During CES 2017, DIR writers covered the vast show floor, gathering feedback from show attendees, from photo specialty retailers to manufacturer executives. Here is a sampling of their insights and perspectives.
Scott Farber, President
Huntโs Photo & Video
Melrose, Massachusetts
Huntโs Photo & Video has eight stores located in New England, catering primarily to photo enthusiasts from about age 16 on up.
โWe serve passionate photographers at any level, from emerging enthusiasts to pros, primarily in urban markets,โ says Scott Farber. โThe company was founded in 1889, and Huntโs has been a Kodak dealer since 1900 and may well be the longest running franchise in the world!
โWe have only been at CES for half a day,โ notes Farber, โbut so far the new Steadicam Volt is the most exciting new product weโve seen. Itโs a gimbaled image stabilization device for iPhones and the like that can be used as a standard gimbal or electronically stabilized. And itโs the only product at this price ($199) that performs at this level. You can even hold it upside down or at any angle up to 360ยบ.
โWhatโs moving in our stores? DSLRs and mirrorless, interchangeable-lens cameras are doing quite well, especially mid and upper level models like the Canon 5D Mark IV, the Nikon D500 and D3400, and the Canon Rebel T6. The Sony a6300 and the new a6500 are also hot sellers. Weโre also doing very well with independent and camera makersโ lenses. And LED lighting is selling; the ProMaster is selling very strongly. We do a good job with light-shaping accessories, from Westcott for example.
โOn the whole, 2017 should shape up to be a strong year as the market is stabilizing and there are no more double dips in national camera sales,โ concludes Farber. โThe people who are buying cameras today are inveterate enthusiasts. While that may represent a smaller market overall, itโs a much more committed one. And thatโs good news for photo specialty retailers.โ
Jim Malcolm
General Manager, North America
Humaneyes Technologies
Humaneyes Technologies is the company that introduced the Vuze camera, adding to the VR (virtual reality) story by shooting 3D, 360ยบ content.
โItโs been an exciting show for us so far,โ says Jim Malcolm. โThe reaction of many visitors seeing 3D, 360ยบ for the first time is that they are blown away. Many have seen 2D VR, but weโre the first company at CES to offer 3D, which makes the content much more immersive, especially when you add 3D audio, which we offer through a partnership with VisiSonics.
โThis seems to be the year VR will begin to infiltrate the imaging world and offer new content possibilities. Retailers are optimistic about the sales potential; at the same time they understand the challenges associated with demonstrating the product to customers. Developing retail displays and in-store education are going to be key to adoption. The more people who see VR through a headset, the quicker theyโll understand the potential.
โOur Vuze camera is simple. Any novice can pick it up, press a button and create 3D content. Weโve had visits from filmmakers and videographers who want to use it for VR content theyโre creating. Because we record in the MPEG-4 format, they can take our content and put it into their workflow. Weโre also working with software partners to enhance our content.
โFor example, WalkingApp has a product called ENTiTi, which enables storytellers to overlay augmented reality (AR) content onto our 3D, 360ยบ content. As an example, I can shoot a night scene and then overlay an eagle I created using ENTiTi into my story.
โThere are so many possibilities in VR when you add user-generated content. Weโre excited about the future of 3D, 360ยบ and defining the future of virtual reality, making it easy for people to create interactive experiences. Our Vuze camera, which is getting a lot of attention here, will ship March 7th for $799.โ
Moishe Appelbaum, President
Midwest Photo
Columbus, Ohio
Midwest Photo was founded 28 years ago by Stuart Appelbaum, the current ownerโs father, now retired. Itโs a single location store in an urban environment, and its primary clientele consists of professional photographers and serious enthusiasts. However, the store is located in a โfamily neighborhoodโ and also serves people who just want to take pictures of their kids and family events.
โI come to CES in order to find new products that expand our offerings in the photo space,โ says Moishe Appelbaum, โand I found a surveillance camera that fills the bill. Weโre also doing a good job with film cameras.
โFilm is making a mini comeback, as indicated by Kodakโs reintroduction of Ektachrome film. We donโt do any film processing ourselves, but we started offering prints from smartphones, tablets and cameras, and weโve built a rental darkroom that has helped drive interest in film. We also have a number of Fujifilm kiosks that use Dakis software.
โI plan to check out the new Nikon D5600 and Canon PowerShot G9 X,โ notes Appelbaum. โAnd Iโm happy to say Iโm really optimistic that 2017 will be an amazing year. We just moved into a new 15,000-square-foot store and everything is incredibly โshoppable.โ
โWe did our best to create a destination location for all things photographic. Weโre offering classes, printing and rentals in addition to retail sales. Itโs not only going to be a good year for Midwest but a good year for photo specialty, because the dealers that have survived and prospered are the ones that have refined their formulas to carry them successfully through the next five years.
