With The Photography & Video Show 2024 in the home straight, with today being the final day of the event, the DCW team sat down to look over the biggest, brightest and most deserving products for our Digital Camera World Best in Show Awards.
There was so much great tech, innovative tech, useful tech and just plain cool tech across all areas of imaging. Stills, video, cameras, lenses and all manner of add-ons and accessories were well represented, with manufacturers both big and small putting their finest products in front of the industry at the European show.
Here's a rundown, in no particular order, of the products that wowed us this year – and to which we bestowed the coveted DCW Best in Show Awards for 2024…
Canon's 3D / VR / 180° / 360° / 8K / streaming tech
The future is 3D. The future is VR. And Canon is democratizing both platforms to bring them to more users than ever. The manufacturer showcased a pair of lenses for its APS-C cameras like the Canon EOS R7: one stereoscopic 3D and one stereoscopic VR.
However, it's gone one better: it also unveiled a pocket-sized camera that shoots 180° and 360° VR. Better yet, it can shoot 4K and 8K and can even stream. Is the future live streaming VR video? If anyone can, Canon can!
Stand: N500, N400
Samyang V-AF anamorphic adapter
Once upon a time, videographers had to invest in a set of cinema lenses and a set of anamorphic lenses – but only if they could justify the cost, which priced them out of most people's budget.
Samyang, however, has introduced this amazing 1.7x Anamorphic MF Adapter that transforms any of its V-AF cine lenses into an anamorphic lens! I was being filmed for some content by a TV crew over the weekend of the show, and when I mentioned this adapter their eyes absolutely lit up – this could be a game changer for anyone who shoots high-end video! Read our full story
Stand: L400
SmokeNinja
This is one of the coolest creative tools I've ever seen: a handheld and totally wire-free smoke machine that creatives stunning fog, steam and dry ice effects for creative content.
Conceptual portraits, moody movies, atmospheric product shots, even just adding some subtle texture ambience and to a photo or video shoot – the SmokeNinja is a fantastic little device that you have to see in person yourself!
Stand: K201
PgyTech card case with reader
Sick of having to carry memory cards and a memory card reader? PGYTech has the solution with its CreateMate Card Reader cases that combine a card holder and reader in one!
After launching an SD card version last year, two additional CFexpress CreateMate Card Reader cases have been unveiled: one for CFexpress Type A and one for Type B. Not only can they hold CFexpress cards (either three As or two Bs) they can also store three SDs, four microSDs, two Nano SIMs and a card ejector pin. See our full story
Stand: L400
HikMicro Habrok 4K Hunting Daywalker
It has one of the coolest names of any product at The Photography & Video Show, but the Hunting Daywalker is definitely substance as well as style. These 4K thermal binoculars pack an optical and a thermal lens, with the ability to switch between them at the stab of a button.
It also features an IR illuminator and laser rangefinder, offers high-level IP67 water protection, and includes integrated 64GB of storage to capture 4K video footage. See our full story
Stand: L200
Calibrite Display 123
If you're reading this website, you should be calibrating your monitor. And doing so just became more accessible than ever, thanks to the Display 123 from Calibrite – the most affordable calibrator on the market.
More than that, it's absolutely tiny – it's just an inch and a bit in length, making it the smallest on the market as well! A supremely straightforward and simple-to-use device for just over a hundred bucks, it should be in everybody's shopping cart. See our full story
Stand: D701
Instax Mini 99
Is this the best instant camera ever? I think it makes a great case! It's certainly one of the most creative I've ever seen, and not just in the obvious ways that instant cameras have become known for such as double exposures.
The Instax Mini 99 features all the usual tricks, but also boasts a series of LED lights inside the lens system – which means you can create authentic light leak effects and color casts that develop with your photographs as the film exposes!
Stand: J505
Yongnuo YN11mm f/1.8S DA DSM WL
Now this is neat! Yongnuo's newest lens is a fast, ultra-wide 11mm prime lens with autofocus for Sony cameras – cool enough in its own right. However, the company has also created a companion wireless follow focus unit to accompany it.
Pair the unit and you can manually pull focus with a physical dial, set A/B focus points to pull between, and even start and stop recording. Creators are going to be all over this one! See our full story
Stand: K205
Joby SeaPal
If you're anything like me, you're sick of having to change your smartphone accessories whenever the latest model comes out – or if you decide to switch from an iPhone to a Samsung.
Joby has solved this issue for underwater shooters with the SeaPal, a rock-solid waterproof housing for camera phones that offers universal compatibility for the last couple of generations of the big brands, and also features a Bluetooth pistol grip to snap shots as well as a dome for those split-level shot above and below the water line!
Stand: L191
Vanguard Alta Pro 3VRL
Vanguard's new Alta Pro 3VRL tripod range makes leveling a breeze for videographers, even using multiple setups, thanks to the LVL leveling system – boasting a handle to quickly position, lock, unlock and reposition in seconds. And the Platform 30 system enables you to switch setups without having to remove the head – a dream for anyone wanting to get multiple shots with minimal fuss.
The new 3VRL family (VRL standing for "Video Removable Level") is available in carbon fiber and aluminum, as well as configurations with a variety of video heads.
Stand: C500
Capix AGO film processor
Analog shooters who want to process film at home with more precision than the "boil in the bath" approach will be in love with the AGO semi-automatic film processor.
A great balance between making film development more accessible while also making it more consistent, the AGO takes care of agitation and keeps an eye on temperature and timing to make the process as pain-free as possible. See our full story
Stand: D400
Laowa 10mm f/2.8 Zero-D
I love Laowa lenses in general, but I've always been bowled over by the Zero-D range – wide-angle lenses with a claimed (and usually realized) zero distortion. Now the series has hit a new landmark with the 10mm f/2.8 – the widest full frame rectilinear lens you can buy.
While Laowa does state that the performance is actually "close to zero", for an ultra-wide with a 130.4° angle of view that's still pretty dang impressive. Sony and Nikon Z users will be able to get an autofocus version of the lens, while L-Mount and Canon RF owners are limited to manual focus. See our full story
Stand: B601
You might be interested in the best 360 cameras, the best VR headsets, the best mirrorless cameras, the best wide-angle lenses or the best binoculars.
