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- Peter
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I always enjoy going to the Societies of Photographers Trade Show in London
It's in a Hammersmith Hotel now, I preferred the previous Bayswater Road hotel venue.
A lot smaller than Birmingham obviously, but more than enough to spend a few hours looking round.
It used to be in January, but just seen its in March next year, I haven't been in the intervening Covid years
The main brands are there along with the usual big dealers and usually some excellent bargains to be had.
Plus you get to see all the Societies members photos that are entered in the various competitions.
It was less than half the size this year compared with pre-Covid times, in and out in 20 minutes but we did a deal on an RF100-500 for SWMBO (same afternoon we rented one from Fixation,,,,prebooked). I hate the venue, on so many levels, difficult to find the entrance to the Novotel and I preferred the other venue on Edgeware Road (more food options).
I may have been guilty of taking my D3 +70-200 to one of the shows. Reason? Not willy-waving for sure but to size up a small bag to use that accomodated that combination snugly, yet still have room for flash and a spare lens. Same bag is still being used and abused.
Haven't been to TPS for a few years now, thought it was a shadow of Focus - weren't there always other events on at NEC (cosplay/comiccon etc..?) that would appeal to some Focus/TPS attendees? I just wanted to get in and out in the shortest time, I hate crowds*. I always used to have a fondness of the good old times when you could roll up to a Kodak or Fuji stand and walk away with a few free rolls of film, not just any old film - stuffy like MS100/1000 and Provia 400X..
Societies in Hammersmith is close to me so it's a long lunch without having to take time off, but I might just be tempted to go to TPS next year for the hell of it.
* not a people person to tell you the truth,,,,