CP+ is the largest consumer camera show in Japan, held early each year in Yokohama.
This week we officially start the CP+ launch window. This is an elaborate and exciting dance whereby each of the Japanese companies attempt to not step on each others' toes with same day launches, but also attempt to make the most impressive introduction that holds up no matter what the others do. The closer to the show opening you can your splash, the better.
I've never quite figured out how the date jockeying gets done. It has to be similar to what happens with Hollywood studios trying to launch blockbuster films. However, in the case of Hollywood, all the studios jockeying for position know what films are coming. I don't know how the Japanese camera companies know exactly what the others are planning, so how can they assess who should get the "best intro dates"? Do they draw for the short chopstick?
To some degree, the CP+ launches have already started. The Korean and Chinese lens makers have already started their new product launches—which is slowing my ability to get everything realigned in the sansmirror lens database—and I'm sure more are imminent. I've got a list now that's about a dozen lenses deep that all should be launched in the next month.
Because no one really introduced anything significant at CES in early January, I'm actually expecting every company to make an introduction of some sort for CP+. The timing and home court advantage is just too good to ignore.
I was originally going to quote a Japanese source to identify what some of those upcoming products likely are, but I'm not really interested in being part of the specific pre-hype hype. The real purpose of this article is different than identifying individual products and pumping the rumor mill. The purpose of this article is to alert you to the fact that the next month will be one of three significant launch windows this year. If you're trying to make purchase decisions, you should know that here in 2024 we're back on a more predictable path with announcements again, something that we haven't had since the pandemic began.
Those three traditional windows are CES/CP+, the usual fiscal Q1 spring launches (typically April/May/NAB), and the early fall period. Two of the companies I follow appear to be gearing up for significant introductions in each of those time frames. However, because of the Paris Olympics, Canon, Nikon, and Sony are going to be organizational tied up with the games from June through August, so their spring launches may be a little earlier this year.
I'm not sure if my Japanese source was accurate or not as to the individual models he told me about, but he was predicting that all six of the major camera players will announce something reasonably significant in the next month, and I believe him: this year should see all the Japanese makers being active at CP+.
