Two days in Birmingham and all I got was this 1.4x convertor!

I’m just back from Birmingham after attending The Photography Show. Find out what I saw and the amazing bargain I bagged by attending!

I’m just back from Birmingham after attending The Photography Show. It’s the first time I’ve attended since before the Pandemic. The show is the largest trade fair in the UK dedicated to video and photography and boasts over 250 exhibitors, including Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji, and Adobe.

While the UK market may not be large enough to warrant product launches at the show, it does offer a unique opportunity to witness the latest developments from all the major manufacturers. Moreover, it’s a platform to discover smaller suppliers in the industry and their exciting innovations, making it a truly enriching experience.

Canon had one of the largest stands, covering stills, video and printing. One of the interesting elements of their offering was the Virtual Reality section. Four headsets allowed visitors to see VR footage shot using the Canon RF 5.2mm f.28L dual fisheye lens. When the lens was released, I struggled to see a good use case for this unusual lens. However, I could understand the potential of this technology once the headset was on. Canon has already seen the footage used in training medical students to give ultrasounds to pregnant women, giving them a real in-the-room experience without subjecting a pregnant mother to a whole group of student doctors. I can also see the technology used in the property industry, either selling holidays to luxury resorts or as a tool for estate agents. It could easily be possible to let a client virtually walk around rooms. The Canon representative admitted that the technology was still in the early days. But, alongside the headsets were three concept models showing how Canon thinks the future will develop.

The show is an excellent opportunity to look at different camera manufacturers and see the latest cameras and lenses in the hand. The Sony A9III, the first camera to feature a global shutter, was available to use. You can read one of my old blogs about what a global shutter is by clicking here. The global shutter is particularly beneficial for sports shooters, who can avoid the rolling shutter effect. It was good to chat with the guys on the stand, but it was a wee bit of a shame that there weren’t some cricket nets up to see the global shutter in action.

Similarly, I could see the latest camera from Fuji, the Fuji100 six, not the VI, which seems to be breaking all records for sales. As with all Fuji cameras, it looks great, but that retro feel comes at the cost of under-the-fingers functional behaviour. I will try to get my hands on a Fuji100VI shortly to have a more extended use of it and see if I might change my mind.

This Laowa 24mm T8 2X Macro Probe lens was one of the most interesting lenses on show. This is a lens for specialist video uses, allowing extreme close-ups with a cinematic experience. It comes with three different barrels. A direct view, a periscope view and a unique 35-degree tilt view. At £8500 for all three fittings, you either need a limitless wallet or a really good business case for this lens. 

Another great development on show was a monopod from Sirui. When I am shooting conferences or events, it’s a real challenge balancing two cameras, one on a monopod and the other over my shoulder, and then adjusting the monopod height. I need an extra hand! The SVM-145 and 165 tripod/monopods get over this issue. I’ll let Wu from Sirui explain how the system works.

Another benefit of attending The Photography Show is the huge discounts from some of the major camera retailers. You can visit WEX, London Camera Exchange, and Camera World. I’m heading to Canada later this year, so I was looking for a lightweight, long zoom. Canon’s RF 100-500 f4.5-f7.1 was reduced from its usual price of £2,939 to just £2,269 – a considerable saving of £670 seemed to be a bargain. However, once I got back to the hotel, I did a quick search and found it even cheaper through a grey market seller. At that price I eventually paid, I could buy a 1.4x convertor reduced by £130 from £579 to £449 at the show. With the converter I’ll have a 700mm f10 lens, which should be ideal for the bears I am hoping to snap later in the year.

I understand from several of the exhibitors that next year’s Photography and Video show will be moving to a new location in London. You never know; the move to the capital might mean that we see a few more product launches. The dates have already been announced as 8th to 11th March but, as yet, there’s no news on the actual location. The best way to learn more is to sign up for my newsletter by clicking here.

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My name is Rich Dyson from Edinburgh Photography Workshop, and I look forward to seeing you next time. Bye!