Visiting ProFusion Expo

Earlier this month, I ventured into that den of iniquity – the largest photo and video trade show in Canada, called Profusion Expo. It is hosted by retail vendor Vistek here in Toronto. It brings together vendors of all the major camera and video brands, and includes a myriad of special presentations from their ambassadors along with the opportunity to put hands on their latest equipment.

The retail marketplace has changed big-time for this market since Covid. Products are not refreshed as often, and when they are, the new releases are not available everywhere for customers to see and touch before buying. Anything I’ve bought in the last few years has been online or as a “pre-order”, sight unseen. One reason for my going to the show this year was to see what I could not see elsewhere. It did not disappoint.

All of the major photo and video vendors were there, with all of their latest equipment available to play with. One interesting discovery was how the landscape for photo and video has changed – rather than just cameras and lights, you can now also see drones and AI-powered accessories that automate every aspect of the creative process.

The show has shrunk in size over the years. It used to occupy 2 or more floors of the main convention centre in Toronto – it’s now just one. And the hours the show is open have also been reduced from past years. But it’s jam packed with stuff, a feast for the eyes and wallet.

I arrived in the afternoon of the first day and was immediately taken by just how many people were there. In my previous blog post, I talked about the decline in retail camera sales over the last two decades. You would not know it from the hoards on the floor at the show. It is possible that like me, they were there to touch and play with equipment that they otherwise would not have direct access to. And the vendors obliged.

I wandered up and down the rows of displays, intrigued by some and glad to see familiar aspects of others. But I was there to go to Canon’s booth – specifically to see the two flagship cameras they have released in the past few months that nobody has in stock. Another reality of the new retail world. I located and eagerly grabbed a Canon R5 II and was immediately impressed. The grip is beefier, the viewfinder bigger and more brilliant and the autofocus system stuck like glue to anything I pointed the camera at. Then I looked around for the other one – the R1. It was smaller and lighter than I imagined, with an even larger and more brilliant viewfinder. I loved it.

It used to be the case that you could purchase products directly from the vendor booths at the show. Then they moved to centralized processing, where eager Vistek employees had stock in a back room at the show and you could take your prize home with you. Now there is no stock anywhere, and while you can avail yourself of “show discounts” for many products, you need to place orders online and many products are listed as “out of stock” with no estimated delivery date. It sort of takes the magic out of the experience, and frankly probably leads to a lot of folks changing their minds and not indulging in what used to be maybe an impulse purchase.

I wasn’t there to buy anything, but rather to confirm that the decision not to buy was the right one. Many new products are now minor upgrades to older ones, rather than revolutionary. I own the original Canon R5 and I was happy to see that my decision not to upgrade was the right one based on actually holding and using the upgraded equipment. While nice, nothing can now justify the almost 5 figure pricing on these products by the time you include everything – hardware, warranty, spare accessories like batteries, taxes, etc. I do wonder how many people actually did buy high end products after visiting the show. It was probably a lot less than in previous years.

I took in a few of the presentations as well, always eager to learn from those who do this professionally for a living. Just watching them work was cool, as some did hands-on displays of portrait or event shoots or even movie staging and capture. My one take-home this time was around wildlife photography – specifically taking the time to observe and understand your subjects before trying to capture them digitally. I’m hearing that a lot more now – the key to successful photography is actually slowing down your process, which is a bit ironic given the manufacturers harping about faster and faster capture rates, lol. Not only do we NOT need 100 megapixel cameras, we do NOT need 40 frames per second.

I was able to get through the show in one afternoon, including having a chat with some folks about custom laser-cut foam inserts for cases that I might avail myself of to store my telescopes. So there really was something for everyone at the show.

I do recommend this experience if you are interested in photography and want to see what new developments are out there. These events may now be the only way to put hands-on any equipment you might be considering. While I like the convenience of online ordering, I really do prefer to get to know the products up-close and personal for any high-end purchase. I guess YouTube will have to continue to fill that bill for us going forward. The other benefit for me in this afternoon out was just being around people who are as enthusiastic about the visual arts as I am. I just enjoyed the vibe. And that’s not a bad thing to leave with either.