smartphones that facilitated the trend. The ability to capture moments and share them almost instantaneously has driven consumers to share virtually everything. And the Digital Camera market has responded. The success of the CSC and Compact Premium segments is, in part, down to their strong focus on WiFi featuring.

Image Quality Counts for Action Cam On many Christmas lists last year was the popular Action Camera, and this year will be no different. The market remains young and shows little sign of slowing down, with growth still exceeding 100%. With new brands and features like 4G live streaming offering consumers more choice, growth is likely to

MARKET TRENDS

continue, particularly as average selling price continues to fall (£194, down 15%). Nobody wants their woodland mountain bike ride ruined by a grainy pixelated image, however - quality matters. This, along with the ability to select high quality stills from video, is why 4K-capable Action Cams are proving particularly popular, gaining significant market share and helping retailers retain value in the category.

Being Smart about Smartphones Initially viewed as an existential threat to Digital Cameras, Smartphones have now been fully embraced by the industry. Nowhere was this more evident than at the Photography Show, with dedicated sessions on Smartphone photography. With this trend, we have seen the rise of accessories for the Smartphone Photographer. Primarily, clip-on lenses, but also lighting, tripods, cases, and remotes all make for the perfect stocking fillers that could act as a gateway to a greater interest in photography.

Key market trends at a glance Compact System Camera

+6%

Compact Premium

+20%

Drones Take Off

4K Action Cams

ASP £417 (Aug)

Smartphone Lenses & Tripods

Source: GfK UK Point of Sales Tracking, *Growth rates in value terms for period MAT Aug 15.

WiFi Capable Cameras

+100%

+35% © GfK 2015

Drones Ascend to New Heights Hard to avoid this year, interest in Drones even saw the media using the devices to spice up their broadcasts. Literally taking the Action Camera phenomenon to new heights, the market may still be in its early days but has grown strongly since GfK started tracking the market in Jan 2015. However, with an average selling price of £417 in August, you will have to behave yourself between now and Christmas to get your hands on one of these! *all growth rates compare the MAT Aug 15 against MAT Aug 14.

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STOCKING FILLERS

Pixel Recommends:

Stocking Fillers

The festive season is creeping ever closer, so time to stock up on those fun novelty items to fill the stockings with this year

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hristmas is undoubtably one of the - if not the - busiest times for both high street retailers and the general public.

Once the mild English summer heat dissipates and the frosty winds roll in, consumers become, well, consumed by the idea of buying the perfect gifts for their friends and family members. Christmas 2014 was kind to most retailers. Sales increased by an average 2.2% in 2014, compared to the previous year, and between mid-November and the end of December, sales rose by almost £1.6 billion - in just a six-week period!

This year, the economy has strengthened, and people have more spare change to use on

those little gifts that we all lovingly place in a large sock, indulging in the idea of a magical old man with a beard. Consumer confidence is back with a vengeance this year, and the UK is becoming a big Christmas spender, rivalling even the U.S, and certainly beating any other European country. This is not the only thing we took from the U.S. Last year; Black Friday was a huge event in the calendar, more than ever before for British people, creating a bit of a fiasco for retailers. This took consumers straight into physical stores - a bonus for retailers - but online sales last year also rose by 19.5%, much of which was click and collect. Additionally, in 2014 almost 30%

of Christmas spending was done using mobile technology - a greater proportion than anywhere else in Europe. This is a trend that’s only seen to be on the increase for this year, as is click & collect, which is a perfect option to ensure both ease of access and reliability of delivery. According to a survey by the Centre for Retail Research, just under 60% of spending in the 2014 Christmas period was on gifts, over and above food, travel, and decorations.

Pixel recommends some of the best stocking fillers for the retail market to provide for this manic and jovial time of the year.

Canon Connect Station CS100 Your customers can transfer their latest adventures with just one tap of an NFC camera, or upload images easily from a phone, tablet or memory card, and then enjoy them in Full HD on their TV or share them with friends online. The Connect Station CS100 makes it easier than ever to share, print, back up, and enjoy photos and movies. £199. www.canon.co.uk

Lomo’Instant White Edition

Bitmore Charge & Sync

Discover the creative potential of the Lomo’Instant White.

Featuring a Scandinavianinspired design, this camera snaps and shares photos in an instant.

Advanced Lens System: One built-in wide angle lens included, plus additional Fisheye, Portrait and Close-Up lens attachments available. £89. www.lomography.com

Now you can charge and sync all of your Apple and Android devices with the help of one handy product. Like a classic multi-tool, the Bitmore Charge & Sync has four flip-out connectors stowed in its side: USB, Micro USB, Apple Lightning and Apple 32 pin. £9.99. www.peak-uk.com

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STOCKING FILLERS

Breffo Spider Podium

Designed with today’s portable handheld consumer electronics in mind, the ‘take it everywhere, use it anywhere’ Spiderpodium portable dock & podium is a universal, multipurpose, gadget grip, holster, dock and display podium that is compatible with most compact handheld devices. £12.99. www.peak-uk.com

3 in 1 Universal Clip Camera Lens The 3 in 1 Universal Clip Camera Lens allows you to take remarkably high quality photos using your phone’s camera. Three lenses are included in the set to give your photography a variety of new options. The Wide Angle Lens will extend your photos with an extra 180° getting into your shot, perfect for shooting landscapes and big group shots. £9.95. www.red5.co.uk

4-IS-AC3DL Dual USB Wall Charger Kit The Digipower IS-AC3DL InstaSense 3.4A Dual USB Wall Charger promises to charge USB devices quickly and boasts two ports for double the usability. InstaSense technology will automatically deliver the required power for any device. Includes 5’ Lightning cable. £44.99. www.intro2020.co.uk

Light Delight Photo Pouch 200 Platinum The 200 is the perfect light and strong pouch bag with adjustable shoulder strap for your digital cameras and accessories. Fits: System cameras with pancake lens and accessories. Includes Internal quilting and padding for camera protection, loop for hanging, adjustable shoulder strap, and zipfastened main compartment. £24.90. www.Marchwooduk.co.uk

Polaroid Cube+ The Polaroid CUBE+TM amps up the fun with built-in WiFi, so you can instantly share footage on social networks. The Polaroid CUBE+ app makes capturing, editing, and posting faster and easier than ever before.

Price: TBC. www.camarketing.com www.pixel.co.uk 17

PANASONIC

NEVER MISS A MOMENT AGAIN Photographer and journalist Damien Demolder explores the decisive moment and how to make the impossible easily achievable

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t was Henri Cartier-Bresson who coined the played back so we can examine events that phrase ‘the decisive moment’ to describe just happened. And that is how Panasonic’s that split-second when all the elements of a 4K Photo mode works. I sense that something story come together within in the viewfinder. is about to happen, I set myself up, arrange We have plenty of examples of his skill the frame where I think it is going to happen at capturing that meaningful but fleeting and press record until the event takes place. occurrence, but we rarely hear about the shots It could be someone walking around a corner, he missed. A man who had a camera with him someone stepping into a tiny patch of light, a all the time and who shot a massive number of silhouette walking in to a thin bright space or frames, there must have been plenty of images the coming together of two or more moving on his contact sheets in which he had shot just elements that can’t be seen beforehand. a fraction of a second too soon or too late, and These events I know are going to happen the elusive moment had slipped between the and I can get myself in a position to capture frames to escape and never be seen again. them, but it is impossible to predict the exact I’ve always thought there are two principle moment things will come together, and once skills to capturing a decisive moment: they do and I’ve seen it, the moment has identifying that a decisive moment is about to passed and gone forever. With 4K Photo occur, and actually pressing those moments never have the shutter release as the to slip through my fingers, moment comes together. and I can tackle shots that “For me though the ability previously would have just Cartier-Bresson was clearly to record a sequence of pretty good at both, but I’m filled a card with rubbish certain that if he had been in 8-million-pixel images at trying to get right. a position to use Panasonic’s such a rate has allowed 4K Photo mode, his hit–rate me to capture moments would have been astonishing.

No software required that previously I would Recording at 30 frames per never have been able to second, 4K Photo simply It has been possible to record.” makes sure every moment extract stills from video for is captured, so all you need some time, but with normal to do is recognise the best HD video the pictures frame from the sequence are very small and you and extract it using the back need to understand movie screen of the camera. software to be able to do it. With 4K Photo the But where is the skill/fun in that, and isn’t individual frames have 8 million pixels and at that cheating? If you use 4K Photo mode to print to 11x8in even with strict 300ppi photocapture images that you could have caught quality resolution. And you don’t even need using your sense of timing and single shot to download the movie to extract the stills, as mode, then yes that might be considered lazy. it is all done in-camera. You can use Adobe In street photography some situations Lightroom now to play the sequences and develop too quickly, too suddenly and without pull-out frames, but it is actually far easier to enough warning for even the most skilled do it on the back of the camera. You play the photographer to be able to shoot the perfect movie and use stop/start buttons to control frame. the flow. When you find the moment you There are times that the only way we can want you can scroll through frame by frame, see something clearly is by replaying a second forward or reverse, to make sure you have of memory – our eyes see the world in video precisely the best frame in which everything mode, and our memory allows that video to be comes together.

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PANASONIC On the bus The main shot was taken in Edinburgh on a cold day of low angled but bright winter sunlight. I spotted that a gap between two buildings was allowing the sun to shine across a road onto the massive brick wall of the city library. I was photographing people as they lit up, stepping from the shadow in to the sun-drenched area when I noticed that as a bus passed behind me it threw its own hard-edged shadow across the road as well. As it passed by the shape of the top deck appeared on the wall for a second or so.

I imagined a shot in which I’d captured the bus shadow as it coincided with a person walking through the sunlight zone, but it was going to be difficult to capture. The buses were passing behind me, so I couldn’t see when the shadow would appear, and I certainly wouldn’t have been quick enough to capture the person cleanly between the

struts of the upstairs windows just by watching the scene unfold in front of me.

It was all happening far too quickly and without enough warning. By the time I’d seen the picture the moment had gone.

The solution was easy though, to switch the camera to 4K Photo mode and to activate the video when I could see someone coming and could hear a bus behind me. It only took a couple of takes to capture the moment I was looking for in the net. Playing the footage back on the camera demonstrated on the spot that two or three frames had worked. They showed the moments where the man’s face was lit by the sun that was shining through the bus window, while at the same time his head was comfortably composed within the frame of that window.

If I’d had super-human timing I could have caught one of those moments, but I would have missed the other two. It is one of the things that 4K Photo has shown me – that sometimes it is the moments that happen after

the moment that I would have shot that prove to be the best. And those are moments that would have passed without me noticing them or even considering their existence.

Cameras with 4K Photo mode All the pictures on this page were shot with Panasonic’s new 20-million-pixel Lumix GX8 compact system camera, but it isn’t the only model in the range that offers this feature. The Lumix GH4 also has 4K Photo mode, as does the new Lumix G7. For those who like smaller models try the Lumix LX100 premium compact camera or the Lumix CM1 connected camera with its 1-inch 20-millionpixel sensor.

The best way to find out which model suits you is to visit your local retailer or look out for Panasonic Lumix events where you can try one out for free. Alternatively, visit panasonic.co.uk/lumix4k

GX8 key features – 20 million pixel resolution – Large, bright and clear, tiltable, viewfinder – Vari-angle rear screen that allows shooting from all angles – Excellent handling thanks to dial controls & sizeable grip – I mage stabilisation that combines in-body and in-lens compensation

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LOWEPRO PROTACTIC SERIES A New Addition to the ProTactics Series of High-Performance Bags for Mirrorless and DSLR Photographers

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owepro, the leading maker of photography carrying solutions, has introduced four new models designed for compact camera setups – three shoulder bags and one backpack – as part of its award-winning ProTactic series. The urban-inspired, six-piece collection offers high performance and missioncritical access to professional photographers and enthusiasts who need a bag that delivers on all fronts: accessibility, versatility, comfort and organisation.

The first generation of the ProTactic series launched last year with the Gear of the year-winning 350 AW, and also the 450 AW. The expanded line now includes: • ProTactic SH 120 AW – A small but robust shoulder bag with room for a mirrorless kit, such as the Olympus OM-D E-M1, with attached lens, extra lens or flash, smartphone and personal essentials.

• ProTactic SH 180 AW – A mid-sized shoulder bag that fits a standard DSLR, such as the Nikon D750, with a 24-70mm lens attached, one to two extra lenses, a tablet, smartphone and small personal items.

• ProTactic SH 200 AW – A modern, photojournalist-style shoulder bag designed to fit a professional DSLR with a classic 70200mm lens kit, two to three extra lenses or speedlights, up to a 13-inch laptop and tablet, smartphone, and accessories.

• ProTactic BP 250 – A scaled-down pack

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that protects a complete mirrorless kit with a 12-40mm lens attached, space for three to four extra lenses or flashes, an 11-inch MacBook Air®, smartphone and accessories.

ProTactic shoulder bags include cinch straps and zippered accessory pouches to expand the amount of gear as needed, SlipLock™ attachments and built-in memory card pockets.

The SH 180 AW and SH 200 AW include a water-resistant top-zip opening as well for fast access to gear.

The new ProTactic BP 250 offers multiple modular accessories and cinch straps; backentry access for easy setup and extra security; a convenient, turret-style top opening; two fast-access side pockets; and Lowepro’s ActivZone™ harness for targeted comfort and support.

The ProTactic line expansion also includes the photographer-friendly features of the firstgeneration packs, such as the patent-pending MaxFit™ system of padded and fully adjustable dividers for fine-tuning gear fit; a multiple-strap build for easily adding capacity; and a patented, built-in All Weather AW Cover™ to protect gear from the elements.

More information about the complete ProTactic series, including the original pack can be found at www.lowepro.co.uk

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DNP Printers

So reliable that we now offer 2 years premium warranty Premium quality

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Photo service is a wonderful business. Whether you are using a professional photo printer for your retail operations, in your studio or integrated into kiosk or booth solutions, you are creating emotions. The products you offer are premium quality, and you expect the same for your hardware. With thousands of durable printers operating across Europe, DNP Photo Imaging Europe are confident to offer you 2 years of warranty. For details on warranty conditions please see www.dnpphoto.eu.

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www.dnpphoto.eu sales@dnpphoto.eu

in print

RETAIL SOLUTIONS FOR THE PRINT PROFESSIONAL

FEATURING

NEED FOR SPEED NEW PHOTO-ME SPEEDLAB BY STARCK KIOSK

Photo-Me International Plc has been an established and successful company for over 50 years, operating over 21,000 photobooths, photographic products, digital printing kiosks and children’s rides. A market leading company, Photo-Me has gained a reputation for quality equipment and quality photo vending across the globe.

Contiuned on page 24...

STRIP FOR ADVERTISERS mitsubishielectric-printing.com

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PHOTO-ME COVER FEATURE: CEWE

NEED FOR SPEED Continued...

“MORE THAN 5.3 MILLION PASSPORTS, DRIVING LICENCES, RAILCARDS, STUDENT CARDS AND A HOST OF OTHER OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE DEMAND FOR INSTANT ID PHOTOS AND OTHER MORE PERSONALISED PHOTO PRODUCTS HAS GROWN RAPIDLY OVER THE YEARS”

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hoto-Me photobooths have been the clear leader in the UK for providing consumers with a convenient and cost-effective means of obtaining ID photos from coin-op machines. The company has continuously strived to redevelop their services to cater to consumer needs, for example developing the ICAO software guides to make sure that photographs comply with the

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UK’s passport and driving licence standards.

In addition, their digital imaging services have provided a platform for consumers to upload pictures from their mobile devices and instantly print them or order prints in the form of posters, photobooks, calendars, greeting cards, or mobile phone cases/covers.

More than 5.3 million passports were issued in 2013. As well as millions of driving licences, railcards, student cards and a host of other

official documents. The demand for instant ID photos and other more personalised photo products has grown rapidly over the years, and thus companies such as Photo-Me have had to keep up; continue to be one step ahead of the £106 million market with new and innovative ideas. Photo-Me’s most recent development is the new range of digital photo kiosks created by would-acclaimed designer, Philippe Starck.

It was in 1954 that the first customer sat inside a Photo-Me photobooth. And – amazingly for that time – walked away with their pictures a few minutes later. Photo technology and booths have come a long way since then, with hundreds of millions of people now using instant photobooths, and in particular, no less than 25,000 Photo-Me photobooths and 5,000 Photo-Me digital kiosks used in 15 countries.

In 2011, Photo-Me created the ‘Photo-Me by Starck Photobooth’ – a booth designed by the French designer, allowing more eye-catching, stylish and fun features to the Photo-Me booths

in print “THERE IS NO EXCLUSIVITY WITH THE NEW KIOSK AND WE ARE HAPPY TO TALK TO DEALERS OF ALL SIZES ABOUT ADOPTING THIS STYLISH AND INCREDIBLY FUNCTIONAL NEW SOLUTION”

themselves. Customers could create pop art photos, postcards and upload the results to social media. Starck’s knack of taking a purely functional object, and making it something more was successfully applied to Photo-Me’s booths to create something eye-catching and unique, and now Photo-Me has commissioned the artist to continue his work with the newest ‘Speedlab by Starck’ kiosk.

This is set to present a pleasingly unparalleled combination of a unique design with a retail photographic offer at its best. The aim is for users to not only appreciate the new technology incorporated in the kiosks, but also the inviting interface.

The new Speedlab, both the mini-lab and the tall version, is fitted with a multi-touch 27” screen, with intuitive features designed to make it easy to navigate around, with editing tools to enhance or personalise the user’s photographs.

Speaking with Francois Defreitas, Head of Marketing at Photo Me, Pixel learned that the Multiscreen solution is manufactured by Oblo, the Italian developer and manufacturer, and works very much like a huge iPhone.

With the new kiosk, the user can print 4×6” or 12×8” photographs instantly by either using a memory card or USB, accessing their social media photo gallery, or transferring photos from smartphones and tablets via WIFI or Bluetooth.

Customers don’t have to stop there either, as they have the ability to order a wide range of photo-gifts such as posters, canvas prints, teeshirts, mugs and many more items that will be made available for collection in-store or delivery to a UK address within a few days.

We asked Francois about the roll out of the new Speedlab by Starck kiosk and he explained: “We are talking to a number of larger retail groups currently as well as

some specialist chains, right through to the independents. There is no exclusivity with the new kiosk and we are happy to talk to dealers of all sizes about adopting this stylish and incredibly functional new solution”. He added: “We’re extremely proud of the finished product, which has been in development for some time now. We believe that it’s the perfect partner to the Starck photobooth and we’re confident that it can replicate its success too”.

We did probe Francois further with regards to pricing options for the new kiosk but as we head to press, the pricing is still being set. We will follow up with these details once they are made available to us.

If you’d like to speak to the team at Photo Me International about the new Speedlab by Starck Kiosk, would like more information, a demonstration or discuss pricing options in the meantime, please contact the team on +44 (0) 1372 453 399 marketing@photo-me.co.uk

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TETENAL COVER FEATURE: CEWE

THE BIG INTERVIEW

MARKETING MANAGER OF TETENAL LTD, CRAIG BIRD ANSWERS SOME OF PIXEL’S QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS WITH THE DISTRIBUTOR

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etenal, a market-leading distributor in the photographic and print industry, has worked with Kodak along with a strong network of franchises ahead of the switch to Kodak Alaris for some time now. Pixel’s Simon Skinner interviewed Craig Bird, Marketing Manager at Tetenal Ltd to find out more about their most recent developments.

Simon Skinner: How has the number of ‘KEX’ franchises faired during the company’s reinvention?

Craig Bird: As everyone knows, we’ve been through some difficult times with the changes going on with Kodak and the emergence of Kodak Alaris. The biggest issue we had was that the media mis-represented what was actually happening. It therefore fell on to Tetenal to keep the lines of communication open with the network to ensure they knew all the facts about what was happening and to continue to build confidence and trust between us.

We’re proud to say that during those difficult months between Kodak entering chapter 11 and the emergence of Kodak Alaris, we didn’t lose one store from the network. An amazing achievement and one which all concerned should be rightly proud.

Since then we’ve lost a few but we’ve gained more than we’ve lost and the network continues to go from strength to strength. I think it’s fair to say that the overall strength of the network has increased, as we are quite strict when taking on new stores; they must meet the criteria we expect and consumers expect from a Kodak Express store.

Recently we’ve embarked on a number of new initiatives between Kodak Alaris, Tetenal and the stores themselves. Our MD Mike Fawcett, UK Sales Director Phil Barker and myself took to the road to visit a number of stores up and down the country to take a look at how our stores were coping in the current environment and to discuss the exciting plans we have to re-energise the network. Over the coming year we’ll be working with as many stores as possible to help them freshen up their retail space and really engage with consumers to present a fantastic customer experience.

In this issue we look quite comprehensively at the new app offering from Kodak Alaris, the ‘Kodak Moments’ mobile platform. What would the key

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“I THINK IT’S FAIR TO SAY THAT THE OVERALL STRENGTH OF THE NETWORK HAS INCREASED, AS WE ARE QUITE STRICT WHEN TAKING ON NEW STORES; THEY MUST MEET THE CRITERIA WE EXPECT AND CONSUMERS EXPECT FROM A KODAK EXPRESS STORE” message be from Tetenal at this point in relation to the opportunity for dealers?

Kodak Alaris identified some time ago that online was a growth area, in terms of imaging, but wanted to ensure that any Apps they produced enhanced and supported the physical High Street stores rather than taking sales away. The ability for people using the App to quickly identify their nearest store for order

fulfilment is fundamental for stores to quickly establish themselves as the local ‘go to’ store for photographic processing and retail. I think it’s safe to say that there was some natural reluctance to get involved initially, but as the benefits were explained and success stories started to circulate, then the benefits spoke for themselves.

Initial scepticism around Click & Collect has quickly faded as more and more of the leading

in print

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To find out more contact Tetenal on 0116 289 3644 or visit www.tetenaluk.com Š 2015 Kodak Alaris Ltd. The Kodak and Kodak Moment trademarks and Kodak trade dress are used under license from Eastman Kodak Company.

www.pixel.co.uk 27

TETENAL “IT SEEMED THAT IT WASN’T THE DESIRE TO PRINT IMAGES THAT WAS MISSING, BUT THE TIME TO DO SO” names on the High Street have C&C as a core part of their business. In fact, John Lewis reports that 54% of their online sales are now fulfilled via Click & Collect. This gives our stores the opportunity to attract customers who may never have set foot in their store before. The new initiatives we are implementing will give those customers a vision of what they can actually do with their images beyond just a standard print, therefore closing the circle of delivering online customers into store.

Getting involved as a marker on the map of options when it comes to picking up in store is a clear benefit of being involved as a Kodak Alaris partner. What else is in the pipeline for these dealers and why should they be excited?

I can’t really speak for Kodak Alaris on this matter. They are the one’s delivering the hardware and software solutions to enable our stores to fulfil the demands of the consumer and, in many cases present new products and services to those consumers, which they may never have thought of. Our overall aim is to present Kodak Express as the photographic experts - to advise and inspire. We would love all our stores to be able to offer the full range of products and services available but we accept that may not be possible for all stores.

Therefore, we may look at creating fulfilment hubs within the network, utilising our hub stores’ specialist equipment and expertise to benefit the network as a whole.

There’s no denying that mobile technology is making a real impact with the photo print sector. Can you give us some predictions of where you see this heading?

If I could see into the future my football accumulator bets would be much more successful than they are! Seriously though, it really is difficult to predict the next wave of technological breakthroughs. I can only speak from a personal level and say that the most frustrating thing for me, and some of Kodak Alaris’ recent research backs this up, is the sheer number of images I seem to have on

28 www.pixel.co.uk

my devices. What I’d like is to be able to tag my favourite images amongst them so they are automatically uploaded to a cloud, which I could then deliver to my chosen store for printing, maybe on a regularly monthly basis.

Thereby automating the process that every month I receive a package containing those prints delivered to my house. Almost like setting up a standing order for memories.

I recently attended a Kodak Alaris event in London where some of their new research was presented, and talking to some of the people there, it seemed that it wasn’t the desire to print images that was missing, but the time it takes to do so. Everybody seems so busy these days that if the whole process could be automated then I’m sure people would enjoy having that delivery to their door to look forward to.

about rolling this out through the network.

Beyond that, we are seeing a lot of interest in our SunBounce and SunSniper products for photographers. The new Bounce Wall product in particular is generating a lot of buzz as it allows photographers to create a fantastic lighting effect directly from their camera when working on close-up portrait work. It’s a product that needs to be seen in action to really do it justice but the results we’ve seen are really incredible.

In addition we will continue to build our team here in the UK and there are more developments planned for our premises to open up more working space and refresh our showrooms.

What else is new within the walls at Tetenal currently?

I wouldn’t want to be seen to be influencing the voting so I’ll be politically correct and just say that it’s a great night and whoever wins should feel justifiable proud of their achievements.

The new Kodak Express initiative is taking up a lot of our time and we’re really excited

Do you have any predictions for the Pixel Trade Awards this year?

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NEWS BITES BITES NEWS

NEWS BITES

FIND OUT MORE INFO ON THIS MONTH’S NEWS BITES AT PIXEL.CO.UK

HARMAN technology bought by Pemberstone Ventures Ltd HARMAN technology, manufacturers of the famous ILFORD Photo range of Monochrome Photographic products, have been purchased

by Pemberstone Ventures Ltd for an undisclosed amount.

Pemberstone, a UK based investment company have been tracking the performance of HARMAN for some time. Mark Anslow, CEO of Pemberstone Ventures comments: “We are

very excited by the potential of the Analogue Photography movement and believe that HARMAN is uniquely placed to drive the resurgent Film market into the future”.

Peter Elton, Managing Director of HARMAN concurs. “Film has become an interesting medium for young photographers to work with again. We are seeing this very clearly. Our new owners will assist us to connect more effectively to

this younger generation in the future, and we will prioritise this as our main goal over the next five years.”

“We remain totally committed to Analogue Photography, and indeed to all forms of Imaging.

Our Product Range is uniquely stable and of the highest quality, and we can assure all of our customers that

we will continue to support them in our customary way for the foreseeable future”

Professional quality digitally printed photobooks in minutes Mitsubishi Electric has launched a range of instant photo albums designed to be used in combination with the CPW5000DW double-sided printer.

Consumers can design, print and create their own personalised books in a retail outlet or studio, using Mitsubishi Kiosk software or PS Studio software.

Windows drivers are available for the CP-W5000DW printer and

for Mac users there is now an OS driver. No special staff training is required.

The covers are available in 6 colours and 3 formats: 20 x 30cm and contemporary square formats in 15cm x 15cm and 20cm x

New team member at Innova Art Innova Art recently announced that as of 1st September, Chris Crangle joined its management team.

Chris was formerly Global Business Director of Canson for eight years and

CREDITS & CONTACTS

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RETAIL SOLUTIONS FOR THE PRINT PROFESSIONAL

was responsible for the development and launch of the Canson Infinity brand. He directed a sales, marketing and distribution operation that extended to over 100 countries.

20cm. The introductory pack, free with the CP-W5000DW, contains 14 covers, 2 calendars, paper and ink sheets, so retailers, photographers and copy shops can get started immediately.

Paul Jones, regional sales manager from

PIXEL COMPETITION CLOSING! Quick! Get your entries in to us by 6th November for your chance to win either the new Corel PaintShop Pro X8 Ultimate software or the new Acronis True Image Cloud

Managing Director/Publisher: Lee Mansfield 01323 819007 lee@lifemediagroup.co.uk

Editor: Jenny Ardagh 01323 819011 jenny@pixel.co.uk

Subscriptions: Linda Grace 01323 819015 linda@lifemediagroup.co.uk

Group Director/Editor: Simon Skinner 01323 819017 simon@lifemediagroup.co.uk

Production Manager : Harriet Weston 01323 819010 harriet@lifemediagroup.co.uk

Operations Director: Clare Fermor 01323 819016 clare@lifemediagroup.co.uk

Production Designer: Amy Watson 01323 819018 amy@lifemediagroup.co.uk

Published by: LMG SE LTD (Life Media Group) 1 Swan Business Centre, Swan Barn Road, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2BY

Commercial Manager: Patrick McCreanor 01323 819014 patrick@lifemediagroup.co.uk

Accounts: Amelia Wellings 01323 819016 amelia@lifemediagroup.co.uk

30 www.pixel.co.uk

Mitsubishi Electric said, “Now every retailer, copy-shop and photography studio can start making instant albums and no longer needs to direct customers to the internet. The competitive pricing of the printer and introductory package enables businesses to make an excellent margin on sales of the new photobooks along with the rest of the Mitsubishi photo gift range”

Printed by: Gemini Press Unit A1 Dolphin Way, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex BN43 6NZ

backup software.

Email your answers (a, b or c) to jenny@pixel. co.uk with the subject “SOFTWARE COMP” along with your name and contact details See our September issue for more details.

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 2015©

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