Olympus has announced the development of two new prime lenses for the Micro Four Thirds system. The M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 is a telemacro lens with a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:1. Housed in a dust- and splashproof body, the M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro is designed to complement the similarly rugged Olympus OM-D camera (but can, of course, also be mounted to any other Micro Four Thirds body). The M.Zuiko Digital ED 75mm f/1.8 (pictured) is an ultra-bright telephoto lens with a full-metal exterior, designed primarily for portraiture, indoor sports and low-light photography. Mock-ups of both lenses will be on display at the CP+ Photo and Camera Imaging Show in Yokohama, Japan from 9-12 February. The prices and precise launch dates will be announced later in the year.

The dust- and splashproof, metal-bodied Olympus OM-D is a retro styled 16.1-megapixel compact system camera featuring a body-integral 5-axis image stabiliser, 1.44-million-dot EVF and best-in-class auto focus with 3D subject tracking. In sequential shooting mode, the camera is capable of capturing up to 9 frames per second (4.2fps with AF, when fitted with the M.Zuiko DIGITAL ED 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 lens). Also called the Olympus E-M5, the OM-D has an eye proximity sensor that allows automatic switching between the EVF and the articulated OLED touchscreen. The camera is capable of recording Full HD videos that benefit from the improved in-body image stabiliser, and can store them in either AVI or MOV format with M.JPEG or MPEG-4 encoding. The Olympus OM-D is available from April 2012 as a kit with the M.Zuiko DIGITAL ED 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 lens for £1149.99. Body only price to be confirmed.

Along with the OM-D camera, Olympus also announced a number of new accessories including the dust- and splashproof MMF-3 four thirds mount adapter, the HLD-6 power battery holder grip (also dust- and splashproof), and the FL-600R flash with a guide number of 36 (in metres at ISO 100/21°), improved recharge time as well as a wireless control option. Two new lenses, the weatherproof M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 macro and the M.Zuiko Digital ED 75mm f/1.8, are also under development.

Pentax is displaying new interchangeable lenses and camera accessories that are currently under development at the Japanese camera show, CP+ 2012. On show will be the smc PENTAX-D FA645 90mm f/2.8 medium-format lens, smc PENTAX-DA 560mm f/5.6 and smc PENTAX-DA 50mm f/1.8 K-mount lenses, telephoto zoom lens and standard lens with “body cap” design for the Pentax Q system, super-thin interchangeable lens for the K-01 compact system camera, and a lens adapter for mounting a K-mount lens onto a Q-mount body. Names and prices of these products will be confirmed at a later date.

The Pentax Optio WG2 and WG2-GPS are two new waterproof, dustproof and shock-resistant compact cameras. Both models can be used at a depth of up to 12 metres and can withstand a drop of 1.5 metres, cold to -10°C and a weight up to 100kg. The WG2 and WG2-GPS also feature a 16 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS image sensor, Full HD movie recording, 5x optical zoom lens with 28mm wide-angle coverage, 3 inch high-resolution LCD monitor with 16:9 dimensions and 460,000 dots, and six built-in LED macro lights. The Optio WG2-GPS additionally comes equipped with an upgraded GPS module.

The Pentax WG2 and WG2-GPS will be available from March 2012 for £299.99 and £349.99 respectively.

Nikon and photographer Sandro have teamed-up to showcase the new D800’s video capabilities. Joy Ride is a short film shot with the D800 in a variety of lighting conditions, including a motorcycle sequence where the D800 was strapped to the bike. There’s also a behind-the-scenes video which goes into a little more depth about how the impressive Nikon D800 was used.

Pentax have released an official video interview with Marc Newson, designer of the innovative Pentax K-01 compact system camera. In addition we have an exclusive video of Marc talking about the K-01 at last week’s UK press launch. Click through to see both videos.

As the UK braces itself against the first real cold spell of 2012 and many of us are enjoying a sprinkling of snow, we spoke to Light & Land tour leader Duncan McEwan for his tips on shooting Winter close-up photos.

In this, the third and final feature on Winter Photography from the Light & Land team, Duncan talks us through the making of some of his favourite winter photographs.

The AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR is an affordable telephoto lens for Nikon DX-format DSLR users. Read our Nikkor 55-300mm review to find out if it's worth the modest investment.

Accurate colour is vital for any photographer, yet a lot of people don't accurately calibrate their monitors and laptops. Jon Canfield takes a look at the new Spyder4Elite to discover if it should be part of your workflow.

Nikon has posted a number of full-resolution sample photos taken with the brand new Nikon D800 and Nikon D800E digital single-lens-reflex cameras. All of the sample images were captured in raw format and converted using Capture NX 2. The downloadable JPEG files range from 17.01 to 33.06 megabytes in size, and are apparently meant to demonstrate the resolution capabilities of the 36-megapixel FX sensor, first and foremost (which also means that there are no real high-ISO samples on display, with ISO 640/29° being the highest sensitivity setting used). You can download the Nikon D800 and Nikon D800E sample images from the websites below.

Want to see exactly what the new Nikon D800 DSLR camera looks like in the flesh?

The D800 has a high-resolution 36.3 megapixel full-frame 35mm sensor that Nikon claim makes it a rival to medium-format cameras, especially the D800E version which removes the anti-aliasing filter to achieve even more detail. Nikon UK predict that 10% of Nikon D800’s sold will be the special E version, which will be available at more specialist retailers.

The D800 still offers similar noise levels to the D700 (which carries on alongside the D800) and outperforms the D7000. ISO 50 is claimed to be better than Kodachrome, said Nikon UK’s James Banfield at yesterday’s launch event, with ISO 100 delivering the best quality of any ISO speed.

With high-speed SD and Compact Flash dual slots, the D800 offers maximum flexibility for a wide user base, although the brand new XQD format has been reserved for the flagship D4 camera.

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of 34 photos of the new Nikon D800 camera.

Nikon gave a detailed presentation of the impressive new Nikon D800 DSLR camera at yesterday’s UK press event.

Click through for all the slides, which are also available in PDF format.

The Nikon D800 is a new 36.3 megapixel FX-format professional D-SLR. The D800 delivers unprecedented levels of detail and tonal range, with the sensor providing a 12-channel readout with 14-bit A/D conversion and high signal-to-noise ratio. The Nikon D800 offers an ISO range of 50-25600, EXPEED 3 image-processing engine, Full HD (1080p) movies, external stereo microphone input, 51-point auto-focusing, 4fps continuous shooting in FX-format (6fps in DX-format), 921k-dot LCD monitor, an optical viewfinder with approximately 100% frame coverage and 0.7x magnification, USB 3.0 data transfer and high-speed CF (UDMA 7) and SD (SDXC and UHS-1) dual card slots.

The new Nikon D800E DSLR incorporates an optical filter with the anti-aliasing properties removed in order to produce the sharpest images possible. Aside from the optical filter, all functions and features are the same as on the regular D800.

The Nikon D800 costs £2399.99 / €2829 / $2999.95 and will be available in late March. The D800E costs £2689.99 / €3171 / $3299.95 and will be available in mid-April. The MB-D12 battery grip provides 6 fps continuous shooting speed in DX-format and costs £379.99 / €448.

Canon has updated its EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM to Mark II, and introduced two new image stabilised wide-angle primes. The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM ($2,299.00) features an all-new optical design that’s claimed to deliver exceptional sharpness and reduced aberrations thanks to the inclusion of both ultra-low-dispersion and super ultra-low-dispersion elements. Other highlights include a dust/moisture resistant construction, fast and silent AF with manual focus override and a nine-bladed circular aperture - but no image stabilisation. The Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM ($849.99, pictured) is a medium-high-speed ultra-wideangle prime with Super Spectra coatings, ultrasonic focus motor and a circular aperture. The other new fixed-focal lens, the CanonEF 28mm f/2.8 IS USM ($799.99), has a similar feature set but a slightly tighter field of view. Unlike the zoom, both primes feature image stabilisation offering a claimed 4-stop advantage over lenses without IS.

Canon has added two new touchscreen models to its Ixus range of sylish premium compact cameras. The Canon Ixus 510 HS (ELPH 530 HS in North America, pictured) features a 10.1-megapixel CMOS sensor, 12x optical zoom, Wi-Fi connectivity, Multi-area White Balance, face identification technology and a futuristic lens cover. The Canon Ixus 240 HS (ELPH 320 HS) has a 16.1-megapixel sensor, a 24-120mm equivalent zoom lens and integrated Wi-Fi. Both models feature large, bright and vibrant 3.2” PureColor II Touch LCD displays with sharp 460,000-dot resolution, Canon’s latest Smart Auto mode that now identifies up to 58 different scenes, Intelligent IS, and the ability to shoot Full HD movies with stereo sound and output them to any HDTV thanks to an on-board HDMI connector. In addition, Canon’s Movie Digest mode captures four seconds of movie before each still shot is taken and then merges all the clips together in HD quality. The Ixus 510 HS (PowerShot ELPH 530 HS) is available from April, priced at £349/€399/$350, while the Ixus 240 HS (PowerShot ELPH 320 HS) will hit the shops in March, carrying an RRP of £279/€319/$280.

Canon has announced two new PowerShot SX models, including the Canon PowerShot SX240 HS and SX260 HS, both of which come with 25-500mm equivalent zoom lenses and 12.1-megapixel sensors. Other features the two cameras have in common include high-speed shooting; Full HD video recording; advanced Multi-area White Balance; Manual, Tv and Av shooting modes; a Smart Auto mode that can recognise up to 58 different scenes; Intelligent IS and a 3” PureColor II G LCD screen. The Canon PowerShot SX260 HS additionally features a built-in GPS module with included Map Utility software and GPS logger function. The SX240 HS will be available from March at a price of £299.00/€349.00. The SX260 HS is also expected to start shipping in March, priced at £329.00/€379.00/$349.99.

Canon has unveiled the latest range of PowerShot A series models featuring 16-megapixel sensors. The AA battery powered Canon PowerShot A810 (£89.00/€99.00/$109.99) and A1300 (£109.00/€119.00/$119.99, pictured) feature 28-140mm equivalent lenses and 2.7” displays, with the PowerShot A1300 also boasting an optical viewfinder. The Canon PowerShot A2300 (£119.00/€139.00/$149.99) has a similar lens and a feature set comparable to that of the A810 but runs on a proprietary Li-ion battery. The PowerShot A2400 IS (£129.00/€149.00/$159.99) is almost identical to the A2300 but offers the added benefit of intelligent image stabilisation. The Canon PowerShot A3400 IS (£149.00/€169.00/$179.99) is a touchscreen model with 5x optical zoom and Intelligent IS, while the range-topping PowerShot A4000 IS (£169.00/€189.00/$199.99) offers 8x optical zoom, intelligent image stabilisation and a 3” LCD screen. All six models come with Canon’s enhanced Smart Auto mode on board, which can recognise up to 32 different scenes, and all of the new cameras in the A series are capable of recording HD videos in addition to capturing sixteen-megapixel stills.

The Canon PowerShot D20 is a water-, shock, freeze- and dustproof 12.1-megapixel compact camera with a stabilised, 28-140mm equivalent zoom lens and built-in GPS. The camera’s Intelligent Image Stabiliser automatically analyses the scene and selects the optimum settings from seven different modes (Normal IS, Panning IS, Macro IS, Dynamic IS, Powered IS, Dynamic & Macro IS, and Tripod Mode). Canon’s enhanced Smart Auto feature can detect up to 32 different scenes, while the on-board GPS module comes with a logging feature as well as an integrated map utility that allows users to share their geotagged images through Google Earth. In addition to capturing twelve-megapixel stills, the Canon Powershot D20 can also record Full HD videos and output them to any compatible HDTV using its HDMI port. The PowerShot D20 is available from May, priced at £349.00/€399.00/$349.99.

The ultra-slim Canon Selphy CP810, successor to the popular CP800 compact photo printer, offers a number of improvements including expanded creative features and improved usability. For enhanced viewing and operation, the Selphy CP810 features a tilting 2.7” colour LCD screen and one-button printing. The improved Auto Image Optimizer function increases the quality of the print output compared to the quality of the original digital image, recognising scenes and improving the subject by making specific adjustments. In addition, a selectable Smooth Skin effect evens out skin blemishes for more flattering portraits, and manual brightness adjustment can be applied to fine-tune the prints produced. The Canon Selphy CP810 will be available from May 2012, priced at £99.00/€109.00.

Canon U.S.A, has added three new all-in-one printer/copier/scanner devices to its Pixma range. The Canon Pixma MX512 ($149.99, pictured) and Pixma MX432 ($99.99) feature 802.11n Wi-Fi connectivity with AirPrint support, and printing speeds of approximately 9.7 ipm for black-and-white documents and approximately 5.5 ipm for colour. The Pixma MX512 additionally features a Dual Function Panel for easy navigation through menus, an Ethernet port for increased connectivity and a 2.5-inch TFT screen for easy viewing of menus and images. The Canon Pixma MX372 Office AIO printer, which comes without Wi-Fi functionality, provides output at approximately 8.7 ipm for black-and-white documents and approximately 5.0 ipm for colour. All three printers can produce a 4”x6” borderless photo in approximately 46 seconds.