Fujifilm have revealed the full specifications of the upcoming XF 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8R LM OIS lens. Due for release in May 2013, the Fujfilm 55-200mm will offer 5 stops of stabilisation and faster maximum apertures than comparable zooms at a substantially cheaper price. Fujifilm were also showing a new lens roadmap at Focus on Imaging, with the new 23mm f/1.4R, 27mm f/2.8, 56mm f/1.4R, and the 10-24mm f/4R OIS lenses set to be launched this year. Exciting times for X-series owners.

Wacom will be showcasing its Intuos5 and Cintiq 24HD touch at Focus on Imaging 2013. Additionally, visitors can take advantage of exclusive offers, including £100 off the Cintiq interactive pen display and ‘Save the VAT’ on the Intuos5 range of pen tablets. Regular presentations throughout the day cover topics such as Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, Datacolour colour tools and the benefits of using a Wacom tablet. In these open seminar sessions the experts will be giving a selection of tips and tricks on how to perfect your photographic workflow, from editing your shots with the latest retouching tools, organising and rating your images, and finally getting colour accurate files ready for print or output in a range of different environments.

Nikon UK has announced its seminar schedule for this year’s Focus on Imaging trade show. Speakers include Olympic Photographer of the Year Mark Pain; representatives from Timeslice, the leaders in frozen-time photography and celebrity and fashion photographer, John Wright. Further seminars will be led by Nikon experts covering topics such as Nikon technology, the FX system and expert talks on software. For more information, visit the website below.

Photographers visiting Focus on Imaging at the Birmingham NEC (3rd - 6th March) will be able to test drive the new Hasselblad H5D medium-format camera as it makes its first major UK appearance. On the same stand (N9), broncolor will be showcasing its brand new ‘lightweight athlete’ lithium Move battery power pack. Mark Witney, Hasselblad UK Marketing and Communications Supervisor said: “We’ve got a brand new stand design this year and our joint presence with broncolor means visitors can gain easy access to the best cameras in the world for ultimate image quality, colour and detail - and at the same time browse products from the leading brand worldwide for precision and high quality lighting systems.

Lowepro has secured an exclusive partnership with Colin Prior – Scotland’s most sought after landscape photographer - to offer three lucky winners a place on a private photography workshop in Glencoe. One of these places will be up for grabs at Focus on Imaging this year – and all you need to do to be in with a chance of winningis visit the Lowepro stand (B10) and have your show badge scanned at the information point. The long weekend workshop will be held from 21-23 February 2014.

PNY Technologies will showcase its latest products using Flash technology on its stand at the upcoming ‘Focus on Imaging’ trade show. Among these products is the Pro-Elite Plus High-Speed Class 10 Series. These cards boast read speeds of 95 MB/s, write speeds of 90 MB/s and are designed for the most demanding photographers. Ideal for sports and action photography, the cards’ speed and flexibility takes full advantage of a camera’s burst mode. Certified Class 10 and UHS-1 (Ultra High Speed), they are also ideal for full-HD video. PNY’s Flash expertise will also be on display through the company’s internal and external SSDs. The XLR8 Pro SSD offers functionality and capacities designed for amateurs and enthusiasts that rely on intensive applications, such as photo and video editing software, and work with high-resolution and full HD images and video.

Calumet has reserved space for two stands at the 2013 Focus on Imaging trade show, and has spent months planning for the four-day event. Dozens of trained staff will showcase latest imaging products on Stands N1 and M10 and for the first time ever the company is also running all day seminar programmes throughout the show. Sian Hamer, Calumet marketing executive said: “M10 will be our product stand packed with all the latest state-of-the-art merchandise and offers from leading brands like Nikon, Canon, Fujifilm and Lowepro. We will also have product experts from top brands like Sony, Drobo and Hahnel on hand too. N1 will be our stand for demonstrations from companies such as Certon, Datacolor, Cambo and Epson.”

The recently launched Plustek OpticFilm 120 multi-format film scanner will be on display at the Focus on Imaging trade show held in Birmingham from 3rd - 6th March. Capable of scanning both 35mm and 120 format negatives and slides, the Plustek OpticFilm 120 boasts a custom-designed 8-element glass lens and a high-resolution CCD sensor; and comes complete with adjustable-pitch film holders that feature unique sliding inter-frame dividers to ensure optimal film flatness. The scanner’s hardware resolution - based on the specification of its stepper motor and the number of pixels on its CCD - is 10,600dpi, with the optical resolution (which also takes into account the resolving power of the optical system) specified at 5,300dpi. Other highlights include automated IT8 calibration and a motorised film transport for batch scanning.

Olympus have teamed up with multi-award-winning photographer Damian “Big Dog” McGillicuddy for a mix of photographic demonstrations and “Random Acts of Photography” around Focus on Imaging. Attendees will have the chance to see the results achieved and to shoot a model wearing a one-of-a-kind OM-D dress as well as the opportunity to win a limited edition McGillicuddy print every day. Focus on Imaging will be held at the Birmingham NEC from 3 - 6 March 2013.  10am - 6pm Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. 10am - 5pm Wednesday The Olympus events will be taking place at Stand F51.

At this year’s Focus on Imaging trade show, Panasonic will be joining CameraWorld to provide visitors with product demonstrations, exclusive show offers and access to Panasonic experts. Panasonic’s Retail Sales Support Team will attend for the duration of the show (3rd-6th March 2013), and will be on hand to answer any questions. A selection of Panasonic’s imaging products, including the Lumix G cameras with lenses and a choice of compact cameras will be available at Stand E1.

Kenro is planning to use this year’s Focus on Imaging trade show to launch a wide variety of new products into the UK market. These include the Nissin PS 8 Power Pack (pictured), a new line of KEnro frames and albums, an extended range of Signature Series Professional DVD/CD folios, Benro’s Hummer backpack and Pioneer trolley case, and the Nission Di700 flash unit. “Focus on Imaging is always an exciting time of the year and gives us a great opportunity to showcase a variety of new products to the public,” said Paul Kench, managing director at Kenro. We are very-much looking forward to exhibiting.”

The Focus on Imaging 2012 photography show, being held this week in Birmingham, UK, has proven to be very popular indeed. Despite the dire state of the economy, photographers have been attracted by major new products from Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Olympus, Sigma and Tamron, not to mention the likes of LowePro, Wacom, Samyang, Gitzo and Tokina. Retailers like CameraWorld and Jacobs were also swamped with people looking for a show bargain - the Panasonic GF3 compact system camera complete with a 14-42mm kit lens for just £199 caught our eye. The last day of Focus 2012 is tomorrow, so you still have the chance to pay a visit.

Failing that, if you can’t make the show in person, then simply sit back and enjoy our extensive gallery of photos of some of the key products of Focus on Imaging 2012.

In addition to the incredibly popular 5D Mark III, Canon were also showcasing the flagship EOS-1D X DLSR and some of their new compact camera models at Focus 2012.

We caught up with the new PowerShot SX40 HS, SX260 HS, SX240 HS, the waterproof D20 and the IXUS 510 HS. In addition, the 200-400mm f/4 L lens made a brief appearance behind closed doors, apparently one of only two such lenses in the world.

This year’s Focus on Imaging show was well attended, despite the current UK financial climate and the surprise absence of one of the industry’s big hitters, Canon. Although most products on show have already been announced, this was the first chance to get hands-on with stand-out products like the Fujifilm X100, to listen to one of the many free techniques sessions, or to grab one of the retail bargains on offer. We have a gallery of photos of some of the most interesting stands and products from around the show.

DayMen are offering free inspirational talks hosted by some of the nation’s top landscape photographers. Paul Gallagher, Colin Prior and David Noton will all be giving talks. To sign up simply visit www.daymen.co.uk, follow the links and fill in your details to register. DayMen will also be running a free prize draw from their stand (B10).

Color Confidence will be exhibiting at this year’s Focus on Imaging Show in Birmingham, England. This year, Color Confidence will be focusing very clearly on delivering education, inspiration, innovation and great savings. “Each year our stand at the must-attend Focus On Imaging event gets bigger and better, and this year we have truly raised the bar in terms what visitors to our stand can expect.” Commented Geoffrey Clements, Managing Director of Color Confidence.

Jacobs Digital have released details about their special show offers for Focus 2011. Highlights include discounts on the Panasonic GH2 and GF2, Sony A55 and NEX5, and the debut of the Canon EOS 600D. Jacobs are also the only official Pentax partner at Focus on Imaging.

Canon have pulled out of the Focus on Imaging show with less than two weeks to go. A Canon UK spokesperson confirmed this morning that the company will not be exhibiting at the UK photography show due to a reassessment of its European marketing plans for 2011. They did confirm that retailers at the show will still have stock of Canon’s products for interested buyers to try out and purchase. Canon usually have the largest stand at Focus, so it will be interesting to see who takes their place. Photography Blog will be there as usual with a show report.

Focus on Imaging is Europe’s biggest annual photography show, and this year’s event is currently being held at the NEC in Birmingham, England. Open to both trade and the public, business seemed brisk as we made our way around the show floor, perhaps indicating that the worst of the global recession is behind the photography industry - or at the very least that photographers are window-shopping again. Read on for our Focus 2010 show report.

Aaduki Multimedia Insurance is offering 10% off their insurance policies for photographers. The 10% discount will only be available from the Aaduki or SWPP stands at the Focus on Imaging show, and will be valid on quotes issued at Focus up to the end of March 2009. Vince Brown, Sales Manager said, “ We are offering the additional discount to attract photographers that may have seen our name but never received a quotation off us to come and get a price to see how it stacks up against their renewal. We are confident that not only do we offer good value for money in these times of economic hardship, but we have a great service too.”