Three Days at the BSC Expo

I spent all three days at this year’s BSC Expo — the VIP day and both public days — and it was, without question, one of the most energising industry events I’ve attended in a long time.

What struck me most wasn’t just the scale of it, but the sense of momentum around craft. Film, lenses, new engineering ideas, high-level technical conversations — it felt like being properly in the room, surrounded by people who care deeply about the image.

The Magellan 65

A major highlight for me was spending time with the Logmar Magellan 65 motion picture film camera. Chaperoned, as it was by the people from the Salford Celluloid Centre of Excellence and the guys from MK-V. I’ve been involved with it for a while now, but seeing it on the floor, in front of working cinematographers and operators, was something else.

What I particularly enjoyed was bringing people over to see it — and then stepping back.

Watching experienced operators and DPs react to it was fascinating. There’s a moment when someone realises this isn’t a theoretical concept or a nostalgic indulgence, but a serious large-format motion picture camera. You can see it register. A few were genuinely blown away.

That was satisfying — not because it felt like “selling” something, but because it felt like advocating for format. Large-format film isn’t abstract. It’s viable. It exists. And it’s evolving.

Me with some of the people from the Salford Celluloid Centre of Excellence and the Logmar Magellan 65mm motion picture film camera.

The K65K High-Speed 65mm Camera

Another standout was the K65K high-speed 65mm film camera.

It’s enormous — 80kg of magnesium engineering, finished in a striking bright red; it can shoot 65mm film (celluloid) at up to 800 fps! It has a presence. You don’t casually sling it over your shoulder. You hire it for a specific shot, and it arrives with its own technicians.

At its heart it’s a modified Photosonics, adapted for 65mm. It’s specialised, uncompromising, and unapologetically mechanical. Seeing that level of engineering applied to film in 2026 felt significant.

It reinforced something I’ve been feeling for a while: celluloid isn’t retreating. It’s refining.

Conversations and Reconnections

Expos are about equipment, but they’re really about people.

One of the real pleasures of the three days was reconnecting with friends and colleagues I haven’t seen for ages. People in The ACO, BSC, camera people, lighting people, grips and the occasional director. Long conversations. Proper catch-ups. Discussions about stock, workflow, large format, testing, and the realities of getting projects made.

Those conversations are where the real value lies. The gear is the catalyst. The relationships are the foundation.

The Seminar Programme

The seminar programme was varied and thoughtful — not just product showcases, but discussions about process, collaboration, and the future of cinematography. It’s encouraging to see a balance between innovation and craft being taken seriously.

Leaving Energised

I left the Expo feeling both tired and energised — the good kind of tired.

Three days immersed in cameras, stock, engineering and conversation is a reminder of why we do this. Not for the hype, but for the image. For the craft. For the shared obsession with how light meets emulsion.

If there was one takeaway for me, it’s this:

Film is not a niche conversation happening in the margins. It’s very much part of the present — and the future.

And it felt good to be there for all three days, fully part of that conversation.

Mark