Industry News
The 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games are anything from the expected worldwide athletic feat—after all, the 2020 games are happening in 2021 and there are no spectators. But as photographers head to the Olympics amidst a list of new restrictions, requirements, and uncertainties, the camera giant is showing off some reassuring images—photos of the stash of loaner camera gear available on site at the Canon photo service center.
Canon regularly has a media booth with access to loaners and repair during the games, but COVID-related restrictions had some photographers concerned that restrictions would keep such a resource from happening this year. On Monday, Canon assured photographers that would not be the case, showing off the inside of its press and photo service center, which also features aisles and aisles of shelves lined with lenses and extra camera bodies.
[Read: Lighting Olympic Sports Portraits on the Fly]
The Press Center will also include support, and, with the loaner gear, Canon has an ambitious goal. The company says the the center “will operate under the motto of ‘Zero Downtime’ so that photographers don’t miss their chance at capturing decisive moments of this intense competition due to equipment trouble or other such problems.” Canon will provide maintenance, repairs and loans to reach that goal.
[Read: Canon’s EOS R3 Mirrorless Set to Mark Some “Firsts”]
As one of the Gold Partners of the Olympic games, Canon’s press center is the largest at the games, according to the company. Unsurprisingly, Canon says photographers will have access to the EOS-1D M Mark III DSLR, as well as the EOS R5 and R6 mirrorless cameras and a slew of telephoto optics. Canon’s remote camera system will also be operating from places like the ceiling to allow a bird’s eye view of some events.
Canon says the media booth will take “thorough precautions against the spread of COVID-19.” After Japan declared a state of emergency earlier this month due to rising COVID cases, the Olympic committee banned all spectators, deviating from the reduced capacity domestic-only crowd.
According to NPR, the event is expected to host around 11,500 athletes and around 79,000 officials, staff, and journalists. The news organization says that athletes as well as others attending the games will have to take two tests before leaving and a third test before leaving the airport in Tokyo. Participants are also expected to quarantine for three days after arrival, use a contract tracing app, take daily rapid tests during the games, and wear masks except for competing and training. NPR says that the athletes also are not allowed to hug or high five, or sight see in Tokyo. Photographers preparing to attend the games have said this year’s event requires multiple COVID-19 tests and extra paperwork.
Coming next month: Photographer Matthew Jordan Smith tells us about his “history-making” assignment at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.