8K, big capacity point to future trend at P&I Shanghai Show

Credit: Zhu Shenshen / SHINE

Caption: Visitors pass a camera model at the Photo & Imaging Shanghai 2023 show that opened on Thursday.

Fueled by booming demand from the tourism, sports and vlog sectors, high-definition images of up to 8K resolution and big capacity storage have become a new trend in China's photography and video device market, industry officials told an professional photo show that opened in Shanghai on Thursday.

The Photo & Imaging Shanghai 2023 (P&I Shanghai) show kicked off at the Shanghai New International Expo Center in the Pudong New Area. A slew of companies, including Canon, China Lucky Film, Lexar, Sony and other device and service vendors, are attending the three-day show. They are showcasing innovation and products covering 8K, livestream, digital avatar and AI image optimization.

Credit: Zhu Shenshen / SHINE

Caption: Canon is showcasing 8K and other innovation at the P&I Shanghai show.

Canon, in collaboration with partners like Hisense, Lexar and content producers, is establishing an 8K ecosystem in China. Some devices, including the 8K-enabled camera Canon R5, will be used at the upcoming 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, neighboring Zhejiang Province.

The 4K and 8K technologies, which offer super high image quality, are expected to be popular in China in the future amid device and technology development, covering content creation and TV broadcasting, according to the China Video Industry Association.

Also during the show, storage vendor Lexar released upgraded products boasting bigger memory capacity and higher speed for image and video transmission. The flagship product includes a two tigabyte (2 TB) memory card, which can store nine hours of 8K videos or up to 725,000 pictures and support fast data transmission.

Credit: Ti Gong

Caption: A Shanghai Memory photography show is on at the Lexar booth, showing the changes in and the magic of the city.

Travel, vlog, drone and sports camera applications are spurring demand for memory cards. According to Lexar, the company's revenue in the Chinese market may grow 50 percent in 2023 as tourism and outing demands rebound.

At the show, Lexar is hosting a popular photography show Shanghai Memory at its booth. Created by local photographer Er Dongqiang, it displays city pictures of today and the past, showing the changes in and the magic of Shanghai.

The P&I Shanghai show is free for the public; visitors can scan the QR code below to make reservations.