As we come to the end of another Photokina, there's a lot to reflect on. Most of the press have already departed (laaaaazzzy...), dealers have left, taking their hangovers with them, and the lines for bratwurst and low-alcohol Kolsch are much smaller than they were a couple of days ago. During the course of the show we've been around all of the major camera and lens manufacturers' stands, had several interviews with key executives (some of which are yet to be published) and eaten... well, we've eaten some terrible things. On the way, Lars got to speak some German (a biennial treat), Barney only slipped up on the highly polished floor once, and no-one locked themselves out of their hotel room. Not bad going. 

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But it's not all high-pressure meetings, floor-scating and lukewarm schnitzel, we've also taken some time to check out the smaller exhibitors' stands. Along the way, we've learned a lot, met some great people, and seen some very weird things. Here are some pictures - enjoy, and thanks for reading! 

Barney, Lars, and Richard. 

The Koelnmesse is the venue for Photokina A well-known name in the imaging world...
Swiss precision optics at the Sinar stand. And Japanese ones in the Olympus XZ-2.
Vanguard is only one... ...of many tripod and camera support manufacturers at the show.
Polaroid, another well-known name from the past, displays its... ...instant cameras...
...and its range of action cameras. There is equipment for star gazers...
...and wildlife photographers. You can see bags in all shapes and colors...
...or test a camouflage hide. Staff are busy at the Novoflex expert desk...
...and on the Phase One presentation stage. Richter studio lighting
The 1. FC Cologne mascot abused as a lighting subject Espon large format printers
Performance at the Panasonic booth Endless selection of lighting and accessories...
...at the Bowens stand Even more flash heads
PocketWizard Benro tripods
Booms and... ...bags
The Hensel demonstration in hall 6 is very busy. The innovative ballpod camera support
Carbon fibre rotor blades... ...are helping Mirrorless cameras take off.
A robotic photo table Elinchrome shows off its lighting equipment...
...and Sekonic its light meters. There's a chopper at the Mamiya stand...
...and a London bus in hall 6. Get your picture taken on a jetski...
...or browse the paper selection from Canson. Artists...
...and art... ...are on display throughout the show.
The Panasonic stand had it's very own jungle set, complete with improbably-attired explorer (exploress?)
Scale models are all the rage at this year's show. This model of Chartres Cathedral appears to be made out of matchsticks... ...and whittled-down matchsticks, for the finer details.
Cologne's Gothic architectural influence extends even to the Lego buildings. Exploded views were another theme of the show - with makers wanting to show off what they"d crammed in.
Samsung wants you to use its latest 'Note' mini-tablet as a sketchbook.  And here's a rare species - the Gorillapod Tree. Forrested nearly to extinction across the globe, it flourishes at tradeshows. 
Speaking of wildlife, there were plenty of attractive specimens on show, around Photokina. We don't know what he's doing either. Best not to ask. 
Not all of the models were human. Some, like this one, were terrifying.  We can't remember where this display was, but we stared at it for hours....
Hasselblad wants you to believe that it's new Lunar ILC channels the spirit of the Apollo space program. We're not so sure, but here's the real thing - NASA converted 500-series cameras, with signed photos of the astronauts that used them. We're not sure, but could this be a prototype of the rumored Sony/Hasselblad DSLR? We didn't spot a price-tag but let's make one up for fun. One MEEEEEEEELION dollars. Sound fair?
There are plenty of chances to learn some photography tips, or just get some practice. Not quite the final result, but it looks like '3' has it. Here's a reminder of the choices.
They take security very seriously at Photokina, but we'd be more scared if the guards weren't texting... Can't we all just be friends