Camera Grand Prix 2017

Camera Grand Prix 2017 / CJPC

Camera Grand Prix 2017 -outline-

Camera Grand Prix is held by Camera Journal Press Club (CJPC, Japan), a group of representatives from magazines or websites specializing in photos and cameras. CJPC, established in September 1963, has 10 members from the media as of April 2017. The selection committee, organized under the auspices of CJPC’s Camera Grand Prix Executive Committee, deliberates and selects the best products to give the four awards from among those introduced into the market during the previous fiscal year (from April 1 to March 31).

Camera Grand Prix “Camera of the Year” is granted to a still camera recognized as the best of all released during the period. “Lens of the Year” is awarded to the best lens launched in the Japanese market, while “Readers Award” is determined by general camera users’ vote on a dedicated website. (The voting period in 2017 was from March 18 to April 9.) In addition, CJPC members give “Editors Award” to a camera or another form of photography-related product, excluding the one awarded “Camera of the Year”, in consideration for the product’s popularity, topicality, and innovativeness.

Camera of The Year
The award went to the OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 Mark II
(production company : Olympus Corporation.)

Lens of The Year
The award went to the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS PRO
(production company : Olympus Corporation.)

Readers Award
The Readers Award went to the OM-D E-M1 Mark II (production company : Olympus Corporation.). The award was stablished in 2008, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Camera Grand Prix. The winner is selected by general readers' votes.

Editors Award
As the result of a conference of C.J.P.C. members, the D500 (production company : Nikon Corporation,) and the GFX 50S(production company : Fujifilm Corporation.) were selected for Editors Award.

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【GUIDE LINE】
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Email: camera-gp@cjpc.jp

Camera of The Year

OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 Mark II

Reasons for choice
As three years passed since OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1, a Camera Grand Prix 2014 Editors Award winner, was first launched in 2013, this new flagship model OM-D E-M1 Mark II has marked another development and further expanded the concept of the mirrorless camera. It shows us an exciting future vision. Its sequential shooting performance exceeds that of single-lens reflex cameras, with the maximum fps at 18 in continuous AF/AE tracking and even 60 fps in single AF/AE on the silent sequential shooting mode. Its autofocus performance is such that you can readily capture even fast-moving subjects. It is amazing that its 5-axis in-body image stabilization system provides up to 6.5 shutter speed steps when paired with a compatible lens. The image quality and credibility are great enough for professionals and amateurs alike, with its good portability allowing them to use it quite casually. As the dust-proof and splash-proof body gives a comfortable grip, you can use it for a wide variety of photo opportunities.

In recognition of these features, we have selected OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 Mark II for Camera Grand Prix 2017 Camera of the Year.

Lens of The Year

M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS PRO

Reasons for choice
Although classified as a high magnification zoom lens, its performance goes beyond what is expected for the class. It provides not only standard but also telephoto zooming, with its constant f4.0 aperture. This is quite an all-rounder you can rely on for every type of subjects and locations. It boasts superior resolution in all the zoom range with suppressed aberration. The image quality is so excellent that you might doubt it is really a zoom lens. When combined with OM-D E-M1 Mark II, the image stabilization goes up to surprising 6.5 shutter speed steps of compensation (based on CIPA standards), which enables your handheld shooting for 1 second or longer. You might say you don’t need a tripod anymore.

In recognition of these features, we have selected OLYMPUS M. ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS PRO for Camera Grand Prix 2017 Lens of the Year.

OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 Mark II

Reasons for choice
Readers Award was established in 2008 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Camera Grand Prix. The award is determined by general users’ voting on a dedicated website. The voting period this time was from March 18 to April 9, 2017.

This year OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 Mark II won the most votes. Here are some of the voters’ comments.
・ This mirrorless model excels single-lens reflex cameras. This is remarkable in the history of cameras. (male, age 55)
・ It can focus on a flying bird in no time, while showing an excellent camera shake compensation even for night scene shooting. This is astonishing. (male, age 42)
・ Possibly due to my poor shooting techniques, my camera always moves or shakes when I release the shutter or just breath. The thorough image stabilization system like this sounds quite exciting. I can expect a great image quality. (female, age 49)
・ It gives us a vision for the mirrorless camera in the future. (male, age 57)
・ Its auto focus is so quick that I can easily capture moving subjects. It gave me an opportunity to try a new type of pictures that I had never taken. (male, age 25)
・ It has an incredible autofocus capability comparable to that of SLR, great sequential shooting performance, unique Pro Capture mode, and the startling level of camera shake compensation. (male, age 58)
・ I found its autofocus performance far better than the previous model’s. Since I bought this model to replace my old one, I have been satisfied with my pictures of sumo wrestlers. (female, age 41)
・ This innovative camera impressed me greatly! (male, age 50)
・ The electronic viewfinder responds quickly, while offering very fast continuous shooting. This mirrorless camera beats single-lens reflex cameras in performance. (male, age 43)
・ It is dust-proof and splash-proof, having up to 5.5 shutter speed steps of compensation with the 5-axis in-body image stabilization. You can use it without any worries. (female, age 55)
・ Its auto focus is so accurate even when you shoot a moving subject. (male, age 60)
・ It has almost everything I would expect of a camera, such as an electronic viewfinder with good visibility and speedy continuous shooting functions. (male, age 53)
・ I am voting for this one, because I am sure that its capabilities are great enough to influence the future concept of cameras. (male, age 48)
・ After 10 years, we will call the launch of this model a milestone in cameras’ history. (male, age 49)
・ I vote for this because its specs can match digital single-lens reflex cameras’, while it is compact and lightweight enough to carry on a long trip. (male, 37)
・ I am surprised to see how far they downsized the body while keeping up the image quality at the same time. The level of camera motion compensation, among others, impressed me enormously! (male, age 57)
・ It is compact, lightweight, full of useful functions and innovative features on top, such as Pro Capture mode and Focus Stacking. I cannot find any other model that could be better than this one. (male, age 60)
・ This one has blurred the line between single-lens reflex cameras and mirrorless single-lens cameras to the maximum. When combined with a specific lens, the machine’s image stabilization becomes so powerful that you can enjoy a slow shutter speed. (female, age 26)
・ Highly advanced. I am amazed at the improvement from the previous model. This new one has eliminated my frustrations when focusing on moving subjects. (male, age 46)
・ A great leap forward from E-M1. It is almost as good as an SLR. (male, age 22)
・ I am thrilled at the plenty of functions and features, all packed into the compact body. (male, age 56)
・ I held it at “CP+”, Camera & Photo Imaging Show. It demonstrated an unprecedented level of autofocus tracking and sequential shooting. This is notable because conventional mirrorless cameras have generally been weaker at these points. (male, age 31)

NIKON D500

Reasons for choice
Nikon’s long-awaited flagship in its APS-C digital single-lens reflex category. Adopting the same autofocus sensor module as that on “D5”, Nikon’s 35mm-full-frame DSLR flagship, D500 is moderately priced, readily available for non-professional users. The cost performance without compromising its basic features was the crucial point we highly evaluated. With the rugged body, the quality viewfinder, and the powerful continuous shooting capability, it deserves to be called high-end. D500 surely played a role in enhancing the appeal of APS-C cameras in general.

Its AF that covers a wide portion of the image area as well as the high accuracy for acquiring moving subjects are also marvellous. This model has demonstrated once again the attractiveness of SLR cameras to us, in the time when mirrorless cameras often draw more attention for their remarkable evolution.

Fujifilm GFX 50S

Reasons for choice
The success of this model has contributed to a wider recognition of medium-format mirrorless cameras as a new genre. Although its image sensor is approximately 1.66 times as large as 35mm-format, the body is compact and lightweight, taking full advantage of the mirrorless structure. You can call this product the fruit of Fujifilm’s tradition and its latest technology, since the “medium-format” is closely associated with the manufacturer’s history, which has long been producing medium-format film cameras. We highly appreciated not only the outstanding resolution but also the high degree of perfection, achieved through the company’s long-year experience and credit in developing its X-series APS-C mirrorless cameras. This is notable in that GFX 50S is the first unit on the new product line.

Camera Journal Press Club/JAPAN