Announced in April, the Tokina Reflex 300mm f/6.3 mirror lens is now available in Europe. The 600mm equivalent Micro Four Thirds lens measures only 66x66mm (length x diameter) and weighs in at less than 300 grams, making it remarkably small and lightweight for a super-telephoto optic. Like the vast majority of mirror lenses, the Tokina Reflex 300mm f/6.3 is a manual-focus lens with a fixed aperture. The lens takes 55mm filters, focuses down to 0.8m and offers a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:2. In the euro zone, the Tokina Reflex 300mm f/6.3 is available for a MSRP of €399.

Submissions are now open for Melbourne’s second open?air photo journalism essay exhibition. Prospective entrants are encouraged to submit a photo essay, of up to 10 images, that tell a story. The Long and the Short of It will screen the successful photo essays over a 3?week period at Federation Square. Applications close 5 October 2012.

Pöstyén//Pieš?any-based 84.5mm is a start-up specialising in the development and manufacture of hand-made professional photographic and cinematographic filters. “Our filters are made of special organic glass, which is characterized by excellent optical and mechanical features,” the company says. “The brand name represents the standard 84.5mm width of our best selling filters, which are of course fully compatible with commercially available conventional [square-type] photographic filter holders.” The line-up includes graduated colour and neutral density filters, with a range of stripe filters in the making.  The filters are available priced from €19.90-€24.90 plus shipping through the website below.

Brenthaven has launched the BX2 Camera Collection, a new line of camera bags designed with input from professional photographers. The BX2 Collection features various styles and designs from over the shoulder cases, to high capacity backpacks and messenger bags that fit both laptops and DSLR cameras. The cases are made with a durable and water resistant exterior body material that stays cool in direct sunlight during a long shoot.All BX2 items incorporate Brenthaven’s proprietary extreme foam protection technology to ensure the photography equipment is safe from damage. The BX2 cases and bags are available now, priced from $39.95-$179.95.

Children with Cancer, a UK-based children’s charity, has extended its photography competition deadline to encourage more entrants. The contest theme is simply ‘Childhood’ and there are two categories for entrants: children (aged 16 years or under) and adults (aged 17 years or over). Each entry must be accompanied by a minimum donation of £5 for children and £10 for adults. The new deadline for entries is midnight on Friday 17th August 2012. As always, we suggest that you read the terms and conditions before entering your work.

The Canon PowerShot A3400 IS compact camera is aimed squarely at photography beginners. Offering a 3 inch touch-screen interface, 16 megapixel sensor, 5x wide-angle zoom lens and a very attractive price tag of less than £130 / $150, the A3400 IS looks like the perfect family camera. Read our Canon PowerShot A3400 IS review to find out if that's the case...

The Nikon Coolpix L810 is an affordable super-zoom compact camera sporting a 26x zoom lens. The 16 megapixel bridge-style Nikon L810 has a 3-inch 921K-dot LCD screen, 720p movies and uses AA batteries. Read our Nikon Coolpix L810 review to find out if the budget price-tag is too good to be true...

In support of the Kata 3N1 camera sling / backpack and other bags in the Kata product line, Manfrotto Distribution and Kata have announced the Kata Online Quick Draw Challenge. For this online, interactive game, Kata has lined up four of the fastest camera slingers on the web. Each of the four characters is armed with a different KATA bag, which enables them to draw a camera and shoot quickly and with ease. Users are welcome to choose a character and try to draw their camera at home as quick as possible, and “shoot” their opponent before he or she shoots them. Another option to compete and win is to dress up as the most convincing camera slinger and submit the pictures to the contest. Both games are played via webcam, and 5 lucky winners will be chosen each month to receive a KATA 3-N-1 25 PL camera bag.

The previously announced Canon EOS 7D firmware update is now available to download. Version 2 adds “powerful memory management algorithms” that allow the camera’s buffer to accommodate up to 25 raw files, adds in-camera raw file editing, image rating and JPEG resizing, customisable auto ISO, manual audio level adjustment in movie recording, compatibility with the GP-E2 GPS unit, file name customisation and faster scrolling of magnified images in playback. You can download the firmware upgrade from the website below.

Canon UK today announced the launch of four compact all-in-one Pixma printers optimised for printing documents from the internet and photo lab quality images at home. The entry-level Pixma MP230 (£44/€49) is an affordable printer with print, scan and copy functions, a stylish matte black design and compact footprint. The Pixma MG2250 (£49/€59) is a competitively priced all-in-one device featuring a seven-segment LCD display and Canon’s FastFront design. It can print 10x15cm borderless photos in approximately 44 seconds. The Pixma MG3250 (£69/€79) includes all the features of the MG2250 but offers faster print speeds, built-in Wi-Fi and a free smartphone and tablet app for printing photos and scanning. Finally, the range-topping Pixma MG4250 (£79/€89) comes with a 6.2cm colour TFT display, built-in Wi-Fi and the Pixma Cloud Link, which includes direct access to Picasa online albums, Web Template Print and Google Cloud Print.

LPA Design has announced a new update to its ControlTL firmware for both Nikon and Canon versions of its PocketWizard MiniTT1 and FlexTT5 radios. Available now, firmware version 3.150 for Nikon and 6.150 for Canon include several new features and updates including compatibility with more cameras (Nikon D4, D800 and D800E) and flash units (Nikon SB-910 Speedlight, Canon 600 EX-RT Speedlite and ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter), support for the Sekonic RT-32CTL module, and a new optimised rear curtain sync utility control. Compatibility for the Canon 5D Mark III is not available at this time but firmware for this camera should be available in the near future, the company says.

Richmond, Virginia-based photographer Cameron Texter has started a Kickstarter project to fund the manufacture of its invention, the Lynny selective focusing, special effects lens. “The Lynny is the lens system for actually having fun with photography, while at the same time, getting you the most incredible photographs ever taken, all without the single press of a button in photo editing applications, because the special effects are built inside the lens,” Cameron explains. With 3 more days to go, the project needs just over $1,000 to be funded - so if you’re interested, check out the Lynny Lens System page at the website below.

Filmmaker Kyle Hart has launched a new Kickstarter project to raise funds for his “Rhino Slider,” an adaptable, lightweight camera slider that uses 12 bearings inside of 6 self lubricating rollers. “The problem is that most sliders in the market fit into one of 2 categories: inexpensive “friction based” tracks that stick easily, or heavy over-priced full roller bearing units,” Kyle says. “My goal was to create the ultimate slider that used roller bearings, could be lightweight, and adapt to any environment or camera. Meet the Rhino Slider.” The ultra-smooth 48” slider features locking all-terrain legs and micro adjustable feet.that fold up for travel. Interested readers are encouraged to visit the project’s Kickstarter page.

The UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) has announced a number of photo walks giving photographers unique ‘behind the scenes’ access to a number of British science laboratories. The science Photo Walks will be held at the Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire (11 September), Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire (13 September), Chilbolton Observatory in Hampshire (19 September) and United Kingdom Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC) in Edinburgh (21 September). Photographers will be able to enter their images to a regional, national and international competition for public and expert judging. The best British images will qualify for an international competition against images from laboratories in the United States, Germany, Italy and Canada. Places on the Photo Walks are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Photographers interested in taking part in this free event can register online from 2pm today at the website below.

Boinx Software has released a beta version of FotoMagico 4. The latest upgrade to Boinx Software’s slideshow software adds support for multiple layers, a new timeline for fine-tuned control over slides, improved audio syncing, and many additional updates. To participate in the beta program, simply sign up at the website below to receive download instructions and a temporary licence key via email.

Epson UK has launched its Expression Home range – a series of compact models that deliver both high-quality, glossy photos and crisp, clear text. The Small-in-One line-up features the Expression Home XP-400 Series, XP-300 Series, XP-205, XP-202 and XP-102, allowing users to print, copy and scan. The Expression Home range also includes the Expression Home XP-30, which is Epson’s smallest ever single-function A4 printer. These printers use Epson’s new four-colour Claria Home Ink set, a new entry-level ink formulation that combines the durability of black pigment ink with the glossy colour photo output of dye-based cyan, magenta and yellow inks. The XP-30, XP-102, XP-202, XP-305, (with extra Claria home ink set) and the XP- 405 are available from September, priced at £39.99, £49.99, £59.99, £79.99 and £89.99.

The ninth issue of Adore Noir Magazine is now available for purchase. Now in its second year, Adore Noir is a fine art photography magazine available exclusively in digital format. Featuring beautiful female nudes by Dennis Mecham, surreal street- and landscapes by Emmanuel Coupe-Kalomiris, dreamlike images taken on a home-made camera by Susan Burnstine. compelling portraits by Olivier Borson, pinhole photography by Jürgen Lechner and lith prints from the Mirage series by Susan de Witt; this issue reinforces the magazine’s commitment to high-quality black-and-white imagery. The latest issue of Adore Noir is available for $2.95 from the website below.

Website: Adore Noir

The Casio Exilim EX-ZR300, which was announced in Japan back in May, is now being launched across Europe. The compact travelzoom features a 24-300mm equivalent lens, 16-megapixel sensor, fast AF and support for Toshiba’s new FlashAir range of Wi-Fi enabled memory cards. Available from the end of August, the Casio Exilim EX-ZR300 carries an SRP of €279.

Source: Casio Europe

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is reminding interested photographers that the deadline for entries for its 2012 photo competition is 31st August. The organisers are looking for the most inspirational and creative garden photography and are offering a top prize of £1000 for the overall winner. There is a selection of adult categories from wildlife and people in the garden to plant portraits. Children and young photographers are also invited to compete for the coveted title RHS Young Photographer of the Year, and to win prizes including a digital camera and photographic vouchers. Entries can be submitted online through the website below. As always, we suggest that you read the Terms and Conditions before entering your work.

In Her Eyes: Women Behind and in Front of the Camera is an upcoming exhibition opening at the Newark Museum on 12 September 2012. Culled from the museum’s own photography collection, the works in this exhibition portray girls and women through the lenses of female photographers and range from the mid-twentieth century to contemporary by such well-known artists as Cindy Sherman, Sally Mann, Dorothea Lange, Lalla Essaydi and Ana Mendieta. The photographs exhibited are primarily black and white gelatin silver prints, but some color Chromogenic prints are also included. The exhibition is curated by Shlomit Dror, American Art Research Associate, at the Newark Museum and will run through April 2013. For more information, visit the museum’s website.