Sony India recently announced the appointment of Mr. Sunil Nayyar as its new Managing Director with effect from April 1, 2018. The change of guard marks a historic milestone, with Sunil being the first Indian to be appointed as Managing Director for Sony India. According to the company, in this new role, Sunil will be responsible for spearheading the overall growth and profitability of the company within the region, by driving an integrated business and marketing strategy and directing excellence in market performance across all categories.

Speaking on his appointment, Sunil Nayyar said, “Being one of the most recognized consumer electronics brand, it is an exciting time to lead the company’s direction in India. In this time of transition, I look forward for an insight from our stakeholders and help guide in further strengthening Sony’s presence in India. I am confident, that we will continue to harness our energies to expand our footprint and offer the best in class technology to our consumers.”

Kenichiro Hibi, former Managing Director of Sony India, held the position for six years from 2012 till 2018, has now been appointed as President for Sony Brazil effective April 1, 2018. 

Fujifilm was recently awarded the “iF Design Award 2018”, sponsored by the international design promotion organization iF International Forum Design (Hanover, Germany), for 10 of its products including the 3D image analysis system “SYNAPSE VINCENT” 3D image analysis system, the hybrid instant camera “instax SQUARE SQ10”, ultrasonic processor, and broadcast lenses. The award is organized by the iF International Forum Design in Hanover, Germany, an international organization for design promotion.

The iF Design Award is an international design award launched in 1953, and is reportedly considered to be one of the top three global design awards, alongside Germany’s “Red Dot Design Award” and the United States’ “IDEA”. This year, there were 6,401 entries from 54 countries and regions judged by 63 experts.

According to the press release, the company received awards for a wide variety of products from business products, including a 3D image analysis system for medical use, to consumer products such as the instax series, and was highly-rated not only for external design but also from the perspective that each of the awarded products offer high-performance, ease-of-use, and user interfaces that make them comfortable to operate.

The Instax square SQ10, which was one of the winners is a retro looking camera that Fujifilm launched recently and it shoots 1:1 photographs and is a hybrid which has a memory slot to store digital images (1920 x 1920 pixels) as well as prints 1:1 instant photographs.

Canon has announced the EOS M50, the first camera capable of 4K video recording in Canon’s mirrorless lineup. “For photographers actively seeking to upgrade their skills, the EOS M50 is an all-around, entry-level camera with an extensive list of user-friendly features that encourages users to broaden their creative visions,” says Canon.

Inside the EOS M50 is a 24.1-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with an ISO range of ISO 100-25600 (extendable to 51200). The M50 sensor packs Dual Pixel technology, which allows for speedy, sharp, and smooth autofocusing for both photo and video. In respect to video recording, the M50 shoots 4K at 24fps, 1080p at 60fps, and 720p at 120fps. Video files have a maximum length of 30 minutes. On the back of the M50 is a built-in 2.36-million-dot OLED electronic viewfinder. Underneath it is a 3-inch swiveling touchscreen LCD. The screen can be used for Touch and Drag AF for selecting your desired point of focus with your finger.

Other specs and features include a DIGIC 8 image processor, eye detection autofocus, combination 5-axis image stabilization that plays nicely with lens IS, a pop-up flash, Wi-Fi/NFC/Bluetooth wireless connectivity, and a new silent mode with virtually zero shutter sound.

The Canon EOS M50 will be available starting in April 2018. The camera by itself will cost $780, and it’ll also be bundled with an EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM lens for $900 or with the EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM as well for $1249.  

Fujifilm announced the launch of the opulent FUJIFILM X-H1, the performance mirrorless digital camera in the X Series known for its superior image quality created by Fujifilm’s proprietary color reproduction technology.

The X-H1, with a new design, robust and durable body, it incorporates a range of extremely useful features that support shooting in various scenarios demanded by professional photographers and videographers. The X-H1 is the first X Series model to include the latest 5-axis in-body image stabilization (IBIS), which has a maximum of 5.5 stops as claimed by Fuji. The superior image quality with the memory color will be achieved in the various scenes in addition to easy operation. It is also mounted with the flicker reduction mode which enhances the quality of indoor sports photography.

In addition to the camera’s dust-resistant, water-resistant properties, and the ability to operate in temperatures down to -10°C, the camera also uses a 25% thicker magnesium alloy compared to the X-T2. FUJIFILM has also modified the structure for attaching the mount, resulting in a more compact size and lighter weight body that maintains high precision and strong resistance to impact shock torsion and other sources of deformation.

The Fujifilm XH-1 comes with a 24.3 megapixel (APS-C) X-Trans CMOS III with primary color filter and in-body image stabilisation. It also features video features like 4K which is much standard these days for cameras of this performance.

HP recently announced two new printer series in its digital printing portfolio – the HP PageWide XL 5100 printers and multi function printers that reportedly prints up to 50 percent faster output, enabling technical production providers to grow AEC volume and expand business in color applications; and the HP DesignJet T1700 printers, next-generation 44-inch solutions for CAD and geographic information system (GIS) workgroups to produce highly accurate documents and maps with powerful processing and a new level of security.

HP PageWide XL 5100

According to the company, at speeds up to 20 D/A1-size prints per minute with quick 28-second first page out, the new HP PageWide XL 5100 printers and multifunction printers joins the fastest printer portfolio in the market to equip enterprise print rooms, central reprographic departments and reprographic houses for enhanced mid-volume production in both color and monochrome. The series reportedly delivers technical documents with quick turnaround and low operating costs for architects and engineers, in addition to geographic information system (GIS) maps and point-of-sale (POS) poster applications.

“The debut of new HP PageWide XL printers is another giant leap on the HP journey to offer continued innovation in large format printing for the designers of the future,” said , Mr. Devang Karia, Country Manager-Large Format Design, PPS-GSB, HP Inc. India. “The breakthrough PageWide XL platform with even faster printing speeds will also help our customers move the needle for business with immediate monochrome and color prints delivered from one unique printer.”

According to the company, with more than 5,000 units shipped and 3 billion ft² (300 million m2) printed since the HP PageWide XL printer launch in 2015, more customers are discovering the value the market -leading HP PageWide XL printers bring to businesses across the globe. HP PageWide XL printers do the job of two printers in a single device, providing both monochrome and color prints at breakthrough speeds: the Power of One.

According to the press release, additional benefits of the new series include:

Set a new technical document standard with crisp lines, 2-point text, smooth grayscales, and vibrant color.

Print/scan/copy in monochrome and color with one single device in 50% of the time with a consolidated workflow5.

New advanced functionality for the integrated scanners such as smart background removal.

ISO 11798 certified HP PageWide XL pigment inks provide long-term storage, light/water resistance.6

Help keep data safe—self-encrypting HDD with AES-256, Secure Disk Erase, and IPSec.

The HP PageWide XL portfolio also reportedly features new software solutions for increased productivity. HP SmartStream offers two new modules. According to HP, Document Organizer, enables the user to automatically rename large volumes of files using innovative OCR technology, for significant time savings in job management. Pixel Analysis, provides accurate quotes before printing using the job pixel coverage. HP SmartTracker software is a tool to help users control printing costs and enable reimbursement. New features have also reportedly been introduced for HP HD & SD Pro Scanners to improve operator productivity, image quality and background cleaning capabilities. A new output tray is also said to streamline both the scan and copy workflows.

HP DesignJet T1700

HP DesignJet T1700 printers incorporates new added features that make it the most secure large format workgroup printer available today. The improved security is reportedly designed to help enterprises print CAD and GIS applications while protecting printers and data from unauthorized or malicious access in infrastructure construction, urban planning as well as utilities industries such as oil, water, gas, and electricity.

“Security is a top concern in enterprises today as connected devices and increasingly open office spaces are pervasive. At the same time, data breaches are growing at an alarming pace. In the first half of 2017, the worldwide breach level index was up more than 160%” said Mr. Devang Karia, Country Manager-Large Format Design, PPS-GSB, HP Inc. India. “The HP DesignJet T1700 Printer Series includes unique advanced security technologies designed to keep corporate network printers, their documents and data protected.”

According to the press release, features include a new self-encrypting hard drive on the printer that ensures it is only readable by the printer itself, even if removed from the device. For additional device security, HP Secure Boot ensures BIOS protection, and Whitelisting only allows approved firmware to be installed and run on the device.

With GIS files constantly growing in size with the increase in their complexity and data, the new 44-inch HP DesignJet T1700 printer is said to offer a new, powerful processing architecture using a 500 GB hard disk to smoothly process this information and improve the printing experience of GIS practitioners. The first workgroup large-format printer to embed the Adobe PDF Print Engine, it can also more efficiently handle very heavy files, freeing up PCs in virtually no time to continue working.

The company claims that the HP DesignJet T1700 also brings improved color quality and precision for more accurate maps and renderings, enabling GIS workgroups to make better decisions. A new set of six HP Bright Office Inks with tuned colors profiles and a High Density Printhead deliver bold color and accurate image quality, in addition to more precise colors, including gray and soft tones.

Additionally, HP Click printing software included in this series can be used by everyone on the team to easily print project sets and PDF documents.

Fingerprint id has become a part of our daily lives as most smartphones these days provide this feature. What would happen when cameras start providing the same? Canon has apparently developed a fingerprint ID system that can identify the photographer using the camera or lens. Just as we have multiple user accounts in a desktop or laptop, these cameras can identify the user according to the fingerprint and immediately change their settings to pre-saved ones for each.

Canon Rumors recently reported that a new Canon patent published this month in the US (US20180012061 A1) describes an “electronic apparatus having finger authenticating function.”

According to Canon Rumors “This patent covers fingerprint ID on your cameras and lenses that can control custom functions such as IS, AF and likely anything else you can think of. It also offers the ability to customize the camera and/or lens for multiple users as well as offering a complete lockout of the gear.”

The patent and illustrations describe and show a camera and lens that have a fingerprint ID reader built into them. Here are the camera and lens illustrations found in the patent:

While there’s no guarantee that this one will ever appear in a production camera or lens, and can very well remain a rumor but it is quite fascinating to see camera companies trying out new things and taking inspiration from other things.  

Canon India, recently announced the launch of a Gen-Z version of its retail outlet – Canon Image Square 3.0 in India. Canon claims that the launch makes this a noteworthy milestone in Canon’s India journey because of its transition from an experiential model to an ‘experiential imaging destination’.

The company claims that the Canon Image Square (CIS) 3.0 aims at offering a full-fledged customer experience, with an input to output approach. The idea is to transform retail outlets into a destination, attracting customers to experience a whole new imaging revolution. The objective is to familiarize them with cameras and help them indulge in an extraordinary click-to-print experience with Canon’s new-age technologies and software. Moving beyond just being a product store, CIS 3.0 would reportedly be an ‘imaging store,’ that would allow consumers to make memories and be allured by the magic of photography.

Present at the inauguration, Mr. Kazutada Kobayashi, President and CEO, Canon India said, “Our retail stores across the country, widely known as the ‘Canon Image Square’ provide a perfect amalgamation of our cutting edge technology and customer centric service. Advancing our Imaging stores to the third version, we have stepped into the new era of retail evolution. We had launched our 1st CIS store in 2010 and over the course of these eight years, CIS has supported the two quintessential pillars of our outreach in the country; Innovation and Customer Delight. Moving forward into our 21st year in the country, this launch is in alignment with our future growth plans; including retail expansion and deeper regional penetration into Tier-II, III and Tier-IV cities. We have opened 250 CIS stores, across 200 cities and we envision to strengthen this outreach further with the 3.0 stores.”

“We take pride in being total solution providers in the imaging arena. Taking our approach ahead, today’s launch will be accompanied with the launch of our new service ‘hdAlbum EZ, which will be available at select CIS stores. This intuitive service would enable our customers to select the best design, creative and layout options for their images, which will be printed as photo albums for them on our flagship product, DreamLabo 5000.”

Sharing his comment, Mr. Eddie Udagawa, Vice President, Consumer Imaging & Information Centre, Canon India said, “We are delighted to expand our retail division with the launch of CIS Version 3.0 which is primarily a one-stop-shop for all photography and imaging enthusiasts that offers interactive consumer engagement. Currently we are revamping and upgrading 30 existing stores to Version 3 by the end of this year. The idea is to transform imaging into an experiential activity that not only captures one’s imagination, but also enhances creativity, while making memories. We look forward to receiving great feedback from our customers and add value to their imaging experience.”

Canon, in its press release also said that various innovative sales and marketing tools like live demonstration of the products, touch and feel experience, trainings and workshops have further helped the customers at CIS stores to make informed purchases and strengthen the brand’s relationship across India. According to the company, the CIS stores consolidate Canon’s position in the imaging industry ensuring a strong foothold that compliments retail expansion plans in India.