Industry notes for the week of April 11
Interesting reads from around the web
Lifetouch temporarily reopens Chesapeake plant
Lifetouch expects to have a little more than 100 people working to continue producing its school photo products, including spring class photos shot before schools closed early, as well as student IDs and high-resolution digital images for school yearbooks, according to the Virginia Pilot. The company announced in February was shuttering the plant permanently, but reopened the plant temporarily with a limited crew while complying with state health guidelines. Shutterfly, Lifetouch’s parent company, still plans to close the plant permanently by June.
VSCO CMO Shares the Keys to Building Iconic BrandsApps and updates
Tesa Aragones believes in the value of connections over conversions when it comes to building iconic brands. It’s something she’s learned from more than 25 years of stewarding global brands including Nike, Volkswagen, Apple and Bacardi. And now, as chief marketer for mobile photo app VSCO, Tesa is putting new visual storytelling tools in the hands of consumers to fuel a new generation of creators, via Adweek.
Firmware updates
Sony Alpha α9 II Firmware update 2.00 brings enhancements
Sony announced the Sony Alpha Firmware α9 II 2.00 with several new functions and enhancements including the ability to protect the sensor from dust and debris by closing the mechanical shutter when changing lenses, display the camera’s MAC address as a QR code, save custom camera settings on My MENU and Face/Eye Priority autofocus customization, among others.
Blackmagic Design announces Blackmagic Camera Update 6.9
Blackmagic Design announced a new software update for its popular Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K and 6K models including powerful studio camera features. Customers can connect to an ATEM Mini switcher and get control of the camera parameters, lens, and tally light.
Panasonic releases minor 1.5 firmware update for its Lumix S1, S1R cameras
Panasonic has released a minor firmware update for its Lumix DC-S1 and DC-S1R mirrorless camera systems. Firmware version 1.5 adds support for ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type B cards as well as a new 50p/25p video frame rate option for NTSC region cameras.
Financial news
Largan reports improved March quarter
Camera lens maker Largan Precision Co., posts record March revenue of more than NT$5.4 billion, a 38.67 percent increase, according to the Taipei Times. Last month’s figure also grew 48.26 percent from February, ending three consecutive months of sequential losses, company data showed.
RRD announces actions to COVID-19 pandemic
R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company reduces staff, increases cash on hand to $460 million, temporarily suspends quarterly dividend, and withdraws Full Year 2020 Guidance
People on the Move
GotPhoto announces two U.S. executives
GotPhoto Inc., the leader in workflow platforms for volume school photographers, announced the hiring of two executives – Karen D. Sweet and Christoph Ebhart – to lead efforts to expand its growing North American presence.