This Summer, Sony's 2024 Kando tour gathered Sony photographers and filmmakers across Europe. Almost every European country was represented by a creator, with nine Sony European regions hosting their own events.

"We bring all of the creators on a trip, and they try all our gear. We update them on what's new from lenses to cameras, and all the new technology and features. We want creators to get to know our products and how they can use them," explains Sony Product Manager Sara Carreira.

Each of the nine trips had its own themes and events. "We didn't want to just take the photographers and filmmakers out on a photo walk around a city," Carreira notes. "This year, each region created immersive experiences with different Sony Ambassadors leading each one. The focus was on creating immersive experiences where creators could truly engage with the technology and each other.”

The tour started in the Summer with Sony ambassadors and creators from Germany travelling to France and exploring Marseille's coastline. They shot landscape, portrait, and street photography with Sony cameras, including the latest Sony ZV-E10 II. The group focused on capturing the essence of the coastal city through creative challenges, including a specially designed 'bingo' of creative shots to push participants to explore different styles and techniques.

Meanwhile, the Sony France team was also on the French coast, this time in Biarritz. The town's surfing culture and Basque Pelota ball courts provided a great backdrop for testing the speed of the Sony Alpha 9 III's 120fps global shutter. Creators had the chance to create a vlog during a vintage car rally, so they could test their storytelling skills across different mediums.

France proved a popular location this year, with Sony Central & South East visiting the beautiful Châteauform Fillerval. The trip combined a cocktail experience and wedding photography shoot with the dynamic action of shooting professional skateboarders, all within the château's grounds.

On the Portuguese island of Madeira, UK and Ireland creators captured misty morning portraits in the Fanal Forest and incredible landscape images showing the island's beauty. The mystical atmosphere of the location provided perfect conditions for testing low-light capabilities and creative composition techniques.

Sony Italy headed to Favignana, Sicily, where they participated in landscape, portrait, and filmmaking experiences during a cultural exploration of the island. The finale was a sunset shoot at Punta Sottile Lighthouse.

The Sony Benelux team chose Verona as their destination, combining a spectacular astrophotography experience in the mountains with a breathtaking sunrise shoot at Lago di Dobbiaco.

While Nordic ambassadors headed to Lillehammer, Norway, to test the speed of the Sony Alpha cameras shooting downhill mountain biking action. Followed by a much calmer portrait session with Ambassador Brendan de Clercq, which showcased the power of the FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II lens for shooting portraits and the importance of printing your images.

The Swiss and Austrian group headed to the Austrian Alps, where they photographed horses at Gut Enghangen, before a day photographing cars and models at the Bull Spielberg Ring. There was also action in the form of cars racing around the track, allowing the creators to test the autofocus speed of the latest Alpha cameras and lenses.

Sony Ambassador Pablo Gil led a gastronomy photography masterclass in Madrid for Sony Iberia, before creators experienced a wedding-themed experience, complete with smoke, rain, confetti, and veils. In contrast, Antonio Liebana led a wildlife photography experience where attendees put Sony's G Master telephoto lenses and class-leading Sony Alpha cameras to the test, by photographing birds of prey in the Spanish countryside.

Each trip wasn't trying out the latest Sony innovations; it was about community. "Because Europe is so complex with many regions and languages, we want to bring these people closer to us, the ambassadors and the creators, as they are almost the eyes and ears of the wider community," reflects Carreira. "Having one ambassador per country, even from smaller nations like Estonia and Latvia, ensures we have a truly representative voice from across Europe.”

A crucial element of each trip was the Voice of Consumer session. "Sony is at the forefront of changing imaging industry, so it's important we don't lose touch with what people really need," Carreira emphasises. "We often see what we’ve reported back to Japan reflected in next-generation products, showing how seriously feedback is taken.”

The word Kando translates as 'emotional action' and "it’s connected to Sony's motto to 'Fill the world with the power of technology and emotion'," says Sara. This philosophy guided the 2024 Kando Tour, where cutting-edge Sony technology meets passion and creativity. “Photographers, vloggers, and filmmakers all came together and learned with and from one another. We want them to feel they belong to something much bigger. That is what makes the Sony Kando Tour so special.”