International photography exhibitions often elicit enthusiastic participation from the Indian professionals. CP+ is a relatively young photography show conducted in Japan, and is certainly gaining grounds, probably because it is home to most electronics giants. The 2016 edition of the exhibition was held at Yokohama, and we are thankful to Canon for facilitating our visit. Apart from the CP+, we were invited to Canon’s main factory in Oita and their global  headquarters in Shimomaruko, Japan  Here is Smart Photography reporting from Japan from the Canon end.

The CP+ was inaugurated on the 25th of February 2016 and featured stalls from most camera manufacturers. Let us see what some of the manufacturers had to showcase.

CANON

The main attraction from the Canon stable was the demo of 8K video from a Cinema EOS model currently under development. Though 8K itself is in a nascent stage with broadcasters even grappling with 4K transmission, the technology development is always exciting. How Canon deals with the massive data transmission at high speed and the heat generated by multiple processors is yet to be seen. However, the videos were impressive.

The company showcased the models announced prior to the CP+, mainly the EOS-1D X Mark II and the EOS 80D. The 1D X Mark II is a 20.2 megapixel full frame D-SLR and the flagship for a few years to come. The camera offers 16 frames per second Live View shooting, 4K videos at 60p and Full HD videos at 120p. The EOS 80D on the other hand, is an APS-C model with all-cross type 45 point AF module, Full HD 60P video, improved Dual Pixel CMOS sensor and NFC connectivity.

The new launches included the Power Zoom Adapter PZ-E1, EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens, and Directional Stereo Microphone DM-E1. The PZ-E1 can be attached to the new AF lenses to provide fast and precise zoom control. The zoom speed can be set to slow or fast, or disable the power zoom to take full manual control. This adapter is particularly useful for video capture using D-SLRs. This can also be remotely operated when used with the 80D and a dedicated software (currently compatible only with 80D). The adapter uses 4 AAA batteries. The new EF-S 18-135mm lens is currently the only lens compatible with the PZ-E1. This lens is equipped with a new Nano USM to provide fast, silent and smooth AF. Canon claims that the IS system in this lens provides a 4-stop advantage as against 3.5 stops on the previous model.

Another attraction was the Connect Station CS100, which allows you to back-up your photographs and videos on to its 1TB memory instantly with the help of Wi-Fi and NFC. You can also connect it to a TV unit to view the images and videos seamlessly.

Canon also showcased its latest camcorder models—the Cinema EOS XA30 and XA35 along  with the XC10 concept model, which is a compact 4K camcorder. The XA30 and 35 feature 20x optical zoom, high sensitivity HD CMOS Pro sensor, Wide Dynamic Range Gamma and Highlight Priority Gamma. The XC10 features 12 megapixel still image capture along with 8 megapixel frame grab option from 4K recording. The new Legria MiniX ‘selfie camcorder  was also showcased. The premium compact, PowerShot G7 X Mark II was also on display, which features a 1-inch Type sensor, DIGIC 7 processor, 4-step Dual Sensing IS and better ISO performance. (…continued on Page 2)