Hasselblad cameras at Photokina
- Brand: Hasselblad
- Subject: Corporate
- Category: Events
Two years ago, during the Photokina 2006, the Hasselblad H3D was introduced. A revolutionary new system which was Hasselblad's first step in the direction of affordable digital medium format photography. And although the prices were not yet that appealing two years ago for the majority of the professional photographers, it becomes clear during the Photokina 2008 that the introduction of two years ago did work out well. Prices can drop now that the first development costs seem to have broken even, and Hasselblad managed to introduce a couple of new cameras; the Hasselblad H3DII-39 and the H3DII50. The Hasselblad H3DII-50 is the first camera in the market equipped with Kodak's 50 megapixel sensor.
Canon Cameras at Photokina
Canon did its utmost for the Photokina 2008 and entertained lavishly. It is clear, and I cannot but say, that the current assortment impresses and is quite extensive. From the entry-level PowerShot compact camera up to the newest full frame EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR, everything could be found in the Canon booth. Unlike many other competing brands, Canon was able to attract many visitors with their compact camera line. And for a reason. Canon's new series of compact cameras is different, innovating and a true sign of Canon's power and daring to take the compact camera market seriously, offering sufficient possibilities for innovations.
Nikon photography at photokina
Our good friends of Nikonians were also present at the Photokina show 2008. If you happened to miss the booth, the Nikonians undoubtedly attracted your attention by pushing a leaflet into your hands in one of the huge halls. Nikonians is the largest and most active group of Nikon lovers and focuses on the amateur, semipro and professional photographer. The booth of the Nikonians attracted a lot of attention. Through Apple computers, a lot of Nikon equipment and demonstrations by photographers, Pascal Baetens and Gary Fong, the audience was given a good impression of how certain accessories work and which effect they can have. Gary Fong showed his Lightspere system II, an excellent accessory for flash photography.
Pentax Cameras at Photokina
Pentax knows how to attract the attention with the introduction of a number of products like D-SLR's, flash and lenses. The focus seems to have diverted from the compact camera assortment to other products. Certainly when we look at the attention that goes to the D-SLR assortment and the Photokina introductions. The Pentax K20 may be the current flagship of Pentax; with the introduction of the Pentax K-m/Pentax K2000 Pentax once again tries to get a grip on the DSLR market for beginning photographers. The size is definitely not to blame. The Pentax K-m/Pentax K2000 is very compact and can easily compete with other models, and stands a good chance for the title: 'compact DSLR of the year'. Even a pimped version of the Pentax K-m / K2000 was showcased and could be admired.
Casio Cameras at Photokina
The Casio booth was a bit on the large side for the disappointing amount of visitors that arrived. The current EXILIM compact camera line does not stand out too much, apart from two exceptions. Two cameras are able to attract the attention; the Casio EXILIM Pro F1 and the recently introduced Casio EXILIM FH20. Both cameras offer a unique feature that makes them stand out from the crowd; and that feature is speed. The pair of them are true racing monsters and therefore all options are present to capture fast action moments right there and then at the Casio booth. Visitors of the Casio booth were invited to try and surpass the record distance (making the golf ball travel a distance as long as possible through an electronic golf club.)
Fujifilm cameras at Photokina 2008
If anything became clear at the Photokina 2008, it was the fact that the compact camera desperately needs an innovative boost. There was hardly any news on the field of compact cameras at this world event, it were the advanced digital cameras, D-SLR cameras that surprised us and, of course, the Micro FourThirds System. Even Fujifilm didn’t have a lot to offer, whereas in the past they have always introduced some interesting compact cameras during events like the Photokina, except for a few a FinePix camera models that were introduced the beginning of August. The assortment looks too familiar; there is more of the same stuff.
Panasonic cameras at Photokina
In our opinion, the most elevating news of the came from Panasonic. The recently announced Micro FourThirds System, by Panasonic and Olympus, was followed by a massive presentation of the new Panasonic LUMIX DMC-G1 at the Photokina show. The LUMIX G1 caught your eye everywhere you looked in the ambitious Panasonic booth. And in exchange for your driver’s license, you were able to receive a working sample of the Panasonic G1 to get acquainted with the world's first Micro FourThirds System camera on the show floor. A spectacular show around the G1 put even more emphasis on Panasonic's new flagship that played its leading role with verve.
Sigma cameras at Photokina
Sigma was also present at the Photokina 2008. In addition to the announcement of a series of new lenses, among which the 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG HSM with a considerably smaller build than that of Nikon's own bright 24-70mm lens, Sigma also announced the development of the second generation DSLR and compact camera models. The Sigma SD15 and Sigma DP2 are both based on Foveon's 4.7x3 megapixel sensor; however, they will be equipped with a new processor called True II. This processor has to ensure an improved processing speed (for example for continuous shooting) and should increase the overall image quality. Sigma showcased both products to the public behind glass.
