Trade shows are always great for the corporate ego; companies get to strut their stuff, inviting people into their carpeted living rooms to extol their products’ virtues in front of adoring crowds.
Photo enthusiasts get to rub shoulders with famous photographers, who get to show their best work in front of adoring crowds.
Retailers have a built-in audience of would-be purchasers, practically frothing at the mouth after being able to touch and feel the equipment they’ve been dreaming about over the last few months.
Crowds line the aisles, fighting their way to the front of the line to have one-on-one conversations with actual tech reps from the major companies.
It’s all a lovefest. But ultimately, it’s all in the math.
The PhotoPlus Expo, held at the Javits Convention Center in New York City on October 24–26, once again shined the light on the imaging industry. While maybe not encompassing the same amount of real estate as prior years, it still hosted an impressive lot of companies that were willing to make a significant investment to make an impression.
And PhotoPlus 2013 also said something about the state of our industry. Many of the major manufacturers were there: Nikon, Canon and Sony had huge, multidimensional spaces, but no less significant was the presence of Samsung (showing off their Android-based Galaxy cameras on an impressive 4K display), Panasonic (broadcasting Google hangouts live from the show floor), Olympus (touting their hot OM-D EM-1), Sigma (streaming live shoots out onto the Internet in real time), Fujifilm and Tamron, among others. While things may be getting tough out there, these companies are not backing down.
I mention this often, but it’s worth repeating. Our industry has always thrived on innovation, and there doesn’t seem to be one company out there that isn’t going full throttle on technology. From the new Sony a7 full-frame mirrorless cameras to Nikon’s impressive retro Dƒ DSLR and the Panasonic Lumix GH3, these companies and others are continuing to build new technologies that will drive consumers into retail this holiday season and beyond. And it was all under one roof at this show, where thousands of hungry photographers could continue to catch the buzz.
As we approach the holiday season, hopefully this enthusiasm will translate into sales. But that won’t happen unless our entire ecosystem works together—manufacturers, distributors and dealers—to stoke the fire.
It’s no secret that smartphones are cutting into the traditional camera business. Denying it would be putting our heads in the sand. On the other hand, understanding what it will take to face this reality, and make it work in our favor, might very well be the key to success.
More and more people are taking pictures than ever before. So, here’s the math:
1. Thousands of people are taking millions of images every day.
2. Do they want a fleeting moment, or a lasting memory?
Fleeting moments = smartphones. Lasting memory = real cameras and lenses.
3. Do they want to send a picture to Facebook?
Send a passable image = smartphones. Send a great image = great cameras plus Bluetooth or NFC to smartphones.
4. Do they want to print their pictures?
Poor quality = smartphones. Exceptional quality to last a lifetime = real cameras and lenses.
5. Are they new parents? Or new grandparents?
Baby random cute shots = smartphones. Baby’s milestones = real cameras and lenses.
6. Do they want to shoot video?
Blurry, low-quality, low-light clips = smartphones. Full HD quality = DSLRs and mirrorless system cameras.
I can go on, but you get the picture. The innovation that we see every year has to be translated into language that people can understand. And that may no longer be terms like f/stops, shutter speed and hot shoes. It’s more like Bluetooth, HD video, NFC, full-frame and mirrorless.
Do the math, and change the conversation. It just might be the right equation for great holiday sales.
