Luminance 2012 is a two-day event focused on the trends, innovations and the future of photography. Held from September 12 - 13 in New York City, Luminance strives to spark the new ideas and networks that will push photography, as an industry, to the next level.  Over 400 photographers, technologists, designers and creatives are expected to attend.

Faking It: Manipulated Photography Before Photoshop is the first major exhibition devoted to the history of manipulated photography before the digital age. Featuring some 200 visually captivating photographs created between the 1840s and 1990s, the exhibition takes place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York from October 11, 2012 - January 27, 2013.

The Multiblitz XLITE is a new extremely versatile monolight for the modern photo studio. Flash output can be controlled over 5 f-stops in 1/10 increments from 30 to 500 Ws, features a built-in radio receiver, and is equipped with the larger V-type bayonet. Pricing for the Multiblitz XLITE starts at 749,00 €.

Seim Effects “EXposed” is a new film about seeing and photographing light. Created by award-winning photographer Gavin Seim, the goal of EXposed is to teach photographers how to not only photograph light, but how to truly see it through 4 hours of educational materials about using light contained in 14 organized chapters. EXposed is available for download now for $89.

A UK startup company has launched a new service to bring postcards back up to date. Cards In The Post upgrades the experience of creating a postcard, making it as quick and easy as sending a status update. Uniquely, it works with the services already in wide use, like Facebook, Instagram and Google.

The Liquid Image Ego is a mountable HD video camera with built-in Wi-Fi. Designed with extreme sports enthusiasts in mind, the Ego includes a multi-directional mounting system with a quick release lever, tripod mount. It records in four modes: Full HD 1080p video at 30 fps; a ‘High Action’ HD 720p video at 60 fps (for capturing fast action with less blurring); 12-megapixel still photo; and a continuous Photo mode. The lens itself is a 136 degrees wide unit, enabling the camera to shoot at a wider angle. The Ego is Wi-Fi enabled allowing users to view footage in real time and stream to their smart phones, tablets, or computers.

The Ego is available in five colours, Black, Red, Blue, White and Yellow and has an RRP of £159.99. It will be available in the UK from August 2012.

The second International Photographic Competition supported by BergHind Joseph is now open for entries. This year the competition will again be asking for images on the theme of leadership, but with a specific twist to reflect the world we live in. The three categories are Leadership in a time of change and uncertainty, Leadership through inspiration and Leadership and success.

Adobe's Lightroom 4 has been available for several months, and we've been working with it daily since its release. Find out what's new and whether you should integrate it into your photography workflow in our in-depth Lightroom 4 review.

Canon announced today the first photography-inspired film festival in history.  Eva Longoria, Jamie Foxx, Biz Stone, Georgina Chapman and James Murphy will direct short films under the tutelage of two-time Academy Award winner Ron Howard. The “10” in “Imaginat10n,” represents ten storytelling elements and ten films that will ultimately be produced, five of which will be directed by our creative icons to be showcased at a special Canon “Project Imaginat10n” Film Festival in 2013. The other five film directors will be announced at a later date.

Bespoke Camera Straps are designed and handmade by professional photographer Tim Irving. The strap is made from military-grade cord and is very strong (a single strand will hold over 600 pounds), it has no buckles or bits of plastic, just a cord and two stainless steel split rings (covered by a leather tube, to avoid the camera from rubbing against the split ring). The strap has a great feel, its cylindrical shape rolls instead of digging in. Suitable for any camera with traditional strap lugs, it comes in several colours. More details from Tim’s blog. (http://timirving.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/my-bespoke-camera-strap.html)

EyeTime 2012 invites students and young professionals or enthusiasts to submit a collection of their photography comprised of up to three digital images. Sixteen finalists will be selected in each category: Emerging Talent and Future Voices. The competition is free to all entrants

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 is the latest premium compact camera hoping to find a place in a professional photographer's pocket. With the fastest lens of any compact to date, the LX7 also offers an improved 10 megapixel sensor, full 1080p HD movies and an even better control system than the previous LX5 model. Read our in-depth Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 review with sample JPEG, RAW and video files now.

Samyang have announced three new VDSLR lenses designed specifically for shooting video. The new Samyang 14mm T3.1 ED AS IF UMC, 24mm T1.5 ED AS IF UMC and 35mm T1.5 AS UMC lenses all include follow-focus gearing and decoupled aperture which allow the focus and aperture to be quietly changed whist filming. Initially available in Canon and Nikon mounts, the new lenses are due for release in August / September 2012, priced from £329.99 to £529.99.

The Manfrotto ML840H is the largest and most powerful LED light in the range. The ML840H incorporates a ‘‘ball head to hotshoe’’ system that allows it to be pivoted, angled and turned to direct the light as required. The new Manfrotto ML840H is available now and retails at £249.95.

Ahead of our full review, here are 65 sample JPEG photos and a 1080p movie taken with the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 compact camera, including the full ISO range.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 is a premium compact camera with a 24-90mm equivalent f/1.4-2.3 lens, 10 megapixel 1/1.7-type MOS sensor, ISO range of 80-12,800 and full 1080p movie recording.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT20 is a new all-action digital camera. The Panasonic FT20 (also known as the TS20) offers freeze, shock, water and dust proof capabilities, plus 16 megapixel photos and 720p video. Read our Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT20 review to find out if this is the right tough camera for you.

The Nikon 1 J2 is a new, 10.1-megapixel compact system camera offering a novel Creative Mode, a metallic body and high-resolution LCD screen. Retaining the headline features of its predecessor, the Nikon 1 J2 comes with a CX-format CMOS sensor, Advanced Hybrid Autofocus system, EXPEED 3 image processing engine, 10fps continuous shooting with AF (and 60fps without), plus Full HD movie recording. Priced at $549.95 including a 10-30mm kit lens, the Nikon 1 J2 will be available in white, black, silver, pink, red and orange starting September 2012.

The Nikon 1 Nikkor11-27.5mm f/3.5-5.6 is a new compact standard zoom for the Nikon 1 system. Constructed of 8 elements in 6 groups, the Nikon 1 Nikkor 11-27.5mm f/3.5-5.6 lens has an angle-of-view range of 72° to 32°20’‘, equivalent to that of a 30-75mm lens in a 35mm system. Available from September 2012 for £179.99/€217.00/$189.95, Nikon’s new 11-27.5mm lens will be offered in back and white, and will be compatible with the Nikon 1 J2 as well as the Nikon 1 V1 and Nikon 1 J1.

The Nikon Coolpix L610 is a new AA battery powered, 16-megapixel travelzoom camera with 14x optical zoom and Full HD video recording capabilities. Featuring a back-illuminated CMOS sensor, 25-350mm equivalent lens with two ED glass elements and Vibration Reduction, the Nikon Coolpix L610 comes with a dedicated movie record button, mini HDMI port and a 3-inch rear screen boasting a resolution of 460,000 dots. Priced at $249.95/£199.99/€249.00, the Nikon Coolpix L610 will be available in red, black and silver beginning September 2012.

Great Photos – Simple Cameras by Bernd Daub is a new title from Rocky Nook. Centred around the idea that with simple camera techniques, traditional film, and some imagination we can create ambitious artwork; the book teaches us how to focus our attention on the motivation behind our chosen image and develop a strong impact without the need for high-tech equipment. The print version of Great Photos – Simple Cameras is now available for pre-order priced at $34.95, with an electronic version selling for $14.95.