Show Reports

The important thing to remember about the PMA Show is that it is the annual convention of the Photo Marketing Association. This organization exists to help sell product, whether the product in question is cameras, lenses, scanners, studio backdrops, or indeed photographs.

Pretty much by definition, this means going for the markets that are biggest or most...

Where would our digital cameras be without batteries? And with the 2005 PMA Show coinciding with the Daytona 500, is it any wonder that speed was at the heart of battery technologies this year? The big push in rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) battery technology focused on fast chargers, especially those with 15-minute charge cycles and faster, along with higher and...

Surprisingly, one or two companies I'd seen at PMA the previous year were noticeably absent this time around, but in their stead were several distributors and manufacturers displaying new studio products. Mobility stood at the forefront in some booths, economical studio flash alternatives in the form of the ever popular but more modestly priced (e.g., amateur friendly)...

Although compact digicams with built-in lenses remain hot sellers, many photo enthusiasts prefer SLR cameras that accept a full line of lenses from ultra-wide to super telephoto. The majority of new models shown at photokina were digital of course, but two new 35mm SLRs were also introduced, including one that came as quite a surprise. Nikon's new professional F6 left some...

Versatility is the key trend in camera bags. Manufacturers, like photographers, know that any camera bag is a compromise. There are cases with compartments for a laptop computer and other digital accessories; with divider systems which lift out so the bag can double as a suitcase; with zip-off compartments so you can carry chargers and other accessories, to be removed and left in...

During the photokina 2004 show, many new digital cameras were introduced, including many of the ultra-compact/simplified models that target snapshooters. While some of those products will sell like the proverbial hotcakes, lack of space precludes me from attempting to cover them all. Consequently, I decided to concentrate on cameras intended for the photo enthusiast, as an...

The Changing Market
As of November 1st the Agfa Imaging division will be carved out of Agfa Gevaert. It will become a new independent company named AgfaPhoto. Forecasts show the new company in a very strong position. Dan Unger of Agfa U.S.A. assured me that they retained an enthusiastic commitment to film in general and black and white film in particular.