13th March 2015
ISSUE NO. 948D
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WILL MOBILE PHOTO PRINTING SAVE PHOTOBUCKET? A BRIEF LOOK AT THE NEW OLYMPUS SH-2, BOWENS TAKES OVER THE PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW AND MORE...
Flash For Mobile Photography
News In Brief – The Photography Show 15 Snippets and tidbits from the upcoming Photography Show (March 21-24)
A new Kickstarter project has been launched by a team hoping to sell a new pocket spotlight for improving the quality of smarphone photos. ‘Flasher’ can attach to any smartphone or tablet, or it can simply be held to light up a scene. It has a beam angle of 75º and it can be used for both front and rear cameras. The team hope to raise $15,000 to take this product to market.
Apple Says: iPhone Images Are Good Enough to Print The tech giant is printing iPhone users’ photos on billboards for its latest ad campaign. In a bid to prove that iPhone 6 photos are good enough for print, Apple has launched a ‘Shot on iPhone 6’ print and outdoor campaign featuring photos taken by real iPhone users. The company has announced it will feature shots from 77 individuals scouted online, from 70 cities across 24 countries. Apple has made it clear that none of the images used were commissioned. PHOTO -
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Panasonic LUMIX GH4
Trade shows are always a bit exhausting. How often do you have this many photographers and enthusiasts milling around in the same room? As show veterans will know, the trick to making the most of the limited time is to plan well. Bring a couple of team members with you so you can rotate shifts and leave enough time to mingle with the industry, gain knowledge, seek opportunities and keep up with the latest trends and movements. World of Mobileography It’s contentious stuff, but smartphone photography is becoming an increasingly relevant topic in our industry. Techradar’s exhibition ‘Mobileography’ aims to demonstrate how the rise of smartphone photography isn’t necessarily a threat. VIDEO
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If you’re planning to branch out into all things mobile, a bit of hovering near this stage could give you the inspiration you need.
gain access to this relaxing lounge to take a break from the busy show floor, catch up with some work on your laptop, or have meetings with friends and colleagues. When you collect your badge you’ll be given a free coffee voucher for use in the lounge - so take advantage!
Panasonic’s 4K stand Even if you’re not a Panasonic stockist, a visit to the stand might prove useful just to see what the 4K fuss is all about. An avid ambassador of all things 4K, Panasonic will be showing visitors how to capture their own stills from 4K footage – something they believe will revolutionise the way we take photographs.
Olympus’ newest OM-D Olympus has said it will be hosting a mixture of photographic seminars and hands-on demonstrations. If you’re keen to see the brand new OM-D M5 Mark II, you’re in luck. Visitors can come along and try this camera out alongside the M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-150mm all-in-onelens, and the Olympus PEN series.
Bowens Lounge This year you can feel like a VIP with the Bowens Lounge exclusive only to professional photographers and members of the imaging trade. With your show badge you can -
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WELCOME To Pixel Magazine What’s happened this week? Clarkson got banned from Sunday night TV for throwing a tantrum, Ed Miliband’s tiny kitchen fell victim to national debate and scrutiny, and the US military revealed it’s training elephants to sniff out dangerous explosives (it’s on the BBC, it must be true). In the photographic industry things haven’t been quite as wild - no ‘fracas’ to report here. But alas, anticipation is rapidly rising for The Photography Show next week, which looks set to be a pretty exciting time for all of us. Sony, Nikon and Olympus have this week released new compact cameras, DSLRs and lenses – including the full frame lenses from Sony (more info below), the new Olympus SH-2, and Nikon COOLPIX 900 and D7200. Meanwhile, we keep our eye on neighbouring industries includng print, 3D print, mobile
and wearables – all of which could play a part in the evolution of photographic trade in the coming years. Don’t forget - if you’d like to publicise any staff changes, product launches, charity events, or if you’d like to raise an important industry issue, please get in touch zoe@pixel.co.uk Zoe Thomas, Editor
Full-On Mirrorless Full-Frame From Sony Full-On Mirrorless Full-Frame From Sony
The company has expanded its a E-mount range with new full-frame offerings for mirrorless cameras, including a new wideangle, mid-telephoto macro G lens, 10x zoom, wide-angle prime and a range of converters. The new products are: Zeiss® Distagon T* FE 35mm F1.4 ZA (SEL35F14Z) fullframe wide angle This new lens offers a minimum focusing distance of just 0.3m, Sony says the Distagon T* FE 35mm F1.4 ZA is also the first E-mount lens to provide an extra-fast F1.4 aperture, ideal for super ‘smooth bokeh effects’ in combination with the 9-blade circular aperture. FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS (SEL90M28G) full-frame mid-
telephoto macro G Lens This is the E line’s first midtelephoto lens, incorporating built-in Optical Steady Shot (OSS) image stabilisation for ‘pin-sharp images at up to 1:1 magnification even when shooting handheld’, according to Sony. FE 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS (SEL24240) 10x fullframe zoom This lens is designed to suit a wide range of shooting situations, from landscapes to portraits and moving subjects (sports scenes etc.). Sony describes it as an ‘ideal travel partner’.
Will.i.am Champions 3D and tech entrepreneur Will.I.Am Print Singer believes 3D printing will change the world Former Black Eyes Peas band member Will.i.am recently discussed the power and potential of 3D print in the The Guardian. He said: “I had the idea of creating a filament cartridge to be able to print new objects from post-consumer recycled plastic. So [inventor] Dean Kamen put me in touch with 3D Systems and we worked hard for 18 months to make that a reality. Now we have an Ekocycle
Cube that prints in our fabric, so what was once a plastic bottle can be turned into whatever idea you have. From head to hand in a few hours, depending how intricate your design is.” Will.i.am has high hopes for this emerging technology, and believes ‘everyone will have a printer in their house’ in 10 years time. He said: “Your friend will say, ‘Let’s go, hurry up’ and you’ll go, ‘Wait, my shoes haven’t finished printing yet.’
UK Retail Sales Growth Grinds To A Halt
Business survey reveals retailers have suffered this year
highs”. A survey by business Rain Newtongroup CBI has Smith, CBI director revealed that retail of economics said: growth suffered a “After a strong start sharp fall in February. Westfield London Shopping Centre - .Martin. to the year, retailers 30% of were disappointed respondents said by the unexpected sales volumes were halt in sales growth. In particular, up on last year, while 29% said continually heavy discounting in sales were down - giving a balance the grocers sector seems to be of +1% and defying forecasters’ weighing on activity. expectations of +34%. Looking ahead, the outlook for In addition, tougher conditions are expected in the coming months with the retail sector is fairly positive, with the boost to household incomes suppliers orders dropping, investors from falling inflation likely to support drawing back and retailers planning spending ... However, as this survey staff cuts. shows, overall trading conditions on The CBI said ‘expectations have the high street remain challenging.” moderated significantly from recent
FE 28mm F2 (SEL28F20) fullframe wide angle prime Sony describes this as an ‘ideal second lens to supplement every photographer’s basic lens kit’. It’s designed to be light, compact and dust/moisture resistance.
Converter and SEL057FEC Fisheye Converter respectively increase angle of view to 21mm or 16mm fisheye with full 180° coverage. Maximum aperture of each converter when mounted on the FE 28mm F2 is F2.8 and F3.5 respectively. In a first for α lens converters, corresponding EXIF data is generated with either converter attached to the lens.
SEL057FEC Dedicated Fisheye Converter and SEL075UWC For even wider perspectives, the optional SEL075UWC Ultra-wide
Software updates for E-mount lenses Available now, a new software update enhances lens functionality for selected current E-mount lens models.
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NEWS Acclaim For Canon’s Oce PlotWave Wide Format Printing System Canon’s recently launched Oce PlotWave 500 wide format printing system was awarded an iF Gold Product Design Award at the iF Design Awards 2015, hosted in Germany. This marks the company’s 21st consecutive win at the iF Awards, which were established in 1953 and recognise outstanding design achievements across several different disciplines. Duncan Smith, Wide Format Printing Group Director for the brand, said: “The Océ PlotWave and ColorWave printers represent the perfect balance of visual and functional design. “They feature unique internal elements to deliver high quality and reliable print output at high speeds. Ergonomic features make the printers easy to use, while high quality aesthetics make them fit naturally into any working environment. Finally, the touchscreen-based user interface is a particularly unique design element, providing an intuitive and reliable print workflow. “The iF Design Awards are well respected worldwide for setting the standard in modern technology design, and it is an honour to receive awards for our Océ ColorWave and PlotWave range, including an iF Gold Product Design Award for the Océ PlotWave 500.”
Olympus SH-2: Point And Shoot With Retro PEN Styling New premium compact from Olympus
Olympus may only have launched its PEN-style SH-1 compact camera less that a year ago, but already the company has replaced it with a successor: the SH-2. The new camera has the same retro look, with metal and leather casing, but it comes with a number of light improvements: namely RAW support, more movie modes (nightscape and time-lapse) and a new ‘live composite’ feature for long exposure techniques. Olympus said: “Unexpected moments make fantastic photos, but they mostly don’t happen in perfect light and you can’t put
happy children on hold while you try to steady your camera. Which is why Olympus gave the new Stylus SH-2 the high-end technology it takes to record videos and still photos on the fly – quickly, easily and even in the dark.” The company has also made clear that users can expect better quality than they’d get on a smartphone, ‘without requiring even a hint of photographic expertise’. The SH-2 certainly exceeds the capabilities of smartphones currently on the market with its 25x optical zoom, and the 5-axis Image Stabilisation technology that attracted buyers to the SH-1 puts
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Other key selling points include: • Four movie functions:120/240 fps high-speed Movie, Photo & Movie Capture, Time Lapse/Night Scene Time Lapse Movie and Full HD 30p/60p Movie. • Photo Story software for capturing, storing and sharing memories in a creative, collage-like layout. • 16MP backlit CMOS • 3” 460,000 dot LCD • Art filters RRP: £249.99. Availability: Mid-March 2015
PhotoMe ‘Encouraged’ By Photobooth The company has released its annual trading report Business PhotoMe, the instant photo kiosk operator, has revealed 2014 third quarter profits, stating the company is ‘very encouraged’ by the performance of both its core photobooth business and its growing laundry business. Profit before tax (PBT) in the third quarter was 12% higher than the same period last year on a reported basis, and 19% higher if considered at constant currencies. Turnover for the quarter at constant currency rose 3%.
The Group continues to develop its photobooth portfolio and is trialling 25 new Starck booths which incorporate the 3D figurine photobooth. The Group intends to launch its new generation
Polecam Reveals Latests Rigs, Cameras jibs, minicams and accessories specialist had and Lenses The plenty to show off at BVE 2015 Polecam Systems has unveiled the new Antelope PICO high speedultra-motion minicam amongst a range of other products. The Antelope PICO slow motion HD footage up to 350fps and can be mounted on a Polecam to give ultra Slo-Mo POV both above and below water. It can also be sold with dedicated FishFace underwater housing and new lens drive. Polecam has a wide user base and the introduction of new features have brought entry level costs down. The rig’s motorised heads
it firmly in the premium compact zone. Like its predecessor, it has WiFi connectivity so the camera an work in tandem with a smartphone, rather than competing with it.
have been upgraded to digital control enabling the use of larger high end cameras such as the Canon C300, Sony F5, 55 & 7, the Black Magic Design series, RED Epic, Panasonic 171 and all leading manufacturers of DSLRs including the Panasonic
GH4. The modular build also provides a platform for minicam manufacturers such as Antelope Pico, IO Industries , Panasonic, Toshiba and more, these can be flown out to a reach of 8m. Graeme Chapman, Managing Director of Polecam Systems said “With the range of
and extremely modern Starckdesigned digital kiosk later in 2015 and is optimistic that the new machines will be well received by the marketplace. The report, aimed at investors, concludes: “The Group continues to view the future with great confidence based on the strong performance of the current portfolio supported by the planned roll out of new units and its growing pipeline of new products.”
exciting new large sensor video and DSLR cameras that can now be used on Polecam, as well as the great new HD and 4K minicams, you have a very exciting singleoperator lightweight and easily transportable crane system that will add production value to any production. Polecams success keeps on growing, with many owner operators now around the world. We expect to see many of them turning up too, as most of our new features can be added as upgrades to earlier rigs.”
NEWS
Will This Camera Change How We start-up First V1sion has created a Watch Sport? Spanish wearable camera for athletes
V1sion has said it is currently in talks with Manchester City to roll out its wearable camera that gives TV viewers a first person view of the sporting action. The company has come out of the blue, speeding to success from its formation in April last year. It was fast-tracked through an accelerator scheme and won Intel’s Make It Wearable competition soon after. In October the camera made its debut with pro players a the Cordoba football club (Spain), who said the device didn’t affect
their play but didn’t like the fact that there was a microphone. The microphone has since been removed from the design (but can be reinstated upon request). There were still a number of
challenges to overcome, according to the company’s co-founder Roger Antunez, including the fact that batteries needed to be replaced at halftime. However, they have since fine-tuned many issues and battery life is now longer. The company opens its doors to crowd funding on 11 March to finance the jump from small start-up to fully-fledged company. However, backing by Telefonica (owns television rights for Barcelona FC), should put the company in a comfortable position.
Wearables Market Continues To Grow Wearable part of tech industry set to triple in next 10 years According to new data from IDTechEx Research, the wearable technology market will rise from $24.2 billion in 2015 to three times that size in ten years – creating a market of $64.3 billion in 2025. In addition to increasing demand for existing enabling components, this provides a large opportunity for new technologies as electronics move from
bulky devices to ones that can conform to the wearer. For example, the value of sensors used in wearable technology devices will rise from $700 million in 2015 to $5.8 billion in 2025 (sensor component value alone). The biggest growth will be for stretch and pressure sensors, followed by chemical sensors, according to IDTechEx Research. The IDTechEx event Wearable Technology Europe, hosted on April 28-29 in
Berlin, is the largest event covering the full wearable technology supply chain – from materials to all the end devices, paying particular attention to market drivers and trends. New products will be unveiled, from premium fashion jackets with embedded electronics to smart plasters. The latest work on stretchable sensors to even textile integrated solar is also covered in this conference, which features over 80 relevant speakers and a tradeshow of over 120 exhibitors showcasing the latest emerging technologies.
New ViewNX-i image hub and ViewNX-Movie Editor
integration of the ViewNX Movie Editor. Zurab Kiknadze, Product Manager, Lenses, Accessories & Software, Nikon Europe, said: “The new ViewNX-i platform is all about enabling a smoother creative process after the shoot. Nikon is dedicated to offering photographers
You might remember PhotoBucket from when it first launched in 2003 - however, it has since tailed off with the rise of Flickr, Instagram and other photo sharing sites. Today the site claims to have 100 million users - although this may be a predominantly stagnant user base. Profit is generated mainly through its print, advertising and subscription services but the recent launch of a ‘Print Shop’ service (September 2014) is hoped to bring the company back to growth. The service enables users to create personalised prints and photo products from the images they upload. This includes products such as greetings cards, canvas, home decor and calendars. Kate Hare, Photobucket’s chief product and marketing officer, said: “We saw tremendous growth, about 10x in revenue year-over-year from 2013. “So far we are seeing about 10 percent of print orders coming from mobile and expect that to become a larger percentage during the year.”
Upcoming Sign & Digital
www.idtechex.com/wteurope
Nikon Releases New Imaging Software Nikon has announced details of its new editing software. ViewNX-i enables photographers to organise, edit and share stills and movies. It features three workspaces users can switch between for sorting, map and web upload operations. Apparently this works ‘seamlessly’ with Nikon’s Capture NX-D programme for more advanced functions. This software inherits the interface of its predecessor, ViewNX2. New features include sidecar files for non-destructive image processing, ability to share images to social media and the
Will Mobile Printing Save PhotoBucket?
the ultimate in image quality, and imaging software has an important role to play. With the recent changes to our Capture NX-D editing software, we wanted to remove any overlap between applications. Now that our software suite includes ViewNX-i, the View-NX-Movie Editor and Capture NX-D, Nikon shooters have an extensive set of processing and adjustment tools at their disposal. ViewNX-i makes it easy to access the tools you need.” Both applications are available as free downloads.
The UK event for sign making, display solutions and digital printing is fast approaching. Sign & Digital will take place between 24 and 26 March at Halls 17 and 18 at the NEC in Birmingham. The show is being pitched as ‘bigger and brighter than ever’ this year, with exhibitors including HP giving a preview of its new PageWide technology; Soyang Europe unveiling two brand new products, and Resolute launching new Direct Color Systems UV MVP series printers. For industry professionals, network opportunities abound to help you meet new potential clients, discuss the industry and make potentially game-changing contacts. http://www.signuk.com/
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NEWS It’s A Bowens TakeOver At TPS
Lighting manufacturer Bowens will have all guns blazing at The Photography Show (TPS). Bowens’ presence at this year’s TPS will be its ‘biggest ever’ in its 68-year history, the company has announced. It has teamed up with its videography and broadcast subdivision Limelite to set up a new-look stand (G81) featuring a Studio and Technique Stage and a Bowens Networking Lounge Zone for pro photographers and trade visitors. Keeping busy all day, the team is running a non-stop timetable of free lighting demonstrations and stage-set masterclasses from the brand’s photography ambassadors: Wayne Johns, Jake Hicks, Trevor and Faye Yerbury, Nick Webster, Christina Lauder, Bruce Smith and Christian Hough. They also plan to showcase the much talked-about LED Light Cube. Robert Cook, Bowens marketing director, said: “TPS is set to be a landmark event for us as we will showcase not only the pioneering Light Cube that is already revolutionising studio and location shoots for photographers and film-makers but we will also be picking up a major product of the year trade award for our equally compelling Mosaic Daylight LED panel.”
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Nikon Launches COOLPIX P900 Introducing Nikon’s latest super-zoom bridge With smartphones gaining ground on the compact camera market, manufacturers are racing to pack premium features into compact bodies to claim back the crowd. The new COOLPIX P900 compact from Nikon is the latest crowdpleaser, boasting an 83x optical zoom covering 24mm to 2000mm, extendable to 4000mm with Dynamic Fine Zoom. Top Selling Points - Ultra high-power zoom: Capture details with the 83x NIKKOR zoom lens – extendable to 166x Dynamic
Fine Zoom. - 5.0-stop Dual Detect Optical VR (vibration reduction): Hand-held telephoto shooting is stable as VR detects movement, improving vibration absorption. - Back-illuminated 16MP CMOS image sensor - GPS/GLONASS/QZSS support with POI: international satellite systems tracking your route. - Built-in WiFi and NFC - Rapid AF and reduced shooting time lag (approx 0.12 sec at wide-angle). - Large vari-angle LCD monitor: Explore flexible framing options with the Clear Color Display 7.5-cm/3-in
approx. 921k-dot vari-angle monitor (RGBW). - Full HD movies: One-touch supersmooth movies (1080/60p) come with high-quality sound, as the microphone changes directivity with the zoom. - Time-lapse movie - Zoom microphone - Moon and Bird-watching modes - Wide viewing angle - Customisable Function (Fn) button - COOLPIX Picture Control Built-in electronic viewfinder - Snap-back zoom button
RRP: £499.99 Sales start date: 19th March 2015
Introducing New Nikon D7200
Nikon has unveiled an upgraded version of the popular D7100, released back in 2013 The D7200 looks essentially the same but features a number of upgrades, including WiFi, NFC, improved autofocus in low light, and 15% longer battery life. This makes its debut as Nikon’s only DX format in the current range to support autofocus on screw drive lenses, putting it in the same league as the Pentax K-3, Sony SLT-A77 II and Canon EOS 7D Mark II. Top Selling Points: • 24.2MP DX-format sensor • EXPEED 4: boosts the camera’s overall performance • Multi-CAM 3500 II 51-point AF system. Sensitive down to -3 EV (ISO 100, 20 °C/68 °F). • Wide ISO range: standard ISO range of 100–25600. • Fast continuous shooting: up
to 6 fps in DX format, and up to 7 fps in 1.3x crop. Capture up to 27 12-bit RAW images and up to 100 high-quality JPEGs in one highspeed burst. • Unlimited continuous shooting: shoot in continuous release mode with a shutter speed of 4 seconds or slower, and record as many images as the media cards and battery life will allow. • Time-lapse movies: shoot timelapse sequences with smooth exposure transitions. • Connectivity: WiFi and NFC. • D-Movie: record DX-format Full HD movies at up to 25p/30p, or
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switch to 1.3x crop mode and record at up to 1080/50p/60p. • High-fidelity audio: superior options for audio control enable professional sounding movie footage • 1.3x crop: gain extra telephoto reach, speed, and wider AF coverage. • Tough and durable: highly
RRPs: Nikon D7200 body only: £939.99 Nikon D7200 body and 18-105 VR lens: £1,119.99 Available: 19th March 2015
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E-M5 Mark II
*CIPA Standards as of 12/2014
YOU ARE FREE Follow your creative visions with the new OM-D E-M5 Mark II. Capture spur-of-the-moment photos and movies in breathtakingly clear quality thanks to the world’s most powerful 5-axis image stabilisation*. This OM-D is also ready to go wherever you go, in any situation. The compact build won’t weigh you down, while the robust construction is set for taking on the elements: dust, splashes and freezing temperatures. Freedom has never felt so free – with the OLYMPUS OM-D. Find out more at your local dealer or visit olympus.co.uk
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The Photography Show is the event for aspiring photographers. Join us this March and:
• See what’s new from over 200 leading brands including Canon and Nikon
• See Don McCullin, Mary Ellen Mark,
Martin Parr and more on the Super Stage
• Get top business advice and enhance your creativity at the Pro Conference
Book your ticket today (for free) at:
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Advanced registration closes at 17:00, 18 March, adult ticket rates apply after this date.
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