InterBEE 2023
InterBEE 2023 Day 2 has come and gone, and our production team came on out again to explore a little bit more of the sights and sounds. We took a literal close look at the new Sigma FF 65mm lens, the new Nikon cameras, and even a special booth that makes custom buttons. We also participated in the InterBEE Ignition x DCEXPO social in the evening. Making new connections, learning new industries, and expanding our knowledge is what we set out to do. I think it is safe to say we accomplished that.
First, lets take a look at some of the booths we visited on Day 2.
Sigma Deconstructed FF 65mm Prime Lens
In our interview with Sigma, they showcased the new entry into their FF lineup, the Sigma 65mm FF Prime. Not only did they showcase the lens itself, they showed us the various parts make up these powerful lenses. I in particular found the aperture piece to be interesting.
The lenses are beautifully crafted in Aizu, a lovely interior region of Fukushima, Japan. I have been to Aizu before, and it reminds me of my hometown in Ohio. I am a firm believer in one’s environment influencing their work, and it shows with this new lens.
Nikon and their new Robot
When Nikon announced the retro-styled Nikon Z f, I immediately became interested. Many photographers have told me they like some of the analogue controls of other makers’ cameras. That seems to be the goal for the Z f, a beautifully-styled retro camera, but that isn’t all for the Z f. The camera has a full-frame sensor and a strong imaging engine that shoots 4K footage.
Nikon also showcased the new Plena lens, a beautiful prime lens with a super-strong F1.8 aperture. The Nikon reps allowed our videographer to shoot using the Nikon Z8 and this beautiful lens that uses vignette-less circle bokeh.
Finally, Nikon showed us two robots. One was a Bolt high-speed maneuvering robot, which, frankly, freaked me out standing next to it as to its speed. The other was a debut product at InterBEE – the SR1. The SR1 is a remote control camera mount. In their example, they had a Nikon Z9 attached to it. The mount turned the Nikon Z9 into what is essentially a PTZ camera. The combination of the power and quality of the Z9 mounted on a remote control robot mount. Incredible technology was showcased to us at Nikon, and we cannot wait to see more.
Other Interesting InterBEE 2023 Booths
The one booth I always love to see each InterBEE is the one by Well Buying Industrial out of Taiwan.
This company specializes in buttons…as in, buttons that switch things on and off. Buttons that change color, text, images, and even can be programmed to be attached to a camera, are all produced by this company. It is honestly impressive to see the ingenuity of this company each year.
I remember this booth when I first visited InterBEE in 2021, and they were limited to a smaller booth at the back of the hall. They, last two years, however, have grown to a full-fledged booth in a prime part of the exhibition. If you attend InterBEE in 2024, stop by their booth and let your imagination run wild, thinking about various devices you can create with these switches.
We also visited a booth that sold news helicopters, and another that sold news vans. Obviously in my line of work, both of those are not necessarily on my purchasing list at the moment, but it is really
InterBEE Ignition and DCEXPO Event
A huge aspect of InterBEE 2023 was the DCEXPO section, which showcased numerous start up companies throughout Japan. Not just in the media world, at InterBEE 2023, multiple companies working in AI, music, audio, engineering, development, and technology advancement exhibited in this section. I talked with Software Symphony’s representative briefly about how generative AI works with music production. We covered generative AI’s rapid rise with Adobe, so I found this to be quite interesting.
I was also invited on stage to briefly discuss the PRONEWS Global project. Thank you to Moeko-san from Tailor Innovations for always supporting us, and we look forward to covering more from the start up ecosystem in 2024.
Our InterBEE 2023 Chapter Closes…on to 2024!
We had a great time working the last two days of InterBEE 2023.
Written by Zach Kuhn, Editor, PRONEWS Global
