Fujifilm Message Strong At Focus

Fujifilm continued to strongly challenge industry speculation on the future of photographic film at this year's Focus exhibition, by announcing significant investment in film camera technology, and introducing several new 35mm and APS film cameras to its product portfolio.

The eagerly awaited launch of the S3 Pro was also announced. Available towards the end of 2004, the S3 Pro will feature Fujifilm's Super CCD SR sensor, enabling dramatically improved dynamic range.

Three new digital cameras were also unveiled - the FinePix S20 Pro, an SLR style camera and the FinePix A330 Zoom and FinePix A340 Zoom both small compact cameras for the consumer market.

Tony Lawrence, director of Photofinishing and Image Processing at Fujifilm commented:

"There's no doubt that the digital market is an exciting one, but there are several reasons why film remains the preferred medium for many photographers. We believe that all customers - whether professional or consumer should have a choice of film or digital photography."

"Products such as 35mm zoom compacts, entry-level, easy-to-use fun cameras - and certain APS models such as the Fujifilm Q1, are showing notable resilience. On top of this, single use cameras are demonstrating remarkable growth, with sales increasing by almost 30% year on year in the UK."

"Raising awareness among consumers of printing options from digital is also a priority, as this will enable labs to maximise on print business from digital media," continued Tony.

"There's no doubt the market is evolving rapidly and we are constantly developing new ways in which we can support our labs and help them grow their own businesses."

Fujifilm Equipment and Systems had a strong presence on the stand, showcasing the new SP3000 scanner for Frontier 355 and 375 - including features such as faster, single pass scanning, automatic dust and scratch removal, red-eye eliminator, and a dual carrier for 135 & APS. Preview demonstrations were also available on the new LablinkPro software - which allows pro-photographers to edit, store and order prints from their digital images via chosen prolabs.

PrintPix - a new kiosk which enables retailers and businesses without digital minilabs to print from digital media was also on show. Frontier Manager featured on the Fujifilm stand too - a new EPOS system for retailers which links directly into Frontier digital minilabs - increasing productivity, eliminating errors and enabling total stock control and sales reporting.

For more information on Fujifilm products visit www.fujifilm.co.uk