Cameras and camcorders are always a major draw at the Gadget Show Live. But what clues does this year’s event give us for what’s in store for imaging and video in the coming months?
Action cameras
Technology’s most exciting new action cameras have assumed a starring role at this year’s Gadget Show Live. One of the standout examples is the iON Air Pro 3, a compact, waterproof and HD-ready camera that comes complete with cloud storage and anti-shake technology. It’s also capable of dual streaming, meaning users can shoot and share their recordings simultaneously. At this year’s event the iON cameras are being shown off by live by skateboarders – and the results are highly impressive.
The guys from GoPro are also here, promoting their latest Hero 3+ models with help from huge HD TVs playing footage of their latest models in action. Both the iON and GoPro cameras are excitingly versatile, good-looking and amazingly effective. Action camera consumers look set to be spoilt for choice in 2014.
Photo software
The brains behind onOne are also at the NEC to demonstrate the benefits of their impressive photo editing software. It’s strikingly straightforward to use, letting you retouch images, replace backgrounds and add high-quality filters to your photos in minutes. Their claim that it’s simpler to use than Photoshop is a bold one, but certainly seems grounded in reality. And for those lucky enough to be at this year’s show, the company are giving away one of their programmes – normally worth £75 – for the attractive price of absolutely nothing.
Mobile photography
Despite the multitude of new camera models on show this week, it’s clear too that the relentless rise of mobile phone photography shows no sign of letting up. Consumers are increasingly deciding that specialist cameras and camcorders are no longer worth all the hassle – after admiring the new mobile tech on show at the Gadget Show Live, it’s easy to understand why.
The Sony Xperia 2 is one of the event’s major draws. Sony’s flagship smartphone comes complete with some phenomenal imaging specifications – it shoots video four times sharper than full HD, and with a megapixel count of 20.7, boasts tech similar to that found in most digital cameras. It’s also waterproof, a fact that the water tank and diver go overboard to demonstrate to impressed passers by at this year’s event (pun intended).
It’s also increasingly straightforward to boost the photographical capacity of your existing mobile. Olloclip, for example, have developed attachable lenses to boost the capabilities of the iPhone. Compact and stylish, once attached an Olloclip lens transforms your phone into a sophisticated camera – there’s fisheye, wide-angle, and various types of macro lens functions available, although our favourite was the four-in-one model, which combines several different modes into one.
The most eye-catching new digital camera at this year’s show comes courtesy of Olympus, whose new OM-D EM-10 model combines excellent image quality and an impressive focus speed within an exceptionally light and handsome retro casing. It performs just like an SLR, and – happily for consumers – can be purchased at a fraction of the price.
Canon, meanwhile, are exhibiting their new LEGRIA mini and LEGRIA mini X creative camcorders at this year’s show. There are several major benefits to these new models – firstly, it’s possible to angle its lens to allow you to fit yourself into the picture, whilst it’s also especially proficient in terms of audio, an area that has tended to let down many camcorders and SLRs in the recent past.
Which imaging innovations are you most excited about for 2014? We’d love to hear your thoughts – tweet your responses to @O2 using the hashtag #GSL14.
You can also find us on O2 Guru TV, visit an O2 Guru in store, or get your hands on some of the great tech we’ve mentioned from the O2 website.
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