The Photography (and Video) Show is a real highlight of the year for me and this year is no exception. I wouldn’t change living in Cornwall, but one downside is the lack of a decent camera shop for miles and miles. It’s no secret that camera gear can be expensive especially when considering camera bodies and lenses. Whilst watching YouTube videos and reading reviews can be useful, nothing quite replaces getting your hands on products. And even if you don’t have something in mind to see and touch there is a chance you’ll see something useful you hadn’t even considered. Then there are the Super Stage and free talks, where you can admire and get inspired by other photographer’s work or hone your skills. However, making the pilgrimage to Birmingham with good friends with like minded interests is the real highlight.
Undoubtedly for me 2019 was the year of the mirrorless. Mirrorless of course was not a new concept at the 2019 show, but there was a huge buzz around the Nikon Z series and Canon R series mirrorless cameras. As I blogged last year, crowds flocked to these stands as soon as the curtains opened. I couldn’t resist having a look at both offerings myself. It is harder this year to pinpoint what the must see thing is this time around. Of course there have been numerous releases but nothing quite like Nikon and Canon entering a new market (for them). I guess the big hitters (certainly on the wallet) that will be making an appearance on the floor will be the Nikon D6 and Canon 1DX MKIII.
The show last year morphed into the Photography and Video show. An opportunity for the organisers to appeal to a broader spectrum of people. And these days many people are turning to their digital cameras for stills and video, so it seems like a natural progression. And hopefully it enables the organisers to fill more floor space with different exhibitors. I did comment last year that there seemed to be some more empty space and more exhibitors that seemed irrelevant to photography or videography. It will be interesting to see what the dynamic is this year.
The Super Stage speakers have been announced now, and I have to say a far less appealing (for me) lineup than previous years. The only talk I have booked for is Gavin Free from the slow-mo guys. Whilst I have enjoyed their videos, video still isn’t really my thing but it should be an interesting insight nonetheless. If you haven’t seen the slow-no guys on YouTube, you should definitely take a look.
Last year I noted the absence of Adobe which was a real shame. In previous years they had put on some great free talks with the likes of David Noton. I’m not seeing Adobe in the exhibitors list this year either, so for some reason they are not seeing the return in investment for being at the show. I guess when you are not selling a physical product these days with everything being subscription based now for Adobe it is hard to measure the success of being at a show. It is a shame though, especially (in my eyes) Adobe have some repair work to do after their botched release of Photoshop for iPad.
Incredibly two full days at the Show seems to fly by. I will try to post some thoughts whilst I am there. If you are going come say hello. What are you looking forward to from the show?