The earlier trade fair for classic photography is the marketplace for everything that has to do with images. As the industry as a whole, the Cologne trade fair operator adapts to the rapid pace of digital change.
“Photokina is no longer what it once was”, to get the makers of the traditional photo-to hear leading trade fair in Cologne again and again by visitors. What is meant as a reproach, to bring the change in the fair but that’s exactly the point, says the managing Director of the Cologne fair Katharina Hamma, and was wanted in large part. Because the market for photography has long since become a market for all types of imaging procedures. “Imaging unlimited” – the new, unlimited flood of images is the new trademark of the Cologne, “Create, discover, connect” are the matched words.
For many years, less exhibitors from the classical photography and supplier sector come to Photokina. Therefore, the fair try-maker amplified to attract exhibitors from other areas to the Rhine. This year, the Chinese telecommunications and Smartphone company Huawei and the German headphones and Audio specialist Sennheiser with their own stands at the Photokina are here for the first Time. Huawei has teamed up with German camera-forge Leica, in order to convince the buyers of its Smartphones in the future with even better photo and video quality. Sennheiser offers in Cologne, microphone and audio solutions for Smartphone Videos.
The youth in focus
Photokina must be, of necessity, younger and younger Smartphone-users, the post always and everywhere photos and Videos, to important target group. Classic cameras have an increasingly difficult position. Within four years, has halved the paragraph almost.
Ten years ago, cameras were digital, the big hit. This year, the Photo industry Association (PIV) expects to only 2.35 million cameras will be sold, 12 percent less than in 2017. This would be implemented this year, with cameras for the first Time less than a billion euros.
Better pictures, thanks to Artificial intelligence
The business with an old acquaintance is booming: this year, approximately 570,000 to be sold instant-picture cameras. Their share makes up an estimated 45 million euros, however, is only a fraction of the approximately 20 billion large total business of the industry, the PIV Board of management chief Rainer Führes to as the “Imaging market”.
Added to this total market Führes all kinds of accessories, media storage, photo books, camcorders, printers and even Smartphones. What has emerged in the case of Smartphones such as the Huawei Mate 10 about a year ago, has now reached the total market: Built-in Chips to make Artificial intelligence (AI) photos: The camera detects common motifs such as architecture without GPS Connections, fill in the missing areas of the image or expect blurry photos sharp. Image processing and improvement through AI is in the digitized industrial production on the rise, such as in medical or safety technology.
“Smart Imaging” instead of photography
The Association of chief Führes, which is the main professional Manager in the Japanese Canon group, designs for the future, the Vision of a “Smart Imaging Öksystems”, which is dominate with Artificial intelligence areas such as photo – and videography, Autonomous Driving, or medical diagnostics in the future. Also, the boom is part of the end market for automatic face recognition – whether in the Smartphone or in the safety technology.
Rainer Führes know what he is talking about: The Canon-daughter Axis was leading the pilot test of the Federal government at Berlin Südkreuz, where with security cameras and AI the faces of passers-by of the S-Bahn station, and databases have been collected.
This year from six to four days shortened Photokina starts on the 26th. September. From may 2019, previously only held every two years takes place at the end of the fair each year.