Pixel Magazine - Issue 916 by Life Media Group

INSIDE

ISSUE NO. 916

www.pixel.co.uk

26th May 2014

Go ahead for dixons/carphone warehouse merger, new smart camera from samsung, photokina 2014 and kodak alaris’ new kodak moments app

More Zoom for Sports

Widen your lens range with new Canon EF options Canon has added two new ultra wide-angle zoom lenses to its current collection of four, covering the professional market with one model and the entrylevel market with the other

Nikon has recently unveiled its new super-telephoto prime lens, the AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR. Designed to deliver precision at speed, the new FX-format lens is ideal for professional sports and news photographers, as well as wildlife photographers who want to extend their reach. The lightweight lens boats a completely new optical design as well as a new SPORT Vibration Reduction (VR) mode to track action with clarity. Available: 28th August 2014 RRP: £10,399.99

The Big Interview Leica UK Managing Director David Bell explains to Damien Demolder why the introduction of the ‘popular’ Leica T won’t dramatically alter the company’s retail strategy. Photo -

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a four-stop advantage over non-IS lenses and helps to ensure that shots are always captured with precision detail.” In a recent statement, Yuichi Ishizuka, president of Canon U.S. said: “Having just reached a milestone of producing 100 million EF lenses, Canon is dedicated more than ever before to its heritage of creating outstanding optics for photographers of all levels. “The EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM and EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM ultra-wide zoom lenses, when paired with Canon EOS Digital SLR cameras, are powerful tools that can enhance any photographer’s creativity.”

There are a number of features on both models that might interest retailers looking to expand or launch a range of ultra wide-angle lenses for digital SLRs. EF-S 10-18mm This entry-level lens is Canon’s most affordable wide-angle lens to date, priced at just £299.99. Interestingly, the lens still boasts features seen on higher-end models, including Canon’s four-stop optical ‘Image Stabilizer’ technology, first used on the EF 70-200mm. This is designed to enhance the quality of handheld photography with, according to Canon: “No perceptible image blur at shutter speeds up to 4 steps slower than otherwise possible....ideal for low light shooting without tripod or flash.” The 10-18mm is also equipped with Canon’s STM technology (a stepping motor drive designed to deliver smooth and quiet continuous AF during video shooting), making it a good option for customers hoping to shoot fluid, continuous focus films with smooth transitions between subjects. We asked David Parry, Product Intelligence at Canon UK & Ireland, what makes this product stand out from others already on the video

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market. He said: “With a compact, lightweight design that’s ideal for travel photography, the EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5-6 IS STM lets customers fit more in every shot for dramatic landscapes and expressive architectural images. This lens, along with the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens and the EF-S 55250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM, completes the perfect lens line up for entry level users.”

Retailers have the opportunity to sell a number of accessories alongside these new products, including: EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM • Lens case LP1219 • Lens hood EW-82 • Lens cap E-77 II II EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM • Lens hood EW-73C • Lens case LP1116

EF 16-35mm The Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM serves the other end of the market and is priced accordingly, at £1,199.99. Mr. Parry told us: “The EF 16-35mm is our first ultra-wide L-series lens to feature our IS (Image Stabilizer) technology, which offers -

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THE INSIDER

Saying what you’re thinking and asking the difficult questions. Each week the Insider reports from the front line of our industry Summertime, and the weather is sweet. How’s the business? The summer is here and it actually looks like we might just enjoy some good weather this year, if the past week or two are anything to go by. So does that mean that we can throw a couple of beach balls into the window display, perhaps a picnic basket, and hope that passers by will be enthused to enter? Probably not. I can’t help but be impressed with what some have been building over the past few years in an attempt to create more theatre in-store and in

turn, more sales opportunities. What I’m talking about are events. Open days, festivals, call them what you will. Handled well, they can (and do) have an obvious draw for your existing client base and other curious types. Add to that the local press opportunities and some ‘entry level’ sweeteners, and by Jove, you’ve got it! David Parkinson and his Digital Splash event has quickly become a mainstay and, I’m certain, an important addition to the annual turnover. Park Cameras Festival

of Photography has grown with the business and will now include a day at the London store with superstar speakers and plenty of ‘special’ deals to grab the attention and spending of the all-important visitors. So will you be having a stab at a little in-store theatre? It doesn’t have to be as grand as a weeklong extravaganza, but it should be enough to draw new customers in, promote new services and products and engage with locals (as well as the press). Take care all! Join me at www.pixel.co.uk

Canon’s 100 millionth lens Canon has become the first manufacturer in the world to produce over 100 million EF lenses The EF lens series is used by both amateurs and professionals, and consists of over 80 models, which makes it the largest range available on the current market. The company has also consistently improved the range and embraced new trends, including the launch of the new EF Cinema lenses for digital

Over the years Canon has produced a number of ‘world firsts’ in terms of innovative technologies, including the Ultrasonic Motor (USM), Image Stabiliser (IS) and a multilayered diffractive optical element. Canon’s success reflects the versatility of the products it produces.

cinematography in 2012. A recent press release read: “Canon will continue to refine its diverse imaging technologies based on its core optical expertise, and expand the photographic and video imaging culture by producing exceptional and reliable lenses and cameras that cater to all needs, from everyday snappers to advanced amateurs and professional photographers.”

TRADE

Social Media not Delivering for Retailers A recent survey found that retailers are not seeing an improvement in customer engagement despite launching social media campaigns The survey, which was conducted by ChannelAdvisor, found that just one third of online retailers saw growth in customer engagement as a direct result of social media marketing. The company, partnered with both Tesco Marketplace and Best Buy, anonymously interviewed around 50 small to large online retailers in a wide range of sectors, including entertainment and electronics. Anthony Gale, managing director of Click Here Media and social media expert, recently told Retail Gazette: “The PR angle of social media which is to create awareness, is key, but some clients try to use it for direct sales which often isn’t the best use of budget. Social media sites such as Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook are not built for buying. Facebook does work for some direct sales, but it’s not geared up for such and often puts people off. When people go on Facebook they don’t want to be sold to and with the explosion of mobile it is now even less likely consumers will want to buy directly from them.”

Calumet Bought by C&A Marketing It shocked retailers, customers and even its own staff when it abruptly closed earlier this year, but now Calumet Photographic US is under new ownership New Jersey based company C&A Marketing recently won bankruptcy court approval to acquire Calumet stores in cities including Washington D.C, San Francisco and Chicago, after beating a rival bid by a company formed by exCalumet employees. According to court papers, C&A

paid $3.125 million in cash for Calumet assets. The acquisition is not the company’s first foray into the photographic retail industry. In 2008 it won the right to produce Polaroid-branded video cameras. C&A will focus on the professional end of the market and, according to Vice President

Chaim Pikarski, they will also be taking advantage of the ‘booming rental market’. He said: “There’s always going to be people who want a picture that’s better than an iPhone picture. You can’t take pictures of birds in the sky with an iPhone, at least not yet.”

Go Ahead for Dixons/Carphone Warehouse Merger Merger confirmed in £3.7bn deal The two powerhouse companies have been in merger talks since February this year. In March, news got out that the decision would be put on hold until May 19. Now, Dixons and Carphone Warehouse have announce a £3.7bn deal later

this week. The new merger will create one of the UK’s biggest retailers. Currently Carphone Warehouse operates 800 stores across the country, while Dixons

around 500 stores across its brands, Currys and PC World. Carphone founder, Sir Charles Dunstone will take over as chairman of the new firm, with Dixon’s

Sebastian James and Humphrey Singer becoming chief executive and chief financial officer respectively. It is thought the new company will take on the name Dixons Carphone Group and it will be structured as a 50/0 merger.

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PHOTO New life for analogue photography? A Kickstarter project has successfully raised enough funds to produce New55 film, based on the old Polaroid type 55. $415,025 has been raised to help produce the instant 4x5in film that, like the old Polaroid film, produces both a positive and a higher quality negative print too. Details on the Kickstarter page read: “The 4x5 sheet film component – the negative – could come from any one of five potential suppliers including Kodak, Ilford, Foma, Adox or Shanghai.” The product will take at least eight months to develop from now.

Bags of Colour

Nest bags have pushed their way into the UK market with style and pizzazz In 2013, UK Optics Distribution was announced as the official distributor of Nest products in the UK. The brand launched two ranges of bags and backpacks – the Explorer range of colourful DSLR bags and Athena cases for urban photographers. The company also sells a range of monopods, tripods and other accessories. Tony Edwards, National Sales Manager, told Pixel: “Our aim is to offer the best specified tripods, monopods and bags for a very competitive retail price while offering our stockist’s a decent margin. “There are hundreds of bag and

tripod brands already in the market place and in order to succeed you need to be a little bit different in order to stand out from the rest.” According to Tony, the new Explorer range reflects an emerging market in the UK for outdoor photography. More people than ever are choosing to document active hobbies such as rock climbing,

camping, mountain biking and running. The Extreme bags reflect this trend and come in sporty colours such as luminescent green, bright orange and electric blue – as well as a more subdued black. Top selling points include breathable ripstop 210D waterproof nylon grid design with pu coating for greater durability and 21D nonscratch nylon interior with padding to protect cameras, In the range are two top loader or zoomster styles, a CSC bag, three shoulder bags and two backpacks. RRP: Ranges from £24.99 to £129.99. www.nest-style.com

A Closer Look at Sony 7S

Last month Pixel reported the launch of the third addition to Sony’s a7 series, the a7S. Here, we take a closer look at the new model to find out how it compares to its predecessors Untitled | Polly Chandler (New55 FILM)

Fuji Firmware Update X-E2 owners can now add x-T1 features. Fujifilm has launched a firmware update to equip its X-E2 compact system camera with features borrowed from its flagship X-T1. Firmware version 2.00 features a number of improvements, including the addition of the ‘world’s fastest’ display time-lag of 0.005 seconds. The frame rate of the viewfinder has also been enhanced and Fuji claims that the highest frame rate can be maintained even in low-light conditions, including at night. For more details, visit www.fujifilm.eu

The a7 and a7R models were launched in October 2013, claiming the title of the ‘world’s first full-frame mirrorless cameras’. According to Ben Pilling, Technical Marketing Manager at Sony, these models were a revolution because they offered 35mm full frame quality, with a much smaller size and weight than similar models already available on the market. “In fact the a7 and the a7R are the world’s smallest full frame cameras and the a7R is the lightest full frame camera – only 407g,” Ben added. The main difference between each model is photographers they target. The a7 is aimed at photographers who need full frame capability with a smaller body, the a7R is for those looking for maximum resolution, and the new a7S is for photographers who require greater sensitivity. To meet this apparent demand, the a7S

incorporates a 12.2MP full frame sensor with an ISO capability from 50 to 409,600, delivering improved low light performance and dynamic range. Sony has also tapped into the emerging trend for cameras with 4K capabilities, by including a sensor capable of full pixel read-out, without a pixel binning process, for movie and 4K HDMI video output. However it should be noted that an additional external hard disk drive recorder is required for 4K recording. The emphasis on filming doesn’t stop at 4K. The new model also features a host of

functions from Sony’s other professional camcorders, including Time Code, S-Log2 and Picture Profile. Unlike its predecessors, the a7S is capable of recording full HD movie to the memory card in XAVC S (in addition to AVCHD), offering a higher bit rate – up to 50Mbps. Ben said retailers should be interested in this product because it is: “A completely unique product, offering an unbelievable ISO range in a compact body and is different to anything currently available on the market. Furthermore, the capabilities of the a7S will appeal not only to still photographers but also to those interested in movie, extending the potential customer base.”

New Smart Camera By Samsung Samsung has unveiled the NX3000, the latest edition to the award winning NX series of ‘smart’ compact system cameras with WiFi Samsung has unveiled the NX3000, the latest edition to the award winning NX series of ‘smart’ compact system cameras with WiFi. The new model is designed for enthusiasts who, according to the press release, “want a stylish camera

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to capture life’s most important moments in stunning detail.” All Samsung’s new ‘smart’ cameras feature the same Tag & Go feature enabling users to share images via WiFi and NFC. A top selling point of this particular model

is the new compact 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 Power Zoom ED OIS lens – designed to be light and compact, with the ability to be controlled externally by a smartphone. Available: Mid June RRP: TBC

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NEW PRODU

MOBILE Tesco Mobile to Launch Own Brand Smartphone The supermarket chain has announced it will be launching its first own brand smartphone towards the end of the year. According to Chief executive Philip Clarke, who spoke to BBC Radio 5 live’s Wake Up to Money programme about the company’s plans, the phone’s specs will be comparable to other Android phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S5. It is hoped that the phone will follow the success of Tesco’s budget Hudl tablet, which has sold half a million units so far. Tesco has yet to unveil any more details about the phone.

Classic iPhone 4S Still Reigns Supreme Even though the iPhone 4S is now over two and a half years old (ancient in phone years), analysts estimate that the old favourite accounted for as much as a quarter of iPhones sales in the last quarter. In a note to investors last week, US analyst Charlie Wolf of Needham & Company estimated that the device had attracted 10 million new users in the last quarter. In the note he also broke down the pricing on Apple’s iPhone models to estimate how strong a performer the 4S was. Wolf estimated that the iPhone 5s accounted for 71% of March quarter sales, while the iPhone 5c took just 4%. That leaves the iPhone 4S with the remaining 25 percent of sales for the three-month period.

Huawei Smartphone for ‘Generation Selfie’

Chinese handset manufacturer Huawei is launching a new smartphone with an 8mp front-facing camera especially designed for taking great quality selfies. Now that ‘selfie’ has made it into the Oxford English Dictionary, it’s only natural that demand should rise for better quality front-facing smartphone cameras. Huawei has upped the game since the 5mp front-facing camera on its Ascend P6. Its successor,

the P7 now boasts as many as 8mp and shoots 720p video perfect for YouTube users. The selfie camera also has a ‘panoramic’ feature

for group selfies, and a nifty ‘beautify’ feature for users who don’t necessarily have the skin for an 8mp camera. The phone will be available in June at an RRP of €449

A New Angle on Digiscoping Universal Novagrade smartphone and DSLR adapters are now available in the UK Alpha Optical Distribution has announced that it will be the official UK distributor for the new universalfit smartphone and DSLR adapters by Novagrade. The adaptors are new in the UK and offer a more versatile way of mounting smartphones and cameras on scopes and binoculars. A recent press release stated: “Until now, a digiscoping adapter was only suited for a specific scope or a specific camera. Most adapters are too large, too difficult to handle,

or too expensive… This is history now. The innovative Novagrade adapters are universal and will fit seamlessly to any eyepiece thanks to their patented system.” This patented system is based on compression rings, which can adjust themselves accordingly. Alpha Optical Distribution says the smartphone adapter accepts almost

any smartphone and also perfectly fits any 40-60mm eyepiece in one simple and fast action. Sales Manager Frazer Allen said: “This is great news for digiscopers, but needless to say this also benefits the stockists of digiscoping adapters in a huge way.” Top selling points: Low-cost, universal, light and pocket-sized. RRP: £151

Moto E Launched Motorola unveiled its latest entry-level smartphone at a press event on Tuesday 13 May The new Moto E is aimed at the lower end of the market and will be priced at just £89 in the UK. It runs on the latest Android 4.2.2 KitKat OS, features a 5MP front-facing camera to indulge the good-quality selfie craze, plus a Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor.

Steve Horowitz, senior vice president of software and engineering, said: “Motorola now has 17% of the smartphone market and our affordable handsets are the top sellers in emerging regions such as Brazil.” The Moto E will be sold in 40

different countries through more than 80 network operators over the next few weeks.

Doubt for the iPad’s Future Industry analysts believe there could be trouble on the horizon for Apple’s iPad sales The news comes after Apple announced its earnings for the second quarter of 2014 which, although strong, demonstrated a drop since the same quarter last year. In an industry that expects constant improvement, this is unsettling news.

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Morgan Stanley’s Katy Huberty recently stated that the relatively poor performance of the iPad is just one indicator of slowed growth in the tablet market over the coming months. She said: “Although slower tablet growth should help PC demand, our global PC model

remains largely unchanged at -5% in 2014 and 2015.” She believes a ‘lack of meaningful innovation’ is to blame for the lack of growth in the market, with manufacturers failing to introduce anything truly revolutionary to the market in recent years.

SPECIAL REPORT PRINT

It’s a Kodak Moments App A closer look at Kodak Alaris’ new Kodak Moments App Ever since the Box Brownie first launched in 1900, the ‘Kodak moment’ has been a household phrase, describing those sentimental moments in life that deserve to be captured forever in a snapshot. Now the phrase has been reclaimed for the new Kodak Alaris app, which enables users to print photo products from their mobiles, tablets or PCs from anywhere in the world. The app will mark the beginning of a change for the iconic company as it rebrands itself and targets a younger age group. Ralf Gerbershagen is the recently appointed CEO of Kodak Alaris, the company born from the original Kodak’s recent restructuring under Chapter 11. In a recent interview he told us: “We are a young and fresh startup company now with a $1.2 billion revenue based in the UK. Our first step now is to engage with our customers – to make sure that the

company is a bit more agile and young.” With ‘connectivity’ emerging as a strong trend in the industry, producing an app seems like the natural course for Kodak Alaris. In a recent statement the company said the app comes as a direct response to “changing needs: busier lifestyles and an increased need for mobile compatible solutions.” The new suite of apps can be downloaded for free on Android and iOS, and it can be used through Facebook and with Create@home software for PCs. The idea is that images can be selected directly from smartphones or Facebook, transformed into a personalised photo product with a few swipes and then sent to the nearest participating retailer for collection. The user is then sent an email confirmation including

an ID code which can be keyed into the Kodak Picture kiosks upon collection. For shoppers already in store, the Kodak Moments App can also connect directly to the kiosk using on-board WiFi, allowing immediate transfer of images. The integrated social media element allows Facebook users to select any of their albums – or their friends’ albums, to transform into prints, photobooks, or

greetings cards all with a selection of captions and layouts. The Create@home software for PCs is for people who want to spend more time producing their pictures on a bigger screen with more design options and templates. Paul Davey, Kodak Alaris’ UK Marketing Manager said: “The introduction of the Kodak Moments app, demonstrates that Kodak Alaris leads with innovations sensitive to ever-changing consumer needs heavily influenced by online and mobile. It’s also a fantastic milestone to launch our first innovative product to UK consumers as Kodak Alaris. We are proud to be innovating and creating products and services that our customers love to use and own.” www.kodakmomentsapp.com

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AV & COMPUTING Create an In-Store ‘Video Wall’ with Panasonic Panasonic has added a new display to its retail range, this time offering the narrowest bezel yet at just 4.9mm, allowing users to create seamless video walls for dynamic retail spaces. The new TH-47LFV5 LED backlight display has a 500cd/m2 brightness, a wide viewing angle and an anti-glare surface treatment to reduce reflections in bright spaces. According to Panasonic: “In the competitive digital signage environment, TH-47LFV5 promises eye-catching advertisements with vibrant images reproduced in Full-HD quality.” Video walls offer retailers an effective way of drawing customers in, creating dynamic displays and demonstrating the capabilities of different camera models. Find out more at http://panasonic.net/ prodisplays/products

Sony Dumps OLED for 4K Hints on the rumour mill that Sony will put all efforts into 4K

According to a report by Japanese news website Nikkei, Sony has decided to put research and development into OLED displays on the backburner while the company focus on rolling out 4K LCD TVs. While OLED is still seen as next-generation technology, 4K seems to be Sony’s main priority and it is hopes it will rescue the company’s falling TV sales. Currently Sony owns 20% of the value share of the 4K market and plans to release eight new 4K TVs this summer. The report read: “Sony does not see real demand for OLED TVs taking off anytime soon, whereas its 4K LCD TVs are generating revenue now.”

New Specialists at Midwich AV Division

Two new specialists have been appointed to help bolster sales at True Colours, the AV division of the Midwich Group Nick White and Paul Corsbie-Smith both join the team from specialist backgrounds in integration and AV respectively. While Nick has taken up the position of AMX Sales Specialist at True Colours’ Berkshire headquarters, Paul has joined as Image Processing Sales Specialist, covering Calibre, Analogway, Roland, Datapath and TVOne. A spokesperson for the company

UK Projector Sales Down

While worldwide projector shipment is on the rise, sales in UK dropped last year, according to recent reports Customers across the world have been embracing the big screen in their homes, according to the latest Futuresource Consulting reports. Worldwide shipments of front projectors grew year-on-year by 6% in 2013, to 2.12 million units reaching a value of £2.63 billion. Eastern Europe has enjoyed the greatest year-on-year rise in sales. As

many as 151,000 units were shipped there during Q4 in 2013, representing an increase of 12% from the previous year. In addition, shipments to Western Europe grew 3% thanks to increased demand for projectors in Germany and France. Spain in particular has had its best

sales figures since 2011, with as many as 33,900 projectors being shipped during the last quarter of 2013. In the UK, a reduced sell-in to the under-represented retail market for projectors led to a 5% year-onyear decline in total sales in the final quarter of last year.

Video Wall Market is Growing Strong growth according to analysts According to a report by research company Futuresource, the video wall market maintained a strong growth trajectory in 2013, having sold 449,000 units and posting nearly 60% CAGR from 2009 to 2013. Super narrow bezel (SNB) display is now a firmly established technology alongside rear projection

cubes (RPC), helping the market settle into a period of relative stability. In a recent statement, Chris McIntyre-Brown of Futuresource Consulting said: “The RPC category has been hugely resilient over the past five years when the industry perhaps expected to see sales fall away, being replaced by SNB products. The reality has been an

environment where both technologies can coexist.” However, this equilibrium is likely to be unsettled by the introduction of a new contender in the form of narrow pixel pitch (NPP) LED, which Futuresource predicts will become a significantly disruptive technology over the coming years.

New Impactology for MacBook

Tough cases for iPads

Tech21, developers of the patented Impactology cases for mobile devices, has just announced the launch of a new protective material – FlexShock™. Described by Tech21 as a ‘cutting edge hybrid’ material, FlexShock™ is designed to absorb and repel the energy of impact. The material is now being used to create the

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said: “True Colours knows that distributing great products is simply not enough, which is why it is committed to providing a high level of support to resellers and installers though product information, demonstrations and training.” www.true-colours.net

Impact Snap for the Apple MacBook, bsed around an easy snap-one design to protect the device while allowing access to all of its ports, keys and other features. Top Selling Points: • Slim, tough impact

protection • Injection moulded – to deliver additional protection for your device • Flexible geometric structures for advanced impact protection • Colour matched. RRP: £59.99

EVENTS

An Inside Look at photokina 2014

In just four months, Cologne will once again open its doors to the imaging industry for the world’s largest and leading photo fair – photokina 2014 Pixel recently attended the photokina 2014 press conference in London, where Koelnmesse Managing Director Nick Fielder, and Press Officer Michael Steiner revealed more about the themes and focuses of this year’s show. Already over 80% of the space inside the Exhibition Centre (the fifth largest in the world) has been rented by exhibitors from all sectors of the imaging industry, including photo, film, mobile, print, 3D print and optics. Trade visitors are encouraged to take advantage of the market briefings hosted by GfK, as well as the new International Buyers Lounge offering a special service to industry professionals. This will include detailed fair information, specific product details and access to special databases – all designed to give as much information in the shortest time possible. This year’s focus will be on the emotional side of photography and thus the halls will be divided into five thematic ‘worlds’ that will, according to Koelnmesse Vice President Markus Oster: “Address the emotional aspect of photography more strongly than before.” These ‘emotional’ themes are: • Capture your world – cameras, lenses and equipment

• Light up your world – lighting, flashes and tripods • Share your world – storage, connection and transfer • Create your world – input, editing and processing • Show your world – finishing, printing and presentation The show will also reflect changing trends in the industry, focusing on emerging technologies and changing consumer demands. The first of these is ‘movie’. According to Mr. Oster: “More and more, photographers are becoming directors. This is made possible by the powerful functions of cameras.” From this an entirely new

The Sony World Photography Awards winners were exhibited at Somerset House in London between Thursday 1 and Saturday 18 May. A total of 14 professional winners were selected by the World Photography Organisation (WPO) from 140,00 entries across 166 countries. A recent statement from WPO read: WPO is delighted to announce American photographer Sara Naomi Lewkowicz as 2014’s L’Iris d’Or/Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of the Year. The photographer’s story is inescapable; horrific and tender, fierce and unfathomable, and luridly coloured.” Other winners were chosen from the Open, Youth and Student Focus categories.

Smartphones at Photokina

accessories industry has emerged to make filming with DSLR or CSC cameras more comfortable, he explained. Another emerging trend is connectivity – the ability the share data between devices. It is hoped that this theme will help give young people a new insight into photography, and a special area at the show will be dedicated to this particular audience. The ‘photokina Communities’ area will exist with the slogan ‘Be mobile, be in action, be connected’ and will contain an action stage programme to attract young photographers, outdoor enthusiasts and smartphone users. Surrounding this, app producers, action cams and photography festivals will exhibit their wares. We will be keeping Pixel readers updated over the coming months. To find out more about the upcoming show, and to reserve your ticket, visit www.photokina.com.

This year, photokina organisers Koelnesse and the Photographic Industry Association will be teaming up with research specialists Suite 48 Analytics to produce lectures, workshops and seminars dealing closely with the ‘smartphone phenomenon’ from a range of perspectives. Presentations will reveal some of the top developments in the market while arming prospective app developers with some valuable tips on how to develop, launch and market an app. This talk will take place on the photokina Communities stage, while on the Professionals stage there will be a presentation entitled ‘The integration of smartphone photography into the life of a professional photographer.”

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SPECIAL REPORT FOCUS

THE BIG INTERVIEW

Leica UK Managing Director, David Bell, explains to Damien Demolder why the introduction of the ‘popular’ Leica T won’t dramatically alter the company’s retail strategy range in stock, which meant they couldn’t show customers the breadth of cameras and lenses that the company had to offer. That wasn’t much good for Leica or for the customer who wanted to see and touch something that retailer didn’t have. In recent years our concentration has been on ensuring the customer has the best possible experience in store, and can see and pick up any camera or lens that he or she might want to buy. Our retailers are our partners, and we like them to hold every product that we offer. That takes great commitment on their part as the full range costs over £100k – even without the S medium format series. In return for their commitment, our partners

You may have thought, just for a second, like I did, that the introduction of a lower cost camera aimed at a more popular and younger market might have signalled they will represent the brand well. an impending change to the way We are a small company and only Leica UK distributes its products. have so much product to sell, so Perhaps more retailers would be we can’t be everywhere. carrying the Leica Leica is a luxury brand, so brand, and it might it needs to be in the right become easier to set up as a Leica dealer. “People will travel to buy a Leica as our place with the right volume type of footfall. Most That, however, cameras are a significant purchase, so and prime retail positions in the seems unlikely, as it is better to have fewer stores with the UK are aimed at clothing when I put this to and industries where 100% Leica UK MD David whole range than lots of stores with mark-up is common. Bell, he explained only a part of the range” Those margins don’t exist that little will change in photography, so most when the Leica T camera dealers can’t goes on sale, as the afford to be in those prime company will still get unrivalled support from us. We locations. need to manage the environment in know all our partners personally, and Luxury retailing starts in London, which its products are sold. we have the kind of relationships in which is why most of our partners “Leica used to have 200 stockists which we trust them and they trust are based in London, as is our in the UK. Our products cost a lot us. We have to have faith that their own store. People will travel to of money so most of those retailers business will be successful and that buy a Leica as our cameras are a held only a small selection of our

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significant purchase, so it is better to have fewer stores with the whole range than lots of stores with only a part of the range. Leica needs to be sold by people who love the brand and who have invested their own time in knowing about it, about the intricacies of the system - modern and historic. Our customers want to deal with people who share their interest and who have an in-depth knowledge, because they want to ask in depth questions. I have to get the customer experience right - when we get things wrong I get the calls and the letters. It’s my contact details that are on display at company’s house!” www.leica.com

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