Highlights of the Show - Photokina 2010

September 27, 2010 | Zoltan Arva-Toth | Events | Comment |

Photokina is over for another 2 years, so we’ve looked back at some of the most notable products we have seen at the world’s biggest photography show.

Star of the Show: Fujifilm X100

It is somewhat ironic that Fujifilm has managed to steal the show with what is essentially a concept model for a camera rather than a finished product. The Fujifilm X100 units displayed at Photokina lacked a sensor, an image processor and many other vital parts; yet they attracted visitors and journalists like a lamp attracts moths. Part of this popularity stemmed from the fact that it was a surprise announcement made at Photokina itself, while most other companies had unveiled – or at least leaked – their major products in the run-up to the show. But that alone does not explain why the X100 succeeded in taking centre-stage at one of the most important events in the photo industry. The rangefinder-esque design, the analogue controls and, above all, the hybrid opto-electronic viewfinder are what caught the attention and imagination of the press and public alike. Even if a fixed-mount, fixed-focal-length lens and a price tag of £900 mean that the Fujifilm X100 will by no means be a mass-market proposition, it’s almost sure to attract a devoted following among travel and street photographers; provided the camera lives up to their expectations in terms of responsiveness and image quality.

Compact System Cameras

While Photokina 2008 saw the introduction of the first compact interchangeable-lens camera – the Panasonic G1 –, this year’s show witnessed the large-scale expansion of the category. Perhaps the most interesting new product in this segment is the Panasonic GH2, which takes AF performance to a whole new level for these cameras, directly competing with the world’s finest SLRs in this field. However, Panasonic ceased to be the only player in the compact system camera market long ago, and the competition also keeps rolling out exciting new products. Among these is the Samsung NX100 (pictured) with its intuitive i-Function kit lens, which had been introduced a week before Photokina kicked off, and re-announced at the show itself. Panasonic, Samsung and Sony have all unveiled their lens roadmaps for their respective mirrorless systems, an evidence that they all are serious about further expanding their businesses in this highly competitive market. Meanwhile, Ricoh announced yet another sensor-lens module – the GR Lens A12 28mm f2.5 – for their own completely unique GXR system.

Digital SLR Cameras

Compact system cameras might be gaining momentum, but that hasn’t stopped the more traditional camera manufacturers – and a couple of not-so-traditional ones – from offering new products in the conventional DSLR category. The Pentax K-5, the Olympus E-5 and the Nikon D7000 are all tough, magnesium-alloy cameras with environmental seals that allow their owners to use them in adverse weather conditions – although so far only Olympus bothered to demonstrate just how tough their offering is –, and everything a serious amateur (or even professional) photographer might want, from large and bright viewfinders to sophisticated autofocus systems to a legion of direct-access buttons and more. As far as advanced entry-level / lower mid-range models are concerned, the Nikon D3100 and the Canon EOS 60D both attracted huge crowds at their respective manufacturers’ booths. In a surprise announcement, Sigma also unveiled a new DSLR camera, the Sigma SD1 (pictured), sporting a 15.3-megapixel Foveon sensor that the company claims is equivalent to a 46-megapixel Bayer imager. Finally, Sony was showing off a mock-up of its new A-mount flagship, which it says will have a semi-transparent mirror like its recent A33 and A55 models.

Medium Format

2010 marks the re-entry of Pentax in the medium-format arena, and while the 40-megapixel Pentax 645D (pictured) had gone on sale in Japan earlier this year, the company took the opportunity to display the product and announce the UK launch at Photokina. During our brief hands-on with the camera, we found it to be extremely robust, with a large but surprisingly ergonomic body bristling with physical controls. Uniquely for a medium-format camera, the Pentax 645D offers features like an 11-point autofocus module, in-camera HDR imaging and a sensor dust buster. Its aggressive pricing has prompted Hasselblad to introduce a similarly affordable – by medium-format standards, that is – model in the form of the 31-megapixel Hasselblad H4D-31 which sells for less than €10,000 including a lens. The European manufacturer also unveiled the 50-megapixel CFV-50 digital back for its V-system cameras, and announced that it’s working on a feature that would allow a new camera using its existing multi-shot technology to output 200-megapixel images from a 50-megapixel sensor.

Prestige Cameras

Leica has announced the Leica M9 Titanium, a £19,800 special edition of its full-frame digital rangefinder camera, which is made of parts milled from solid titanium. Make sure to check out our extensive hands-on image gallery if you haven’t seen it yet. Hasselblad has also unveiled a limited-edition digital camera, the Hasselblad H4D Ferrari Edition, finished in rosso fuoco Ferrari colour and emblazoned with a Ferrari logo.

Compact Cameras

Photography trade shows always feature an avalanche of compact cameras, and Photokina 2010 was no different. With everything from mass-market point-and-shoots to advanced compacts like the Canon Powershot G12 and Nikon Coolpix P7000 on display, it’s hard to pick a true highlight – but there were two cameras that took us by surprise. One was Olympus’ mock-up of an as yet unnamed premium compact whose lens bears the prestigious Zuiko Digital designation. The other was the GE PJ1 projector camera we bumped into on our General Imaging booth visit.

Lenses and Accessories

While the major manufacturers had unveiled their new lens offerings weeks before Photokina opened its doors, there were a few gems announced / first displayed at the show itself. These include the world’s lightest pancake lens and the first interchangeable 3D lens by Panasonic (pictured), and the incredibly robust new tilt-shift lenses from Schneider Kreuznach. One of our favourite lens-related accessories was the Lensbaby Tilt Transformer, a tilt adapter that allows Nikon F-mount lenses to be mounted on Micro Four Thirds cameras, and transforms them into manual-focus tilt lenses with selective-focus capabilities. On a somewhat related note, Leica confirmed that its Apo-Macro-Summarit-S 120mm f2.5 lens for the S system is now available for purchase, priced at €5280.

Photokina 2010 Stand Reports