Photo World Asia 2008
Photoworld Asia 2008 at the Glorietta Activity Center
If in the USA, they have the Photo Marketing Association Trade Show which the world of Photography seems to follow as most photo companies exhibit and reveal their newer models. Here in the Philippines, we have the Photo World Asia. Before, it was called Photo World Manila, I guess for marketing reasons the popped in the “Asia” to make it wider in scope but it really isn’t that wide a coverage. Photo World is also an annual event held usually early February in Glorietta Activity Center, Makati. This year, the event is held from January 31 - February 5. Most local photo distributors have their exhibit booths and most retailers give good discounts and freebies during this event, making it an ideal time to buy new cameras and accessories.
The Olympus Booth at Photo World Asia 2008
Of course, my first stop for this event is the Olympus Booth since I am an Olympus User. There, they are showcasing more on the ruggedness of their cameras especially their Mju SW compacts which are water and shock proof. Also they have the feature rich Olympus e510 entry level and the lightest and most compact DSLR to date, the Olympus e410. Of course you won’t miss the most rugged and toughest DSLR on the market, the Olympus E-3 which local distributor Axis has been heavily promoting lately.
The OlyClub Philippines doing some model shoot
Olympus Philippines has been very generous and active in helping local Olympus Users here, bringing them hard to find lenses and even special prices. Last Saturday, most members of OlyClub Philippines showed their presence there. It goes to show that a lot has been using the brand lately which is very promising.
Lighting setup of model shoot by Jay Alonzo
One of the activity there is a model shoot with a short lecture on lighting by Olympus Endorser Jay Alonzo. I was fortunate to finally meet Sir Jay who has been a known photography figure for years and also a reputable teacher at the Alcove. He also has a small exhibit there using the new Olympus flagship, the E-3.
Panasonic Lumix Booth
Also visiting another 4/3 Format manufacturer booth there from Panasonic boasting their Lumix line of cameras. Again, I was fortunate to be introduced to Sir Chito Vicena, also one of the known local photographers here famous for his works on wedding. He is a Nikon user but also wanted to get the Panasonic L1. When I was looking for my first Digital SLR, I was actually eyeing to get this Panasonic L1 or its twin the Leica Digilux 3 since it has analog controls similar to film cameras. But when the retail price was announced, its 100k++ price tag was too much. Now the price tag was reduced to half and Sir Chito along with others wanted to purchase a unit. According to him, he really like the tone and color it produces as well as the quality of detail.
The Panasonic DMC-L10 cross section display
Panasonic L1 didn’t really hit big in terms of sales. Probably due to its price. A few years passed now they have recently released the Panasonic DMC L10, a more user friendly, somewhat entry level cam. But still, for an entry level, its price is a bit high because of its accompanying Leica 14-50mm 3.5-5.6 Mega OIS lens.
The Panasonic DMC-L10 with Leica 14-150mm 3.5-5.6 Mega OIS lens
Accompanying the release of the Panasonic L10 is the Leica 14-150mm 3.5-5.6 Mega OIS lens with an equivalent 35mm range of 28-300mm. When I first heard of this I thought this would be the ultimate traveling lens. I tried this lens on my Olympus e500 body. For its range, it certainly is lighter and shorter than my Zuiko 40-150mm. This is a very sweet all-around travel lens. Its focusing is not as fast as my Zuiko 12-60mm SWD lens, but I’m sure, in brighter conditions, this could be better. I would really like to have this lens but it’s around 79,000 pesos and I don’t have that amount in my wallet right now.
The Nikon Booth
Of course I wouldn’t ignore other booths there. Nikon is currently displaying its mid-pro Nikon D300. I also wanted to try it, but lots of people were trying it as well, so I decided to move on.
More model shoot at the Canon Booth
Canon’s Booth is just beside Nikon’s. There was a display of the new Canon 40D and its bulky Canon 1 Ds Mark III units. It’s huge! They also have a model shoot there. Fuji has a larger booth as well. I also noticed the absence of Sony and Pentax there.
My friend’s recently acquired Nikon D40
Like I said earlier, during this event, a lot of items can be bought for a discounted price. A friend of mine was able to score a brand new Nikon D40 for only 22000 pesos which I think is really cheap. I was able to play with the camera and it’s pretty neat and very user friendly which made it a popular entry level camera despite not having more technical controls as other entry levels.
My Photoworld Acquisitions
As for my recent acquisitions from the event, I only bought a few additional accessories: a 4gig Kingston Compact Flash card for only Php 1615, A wide-angle Cokin P-filter holder and also a screw-in 72mm ring mount and another 2gig SD Apacer Card for my sister’s camera worth only Php 500. There are actually some other items I would like to buy but I have to control myself. Especially now I have some trips lined up one after another.
Tags: Events, Gears, Makati, Mall, Photography
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Sunday, February 3rd, 2008 at 6:47 pm 
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February 3rd, 2008 at 9:27 pm
I never knew this things could be too complicated. I have still lots of things to learn but hey I am not complaining. Such a technical hobby indeed.
February 4th, 2008 at 10:31 am
You bought yourself a Cokin! Here it is rather expensive and students like me are not able to buy it — yet … Nyahaha! Pero, this photoworld reminds me of our annual computer fair. There they sell anything and everything related to technology. A few camera brands will be present but very scarce as it is dominated by computer brands mostly.
February 4th, 2008 at 10:48 am
oist! i was there two days and now, i have to restrain myself because i’ve spent quite a lot already
February 4th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Trade shows are fun, arent they? I did not know that Lumix is a Panasonic product. I just recently purchase a camera myself. I hope that I did not make a mistake.
February 4th, 2008 at 11:36 am
a dslr camera is actually in my wishlist. A friend is eyeing an olympus, another is pushing for a nikon. A friend who turned professional photog is using cannon.
February 4th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
a special event for photography enthusiasts. i wish i was there. haven’t been around to upgrade my equipment. i am still on the process of saving enough dough for a Nikon superwide lens, hehehe.
so Jay Alonzo was there. he was my teacher in one of the lectuers I attended at Alcove. i always promote their activities at the office. i learned a lot from their workshops and lectures. what i know about good framing and subject positioning, I owe a lot to him.
February 4th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
It looks interesting. I didn’t go. I purchased the Nikon D200 last year and no more budget.
I am saving for a wide angle lens.
You always manage to explain it all in a few key pictures. Well done!
February 4th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
wow.. gusto ko rin pumunta jan.. kaso nga lang.. ala akong pamasahe.. huhuhuhu
February 5th, 2008 at 7:31 am
Hi! I was able to check the Nikon booth rin kaso ang mahal ng D40 nila! Sabi nung isang guy P28 daw price ng D40 sa knila. ang mahal nga eh!
sa nikon booth ka ba mismo nag ask na 22k yung D40?
February 5th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
@Lawstude: It can be a bit intimidating at first but you’ll get a hang of it.
February 5th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
@ Kyels: Cokin is actually a much cheaper brand of filters here. Just above Sunpak and way below B+W and Hoya.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
@ Oggie: Andyan din ako araw-araw lately. Hala last day na pala ngayon!
@ Photo Cache: Yep, Lumix is a Panasonic brand. Congrats on your new cam. I’m sure it will be okay.
@ Lazarus: : Getting really confusing to choose huh among all the good products offered by different brands. Just get what’s comfortable to your style of shooting.
@ Rayts: Uy looking forward to your new UWA. Yep, Jay Alonzo is a nice guy despite being a photo guru for many years now.
@ Sidney: An UWA is always worth the purchase. Thanks Sidney!
@ Rhodyl: Meron naman next year
@ Dyanie: My friend got her D40 from Henry’s booth there.
February 5th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
This is a great event, with major camer companies participatim. It’s great that hey have good looking models to test your photography skills
In this kind of show it’s hard not to find something you’d like to buy, esp the accessories 
February 6th, 2008 at 1:15 am
i hope to see that mall too when i get home
btw thanks for the visit
February 6th, 2008 at 9:42 am
bai ferdz, i was there 3 days out of the 5-day run. each time, i came home with something, hahaha. kagabi, nakahabol pa ako ng omni-bounce for my speedlight. saka na kita usisain kung ano-ano nabili mo pag nagkita tayo
February 6th, 2008 at 11:35 am
you’ve convinced me once again to take up photography as a hobby. i just dont know when to start. hehe.
February 6th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
@ BW: Yes it is. And it’s actually better that people can try the units first before buying. Hehe. I have to really control myself from overspending.
@ Eden: You’ll see lots of development in Glorietta when you get back.
@ Oggie: Hehe. Konti lang nabili ko sa event
@ Barrycade: Start na! hehe
February 6th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Just one thing… is there an idiot’s guide to using dslr or a book of dslr for dummies? i don’t know what to buy next.
February 6th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
@ Lawstude: There are lots of good basic books out there. Cguro instead of buying, I recommend attending those Basic Photography workshops. Iba na kasi pag actual practice. Once you understand the basics of aperture and shutter control. It would be easy to experiment on your settings.
February 6th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
daming pera a…dami pa lakwatsa
February 8th, 2008 at 12:11 am
parang na lungkot po ata ako. di ko alam may ganito sa glorieta na pede ko lang lakarin mula sa opis.
thanks for sharing the photos, ngayon may idea nako may ganitong events. ^_^
February 8th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
such a nice event… and great for photographers like you…
February 10th, 2008 at 3:22 am
i really try, as much as possible, not to look around for gear and accessories as baka mapagasto tuloy :p
visited the exhibits on the last day pero don’t feel that its getting better.
February 10th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
i guess it was a photographer’s haven
February 11th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
sayang hindi ako naka dalo sa Photo World nayan…
February 19th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
So many choices! I don’t know which brand and unit to settle down with!
For my point and shoot, I am currently using a Panasonic DMC FX10.