Verbatim today introduced a range of SDHC and SDXC Cards with UHS-I specificationand bus interface speeds up to 104MB/s. Conforming to standards set by the SD Association, the UHS-I SDHC and SDXC Cards from Verbatim offer read speeds of up to 600x (90MB/sec) and write speeds of 166x (25MB/sec). Verbatim’s UHS-I SDHC Cards are available to buy now and cost £24.99 for a 16GB card and £39.99 for a 32GB, while the UHS-I SDXC Card (pictured) will be released in 64GB capacity later this year.

Gary Fong has announced two new products; the Lightsphere Collapsible Snoot and the Colored Dome Kit. The Lightsphere Collapsible Snoot ($49.95 on its own or $59.95 with a PowerGrid) gives photographers maximum efficiency and directional control over strobe lighting when mounted off-camera, allowing one to create cutting edge, “fashion style” special effects, while the Coloured Dome Kit (pictured)includes a Red, Blue and Green Dome for creating special effects as well as a Gray Dome for white balancing. Compatible with the renowned Lightsphere Universal and Lightsphere Collapsible, the Coloured Dome Kit is available for $24.95.

RCP-Technik GmbH has unveiled two tripods made of carbon fibre and magnesium; the Rollei Fotopro X-5M and the Rollei Fotopro X-6M. With a height of 1.48 metres when extended and a folded size of just 42.5 centimetres, the X-5M carbon-fibre tripod (€599.95) weighs just a little over 1.3 kilograms, including a ball-head, yet it boasts a maximum load capacity of 15kg. The tripod shoulder is made of magnesium, which saves a great deal of weight while giving the tripod increased stability, the company says. The X-6M model (€699.95) with a height of 1.74 metres when extended, is no more than 56 centimetres long when folded, and with a weight of 1.5 kilograms it is the bigger brother of the X-5M. It has a load-bearing capacity of up to 25kg including the head. Both tripods will be available from early November 2012.

Profoto has launched a new line of flash heads for professional photographers. Compatible with over 120 different Profoto Light Shaping Tools and accessories, the Profoto Pro Plus range comprises a number of products, including the Pro Head Plus, the Pro-B Head Plus, the ProRing Plus and ProRing 2 Plus. The Pro Head Plus and Pro-B Head Plus heads feature new safety lamp head connectors that help prevent dust and moisture from penetrating the generator, improved stand adapters, patent-pending Perfect Arc flash tubes that provide better color and energy stability from flash to flash on all power settings and an improved glass cover. The ProRing Plus and the ProRing 2 Plus have been updated with the new safety lamp head connector.

Profoto today announced the Pro-B4 1000 Air battery generator, featuring flash durations down to 1/25,000 of a second. “Profoto’s new Pro-B4 1000 Air is the fastest, toughest and most versatile battery generator on the market today,” said Mark Rezzonico, VP Product Group. “With its unprecedented flash duration and world’s fastest recycling time, this new portable unit provides a world of creative possibilities for today’s fast-paced professional digital photographers.” At lower power settings the Profoto Pro-B4 1000 Air is capable of firing up to 30 flashes per second, while the maximum recycle time after a full-power discharge is less than a second. The unit’s energy setting can be adjusted with precise control in 1/10 f-stop increments. The Pro-B4 will be officially introduced at this year’s Photokina trade show. Pricing and availability to be confirmed.

Jobo has recently unveiled the Pure 10 media HD digital picture frame featuring a 10-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16:10. The frame can play back HD video files directly from any compatible flash media, without the need to transcode the data on a computer first. In addition the Jobo Pure 10 media HD offers an HDMI output in order to connect the photo frame with a TV by HDMI cable – transforming the photo frame into a media player. The Jobo Pure 10 media HD 10 media HD is available in black and white for an MSRP of €149.

The new Phottix Atlas II system can be used to trigger cameras, flashes and studio lights over distances of up to 350 metres. Being a transceiver, the Phottix Atlas II can either transmit or receive signals, and you can toggle between the two functions with a flick of a switch. Fitting in with Phottix’s existing line-up, the Atlas II is compatible with Phottix Strato and Odin series TTL triggers (but incompatible with the original Atlas). Now featuring a two-stage shutter button, it can also be used, with Phottix Accessory Cables, as a wired or wireless shutter release. The Phottix Atlas II will be available in single or twin packs with MSRPs of $84.99 and $149.00, respectively.

Innova Art has unveiled two new additions to its award-winning Olmec brand of resin-coated papers. Launching at Photokina, the all-new 190gsm Photo Gloss and Lustre Lightweight papers offer photographers exciting new weights and finishes. Both new papers are bright white, water resistant and single-side coated.

UK-based camera accessories store Rigu is now stocking the latest camera straps from !mo. “The straps are quite a bit more colourful than most standard camera straps, but they are also very functional, the ‘normal’ style straps have been stress tested to 180lbs of weight and the quick release straps (which are backed by neoprene for extra comfort) can take 120lbs of weight, so they can handle pretty much any camera and a lot more whilst being more comfortable than the standard strap that is supplied with a camera,” store owner Andrew Bowness says. “The regular cotton straps are £14.99 each, the neoprene backed are £16.99 each, and all UK orders have free postage with cheap flat rate postage for Europe and the rest of the world.”

Fotodiox has launched its new PRO line of ten neutral density filters and the WonderPana 145 and WonderPana 66 Filter Systems. Claimed to be ideal for panorama, nature, architectural, fashion and event photographers as well as analogue and digital filmmakers, Fotodiox’s WonderPana lens hood systems are designed for Super Wide Angle (SWA) and Ultra Wide Angle (UWA) lenses. “By introducing the WonderPana Systems, we are offering photographers and cinematographers the ability to capture images with the right lighting balance and skip the HDR software post production process,” said Drew Strickland, vice president of Fotodiox. “With the new Wonder line, we are bringing more innovative, quality products to the market and giving photographers the tools they need to capture amazing shots.” Click through / read on for a list of compatible lenses.

At the Flash Memory Summit and Exhibition held in Santa Clara, California, SanDisk issued a statement in celebration of the 25-year anniversary of flash memory. “Companies such as SanDisk have increased the capacity of flash memory by 30,000 times while decreasing its cost by 50,000 times over the past two decades,” the company says. “SanDisk’s first product, a 20 megabyte solid state drive (SSD), sold for £635 in 1991 but would cost only one pence today.” SanDisk expects users to create 2.7 zettabytes (ZB) of digital content such as photos, movies, music and other data in 2012.

Kenro has announced a number of new additions to its line of gift and photo frames The Harmony Elegant Crystal Series Photo Frame features a fine lattice design decorated with clear crystals complete with a matt silver finish and black velour lined back. Available in two sizes to fit 6"x4” or 7"x"5 photographs, the Harmony Elegant Crystal Series Photo Frame is priced at £23.34 and £27.60, respectively. The Harmony Elegant Lace Series Photo Frames (pictured) boast a fine ornate lace design finely decorated with clear crystals and a matt silver finish. Available in sizes to fit 6"x4” or 7"x"5 photographs, this design is priced at £ 26.82 and £32.40. Other additions include two Eden Modern Series Frames (£13.92 and £16.68), various Melllow Gift Frames (£13.98 each) and Rotating Silver Photo Frames (priced £24.96 to £33.72).

Packaging manufacturer GWP has launched a new e-commerce website, Cases UK. It offers top of the range, military grade, waterproof, dustproof and drop-proof protective cases suitable for photographic equipment.

PocketWizard and JP Distribution are offering up to £20 off PocketWizard products in the UK. From today until Saturday 15th September 2012, you can claim up to £20 off a FlexTT5, MiniTT1 or AC3 ZoneController by redemption of a voucher and valid proof of purchase.

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 €.

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.

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)

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.

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.