Quick Guide To Photo Fair 2018.
Consumer Electronic Imaging Fair 2018 popularly known as the Photofair 2018 marks a great start to the year 2018. I have been a regular to this fair for a long time. In the mids 2006-2015 was a rough year for these events as the entire industry was facing a revolution phase of digitization over the film. The vendors tried to push the envelope with new technologies but were unaware of the fact that the one they were presenting was worth the investment. The same was with the professionals who didn't have a direction to aim. Thanks to internet revolution & globalization, the professionals are now focused on their path of business & the experimental phase is out of order. This year's Photo Fair 2018 is a clear indication of the new age. The products are more relevant & effective.
The Fair is slated from 9th - 12th January 2018 held at mumbai. Its a treat to all the professionals out there. As the footfall is not just from the cities but it is from different states from the country. If you are planning to visit it, it's worth it. To register - http://www.aiptia.org/register-ceif-2018/
A fair like this can be confusing at many levels. what to look out for? what to choose? & so on.
So here’s a small guide for you to how to start your exploration.
first of all divide yourself & your firm among the 3 major categories:- 1.Photographer 2.Filmmaker or Videographer or Vlogger or Content Creator 3.Studio owners
Cameras Now when you are in Photofair, It's mandatory to look out for camera. There is a wide range of new releases & other existing line up of cameras. This year the camera segment is a bit better than the previous ones as it is no longer dominated by the giants like Nikon or Canon but on the flip side, you have Panasonic & Sony finally catching up the game. Panasonic even launched one of its flagship camera Lumix GH5S at the opening of the exhibition. Sony also manages to share their line up for entry-level DSLR & compact point & shoot camera segments. The photography quality of these cameras is up to the mark & with the newly improved sensors that capture a wide colour gamut has breath taking results to explore but what takes the cake is the low light performance of these new segment cameras.
If you are a filmmaker, Vlogger or video enthusiasts then this is the right place to be because finally after long speculations 4k is here. Every camera whether its point & shoot or a DSLR or a Video cam or a Cinecam (super 35mm sensor) are equipped with a 4k output. You need to look out for your editing setups to produce these content but for now you have the power to shoot in 4K. Canon C200 is one of the effective cine cam that is attracting a lot of attention.
Cannon has a surprise for you if you are a wedding/ corporate/fashion videographer. It has two new editions XF400/405 (4K) & XA 11/15 (Full HD). Both cameras are available in the exhibition for a hands-on approach.
Panasonic has introduced the 4K imaging club, an online forum for all 4k professionals active around the world. Panasonic has always been in the game of video cameras & this time they have a variety of cameras at an affordable cost that can upgrade you to 4k.
4K support When you buy these cameras you need a set of equipment that can help you have a seamless workflow, from 4k controllers to software solutions everything is available in the exhibitiom, the famous software in the wedding video segment Edius 9 is back & now supports 4k HDR.
Lenses Now if its Photofair, you should have a range of options to look out for when it comes to lenses. from Nikon/Canon/Lumix/Sony sharing their own segment of lenses, you also have Tamron/Zeiss/Sigma bringing a new range of variety of lenses depending on your budget & your form of photography. wildlife & landscape photographers will have a blast, as there is a range of variety when it comes to lenses & filters.
Gimbles Filmmakers like me have to pay real attention to this segment. We had the DJI who was ruling the global market when it comes to affordable gimbles & 3 axis stability rigs. Now you have options to explore beyond DJI. DJI this year looked more focused on the drones & DJI Ronin( but particularly focused on drones) but as an alternative, you got Zhiyun & Feiyutech who enters the gimble game to compete with DJI products. These products have a lot in common when it comes to comparison but what works is the price game that helps you to get what you want at affordable prices.
Sound If you are a true professional, you know it is not the camera resolution but the clarity of sound also plays a very important role in production & surprisingly companies like Rode/Sennheiser do own a stall in this event, more importantly people are paying attention & investing in sound equipment is a breath of fresh air in this event. If you are planning to interview people for youtube & stuff you got to step into TASCAM stall who provide portable audio recorders in various categories from handheld to recorders for DSLR etc.
Rode is also introducing a filmmakers kit that comprises of a wireless setup with one lapel & another receiver & you can record sound without worrying about wires again.
we shot a sketch entirely on mobile because we were looking for a mobile handheld feel but our major problem was the sound & now Rode has introduced directional microphone & stereo microphone for smartphones. which might help people like us or vloggers who vlog through mobile phones to receive high-quality sound without having another sound setup on the shoot.
Tripods/Bags/Jackets Yes! Manfrotto & Lowepro are still one of the leading brands in these segment but a lot of people complain about the price tag but this year you have alternatives to explore. LIBEC HFMP Kit (Hands-Free Mono-Pod) which is worth your attention. if you hate the weight of a tripod & you have a problem with monopod not being stable on its own, then this is a product just for you. There is a Japenese instructor at the stall who is patient enough to answer all your questions related to the product. So make sure you pay a visit.
Storage Digital & storage go hand in hand. when storage segment was introduced long back to the audience. People didn't really pay attention to the importance of investing in good storage systems but again this year the myth is broken. Westen Digital owns a proud stall, as the latest take over the Scan Disk company making them one of the strongest company in the storage market. People have started investing in high-speed flashcards & SD cards. Also, the introduction of waterproof cards is worth your attention. Western Digital popularly known as WD has a range of Harddisk that not only appealing but also durable in nature. Scandisk has a newly launched pen drive that helps iPhone & iPad bump up their storage capacity & helps you to store more than the capacity offered by the products.
SLIDERS & JIMMY JIBS This segment is not new to the people who regularly attend these exhibitions. These products have evolved over the years from being bulky complicated setups to simple compact & easy to use. The products presented in this segment undoubtedly exceeds its previous predecessors.
Lights This year you have two categories of lighting setups. photography & videography elichrome is missing this year's exhibition or I might have failed to find one but photopro & other retailers provide a range of products that can cater all kinds of shoots from jewelry to outdoor photography. The same goes with videography the products are in the range of heavy-duty lighting sets to on the go lighting solutions. For me, the biggest disappointment was the absence of compact battery backups for outdoor shoots. But on the other hand, you have wireless solutions to various flashguns available in the market that can act as a softbox or as any other source of light you want it to be depending on the setup you use. drawbacks of these flashguns are the number of AA batteries you need to carry to keep your shoot running for an 8 hour period, Though there are some flashguns which come with rechargeable lithium batteries like we have in our DSLRs but how far are they effective is a question that might be answered in future.
What's fancy this year?
Fujifilm's Instax series of camera is a revival of the olden polo ride camera with a modern twist. it comes in various attractive bodies the one that stood the most was the Minions edition camera which might appeal to the younger generation but with the cost of the film, it won't stay long. people who were in love with polo ride can have these for their collection.
Fog Screen! I repeat, There is a machine that creates artificial fog shooting down from top & then a film is projected on the fog. Yes! that sounds obscured but if you want to believe it check the. I don't want to dwell on the pros & cons of it.
You got plenty of backgrounds, reflectors, software, printing solutions, albums & other accessories to explore. overall this year the PhotoFair 2018 stands up to its reputation.
I hope I was able to help you to navigate through this year's photo fair 2018. If you find this article informative share it with all your photographer & filmmaking friends & if I left out anything do let me know. follow me on instagram @nbangera
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