Focus on imaging 2008

Mark Burley

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Hi all, any one interested in getting together at the exhibition?

If so, what day and are any of you going?

Mark
 

Paul.

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I am proberbly going but as yet day not certain.

Regards Paul.
 

pentaxuser

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I was wonderig about going this year. I have never been. I had a quick look at the website and there doesn't look to be a great deal for analogue photographers. Maybe I am missing something but others in previous years seem to have said the same. I keep meaning to go but £6 entrance plus £8 parking plus food and travel says that there has to be something to make it worthwhile.

pentaxuser
 

Peterpan

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I will be going most likely it will be on the sunday.
Peter
 

Martin Aislabie

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Richard, I think you mis-represent Focus.
Its 50% yucky Photo / Wedding Photo Albums
49% Digital
1% the rest including Ilford, Kentmere & Fotospeed
Just look at the size and quantity of the stands tells where the profit is.
I generaly go but only as I live near by
I am almost always come away generaly disapointed
Martin
 

RH Designs

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Martin Aislabie said:
Richard, I think you mis-represent Focus.
Its 50% yucky Photo / Wedding Photo Albums
49% Digital
1% the rest including Ilford, Kentmere & Fotospeed
Click to expand...

Yes, you're probably right! Either way there's little of interest to the traditional photographer. It's just a computer show with pictures these days.
 

kram

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I normally do my photographic book shopping there - great selection.
 

Gary Holliday

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I went to SWPP, so not sure if this is worth a visit. Got my pass and would probably attend Sunday's event..not worth missing a day of work for it.

Is there public transport to the event?
 

Martin Aislabie

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Catch the train to Birmingham International.
Its a well sign-posted 10 min covered walk from the railway station.
If I ever go to the NEC, thats the way I do it
Martin
 

Matt5791

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I'll be there today, and possibly Wednesday also.

(I live and work in Birmingham)

My company almost exhibited this year, but there just wasn't enough time - we are launching a home (garden) photo studio / workroom. Hopefully the first one gets put up for a photographer in Lincolnshire in the next 6 weeks. More info soon.

As for Focus being completely digital, I think that's a bit mean - there is lots there to do with traditional, and there is lots there which is common to both digital / analogue (such as lighting). There was the "redeye" mobile darkroom too, which I think may be there this year. I came away last year quite encouraged.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

mikeg

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Fintan said:
Any Ilford Harman news at Focus 08 ??
Click to expand...

I went on Sunday. No product news from Harman and I was a bit disappointed with their stand, it was much smaller than last year. One side was digital, the other analogue and Kentmere had a small bit at one end.

I've only been going to Focus for the last 4 years and this was definitely the worst for analogue. The show is virtually all digital now, it's as if traditional photography doesn't exist. I normally stock up on paper and chemicals there, particularly Kentmere and Fotospeed. Harman don't sell stuff on their stand unlike Kentmere used to so there wasn't any paper to buy. Simon directed me to the RK Photographic stand which had a small quantity of paper and film. No Kentona unfortunately, which is what I wanted. Also, there were no chemicals to purchase anywhere other than Fotospeeds products on their stand. There was a Kaiser enlarger on the Fotospeed stand!!

One haven was a combined stand called the Hub, which was run by Linhof, Alpa, the BJP, Light and Land, and Ag magazine. They had some Bergger paper and film. Also heard a good talk there by David Ward.

Mike
 

Matt5791

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mikeg said:
I went on Sunday. No product news from Harman and I was a bit disappointed with their stand, it was much smaller than last year. One side was digital, the other analogue and Kentmere had a small bit at one end.

Mike
Click to expand...

Yes, the Ilford stand was smaller, and pretty basic actually. However, having looked at exhibiting ourselves this year, and looked at the costs, I guess, all said and done, Harman's stand probalby cost £20K when you take into account the floor space at about £6-7K and then the stand itself, everyones time, etc.

Matt
 

pentaxuser

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Well Mike's and Matt's posts may explain why this whole thread has excited such little interest on APUG. Sounds as if I have saved a bunch of money by not bothering to go which can go on materials. I suspect the report on next year's Focus on Imaging will be concluding that 2009 was the worst for analogue exceeding even 2008. Might be the worst for digital too. Mobile phone exhibitions will be the place to go for digital imaging. The next door neighbour has a 5MP compact but has since got a 3MP phone which covers both functions in the way the vast majority of Joe Public wants. The digi compact camera she had? RIP.

pentaxuser
 

Fintan

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Yea, Ilford Harman have a couple of things in the pipeline and I was wondering if they had any news.
 
OP
OP

Mark Burley

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In Focus..

I did get to the exhibition, most of the APUG crowd didn't appear that interested in meeting up. So I guess I decided not to push it further.

I enjoyed it. No, it was not as good as last year - or the year before (come to that).

Thank God for the Linhof studio stand. At least they were still flying the analogue flag - and very well too. I enjoyed meeting David Ward, Eddie Ephraums and Charlie Waite - thanks to them all for signing the book for me too.

Thanks to Simon and crew on the Harmen/Ilford stand - nice shirts - sorry about the daft questions from yours truly.

I came away with two cheap bricks of film, two shirts and aching feet.

I will still go again.

Mark
 

kevs

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I went up on the sunday, would have enjoyed an APUG meet but i hadn't seen this thread, and anyway only arrived aroun 1pm. met up with two friends from Devon, bumped into another unexpectedly, met Simon on the Ilford-Harman stand. I left one polo shirt and two rolls of outdated 35mm film heavier.

Yeh, the majority was digi but that's the way of the world these days. Last year, Siderotype.com had a stand. David Noble was there this year also, but didn't have as good a stand as last year. Fujifilm was promoting film but wasn't selling it. Travel Photography of the Year seminar was interesting.

So yeh, there wasn't much for me there, but it was a nice day out, though i wouldn't have travelled much further for it.
 
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