Thursday, July 30, 2009

5.11 Tactical, a leader in high endurance tactical clothing and gear, has a range of bags that are perfect for photographers. The DC Roller Travel Bag (pictured) is just the right size to fit in an overhead compartment when traveling on a airplane and is easy to transport even when fully loaded and is designed to allow quick access. The Side Trip Briefcase is a multi-functional, medium sized gear bag that can hold a laptop and accommodate a lot of your day-to-day gear. The Practical Utility Shoulder Hold Pack, is a rugged yet modern version of the traditional belt pack. This versatile bag is great for on location photo shoots where photographers need to be as mobile as possible. Read on / click through for the details.

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Leica is joining many other premium brands and launching its own UK store in September 2009. The Leica facility will comprise a ground floor retail store showcasing and selling the full Leica range of products, first floor offices, a ‘Leica Akademie’ training and demonstration centre and a Leica S-System studio. The location will be in Bruton Place, Mayfair, situated between Old Bond Street and Berkeley Square, London W1. Opening hours of the store will be 10.00 to 18.00 Monday to Friday, and 10.00 to 15.00 on Saturdays. Office, training facilities and studio will be by appointment only.

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The UK pricing and availability of the Leica S2 and a number of S system lenses have been unveiled! OK, sit down if you are not seated yet, take a deep breath… here we go: the body-only price is £15,996! And if you want a sapphire glass screen plus Platinum Service (whose details are to be announced), then expect to pay £19,092. The suggested retail prices of four Summarit-S lenses and their Central Shutter versions - which enable flash synchronisation at higher shutter speeds - have also been announced: they range from £3,096 to £5,160; with availability slated for October 2009. Read all the details after the break.

Website: Click here for our brief hands-on report and exclusive shots of the Leica S2

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The Nikon D300S is a new 12.3 megapixel DSLR camera that can record HD movies. Based upon the D300, the D300S also adds a continuous shooting speed of 7fps and dual CF and SD memory card slots. The D300S also features a Quiet release mode for discrete photography, the same multi-selector to that used on the D3 series and D700, and built-in pop-up flash that covers 16mm wide-angle field of view. It incorporates the same DX-format 12.3 megapixel CMOS sensor, 51-point autofocus system, 3 inch 920K dot LCD screen and EXPEED image processing of the D300. The Nikon D300S will cost £1499.99 / €1821.00 / $1799.95 body only, available from 28th August 2009.

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The Nikon D3000 is a new entry-level DSLR camera designed to be simple and accessible. Based on the D5000, the D3000 is designed for anyone who wants to take pictures without worrying about settings. The new intelligent Guide mode recommends the appropriate settings for the current subject or scene. The D3000 also features a 10.2 megapixel sensor, EXPEED processing system, 3-inch LCD screen, 3 fps continuous shooting and 11-point autofocus system. The Nikon D3000 will be available on 28th August 2009 for £429.99 / €522.00 body-only or £499.99 / €607.00 / $599.95 with the 18-55mm VR lens.

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The AF-S NIKKOR 70-200MM F/2.8G ED VR II is a new professional telephoto lens. Featuring a brand new optical design and extended Vibration Reduction capability, the Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 lens implements Nikon’s anti-reflection Nano Crystal coat and seven ED glass elements. Three focus modes are incorporated, A/M; M/A and M, and two Vibration Reduction modes. The AF-S NIKKOR 70-200MM F/2.8G ED VR II will cost £1999.99 / €2430.00 / $2399.95 when it launches in November 2009.

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The AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200MM F/3.5-5.6G ED VR II is a new superzoom lens. Offering 11.1x zoom, the Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 improves functionality and image quality.It features a new zoom lock switch, improved Super Integrated Coating and Vibration Reduction II system to shoot at shutter speeds up to four stops slower than would otherwise be possible. The AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200MM F/3.5-5.6G ED VR II will cost £729.99 / €887.00 / $849.95 and be available from 4th September 2009.

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Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Newpro has announced the availability of several new products from three manufacturers. The Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce for the new Canon Speedlite 270EX will be available starting next week, for the same price as the other Omni-Bounce products. The black version of the Op/tech Super Classic Strap, which comes complete with Uni-Loop connectors, is available now, and so are the new Cullmann NANOMAX tripods - the NANOMAX 220, 250 and 260 models -, each of which features a three-way head, quick release system, comfort leg wraps and come complete with a carrying case. The Cullmann NANOMAX tripods are priced between £39.95 and £74.95 depending on model.

Website: Newpro

Bogen Imaging has announced that Litepanels will be awarded a Technology & Engineering Emmy Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for its proprietary lighting systems. Litepanels fixtures are used on a variety of network television productions including high profile programs such as Desperate Housewives, Fox’s 24, and Without a Trace. The Emmy award is the first in the Academy’s 61 year history to be awarded for television lighting technology, and will be presented on Saturday, 22 August, at the Renaissance Hotel in Los Angeles.

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Eye-Fi Inc. today unveiled the Eye-Fi Geo card, a new wireless SD memory card exclusive to Apple that allows users to automatically upload photos from a digital camera to a computer and offers lifetime geotagging service. The Eye-Fi Geo wirelessly uploads photos straight to a folder on your computer or Apple’s iPhoto gallery where they arrive automatically geotagged with location information about where the image was captured. The 2GB Eye-Fi Geo card is available exclusively at Apple stores and Apple.com for $59.99.

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