ELIGIBILITY
The period of eligibility for the Camera Magazine Imaging Awards traditionally ran from 1 October to 30 September, but this year we made a slight adjustment to extend it to 31 October, primarily to accommodate a number of significant new announcements (assuming we could actually get our hands on the products). Next year, the plan is to simplify matters and simply run for the calendar year, announcing the winners in the January/February issue.
With the Photokina exhibition no longer in the picture, we don’t have to consider what was once traditionally the launch pad for many big new product announcements.
Another requirement for eligibility is that a product must be available for purchase by the time we announce the winners (obviously also extended to 31 October this year). This means being physically available at retail outlets in the country’s major metropolitan centres as well as from online sellers. This is simply because, firstly, we – or one of our affiliates – actually have to be able to evaluate the product and, secondly, if you’re sufficient enthused by a winner to want to buy it, it’s frustrating if you have to wait. Or you’ll lose patience and buy something else, in which case nobody wins.
We spend the whole year compiling long lists of potential winners and these are fine-tuned as we go along, including after we’ve been involved with the annual TIPA World Awards judging earlier in the year. All the eligible products in each category are evaluated on a number of design, operational and performance criteria. The key consideration is just how effectively has the design brief been met and whether the product delivers everything that’s promised, including in all performance areas. Being a TIPA member, we also access all the performance data from Camera Engineering, the Cologne-based lab that runs all the group’s camera tests. Additionally, as part of the global Future Publishing empire, we can talk to our colleagues at Digital Camera World about their tests and findings.
Price is also taken into account, but isn’t necessarily a deciding factor as some products would still be winners even if they cost a whole lot more because they’re just so much better than anything else in the category. That said, some products represent such exceptional value for money that the price simply can’t be ignored.
Each of the judging criteria carries a point score. After we’ve arrived at shortlists of the topscoring products in each category, we then take a look at more subjective elements, like styling, user experience and the many other, often small, details that endow a product, particularly cameras, with emotional appeal. These characteristics can – and often do – make all the difference in a final judgement and it’s a very complete product indeed that appeals to both the heart and the head.