I was pleased to be a presenter at the Lucie Technical Awards ceremony at PhotoPlus Expo on October 24, 2019. It’s a ceremony that highlights the amazing products that we offer to professional, enthusiast and amateur photographers every day. In essence, the awards pay homage to the fact that the picture matters.
In my very brief remarks, I mentioned that among the products up for awards were the best in full-frame, mirrorless and long-zoom cameras; incredible prime and zoom lenses; and an array of accessories that make up the heart and soul of our industry. They were also a counterpoint to what everyone had in their pockets—a smartphone capable of taking excellent pictures but not able to take the kinds of images the amazing nominated products capture.
If the Picture Matters . . .
At the risk of beating a dead horse, it’s incumbent upon our industry to continue to extoll the virtues of the products we sell. The iPhone 11 Pro boasts three lenses: 13mm ultrawide, 26mm wide and a 52mm telephoto. To which I reply, “Yeah, so what?” What about the focal lengths in between? Or the fisheye? How about the 600mm telephoto. Or the f/1.4 prime lenses? Where are the incredible exposure systems and fast lenses in our arsenals?
Some in our industry are afraid or wary of insulting the iPhone’s capabilities. To which I ask, “If not us, then who?” We can nod to the fact that the iPhone 11 takes amazing images. And of course, it’s always with you. But I harken back to an advertising line we used when I was at Nikon a few years back: “If the Picture Matters, the Camera Matters.” Kind of says it all.
We learned a lot at PhotoPlus Expo; and Jason Schneider reports on the product and technology trends observed at the show. In this issue, we feature First Class Entry-Level DSLRs and Mirrorless Cameras as well as Top Prime Lenses for Shooting Portraiture.
We have to be the champions of our own industry. Because the camera does really matter.
