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Posts Tagged ‘brands’

Olympus to Quit the Camera Business, Sell Brands to Investment Fund

28 Jun

The post Olympus to Quit the Camera Business, Sell Brands to Investment Fund appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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Olympus is leaving the camera business.

After three years of financial struggle, the company has decided to sell its camera division to Japanese Industrial Partners (JIP), a firm known for its ability to successfully restructure unprofitable businesses.

In recent years, Olympus has become more heavily invested in other aspects of its business, and while the company attempted to keep its camera division moving forward, it has struggled to compete with players on either end of the spectrum. Smartphones have eaten into profits generated by hobbyist cameras, while APS-C and full-frame cameras have maintained an edge against Olympus’s semi-professional and professional models.

Then, last fall, rumors of an Olympus camera division shutdown were denied by the CEO, though it’s clear that the company was on a firm downward trajectory; as indicated in the official announcement, Olympus was hit hard by an “extremely severe digital camera market, due to, amongst others, rapid market shrink caused by the evolution of smartphones.”

And while Olympus’s mirrorless lineups were praised for their compactness and sharp lenses, the company struggled to find a habitable niche, especially as “small-but-powerful” became a common refrain of Google Pixels, iPhones, and more. And the release of higher-end bodies such as the OM-D E-M1 Mark III and the OM-D E-M1X wasn’t enough to pull more serious photographers away from leading brands such as Nikon, Canon, and Sony.

So what comes next?

JIP plans to take over the Olympus camera brands by the end of 2020. The announcement indicates that a “definitive agreement” will be signed by September 30th, with the two companies aiming to “close the transaction by December 31, 2020.”

JIP will then “succeed and maintain the research and development functions and manufacturing functions globally…to continue to offer high-quality, highly reliable products.”

This is technically good news for Olympus photographers. JIP will at least attempt to rebuild Olympus’s camera division in the interests of its current consumers. But if the camera market continues to bleed, it may be impossible for JIP to turn things around, leading to a more permanent end for the brand.

And here’s another important question:

What does this mean for the camera industry as a whole? Is Olympus an anomaly? Or is the first of many? At present, even leading camera companies are struggling to find footing, which makes me wonder whether we might witness the fall of at least a few more camera brands before the market stabilizes.

Now over to you:

What do you think about Olympus’s decision? Will it impact Olympus consumers? And will we see the decline of other major camera brands? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post Olympus to Quit the Camera Business, Sell Brands to Investment Fund appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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3 Important Tips for Successfully Photographing Products for Brands

16 Dec

The post 3 Important Tips for Successfully Photographing Products for Brands appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.

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In this article, you’ll learn 3 important tips for photographing products for brands that will help you achieve better images.

Other than as a photographer, I wear many hats, one of which is as a content creator for brands. It’s common knowledge that when working with other brands, two things are key:

  1. Understand the brand’s USP (unique selling point)
  2. Communicate the brand’s USP

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Brands that differentiate themselves from other brands, thereby having a clear uniqueness about them that they propose to their audience, achieve more success in their advertising endeavors.

However, it is not enough to have a great USP.

Presentation of the USP matters and this usually means visual presentation. This is where the photographer or film-maker comes in.

When it comes to photographing products for brands, our role as photographers is to understand that unique message and deliver it in the most effective way for the brand to succeed. We need to be able to communicate that USP in our images and visuals.

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Social media allow brands to reach the masses more easily. Audiences now have access to more than one platform, one type of style or preference. They are inundated with an array of options from which they can make their choices.

To be part of the game, and have a slice of the pie, brands are endeavoring to reach beyond their expected target audience to those they want to convert to their aesthetics.

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Audiences might not necessarily know what they want nor that they want something until it has been presented to them.

Take Henry Ford, for example. He may not have been the first person to invent a private automobile, but he was the first person to mass-produce it. Ford made his Model T accessible to the masses.

Prior to this, not many people had access to their own automobile. They relied mainly on steam-powered vehicles and mechanical forms of transport to get them to places. People were generally happy with what they had until something better, something they had not thought of before, in the form of their own gasoline-powered automobile, was presented to them. It was both accessible and available.

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Various platforms widely used nowadays in brand advertising are websites, social media (Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Linked In, Yelp, Reddit), print advertising (magazine, billboards, leaflets, posters), television and radio ads. The type of communication will depend on what works best for the advertising platform used.

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This article will focus on photographing products for brands to reach their intended audience. Assuming that you have an adequate understanding of the brand’s USP and ideas on how to communicate it on their chosen channel, here are 3 tips when photographing products for brands.

1. Understand what the audience wants

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Whilst branding is the most important, it is no longer the only consideration, no longer the be-all-end-all. We need to think outside the brand and understand our audience.

Recently, I received an invitation to sit on an advisory board for a big company. The company was hard at work nailing their branding. They were at a point where they were able to clearly and articulately present their brand’s identity. The advisory board, composed of various sectors of the industry, was asked for opinions and input on how to effectively shout the brand’s identity to the world.

The meeting took an interesting turn as it became apparent that the brand, as strong as their identity was, needed to look outside of themselves and understand the market, consumers, and traders – the people on the receiving end of their message.

It’s no longer just about the brand. The audience is now just as important in the game.

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What does the audience want? What type of images and visuals speaks to them the most? Where and how do they want the brand to speak to them? Old traditional ways don’t cut it anymore. We have to be thinking outside the box and exploring new ways of effective messaging.

Is it enough to present a product photographed against a ubiquitous white background? Is presentation in context now necessary as well? We are bombarded with short films and short stories everywhere we go. Static images in white boxes no longer pull the heartstrings.

Stories and contextual presentation, personal experience, and testimonies are now a must. Remember, photographs can tell stories just as effectively as moving images – we just need to keep up with our game.

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2. Photograph with the intention of giving the audience what they want

I’m a typical consumer; before I buy something, especially if I have not seen it in real life and I’m only relying on web images, I’d like to investigate the item. I want to see it close-up, read a detailed description of it, and would like to envisage it in my own personal situation or surroundings. A complete range from context to product photography is what I need to complete my research and help me decide to purchase or not.

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How do I want this presented? Personally, I’d like an image in context, then close-up images, then an image on a white background – pure product photography.

A contextual image should resonate with me and elicit my emotions. The close-up image should speak to my visual aesthetics and help me decide if I like the look of it enough to buy it.

Lastly, the product image on a white background speaks to my brain. It answers practical and logical questions I might have.

I’d expect a combination of visuals on a website or a good advertising platform.

3. Present the visual so the audience will engage

When it comes to photographing products for brands, depending on the channel or platform you choose, you need to be discerning about what image works best to ensure that a good percentage of the audience engages.

For example, on TV, emotionally moving adverts or humorous, unforgettable ones work best. The cost is immense. In the UK, big brands usually do quite long, full Christmas adverts around the time of the launch. These adverts then get cut and shortened on subsequent showings to help with the costs.

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On social media, videos are hugely effective, but the most effective ones are the short and quick videos to keep in line with the limited attention span of audiences nowadays! Yes, there are videos longer than a minute that are effective too. However, this would perhaps require that you already have an engaged tribe willing to give up more time and stop for several minutes to watch your long advert.

Of course, the younger audiences (youths and young adults, especially Generation Z) are more used to watching longer videos, so there’s that to consider when creating and presenting product content.

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On Instagram, for example, brands work with me to reach my audience. It’s not always a must that our aesthetics match, although often they do. It could be that the brand wants to reach my type of audience to expand their reach and to speak to new audiences who may not be familiar with what they have.

Think again of Henry Ford here.

In both cases, I would always present the ad in terms of how engaging it would be to my audience and not the brand’s aesthetics per se. This is better for the brand as the more engaged the audience is, the wider the reach is for them.

This is not to say that I disregard the brand’s USP. In fact, I communicate the brand’s uniqueness in my captions and make sure these are the focus of the message. But at the forefront of my mind, I will present the visual in a way that my audience finds most interesting so that they are encouraged to engage.

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Wide, medium, close-up, and flatlay shots

In practical terms, this means my front image is always the contextual wide-angle image. I follow this with product images shot from a medium angle to close-up.

This is in line with what I know to be the most popular style of posts with high engagement rates.

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Other pages may have close-up product shots as their most successful type of images, or flatlays, or products all shot in a seamless white background. To effectively communicate to your target audience, your images need to resonate with their aesthetics, not just needs and wants, as they might not be fully aware of those yet.

Whilst the brand needs to be true to its USP and key message, the presentation needs to be flexible to adapt to consumer demands.

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As a photographer, keep the above in mind and usually aim to cover all bases when photographing. Take wide-angle shots using something like a 24-25mm lens, a mid-range angle using a 50mm-85mm focal length, and close-ups from 105mm upwards.

In terms of presentation, go with the most successful type of images that elicit high interaction from the audience. Suggest that as the front image for the client to use on platforms like Instagram. Then provide the necessary product shots as secondary images to use to complete the audience satisfaction.

Conclusion

In summary, when it comes to photographing products for brands, successful advertising takes into consideration your audience’s preferred aesthetics. Whether that audience is already your tribe or a new audience you are trying to reach with the brand, you want your visuals to resonate with them on an emotional level. That is one of the most effective ways of communicating with your audience and ensuring effective brand reach.

Do you have any other tips for photographing products for brands that you’d like to share? Please do so in the comments section.

The post 3 Important Tips for Successfully Photographing Products for Brands appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.


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6 Important Considerations Before You Change Camera Brands

17 Aug

The post 6 Important Considerations Before You Change Camera Brands appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Carl Spring.

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I have finally started to change camera brands. I’ve been shooting Canon since my first ever SLR I got back when I was 16. I wanted to stay with Canon, but their current bodies do nothing for me. Also, the lens prices of the new R-mount system are insane. After spending a lot of time researching, as well as some hands-on time with the cameras I was considering (Sony, Panasonic & Fuji), I ended up moving towards Fuji.

I’ve purchased a Fuji XT3 with the kit lens and a 35mm f2. It has been a decision that I made on several factors, and so far I am really enjoying the images I am getting out of the Fuji. I haven’t sold off my Canon gear yet (nor will I likely do so in the immediate future) but I can definitely see me moving a lot of my kit in Fuji’s direction.

However, the move has thrown up a few surprises, which I wanted to share with you in this article. So without further ado, here are six things to consider before you change camera brands.

1. Know why

The question you must ask yourself is, what are you trying to achieve by moving camera brand? Changing brands is a long, sometimes painful experience that can be as frustrating as it is fun. It is also certainly going to be expensive. However, if you are considering a full-blown brand swap, there has never been a better time. The big two (Nikon & Canon) have changed mounts. This means, even staying with your current brand, you will eventually be changing your whole kit. So for many people, if you are going to move, the time is now.

Why did I move towards Fuji? Three reasons; the weight, the size, and the video functions.

I shoot weddings, and the appeal of lighter gear hanging off me all day is huge. Secondly, as I shoot in a documentary style, the size of the Fuji means the camera is not as intimidating as my 5DMkIV when in close situations. I have noticed in my son already that he is much more himself with the small Fuji camera, as opposed to my DSLR. This is what I see on paid shoots too. When shooting with the Fuji up close on a recent engagement shoot, the couple seemed to relax more. It is hard to put into words, but there is definitely something about the smaller form factor.

Lastly; video. Canon is purposefully, it seems, not putting the video features into its DSLR’s that Sony, Fuji & Panasonic are. I want to shoot more video and am starting to offer it to clients. Fuji beats Canon hands down here and was the deciding factor.

That’s not to say that other things such as Eye AF, a flip-out screen and 100% coverage with AF points are not things I want, they are, but they alone were not enough for me to make the switch.

A king on a chess board with a young player in the bokeh

You will find yourself shooting more to test your new gear out. Here I am testing the bokeh of the 35mm f2, whilst teaching my son to play chess. The smaller size means he acts more natural than when I point my DSLR at him.

2. Be prepared to start again

Unless you are willing to sell off all of your gear to fund your new purchase, you will no doubt (like me) dip your toe in the water first. As a professional, I simply cannot just go all-in on a new system. So it will be a switch over time. The lack of kit is in some ways quite refreshing. It is also making me think about what kit I will need as I begin to build up my new system. However, sometimes I do find myself reaching for my Canon as it has the lens option I want.

A change of system will be expensive and, in the interim at least, you will probably have less gear than you previously had. Remember, it is more than cameras and lenses – you will need to change things like flashes and flash triggers as well.

Little side note here. Pixapro (rebadged UK version of Godox) triggers for Fuji & Canon look identical. The method I’ve used to differentiate them is to color the little quality control sticker red on the Fuji trigger. A quick, simple way to overcome an annoying little problem.

Changing brands and starting again can definitely have a positive impact. As you begin to build a new system, you will think more about what gear you don’t use as well as what you find yourself missing. This means you can save some money in the switching process and lighten the load of your gear bag at the same time.

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This was my new kit for 3 weeks. No high-end primes, no myriad of lens options. Just a kit lens. Frustrating, but it did make me think about photography in a way I hadn’t in some time.

3. Retraining the muscle memory

There is nothing worse than the downright dread of coming to grips with a new menu system. Trying to remember which button is the one you mapped for changing autofocus is somewhat frustrating. The remapping of your brain to work with your new camera system is one of those things that is initially fun and exciting.

However, that initial joy soon gives way to frustration. It is surprising how difficult it can be to move systems and retrain your brain to work with the new menu system. It gets easier quite quickly, but you will initially miss shots you would have got, simply because you forgot which button you needed to press.

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This has been my workhorse for years. I can operate it in the dark without thinking. I will get there with the Fuji, but it will take time.

4. The cost of switching

It is easy to get carried away in thinking that if you sell off your gear, you will be able to switch systems without a huge outlay. Unfortunately, that isn’t usually the case. Moving camera system will come with a financial cost, and it will probably be more than you think. To move system and a new body and a set of lenses (24-70mm f2.8, 70-200mm f2.8, and a fast prime) you will be looking in the ballpark of £1000-£4000. You can reduce the costs of this by buying secondhand glass. However, with the new mirrorless systems by both Nikon & Canon, the price of secondhand glass is still incredibly high and hard to find.

To give an example, I own the Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS I lens. I could look to get around £700 for this secondhand at current value. To move to the new Sony G Master of the same focal length, I would need an extra £1700. To pick up a secondhand copy, I would still need £1000, and that is simply for one lens.

When you look at the numbers like that you have to ask yourself, will a change of system for this function be worth £3000? Is eye autofocus, in-body stabilization, and 100% AF points coverage really worth that much? For you, it may be, but do not think there will not be a cost involved in getting the features you need.

Many of you (like me) will be considering a move to a mirrorless-based system. Even changing to the same brand is now going to come with considerable costs as both Canon & Nikon have new lens mounts. I know that you can adapt existing glass for both these systems, but it will not work as well as the new glass designed specifically for the new mounts.

In both cases, the lenses for these systems are commanding top prices. Over time, these will drop, and there will be a larger secondhand market. But at the moment, switching to a Canon or Nikon mirrorless system, complete with native lenses for the system, is no cheaper than a complete change of brand.

I think the mirrorless camera revolution will see many people taking the plunge with different brands. Switching from a 5D Mk IV to an EOS-R is, in reality, the same kind of investment you will make moving to Sony or Nikon.

Again, most brands now have good quality adapters to use glass from other systems, so it does help you take those baby steps. However, the native glass will always give the best performance. Unless you have a great relationship with your bank manager (and/or partner), you may need to transition slowly to cushion the financial impact.

A cow in a field at sunset

This was meant to be shot on my Fuji. However, the battery died and I had no spares. Luckily, my trusty Canon (and 4 spare batteries) to the rescue.

5. Will the grass be greener?

There is the honeymoon phase in any relationship. I am currently in it with my Fuji. No matter what the sensible part of your brain says, having new gear makes you get out and use it. The more photos you take, the more your photography improves. So, therefore, changing camera gear will make things better right? Well, maybe. If you changed for a specific reason and your new gear addresses it, then, yes, it may be better.

What is more likely, though, is that after the honeymoon phase, your camera will get used no more than your current kit. Your photography will not improve simply because of your choice to change systems. You will again find things that you don’t like about your new system and things you miss about your old one. This is simply because there is no perfect camera.

6. Could you spend money more wisely to advance your photography?

The biggest reason to pause and think about changing systems is whether you could make a different investment that will improve your photography more than a change of brand. It is well documented that lenses are a wiser investment than a new camera body. I have seen countless photographers move towards a full-frame camera, rather than invest in lenses, which is definitely a mistake. Lenses hold their value, will instantly give you better results and will last you way longer than a new camera body.

If you look at a minimum of £1000 to change camera brands, then think of what else you could invest that money in to improve your photography. Portrait photographers, that could buy you a great off-camera flash system with modifiers that will take your portraits to a new level. You could invest in new lenses for your current camera that helps you shoot better in low light, or give you more reach as a wildlife photographer.

However, look beyond gear. What could £1000 worth of education do for your photography? How about spending £1000 on a trip to locations that you have always wanted to photograph? In many cases, changing your camera system is possibly the least likely thing to advance your photography.

For most of us, we simply got caught in the hype and Facebook chatter about a new camera. We think it will be a magic bullet that makes us take more photos or better photos. But in reality, it won’t. You will have a shiny new toy that you love, until the Mark 2 comes out and you will convince yourself again that you need to upgrade.

There are lots of legitimate reasons to change systems. There is also absolutely nothing wrong with switching to a new camera system simply because you want to. Just beware of the hype that it will make your photos better because it won’t.

A tipi near a pond with a tree growing out of it.

The Fuji will make me money. Will I make more money than if I had kept my Canon? No. My back, however, will thank me for the lighter weight.

I’m not trying to convince you either way (you probably wouldn’t listen if I did). I am just giving you some things to think about if you are looking to move from your current camera system. Happy shopping.

Have you made the switch to a new camera system or considering it? Share with us in the comments section below!

 

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The post 6 Important Considerations Before You Change Camera Brands appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Carl Spring.


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Brands, breakthroughs and bias: Here’s why you’ve heard so much about Sony recently

15 May

If it feels like we’ve been writing a lot about Sony recently, you haven’t been imagining things: we’ve been writing about its products and technologies quite a bit. But there’s a good reason for that – the company has simply given us a lot to write about.

A period of intense, sustained activity, set against a backdrop of relative inactivity from its competitors has seen Sony receive probably more coverage than any other brand.

Ever since it bought Konica Minolta’s camera business, Sony has been trying to find a foothold in a market sector that’s historically been dominated by two camera makers. Its first attempts were to crowd-out the shelves with ‘me-too’ SLRs. Actually, that’s not quite fair, the a350 was pretty innovative, in its own way. But despite offering lots of models often at low prices, this didn’t yield the desired results.

Sony’s attempts at innovation don’t start with the RX and a7 cameras, but the relentless pace of its updates are a relatively recent trend.

But Sony’s more recent moves, particularly the embrace of full-frame mirrorless and 1″ sensor compacts, along with numerous additional features arriving in the realms of video, sensor technology and autofocus, have included some significant steps forward for the industry. And ones that are relevant for a broad range of photographers.

This has left us with a lot of technology and features to write about. Sometimes this comes in the form of a standalone tech article, other times in the reviews themselves, as we try to explain the real-world benefits and shortcomings we’ve encountered while using them.

Of course we’ve seen this before: periods of innovation from various manufacturers as the industry grows and changes. The introduction of the first mirrorless camera by Panasonic, for example, or its subsequent improvements in video (we often joke that the launch of a GH series camera means we all have to learn more about film-making). Fujifilm was the first to offer on-sensor phase detection and, while divisive, its X-Trans color filter array and DR Modes have given us plenty to talk about.

Mirrorless cameras, as pioneered by Panasonic and Olympus have been the area with most innovation in recent years. Again, this has meant we’ve written about them a lot, as the technology has improved.

What’s unique, though, is the continued drive, this sustained flood of products and of new technologies that Sony has recently been responsible for. And, more starkly, this has come at a time when the industry’s largest two companies have been comparatively quiet. Over the past four years, Sony has released around 60% more new high end (>$ 1000) models than any of its rivals.

This has come at a time when the industry’s largest two companies have been comparatively quiet

This has meant that we write a lot about Sony right now. Not because it’s Sony, specifically, but because they’re the company doing so much of the running at the moment. And of course, our coverage isn’t always positive. Our job is to cover technology and innovations regardless of how well they perform, so in addition to being impressed by the capabilities of DRAM-backed Stacked CMOS sensors, we’ve also written about banding, striping, and work that still needs to be done on the menu systems.

Sony isn’t the only brand innovating, of course. We continue to be impressed by Canon’s Dual Pixel AF design, particularly in terms of the benefits it brings for video shooting, and Nikon launched the D850, arguably the best DSLR the world has seen. But neither brand is delivering the constant innovation that currently sets Sony apart right now.

This is to be expected: the dominant players in the industry will be keen not to change an apparently winning formula, while the insurgent newcomer needs to offer something suitably different to entice people away from the tried and tested ‘safe’ choice.

Canon didn’t achieve its market dominance by chance. Cameras such as the EOS 5D and EOS 300D/Digital Rebel offered something none of its rivals did.

Looking back, we’ve been here before. Canon didn’t achieve its recent market dominance solely by chance: a combination of investment in CMOS technology and aggressive pricing of its mass-market DSLRs played a big role. This combination gave it several years in which its cameras had a distinct edge over most rivals.

Similarly, Nikon made great strides forward around the time of the D3 and D300. These two cameras brought hugely improved autofocus as well as a move to CMOS sensors which greatly increased low light performance (and dynamic range, in subsequent iterations).

The Fujifilm S3 Pro was the first DSLR to offer live view. It could be argued that we failed to recognize its significance at the time.

The long-expected thinning-out of the camera industry hasn’t yet happened: there are still plenty of players in the market. The thing that’s changed is that they’re all competing for a slice of a much smaller pie than they were, just a few years ago. This is likely to mean more brands trying the aggressive, fast-iteration, constant innovation approach that Sony (and, to a lesser degree, Fujifilm) is taking. It’s also unlikely that Sony can continue at this rate indefinitely: there’s every chance that its strategy is to capitalize on being first mover by staking out as much territory as it can before everyone else responds.

Manufacturers are all competing for a slice of a much smaller pie

As the remaining camera brands fight for recognition and search for tech and features to distinguish themselves, we should have plenty more to write about. Especially if, as all the rumors suggest, Canon, Nikon or both end up introducing high-end mirrorless cameras in the next twelve months. After all, despite being well-entrenched in the DSLR market, they’ll both be relative newcomers to serious mirrorless, so may feel the need to be more innovative than we’ve seen in a while.

Busy times, then. And we will cover these with the same vigor and enthusiasm we try to show for every innovative launch. Regardless of which name is on the front of the product.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Elinchrom will skip Photokina this year, other brands may follow suit

10 Apr
High-end lighting brand Profoto is also rumored to be dropping out of Photokina 2018, but Elinchrom is the first to officially announce it will be sitting this one out. Credit: Photokina

Swiss lighting company Elinchrom has officially decided to “take a breather” from Photokina 2018. The flash maker cited two reasons: the fact that the photo industry is “going through major changes”, and Photokina’s decision to reposition itself as an annual trade show in order to better reflect the “fast-paced and briefer innovation cycles” of digital technology.

“After close to 30 successive participations we feel this is a transitional year for photokina,” writes CEO Simon Whittle in a statement on the Elinchrom website. “This break will help Elinchrom to analyze and refocus on what is really important for our customers in the coming years.”

The decision makes sense—this year’s show will only be four days long instead of six, there’s less exhibition space, and Photokina 2019 will take place just eight months after Photokina 2018—but it still comes as a surprise that a major lighting brand would sit out one of the largest photo industry trade shows in the world. Even more surprising, rumors have been circulating that Elinchrom will not be the only brand to skip this year’s exhibition.

According to DIY Photography, rumors that major brands like Profoto and maybe even Canon could drop out of Photokina 2018 first surfaced during The Photography Show in the UK last month.

The Profoto rumor we might believe, but the idea that Canon would skip even a pared-down Photokina seems far-fetched. With all rumors and teasers and coy interview answers pointing towards the release of full-frame mirrorless cameras from both Canon and Nikon sometime this year, we’d be very surprised indeed if one or both of the big two dropped out. Still, we might be in for a much quieter Photokina this September.

You can read Elinchrom’s full statement below:

Elinchrom Take a Breather From Photokina.

It goes without saying that the photo industry is going through major changes; photographer’s habits and expectations are evolving so rapidly.

In order to respond to this new environment, the photokina international exhibition has repositioned itself as an annual event to be held over 4 days in September this year, and then annually each May from 2019.

“After close to 30 successive participations we feel this is a transitional year for photokina and this break will help Elinchrom to analyse and refocus on what is really important for our customers in the coming years.” said Simon Whittle, CEO of Elinchrom.

The launch of the ground-breaking ELB 1200 location stills and video light and the ELB 500 TTL is proof of Elinchrom’s commitment to their customers.

Full information on the complete Elinchrom range remains accessible on-line and locally from Elinchrom’s Distributor and Retail network, throughout the year.

Elinchrom

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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CVS bans photo manipulation on its beauty images, will hold other brands to same standard

16 Jan
Photo: CVS Health

Earlier today, CVS announced that it would ban ‘materially altered’ imagery on its store-brand beauty products, and begin marking imagery on all of the beauty products the store carries as ‘Digitally Altered’ if it doesn’t match the new policy by 2020. Given the influence CVS wields—it is the US’s largest drug store chain—major beauty brands such as L’Oreal, Maybelline, and others are expected to follow suit.

The announcement is branded as a “commitment to create new standards for post-production alterations of beauty imagery,” and includes the introduction of the so-called CVS Beauty Mark: a watermark that will appear on all beauty imagery in the store that has not been materially altered. And, just in case you’re not sure what CVS means by ‘materially altered,’ the company explains:

For this initiative, materially altered is defined as changing or enhancing a person’s shape, size, proportion, skin or eye color, wrinkles or any other individual characteristics.

The move, says Helena Foulkes, President of CVS Pharmacy and Executive VP of CVS Health, is a recognition of the company’s responsibility as one of the largest beauty retailers in the United States:

The connection between the propagation of unrealistic body images and negative health effects, especially in girls and young women, has been established. As a purpose-led company, we strive to do our best to assure all of the messages we are sending to our customers reflect our purpose of helping people on their path to better health.

The CVS Beauty Mark will begin appearing on CVS-produced beauty imagery in 2018, but the goal is to have all of the photographs in the beauty sections of CVS stores up to transparency standards by the end of 2020. At that point, any altered beauty image that appears in CVS “stores, marketing materials, websites, apps or social media” will be clearly labeled as such.

To learn more about this initiative, head over to the CVS Beauty Mark website. And if you plan to shoot campaign images for … well … almost any beauty brand from this point forward, you might want to keep these standards in mind. Chances are good that product is carried in a CVS store.

Press Release

CVS Pharmacy Makes Commitment to Create New Standards for Post-Production Alterations of Beauty Imagery

WOONSOCKET, R.I. | January 15, 2018 – CVS Pharmacy, the retail division of CVS Health (NYSE: CVS), today announced a commitment to create new standards for post-production alterations of beauty imagery it creates for stores, websites, social media and any marketing materials. As part of this initiative, transparency for beauty imagery that has been materially altered will be required by the end of 2020.

The company also announced that it will introduce the “CVS Beauty Mark,” a watermark that will be used to highlight imagery that has not been materially altered. For this initiative, materially altered is defined as changing or enhancing a person’s shape, size, proportion, skin or eye color, wrinkles or any other individual characteristics. CVS Pharmacy will be working together with key brand partners and industry experts to develop specific guidelines in an effort to ensure consistency and transparency.

“As a woman, mother and president of a retail business whose customers predominantly are women, I realize we have a responsibility to think about the messages we send to the customers we reach each day,” said Helena Foulkes, President of CVS Pharmacy and Executive Vice President, CVS Health. “The connection between the propagation of unrealistic body images and negative health effects, especially in girls and young women, has been established. As a purpose-led company, we strive to do our best to assure all of the messages we are sending to our customers reflect our purpose of helping people on their path to better health.”

This new initiative is being introduced in an effort to lead positive change around transparency in beauty as well as to allow customers to differentiate between authentic and materially altered imagery. The CVS Beauty Mark will start to appear on CVS Pharmacy-produced beauty imagery in 2018 with the goal of all images in the beauty sections of CVS Pharmacy stores reflecting transparency by the end of 2020.

“We’ve reached out to many of our beauty brand partners, many of whom are already thinking about this important issue, to work together to ensure that the beauty aisle is a place that represents and celebrates the authenticity and diversity of the communities we serve,” Foulkes added. “We’ve been inspired by their willingness to partner with us to redefine industry standards around this important issue for the well-being of all of our customers.”

“Girls Inc. applauds CVS Pharmacy’s leadership commitment to showcase and celebrate beauty in all of its forms. As the national nonprofit dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold, Girls Inc. is honored to be a partner in CVS Pharmacy’s movement to counter limiting stereotypes too often faced by girls and women. Allowing diversity and natural beauty to shine will have an immensely positive impact on girls and women everywhere.” said Judy Vredenburgh, Girls Inc. President & CEO.

CVS Health has previously made significant changes in its retail stores with the health of its customers in mind, such as ending the sale of tobacco products, delivering healthier food options throughout CVS Pharmacy stores and committing to remove certain chemicals of concern from all store brand beauty and personal care items by 2019.

To learn more about CVS Pharmacy’s new beauty imagery initiative, visit www.cvshealth.com/BeautyMark.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The Phottix Juno is a fully-manual transceiver flash that works with all major brands

25 Oct

Phottix has announced a new fully-manual speedlight that is compatible with all major camera brands, and also features the company’s radio control system so it can operate as commander or slave in a group of other flashes.

The Juno has a maximum guide number of 58m/190ft at the longest end of its zoom head and offers power settings of 1/128th to full power in 1/3EV steps across eight stops. As the gun is fully-manual, it only needs a basic connection to the camera to trigger, so it is compatible with almost all camera models that feature a hotshoe.

In addition, Phottix has built its 2.4GHz Ares ll system into the Juno flash unit so it can work with up to four groups of flashes across 16 channels, and can be triggered by both Ares and Strato wireless controllers, as well as by other flashes and certain Sekonic light meters. Juno also features optical slave sensors to ensure it works with older and non-radio systems, and offers a thread on its side for mounting it in the horizontal position.

Phottix says its radio system operates over 100m and full power recycling takes about five seconds.

The Phottix Juno is powered by four AA batteries or an external battery pack, and costs $ 130. For more information, visit the Phottix website or watch the introductory video below:

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Manfrotto and Lastolite brands combine and launch new Speed-Lite softbox and Perspective Backgrounds

03 Nov

The accessory brands Lastolite and Manfrotto, both of which are owned by the Vitec Group, have combined to form the new brand ‘Lastolite By Manfrotto’. The new brand name will eventually encompass the entire Lastolite product range, but for now it includes a new version of the Ezybox Speed-Lite softbox for hotshoe flash units and three new scene-painted backgrounds. Read more

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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