PHOTOPLUS Expo (PPE), the East Coast’s largest photo and video trade event that draws attendees including professionals, amateurs, enthusiasts, cinematographers, students and educators, is being held October 24-26th in NYC. The showfloor was filled with exhibits from over 130 vendors. PPE showcased a series of new initiatives planned to enhance the attendee experience, including interactive photo, video and education spaces.
The familiar tradeshow floor anchors, Canon and Nikon, once again had the largest show floor presence and were located closest to the main entrance. Although this is the only photography event on the East Coast, there were noticeably fewer exhibitors this year. There was still an energy and excitement for photography and videography that was felt as attendees buzzed about the floor to see the latest flagship cameras, lenses, and accessories, and get some product hands-on time in vendors booths.
Canon introduced the EOS-1D X Mark III, a concept camera that will be the successor to the 1D X Mark II and will have some impressive updates. Because it is still a concept there wasn’t much in the way of technical specifications, pricing or availability, but Canon believes that the 1D X Mark III will set the new standard for professional DSLR cameras and further cement Canon’s commitment to its professional photographers, according to Mr. Ogawa, president and chief operating officer, Canon U.S.A., Inc.
The 1D X Mark III will support an all new CMOS sensor and DIGIC processor, meant to improve image quality at even higher ISOs, and will feature the ability to capture stills in 10-bit HEIF (High Efficiency Image File) file format. The camera will also feature WiFi, Bluetooth, and a built-in ethernet connection and will use the LP-E19 battery. Pricing and availability details were not available.
Canon also alluded to a pro-level mirrorless camera, but beyond mentioning it there were no details available.
Nikon was the other show floor anchor situated just inside the show floor entrance. Nikon showcased the recently introduced DX-format Z 50 mirrorless camera. The Z 50 is a 21 MP resolution mirrorless camera that boasts an improved 209-point Hybrid AF System and EXPEED 6 image-processing engine. This camera, which has a smaller form factor and weighs just 14 oz (body only), also includes the new SnapBridge2 version 2.6. The Z 50 is capable of a continuous shooting speed of 11 fps for stills and also captures 4K video. There is also a 3.2-inch flip-down LCD touchscreen that’s ideal for selfies and vloggers that need to self-shoot a video.
The Nikon Z 50 will be available in November 2019 at prices of $859.95 for the body only, $999.95 for a one-lens kit (NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens) and $1349.95 for a two-lens kit (NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR and NIKKOR Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR lenses).
Sony, which normally has a strong booth presence on the PPE show floor, chose to host an off-site event called Creative Space, NYC this year, which was just up the block from PPE. The event featured all the latest Sony camera and lenses as well as a number of interactive areas featuring backdrops and live action vignettes so visitors could play with Sony cameras and simulate real-life shooting situations. Sony also featured their resellers in the space offering show-special pricing and deals, including B&H, Adorama, Unique Photo and other professional service providers had a presence on their “show floor.”
Fujifilm introduced the X-Pro3 rangefinder camera which was designed with street photographers and photojournalists in mind. The camera features a titanium body and will offer models that uses Duratect 1 (DR) surface-hardening technology for extra toughness and premium finish. The X-Pro3 uses a back illuminated 26 MP X-TRANS CMOS 4 sensor and the X-Processor 4 image processing engine. The new camera will also feature a hybrid viewfinder that incorporates both an optical viewfinder (OVF) and a 3.69M-dot OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF) as well as a tilting LCD touchscreen.
The X-Pro3 is expected to be available later this Fall with pricing of $1,799.95 in Black; $1,999.95 in DR Black or DR Silver, $2,399.99 for CAD Black and$2,699.99 for CAD DR Black or DR Silver.
Kodak was a nostalgic and welcome sight to see on the show floor, although they had a very small booth space, more like a 10 x 10 than the behemoth sized booths of other vendors. Kodak introduced the KODAK PIXPRO WPZ2, rugged point & shoot camera. The camera features 16MP resolution, 1080p HD video capture, digital image stabilization, is waterproof up to 49 feet, and shock proof up to 6 feet. The WPZ2 is available immediately at a list price of $149.99
The PPE Conference and Expo was packed with imaging powerhouses on the show floor and photo enthusiasts, pro photographers, and media got to spend some quality time checking out everything photography. As the industry continues to grow it is important that camera companies and service providers keep innovating, because there is still excitement and interest in photography whether it is taking a photo, improving one’s skill, or printing and selling photo merchandise. We’re looking forward to PPE 2020.
