Image Expo Reports?

[johnastovall]

Where are the reports from Sunday? What new equipment was there? What did you find you didn't know you needed?

[Gordon]

Didn't see much in the way of new equipment, it isn't that sort of show.

Blurb are introducing a coffee table style book (much wider than they've been doing) Quality of their books is great.

Simply Canvas do beautiful work.

Fran knows how to sell portraits.

Pocket wizards work over a huge range and there aren't enough channels for that many users at once (which was fun) (and I picked up 3)

The 3G lensbaby is even more fun and potentially more practical than the 2G (and I now own both)

2Gb high speed (133x) compact flash cards for $19.95 is hard to beat.

[johnastovall]

Originally Posted by Gordon

Didn't see much in the way of new equipment, it isn't that sort of show.

Blurb are introducing a coffee table style book (much wider than they've been doing) Quality of their books is great.

Simply Canvas do beautiful work.

Fran knows how to sell portraits.

Pocket wizards work over a huge range and there aren't enough channels for that many users at once (which was fun) (and I picked up 3)

The 3G lensbaby is even more fun and potentially more practical than the 2G (and I now own both)

2Gb high speed (133x) compact flash cards for $19.95 is hard to beat.

Good to hear about the larger Blurb book.

Did Canon have the 5000 printer there?

[CaptainTom]

I used Blurb for a xmas book and am very pleased, although they take a healthier chunk than I'd like for shipping.

[Gordon]

Originally Posted by CaptainTom

I used Blurb for a xmas book and am very pleased, although they take a healthier chunk than I'd like for shipping.

More so than many (most) of the others, they seem much more geared towards the idea of selling books (text+photos, proper publications) rather than photobooks or albums. Along with that seemed to be the expectation that you'd be publishing in small quantities, but 25 or 100 and getting shipping & price breaks around there.

Not that they wouldn't be happy to publish just one book or anything, but they seemed to be more geared towards the very small run, professional publishing quality end of the scale.

[Gordon]

Originally Posted by johnastovall

Did Canon have the 5000 printer there?

Didn't pay much attention to the printers that were there. Canon did have a whole 'large format printing' section though, so probably ?

[Sonny]

This was my first time attending this type of show. I had a really great time looking at all the new products (at least new to me), software, and meeting all the cool TPF'ers. Redmouse and I drove up on Sunday morning and drove home later that night after the SA TFP GTG messican dinner (hey Leslie no ggs just yet wink wink).

My main goal was to find ways that I could improve my business for this coming year. I was interested in find alternative print labs. Found a few that look promising but I'll have to read though all the literature and see what they offer before making a decision.

Then Jordan suggested something to me that I never would of though of on my own (cause I'm mentally SLOOOOOW). Instead of using printed photos inserted into a traditional portfolio, why not consider trying Asukbook or something along that style. I freakin LOVED that idea! Good thing we were looking at those all day.

Not sure if it was fortunate or unfortunate, but I left ImagingUSA without purchasing a single thing...other than two Pepsi.

[Casper]

Thanks Sonny and Jordan for the idea of AsukaBook(.com).

Steve

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

John Canon and HP both had their BIG printers at the show-doing up to 44 wide prints and they were running of prints as you watched. I was WAY Impressed by the Canon unit-even saw another vendor using it to print direct to Canvas, the HP presentation was not quite as good. In fact Canon had a complete section for their big printers with even some guest (non canon employees) speaking at their own stage.

I talked a few minutes with a Kodak rep who said she was one of the top dogs over their papers and she was very much into that Kodak is working on providing even more lines of papers than they currently have to meet the demand for new printing technology while infering that they will be keeping their B+W lines for a long time.

A couple guys who do LF panoramas with those great old cameras that rotate with a clockwork system were there again (can't think of the exact camera name but some models were 14 inches high some smaller). I had talked to them last year and they had some guys from Austin at the booth while this year just the 2 guys from NY were in the booth.

Met some people from a Photographic Museum in OK that is working to preserve the history of photography-joined the museum for a year. (will post more about this after I read through the lit that they gave me).

Did not see anyone with any LF equipment.

Leica was there with two of their staff-one was from Germany-had the 8 on display for people to check out.

Mamyia will be coming out with their own 22 meg back for under $10K

No Blad this year! They were in Austin last year

Dirk gave a great presentation!
http://digitaljournalist.org/ is one of his projects-several people in the audiance raised their hands when he asked if we had heard about the website- (well over 50% of the people there-first speaker at the Canon booth on Monday).

Next year it is in Tampa Fl in January!

[lscottpht]

(hey Leslie no ggs just yet wink wink).

Hahaha! I am ggs right now!

[johnastovall]

Originally Posted by DEMDeepEllumMusic

John Canon and HP both had their BIG printers at the show-doing up to 44 wide prints and they were running of prints as you watched. I was WAY Impressed by the Canon unit-even saw another vendor using it to print direct to Canvas, the HP presentation was not quite as good. In fact Canon had a complete section for their big printers with even some guest (non canon employees) speaking at their own stage.

snipped

Thanks for the info I've got to go some where to see that big Canon 5000 in action. Glad I didn't see the M8's. I still miss not having one but Leica must make it worthy of the Leica name and it isn't. Guess I could have vented on the booth guy's for brining such a shoddy product to market. And the rumor isn't true that I was going to try out Presesion Camera's demo unit in Austin after I finished my work at the AMC if we had going to Austin.

[HOUSCOUS]

I am still overwhelmed. I am so proud that I made the decision to attend. :D

[HotHolly]

Originally Posted by Sonny

Not sure if it was fortunate or unfortunate, but I left ImagingUSA without purchasing a single thing...other than two Pepsi.

I heard the sodas were $4 each. I wish I had the guts to overcharge like that!

What was the coolest thing there that I should look at - since Im stuck here and all???

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/co...&modelid=14413
was out there and being used to make poster sized prints as you watched- color was spot on and the detail was SHARP!

[HOUSCOUS]

Paul, I really want one.