Travel blog
Interesting trends at Photoforum 2017
The first thing that catches your eye is the huge Olympus and Sony pavilions at the entrance - literally from the first steps through the Photo Forum it becomes clear who sets the tone in the photo industry today. But this is not surprising, something else is surprising - the absence of Canon and Nikon. Completely, as if there are no such brands on the market. But the Photoforum is the main event on the photo market, even within a single country. Are the industry giants really so cool that they decided to ignore the event of the year? Google immediately comes to the rescue in the smartphone: Canon is experiencing a serious decline in sales, Nikon has lost $300 million over the past year, and the company is now reorganizing its business. Yesterday's undisputed market leaders have no time for exhibitions and photo forums.
And how could I not remember my own words just two months ago: "Today we can safely say: the future lies with mirrorless cameras! Don't believe me? Ask Kodak, which at one time did not believe in digital technology and continued to focus on film. Only 10-15 years have passed and where is the film and the Kodak company today?, which I wrote in review of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II camera. And in February, when I wrote this review, I knew nothing about the state of business of Canon and Nikon.
Who are our market leaders in mirrorless cameras? That's right - Olympus and Sony. And it looks very likely that SLR cameras will go into oblivion not in 10-15 years, but literally before the end of this year! Fortunately, the new leaders already have a range of mirrorless cameras that can satisfy all segments of the photo and video market - from amateurs to professionals of the highest level, half of whom either already have mirrorless cameras in their arsenal and are actively using them or, at least, are looking closely at them.
Olympus on the Photo Forum traditionally offers free test drives of equipment, including the opportunity to try out top new products. There is also a whole range with insects for macro photography, models, lighting, a stylist, master classes from leading photographers, technical consultations - everything is, as always, coolly organized and beautifully decorated. By the way, all the photographs in this mini-report were taken with Olympus photographic equipment :)
I was pleased with the domestic brand “Zenith”, revived from the ashes. They don’t have cameras now (yet?), but they do have a line of new high-aperture lenses that produce highly artistic images. All this, of course, is for an amateur and is unlikely to have mass demand, but the price is such that any amateur photographer can afford to have one or two such lenses to realize the “creative mood”.
I also surprised at the “China Town” Photo Forum in the far part of the exhibition areas. A whole town of small standard pavilions, with various gadgets of brands unknown to science and Chinese faces behind the counters of the pavilions, many of whom speak neither Russian nor English, but smile at any question, they thrust a booklet or business card into your hands. A real landing of small Chinese manufacturers, which, thanks to the global efforts of Ali Express, are already “darkness and darkness” on the Russian market. But, unfortunately, this is also a global trend and there is no escape from it.
