Photokina 18: A fast-paced tour
Photokina comes to an end today, Saturday. Although the fair was already bigger, we couldn't (and didn't want to) see everything. Finally, here is a colourful mix of short fodder and curiosities.
For the major exhibitors at the photo fair, the focus is on show and image cultivation. They want to offer visitors an experience. This was most clearly the case with Olympus. Olympus rented an entire hall (which they did not fill, however) for their Perspective Playground. Here, visitors were given a camera and a memory card at the entrance and were then allowed to try things out for themselves as they pleased. Swings, distorting mirrors, coloured walls and the like were available as a backdrop.
The China stands work differently
The small Chinese exhibitors form a contrast to this. They work very differently and have different goals. It's all about hard business here, and some of the products on display even come with price tags. Some take a very aggressive approach and chat up passers-by with questions in the style of street vendors, for example questions that every normal person has to answer with "yes". If you show a bit of interest, you'll quickly find yourself being texted for half an hour. Caution is advised here, because time is short at a trade fair.
On Thursday, video producer Manuel Wenk first got involved in a lengthy conversation about mobile tripods (mini dollies) and then stupidly became interested in video lights at the next stand. The guy there hardly let him leave. Manu may have found that halfway interesting, but I thought it was a bit of a walk away and eventually did the same.
So we come up with a supposedly funny idea: if the exhibitors are already so talkative, why don't we film it? But at the very stand where I want to strike up a conversation by acting very curious, none materialises. It's a shame, because I would have been interested in the strange, ancient-looking camera fans at the stand.
Removu: trapped in selfie mode
At another stand it works. Removu showed us the K1, a gimbal with an integrated 4K camera and mini screen. The device appears to be quite powerful with time-lapse, slow motion, the option to connect an external microphone and a smartphone app. Unfortunately, I can't switch between selfie mode and normal mode. If the expert on the stand presses the button three times, it works. When I do that, it doesn't work.
Vuze XR: VR camera with 3D effect
The Israeli manufacturer Vuze showed us the VR camera Vuze XR at its stand. It has two lenses, each of which captures a 180-degree viewing angle. Together, they are able to produce 360-degree videos with 5.7K K resolution. However, they can also be pointed at the same side and then film a 180-degree video in 3D. To watch this, you either need the VR glasses or something like Google Cardboard.
If you're interested in the details, you can find the specifications of Vuze XR on the Vuze website, and this video features the shark scene I try to describe at the end of our video post.
The strangest lens in the world
We absolutely had to try out the most peculiar macro lens from Laowa. It offers a reproduction scale of 2:1, a great depth of field despite an extremely close range and has a small LED light already integrated. It is waterproof and can be held in an aquarium, for example. The strange full-frame gadget is available for the lens bayonets of the best-known manufacturers such as Canon, Nikon and Sony. We tried it out at the stand with Manu's Sony A7S II. The price is in the region of just under 2000 francs.
My interest in IT and writing landed me in tech journalism early on (2000). I want to know how we can use technology without being used. Outside of the office, I’m a keen musician who makes up for lacking talent with excessive enthusiasm.
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