bpi news april 2015

CEWE, OLYMPUS, TETENAL, FUTURE, SIGMA, NEDIS, FUJIFILM, PERMAJET, CANON

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Industry newsPUTTING THE TRADE IN FOCUS • WWW.BPINEWS.CO.UK

APRIL 2015 • £3

A knockoutshow reviewed & BPI News awards winners revealed!

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NEWS 4Spring cash backs from the major players get well under way, we drill into the sellable features of Nikon’s new APS-C DSLR flagship to pitch to customers, there are quad proof camcorders from DirekTek, plus Manfrotto’s new Lumie lights

BPI NEWS AWARDS 2015 6We provide a pictorial celebration of trade excellence, on the back of Gavin and Clive wearing out plenty of shoe leather navigating the aisles of The Photography Show last month to present deserv-ing finalists with commemorative certificates

CEWE 3D ADDS EXTRA RETAIL DIMENSION 9We speak to the photofinishing specialists’ MD Duncan Midwood and Jessops’ General Manager Neil Old at the London launch of an exciting lenticular wall art service, and catch up with the team again at the NEC last month to witness plans put into action

THE PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW 2015 REVIEWED 15A pictorial report of the four days of trade activity at Europe’s larg-est annual photographic event, spread across our four centre pag-es and featuring a one on one interview with show organiser Jonny Sullens who gives us the perspective from the eye of the storm

STILL PLENTY OF FIZZ IN FUJI’S FDIS 26Also occurring in Birmingham last month was the annual Fujifilm Digital Imaging Service conference, that saw members hear advice from key note speakers and share respective tricks of the trade, fol-lowed by gala dinner and charity raffle enjoyed by all

EDITORIAL

CONTENTS

BPI News April 2015

As you read this Easter is likely al-ready done ‘n’ dusted, unless you’ve been savvy enough to read the on-

line edition, The Photography Show is re-ceding into memory and the trade’s sights are set on the pre-summer sales season. For those who spent four heady days at the NEC 21st-24th March, and even those who didn’t, there is the opportunity to re-live/ read about the whole shebang across four central pages this issue. We’ve included an exclusive interview and debrief from the show’s organiser, who gives us first sight of the estimated attendance figures for 2015. BPI News was also present at the event – in the form of the inaugural consumer-tar-geted ‘show special’ version of this magazine, given away for free to exhibitors and visi-tors via constantly replenished news stands in the Food Village, and also in the shape of the editorial team, attending meetings and dishing out finalist certificates to nominees for our own annual BPI News Awards – see pages 6, 7 and 8. We hope you both picked up a magazine and, where nominated, a framed finalist certificate from us also for the office wall. Our impressions this year were that moving The Photography Show from its ‘tra-ditional’ two halls to one big single hall provided a real wow factor the minute you stepped through those black drapes into the NEC’s Hall 5. Stands from the likes of Fujifilm, Canon and Nikon immediately loomed up impressively before you; we’ll put the bare chipboard visible on Canon’s stand down as a deliberate attempt to look ‘street’, while what was encouraging was that the show looked busy right up ‘til the close. This appeared to be a combination of clever planning – in making the final Tuesday free to students – and good fortune. Those retailers we spoke to said their Monday sales had been ‘record breaking’, so people do obviously come to spend and gen up on latest products to buy through their local or favourite retailer. On that note we hope you’ll enjoy ‘spending’ some time with BPI News this month, digesting our usual mix of new product recommendations, advice, analysis, industry news and read about who or what were ultimately crowned our BPI News Product of the Year and Promotion of the Year. Actually, there’s a bit of twist this year as regards the latter – find out what that is by turning to page 6. See you back here next month. Gavin Stoker, Editor

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EDITOR - Gavin StokerEmail: [email protected]: 07990 974 367Please direct all editorial requests, news and press releases [email protected]

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Publisher’s Office: 12 Holmes Close, Sunninghill, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 9TJ.BPI Partners Ltd accept no ultimate re-sponsibility for accurate reproduction of digital artwork created by third parties. Insurance and carriage of products sub-mitted for inclusion in reports rests with the owner. News, data, prices, interviews and opinion are printed in good faith E&OE. Content including advertising artwork created by BPI Partners Ltd or its agents is ©2015 BPI Partners Ltd. ISSN: to be advised.

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COVER: IT’S A KNOCK OUT…. Panasonic provided the visual punch at The Photography Show last month, but there was plenty more to see besides includ-ing ‘parkour’ enthusiasts on the Canon stand and paint splattered models on the Olympus platform, whilst the BPI News Awards celebrated the best of the trade.

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All at APS-C: New flagship DSLR sets sailALREADY on sale by the time you read this is Nikon’s latest range-topping APS-C sensor DSLR in the 24.2 meg-apixel D7200. The traditionally styled model is available as a weather-sealed body only option for £939.99 or with 18-105mm VR zoom for £1119.99 all-in. While it may not be revolutionary, the upgrade of the D7100 comes with a re-sponsive auto focus system that could be classed as ‘pro-grade’, in that it is able to acquire subjects down to -3EV, with 51 points covering the entire frame and 15 cross type sensors positioned in the centre. Aiding manual focus meanwhile for when you want to switch to Live View mode are larger than average 3.2-inch LCD, bucking recent trends by being fixed rather than tilt ‘n’ swivel. We do however get the must of Wi-Fi, and in a first for a Nikon DSLR, NFC too for the sharing of shots.

In terms of video your customers get the Full HD 1920x1080 pixels record-ing option here at up to 30 frames per second, though a 1.3x crop mode can boost this to 60fps if desired. Likewise, said feature can boost continuous stills shooting from 6fps to 7fps, for up to 27 Raw files or 100 least compres-sion JPEGs. Also arriving alongside

the release of this camera, and useful for those who want to record crisp au-dio when shooting video is a ME-W1 Wireless Microphone (above) at £239.99, which can function from up to 50ft away. www.nikon.co.uk

Quad proof camcorders from DirekTekTHIS MONTH’s temptation for the trade from the distributor are a pair of new JVC Everio camcorders in the ‘Quad proof’ range: the GZ-R315 (£181 trade price) in black, white, red and orange and GZ-RX515 (£241 trade price) in black only, which both boast a five hour battery life. They’re also waterproof to a depth of five metres, shockproof to a drop of 1.5 metres, dust proof and -10°C freeze proof. Features include a 40x optical zoom and 2.5 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor, while the RX515’s addi-tional enticements to pitch to custom-ers include Wi-Fi connectivity and 8GB internal memory. Contact DirekTek on 01494471100 or email [email protected]

Cassette sized LED sounds good LED LIGHTS for photographers seem to be booming in availability and popu-larity at the moment. Manfrotto has just announced its own ‘Lumie’ series, fea-turing an unconventional design. Each kit comes with a snap-fit filter mount, and there are standard, portrait, clas-sic and multicolour filter kits to choose from. If your customers opt for the prici-est ‘Muse’ kit they also get a ball head in-cluded that is otherwise sold separately for use with other LED’s in the range, the largest of which weighs just 140g and is the size of a cassette tape. Suggested prices range from £44.95 (Play kit) to £99.95 (Muse kit). www.manfrotto.co.uk

12 times lucky!CANON is celebrating a claim to 12 years in a row as the No1 global brand by volume in the interchangeable lens digital camera market (2003’s EOS 300D up to this year’s 750D, 760D and EOS M3). Canon also recently shipped its 100 mil-lionth EF-series lens for EOS cameras. www.canon.co.uk

It’s a wrap for Nikon fest THE WINNERS of the first ever Nikon European Film Festival have been announced by head judge and cult movie actress Asia Argento (right), from over 300 short films submitted. The Grand Prix top prize was taken by the UK’s Jagjeet Singh for his tale Voiceless – Stop the Bullies for which he wins a Nikon D810 and a all-expenses paid trip to the Cannes Film festival this May. “All of the films we saw were completely original in their own right and we were particularly impressed with how the entrants interpreted the theme, ‘A Different Perspective’,” says Asia. “The quality of the entries submitted by amateur film-makers is also testament to how advances in technology have made film-making accessible for a greater number of people, now than ever before. I’m very pleased that Nikon is at the heart of making this possible.” www.nikon.co.uk

For the recordMARCH issue’s four-page Tetenal/Epson pull out featured a case study with JP Photographic that quoted their clients as including Millfield School. However the photographers have been in touch to clarify: ‘JP Photographic wish to make it clear that they are not the official photographers for Millfield School. JP Photographic are the school pho-tographers for Dulwich Preparatory School, Cranbrook. However we have been commissioned to cover Millfield School’s 80th Anniversary Celebration at the Grosvenor House Hotel where we will be setting up an Event Studio Stand. This is where the confusion has occurred’. BPI News is happy to set the record straight.

18 March 2015 | BPI News

Married couple and business partners Pete and Jean Lerpiniere

have two main long established customers: the police, for whom they photograph passing out parades, cadets and corporate events; and the prestigious Millfield School, located in Glastonbury, Somerset.Naturally, both these clients expect extremely high standards of the couple and their work. In particular, Millfield School parents pay a lot of money to send their children to the school, so everything has to be top notch. The couple previously used a dye sub printer and got away with it, mostly because the background colours used on most portraits softened the overall effect of the image.However a request from Millfield School to shoot pupils’ portraits on contemporary-feel white backgrounds quickly showed the limitations of the couple’s existing dye sub printer. So Pete decided to look at other options. He carefully examined all the printers on the market, including options from Fujifilm, but ultimately decided he was interested in seeing what the Epson SureLab D700 could do for the business.

Journey to perfection

The photographer then researched local suppliers in his area. Unfortunately, after discussing requirements with them, he was left feeling exasperated at the lack of knowledge of the printer and its capabilities. He continued his search on the Internet and, fortunately, came across a video that Tetenal’s Hardware Sales Manager Chris Castle had posted online talking about the features of the Epson D700.Pete called Tetenal the next day and spoke directly to Chris. He tells us he was immediately impressed by the depth of knowledge and Chris’ patience in listening to his unique,

individual business needs. Very shortly after that conversation, Pete and his wife Jean embarked upon the three and a half hour journey up to Leicester to visit Chris in Tetenal’s dedicated Epson showroom. It transpired that husband and wife were both impressed, not only with the printer, but also the level of service offered by Tetenal.“When I first spoke to Chris and asked him what he could tell me about the Epson SureLab D700 he said: ‘Don’t worry, I’m your main man and I’ll tell you everything you need to know…’ And he was true to his word. He went through every detail of the printer’s capabilities whilst producing sample prints of the files we had brought with us. When we compared them to the prints we were getting from our existing device, it was a no brainer.” Pete and Jean were so impressed that they took the printer back with them the same day. In terms of the difference it has made to the business since August 2014, “we’ve had the busiest period in our history and the Epson D700 has coped with everything that we have thrown at it,” reveals Pete. “We do a mix of private and event work and our clients naturally expect nothing but the best. Luckily, with the D700, we can now deliver exactly that. What’s even more of a revelation is that whilst we have been burning through a large amount of media, we are still on the original ink set we started with! The versatility and economy of the machine has surpassed even our greatest hopes. Alongside my Nikon D4 I have to say it is the best investment we have ever made in the business.”Book your own appointment with Chris Castle and the Tetenal team now by calling 0116 289 3644.

BPI NEWS PRODUCT FOCUS

Back to school with EpsonFor a practical case study of a business successfully using an Epson D700 printer, look no further than husband and wife school and event photographers Pete and Jean Lerpiniere of JP Photographic, Maidstone Kent…

Visit authorised Epson partner Tetenal in Hall 5, stand C101 at the Photography Show to get a demonstration of the latest printers

From showroom to studio – the D7000, above, with optional wheeled transit case for events and location use seen at Tetenal’s Leicester showroom, left. Below, Jean Lerpiniere with the neat desktop high capacity printer on site… still on the first set of ink cartridges despite ‘burning through a large amount of media’.

BPI News | April 2015 5

NEWS

Tetenal’s net gainsWE RECENTLY reported that the distributor had revamped and streamlined its web-site to improve the user experience. It appears that tinkering hasn’t stopped yet, however, as its home page reportedly now offers easier main category navigation and quick brand access, whilst searches using keywords now offer fewer and more relevant results. There are also more shipping options at checkout, including priority shipping, whilst Tetenal is also working on making it easier to find product categories and product groupings. Tetenal Digital Manager Mark Powell says: “We’ve simplified the homepage, incorporating our new branding, to give focus to our core product ranges whilst still giving access to the key areas of the site which most people want to access in a simple and fast manner.” www.tetenaluk.com

Canon cashback until May 5thAIMED at helping your customers ‘broaden the contents of their kit bag’, and be-gun at the same time as Nikon’s own spring promotion, Canon users have a slightly narrower window in which to make their purchases and savings, with up to £250 back on the purchase of an EOS 5D Mark III and a saving of £165 if buying the EF 24-70mm f/4.0L IS USM lens. In all there are 22 products included in the promo-tion, including big hitters like the 6D and 70D, compacts in the PowerShot G1 X Mark II and G7 X, plus a couple of Legria camcorders and a quartet of Pixma inkjet printers. In addition there is the opportunity for customers to claim a free ‘hdbook’ photo book worth £99 if they buy any two products covered by Canon’s cashback offer. www.canon.co.uk/springcashback

£££s in CA$HBA€KS!

Make hay in May with Nikon NIKON’s spring cash back promotion is already well underway as you read this, and is running until May 31st this year, with all claims needing to be made by June 28th. In addition to up to £90 cash back on its DX lenses (for the AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR) and up to £275 saved on its FX range (on the AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR), there is what’s pitched as a DSLR ‘bonus offer’ if the customer also purchases a D7100, D610 or D750 within the same transaction. As well as the cash back on the lenses, the photographer can choose from one of three further rewards, depending on the camera purchased – including a London-based training course, additional cash back (up to £150 if buying a D750 for example) or a MB-D15, D14 or D16 grip. The bonus promotion must be claimed at the same time as the original lens cash back claim. www.nikon.co.uk/promotions

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THE ELECTRONICS giant has launched three separate promotions to drive cus-tom to photo specialists, each running until June 2nd. First off, its GH4, LX100 and FZ1000 cameras are included, along with a host of camcorders, in a cashback deal via which your custom-ers can claim up to £200 back. Secondly there is an extended warranty promo-tion that sees up to five years claimable on the likes of the CM1 camera/smart-phone hybrid and, again, the LX100. The third promotion sees Panasonic offer a free selfie stick with purchases of the GF7 and TZ57 cameras. To qualify, claims must be made within 28 days of product purchases and by the deadline of July 31st. www.panasonic.co.uk/promotions

Triple promo from Panasonic

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BPI AWARDS 2015

It’s that time of year again when the BPI News team puts its collective heads together with our peers

in the photographic trade to both nominate and then celebrate the industry’s individual achievements over the past 12 months. As regular readers will be aware, each month we pack the mag with news of supplier and manufacturer promotions to help dealers boost their bottom line, as well as shining a spotlight on which ‘Product of the Month’ we think you should be stocking, or at least investigating further. To come up with our nominated list of finalists we went back through a year’s worth of issues of BPI News, and printed a month-by-month selection in our March issue, for your

BPI News trade awards finalists & winners We invited you to vote in your thousands for our overall winner of Product of the Year and Promotion of the Year, based on a list of finalists published in our March issue. Now we celebrate the finalists and name the triumphant overall victors from the votes cast…

consideration. Every finalist was then given a commemorative framed certificate in a series of presentations at The Photography Show last month – the pictorial fruits of which are presented here.

And the winners are…

So then, to the winners in our two categories: Product of the Year and Promotion of the Year. Drum roll please for:

Product of the Year: Fujifilm X-T1 cameraWhy it won: Editor Gavin Stoker says: “Though the original iteration was released a year ago, when it came to deciding which

device should bag this award, there was one camera that immediately sprung to mind; a favourite with photographers and retailers alike that has without a doubt contributed to the fact that CSC sales are back on an upward curve.”

Promotion/s of the Year: Gray’s coat of many colours & Nedis winter ad campaignWhy they won:Publisher Clive Insley says: “We had a split decision as regards who should win our Promotion of the Year award, so rather than duke it out, we’ve taken the unprecedented step of rewarding two deserving names in the trade. Gray Levett is a true winner as the first photographic retailer to be awarded his own Coat of Arms; how’s that for canny self-promotion? Speaking of which there’s our second winner Nedis, for its winter 2014 specialist ad campaign backed up by 32-page winter catalogue – a double whammy of promotions that had dealers thinking outside the box and customers flooding in.”

Congratulations to all of our finalists and in particular to our overall winners. Weren’t awarded this time? Then keep an eye out for next year’s nominations and make sure your team emails its nominations before our given deadline to be in with a chance!

INSIDE: CHRISTMAS CASH BACKS REVEALED, ANALYSED & DEBATED BY THE TRADE!PhotographicBritish

Industry newsPUTTING THE TRADE IN FOCUS THIS MONTH • WWW.BPINEWS.CO.UK

NOVEMBER 2014 • £3

PLUS: FUJIFILM, DNP, KODAK & LUCIDIOM ON SHAKING UP MOBILE & PHOTOBOOK PRINTING

IN FASHION THIS SEASONOpen now for the must-have bags, lenses,

accessories & cameras to stock & sell!


ESTABLISHED OVER 25 YEARS

INSIDE: CHRISTMAS CASH BACKS REVEALED, ANALYSED & DEBATED BY THE TRADE!PhotographicPUTTING THE TRADE IN FOCUS THIS MONTH • WWW.BPINEWS.CO.UK

NEW INSIDE: HANDS ON WITH NIKON 1 AW1 + OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1

£3.00 July/August 2013

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Industry newsPUTTING THE TRADE IN FOCUS EVERY MONTH • WWW.BPINEWS.CO.UK

OCTOBER 2013 • £3

GOLDEN SHOTS!Future best sellers from top tech show IFA

WE’RE MAKING OUR LIST…No need to check it twice as we spotlight bags, lenses, straps, filters & more to order now for Christmas!



OPEN NOW FOR ANALYSIS + COMMENT + NEWS + FEATURES + MORE!BPInewsOct13.indd 1

23/09/2013 19:25

2015 Trade Awards

FINALISTNedis Winter Flyer

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Lucy Edwards gets the top place for the Fujifilm X-T1, with colleagues at The Photography Show, above. Below, for Grays of Westminster, Uri Zakay (Co Director) and Gray Levett add to their collection of framed memorabilia, for the retail Promotion of the Year.

BPI News – recognising and highlighting the best of Britain’s photographic industry…

BIG SHOW PREVIEW ISSUE IFA, PHOTOKINA, AUTUMN FAIR, RETRA TOURPhotographic

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SEPTEMBER 2014 • £3

SEE INSIDE FOR KODAK ALARIS SHOW STOPPING 4-PAGE PULL OUT



GEARING UP FOR CHRISTMAS AT PHOTOKINA 2014Why a trip to Cologne this September will put you ahead of the pack

with the must-stock items to ensure a successful year’s end

BIG SHOW PREVIEW ISSUEPhotographicPUTTING THE TRADE IN FOCUS THIS AUTUMN • WWW.BPINEWS.CO.UK

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GEARING UP FOR CHRISTMAS AT PHOTOKINA 2014Why a trip to Cologne this September will put you ahead of the pack

with the must-stock items to ensure a successful year’s end

20 September 2014 | BPI News

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BPI NEWS PRODUCT OF THE MONTH

NIKON has been talking up its newest DSLR big time, calling the D810 the ‘best ever’,

which, if true, is good news for retailers stocking the brand and potentially excited

customers too. Though an early snag of reported bright spots surfacing in exposures longer than

30 seconds has trickled a little water on the pyre, a new Nikon digital SLR is always a

major event for photo enthusiasts – and particularly a pro model that replaces two

older class-leading variants in one fell swoop. The D810 is such a camera, coming after

and updating both the D800 and D800e. It follows their lead in offering the highest

resolution ever in the Nikon range, while at the same time the D810 omits the optical

low pass filter like the marginally pricier D800e option did.

Of course, pro grade cameras aren’t cheap, yet at a body-only £2,699.99 the dust

and weather sealed magnesium alloy bodied D810 feels pretty fair to us, especially for

what is going to be a main tool for those who earn money from photography as a liv-

ing. Screw a respectable piece of glass onto the front, such as the 85mm f/1.4 portrait

lens we were sent in tandem with the full frame Nikon, and this camera feels a weighty

proposition in every sense of the word. Even without lens it is already nearly 1Kg in

heft. Being a pro model, some features have inevitably trickled down from the top dog

D4S camera, such as a 51-point AF system and Group AF functionality; for those want-

ing to shoot candid portraits, there is a quieter shutter mechanism this time around

too. From the top plate down, the D810 is a chunky beast with plentiful buttons, knobs

and dials to allow user customisation to the nth degree; yet, there is enough here that

feels immediately familiar without having to delve into the manual in order to start

shooting on the camera. The back screen of the D810 is resolutely fixed: not for the

D810 a flip and swivel LCD to enable ‘selfie abuse’. A battery life of 900 shots from a full charge is pretty much on-the-nose of what we

were expecting from a beast of this professional ilk, so we have no complaints, even

though even more capacity is always better than less. We were lucky enough to be shooting with a great quality lens in the 85mm f/1.4,

which proved itself (in tandem with the D810’s full frame sensor) capable of delivering

some creamily smooth ‘bokeh’ – concentrating focus on a narrow portion of the frame

and selectively blurring the surrounds to draw our attention even more closely to the subject. This lends the D810’s images an almost 3D ef-fect, and when you have 36.3 megapixels’ worth of detail piled in on top, you’re not go-ing to hear us com-plaining. In two words: simply stunning. For Nikon users who value resolution over speed of capture, the full frame 36.3 megapix-el D810 handles like a dream.

NikonD810

PhotographicBritish

Industry news

PHOTOKINA PREVIEW

The location you need for dye sub printing specialist DNP at this year’s Photokina is Hall 3.1, Stand C020-D029. Two years ago it appeared at the exhibition fresh with the news that it had integrated the recent acquisition of Sony’s photo finishing business. This year

DNP will be joining the show with the promise of even more new products

and solutions to help the trade to earn a living from photo services.

“DNP is going to provide a number of new concepts to the market at

this year’s exhibition,” promises European Marketing Manager Mark Buelow.

“These will include providing value, offering fast print workflows, production

centres for high print volumes, plus innovative photo formats.”

Though remaining tight lipped about specifics at the time of writing, Mark

and his team recognise that for photo retailers, the reliability of DNP’s dye sub

devices is just as important as it is for event photographers working on the

job. “The two year warranty on standard and portrait printers provides a good

feeling of security,” Mark continues. “We’ll be presenting flexible solutions for

offering a variety of photo services on site, including high margin products.”

There will also be exciting new photo formats introduced at the show, as

well as an answer to the issue of how to produce photo books and double

sided print products on site without needing much space. Any visit to

the DNP booth will be worthwhile, says Mark, as there will be fresh news

regarding printers, software and solutions. Another incentive is that there will

be a photo booth on the stand attempting to make visitors look glamorous

and manned by the famous Harcourt Studio. “DNP is looking forward to discussing your business with you, to present

ideas on how to complement your existing services, and to discuss how to

make money with photo services,” Mark adds. Once again that location you need for DNP is Hall 3.1, Stand

C020-D029.

DNP promises ‘variety’ at PhotokinaAt Photokina 2012, the big news was that DNP had acquired Sony’s photofinishing business. Two years on,

the trade can expect further printing innovation…

Great value for£2,699.99 – the Nikon which has everything



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BPInewsOct13.indd 1

23/09/2013 19:25

2015 Trade Awards

FINALISTNikon D810

September 2014

Left, Fred Lange’s Sony team… Sony RX100 MkIII, Paul Davey of Kodak Alaris for their ‘Moments Campaign’, bottom; below, Simon Iddon and Coralie Smith of Nikon, for the D5500 March Product of the Month (and D810, for Oct too!)


Intro2020’s star was in the ascendant with two product of the month nominations from July 2014 and Feb 2015 respectively for the groundbreaking Tamron 16-300mm DiII VC zoom lens, the first ever with such a range (Jim and Jerry hold their certificate, far left); and for the Lytro Illum, which was a close runner-up in the voting for product of the year. Jane Nicholson and her team with the finalist nomination, left

Panasonic, below, made the first ever cover of BPI News ( Feb 2015) to be taken from a movie freeze frame – a 4K image, which earned their GH4 a finalist place for its unique feature.

BPI News – recognising and highlighting the best of Britain’s photographic industry…

What this country needs is engineering and manufacture! And that’s exaclly what SRB add to top filter and adapter ranges.

Toby and Ben Herlinger accept their finalist certificate for heroism in the field of inkjet printing.

Fujifilm UK stays at the top of its game in so many fields – here Peter Wigington gets a green thumbs up for the FDIS network.Below, the team from Permajet, from left – Ian Windebank (Technical Support), Joseph Reiner (Head of Marketing), Steven Price (Business Manager), Doug Morgan (Sales Manager).

Lorraine Morgan of Daymen accepts finalist certificate from BPI News publisher Clive Insley, above. Right, Canon with accolade for the EOS 1200D. Below: Chantelle Weatherill of Samsung with two nominations. Bottom right: Paul Kench of Kenro accepts his certifcate from Clive.


BPI AWARDS 2015

And now…it’s the run up to the BPI News Industry Awards 2016!

OPEN NOW FOR TIPA 2014 WINNERS + NEW KODAK ALARIS CEO EXCLUSIVE

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BPI News | May 2014 15

RETRA CONFERENCE 2014

Read this together with the 16 page Membership Benefits brochure inserted with this issue

Electrical retailer association retra is continuing to show a commitment to support the independent channel and is reaching out to the photo trade via BPI News in a fresh drive to recruit new members. “Our commitment is to the independent retailer, to represent you at the highest political level, whether at the tables of banking, Government or industry,” outlined retra CEO Bryan Lovewell in his introduction to its annual Conference last month, revealing that it employs four full time staff and another three staff part time. “Being an independent retailer presents challenges. We seek to provide members with stimulation as well as inspiration.” This year retra’s Conference had the forward thinking theme of ‘Embracing Change’. Some 320 delegates gathered at London’s Riverbank Plaza Hotel on April 8th for

Embrace change – become a retra memberIn challenging times there’s strength in numbers, and, by becoming a member of electrical retailer association

‘retra’, your business will find that strength – and much more besides. With monthly membership starting from

just £21.50, BPI News learns how this could be one of the most valuable business investments you make…

invaluable networking opportunities and to enjoy an invigorating and inspiring day of motivational talks and panels, as well as a trade show with 23 exhibitors, including Hama, Nedis and Samsung. BBC business presenter Declan Curry played Conference Chair and noted: “Change may be frightening but it’s also an opportunity. It’s something to be embraced.” Naturally BPI News was there to report the highlights – and in doing so reinforce the fact that joining retra is a way in which to do yourself and your business a favour. The great majority of advice handed could be directly applied to the photo trade.

Top: packed house for a line up including (above) the manufacturers’ panel – l to r, Roy

Dickens, Retail Director, Sony UK and Ireland; Robert King, Vice President of Consumer

Electronics, Samsung Electronics UK and Ireland; Robert Scholes, Sales Director,

Panasonic; Paul Tyler, Retail Director, BSH; and Owen Watters, Chief Executive, Roberts

Radio; and below, retailers’ panel, l to r, Paul Adcock, Owner, Adcocks & Sons; Mike Davis,

Managing Director, Davis Television Services; Jason Digwa, Director, RGB Hi-Fi & Video;

Paul Giles, Managing Director, RC Snelling; and Tom Hayes, Managing Director, T C Hayes.

Left, retra CEO Bryan Lovewell meets BPI News publisher Clive Insley.

Clive and editor Gavin took advantage of the event to present Nedis UK

with their BPI News Awards finalist certificate, above: from left to right,

Alastair Wilson, Nedis Chairman Arvind Patel holding the certificate,

Area Sales Manager Peter Johnson, Dale Marriott.

Conference host, BBC business commentator Declan Curry, opens the event.

retraThe Power Behind Retailing

Jill Furmanovsky and Mark Thackara bring you Olympus in association with rockarchive.com

a whole new gallery/showroom experience in the City.

Come and see stunning rock and roll images and buy prints.

Try out the latest award winning Olympus cameras and join regular workshops and talks by

top photographers.199 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3TY (entrance on Primrose Street)

The gallery will be open daily from 10.30 - 19.00 (Monday to Saturday) and 12.00 - 19.00 (Sunday)

with special events detailed at olympus-imagespace.co.uk

For news, events booking and hardware: olympus-imagespace.co.uk@OlympusUK

For print sales:rockarchive.com@rockarchive

© Jill Furmanovsky

© Colin N. Purvor

© Jill Furmanovsky

© Jill Furmanovsky © Jill Furmanovsky



PhotographicBritish


OCTOBER 2013 • £3GOLDEN SHOTS!Future best sellers from top tech show IFA

WE’RE MAKING OUR LIST…No need

to check it twice

as we spotlight bags,

lenses, straps,

filters & more

to order now for

Christmas!



OPEN NOW FOR ANALYSIS + COMMENT + NEWS + FEATURES + MORE!

BPInewsOct13.indd 1

23/09/2013 19:25

2015 Trade Awards

FINALISTRetra Membership Campaign

May 2014

From the left, top row: Juliet and Phil Jones of the ever-growing The Societies group of membership organisations;Daniel Waite of Tiffen celebrating recognition of their growing innovation and development of the UK market for specialised accessories; and Mark Thackara receiving his finalist certificate for the Olympus E-PL7 from BPI News editor Gavin Stoker.

Gavin Stoker presents Tim Andrews of event and photofinishing printer market leaders DNP with their finalist certificate.

Paul Reynolds and Graham Armitage of Sigma UK – ‘not another award?’…

Now they have a BPI certificate to go with that gold crest – Craig Bird of Tetenal UK

Above row, from the left: Stuart Boston of Swains takes a break as the stand prepares to open for another busy day at The Photography Show; PR Jessica Lamb, right, holds the finalist certificate with Charlotte Townend, left, and Clare Taylor, centre, from Manfrotto’s team; and Peter Turrell and Mike Barber of Ansmann accept their finalist award from BPI’s publisher Clive Insley.

Left: Matt Pierce, whose insightful columns in BPI News have revealed the viewpoint of an industry insider from Britain’s most successful photo media publisher, accepts Future’s Digital Camera Magazine Award for their 175 Years of Photography Promotion in July 2014 issue.

Right: on its way as we went to press, a certificate for the retail trade training, support and business pressure-group body Retra, for their membership drive which has expanded their activities into the photographic sector.


Find out more about CEWE at www.cewe.co.uk & www.photoworld.com or for business enquiries call Duncan direct on 01926463100

CEWE 3D adds extra retail dimensionBPI NEWS EXTRA

Everyone involved in the business of photography is always looking for the next

big thing, the product with the ‘wow factor’. Now, the history of 3D imaging may stretch all the way back to the 1950s, but in terms of putting 3-dimensional images in your customers’ hands, print specialist CEWE believes it has come up with something unique for 21st Century customers – and was happy to show it off, along with its extensive photo book options, at The Photography Show last month. CEWE 3D is a service that cleverly turns customers’ 2D digital images into three-dimensional wall art. Prices presently range from £59.99 to £139.99 SRP. “More photos are being taken than ever before and more people are choosing to create physical products from them,” believes CEWE MD Duncan Midwood. “Value added products are growing the most. Wall art continues to grow very fast as people look for new ways to display their images.” Coupled with this, Duncan adds that digital printing technology has transformed the market, with CEWE having grown to become the number one supplier of photo books. “It’s new innovations that are driving growth,” he reveals. “CEWE 3D is a brand new concept for the photo market at an affordable price. It brings customers closer to the action and is an incredibly difficult product to copy. It has also been developed with no compromise in image quality.”

The photo finishing specialist has announced the exciting ‘CEWE 3D’ service, offering lenticular prints to retail customers. BPI News was at the London launch – and subsequent showcasing at TPS – to discover more from CEWE MD Duncan Midwood

It works like this: a shot is printed on the back of a sheet made up of several views of the chosen photograph, blended together to form an interlaced image. This is applied to a ridged plastic sheet made up of multiple magnifying lenses, or ‘lenticules’. The interlaced image is aligned with the lenticules, so that when it is viewed from the front, your eyes simultaneously see the image from different viewpoints for the desired 3D effect. This really is a product that needs to be seen to be believed.

Rolling out to retail

As CEWE has a long standing partnership with the Jessops chain – stretching back long before Peter Jones’ buy out – it’s no surprise that the print specialist is initially offering the service through Jessops Photo online before rolling it out elsewhere. “As the rate of change has increased the market has evolved

quite a lot,” acknowledges Jessops’ General Manager Neil Old. “The boom days are long gone and we’re now left with a market comprised of enthusiasts and hobbyists. At the same time it’s still larger than the analogue market ever was. “Photo wall art is growing by 10 per cent each year – and innovations such as CEWE 3D are the lifeblood of any specialist retailer. It’s not only a sales opportunity but a chance to be able to share new technology

with our customers and help them to realise its potential.” For example, a specially designed process cleverly helps customers choose which of their photos will work best in the medium of 3D before an order is placed. Lenticular ‘3D’ printing aside, the other CEWE innovation that has been incredibly well received is its True Matte CEWE Photobook, first introduced in Germany and a hit with visitors to The Photography Show last month. “We add a coating that gives the books a matt finish and we’re able to do that because we have technology that is not industry standard and can do some pretty good effects, like True Matte,” says Duncan, reiterating a point made when we last spoke to the brand following Photokina 2014: “We have the strength of being part of a large German group but are very entrepreneurial and innovative bunch in the UK. We’re trying to add extra value all the time.”

Top: the CEWE stand busy with visitors checking out the new photo book options. Above left: BPI publisher Clive Insley, left, gets a look at CEWE software with MD Duncan Midwood. Above right: Felicity Kane of CEWE chats to photographer Ray Lowe about the potential for the 3D prints (detail of surface, below).


NEWS

THE NEW ANSMANN Powerline Vario is a fast charger for most Li-Ion and Li-Po batteries used in digital cameras, camcorders, mobile phones, PDAs and MP3 players which also charges 2 x AA/AAA rechargeable batteries – a great charger for all cameras, flash and digital products. The status of the batteries is displayed on the LCD display with following signals: CHARGING: individual bars flash separately for 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% charge BATTERY FULL: all four percentage increments are on POWER: the whole LCD display flashes once then stops ERROR: all bars flash Charging current is 600mA for 3.7V Li-Ion batteries, 500mA for 7.4V batteries, and1000mA for two AA/AAA cells. Two flexible contact pins can be adjusted to charge most types of Li-Ion and Li-Po batteries. A 1m USB to Micro USB cable connects to the USB traveller power supply with wide range input (100-240V AC) and interchangeable mains plugs for worldwide use (Euro, UK, US and AUS), plus a 12V USB car adaptor. A handy re-sealable plastic bag is included to store the accessories included. ANSMANN offer a 3 year warranty on this product. Suggested Retail Price including VAT – £29.95

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After a successful sales boost at The Photography Show, BPI News Awards Finalist nominee

and leading distributor DayMen has a range of new Lowepro and Joby products with which to stimulate sales for the trade. First up among the new Lowepro bags is an update of its Fastpack series (bottom photo) said to offer your photographer customers enhanced protection via a built-in All Weather cover and ‘CradleFit’ device compartment, along with three primary storage zones. Prices start at £96 SRP. Also updated is the Lowepro Adventura series of compact top loaders (from SRP £16) and shoulder bags (from £20), which again delivers practicality and protection for customers’ kit (top). The bonus here is that while the bags are suited to day trips, their compact size means that they can be placed in larger bags for longer journeys. Lowepro’s Santiago series of camera pouches, centre, starting at £12 SRP, have further been revamped. The pitch here is a compact and highly portable case

Fast track sales with DayMen’s Fastpackutilising its manufacturer’s ‘FormShell’ technology to protect against high impact, its size suitable for action cameras or premium point and shoots. DayMen also distributes Joby tripods and grips and new here is a floating handgrip and extension pole for shooting photos or video. The Action Grip (left) at £22 SRP comes with built-in thread for fixing Go Pro cameras and also features a Top Pin with ¼-inch thread for use with any other action camera. The floating handle with tether floats in water and also comes with a simple wrist strap. The Pole set (right) meanwhile at £30 SRP features a modular 18-inch aluminium extension pole – meaning that photographers can add extra poles for additional length and reach. For stock enquiries call 0845 250 0790 or email [email protected] www.daymen.co.uk


To explore trade opportunities contact Sam Scott-Smith on 01279 815575 or email [email protected]

BPI NEWS TRADE FOCUS

Most of us in the trade will be well aware of The Societies and

its membership body because of its annual Convention and Trade Show each January, making it the first major event on the photographic calendar each new year – at least as regards the UK. What may sometimes be missed, however, is the opportunity The Societies presents the trade with throughout the year. For starters there’s the bi-monthly Professional Imagemaker magazine (right) – and advertising and corporate sponsorship opportunities therein. This not only gets sent out to its core members but also parties interested in joining and more besides, bringing readership up to a possible 15K for a single issue, according to MD Juliet Jones. That puts readership higher than a lot of newsstand photo magazines. “Imagemaker comes out six times a year and has a very targeted audience,” Juliet confides. “There is the opportunity here to have your company profiled in print as well as running adverts. Plus we’ve just sent an extra 101 copies out this morning based on additional interest shown at The Photography Show. So it’s a good promotional tool, not just for ourselves, but also for the businesses who advertise and are featured in it.” Offered alongside this promotional opportunity are corporate sponsorships – which can make for a value added package, especially as it’s a package that can be tailor made to suit your business. “Sam Scott-Smith ([email protected]) will ask what your requirements are and what you are trying to achieve. We’ll then tailor a package, with the ability to bolt on extras. For example we have 12 websites in total, with all the promotional

The Societies: much more than a ConventionWith its members’ magazine reaching between 10,000 and 15,000 readers, roadshows throughout the UK at regular intervals, corporate packages and online campaigns… there is plenty of opportunity for the trade to partner with The Societies for sales & promotions

One for the road(shows)

An added promotional opportunity comes courtesy of The Societies further hosting its own popular Digital Imaging Roadshows (photos, left). These are aimed at professional and aspiring photographers, run throughout the year and take place up and down the country – see www.thedigitalimagingshow.co.uk for a latest schedule. Again, there are opportunities for the trade to get involved as sponsors or exhibitors. “We’ve been doing the one-day roadshows for seven years now,” recalls Juliet, “and we publish the list of exhibitors at each one, which can be found by going on the dedicated website. Each roadshow attracts between 200 and 300 people thanks to its mix of free seminars and demos. Some exhibitors do all our shows, others just do the ones that cover their respective areas.” Prices for corporate sponsorship with The Societies vary because they naturally depend on what your business is looking to get out of them. “You can buy components a la carte or as a corporate package and tell us what your marketing needs are for the year.” Request a media pack now from The Societies’ Sam Scott-Smith, to begin exploring your options, with full contact details given on the black line immediately below.

opportunities that come therein.” Juliet reveals that although the SWPP website is the biggest in terms of its possible audience, the website for the Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers isn’t far behind. “We can tailor the message to different audiences depending on what

a company is looking for. We have a newsletter that goes out every week with banners and advertising, as well as managed online competitions, all acting as marketing tools for your business. And there is also a digital version of Professional Imagemaker that people can download – going back some 30 issues.”


BPI NEWS EXTRA

Announced just prior to the trade gathering at the NEC last month – where the

manufacturer had a major presence via a packed crowd-drawing schedule of displays and talks from its big name brand ambassadors, including portrait specialist Damian McGillicuddy and documentary photographer and film-maker Edmond Terakopian – the new retro styled Stylus SH-2 benefits from the same 5-axis image stabilization found in higher-end OM-D models. Far more affordable for your customers however is the suggested asking price of £249.99 for the follow-up model to the SH-1. While the cost may at one time have suggested an entry-level device however, the SH-2 is packed with enthusiast-pleasing features. For starters there is the ability to shoot Raw files, whilst compact dimensions are maintained during transportation courtesy of a retracting 24x optical zoom. This provides the equivalent focal range of 25-600mm in 35mm terms and is married to a16 megapixel resolution. Sensor and lens are encased in a classic styled compact body complete with metal build and leather-look detailing to the faceplate and grip. As mentioned in our intro, five axis anti shake has dribbled down from the brand’s top-end OM-D models. This capability kicks in for filming Full HD videos as well as shooting stills, the former offering both high speed and time-lapse options to make the SH-2 something of a hybrid device. While outwardly the Stylus seems to recall Olympus’ distinguished past, it isn’t all about harking back to yesteryear however. We also get built-in Wi-Fi for sharing shots, and, with the rear plate 460k dot resolution 3-inch LCD providing the touch screen operation we’re now used to from the brand, the impression here is one of a best of both worlds’ operation.

Olympus extends grip & eases painAt The Photography Show meanwhile the brand also premiered its tongue-in-cheek DSLR Users in Need campaign and accompanying video, with free massages laid on for photographers who might have

Olympus team ‘Carry On…’ at 21-24 MARCH 2015THE NEC, BIRMINGHAM

“DSLR Users In Need is a cause very close to our hearts at Olympus – we want sufferers to know that they’re not alone and that we’re here to offer support on their road to recovery.“Olympus UK’s Mark Thackara

been struggling with the weight of their DSLR kit. The implication was of course that anyone suffering from a bad back or posture – or ‘Post DSLR Syndrome’ – should be adopting one of its own Micro Four Thirds system cameras instead. For those who missed it at the event, a ‘Carry On…’ inspired video (Dr Nina ‘Kippanooki’ anyone?) with the aim of helping photographers to ‘be professional without suffering’ can be found on Olympus UK’s YouTube channel at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTH6RSuReRY – or simply typing ‘DSLR Users in Need’ into the YouTube search bar will get you there quicker. Mark Thackara, National Marketing Manager, Olympus UK Consumer Products, quips: “DSLR Users In Need is a cause very close to our hearts at Olympus – we want sufferers to know that they’re not alone and that we’re here to offer support on their road to recovery.“ In related news, the manufacturer has also further extended its long running offer of free hand grip, redeemable on purchase of a flagship OM-D E-M1, until 31st August 2015. If your customers (or yourselves) need reminding: the HLD-7 grip is worth £189.99 – thus providing a powerful sales/purchase incentive, now well into the summer. www.olympus.co.uk

Visit www.olympus-imagespace.co.uk to keep up with potential sales opportunities

Olympus is keeping it ‘old school’ with its latest premium SH-2 compact launch, announced just days before it took the stage for a packed schedule of talks and demos at The Photography Show, with masseurs helping ‘DSLR Users in Need’…

Damian McGillicuddy in full flow on the Olympus stand – and the team photo, left

Stylus SH-2 – hand holdthosenightshots


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If there was a major difference between last year’s inaugural hosting of The Photography Show

and this, it was the sheer scale of its new home in Hall 5 of the NEC and the wow factor when you first walked in through the black drapes to witness those key manufacturers’ stands looming in front of you. Once again the events division of Future Publishing seemed to have had the ambition to match the scale, and when BPI News attended on the Monday and Tuesday there was no sign of a show winding down after the opening weekend. “We loved being in the new hall and giving the exhibitors and visitors a lot more space,” Future’s Jonny Sullens agrees. “It certainly felt a better visitor experience overall, with what we’d done from arrivals to the stages – and then behind the stages with the food areas… I thought it all worked really well. “On the whole trade feedback was really positive and 85% of exhibitors have already re-booked for next year. So that’s the greatest litmus test. The retailers also seemed very happy with the business that they’d done. It was absolutely packed on the Monday, even though we had a lot more space this year to work with, and the feedback from the retailers was that they had all experienced record days.” The estimate for this year’s attendees is again around 30,000, though we were still awaiting the official audited figure as BPI News went to press. “One of the bits of feedback we had was that things seemed a little less frenetic for visitors,” adds Jonny. “Last year the majority of the aisles were two metres wide and so people were bumping into each other and it took a long time to get from one end of the hall to the other. This year there was none of that. Being one big rectangle now, it’s easier to navigate and we were getting far less issues with people getting lost or not being able to find what they’re looking for. We’re really pleased.” In terms of the visitor split between trade and amateurs, the numbers had also still to be decisively crunched when we spoke to Jonny – though it was expected this again would match 2014’s debut show. “From an eyeball perspective I’m assuming the split would be similar – 18,000 consumers and 12,000 trade. The

With an estimated 30,000 visitors having attended the second ever event, show organiser Jonny Sullens of Future’s events division talks us through the feedback from visitors, trade and exhibitors – giving us a bird’s eye view of the four days

Four fantastic daysREVIEW21-24 MARCH 2015

THE NEC, BIRMINGHAM

Book your space early: The Photography Show returns next March from the 19th to the 22nd

student programme on the Tuesday morning, which meant that if you were a student you could visit for free, coupled with the talk by veteran photographer Don McCullin on the Super Stage – the one talk that sold out in advance of the show – meant that the event was busy right up to the end. “That audience diversification is still an important focus for us. We’d like to be able to welcome more younger photographers and more female photographers to the show as well as obviously maintain our traditional audience.”

Possible tweaks & changes for 2016

With the organisers noting that there was a lot more video content at the show – not just in terms of screens and broadcasts, but in companies such as Black Magic exhibiting – this might be a market for the show to expand into. Jonny Sullens notes that it already had a Filmmaker Theatre this year, which proved popular. And, because the show is still looking to bring more people into photography, the beginner’s program proved a sell out on the Saturday and was run on the Sunday as well. Also proving popular was the ‘Mobile-ography’ area hosted by TechRadar. “So I think these could all be areas of growth for us,” says Jonny. “We’ll also be bringing the Super Stage back next year and although I’ve no idea who will be

Crowds arrive at the entrance to the show, above, and fill the seats of the Super Stage – transformed with sky-high black curtains. Don McCullin, left, a sold-out talk long before the event.



REVIEW 21-24 MARCH 2015THE NEC, BIRMINGHAM

on it, we will try and keep it all new faces as we did this year. This year we found people would choose their day dependent on who was talking. Which meant a lot of people didn’t come until Tuesday because that was the big draw for them as Don McCullin was quite late to confirm. “We’re still only in year two of the show, which means we’re still trying and experimenting. We’re fortunate in that the majority have worked well on the whole, but you’re always left with things you’d like to tweak going forward. For example next year the main aisle will come through the dead centre of the show – this year just gone there were less stands slightly north of that than south of it, so we’ve brought that down, which is the sensible thing to do. One of the things we’ll certainly do next year is a ‘turning pro’ conference for those people on the cusp. We did a great competition with Aspire Photography aimed at that market but we think there is a probably a day or a half day programme specifically for people considering that leap.” Though 85% of exhibitors have already re-signed for next year, anyone considering booking for 2016 will want to listen to the following pitch: “The great thing about the Photography Show is that it is a genuine opportunity for people to get hands on with the product and ask the questions that they want to know before making a purchase decision. And the fact that it delivers in really good numbers makes it, in my opinion anyway, un-missable. We’re often asked by retailers if they can join the event (this year retailers were LCE, Calumet and Cameraworld – Ed) and to be able to justify that I need to see that they would get enough business from the show and people are getting served at a decent time. So we monitored queuing times at all three retailers to make sure everyone was getting served in a timely fashion and we were pleased with the information we came away with. I think the retailers’ intention is to return and our intention is to welcome them back.”

Right: the stands looked very different this year, with Nikon for example using suspended signs in the lofty exhibition hall. Marketing manager Jeremy Gilbert engages with an enthusiastic flow of visitors. Exhibitors took the ‘less is more’ approach to ensure impact and visibility, with a clear grid layout to the single large hall.

MAC Group Europe exhibited, introducing senior executives to the UK market face to face – above, Toby Tan (Export Sales Manager), Mr Hao Liu (President, Europe) and Torsten Olschinski (Manager, Germany). Below: another sale for Roy Knichel of RK Photographic.

Retail sales were booming at the show thanks to many show offers – above London Camera Exchange’s Trade In Zone.

BPI News produced a special FREE consumer issue as an official show publication – publisher Clive Insley with newly stocked shelves (seen above, at the food court).

Clare from Olympus and Jeremy from Nikon both line up to shoot the Cameraworld crew.



Experts from Sony’s team were on hand to demonstrate a set of brand new lenses, above. The major pro labs were all present at the show – below, enjoying the show, but disagreeing over lens hood use…

Talks and demonstrations given on the stands attracted large audiences without blocking the generous aisles. Above, Nikon imparts knowledge… and below, Olympus’s ‘Big Dog’ Damian McGillicuddy splashes around a bit of colour.

Lighting was one of the main attractions for professional and amateur visitors alike. Above, the LED Rotolight. Below: busy stand for The Flash Centre and Elinchrom; green space, the Garden Photographer of the Year exhibit.

Close-up action was provided by Panasonic to prove the potential of their 4K capable system, while Blackmagic (above) added to the cinematic flavour of the show. Some need no subject to enjoy a look through lenses – on Canon’s industrial-art stand, below.



Fujifilm’s impressive stand highlighted the Wonder Photo Shop brand

The BPI News team did the rounds of the show – above, editor Gavin Stoker checks out Panasonic with Filipe Sa Noguera; right, Clive Insley looks at Vanguard’s stand with Ian Bywater.

Tetenal UK is a force to be reckoned with as this column shows – with Epson, MakerBot, Tetenal, Ilford Kodak Alaris and more presented by marketing manager Craig Bird (right).

REVIEW 21-24 MARCH 2015THE NEC, BIRMINGHAM

Visitors to Sigma’s stand tried out lenses and had a chance to look at the dp0 Quattro and high-resolution results from the company’s camera series.

SIM Imaging launched SIMLabs for Schools at the show.

Above left: Peter Brogden of Just Ltd advises on sensor cleaning and DSLR camera accessories

Left: Canson Infinity’s team with (from the left) technical manager Regis Bajuz, photographer ‘ambassadors’ Brian Hopper and John Miskelly, managing director Christophe Renard and PR manager Alexa Guignes.

BPI News | April 2015 19TEL: 0116 289 3644 | e-mail: [email protected] | www.tetenaluk.com

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Strong trade support from Nedis

Get in touch with Alastair Wilson and the Nedis UK team on 0116 253 0325, speak with your area rep or see www.nedis.co.uk

The pro-active distributor – winner of a Digital Photo mag Gold Award and a winner of BPI News’ own Promotion of the Year – showcases its König in-car dash camera, Traveller tripod and baby monitors; all devices Nedis’ Alastair Wilson suggests specialists should be selling

Nedis has been in the news recently – or rather the specialist photographic

press – where it collected a Gold Award from Digital Photo magazine in a group test of travel tripods for its König-branded Traveller support (also cover star of the Nedis booklet bundled with this issue of BPI News). On top of this, its Winter Flyer Campaign was one of the two overall winners of BPI News Promotion of the Year (see our March issue), the overall winner of which is announced on page 8 of this edition. Sales Manager Alastair Wilson (above right) has long been banging the drum – supported by a series of real world case studies – that retailers need to think outside the box in order to avoid suffering extremely small margins on dedicated photo gear (achievable profit margins on Nedis products are, by contrast, typically 35%), and this issue Nedis has some new items to share with the trade that should work well for its retail partners. There are literally thousands of product lines available via the distributor – rapidly sourced via its well-stocked warehouse in the Netherlands – but here we’re concentrating on just three.

A stable choice

It’s the ideal time now to stock the König Traveller tripod that bagged the Gold Award in the Digital Photo magazine Group Test for tripods below £60, and which is featured on page 13 of the bundled brochure. The publication said: “König is better known for its audio products, but this test reveals that König is able to pack the most important features into a tripod as well. The Traveller has fantastic specifications; we love the ability to invert the centre column for low angle shots and adjust the leg angles. Its metal ball head was the best one on test too; it’s solid and locks off securely with a single lever. The head is detachable, providing the possibility to upgrade in future.” Alastair Wilson adds that in terms of value for money it also out performed everything else the magazine tested. “That’s something dealers can make a bit of a song and dance about,” he adds.

Make the most of baby boomsWITH BIRTH rates having climbed steadily over the past decade, another new König product worth stocking – with a new line available from this April – is a full range of baby wireless audio monitors and internet-enabled camera monitoring. These attractively packaged kits come in a range of specifications and price-tags to suit every new family. “The first thing people I know with new born children have gone and done is buy a baby monitor off the Internet – now we have just launched a whole new range of these products, covering audio and video and IP monitors for remote viewing over a tablet or smartphone.” A free app is available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. “I think this is a product that our photo industry is more equipped to sell than the likes of Boots or Mothercare, which incidentally have offerings which are much more expensive than ours, so there is an opportunity here. It’s something the photo industry should look at and again it’s thinking outside of the box a little bit.” See pages 18 and 19 of the Nedis catalogue with this issue for further info.


MAX FIVE STAR RATING FOR

FEATURE, BUILD, PERFORMANCE

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Get in touch with Alastair Wilson and the Nedis UK team on 0116 253 0325, speak with your area rep or see www.nedis.co.uk

Fotospeed Signature is new sign of qualityLaunched at The Photography Show and profiled in our special show edition given away at the event is the newly christened media range…

A camera customers will dash for

Every car owner has a chance to be their own Top Gear presenter with the Full HD Car Camera from

König at £49.95 SRP – and to record vital evidence while enjoying insurance savings. Alastair Wilson makes the point to potential retailers here that the device is more fully featured than cheap Chinese imports and in particular contains a very useful G-shock sensor that detects significant movement of the vehicle. When this happens that particular piece of footage is preserved – the files in question are recorded to a separate directory – and not over-written as would normally happen automatically when its memory card fills up. Cheap imports don’t offer this feature. The car camera also features a 1.5-inch TFT LCD display, built-in microphone and in-car charger. “Everybody I’m showing this to in the photo trade is buying the product from us,” reveals Alastair. “The market is massive and you can get a bit of an insurance reduction if you have one installed – in fact in certain countries I believe it has become law that you must use them. Our offering is not a cheap and cheerful camera but that’s because it does have quite advanced technology inside of it.”

The big names in photography are queuing up to sing the praises of Fotospeed’s new Signature branded premium inkjet media range – available now to the trade and shown at Birmingham’s NEC last month.

A major advertising campaign of full page Signature advertisements was launched just prior to the show to drive Fotospeed enquiries to dealer’s doors. The new family of inkjet media brings together five of the world’s leading photographers – Joe Cornish, Trevor and Faye Yerbury, John Swannell and Charlie Waite – with a quartet of Fotospeed’s award winning papers: Smooth Cotton 300, natural Soft Textured Bright White 315, Platinum Baryta 300 and Platinum Etching 285. According to Fotospeed’s Toby and Ben Herlinger (at the show, above), pin sharp imaging, a wide colour gamut and a high-density yield are achieved via Signature’s state-of- the-art manufacturing technologies as regards both the paper base and the ink-receiving layer. Also take a look at its new Metallic Lustre 275 and Metallic Gloss 275 photo inkjet papers, both with eye-catching metallic effect finish. “We are thrilled to be working with such a successful and diverse group of photographers,” says Sales Director Toby. “Each one has helped set the bar in their genre and it is a pleasure to see their work realised on our papers.” Fotospeed pro photographer ambassador Joe Cornish says: “I aim to crystallise the endlessly varied light, colours and texture of nature in my landscape photographs. The paper is critical to the success of the print. Fotospeed’s Smooth Cotton 300 is my paper of choice.” Trevor and Faye Yerbury add: “As traditional darkroom printers it has taken us many years to discover the right paper: Natural Soft Textured Bright White is our preferred choice.” John Swannell notes: “Fotospeed’s Platinum Baryta bridges the gap between the traditional darkroom papers and todays digital media.” While landscape photographer Charlie Waite concludes: “Landscape photography is much about discovery and photographers can only fully relish the rewards of their efforts when seen in the form of a print. Discovering Fotospeed’s Platinum Etching 285 has been a revelation to me.” In celebration of its new Signature brand, Fotospeed also launched a photo competition, including four chances to win signed prints from its brand ambassadors that would sell for up to £1,500 in a gallery – plus your customers’ own winning shot professionally printed and presented by Fotospeed. Email [email protected] to receive a free image upload entry pack. The trade meanwhile should contact [email protected] or call 01249 714 555. www.fotospeed.com

Contact [email protected] or call 01249 714 555

Valid till 30-04-2015

Our König Traveller Tripod was test winner

by Digital Photo

NEDIS offers you stability!page 13

webshop.nedis.co.ukYour latestNEDIS news and offers – enclosed with this BPI News issue

Charlie Waite – Platinum Etching 285Landscape photography is much about

discovery and photographers can only fully relish

the rewards of their efforts when seen in the form

of a print. The paper used for that print has to

be as carefully considered as the image made.

Discovering Fotospeed’s Platinum Etching 285

has been a revelation to me and has proved a vital

tool in my ongoing quest to match pre-visualisation with end result.

John Swannell – Platinum Baryta 300As a photographer I aim to capture the spirit of

my subject. While technology has changed over

the years the one thing I feel remains the same is

the importance of the printed image. Fotospeed’s

Platinum Baryta bridges the gap between the

traditional darkroom papers and todays digital

media. I find that whilst it is known for reproducing

superb B&W images it should never be under

estimated as a paper for colour work.

Trevor & Faye Yerbury – Natural Soft Textured

Bright White 315As traditional darkroom printers it has taken us

many years to discover the right paper for our

digital images that will capture and hold all of the

shadow and highlight detail we demand. Natural

Soft Textured Bright White is our preferred paper.

Joe Cornish – Smooth Cotton 300I aim to crystallise the endlessly varied light,

colours and texture of nature in my landscape

photographs. At the end of a chain of photographic

processes, the print is the culmination and fulfilment

of that effort, and the paper is critical to the success

of the print. Fotospeed’s Smooth Cotton 300 is my

paper of choice.

For samples or to find your nearest stockist please contact usTel: 01249 714 555Email: [email protected]

Professional InkJetMedia & Inks

The new Fotospeed Signature range brings together five of

the world’s leading photographers with four of Fotospeed’s

most popular, award-winning fine art inkjet papers:

Smooth Cotton 300, Natural Soft Textured Bright White 315,

Platinum Baryta 300 and Platinum Etching 285.

“ We are thrilled to be working with such a successful and diverse group of photographers. Each one has helped set the bar in their genre and it is a pleasure to see their work realised on our papers.” Toby Herlinger Sales Director at Fotospeed To launch this new partnership we

will be running a photo competition with prizes over £5000 up for grabs.

Email [email protected] to receive your entry pack.

Pin sharp imaging, a wide colour gamut and a high D-max are all achieved with Signature’s state of the art manufacturing technologies, in both the paper base and the ink receiving layer.

Digital Camera.Authors.3.indd 1

26/02/2015 14:39


ADVERTISING FEATURE

PhotoPlus magazine gets a major redesign for its 100th issue

Canon mag hits 100!BPI NEWS PRODUCT FOCUS

A great flash deal from Kauser

Photographic accessories supplier Kauser International is flagging up its affordable yet dynamic Voeloon V-760 flash to specialist retailers, which can be either camera or tripod mounted. It comes with external

battery support and a high guide number. In addition the flash features a master/slave feature so the main flash can trigger multiple off-camera flashes. With an LCD and LED backlight, a high-speed sync of 1/8000 sec is provided. SRP for the V-760 is £156. In related news there is also an 810-RT wireless flash transceiver being offered up from the same manufacturer, which can be purchased separately or in tandem with the V-760. The flash trigger is designed for high sync shooting with Nikon cameras and flashes and can control up to three groups of flashes. The distance reached by the remote is up to 100 metres, and when attached to the hotshoe of your customer’s camera it can act as a master unit, or alternatively a slave unit when attached to the V-760. SRP is £28.40. Get in touch with Kauser about both on 01727 874088. www.kauserinternational.com PhotoPlus magazine is 100 issues old this month, and is celebrating

the milestone in style with a fresh new look – and even more pages of Canon-centric tips, tests and photo advice.

Launched in 1997 by Future Publishing, PhotoPlus introduced a completely new style of photographic magazine to the UK newsstand. Uniquely, PhotoPlus was aimed solely at users of the Canon SLRs (and very soon after, DSLRs). The bold move instantly found fans amongst enthusiast photographers who wanted more detailed camera skills tutorials and who were only interested in gear tests that covered lenses and accessories which were compatible with their EOS bodies. The concept also appealed strongly to the tribal loyalty of the Canon photographer. PhotoPlus is now one of the country’s best-selling magazines, and currently has an audited circulation figure of 24,529 (ABC, Jan-Dec 2014). Future launched its sister magazine, the Nikon-centric N-Photo, in 2011. “Our 100th issue was the perfect time for us to give PhotoPlus a major refresh”, says Group Editor-in-Chief, Chris George. “The magazine was originally designed for new D-SLR users, but now our readers are on their second or third camera body. By adding more pages, we will be able to include an exciting range of new instructional and inspirational features that take the EOS user well beyond the basics”. The 148-page design will include a regular monthly interview with a top-name Canon-using professional – with Issue 100 featuring an exclusive retrospective of the work of leading American nature photographer, Art Wolfe. The magazine will feature a regular buyers’ guide for the first time - providing an at-a-glance to upgrade options and the full range of Canon-fit lenses. New contributors to PhotoPlus will include Andrew James (formerly Editor-in-Chief at Bauer magazines), Brian Worley (formerly of Canon Europe) , and well-respected landscape photographer David Noton. The 100th issue of PhotoPlus goes on sale from April 28, and will be available in major supermarkets and at WHSmiths – and will come with a free video training disc, and the first of a new series of collectable portrait posing guides. The celebratory issue will also be available in a number of different digital formats for those who prefer to read their magazines on a tablet, iPad or computer. A sneak preview of the redesign is available now as a PDF download from http://downloads.photoplusmag.com/PP100.pdf

Photoplus moves from A4 up to 300 x 222 to

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Not content with winning AP magazine’s Product of the Year back in January and snagging a Finalist nomination in our own BPI Awards this month, Sigma has gone and done it again, following success at TPS by adding a couple of TIPA nods to its haul

Proving a big hit (literally, if you take into account their size) at The Photography Show

last month were Sigma’s Sports and newly available Contemporary variation of its 150-600mm super telephoto lens/es, both originally announced back at Photokina 2014 and available in Canon, Nikon and Sigma mounts. The more recent Contemporary version of the 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM, is being pitched as the more affordable, compact and lightweight version of the ‘Sports’ lens with the same focal range. The thinking is that this lens enables easier handling making it possible to do handheld photography for longer periods of time, while the tripod socket is detachable for transportation. Speaking of which, a further new product arrives in the TS-81 Tripod Socket for the Sports configuration of the lens as an optional lens foot. There are two screw hole sizes: 1/4 and 3/8-inch. The manufacturer further tells BPI News that its Art range of lenses, in particular the new 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM, were also very well received at the NEC. Lest we forget, this Japanese-made large aperture wide angle lens is suitable for your customers to capture everything from expansive cityscapes to a star-filled night sky, its maker claims, as well as delivering a smooth ‘bokeh’ effect and aiding those who might want to work in lower light conditions. A Super Multi-Layer Coating reduces flare and ghosting, the bayonet mount is of brass construction. The lens is further

Turn Sigma’s twin TIPA win into retail victory

TIPA for two, two for a TIPA

When it got back from Birmingham’s NEC the manufacturer had further reason to toast its success. It had won not one but two TIPA Awards in the latest batch for 2015 for its 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM C zoom, which bagged Best Entry Level DSLR lens, plus 24mm f/1.4 lens as described above, which took Best Expert DSLR Prime Lens. The TIPA judiciary, never known for excessive wording despite being comprised of photography journalists, described the 18-300mm as ‘an eminently portable lens for the beginner DSLR photographer’ and as ideal for someone who might ‘want one lens to handle a wide range of shooting situations.’ The 24mm meanwhile was summed up as ‘a wide angle lens that opens up intriguing photo opportunities.’ “Our photographer customers have always found our lenses to be winners, so we’re glad the cognoscenti of the imaging trade agrees with us,” adds Sigma’s Graham.

compatible with Sigma’s optional USB Dock, which allows for a degree of future proofing and the direct download of firmware upgrades. The SRP is £799.99 and is available now in Canon, Nikon and Sigma mount with Sony to follow. Also receiving keen attention at The Photography Show was the new dp0 Quattro camera, covered in these pages last month. The quirkily designed unit boasts the equivalent of 29 megapixels from a Foveon X3 direct image sensor, twinned with a lens the equivalent of 21mm in 35mm terms. Sigma suggests the camera is best suited to architectural photography, landscapes and the photographing of interior spaces. For dealers looking for an add-on sale opportunity, there is a dedicated VF-51 optical viewfinder available as an optional extra for this particular model. A buoyant Sigma UK General Manager Graham Armitage says: “It

Equipment imported by Sigma Imaging UK Ltd comes with the added benefit of a 3-year warranty. See www.sigma-imaging-uk.com

was great to see so many of our loyal customers and many new ones at The Photography Show.”

Paul Reynolds and Graham Armitage with their BPI News industry award, at the NEC, right. Hit of the show, the new Contemporary 150-600mm, above; 2015 TIPAwinner the 24mm f/1.4 DG, below.


Formore information please call

01234 572138and speak to PeterWigington or email [email protected]

YOUWANT: YOU NEED:

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Passports& Visas

90%

Canvas& Posters

MARGIN*

MARGIN*

60%

PhotoGifts

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& Frames

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MARGIN*65%

*Gross margins shown are an average across all FDIS stores and will vary depending on selling price. These figures are shown as a guide only and do not represent a guarantee of gross margin, profit or loss by Fujifilm UK Ltd.

More Profit Ad 320x222:Layout 1 26/9/14 12:45 Page 1


Every year Fujifilm Digital Imaging Service (FDIS) members meet for their

National Conference. This year the conference was held on Saturday, March 21st at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Birmingham, just a stone’s throw from the NEC where The Photography Show – at which Fujifilm also enjoyed a prominent stand, complete with Japanese concept ‘Wonder Shop’ – was simultaneously taking place. In all, 67 FDIS member retailers attended the Conference, turning up early on the Saturday for a Show & Tell session with key FDIS group suppliers. On hand were Inspires Consultancy, the dedicated business sales and marketing advice consultancy, Swains International plc, the sole authorised FDIS distributor, plus Oates Online who provide the artwork and design services for the FDIS group, enabling them to promote products and services in their stores. Members also had the opportunity to speak with Photowonder who specialise in converting photographs into wonderful works of art, Novachrome, who specialise in a range of dye sublimation services, plus

To learn more about the benefits of becoming one of Fujifilm’s network of FDIS dealers, please call Marketing Manager Peter Wigington on 01234 572138 or email [email protected]

Still plenty of fizz in Fujifilm’s FDISFujifilm’s Digital Imaging Service National Conference 2015 was a resounding success, according to member retailers. Marketing Manager Peter Wigington, one of our BPI News Awards finalists this issue, shares its highlights with the trade

FDIS CONFERENCE AND AWARDS 2015

AFX who offer a video transfer service. The Conference got underway with a welcome from Neill Harris, Fujifilm’s General Manager for Photo Imaging. Presentations covered the new marketing initiatives launched for 2015, an update on the newest version of Fujifilm Imagine software, plus advice on setting up and running a website and managing local PR. Photowonder offered reduced pricing on a range of products and Swains launched a link promotion utilising the Photowonder products, a new wide format matt bond media and a 20x16 frame deal. The Conference was rounded off by keynote speech from

Adrian Webster, whose books include ‘Polar Bear Pirates’ which is high on Amazon’s bestseller list. Adrian is one of the most popular motivational speakers in the UK today. “We chose Adrian as he knows how to inspire people to be extraordinary,” reveals

FDIS Marketing Manager Peter Wigington. “Adrian gave an extremely motivational speech on how a FDIS member can deliver exceptional customer service.” The Gala Dinner followed and included a prize draw, a charity raffle (for a Fujifilm X-30 Digital Camera, which raised £520 for Cancer Research on the night) plus presentations to the four Fujifilm Business Endeavour Award (FBEA) winners and the announcement of the FDIS Member Retailer ‘Shop of the Year’. All FBEA participants were asked to complete a six-month audit of their business and develop a detailed sales and marketing plan. Each store also had to create initiatives to achieve a set of defined business goals and measure

Guest speaker Adrian Webster, author of ‘Polar Bear Pirates and Their Quest to Engage the Sleepwalkers’

Delegates at the FDIS annual conference and awards presentations held during The Photography Show in Birmingham.


To learn more about the benefits of becoming one of Fujifilm’s network of FDIS dealers, please call Marketing Manager Peter Wigington on 01234 572138 or email [email protected]

Still plenty of fizz in Fujifilm’s FDIS

CONGRATULATIONSto all the 2015 Fujifilm

Business Endeavour Award Winners

call Peter Wigington on 01234 572138Formore information on becoming a Fujifilm Digital Imaging Servicemember

A4 AD:Layout 1 12/3/14 10:31 Page 1

FDIS Shop of The Year 2015 winner: Neil McConnell, of Pillbox Pharmacy, Irvinestown, with Peter Wigington (left) and Neill Harris of Fujifilm, and Wendy Gray of Inspires Consultancy (right).

Above: Justin and Neil McConnell of Enniskillen Photo Shop receive their Fujifilm Business Endeavour Award from Peter, Neill and Wendy.

Below: Hassan Bhanji and Sumi Hasan of Razzaq Digital, Harrow, receive their Fujifilm Business Endeavour Award from Peter, Neill and Wendy.

Above: Neil McConnell receives the Fujifilm Business Endeavour Award for Pillbox

Pharmacy of Irvinestown from Peter, Neill and Wendy.

Below: Chris Meynell of CC Inks, Eastwood, Nottingham receives the Fujifilm Business

Endeavour Award from Neill Harris of Fujifilm and Wendy Gray from Inspires.

Razzaq Digital in Harrow, Middlesex and Pillbox Pharmacy in Irvinestown, Co. Fermanagh.Each winner received a Fujifilm Business Endeavour Award plaque, a £500 marketing budget and free FDIS membership for 12 months. Twelve other FDIS stores where presented with highly commended certificates for their efforts in promoting photo imaging on the high street using the FBEA program. The overall FDIS Member Retailer ‘Shop of The Year’ Award went to Pillbox Pharmacy, Irvinestown, Co. Fermanagh. In addition to the FBEA prizes, Pillbox Pharmacy received the FDIS ‘Shop Of The Year’ trophy and an additional £500 marketing budget. “A big thank-you goes out to all the FDIS suppliers who attended this year’s conference and to everyone involved who made it the success it was,” concludes Fujifilm’s Peter Wigington. “The whole FDIS marketing team will continue to work hard with all FDIS members to continue to provide the very best sales, marketing and business support in the industry. We hope the National Conference and awards will inspire our members throughout 2015…”

their performance by recording customer numbers and sales figures. Coming up with such goods were the four FBEA winning stores: CC Inks in Eastwood, Nottingham; Enniskillen Photoshop in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh;


For all your UK sales and dealer information contact PermaJet on 017989 739205 or [email protected]


Inkjet media supplier PermaJet hasn’t been doing too badly this year – kicking off January with

a Best Inkjet Paper win at The Societies Convention (see also page 11 this issue) for its innovative Oyster 271 gsm inkjet photo paper, and following it up with a finalist of the year nomination from our own BPI News Awards (see page 6) for its Test Pack promotion last summer. Then of course there was a successful team showing at The Photography Show in March. “Though the Oyster 271 premium inkjet media may have been hitting the headlines of late for its winning performance, in fact all of our range are winners in their own right,” adds PermaJet’s Head of Marketing Joseph Reiner – a fact that shouldn’t be over-looked if your customers are asking you to recommend a decent fine art photo paper. The PermaJet range includes such gems as Smooth Pearl, FB Gold Silk and Smooth Gloss in special packs, with free ICC profiles for each, as well as FB Gold Silk on a roll to a thickness of 315gsm. In fact the Oyster paper is now also available on a range of rolls coated at 245gsm and is suitable for Noritsu, Epson and Fujifilm drylabs. The qualities of the Oyster include the fact that it is compatible with both dye and pigment inks, thus making it suitable for not just photographers but also graphic artists and print labs. PermaJet’s added pitch is that it has been manufactured to be the whitest Oyster/Pearl surfaced paper on the market. The tough, instant dry resin coated paper is finished with a UV protective, microporous ‘super coat’, giving it a high degree of water and fade resistance. Whether you or your customers are printing in colour or black and white, it is said to offer exceptional reproduction of all colours and tones. Prices start at SRP 13.95 for a 25-sheet A4 pack, so this is an affordable option for all photographers too. For more simply head to: www.permajet.com/ProductGrp/PermaJet-Oyster-271gsm “We first developed this paper

Add some ‘jet power to your salesFresh from a successful showcase at The Photography Show, a Best Inkjet Paper win for its Oyster 271 paper and being named as a finalist in BPI News’ own annual awards, PermaJet media may well add a kick to your sales of consumables…

back in 2000 and it continues to be one of our most loved papers across all of the markets we produce for,” says PermaJet’s Business Manager Steven Price. “We are seeing more and more people come to us for their fine art and everyday photo papers and that’s because they see unique quality twinned with leading levels of support. “Through working with photographic labs, museums, photographers, galleries, universities

and those printing their own images at home, we have been able to grow our understanding of what those groups need from their inkjet media”. It must be doing something right as PermaJet entered the US market too back in February this year. Its popular selections being introduced in the USA include the award-winning Gloss, Oyster, Matt and double-sided collections, along with a wide range of smooth, textured and fiber based Fine Art papers across a comprehensive

range of sheet and roll sizes. For all UK sales needs and dealer information contact PermaJet on: 01789 739205 or [email protected] www.permajet.com

Best Inkjet Paper award from SWPP (above left and top right); great products and a great stand at The Photography Show, bottom. Right: a happy Joseph Reiner with the test packs. Left, with their BPI News finalist award – Ian

Windebank (Technical Support), Joseph Reiner (Head of Marketing), Steven Price (Business Manager) & Doug Morgan (Sales Manager).


Please quote ‘BPI’ for special Spring deals!


New products we should know about? Email [email protected] with your launch information!

Dependable DS620 launched by DNPBacked by a two-year warranty, the reliable printer’s efficient rewind function promises to cut wastage for minilabs

With thousands of British and European retailers now offering photo services on DNP photo paper – Boots being one of them since 2014 – the dye-sub printing specialist has added a durable and

efficient new flagship printer, the DS620, to its line up. Originally announced back at Photokina 2014, and designed to deliver high print volumes, it’s being described as the world’s most compact professional photo printer in its class, offering more print formats as well as new rewind and standby functions. With sales starting mid April, the efficient and highly reliable unit, seen above, comes with a two-year warranty (or up to 100,000 prints in 6x4-inch format) and what DNP describes as a ‘great low media price regardless of the photo format’. To make the most of your consumables and remaining media stock, the printer’s new intelligent algorithm rewinds the ink ribbon in the case of an odd number of 10x15cm photos being printed, so the remaining piece will be used for the next print job. A new standby mode helps it make the most efficient use of energy, keeping electricity bills low – and therefore increasing your profit. Compared to the previous DS40 printer, which was already highly reliable and durable, the D620 is 14% lighter, 14% more compact and has a 14% higher image throughput per hour. For retailers, its reduced width, at only 275mm, will result in more space being given back to sales. DNP claims an improved gloss level in pictures, lending them a more vibrant look. In terms of available output, the printer offers 5x15cm photo strip prints right up to prints 15x20cm in size. There is also a new 15x15cm square photo format for lovers of Instagram. As one would expect, the dependable DS620 is compatible with DNP’s software solutions. These comprise the Party Print ‘app’, available late spring 2015, Tomo [TM] v6.1 kiosk software, nexlab [TM] 6.6.2 order management software and Hot Folder Print software for enhanced in-studio workflow. While Windows drivers for the printer were available on launch, Mac drivers will be available from late spring as well as connectivity with the Party Print app. Any UK minilabs or retailers looking to add the DS620 to their existing set up, should contact DNP Photo Imaging Europe directly via: [email protected] www.dnpphoto.eu

MINILAB NEWS

New DS620, and DNP’s Tim Andrews, above, with BPI

News award for their ‘New Market Standard’ campaign

from Oct 2014.

BPI NEWS PRODUCT OF THE MONTH

PhotographicBritish

Industry news Olympus OM-D E-M5

Mark II

With the original E-P1 back in 2009 harking back to its classically styled Pen cameras of the 1960s, Olympus opened up a category – compact system cameras – that took inspiration from the brand’s

heritage to secure its future. The first OM-D, the E-M5, did the same three years ago, being based on Olympus’ analogue OM series. Classic styling married to modern technology has worked well for both Olympus and those it inspired, including Fuji’s now BPI Award winning X-T1. Now the E-M5 Mark II has arrived. Olympus hasn’t thrown the proverbial baby out with the bath water here. It’s tweaked an already good enthusiast’s camera to make an even better one with a potentially wider customer reach. Though outwardly a match for both its predecessor and the still current E-M1 flagship, the Mark II is actually marginally heavier because of the introduction of a new shutter mechanism and a LCD screen that conveniently swivels as well as tilts. This is a definite boon, particularly for capturing Full HD video, with frame rates between 24fps and 60fps selectable. Another plus is the five-axis body-integral image stabilization, magic that happens via a combination of magnets and coils, being sufficiently up to scratch to protect against camera roll that a rig or Steadicam isn’t required. For stills, options run from the core 16 megapixels of its Four Thirds CMOS sensor to a new 40-megapixel high-resolution mode. This differentiating selling point combines eight successive images to, if not exactly give a medium format Hasselblad a run for its money, at least potentially better a full frame sensor DSLR, according to Olympus’ boast. Blur-free results need to be achieved with the E-M5 Mark II fixed securely to a tripod. The resultant image takes 2.5 seconds for the camera to process and can be stored as a Raw file. As with the range topping E-M1 before it, the E-M5 Mark II is also splashproof, dustproof and freezeproof, making it a realistic outdoor option for travel and street photographers, aided by the camera’s smaller than SLR form factor. While there’s no body integral flash, a new FL-LM3 flash gun (below) is bundled with it, plus plentiful accessories including self-powered dot sight, hand/battery grip and underwater housing for any budding explorer. Various available lens kits include body with 14-42mm (£1099), 12-50mm (£1099), 14-150mm (£1249), or 12-40mm Pro f/2.8 (£1499).

www.olympus.co.uk from £899 body only (SRP)


Profitable photofinishing with flexibility, quality and speed!

[email protected]

DS620

The DS620 is to take over as the new flagship model in DNP’s printer line-up. With the new key features of enhanced durability, cost effectiveness and innovativeness, it sets the right tone to become a bestseller. Compact and well-designed body, it is attractive for kiosk integrators and photo retail alike. DNP offers an enhanced warranty included for you, featuring 2 years standard warranty and up to 100,000 prints on the thermal print head. The new DS620 allows you to offer even more photo formats, including the popular square format 15x15cm. The rewind function allows you to offer multiple formats from the same media allowing you to benefit from cost savings and a reduction of media stock keeping units. Last not least, the standby mode reduces your power consumption to a minimum (<0.5W) when the printer is not in operation. The DS620, a reliable performer!

High-quality finish Speed

EconomicsGreat choice of formatsReliability

WARRANTY

Coming soon

15x23*

5x15

*Available 3rd quarter 2015

GLOSSY

MATT

10x15

13x18

15x20


TO TRAVEL

©2015 DayMen Canada Acquisition ULC.

0845 250 0790 0845 250 0791 [email protected] www.lowepro.co.uk

TFEW

The next generation Fastpack – fast-paced and travel-ready for business or pleasure. Available in two sizes this new design includes:• Enhanced protection with built in All Weather Cover™

• CradleFit™ device compartment for tablets• Three primary storage compartments for camera, device and

general organisation

For a demonstration and stockist details contact your DayMen Account Manager

LP BPI_Fastpack Trusted_stg2.indd 1 30/03/2015 12:36

bpi news april 2015

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