The Epson Stylus Pro 3880 is the latest 17-inch / A2+ printer for the discerning professional. Using UltraChrome K3 inks with Vivid Magenta, Epson has also added AccuPhoto HD2 screening to improve the accuracy of ink placement and upgraded the print head to help reduce clogging. Replacing the 3800 model, the Epson Stylus Pro 3880 costs £995 in the UK and $1,295 in the US. Jon Canfield tests Epson's latest printer in our expert review...

Starting on Saturday 7 November in the Guardian and The Observer is a 9-part free booklet giveaway called 100 Years of Press Photography. Each booklet will be grouped by decade, starting with 1910s and 1920s in one part. The booklets promise to be a fantastic collection of images from the last century. The scope of the series ranges from hard news photographs from the front line of international conflicts to social documentary of everyday events, fashion photography and portraiture. Each instalment in the series offers a unique and surprising glance at the decade through the eyes of some of the world’s greatest photographers.

liveBooks, providers of websites that allow creative professionals to promote and manage their businesses online, have announced that they had secured $5 million in funding from strategic and private investors, allowing the company to expand into new markets. This funding has also helped liveBooks to lower the cost of entry into the liveBooks suite, introduce a subscription-based service to “eliminate the need for front-loaded monetary commitments” and launch pre-designed site offerings. The company is now offering an array of pre-designed themes and layout options with subscriptions priced at $39 a month. To reflect the expansion of its business model and offerings, liveBooks have also re-launched their website.

Website: liveBooks

Panasonic has launched a bid to take over Sanyo in a deal that would make it one of Japan’s biggest electronics companies. The Guardian says Panasonic is offering ¥402bn (£2.7bn) to secure a majority stake in Sanyo. According to CrunchGear, the new firm “will rival Japan’s biggest electronics company, Hitachi, in terms of sales”. The main reason for Panasonic’s interest in Sanyo, however, is that the takeover would fortify the former’s position in the field of “green” energy.

Via The Guardian | CrunchGear

Landscape and travel photographer David Noton has announced the next location in his series of inspirational evening events – the ‘Chasing the Light’ Road Shows. The event will take place at the Pennine Lecture Theatre, City Campus, Sheffield Hallam University on Thursday 25th February, with take-off scheduled for 8.00pm. “The Chasing the Light Road Shows will take guests on a global adventure, using the latest high definition projection and satellite navigation to whisk them around the world,” Noton says. “Of course we’ll be talking photography and travel, but the Chasing the Light Road Shows will be much more than that.” Tickets are priced at £16.50. To book your place, visit the website below.

Website: David Noton

Olympus has published a roadmap for its Micro Four Thirds lens releases over the next two years. Apart from the existing two lenses and the two zooms planned for 2010, there are four lenses planned for spring 2011. These include a telephoto zoom and three primes including a 50mm macro, an 8mm fisheye and a wide-angle lens whose exact focal length is hard to determine from the roadmap. Currently, there are two Olympus-branded Micro Four Thirds lenses available, including a 14-42mm zoom and a 17mm “pancake”, plus one Leica- and five Lumix-branded optics, with two more Lumix lenses coming, according to Panasonic.

Source: Olympus PEN Micro Four Thirds Lens Roadmap [PDF]

Fujifilm’s president and CEO, Shigetaka Komori, has been awarded the prestigious decoration, The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star. Mr Komori is being recognised for his accomplishments in industry and in furthering culture through his leadership roles at Fujifilm, Japan’s Broadcasting Company – NHK, and a range of industry and cultural organisations including the Photo-Sensitised Materials Manufacturers’ Association, the Japan-German Society, and the Japan-Netherlands Society, among others.

George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film is commemorating its 60th anniversary in 2009 with a deluxe portfolio of 12 photographs created by celebrated international artists. The featured artists are Edward Burtynsky, John Divola, Harri Kallio, Mark Klett & Byron Wolfe, Astrid Kruse Jensen, Richard Misrach, Abelardo Morell, Lori Nix, Erwin Olaf, Martin Parr, John Pfahl, and Alex Webb. Their portfolio photographs represent the wide range and variety of approaches, techniques, and aesthetics that characterise today’s photographic art practice. Special preview events are being held in New York City and Los Angeles in November to showcase the portfolio. For more information, and to view the photographs, visit the Eastman House website.

Website: George Eastman House 60th Anniversary Portfolio

The Institute for Contemporary Culture (ICC) at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) continues The Question of Celebrity, a series of events and programmes inspired by the exhibition Vanity Fair Portraits: Photographs 1913-2008. The events include an illustrated panel discussion entitled “Facing the Lens, Seeing the Light: Observations on Portrait Photography”, which will explore the photographic portrait, its significance through the history of photography and its enduring fascination; a Sony Family Portrait Weekend on 14-15 November; and a series of film screenings.

Website: Royal Ontario Museum

Sony has updated the firmware of its A230, A330 and A380 digital SLR cameras, all of which have been reviewed on this site. Version 1.10 brings about the following improvement: when the metering mode is set to centre-weighted or spot, the exposure will be locked when focus is confirmed. This applies to shooting in AF mode.

Website: Sony DSLR Firmware Update (Windows)
Website: Sony DSLR Firmware Update (Macintosh)

Just 6 months on from its already very capable predecessor, the Ricoh CX2 enters the competitive travel-zoom camera category with a new 10.7x, 28-300mm zoom lens. Other improvements include even faster 5fps burst shooting, new Pre-AF and Continuous AF focus modes, several extra scene settings, and improved face recognition. The Ricoh CX2 also features the same 3 inch HVGA LCD screen, 9 megapixel CMOS sensor, CCD-shift vibration correction system and fast operation as the CX1. Read our in-depth Ricoh CX2 review to find out if it's a worthy update...

Photo enthusiast Jarle Aasland has set up a website in an attempt to fund a Leica M9 for himself - and possibly another photographer too. “Like many photographers, I’d love to get a Leica M9, but it’s an expensive tool. First I’d have to sell a kidney, and then I would have a hard time convincing my wife that I really need a Leica,” he says. Seeing that it would be a difficult path to trod, he created a website and online store called Leicadream instead. Through this website, he is selling a huge variety of rangefinder-themed T-shirts, baseball caps, bags and other merchandise; and of course accepts donations as well. But he has gone one step further: “If I’m able to fund a Leica M9 for myself (which remains to be seen), I could do the same for someone else,” he says. So if you feel like helping him realise his Leica dream, and/or would like to get a chance to win an M9 for yourself, pay a visit to the website below.

Website: LeicaDream

As promised in a recent service notice, Canon has posted a firmware update for the Canon EOS 7D digital SLR camera to address the faint ghosting reported by some early adopters. To quote Canon, version 1.1.0 “corrects a phenomenon that in images captured by continuous shooting, and under certain conditions, barely noticeable traces of the immediately preceding frame may be visible”.

Website: Canon EOS 7D Firmware Update 1.1.0

Olympus have announced their second Micro FourThirds camera, the Olympus PEN E-P2. Essentially a modified version of the existing Olympus E-P1, the new E-P2 retains the basic specifications and control interface, but adds an accessory port for optional extras such as a detachable electronic viewfinder (EVF) and microphones, AF tracking, two additional Art Filters (Diorama and Cross Process), a colour-boosting i-Enhance function, remote slideshow control via HDMI, and an option to shoot high-definition movies in M (full manual) mode. Another point of difference is that the E-P2 is finished in black rather than silver or white. The Olympus E-P2 will become available in January 2010. The recommended retail price of the E-P2 kit (including a 14-42mm lens and a high-resolution external EVF) is expected to be £849. The US MSRP for the same kit is $1,099.99.

Update: Ian Burley has posted a hands-on preview of the Olympus E-P2 over at Four Thirds User.

Olympus have announced two new lenses for the Micro Four Thirds system, including an ultrazoom and a wide zoom. The compact M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6 covers an angle-of-view range equivalent to that of a 18-36mm superwide-to-wide lens on a 35mm body, while the M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-150mm f/4-5.6 can be likened to a 28-300mm lens in 35mm equivalency. These two lenses, shown above in the company of the existing 14-42mm and 17mm optics, will go on sale in the first half of 2010. Prices to be confirmed.

Update: Olympus has published a lens roadmap, which shows the lenses mentioned above, plus four more optics planned for spring 2011.

O’Reilly has released a new title, Photoshop Elements 8 for Mac: The Missing Manual, by Barbara Brundage. From this book, you’ll learn not only what each tool does, but also when it makes the most sense to use it and why. You get easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for everything from importing photos to organising, editing, sharing, and storing your images.  You’ll also find a tour of Bridge, the ultra-deluxe file browser that comes with Photoshop CS4—and Elements 8. Photoshop Elements 8 for Mac: The Missing Manual is available for $44.99 / £32.99.

Nikon UK has announced a new Christmas cashback promotion that entitles customers to claim £50 cash back on its D5000 and £30 on its D3000 Digital SLR cameras. The promotion runs from today until 10 January 2010. All claims must arrive by 15th February in order to qualify. For more information about the promotion, instructions on how to submit a claim and terms and conditions please visit http://www.nikon.co.uk/cashback.

Review: Read our in-depth review of the Nikon D3000
Review: Read our in-depth review of the Nikon D5000

Doubletake: A Portrait Project is a one-of-a-kind collaboration between a photographer and artist in which a drawing and photograph is created simultaneously in one session. Presented by the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie Mansion in Cadwalader Park, Doubletake is an exhibition of works by Peter C. Cook (photography) and Howard Siskowitz (portrait drawings). The exhibition debuts on 14 November 2009, and runs until 3 January 2010.

Website: The Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie Mansion

Buffalo Technology has just announced the availability of the MiniStation Lite - a lightweight, portable USB hard drive - in Sakura Pink and Lapis Blue. The MiniStation Lite is compatible with both PC and Mac, connecting directly using USB and requires no additional power supply. With built-in Memeo AutoSync and SecureLockMobile software, you can ensure your files are always up to date and protected from unauthorised access. The MiniStation Lite in Sakura Pink and Lapis Blue are both available in capacities of 320GB or 500GB. The MiniStation Lite is also available in black, red or white with capacities of 250GB, 320GB or 500GB. Pricing starts at £69.99.

Website: Buffalo Technology

Mimomonitors.com has added the iMo Foto Frame Printer to its product line. Billed as the world’s first patented device to combine display and printing capabilities, the iMo Foto Frame Printer boasts a 8”, 800x600 pixel liquid crystal display that outputs 4”x6” glossy prints from the top of the unit, at 300x300dpi. As a standalone device, the frame-printer combo requires no computer connectivity, supports jpegs up to 16 mega pixels, and features three-button navigation control with an intuitive onscreen manual. Priced at $229.99, the iMo Foto Frame Printer is available at http://www.mimomonitors.com.