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A round up of The Society of Photographers Trade Show 2024

If you visited The Society of Photographers Trade Show in January 2024, you’ll know there were a wide range of some of the biggest photographic brands where you could get hands-on with some of the latest products currently available, and get expert advice on what products might suit your needs the best.

If you weren’t able to visit the show, then worry not as we caught up with a variety of different brands and some of the photographers who were at the show to find out what’s new and exciting in 2024! Read on to find out more.

What is The Society of Photographers Trade Show?

The Society of Photographers Convention and Trade Show is hosted in Hammersmith, London, and welcomes members and non-members of The Society of Photographers.

The Convention is a veritable feast of education, with four days of action-packed programmes designed to help you put your imagery ahead of the game.

The three-day Trade Show spanning the Thursday to Saturday is a gathering of the who’s who in the photographic industry, with some of the largest brands in the photo and video industry present and eager to show you the latest in technology and design. Throughout the show, there are live demonstrations and talks on a wide-range of topics, so whether you’re interested in photography, videography, printing, studio lighting or how you can maximise your photography business, hopefully there’s something there for you!

Our round-up of The Society of Photographers Trade Show

We first spoke to Carol from Fujifilm UK and Ireland. Fujifilm made one of the biggest technological strides in 2023 with the GFX 100 II, which finally made medium-format a viable versatile option. This camera handles incredibly smoothly, with eight stops of image stabilisation. It harnesses the same cutting-edge processor used across Fujifilm’s lineup and is designed with control in mind, allowing you to use this body’s ‘monster sensor’ in the same way you’d use one of Fujifilm’s much smaller APS-C options. This camera means that medium-format’s reputation of being cumbersome and heavy will surely become a thing of the past.

We also discussed some of their new tilt-shift lenses for the GFX series – their 30mm model is outstanding for landscapes and interiors, while their 110mm option is brilliant for close-up work, benefiting corporate and macro photographers.

At the smaller end of the spectrum, we discussed how Fujifilm’s fantastic X Series offers something to everyone. The X-S20, a ‘clever little camera’, combines their best processing engine to date with 26MP images that enable super versatile use. Younger professional photographers enamoured by Fujifilm’s retro call-backs are invested in the X-T rang, with cameras like the X-T5, capable of wall-sized prints yet remaining brilliantly simple (and fun!) to use.

One of the biggest appeals of the Society of Photographers Trade Show was the plethora of guest speakers present – we caught up with Victoria Haydn, a tenured professional who discussed her history of genre-hopping and provided invaluable hints to other pros looking to do the same.

Victoria’s career path is by no means a straight forward one. Beginning the decade as an in-house photographer for Manchester City FC, she felt as if she were under a ‘corporate umbrella’ and was inspired to explore her own identity and brand as a maternity photographer, and is now fully invested in personal branding photography. In this high-pressure environment, she prospers under the demand for performance and finds it elevates her photography.

Derived from tales of personal experience, her top tips included allowing yourself to dip your toe in by exploring new genres alongside your current one; investing in a mentor to inspire and guide you; and thinking about how best to craft your unique identity as a photographer. As changing genre is often an intimidating leap of faith for professional photographers, her tall provided lots of insightful guidance to the dozens of photographers in attendance.

She also discussed the gear that helps her and her business. A dedicated Canon user, she finds the best performance every time in the Canon EOS R3 and R5, using the 70-200mm and 24-70mm zoom lenses for almost all of her work.

The impact of Sony’s A9 III announcement in 2023 left a huge mark in the professional photography landscape. We fortunately managed to get in touch with James from Sony UK and check out one of only two A9 IIIs in the country, and the final telephoto prime lens in the Sony FE lineup that sports photographers have been desperate for.

James explained the ground-breaking implications of the A9 III’s Global Shutter, possibly the biggest revolution in camera technology since the rise of full-frame mirrorless. Professionals will revel in its flash-sync at outrageous shutter speeds, and the lack of any rolling shutter distortion or wobble will make videographers never want to go back.

The brand new Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS was also discussed. With the 2024 Summer Olympics, EURO 2024 and so many other exciting sports events around the corner, this lens has arrived just in time. It provides lightweight handling along with the image quality expected from a G Master prime at a killer price point.

Rotolight is an exceptional lighting brand that has emerged from almost nothing to an industry leader in hardly any time, due to their unique and direct approach to lighting solutions. We spoke to the highly-accomplished Rotolight ‘Master of Light’ Terry Donnelly, a user-turned-ambassador for this brilliant brand.

He discussed their great range of lights, namely the AEOS 2 and the NEO 3 which combine continuous lighting with the power that flash lighting provides to professional photographers. Despite having flash sync capabilities, these lights shine when used continuously – using them, you can feel the ‘what you see is what you get’ ethos of Rotolight design, removing trial and error where time is of the essence. These RGB lights operate with true colour, replicating every colour that the human eye can perceive.

Rotolight provides benefits for subjects as well as photographers. Terry’s model for the exhibit, Natasha, felt zero heat from the lights at all and was delighted with the use of continuous lighting, which circumvents the intensity of flash photography.

Lighting isn’t all we discussed, however. Terry has found exceptional performance in the new SmokeNINJA, a portable tool that makes large, cumbersome smoke machines a thing of the past, and provides him with a new level of creative influence as a portrait photographer.

A printer is a must-have for every professional photographer. Speaking to Mark from Canon UK’s print team, we took a deep dive into Canon’s range of home and professional printers.

One of Canon’s most popular printers among enthusiasts is their A4 refillable MegaTank, which is great for those looking to produce low-cost, high-quality prints. The Canon PIXMA G650 MegaTank is a good option if you’re looking to pick up a strong A4 printer.

We also had a look at the next step up, the Canon PIXMA iPP8750, which is a workhorse of a printer that caters to both enthusiasts and professionals printing both documents and photos. Upgrading to the ImagePROGRAF range offers much greater depth and functionality for commercial photographers. The ImagePROGRAF PRO-300 and PRO-1000 are all compatible with Canon’s proprietary Professional Print & Layout software that can be plugged into any Adobe platform or run stand-alone with Capture One Infinity. These also have print cost management built in; a necessity for those who print as part of their business.

We were delighted to find time to discuss the SmokeNINJA with Rotolight CEO Rod Gammons. This pocket-sized smoke machine is a revolution and a sign that Rotolight’s innovation is highly unlikely to limit itself to the world of lighting, instead providing even more for portrait photographers and videographers.

The SmokeNINJA doubles up as a smoke, steam and an artificial dry ice machine; with a variety of nozzles that give photographers fine-tuned control over their smoke. The device is USB-C chargeable and incredibly versatile; being mountable to boom poles and any magnetic surface using its magnetic mount. It’s already a favourite of professionals worldwide – the smoke fluid is the only consumer-available one approved as safe by the Screen Actors Guild and is amazing to apply to your product photography too. Rolex has invested in SmokeNINJA for its watch advertisement campaigns.

We also spoke to James from Peak Design, with whom we discussed their new range of rugged, modern collection of camera bags and accessories.

Backpacks like the Everyday Backpack V2 took centre stage, with 15-30L of total space. Their Zip bags take a much sleeker, easily accessible design. Their Sling bags are also hugely popular among enthusiasts and pros for their comfort and versatility. James also remarked on how the trade show went a long way in maintaining a thriving community, with hundreds of enthusiasts and professionals looking to learn more about the Peak Design range.

Hobolite is one of the most exciting and intriguing brands in the lighting industry, creating lighting that is as functional as it is beautiful. Don’t be fooled by their humble retro design – these lights have great potential in the studio of a professional. We caught up with Peter, who talked us through the range.

Hobolite’s smallest options, the Hobolite Micro and Mini, are 8W and 20W respectively with a classy leather and silver retro finish. The Hobolite Avant runs at 100W and has an interchangeable adapter, allowing you to use your Bowen-compatible softboxes and accessories with it. Their most powerful model, the Hobolite Pro, brings 300W of lighting power. You can explore Hobolite’s newest lights and their dedicated range of accessories here.

Making their SWPP Trade Show debut, Marcus from Holdan gave us a run-through of everything they have to offer professional videographers and photographers.

Focusing on photography, we explored Samyang’s range of autofocus lenses. We also had a look at some filters from Hoya and Cokin, the latter promoting its NX Series of filters that appeal to professionals with its innovative filter holder system.

We also discussed the newest videography offerings on the market, something that drew a huge amount of attention at the trade show. We took a look at some of Samyang’s newest high-end cine lenses, with excellent optics and build quality due to their carbon fibre design. Holdan is also an ambassador for Atomos’ outstanding range of video monitor recorders. These can all be combined with tools from Kondor Blue, from small accessories to full-body cages, to build the ultimate videography rig.

Last but not least, we got in touch with Dominic from Epson and discussed their newest range of printers. Their most successful A2 printer, the SC-P900, is a favourite among pros. The EcoTank ET-8550 A3+ printer is economical and designed for efficiency, saving you time and money when it comes to refilling. Both printers are heat-free, producing precise results every time, and have a sleek understated design that is a must-have in a professional photography studio. The former has space for ten inks, while the latter has six. Epson also debuted its P5300, an A2 printer exclusive to commercial users.

Click here for details on the 2025 London Photo and Video Trade Show

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By Andy Steel on 29/01/2024