Latest / The Photography & Video Show Podcast / 32: Best in Show - The Photography & Video Show 2026 at the NEC Birmingham ft. James Artaius, Brendan Barry and A LOT of camera gear

Transcript

32: Best in Show - The Photography & Video Show 2026 at the NEC Birmingham ft. James Artaius, Brendan Barry and A LOT of camera gear · The Photography & Video Show Podcast

• 0:09
  David McClelland: This is the Photography and Video Show podcast, your monthly fix of developing camera news and insights from world leading photographers and filmmakers.
• 0:18
  David McClelland: And this month's episode comes to you all the way from the in-person photography and video show here in Birmingham.
• 0:41
  David McClelland: Good morning.
• 0:42
  David McClelland: Love your podcasts.
• 0:43
  David McClelland: Thank you.
• 0:44
  David McClelland: That's great to hear.
• 0:45
  David McClelland: Thank you guys.
• 0:48
  David McClelland: How are you doing?
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_03: Happy St.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_03: Patrick's Day, David.
• 0:52
  David McClelland: Oh my words.
• 0:53
  David McClelland: Good morning.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_06: Hi, how are you doing?
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_06: What are you here for today?
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_06: I'm actually here for Sony, actually.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_06: Sony, just down there on the right.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_06: They've got great content programs on the code.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_06: Oh yeah, I'm here to try out the lenses.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_06: Oh, they've got all the lenses, including U100ml macro lens.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_06: They've got a whole macro setup there.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_06: What are you here for today?
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I'm just here mostly to check out what Nikon has here.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_01: Then also check some other wide ranges of other products.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_01: What is that around your neck?
• 1:24
  David McClelland: Are you already a Nikon shooting?
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I've got a Nikon Z9.
• 1:28
  David McClelland: Just casually around your shoulder there.
• 1:30
  David McClelland: Yeah.
• 1:36
  David McClelland: Let's walk through.
• 1:37
  David McClelland: So right by the front door there's Nikon, Siwee also there, and then the Adobe stand's been getting a lot of attention.
• 1:45
  David McClelland: Glenn Dewis taking some character portraits.
• 1:50
  David McClelland: Other people getting stuck in with their cameras as well.
• 1:53
  David McClelland: Because it's not just about the cameras you buy here.
• 1:55
  David McClelland: Bring your own kit.
• 1:56
  David McClelland: Make your own magic happen with the models and portraits and lighting that you've got.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_05: Take one around this way, get the profile.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_05: A little bit on that hair light there.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_05: Nice as in a Fuji user.
• 2:11
  David McClelland: I'm coming around now to the Photo Live Theatre where the one and only Tom Barnes is setting up for his session.
• 2:22
  David McClelland: Curating the photo live stage is Dave Clayton.
• 2:26
  David McClelland: Dave, you've got a real trifecta of photography royalty on stage this morning.
• 2:33
  David McClelland: Tom, Hannah Cousins, and some guy off YouTube called Gavin.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_07: Is it New B?
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_07: He is.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_07: Fresh off the street giving him his first break.
• 2:41
  David McClelland: Yeah, it's going to be a busy day on stage.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_07: As it has been, it's been full and standing quite a lot on here.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_07: Absolutely, we've had on average minimum 100 people every time.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_07: We've had 300 for Lindsay Adler.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_07: Like standing room only, in the gangways, but you know, it's been really good energy as well.
• 2:56
  David McClelland: And that's the other thing I always really love about the photography and video show is there's no gatekeeping.
• 3:03
  David McClelland: People are here to share.
• 3:05
  David McClelland: They're not feeling threatened.
• 3:06
  David McClelland: If anything, empowerment comes through sharing your expertise with other people.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_07: Absolutely.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_07: We used to joke about um, oh, here's the secrets, here's the secrets.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_07: It's there are no secrets, it's just the information's there, it's how you share it for people to understand.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_07: No one's gatekeeping, they're almost oversharing.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_07: I want you to learn this, I want you to go away and do it yourself, I want you to almost show me that you've done it when I see you next year.
• 3:32
  David McClelland: Yes, yes.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_07: Some accountability.
• 3:35
  David McClelland: Dave, good to chat.
• 3:38
  David McClelland: Sony, one of the many brands here with Air Theatre.
• 3:44
  David McClelland: And Tom Oldham.
• 3:46
  David McClelland: He's been busy this weekend as Tom.
• 3:48
  David McClelland: Hello, Tom.
• 3:51
  David McClelland: It's not all about the big brands that everyone hears of.
• 3:55
  David McClelland: There's lots of smaller brands, more bespoke products as well, more niche products.
• 4:02
  David McClelland: Even the likes of the Intellectual Property Office who are speaking on stage here as well later on today.
• 4:07
  David McClelland: How as a creator do you protect what it is that you make?
• 4:12
  David McClelland: Especially in the world of AI.
• 4:16
  David McClelland: London Camera Exchange team with their show deals.
• 4:20
  David McClelland: Hey team, how are you doing?
• 4:24
  David McClelland: And then down to the Canon Stand.
• 4:27
  David McClelland: Now this is the video section on the Canon Stand showcasing the C50, which launched last year, as well as some other hybrid cameras.
• 4:39
  David McClelland: The R5C, of course, as well.
• 4:43
  David McClelland: This martial artist has had a stern face for basically four days in a row.
• 4:50
  David McClelland: Still stern.
• 4:54
  David McClelland: Road making a big noise.
• 4:57
  David McClelland: And big video as well.
• 4:59
  David McClelland: They are showcasing their video switching technology here.
• 5:04
  David McClelland: It's the Rodecaster Video and brand new actually, the Rodcaster Video Core.
• 5:12
  David McClelland: Some videos on the Photography and Video Show YouTube channel where I do a bit more of a deep dive into those.
• 5:21
  David McClelland: And what do you know?
• 5:22
  David McClelland: Who do you find here?
• 5:23
  David McClelland: But a stand I've been trying to find for the last few days here with WACOM.
• 5:27
  David McClelland: It's Ian Sayers.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: Hey Ian, how are you doing?
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: I'm doing good.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: I'm helping the guys show these amazing products.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: So there's a range of CynTech Pros, SynTeaks, Movinx, Moving Pads.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: The guys have actually brought out some new devices onto the market which really do work so well for all different levels.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: If you're an artist, if you're an illustrator, photographer, if you're an animator, video guy, there's something for everybody.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_05: James, good to see you.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_05: Good to see you, David.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_05: Thank you for this lovely stroll down memory lane and future awaiting us.
• 6:11
  David McClelland: There's been a lot of launches over the last 12 months since the last photography and video show that was in London, and that certainly excited me.
• 6:19
  David McClelland: What's excited you and your team?
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_05: You know, I think this the thing that's excited me the most, and I know even Chris has been very excited about this, is the Rico GR4 monochrome, which is actually a camera that was announced in January, went on sale in February, but it's so bloomin' popular, if you buy one today you don't get it until June.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_05: So getting hold of one is you know it's like a it's like a unicorn.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_05: So if you go over to the Rico stand, as I've done a number of times, you can actually get your hands on one and try it for yourself.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_05: And it's a beautiful little camera, perfect for street photography, 28mm wide angle lens, only black and white, which we've talked about black and white cameras before, David.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_05: Pros and cons of those, but if you're a street photographer, it's exactly what you want, the ideal tool for the job.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_05: So I think that's that's my personal favourite thing of the show.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_05: Uh there's been, we're walking towards the Canon stand, which is a lovely segue into talking about things like the C50, an amazing camera.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_05: Um the the obviously the signature of that is the 7K30p OpenGate, which uh you're a man who knows all about OpenGate amidst its ups and downs.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 7:24
  David McClelland: I think Canon's showcasing the C50 along the rest of its uh Cinema EOS range here very well.
• 7:30
  David McClelland: They've got some martial artists just around the corner from us as we walk through, and they've got, say, the C50 DR5C as well.
• 7:39
  David McClelland: Yes.
• 7:39
  David McClelland: It's it's an impressive bit of kit, that's for sure, and it's at the right price point, as I think you and I have discussed as well.
• 7:46
  David McClelland: It's it is competitive in a market with other brands, and it is, which I think is a good thing, encouraging those other brands to come up with it's challenging to them to come up with more compelling offerings.
• 8:00
  David McClelland: Hey Sony, how about uh uh FX3 Mark II or similar, for example?
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_05: Well actually, it's interesting, we're we're in we're now in front of the uh the martial arts sort of part of Canon's Expo, and this is the EOS VR, part of the EOS VR system.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_05: So we're seeing things like the dual fisheye lenses, which is syncs really well with the C50 and other Canon EOS models.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_05: Um and Canon really is at the frontier of 3D, VR, AR, and MR mixed reality.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_05: So all of the abbreviations, um, and the the these VR lenses are available at various price points.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_05: There's the WYSIBANGY few grand one for the R5 series, there's also one that's a few hundred dollars for the APSC models.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_05: So Canon really is offering creators at every level of the ecosystem a chance to get into this frontier before the rest of the world reaches it.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_05: And I don't know what you think about 3D and VR, David, but for me, when I see things like this, I get very, very excited.
• 8:52
  David McClelland: Canon's theme this year on their booth is kind of end-to-end, from capture all the way to print, and about the integrated colour workflows that they have, and Clive Booth has been showcasing that with the Birmingham Royal Ballet, uh ballet dancers, and uh enabling those who are engaging with those sessions to walk away with some prints on some Hanumuler paper.
• 9:13
  David McClelland: That's all very good for stills, but when we come to video, particularly when we're talking about the dual fisheye lens that you mentioned there, you have to take a bit of a different tack.
• 9:23
  David McClelland: And Cannon's done that really well.
• 9:25
  David McClelland: And uh I don't know if you've tried it out yet, but the world unseen experience, uh seeing the rainforests of the ocean and understanding a bit more about the peril that they face, that has been brought to life and again tells the end-to-end story incredibly well.
• 9:43
  David McClelland: It's more than just a gimmick, I think.
• 9:44
  David McClelland: This is very much a showcase.
• 9:46
  David McClelland: VR is often a bit of a gimmick or has been for the last few years.
• 9:49
  David McClelland: But when you get an opportunity to experience it, particularly when there's a reason, a purpose behind it as well.
• 9:56
  David McClelland: And I spoke with the director and the and the filmmaker uh Mads a few days ago on this, uh, it brings it to life and again tells that end-to-end story that I think Canon's looking to share with everyone here, both moving pictures and still images.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_05: I think you've just hit the nail on the head because VR in its various forms over the years, and 3D and other such things, we'll see there's things like PlayStation VR, Sony and Co.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_05: They give you great tech.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_05: They don't necessarily give you the reason why you would use it.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_05: So this educational context is really a case in point of like, okay, we've got this wonderful tech, what do we use it for?
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_05: How do we use it?
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_05: And for educational, or to bring you into the world so you can see, oh, okay, this is what these conservation efforts are all about, or this is what we're trying to convey in this unique kind of medium.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_05: This is exactly where these devices shine.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_05: So it's not a case of you know, beat runner or whatever you run at novelty wears off in five minutes.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_05: This is something that is actually, I feel, sustainable as like a new kind of genre or subgenre of filmmaking.
• 10:50
  David McClelland: Well done, Canon, for bringing that to life.
• 10:52
  David McClelland: Let's should we wander down the red carpet for a little bit?
• 10:55
  David McClelland: It's always nice to go on a red carpet, yeah.
• 10:56
  David McClelland: Let's do that.
• 10:57
  David McClelland: Indeed.
• 10:57
  David McClelland: Right, so let's let's head down here.
• 10:59
  David McClelland: And I can see the Sony stand in front of me.
• 11:02
  David McClelland: And for me, one of the stars on the Sony stand this year is the A75, which was the surprise back in December when that came out of nowhere, really.
• 11:12
  David McClelland: And they're showcasing it in a kind of macro stand there, Stuart Wood style, with the 100mm F1.2 macro lens.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_05: Glorious lens, yeah, a really good combo actually.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_05: So, yeah, I mean we've talked about the A75 before, a wonderfully powerful camera, uh, ostensibly a mid-range camera, although I think it's gone from being a mid-range camera to being like a pretty pro or semi-pro tool, um, which um, you know, is good for some, um, a thought process for others.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_05: Uh, paired with this sort of um uh Sony's new GM macro lenses and things like that, it really exemplifies the detail you can get from that 33 megapixel uh partially stacked sensor.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_05: Um, you know, it really is a professional tool.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_05: So for your money, which goes less and less far these days, as we both know, David, you're getting something that you could actually, you could forge a pro career with this camera.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_05: You know, it's something that's good for a bit of everything, a bit of video, bit of stills, and something you can be if you're a weekend warrior for weddings, or something a bit more pro, you know, you really can get a camera and make your money back with it.
• 12:12
  David McClelland: What that does bring me to is I think what is my star of the show, which is the Adapter Lux macro lighting system, which I first became aware of through Daniel Orqua, the incredible Canadian uh macro photographer and educator online.
• 12:28
  David McClelland: He's here this week, he uses these, the adapter lux guys are here, these lights are on various stands, various manufacturers around the stand uh around the show, and I was reliably told they've sold out already.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_05: Yes, um I've first encountered this a couple of years ago.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_05: I don't think it was Kickstarter, but it was in the certainly in the prototype phase, and I thought that has got that is a work of genius.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_05: And as you say, you can tell how good a product is by how many other stands it appears on, and it's on a number of them here at the photography and video show.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_05: Um, and it's great because I think a lot of folks find macro photography challenging/slash limiting because it it requires a unique set of skills to light your subject.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_05: So a lot of folks forego the lighting altogether and then wander, like, ah, why hasn't my image got sort of dynamism, or oh, the sun's in the wrong place, or ah, my lens is so close that it's blocking out the light.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_05: So having something like this really enables you to get dimensionality and sort of shape and texture and form into your shots.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_05: Or your video, of course, as well.
• 13:23
  David McClelland: Yes.
• 13:24
  David McClelland: Uh challenging, absolutely, let's let's wander down this red carpet as we chat.
• 13:28
  David McClelland: Challenging, absolutely, but also just to kind of challenge that, it's also incredibly accessible because whereas travel photography requires travel, whereas you know, wildlife and even street photography, there are barriers to overcome there.
• 13:42
  David McClelland: Macro photography is something you can do in your kitchen, in your back garden, in your bedroom, really.
• 13:48
  David McClelland: It is incredibly accessible, but with those challenges that you mentioned there, any tools that can help you overcome those means that it's I I I love a bit of macro photography, and I try and do all clever things with smartphone photography and macro, you know, like dropping a droplet of water on the front of my uh on the front of my smartphone uh front-facing camera to make a kind of ad hoc macro lens.
• 14:10
  David McClelland: Love all of that stuff.
• 14:11
  David McClelland: So yeah, love what Adapter Lux is doing.
• 14:13
  David McClelland: Uh we are just walking past the Fujifilm stand towards Nikon, and well, this was my first opportunity to see the Nikon ZR, the fruits of the Red and Nikon relationship.
• 14:28
  David McClelland: Uh that's certainly one of the stars on the Nikon stand for me this year.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_05: I I think so, and I think the ZR is a really interesting case in point because again, like the C50, which we just mentioned, it is Nikon's uh rival to the uh the Sony FX3, and it offers some different propositions uh and some curiosities, which I think some people took a little bit of umbrage at, but when you think about it, they actually make a lot of sense.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_05: So I think the first thing a lot of folks thought was a bit strange was like, why does this cinema camera have the CF Express B, which we understand, why does it have a micro SD card?
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_05: That's very strange.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_05: But of course, some of the red cameras, I think one of the Komodos in particular, only has one memory card slot, it is a CF Express.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_05: Nobody criticizes the red Komodo for only having one memory card slot.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_05: So the micro SD is a Brucie bonus, so you're actually getting more bang for your buck, and of course, it works the same way as having a second slot because you can just sort of transfer your files across from one to the other.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_05: Um it's got a lovely small profile, it almost looks like a compact camera if you didn't know it was a cinema camera, and its form factor is kept so small because there is no visible active cooling system, there's no fan.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_05: So there's a little bit of you know, some dark arts going on here.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_05: How is Nikon making this camera that seems very, very difficult to overheat despite not having an active cooling system?
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_05: So I'm super impressed by that, and of course, what we all love is it's got a gigantic uh four-inch rear screen.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_05: So it's kind of got everything that a creator might need, and certainly is the cheapest way into the red ecosystem.
• 15:57
  David McClelland: Yes, that screen on the back is remarkable.
• 16:01
  David McClelland: I think it's one of those things you need to see to understand the impact that it has, and on the rig, uh just on the stand here, I really like how they've rigged it with a battery, the power source at the back, the screen out at 90 degrees, but it creates one of those monitors is like you're shooting, and then you've got the client standing at the side.
• 16:18
  David McClelland: You it's gonna cut down the number of times where you need to have an external monitor because that screen on the back is so large, is so vibrant as well, so so bright in outside lights, that that's gonna be uh yeah, one less thing to include on your rig.
• 16:33
  David McClelland: Also on the rig that we're looking at right now is the uh 28135 power zoom lens, which is a uh a good partnership, I think, with the ZR.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_05: Absolutely, and and and all of this are kind of the the building blocks of what is going to be the Z or the Z Cinema ecosystem.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_05: So Nikon was never previously really known for um high-end videography or cinematography, kind of did a very, very smart thing by um acquiring red, and it's now a bit of a superpower within the industry.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_05: You know, red is a very trendy, very forward-thinking, very um competitive brand, got a lot of love.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_05: Um, I think Jason Momoa is one of their ambassadors, which is always a cool thing.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_05: Um so now, yes, Nikon is now a real player in this game, and we're building out this system.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_05: So, whatever you did or didn't think of the ZR, it's the first in the family.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_05: And that's important to remember.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_05: This is the one that's kind of is setting the stage.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_05: So maybe we can expect a high-end ZR with more of the whizzy banggy things, maybe there'll be a more junior one, we don't know.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_05: But part of that ecosystem, as you say, the 28 to 135 lens, and that's Nikon and Red's next part of the equation, is bringing out more of these Z slash Z cinema lenses to go with these bodies.
• 17:39
  David McClelland: And when you think about it, it was two years ago when the partnership, partnership acquisition, whatever was was first announced.
• 17:46
  David McClelland: Uh a year later, all we had was some LUTs.
• 17:49
  David McClelland: It took 18 months for the first camera, the ZR2, to come out.
• 17:53
  David McClelland: Actually, in terms of product development cycles, 18 months is really impressive.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_05: That's not bad.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_05: I think the general development time for a lens alone is between two to three years.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_05: And that's, you know, with a lot of people scratching a lot of heads wondering what we do with a lens, let alone a lens that fits into an ecosystem, let alone with simultaneously building a camera body to go with it.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_05: Um, really, I think hats off to Nikon and Red's engineers, important to mention this is a co-developed camera.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_05: So it's primarily a Nikon body, but it's co-developed with Red, has the Red One kind of um codex inside.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_05: Um, as I mentioned, the cheapest way into the Red ecosystem.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_05: So if you are somebody who is aspirationally looking, you know, you're looking long term in your career, I would like to be a filmmaker, cinematographer, creator, whatever, can't afford the 30k for a Komodo or an iguana or whatever the Reds are called these days, but I can start my journey with the ZR because it's an incredibly affordable proposition as well, and then build my career step by step as these things come along.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_05: I I think it's really smart to have offered an alternative to the FX3 that's not just a copy of it.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_05: Because why do we need more cameras that do the same thing?
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_05: This offers a very different proposition, and yeah, my hat, my proverbial hat is off to Nikon and Red.
• 19:02
  David McClelland: And again, it it just sets that challenge, doesn't it?
• 19:05
  David McClelland: Lays down the gauntlet to the other manufacturers to say, right, your turn now, Sony, Canon, whoever.
• 19:12
  David McClelland: Which is good news for those of us who use this equipment.
• 19:15
  David McClelland: I mean, bad news for my wallet, frankly.
• 19:18
  David McClelland: But good news overall.
• 19:20
  David McClelland: What have been the surprises?
• 19:21
  David McClelland: Have there been any surprises for you this year?
• 19:23
  David McClelland: I know that you and your team in particular like to have a look around beyond the obvious candidates, to have a look around some of the smaller brands and some of the smaller stands as well to see what innovations.
• 19:35
  David McClelland: Have there been any surprises here this year, or has it not been a year for that sort of surprise?
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_05: It hasn't really been a year for the big surprises.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_05: I think we've seen some very interesting things from um companies like Theepoc, I think it's Theepok, Thpok Thypoc, which has released the first, or brought to the show the first ever autofocused Sony emount lens in their lineup.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_05: So we can see the the Chinese lens manufacturers are really coming on strong in full force.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_05: Viltrox is here as well with some very creative Lauer has brought its new probe lens and a 1-to-5 and a 5-10 times macro lens.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_05: Okay.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_05: Which, I mean, Lauer's great for just rocking up and you say, What have you got in that box?
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_05: And they go, Oh, it's this.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_05: What is that?
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_05: And it's amazing.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_05: So the probe the probe lenses are something we've seen from for a 5 to 10 macro, it's the first time I've heard of one, might be a first, I don't know.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_05: Um elsewhere, the Manfrotto 1, which is the tripod system, which is you know a sort of sister abridged version of the Manfrotto 1 hybrid or video version.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_05: Um again, you think tripods, we've kind of three legs and put a thing on top.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_05: No, how much innovation is there left?
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_05: Well, it turns out it's actually quite a bit of innovation left.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_05: Um, and it's a great stand to go and see a man show you how it all works.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_05: Um other curiosities, like, you know, Instax has just launched the Instax Mini 13, which, you know, again, a real Brucey bonus.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_05: So we've got a new we've got a new camera on the on display as well.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_05: Um The Mini Evo Cinema.
• 20:55
  David McClelland: I had an opportunity to have a look at that.
• 20:57
  David McClelland: Again, that's what, a month, two months old now since CES, I think that that made its first outing.
• 21:02
  David McClelland: So to see that and to twist that eras dial, they call it, in true Taylor Swift style, it's it's great fun and it brings, I'm not gonna say whimsy, but it brings the joy, the excitement, the fun into photography, which I know is what they do incredibly well anyway, but when the output kind of surpasses just the fun, it's it's it's there's quality there as well.
• 21:25
  David McClelland: It makes you feel stuff.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_05: That's what it does, it makes you feel stuff, that's what I love.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_05: It does, and I think that's a really good case in point.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_05: You know, a lot of folks say, oh, I can see everything online, why do I need to go to a trade show?
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_05: What's the what's the purpose of it?
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_05: The purpose of it is to see things like the Mini Evo Cinema, because that's a camera that you would have one idea of if you see it online or you see an influencer talk about it.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_05: It's a very different proposition to get one in your hands and play with it.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_05: I call the Mini Evo Cinema a pub, a kind of pub toy.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_05: You take it to the pub, you show it to ten of your mates, probably five of them will buy one because it's so quirky and cool, and you only really get it when you play with it.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_05: And that's the reason you come.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_05: These shows and play.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_05: Oh, I've got a tripod.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_05: Why do I need a tripod?
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_05: Well, you go and look at the Manfrotto one, you go, hang on, I think I might need a new tripod.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_05: So that's the point of coming to the shows, talking to the trade, give a bit of feedback because something people also forget is that there are folks from uh folks from Japan, they don't have clickboards, but they do take notes on their phone, and it's a really great opportunity to feed back.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_05: I love this camera, but or I wish you guys did such and such.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_05: And they might not make your new camera for you next year, but they do genuinely feed this back.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_05: So it's a great opportunity to talk to the trade and kind of let them know as a consumer what it is you like you love and maybe don't love about things.
• 22:34
  David McClelland: Yeah, and I think that's a I think that's a great parting thought in as much as it's a two-way conversation at events like this.
• 22:40
  David McClelland: And we've been speaking largely about hardware so far, but we're finishing off our conversation outside.
• 22:45
  David McClelland: The Adobe booth right now, where there are a lot of product managers, there are people who have real influence in the direction of these products that many others use, whether for still or moving images.
• 22:57
  David McClelland: And I know from some conversations I had in the bar last night about certain stories where stuff that's been brought up here at the show has it in in later years, the later year appeared in sneaks and then appeared in the finished products.
• 23:12
  David McClelland: Uh, so it's important that it is, like you say, a two-way conversation.
• 23:16
  David McClelland: But you've got to be in it to win it, you've got to be here to uh to have the chat.
• 23:20
  David McClelland: And thank you, James, for having the chat with us here today.
• 23:24
  David McClelland: Uh look forward to catching up again soon.
• 23:26
  David McClelland: Thank you, David.
• 23:26
  David McClelland: Thanks for having me.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_03: It has a screw kind of effect.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_03: You can set it to pop off a few flashes.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_03: The jump is cooked, the job is cocked up and pop up for a bit of experimentation here.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_03: Um open the shutter and the flash is freezing the motion.
• 24:02
  David McClelland: So right now in the analogue area here at the photography and video show, show director, marketing manager, Ruth Folkard, Hazel Soper are having their photo taken by Brendan Barry in this enormous camera obscure.
• 24:17
  David McClelland: They've been standing there very still, very well behaved for the last few seconds.
• 24:23
  David McClelland: While inside this structure just here, big wooden structure with a couple of lenses poking out of it.
• 24:31
  David McClelland: Their images being projected onto the back wall, I think.
• 24:34
  David McClelland: They look very somber.
• 24:42
  David McClelland: And with that burst of light, the image was taken.
• 24:45
  David McClelland: Brendan Barry shouting 3-2-1 there.
• 24:52
  David McClelland: And that was that.
• 24:54
  David McClelland: That was a very bright flash.
• 24:56
  David McClelland: How was that for you?
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not very capable of uh standing still apparently.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_02: Hazel can go inside now and uh and look at it developing.
• 25:04
  David McClelland: I kind of want to go inside and take a look as well, actually.
• 25:08
  David McClelland: So I will.
• 25:11
  David McClelland: Are you sure?
• 25:14
  David McClelland: I don't want to introduce any false light into here.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_09: Oh that's right, it's not as long as there's no flashes, yeah, relaxed.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_09: Uh the paper's got an ISO of three, so it's like super low sensitivity, which is why you can get away with all sorts.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_09: This is how I make a picture.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_09: So this is my screen.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_09: I lift up this is my lens cap.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_09: So there's James.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_09: And then I move this screen to focus.
• 25:43
  David McClelland: This is back focusing in action.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_09: Yeah, so rather than moving the lens and moving the rear standing, I then close the lens down, put my paper inside here, dropped down into there, and then lift up.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_09: Shout out three, two, one, fire the lights, my little trigger, and the exposure's made.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_09: Thank you, James.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_09: And then once the exposure's made, uh bring it over to the dark room.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_09: And then I've got my trays of chemistry here.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_09: So this is the developer.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_02: We came just as you have one last piece remaining, right?
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_02: And you're just about to bust.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_09: This is Harry from one of the stores across the road.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_09: And I will make a negative, which is that, um, and then in here make a contact print, a print of that, which is the positive store.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_09: What's that developer stuff made of?
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_09: So what it's a developer chemical chemistry.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_09: So it's the paper has chemicals in it that are sensitive to light.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_09: So when light hits the paper, a reaction takes place, and the more light, the more of a reaction.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_09: So your top is light, so uh more light is bouncing off that, and therefore turning the paper, having more of a reaction taking place because it's dark, so less light comes in, and therefore the paper stays white.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_09: You can see around the edge, it's white, that's where the border stops any light getting to it.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_09: So the less light hits the paper, the less of a reaction takes place.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_09: Because before it goes into this tray, a reaction is taking place when it's latent, waiting essentially.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_09: As soon as it goes in this tray, what happens is the chemicals in the tray react with the chemicals in the paper that just react to the light and an image of it, which is why we get a negative.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_09: And then to turn it into a positive, I do a really sort of rudimentary contact process where I take that negative, put it on top of a fresh sheet of paper, shine light through it, and then the thicker areas with a negative, uh, stop the light getting through, so the paper stays in the darker area, so the paper below stays white.
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_09: And the thinner areas, which is white, the light passes through easier than the paper below.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_09: That's how you get your positive print.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_02: Prints from one.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_09: Yeah, so there's negative now, you can print over and over and over and over again.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_09: And you can do it in a dark room, but I make it I do everything wet in the space because I don't have to wash and dry things properly.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_09: Um this way of printing sort of you know, and there's contaminant my hands are covered in chemicals and the paper that gets these distressed edges from the water, but it's kind of you look at the pictures on the wall, and that's part of the magic of it really, is distressed as well.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_09: So now we can turn light on, bright light, and we can see our negative.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_09: Yeah, everyone looks super creepy, right?
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_09: The thing that you get a lot of is where people go, um people they look at it and they're like if they if their mouths are open, they go, oh no, my teeth are really black.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_09: And of course, that's like no, that's a good sign.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_09: That means they're white and they're like if they were white here, you'd really want to worry.
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_09: So that's the magic of it.
• 29:06
  SPEAKER_02: They've just got such an amazing look to the images, haven't they?
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_02: I love this.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_02: It's really cool.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_02: There is more.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, I think it's good then.
• 29:22
  David McClelland: Fresh from having her photo taken in that giant camera obscure, fascinating process.
• 29:28
  David McClelland: It is event director Ruth Folkard.
• 29:31
  David McClelland: Ruth, here we are coming towards the end of the four days here back in Birmingham.
• 29:35
  David McClelland: Any highlights for you?
• 29:37
  David McClelland: I'm sure there are lots of highlights, and it's difficult to choose any in particular, but what has struck you about this long, long weekend?
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, uh yeah, as you say, too many highlights to mention, I think.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_02: But um, yeah, it's been there's just been so many smiley faces, so many people, um, you know, trying out kit, trying out the creator playground, engaging with the talks, just it's just been incredible.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_02: Such a buzz on the show floor, I think, this year.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_02: It's been it's just been great.
• 30:06
  David McClelland: Yeah, and and that is the thing that we speak about quite a lot with photography and video show.
• 30:10
  David McClelland: I'm looking like you, you you work in events.
• 30:13
  David McClelland: I I go to a lot of events as part of my job, but something that has made this event stand out over the years that I've been here is that is that buzz, is the vibe, is that slightly indescribable something that you feel when you are on the floor here.
• 30:29
  David McClelland: Uh, I don't know how you cultivate it, I don't know how you make it happen and keep it alive, but it's certainly been alive and well here.
• 30:35
  David McClelland: Uh fed by the brands, fed by the content and fed by the community.
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_02: I was just gonna say we can't take all the credit for that.
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_02: It's definitely, you know, everyone, all the exhibitors here, the brands, they put in such an effort into what they do, they they put their best foot forward, they show all of their new kit, they've got just they just work so hard for the whole time that they're here and and and preparation in advance, of course, as well.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, I don't know what it is, that that that something, the something that you feel, but it's I I think it's because it's such a creative audience, and so everybody gets here and they're so excited to see all, you know, to get inspired, learn stuff, and and and get their hands on with the kit.
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_02: It's just yeah.
• 31:14
  David McClelland: This has been Birmingham 2026.
• 31:17
  David McClelland: Let's touch on London 2027 because from the 13th to the 16th, I think I've got those dates right, of March 2027, the photography and video show is back in London.
• 31:29
  David McClelland: Tell me about that.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_02: Uh yes, we'll be back at Excel, 13th to 16th of March, as you say.
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_02: And um, yeah, I mean we just saw such we saw a different audience in London last time.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_02: We saw a whole bunch of people that had never been to the show before.
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_02: So I think it's really exciting to take the show to them, bring it to a wider audience, grow it, and yeah, just just get make the experience a little bit different and bring that experience to uh to as many people as we can.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um yeah, we got some uh good plans in place, I think, already.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_02: So we we never really stop thinking about what we're gonna do.
• 32:01
  SPEAKER_02: You know, we start we we we finish this show, we have a little bit of downtime, but we're always thinking about what can we do next, what can we do better, who can we bring in, how can we make it you know really special.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah.
• 32:13
  David McClelland: And like you say, I know the planning for London is is already underway, but we'll begin in earnest once you've had a bit of a well-earned rest from this.
• 32:20
  David McClelland: But what we can say about what's happening in two years' time is that the show will be back in Birmingham again in 2020.
• 32:26
  David McClelland: That sounds like an extraordinarily long time away.
• 32:29
  David McClelland: But you're back in Birmingham in 2028 again?
• 32:31
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, we will be back in 2028, and uh yeah, we'll be in the same hall.
• 32:36
  SPEAKER_02: Um yeah, this uh hall five.
• 32:39
  SPEAKER_02: Um so yeah, if we uh uh you've got to ask me what the dates are now, and I I I'm too tired to remember.
• 32:45
  David McClelland: I I I don't think anyone's putting it.
• 32:46
  David McClelland: Well, maybe some people are putting this in their diary two years in advance, but don't worry, that those dates when they are locked in, I'm sure, will be available somewhere uh online.
• 32:55
  David McClelland: Uh Ruth, thank you for having me here for the last few days and uh thank you for putting together, and again, I don't know how you do it.
• 33:04
  David McClelland: Sounds like you don't quite know how you do it either, but such a magical, buzzy experience here in Birmingham, and I wish you all the very best for putting together the London event this time next year.
• 33:13
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you very much.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_02: See you then.
• 33:35
  David McClelland: I'm kind of exhausted, I'm not gonna lie.
• 33:38
  David McClelland: It's been busy, it's been intense.
• 33:40
  David McClelland: I've been not only walking around the show floor here, uh chatting with camera brands, uh speaking with a lot of the exhibitors, the speakers on the various stages as well.
• 33:51
  David McClelland: I've had a lot of fun, but it's time to go home.
• 33:56
  David McClelland: Any moment now the klaxon will go off, signalling the end of photography and video show 2026.
• 34:17
  David McClelland: It's a small thing, and it's sad that the show's over, but that round of applause right at the end of the final day of the show is always a very special moment.
• 34:27
  David McClelland: Everyone's been busy doing their own things on their own stands all week, but that moment of solidarity where everyone celebrates what has hopefully been a successful week is something to something to savour, at least until 2027.
• 34:44
  David McClelland: March the thirteenth to March the sixteenth at the London XL.
• 34:48
  David McClelland: Hope to see you there.