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Electro-Chromic Glass will be the future: Siddhant Narayan from OnePlus

Electro-Chromic Glass will be the future

As a brand OnePlus has always been committed to its community, and if you’ve followed their journey then you would know what an important role they’ve played. Last year OnePlus introduced their Shot On OnePlus (SOOP) campaign with its second edition starting this year. Bhavya Desai spoke to Siddhant Narayan, Head of marketing – India, OnePlus on the story of the second campaign and more. Excerpts:


What was the objective behind initiating SOOP?

At OnePlus, our community has played an essential role in our journey in India. They have been instrumental in shaping our identity across several aspects. Our strong and diverse community of 5-million Indians are tied together by their passion for great technology. With a powerful smartphone camera in hand, we wanted to empower our community to capture images like a professional and also provide a platform to share their photos. 



How is the 2nd campaign unique and different from the previous edition?


The current campaign is about how crucial every second is to the pursuit of greatness and how OnePlus cameras help you gain an edge over the others with its features. The current campaign is designed around 3 professionals from various disciplines and entails the decisiveness of a single second and how it tells a story. It completely depends on every individual on how they want to utilise it as, and with a OnePlus by their side, it gives them the added advantage to hold every second and utilise it to the core. 


While having the 3 professionals chosen for the 2nd campaign is great, do you feel if pushing the boundaries of photography was the objective with SOOP then a photographer would’ve been the more logical/natural choice?

The Story of a Second campaign is not limited by profession, we wanted to showcase achievers in diverse fields to really bring the campaign to life and resonate with a wider trajectory of people. The pursuit of greatness in any profession demands years of hardwork and perseverance. The culmination of this hard work and passion through the years can often be narrowed down to some of the most crucial moments that sets apart true achievers from the rest.  The entire story and the journey of success can be attributed to that one decisive second in the life of an athlete, a musician, a gamer – This is the story of that second. By showcasing the stories of these 3 different people, in 3 completely diverse professions, we could best highlight the importance of a second. 

While these professions are different from photographers, however, they also use their smartphone cameras to click their special moments and couple as photographs which eventually are used for professional purposes. 


The Three Achievers featured this year:

The film describes how a gamer – Zara Rebello – uses the OnePlus 8 Pro and its 90 FPS feature to better her skills, while the drummer – Tom Liben – uses the OIS feature to record his videos while drumming which captures every beat, whereas Bharath Pereira – the climber – has his profession inclined towards how he times his journey to the top using every inch of muscle and energy at the right time. 


With the cameras of smart devices becoming increasingly important and one of the key USPs for customers, what is the weightage in terms of importance given to the camera while developing new devices?

Community feedback has always been at the crux of all OnePlus offerings as well the features that we improve and develop on. The camera on our devices has been a key focus area for two reasons, its significance to our community and its importance in elevating the overall user experience. For this reason, The India R&D team has a dedicated camera software team that has diligently worked towards creating unique, customized tuning for specific scenarios for the Indian customer base. 

According to CIPA, a Japan-based industry group, worldwide camera shipments dropped by 84 percent between 2010 and 2018. The single most important factor to have triggered the slump is the rise of the smartphone camera. Also, as per a research by GWI, top frustrations with the current mid-range smartphone segment has been the camera quality (16%) and with the most recent launch of the OnePlus Nord, we wanted to address current user frustrations with mid-range smartphones, especially in terms of the camera. 

Our growing community of users, that had shown a strong desire for a more affordable smartphone that incorporates OnePlus’ flagship-level product and user experience standards, and that is what we gave them with the OnePlus Nord. Hence, providing the best possible camera at an affordable price was a focus for us as per the requirements we gauged from our community. While our flagship series – the OnePlus 8 series – and our legacy devices share the same philosophy of providing the possible camera experience, the need to further enhance our offerings in line with our community feedback has been integral to the growth of OnePlus. 

Even though the OnePlus Nord fits within the affordable segment, it was the first OnePlus device to offer a front ultra-wide selfie. The R&D team worked tirelessly towards developing software solutions that effectively utilized camera sensors to their highest capacity, thereby helping acquire great quality selfies for larger groups. Another example of delivering a supreme camera experience to our users would be the focus on optical image stabilization on the OnePlus Nord. The Nord is one of the only devices equipped with OIS at a similar price point as it’s competitors. 

Our team of specialists at the India R&D facility have and continue to be committed to conceptualizing  breakthrough developments in terms of camera technology with the aim building on our inherent promise  of a burdenless user experience.


While OnePlus is extremely appreciated by the community and customers, there still seems to be some room for improvement when it comes to the camera performance. What are your thoughts on the same?

The camera will always be a key focus area for us at OnePlus given its importance to our community. Our aim is to improve on every feature and aspect of our device with the launch of new generations. We work very closely with enthusiastic community members by hosting focus group sessions as well as try to engage with several of them individually in order to acquire valuable feedback on how to improve, further innovate and enhance our user experience. 

For our recently launched flagship series, the OnePlus 8 Pro was equipped with the company’s first quad-camera system to cater to the needs of even the most demanding photographers and videographers. Also, the OnePlus 8 equipped with a Spectra 480 Image Signal Processor, which processes four times more pixels than before, the OnePlus 8 can take even clearer shots with advanced image processing like HDR. 

And our latest offering, the OnePlus Nord, we worked towards providing the Optimal Image Stabilisation (OIS) feature which makes the video feel it had been shot with a gimbal, reducing the stutters and recording 4K video at 60 FPS, a feature only available on the OnePlus device in the price segment.


OnePlus 8 series in different colours

How has the response been thus far for the 8 series and the Nord?

We are excited with the response we have received for the OnePlus 8 series as well as the recently launched, Nord. Targeted towards the premium and ultra-premium smartphone market where users opt for devices with the best of technology, the launch of 8 series helped OnePlus claim the top spot in India’s premium smartphone segment Q2 of 2020.


The Nord on the other hand targets OnePlus enthusiasts and value shoppers who are not as focused on specs but prefer a smartphone that fulfills their essential daily needs. Living up to this promise, the Nord continues to receive extremely positive feedback from not just our community members, but also from users, outside our customer base.



OnePlus Nord, the newest entrant to the affordable segment


What would be the next stage of features according to you that cameras in smart devices can offer?

As we showcased during the launch of the OnePlus Concept One, that the future of the camera will be the electro-chromic glass which enables the camera setup to be hidden until the camera is not in use. Also, during this period, we received a lot of feedback for the ND filter and have some great ideas coming up for the same as our R&D teams continue to explore possibilities for it. 

We at OnePlus are most excited, passionate and most inspired by the pursuit of making better products. As a company, users should be paramount and based on the products and services that you create, users have an impression and association with the company. Keeping that as our focus, we will keep striving towards creating something more unique and interesting to engage the community together, and that’s really the spirit of it.


Canon’s looking to move forward

With the launch of the EOS R5 and R6, Canon is looking to move forward in its full- frame mirrorless range. With the first of its kind launch, Bhavya Desai spoke to C Sukumaran, Director, Consumer System Products & Imaging Communication Products, Canon India on the impact (if any) during this time on the products, their availability and more: Excerpts:

How has the response been for the new products launched?
We have launched the new imaging marvels – EOS R5 and EOS R6, keeping in mind the requirements of wedding photographers, fashion photographers and cinematographers. As a game changer in the mirrorless segment, the launch of these new products is a testament to the increasing demand in the industry for superior imaging quality.


The cameras boasts several industry firsts such as mechanical shutter of 12 fps, live AF coverage and industry’s highest performance 8.0 stops in-body image stabilisation, allowing the user to take better pictures in low-light. With the highest movie resolution at 8K, the new EOS R5 camera aims to be a delight for the videographers expanding the boundaries of visual expression. The EOS R5 features Canon’s first and newly developed 45.3-megapixel advanced full-frame CMOS image sensor, Canon’s first in the industry.
Additionally, we have also launched a series of lens including the RF 85 mm F2 Macro IS STM, RF 600 mm F11 IS STM, RF 800 mm F11 IS STM, RF 100-500 mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM, Extender RF1.4X and RF2X along with other accessories to provide its consumers with a complete ecosystem.


What is going to be the strategy to make these products available to the consumer under the current scenario?
We will be actively looking at CIS network as the main engine, along with multi-brand outlets across the country for distributing the new cameras. With a 360-degree marketing approach, we will also be aggressively focussing on digital campaigns and social media platforms to reach out to our customers. The lockdown has made social media more relevant than ever before and makes it an ideal platform to connect with our consumers spread across India.
Sales for EOS R5 have already started and we are offering a 2+1 year warranty along with a complimentary 3-way Canon bag as well as a Mount Adapter EF-EOS R and the EOS R5. Whereas, EOS R6 will be available from end of August at Canon Image Squares and all authorised retailers. Going forward CIS will be the preferred choice for professionals and solution sales.


How has the current ongoing pandemic affected the business so far?
It is true that the pandemic has impacted many industries and businesses at present. To turn around the tide in our favour, it is imperative to be agile, more than ever and emerge as winners in the long term. While the market is picking up gradually, we are also constantly studying customer sentiments and their purchase pattern to better strategise our mid-term and long term targets. We are optimistic that going forward when the situation eases, we will see a good momentum in the industry.
The need of the hour is to be innovative in our approach and gauge the new business potential that has emerged in the photography segment. There has been an increase in demand from content creators, vloggers, and the category is expected to grow substantially in the coming year. We will continue to focus on these new emerging segments by introducing new products specifically designed for content creators.
Also, both EOS R5 and R6 have been much anticipated and with their revolutionary features, we are confident that we will see a great response from the audience which will make 2020 a great year for our camera business.


Do you think it might be difficult to sell products in this category without having the customer touch and feel it?
Similar to how all businesses and brands are restructuring their strategies to reach out to consumers during current times, one must not undermine the abilities of consumers to re-adapt as well. While e-commerce and online shopping have gained momentum among consumers, offline channels also play an important role to reach out to customers.
For the entry and mid-level camera, consumers may rely on either online or offline depending on their purchase requirements, but professional grade cameras like EOS R5 is meant for professionals who would prefer to experience the camera, look, touch and feel the same before the final purchase decision.

Do you anticipate a delay in the availability of stocks of the products or any disruptions in the supply chain in the months to come?
We have been able to cater to customer demands so far with no major hiccups. However, we will be cautious for the next few months and observing the new developments that may emerge.


With the launch of the new lenses what are the plans to expand the portfolio further?
Our objective is to have full line-up in RF lens category. We have already launched some amazing lenses along with R5 and R6 like RF600 mm F11 IS STM, RF800 mm F11 IS STM, RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM, RF85 F2 MACRO IS STM. We will continue to expand the RF system.

Fujifilm India extends its support to Healthcare workers by sharing comforting smiles and spreading positivity

Fujifilm is known for its imaging and healthcare technologies, in line with its ‘Don’t Just Take, Give’ motto has engaged to spread positivity and joy in these pandemic with its new campaign ‘Connecting Hearts’, a CSR initiative to help improve the disconnect between patients and doctors. To cut down the anxiousness among patients and help them combat COVID with congeniality and affection, Fujifilm has introduced a unique patient-focused program by sharing instax cameras and films at hospitals to spread smiles across doctors and nurses working on the frontline during these tough times.


The digital film titled ‘Connecting Hearts’ dives into how the healthcare heroes treating COVID-19 patients are required to wear a significant amount of personal protective equipment (PPE) to safeguard themselves from the threat of the disease. The film conceptualized in association with m/SIX India, highlights that in many cases, doctors and nurses treating patients have to obscure everything but their eyes, which in turn results in not being able to form a proper connection with their patients. The video iterates how healthcare professionals all over have been trying to find ways to connect better with patients in order to lessen the anxiety and stress induced by the disease.




With Fujifilm stepping up in providing instax cameras and films, this initiative lets the doctors use the simplicity and accessibility of instax instant photography to help easily distinguish themselves on their PPE. With Instant cameras, doctors or nurses can now effortlessly take a photograph and quickly attach a credit card-sized instant photo print of themselves to their medical gowns.


Commenting on this, Mr. Haruto Iwata, Managing Director, Fujifilm India Pvt. Ltd. said, “In line with our initiative to spread joy with our Instax range of cameras, this program is our subtle way of releasing stress in these unprecedented times. While photography may not be able to help in curing patients or protect healthcare staff, at Fujifilm, we believe it may actually cultivate a closer engagement between doctors and nurses and the patients they are treating. With this, we can share friendly faces of our health warriors from behind their PPE and remind them that there is a human on the other side of the gown, gloves, goggles and N95 mask.”


Adding to this Mr. Tribhuwan Joshi, Lead Brand Communication, Public Relations & CSR said, “With our campaign ‘Connecting Hearts’ we wish to pay our salute to the healthcare professionals all over India fighting the battle at the frontlines to minimize the growing nervousness for COVID-19. With our initiative quickly revealing the happy and comforting face behind the PPE, healthcare staff and patients have noticed a sense of calmness, relaxation & empathy in the most challenging of circumstances that these patients are currently facing. With this we aim to take our motto, ‘Never Stop, believing in Smiles’ forward and spread a ray of positivity and hope among the people combatting each day with the unparalleled disease.”


Speaking on the campaign, Saket Sinha, Senior Vice President and Head of m/SIX India said, “The last few months have been very challenging and overwhelming for every individual globally. We are all coping with the ‘new normal’ and adapting to a ‘masked’ life together. We had the opportunity to work with Fujifilm India and as part of this collaboration our teams reached out to multi-specialty hospitals across Delhi & Bangalore and connected with the health workers. Our team along with Fujifilm did a stellar job in capturing the happy faces of the health workers just to put a smile on their faces when they needed it the most. Amongst us all, they are the ones who are fighting at the frontlines to save people’s lives. The m/SIX content plus team and Fujifilm with this small video, shed light on our warriors through this great initiative and proved that humanity can still be alive while facing a pandemic.”


The instax products offered so far have been prioritized to healthcare teams working in intensive care units and care on the Coronavirus frontline. Till date, approximately 20 instax cameras and 400 instax prints have been shared with hospitals in Delhi and Bangalore, and there are plans on extending this number further. Fortis, Vasant Kunj, Hindu Rao hospital, Sarvodaya Hospital, Faridabad and Maharaja Agrasen hospital are some on the hospitals in Delhi and Medirad diagnostic, Whitefield, Chinmaya mission hospital, St. Martha’s hospital are some of the hospitals in Bangalore where Instax cameras and prints have been contributed, among other reputed hospitals.


With this film, Fujifilm aims to spread positivity across fearful & negatively filtered digital mediums, and spread optimism with such campaign.

Riding into the Astral through Photography

“These worlds in space are as countless as all the grains of sand on all of the beaches of the Earth” – Carl Sagan. Only a few things are as beautiful as the sight of a clear star-studded night sky. What is even better is to be able to see celestial bodies which are otherwise impossible to witness with our naked eyes. Thanks to technology, astro photographers over the years have been able to capture detailed images of deep space objects adding to our limited idea of the universe.




Motorcycling as a genre has powerful synergy with Photography. At Royal Enfield, they understand and hence, they curated Astral Ride – a seven day excursion for photography enthusiasts. In the first edition of Astral Ride which happened in October 2019, aspiring photographers from around the country rode across the Himalayas to the Indian Astrological Observatory at Hanle in Ladakh riding their #REHimalayan to learn the meaning of astro photography. With professional guidance provided to amateurs that ride Royal Enfields, this ride has been perfect for expanding the scope of knowledge of photography, especially Astro photography. Like the Himalayan Odyssey, Astral Ride is Royal Enfield’s way of organising a riding experience which was infused with life-changing photography destinations and a classroom full of throttle riders learning how to capture the night sky.




Having said that, Royal Enfield has been endlessly encouraging its community of riders to explore different aspect of motorcycling and curate experiences that last for a lifetime.




Photo Credits – Royal Enfield 

NEOWISE Comet

Call it the side-effect of the COVID pandemic or the boon of mankind current situation. One thing is certain that we haven’t seen such clear and non-polluted skies for a longtime. And with clearer skies comes the opportunity to peak into the universe.

 

The Comet NEOWISE has captured a lot of attention in the last few weeks and if you have not seen it yet then there is still sometime left for you to catch it in the sky.

  

The Comet is known as NEOWISE after the NASA mission that found it: The Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE). It will be a little easy to see in the northwest sky every night through July 30. It will be nearest to the earth on July 22. NASA says NEOWISE will look like a fuzzy star with a bit of a tail with a naked eye. So try to use at least binoculars or a small telescope to get a closer view.





“From its infrared signature, we can tell that it is about 5 kilometers across, and by combining the infrared data with visible-light images, we can tell that the comet’s nucleus is covered with sooty, dark particles left over from its formation near the birth of our solar system 4.6 billion years ago,” said Joseph Masiero, NEOWISE deputy principal investigator at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.


The object was discovered by a team using the NEOWISE space telescope on March 27, 2020. It was classified as a comet on March 31 and named after NEOWISE on April 1. It has the systematic designation C/2020 F3, indicating a non-periodic comet which was the third discovered in the second half of March 2020.


If you are scheduling to gaze at the sky, a pair of binoculars is recommended to have a superior experience. Around 30th July the comet will be visible for an hour near Ursa Major (Saptarshi Mandal) at an altitude of 40 degrees. After July it will fade away very fast and will not be visible to the unassisted eye. A pair of binoculars or a small telescope will enhance its visibility.



Karnataka Man Builds Camera-shaped House, Names children Canon, Nikon and Epson

It is appropriately said that passion is food for the soul. Being passionate keeps everyone energised and helps them become the best version of themselves. So how would you best find a way to express your love towards your passion? Well, Ravi Hongal a photographer from Belgaum, Karnataka built a camera-shaped home and not only that, he has even named his three sons, Canon, Nikon and Epson. If this is not love for passion, then we surely wonder what is!



Ravi Hongal who stays in Belgaum, Karnataka is a photographer by passion. Since childhood, photography was his passion and his love for cameras increased as he grew up. He would carry his ‘Pentax’ camera out to the nearby rural areas to capture images back then. Soon, photography became his passion and after that, he started a business into it.  




By building a camera house, Ravi has made the biggest attraction in Belgaum which is worth over ₹70 lakhs. His whole house is designed as a camera. While the front exterior is made with a lens, flash, reel, a memory card, and a viewfinder, the interiors have ceilings and walls designed as various parts of a camera. The lens of the camera-shaped home is a window. And Ravi named his house as ‘Click’.


Ravi Hongal from Karnataka showed his love for photography through his camera-shaped house. And now his house has become a leading attraction in Belgaum City. During the day time, it stands tall and takes a lot of attention. And during the night time, the yellow and white lights make it unique and beautiful.


Image Source: The News Minute

Canon to launch EOS R5 and R6 in July?

  • By Bhavya Desai

    • Undoubtedly the biggest news that is making the rounds in the imaging world these days is the expected launch of the latest mirrorless offering from the Japanese manufacturer, the confirmed EOS R5 and the not confirmed yet EOS R6. We can confirm from our sources that the launch is slated for the 2nd week of July, whether this will be 6th July as already rumoured awaits to be seen. But this confirmation also clears any doubts (if any) on the expected delay of the launch due to the current pandemic situation.

    And this also means that there might be a lot of other manufacturers who also might have their original plan on track for the launches of their new product. For instance, users are eagerly awaiting the announcement/news on the Sony A7S III which is also expected to be launched soon. 

    It is no surprise that this will be a ‘digital only’ launch followed by a very limited number of units available for use/reviews. With limited units I am not certain how Canon will allow users to touch and feel of the product. Especially in a category like this where the customers do tend to get their hands on the products. Will this dent its sales chart? 


    What we know about the EOS R5?

    In case you haven’t read all the news, then in a series of teasers Canon has already given the viewers an idea about some of the of the EOS R5. Some of it is already confirmed by Canon while other things are still rumoured. 

    For instance, Canon has already confirmed that the EOS R5 will be able to capture 8K video using the full width of its sensor with users being able to extract oversampled 4K video and high-resolution still images from the video footage for use and will be the first camera at that. But some rumours also suggest that the camera will be able to shoot 4k at 120 fps. If that is really happening, then it has us super excited since we love those slow-mos. 

    But what Canon has also confirmed is that the Dual Pixel AF will be available in all video modes and at all resolutions and frame rates in the R5. That is much needed and a great news. And not only that, it will also feature IBIS, which combined with lens stabilization will have one of the most powerful stabilization in the business. 


    The camera will also be able to shoot 12 fps in burst mode with the mechanical shutter or 20 fps with the electronic shutter. All the wildlife and sports photographers might get excited with this news.


    But we do anticipate certain limitations on the 8k and 4k shooting capabilities to avoid heating issues, especially considering that the camera is expected in a compact body.


    What to Expect: Pricing?

    There is no way to be certain on the pricing for the product currently since the pandemic has sent the cost and overheads supply chain in a tizzy. But considering that it will compete with the existing products available from Sony, Nikon and Panasonic, I would anticipate it to be around the ₹ 2.5 lacs mark. 


    Will the Design be the same as the R?

    It is obvious that the design will be based on the EOS R, which means that it will feature a compact body, but in all likelihood the touch bar at the back will be replaced by the scroll wheel. 

    We are also particularly interested to know about the battery life of the camera. Although Canon has not confirmed anything about the battery yet.


    Will the R6 be launched and the strategy?


    While the manufacturer is tight lipped about the R6, we are certain that the camera will be launched alongside the EOS R5. The camera is expected to have all the top features like the R5 (surprising to believe) powered with a much lesser 20-megapixel sensor as rumoured by Canon Rumours.


    The camera will sit in the lower range of the mirrorless cameras adding feature prowess to the line-up. The reason if feel that the R6 will make its debut the same day is because as a strategy it makes sense to offer two cameras in different segments with similar products.


    Plus, when Canon launched the EOS R couple of years ago, it was still trying to find its feet in the mirrorless market. The following year they launched the RP. So I wouldn’t expect a company like Canon to make the same mistake again. 


    What this means for the segment?


    While everyone is fixated on what features will the R5 or the R6 have, essentially what everyone is missing is the fact that with this launch Canon will leapfrog itself in the mirrorless race. When the R and the RP was launched, everyone including us criticised the manufacturer for entering the market late and possibly not introducing the best products/features in the segment. 


    Cut to two years, Canon seems to have now found its feet firmly in the segment and probably improved leaps and bounds in this segments. Of course, what is the level of performance that the products will deliver remains to be seen. But it would be surprising if they didn’t. Either ways it will open up the doorways for other manufacturers to push features like full width 8k to the consumers. So all in all it is the consumer who will certainly benefit from this. 

Photokina 2020 cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreak

After intensive consultation, Koelnmesse GmbH has finally made a decision to call off the Photokina 2020, which was going to be held from 27thto 30th May 2020. The next Photokina will be held from 18th to 21st May 2022. The Imaging Innovation Conference will not celebrate its premier this year as planned, though a new date will be announced soon.

The managing team of Koelnmesse has planned not to create any own events on the part of Koelnmesse until the end of June 2020. This decision is supported by the crisis management team of the City of Cologne, which also suggested in its meeting on 18.03.2020 to cancel the trade fairs deu to COVID-19 outbreak.

This also happens against the background of the agreement reached on 16.03.2020 between the German federal government and the governments of the German states, laying down common guidelines for dealing with the coronavirus epidemic and explicitly including the general closure of trade fairs and exhibitions. This impairs the planning security for Koelnmesse and the participants of the trade fairs in Cologne far beyond the scope of the current scenarios. With this early announcement, Koelnmesse wants to give its exhibitors and visitors planning security.

The decision not to host the next edition of photokina until May 2022 was made with in view of several factors: Even before the appearance of the coronavirus, the imaging market was already subject to strongly dynamic movements. This trend will now gain momentum and must be factored into plans for the upcoming photokina. Added to this is the fact that our customers’ resources are already under heavy strain in 2021 – as a result of general economic trends as well as rescheduled events on the global trade fair calendar. The orientation towards 2022 gives everyone involved time enough to design the next photokina with an eye to the needs of the market, and of our exhibitors and visitors.

Kai Hillebrandt, Chairman of the Photo Industry Association said “It goes without saying that PIV completely stands behind the decision taken by Koelnmesse to cancel photokina 2020. The health of exhibitors and visitors is top priority at the moment. As the conceptual sponsor of photokina, we will do our utmost to assist the Koelnmesse with the planning of the next edition of photokina.”


CEIF 2020 Round-Up

All India Photographic Trade and Industry Association (AIPTIA) organised and conducted its mega event, Consumer Electronic Imaging Fair 2020 shortly known as CEIF-2020, from January 8-10, 2020 at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai 400063, with great display and brilliancy. CEIF 2020 was the 28th Photo Imaging Exhibition and was rated to be one of the top Photographic and Imaging exhibitions around the globe. Its opening function took place at 9.30 A.M. on 8th January with formal lamp-lighting. More than 150 exhibitors from India and abroad including major manufacturers, importers and distributors and suppliers of Photo Imaging and related products were present among the gathering.


The opening ceremony was attended by Haruto Iwata – Managing Director, Fujifilm India, Nimesh Thakkar – DI Marketing Department, Sony India Pvt. Ltd, Appa Durai – Country head – Hewlett-Packard, Ashok Pahwa – Business Manager Commercial Business, – India & amp, Srilanka, Hewlett- Packard, Amit Saraf – Managing Director , IMS Mercantile, Nitin Goyal – CEO – Tamron India, Anurag Kumar – Deputy General Manager Memory business, Samsung India Pvt. Ltd, along with the team members of AIPTIA.


Jayesh Mehta, President of AIPTIA welcomed the exhibitors and visitors. He briefly addressed the audience on the role of AIPTIA in bringing out the exhibition of such a great importance. He expressed that CEIF offers visitors an essential platform to let them know about the latest market evolution and exchange ideas about the upcoming business strategies, which makes it a different event for the Imaging Sector. Shri.Chandrakant Shah, Hon. Secretary stated the mixture of exhibitors and informed that all efforts had been put in to ensure the comfort and safety of exhibitors and visitors during the exhibition. The Guests of Honour happily rewarded the efforts of the office team members and members of the managing committee of AIPTIA in supplying the market place for the Industry and Trade through CEIF. Shri. Hemant Bhavsar, Vice President proposed the Vote of Thanks. The inauguration completed with Bell ceremony resonating the air with bright note.



CEIF 2020 was distributed across an area of 15,000 sqm and was open for three days. The fair had over 35000 of foot-falls. The fair draw in sizeable crowds/visitors from different states of the Country, alongside visitors from neighbouring countries also visited the fair. Also, one got an chance to meet face to face with startup entrepreneurs, imaging researchers and technological consultants to get a clean classification of the imaging industry. CEIF 2020 had all the major multinational companies, along with some of the well known Indian distributors, offering their advanced camera and photography products, gadgets, and accessories at the fair. The major companies exhibited were Sony, Fujifilm, Hewlett – Packard, Zeiss, Tamron, Epson, Samsung, Konica Minolta, Kodak Alaris, Manfrotto, IMS Mercantiles, Nikita Distributors, Nikon, Noritsu, Technova, Sunlight Industries, Colo Color, Foto Centre, Red Moments etc., to name a few. Additionally, to the imaging industry products, this time visitors observed numerous new section coming for the first time. In an interview, during the Fair, Shri. Jayesh Mehta, President, AIPTIA disclosed that while the imaging industry is going through functional changes, it has in many ways severely impacted CEIF too, given its top position as the Indian industry’s leading trade fair. Believing the fact that the camera sales are dropping, the affirmative part is the need for the enjoyment with photography and sharing of pictures go on to sky rocket, thanks to the growing digital Imaging Product. The growth is express by the effort of the younger generations’ fascination with mobile imaging and sharing images on social media platforms. The growth in this process in the number of pictures being captured truly means that for the success of the imaging industry, it is built-in for the segregation of mobile, motion and digital imaging as the new cause of growing and moving towards delivering of services. Chandrakant Shah, Hon. Secretary, AIPTIA, stated that the mixture of product display, networking happening at the fair and knowing the imaging innovations surely makes CEIF 2020, a very extraordinary event which amused one and all. CEIF 2020 concluded the Fair for visitors with absolute spirit of having visited an useful and informative exhibition.

Canon launches EOS 850D

With CP+ cancelled due to the Coronavirus scare, number of launches haven’t been able to be executed as envisioned. Canon India has launched the new EOS 850D which features Dual Pixel CMOS AF, EOS Intelligent Tracking and Recognition in Optical viewfinder and high speed Auto Focus (iTR AF) for face detection and 4K video recording for crisp and smooth footage.


The camera will be available for sales in India in April 2020 and the price for the same isn’t announced yet. However it is priced at $749 (body only) and $899 (with kit lens) in the international market. The estimated price is India is expected to be around Rs. 60,000.


Canon says that the 850D is ideal for photographers looking to acquire new skills and upgrade from an entry-level beginner model to mid-segment with high end functions and operability. The feature packed camera will enable users to capture clear, sharp and precise images and record high quality videos.


Commenting on the launch Kazutada Kobayashi, President & CEO, Canon India said, “With the launch of our latest marvel EOS 850D, we want to provide the photography enthusiasts with an affordable product to further upgrade their skills in their photography journey. We are confident that our latest offering will enable us to expand our consumer base in the imaging industry and increase our foothold in the segment.”


Speaking about the new product, Mr. C Sukumaran, Director, Consumer System Products & Imaging Communication Products highlighted that, “With the launch of our new EOS 850D, we want to address the evolving requirements of users and further expand the imaging industry. The EOS 850D offers a 24.1-megapixel APS-C size CMOS sensor, EOS intelligent tracking and 4K video recording for superior image and video quality. We are hopeful that EOS 850D will receive positive response from users and inspire them to explore newer possibilities in the imaging space.”