Stars of the show
Traditionally, camera and lens makers aim to release their latest and greatest products to coincide with big photographic trade shows, with the aim of reaching the widest audience possible. With the dominant forces in the industry being Japanese, in recent years the CP+ trade show held in Yokohama has gained ever-increasing importance. In case you missed any of the big announcements made in the run-up to the show, we've rounded them all up here.
This year, almost all the major manufacturers had new products on display at CP+. The undoubted star was Sony's latest generation ‘basic' full-frame mirrorless camera, the Alpha 7 III, which packs more into an under-£2,000 body than we've ever seen before. Fujifilm also impressed with its new flagship X-H1, while Sigma showed off a lovely-looking new 105mm f/1.4 portrait prime, alongside a modern version of its legendary 70mm f/2.8 macro. But perhaps the biggest story was the way both Sigma and the other big third-party makers finally announced autofocus lenses for full-frame mirrorless cameras.
The only company left out in the cold was Nikon, with no new products at all. Presumably it's holding fire on its long-rumoured, high-end mirrorless system until later in the year.
The Speedlite 470EX-AI's ‘Auto Intelligent' mode sets the motorised head for the best lighting
Canon has kept the EOS 4000D spec simple and hence made the camera more affordable
The EOS 2000D, Canon's entry-level DSLR, has a 24MP sensor
Canon
Key products
• EOS 4000D
• EOS M50
• Speedlite 470EX-AI
CANON announced not just one, but two entry-level DSLRs at CP+. The EOS 2000D is essentially a direct replacement for the existing EOS 1300D, with the main change being the adoption of a 24MP sensor, rather than 18MP. Like the 1300D it's a perfectly competent design that does well to judge which features to leave out and which to retain to hit a low price point. Initially priced at £369 body only, it's sure to sell well.
However, Canon has managed to introduce another even more affordable model, in the
