Canon India recently launched EOS-1D X Mark III in Delhi, India. The flagship product from the Canon EOS 1D series, which can be easily known by the camera design. Canon claims EOS-1D X Mark III carry together the best of technology to captures amazing image quality and performance for professionals across all photography and videography form. The EOS-1D X Mark III features the latest advancements and innovations in digital imaging technology making it truly deserving of the ‘flagship’.

Carrying forward the inheritance built by its forerunner EOS-1DX Mark II, the launch of the new EOS-1D X Mark III is intent at challenging the growing imaging section such as wedding, wildlife, fashion, sports and film-making. This premium flagship camera is example for supplying the creative aspirations of professional photographers and videographers by presenting best in class images at an fastest speed. The new technology offers an chance to experience invention like never before. With its capabilities to capture images in dark surroundings coupled with capturing the perfectly timed shot, the camera provides the highest possible image quality in all shooting conditions. The EOS 1DX Mark III comes with Face + Eye + Head detection features which offers an unmatched subject tracking during live view still and video shooting, making it the fastest and best AF System DSLR full frame camera available in the market.

Canon 1Dx Mark III is priced at an MRP of INR 575,995/- (incl. of taxes) for the body, including 512 GB CF Express Card and Reader, the EOS-1D X Mark III will be available mid-February onwards at select retail outlets across the country.

Every year we have made it a point to tell our readers, the direction in which the photographic industry is heading. The trends article started as a one off in our earlier issue and with time has become an annual feature in the magazine that the readers have admired a lot. So once again it is the start of another year and here is our trends issue. As mentioned before, this article is more than what meets the eye. For many it might see as if it is random styles, technology and trends put together. But the points mentioned below culminate after a lot of thought, internal debate and also the future. So these are the trends that we feel will become big in the industry in the year 2020.

End of the DSLR, its Mirrorless time

This point has already featured in the last 2 editions of this article but the importance of this is going to be the greatest in this year. For the simple reason that the only two primary manufacturers that are still in the DSLR business have also almost entirely shifted to mirrorless. Canon is the only brand in 2019 that launched a DSLR, with its EOS 90D. All models introduced by Nikon were in the mirrorless category. Of course, Canon is rumoured to be working on a professional camera which mostly likely might launch at CP+ this year. And Nikon will also probably have some product in that category. But largely all the other manufacturers are now in the mirrorless game and 2020 probably might see the last of these models being launched.

Film photography

When I had spoken about this point a few years back in one of the articles, Film was showing some minuscule signs of resurgence. But thanks to the power of social media filters, the film community has nearly doubled in the past few years. And this is evident with the continual release of film products launched by a variety of manufacturers.

For instance, Fujifilm has released its famed ACROS II film in Japan in December 2019 and Kodak also released its Ektachrome E100 film in 4×5 sheets and 120 medium format film with the 35mm rolls already available for some time now. Ilford is also another manufacturers that has been continually manufacturing film for professionals. This only means that the consumers of these products are only increasing.

Mirrorless lenses

Although this pretty much is a no brainer, with the popularity of the mirrorless format, lenses have played a very important role in its popularity. And although most manufacturers started slow, their growing portfolio of lenses and development is a testament of their commitment to the format. However we still haven’t seen some of the best focal lengths making it to the category. But this is changing fast. Manufacturers are already in the midst of launching/developing popular lenses in the mirrorless format so that the users can make the most out of their photography.

Cloud storage and other formats

With the increase in the megapixels and videos capturing capabilities of cameras, storage is one of the key areas that has needed importance. The requirement of faster cards, compact drives and lesser clogging of your internal memory has given the rise to Cloud Storage and other formats. And moving forward these services will only become more popular with more and more primary technology manufacturers also offering competitive prices for cloud storage.

And manufactures like WD and SanDisk are introducing portable SSD solutions like SanDisk Extreme Pro SSD that are targeted towards photographers offering high transfers speeds and compact/portable solutions.

Synergy between apps and cameras

With smart devices practically taking over our daily lives, 2020 will see a lot more synergy between apps and cameras. Most manufacturers already have apps that are available to transfer and control the basic settings of your cameras since the past few years. But lets be honest, the user interface of these apps aren’t that great and neither do they have the advanced features that they could.

With the UI of the cameras improving continuously, it is only a matter of time that apps also will become good and this year will see a lot of that happening.

Pop goes the colour

When it comes to photography styles, let’s face it, we aren’t really having any breath taking/sky tearing innovations. And to be fair there is only so much that a photographer can think of. Over the year’s styles tend of re-emerge with certain modifications and ‘Loud Colours’ is a trend that we predict will be big in 2020.

And this will be all around, when it comes to shoots, weddings, pictures, ambiance, clothes and the works. So get ready to see those colours pop in 2020.

Quick assembled accessories and battery powered lights

One of the most difficult categories to predict are accessories. For the simple reason that it is a fast-changing environment with any product suddenly gaining popularity overnight and disappearing overnight. But 2020 will see the popularity of quickly assembled accessories rise phenomenally.

And closer to the lights, which play a very important role in photography, will see battery powered lights becoming very popular. Manufacturers are already offering such solutions today and the move is not only environment friendly but also to offer solutions with better technology and performance.

Vertical photos and videos (For full screen status updates)

Until recently taking videos in the vertical format was a taboo and frowned upon. Even photos in that orientation would not be preferred with lesser content squeezed into the frame. But the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020 has already seen an upward trend of the vertical format. Status updates, videos and pictures in this format have taken social media platforms like WhatsApp, YouTube and Instagram by storm. And if that popularity is anything to go by then it is surely here to stay.

Videos are taking over Photos

The popularity of the vertical format bring me to my next point, and that is Videos are literally taking over. Thanks to Instagram, YouTube and a certain Tik Tok, the consumption of video content is outweighing that of the pictures. And this is evident with the abundant features that are offered with the cameras these days.

First reaction pictures in Wedding

Capturing emotions and the mood of weddings has always been important. But there is a trend that is likely to be very popular in the coming year, which is ‘First Reactions’. The style includes capturing the first reactions of the couple, family and friends during the wedding festivities. This could be the groom seeing the bride the first time, friends seeing the newly wedded couple the first time or family controlling their emotions on realisation that their daughter is now married.

There are dedicated photographers during weddings to only capture these moments since they are natural, important and memories that make the big day special. And this is a trend that will see a lot of the wedding industry adapting this year.

Take me with you (Follow Me) photos

Follow me or take me with you photos grew in popularity in 2019 as Instagrammers and Facebook users started using hashtags on the same. The wave of Follow me photos will continue to rise. For the unnitiated, Follow me photos are photographs where the subject is holding the photographer’s hand and the photograph is taken from the photographer’s point of view. These photos are a great way of showcasing a destination or a location and will continue to trend in 2020.

From being constant innovators over categories to being instrumental in introducing the world with micro four thirds technology (jointly with Olympus), Panasonic finally took the plunge into the full-frame world with the launch of the S1 and the S1R, adding the SH1, the world’s first 6k video mirrorless camera to have been certified by Netflix under its Post Technology Alliance Programme to their portfolio as well. Bhavya Desai spoke to Sandeep Sehgal, Business Chief – IBG, Panasonic India on the industry and the company’s aggressive plans for the coming year.

With the launch of the S series, Panasonic has taken the plunge in the full-frame category. What are your expectations from the new products?

Panasonic has always been known for keeping a customer centric approach and customers have expressed their desire for full-frame to be introduced by Panasonic. By entering into full-frame segment, we not only expect to gain support from professionals and high-level amateurs in Indian market, but further increase the trust in our micro four thirds system, thereby giving a positive effect on its sales. Also our G series and S series can be used in different ways according to applications and situations, enlarging the scope of users’ photography. This will raise the Lumix brand in both series which will lead to a combined effect in becoming preferred brand in the camera industry. We have also introduced Lumix S1H for cinematographers, which is the world’s first 6k video mirrorless camera to have been certified by Netflix under its Post Technology Alliance Programme. With this announcement we have seen a huge surge in demand of S1H and with growth of OTT platform in India, we expect more penetration in cinematography segment. Overall we are targetting no. 2 position in full-frame mirrorless camera market by the end of the fiscal year 2019.

How has the response for the products been so far?

We have been getting very encouraging response in the market for our flagship S-Series camera, where we have been successful in positioning Lumix S1 as one of the finest hybrid mirrorless camera, while Lumix S1R as one stop solution for still photographers in India. We are delighted to inform that Lumix S1 has become first choice for photographers and videographers in wedding segment, which contributes to 65% of overall market. Customers are really appreciating the Dual Image Stabilization (5 axis 6.5 Stop ), Vlog with 14+ Stop Dynamic range and colour science of the Lumix S Series which has been the reason for the rapid success.

The announcement of the L Mount alliance was great news for the industry. What is the progress of the same and when can we see the first adapters and mounts for the same?

While newly developing the full-frame mirrorless cameras, we have focussed on maximising the benefits for users. We formed an alliance to offer our FF customers a complete range of great lenses from the beginning itself. Both Leica and Sigma have their own excellent lens concepts and brands. With this collaboration of technology, we are confident we can provide complete solution to end user. Sigma MC21 is already available in the market which makes a larger set of Sigma EF lenses compatible with L Mount. They have also announced MC-31 to be available by Jan-2020 which will ensure PL Mount cinema lenses compatibility with L Mount. Apart from that, Sigma L Mount lenses 14-24 f/2.5, 45mm f/2.8, 35mm f/1.2 are already available in the market. Overall, by next fiscal year we are targetting a combined lens strength of approximately 46 L Mount lenses.

With the new launches Panasonic seems to be focussing on the premium range of products, whereas there is a big market in the medium range category as well (above G95). Can we expect products in these categories as well?

Lumix is present in all the segments in Indian market and has currently four series for Indian market (G-series, FZ Series, GH-Series and S-Series). In terms of price point G-Series and FZ-Series are catering to market that lies in 50k-100k bracket, GH-Series is meant for customers in 100k-150k price bracket and our flagship FF segment S-Series in 200k-300k price bracket for the end customers. We have been doing pretty well in micro four thirds cameras in all series at all price brackets and the GH-Series (GH5 and GH5S), present in the 100k-150k market, which is also our flagship series in micro four thirds segment have been most successful camera in wedding segment. We are also planning to introduce two more models in this price bracket from next year onwards both in micro four thirds and full frame category.

What are the trends that you see in the photo-imaging market in India currently?

We are already witnessing shift from Pro-cam market to interchangeable lens camera segment (which includes mirrorless and DSLR). With the shift of amateur photography consumer towards smartphones, the entry-level interchangeable lens segment has witnessed a decline of 13-17%, but the overall positive is that mirrorless segment, especially the high-end feature-rich category has been growing very fast and it is expected to overtake DSLR segment by FY2022-23. Presently mirrorless cameras are estimated to account for about 23% of the segment by the end of ongoing fiscal year.

Panasonic products have always been great, but their availability has been a challenge for a number of years. How do you plan to iron out this challenge?

At the outset, I would reiterate that Panasonic is available on all the sourcing channels in India. Availability doesn’t seems challenge anymore, as we have now established network of distributors and 300 sub-dealers. These include 75 retailers PAN India, which works on franchise basis and we dedicate them as Panasonic Lumix 4K Zone. We have also introduced Lumix Professional Services in two cities, Bangalore which caters to elite customers in South and in the West India and Delhi which caters to North and East India. We have also expanded our footsteps at LFR Stores in Central India and have similar plan at selective stores in West and North India. Also to update for our entry level models of Lumix, we are also available online on Amazon and Flipkart.

What would you say are your near-term and long-term objectives for your business?

Being pioneers in mirrorless segment, our objective is to make Lumix as most preferred brand among users in India. We are working in very focussed approach in developing Brand Lumix and creating pool of loyalists for the brand. We have already established offering for the customers in micro four thirds segment and developing similar in full-frame category. We will be introducing many new models next year to strengthen our product portfolio and will be focussing on education-based approach in making brand Lumix most preferred brand in interchangeable mirrorless camera segment in India.

Nikon has announced the Nikon Z50 entry-level mirrorless camera. The Z50 is available for a cost of approx. Rs 61,200 for body-only. The Nikon Z50 includes a 20.9-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with Nikon DX-format, hybrid-AF autofocus and Eye-AF. The camera is powered by an EXPEED 6 image-processing engine with a high standard sensitivity of up to ISO 51,200 for low light situations. The Z50 can record 4K videos at 120p slow-motion, time-lapse and interval timer modes with in-camera video trimming and up to 20 Creative Picture Controls. The camera offers built-in stabilisation for smooth footage while shooting Full HD or 4K videos. There’s a 3.2-inch flip-down LCD touchscreen which can be used for selfies and vlogging. The camera also has 2360k-dot electronic viewfinder offering a 209-point Hybrid AF System and coverage of approximately 87 percent horizontally and 85 percent vertically. Connectivity options include WiFi, Bluetooth and a UHS-I SD card slot. The camera can be connected to smartphones using the SnapBridge app for sharing images and video. Users can also transfer video to their smart device with support for RAW images and advanced remote capture. The Nikon Z50 can be bundled with the new Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm standard zoom and the Nikkor Z DX 50-250mm telephoto zoom lenses. When paired with the new lenses, Dual Detect Optical VR is enabled on the Z50 to help avoid camera shake when shooting. The new lenses offer in-lens optical Vibration Reduction (VR) technology with camera shake compensation equivalent to 4.5 stops and 5.0 stops respectively. The Z50 is also compatible with the current line of Nikkor Z lenses through the Mount Adapter FTZ. Nikon Z50 20.9-megapixel mirrorless camera is available for a price of approx. Rs 61,200 for body-only from November. The Z50 with a one-lens kit with the Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens will be available for approx. Rs 71,200 while the two-lens kit with both the Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR and Nikkor Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR lenses can be purchased for approx. Rs 96,100.