The Photography Show 2021 Report, Hands-On Photos & Event Coverage

It's been a long wait for photography fans but The Photography Show has finally opened its doors to visitors until 21 September 2021. 

At the event, big industry names such as Nikon have stands where visitors can get hands-on with products as well as learn a thing or two from their speakers who include professional photographers and other industry experts. 

To keep you up-to-date with what's going on over at the NEC, ePHOTOzine member and events reporter, Stuart Fawcett, has been getting his step count in around the halls to bring you all of the latest news, photos of new products and more. 

You can see a full run-down of what Stuart's been up to over on his blog but we've put a round-up of all that he's shared in one place so you can easily get the lowdown on this year's event. 

If you are going later today or tomorrow, there are some guidelines you'll need to follow which includes showing evidence of having two Covid vaccinations or a negative test and in return, you'll be handed a band you need to wear so others know you've completed this step. We've been told the whole process is quick and that you don't queue for long. 

Nikon 

On the Nikon stand, you can get hands-on with the Z-Series as well as pick the brains of the experts on-hand to assist you. They also have their superzoom lenses lined up so you can look through them at what's going on around the show and the Nikon f/2 (1971) is proudly on display in a case alongside the Nikkor 6mm f/2.8 fisheye (1972). 

Tamron

On the Tamron stand, the Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD lens is available to get hands-on with. It's nice, light and compact for a zoom of that range. There is a good firm zoom action and a zoom lock button so no lens creep occurs. Zooming out sees the lens extending to get all the way out to 300mm.

Fujifilm

Fujifilm has the new X-T30 II, with a two-way flip-out screen, on display and the specs are a good description of the camera. They also have the new sizable XF 23mm f/1.4 fixed lens for visitors to get hands-on with and it's got a good weight to it.

The X-T30 II looks very much like the original X-T30, even the badge doesn't have 'II' on it, and the only physical difference between the two cameras is the 1.62-million-dot LCD monitor on the rear panel. 

If you missed it, Fujifilm also announced the Fujifilm GFX 50S II this month. 

As well as cameras and lenses, Fujifilm has exhibitions you can take a look at, studio talks and super picture processing across two big stands. You can also get hands-on with Instax cameras should you be an instant film fan. 

Samyang

Samyang had a modest display this time but they were super enthusiastic about what's coming from Samyang and news on the RF mount 85mm that's coming back once component supply issues recover. 

Sigma

Sigma's new Sigma 24mm f/2 DG DN and Sigma 90mm f/2.8 DG DN lenses are beautiful, FF/APS-C capable and small. OMG! The 90mm on a Sony body was beautiful to hold. It's all metal and feels 'old-school excellent'. In fact, it's perhaps the best portrait lens I've ever held and I can't wait for ePHOTOzine to review this lens.

Vanguard

I've seen my favourite tripod at The Photography Show on the Vanguard stand - the Vanguard VEO 3T 265HCBP Carbon Fibre. It has a double extending centre column and a removable monopod that goes to 166cm. The new leg locks are solid and the 5-section extension feels solid and allow the tripod to compact down to 44cm. The ball head is Arca compatible and it has an optional panning arm that I loved. There's also a Bluetooth trigger for smartphones that vloggers and bloggers will find useful. It's priced at £270 and after just a quick look, I feel it'll be money well spent.  

ePHOTOzine we'll be reviewing the new range of tripods from Vanguard shortly so do keep a lookout for that. 

Wacom 

Wacom is busy showing loads of new people how to use their products and a new launch product is due soon. P.S Wacom has show offers available if you plan on attending. 

Olympus

Olympus, once again, have a massive stand and loads of cameras to try out including the OM-D E-M1X. The newly announced Olympus 20mm f/1.4 Pro and Olympus 40-150mm f/4 Pro, recently announced in a lens roadmap, are not yet on the stand but are available in a few weeks and ePHOTOzine will be reviewing the optics as soon as they are available. 

Canon 

Canon had a lot of demos going on and their latest release, the EOS R3, was on display alongside lenses such as the 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM and 16mm f/2.8 STM. On the EOS R3, focusing looks good and I like the flip-out screen, double grip and EVF (which looks fine to my eyes). As for the 100-400mml focusing was fast when used with the EOS R3 and even quick in low-ish light levels. Images looked good on the LCD - it's a nice contender. 

Canon was also looking for feedback from the public about a few camera ideas, the first was what I'm calling the 'Social Camera'. This camera is designed to let you join in the memory-making of groups and events - how often are you the photographer and excluded from all family/friend images because of it? Well, this little chap can sit down in the action and track around looking to capture all involved - including you - then download the images to your smartphone for you to share. It actually could be great for weddings, parties etc. for all ages. 

Maybe the tiny pocket-sized video cam that you just hold to your shoulder to shoot real-time video where you can zoom up to 300mm is more to your taste? Pictures of both devices are shown below. 

Sony

Sony was also right in the middle of the show and I got to see a very slick and encouraging set of equipment and had a play with a few cameras, even trying my Canon lenses on Sony cameras with a Sony adapter. There is much to like for me about Sony but I'd really need to be given a strong equipment setup and a month to use it before saying I felt familiar with it. It's small and light, though, at least until you put the longer lenses on it.

A Bit Of Shopping At TPS

Let's not forget that a good reason to come to The Photography Show is the discounts on offer! There are many available which includes Wex offering up to 30% on some lines and there's also a trade-in zone where you can get kit valued. 

For those who can't afford to make a purchase, you can rent lenses - I found this option really interesting. Basically, if you're not sure about a lens you can hire one and try it out. Various companies do this now which include Lens For Hire and Lens Pimp. Canon might even do something for free, too. 

Talks, Theatres & Lessons

There are loads of talks spread across 4+ general theatres, and perhaps as many again in the camera maker's theatres. The only talk I went to was by Simon McCheung encouraging us all to consider what a fine art photographer was and how we might want to do this ourselves. He outlined his journey and approach to this area - it started with a 365 project of self-portraits with a surreal feel and minimal background distractions. He then goes on to define each image from 5 key Image considerations.

1. Imagination - describing how he imagines the picture will look to him and the viewer, perhaps anchoring it to a cinematic style or image genre.
2. Aesthetes - the presentation style of the image
3. Intellectual Content - the shared reason for the scene and what it means to the viewer - even based around activism
4. Symbolisms - the pictorial elements that will convey the message you are giving
5. Moods/Emotions - how you want the viewer to feel about the image.

Surreal and Photoshop can feature heavily in these images so might this be a genre for you to try?

One of the theatres was an action zone challenging you to capture fast-moving images in low light, courtesy of Fusion_Extreme. I didn't have the ideal equipment set-up but my trusty Canon 6D with ISO on ISO12800 and a 70-300mm lens captured these images and I had a lot of fun doing it. 

Other Interesting Stands At The Photography Show

Look out for the amazing Natasha J Bella, a beautiful, talented business-minded UK model with her own stand at the show. What she showed the modelling & photographic community is amazing resourcefulness with remote shoots - Covid locked us all down and instead of losing her regular income stream she went online and set up for remote shoots from her home studio. She also runs professional well-supported training sessions for photographers and other models on how to do this. I'd wager there were thousands more remote shoots during lockdown directly because of her, that's thousands of more people keeping their business/photography passion going when everyone was isolated and feeling a bit down. It's almost a public service for some if you ask me...

To see what else is happening at The Photography Show 2021, have a read of Stuart's blog: Visiting 'The Photography Show' & Coverage For ePz