Billed as the World's smallest studio light, the Profoto A1 is actually a hotshoe-mountable 76Ws flash with a round head, high-speed synchronisation and a recycling time of 1.2sec. Thanks to a smart magnetic mount built into the head, light shaping tools and modifiers can be clicked on and off quickly and easily. The flash also has a zoom function that allows you to make fine adjustments to the spread of light by simply twisting the zoom ring on the head, and for accuracy it has a built-in modelling light. The user interface is simple and intuitive with a large high-contrast display at its centre. The A1 has its own Li-ion high capacity battery built-in which lasts up to four times longer than AA batteries with no performance fade. The flash is available in Canon and Nikon versions (with a Sony variant coming in 2018), and offers AirTTL and Air Remote compatibility for off-camera use. The Profoto A1 can be preordered for $995.

BenQ today launched the SW271, a 4K UHD 27” monitor offering industry-standard HDR10 support and advanced colour performance for photographers. Covering 99% of Adobe RGB, and 100% of both sRGB and Rec. 709, the SW271 delivers Delta E ≦ 2 performance with its 10-bit IPS panel and advanced 14-bit 3D lookup table (LUT). In addition, Technicolor Colour Certified has been installed to meet strict colour accuracy standards used in Hollywood and entertainment media. SW271’s colour characteristics can be customised via hardware calibration with X-Rite or Datacolor calibrators and BenQ Palette Master Element calibration software. Equipped with USB Type-Cconnectivity, the SW271 requires a single cable for calibration and video transmission. The BenQ SW271 monitor also features an SD card reader, USB 3.1, USB Type-C, HDMI 2.0, and DisplayPort 1.4 ports.

Gary Fong has introduced the new SnootSkin, which instantly converts the Lightsphere Collapsible light shaper into a snoot. The black lining of the SnootSkin blocks light from spilling through the sides of the flash, allowing light to be isolated and directed precisely. For more precise spot lighting, a grid insert is included for an even tighter beam. The system is designed to hold colour inserts inside a built-in slot that holds up to five colours. These can be combined to create a wide palette of colour choices. The current available colours are Red, Green, Blue, and Warming Filters in full CTO and half CTO.  The optional colour kit also includes an 18% grey tab for precise custom white balance. Prices start at $59.95.

The new OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock, which features no less than 13 connection ports, is shipping now. The dock

takes full advantage of the cutting-edge performance of Thunderbolt 3 technology with throughput up to 40Gb/s of bandwidth and allows users to realize the maximum utility of Thunderbolt 3 equipped Macs. The 13 ports offer the capability to charge mobile devices, connect one 5K or two 4K displays, add external storage (including legacy devices such as FireWire drives), import photos and videos from SD cards, access wired networks via Gigabit Ethernet, and enjoy audio – all through a single Thunderbolt 3 cable. The OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock can be the foundation of a perfect custom display setup, providing the ability to drive the latest- generation 5K displays, two 4K displays or a combination of 4K, HD and other displays with the Mini DisplayPort (mDP) with DisplayPort++ support, and additional Thunderbolt 3 port.

Western Digital today announced  the new G-Technology G-DRIVE Mobile SSD R-Series  device, the fastest G-Technology portable SSD to date. Offering the latest-generation USB-C connectivity and transfer speeds up to 560MB/s, the G-DRIVE mobile SSD R-Series device is built using hand-picked components to withstand tough conditions in the field and provides a rugged solution you can trust. In addition, it will have an International Protection Rating of 67 (IP67) for water and dust resistance and has been tested to withstand up to a 3-metre drop on a carpeted concrete floor and 1000 lbs of pressure. The G-DRIVE mobile SSD R-Series device offers a 5-year limited warranty and will be available at select G-technology resellers around the world this year with up to 2TB capacities. The U.S. MSRP will be $699.95 for 2TB, $379.95 1TB, and $199.95 500GB, USD, respectively.

Innova Art – the first UK-based inkjet media specialist founded this century – is relaunching its brand in China. The move reintroduces to the Chinese print market a range of digital fine art and photo media originally introduced to the market via Innova’s private label service more than ten years ago. At the forefront of the Innova Art relaunch is the Editions range, comprising two category-busting photo papers and four cotton rag papers, including two produced in partnership with the famous Italian paper mill, Fabriano. Additionally, the Fine Art and Photo Art ranges will also be introduced to the Chinese market. Interested photographers can visit the Innova Art stand at the Pingyao International Photography Festival 2017, September 19-25.

Western Digital has expanded its WD Gold hard drive lineup to include a 12TB capacity model, designed to address demanding Big Data workloads. The new drives have a reliability rating (2.5 million hours MTBF) that is among the highest in WD’s hard drive portfolio. The drives utilise Western Digital’s 4^th generation HelioSeal technology, which seals helium in the drive to help provide exceptional capacity, reliability and power efficiency. The new WD Gold 12TB hard drives feature a five-year limited warranty, and are available now through select distributors, priced at $521.99.

Lastolite By Manfrotto has launched the new Panoramic Background in Granite and Limestone. Built around a three-panel collapsible lightweight aluminium framework, the Panoramic background is completely self-supporting so there is no need for additional stands and crossbars. The stretchable cover fabric ensures a flat, crease free surface at all times. Unlike other large seamless background solutions, the 4m wide Panoramic collapses down to an impressive 100cm x 30cm x 35cm size, making it very easy to transport. The new themed covers bring textured surfaces to the range, complementing the existing black, white and Chromakey Green solid colour surfaces. Granite offers a stone texture effect with a full range of grey tones and a dark vignette around the edges, whilst Limestone is much lighter, offering a subtle range of mid to light greys giving the effect of a Limestone surface. The Granite and Limestone Panoramic Background has an RRP of £600.

Sigma have announced a paid service for installing the Rear Filter Holder FHR-11 on the SIGMA 14mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art for Canon. The Rear Filter Holder FHR-11 will be available in the UK towards the end of September for a Suggested Retail Price of £34.99 including VAT. The Rear Filter Holder FHR-11 and installation service by Sigma Imaging UK is £59.99 including VAT.

The broncolor Litepipe P is an innovative and highly variable light shaper. The five components can be assembled in less than a minute, without the use of any tools. The centrepiece of the construction is the tube-shaped diffuser, which delivers a homogeneous light and can be rolled up for transport. The two counter-reflectors included (textile covers with alu reflex coating; 1 narrow, 1 wider) can be used flexibly – the visible light-section can be changed steplessly, whilst the Litepipe P can also act as a natural ambient light when the counter-reflectors are not used.

Western Digital have launched My Cloud Home, billed as "a new personal cloud storage solution that empowers consumers to take control of their often-scattered digital content." With the My Cloud Home solution, consumers can easily aggregate all of their photos, videos and files from their smart phones, computers, USB storage, cloud and social media accounts in one central place. Additionally, , there is a dual-drive personal cloud option. The My Cloud Home Duo solution provides all the functionality of My Cloud Home, plus a dual-drive configuration set to Mirror Mode (RAID 1) to automatically duplicate content onto a second drive for extra peace of mind. The My Cloud Home solution has a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) in the U.K. of £159.99 2TB, £199.99 4TB, £249.99 6TB and £319.99 8TB. My Cloud Home Duo has a MSRP in the U.K. of £319.99 4TB, £389.99 8TB, £539.99 12TB, and £659.99 16TB. Attendees of the annual IFA 2017 Consumer Electronics Unlimited show in Berlin, September 1-6, can visit the WD booth #112 in Hall 17 of the Berlin ExpoCenter for a demo.

DJI have intorduced a new Obsidian version of their Phantom 4 Pro drone. For professionals who demand excellence while capturing images and video for a commercial client or documenting a wedding, the Phantom 4 Pro Obsidian has a large 1” CMOS sensor and a 4K 60fps recording capability. In addition, the Phantom 4 Pro Obsidian offers H.265 video compression, which substantially improves video quality at a maximum bit-rate of 100mbps. The DJI Phantom 4 Pro Obsidian will retail for 1,589 GBP (1,699 EUR) and will be available later this month.

DJI have unveiled their new Mavic Pro Platinum drone. Taking all of the advanced features of the Mavic Pro, the DJI Mavic Pro Platinum offers a significantly reduced flying noise (4 decibels within one metre) and an 11% improvement in battery life for a flight time of 30 minutes per charge. The increased flight time and quieter operation has been achieved by integrating new electronic speed controllers and freshly designed propellers which are also compatible with the current Mavic Pro. Furthermore, pilots of the DJI Mavic Pro Platinum benefit from a portable, powerful and easy-to-use camera drone that features a 4K stabilised camera, 4.3 mile (7km) range, innovative FlightAutonomy technology to sense obstacles up to 49ft (15m) away and a range of intelligent flight modes. With a retail price of 1,119 GBP (1,299 EUR), the Mavic Pro Platinum is now available for pre-order and will begin shipping later this month.

Western Digital today announced their 400GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC UHS-I memory card the World’s highest-capacity microSD card for use in mobile devices. “Mobile devices have become the epicentre of our lives, and consumers are now accustomed to using their smartphones for anything from entertainment to business. We are collecting and sharing massive amounts of data on smartphones, drones, tablets, PCs, laptops and more.  We anticipate that storage needs will only continue to grow as people continue to expect more sophisticated features on their devices and desire higher quality content,” says Jeff Janukowicz, research vice president, IDC. “We estimate mobile device users worldwide will install over 150 billion applications alone this year, which require a ton of memory on all of our favourite devices.” Featuringt transfer speeds of up to 100MB/s, the 400GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC UHS-I card and will be available at a UK MSRP of £224.99.

Want to see exactly what the new Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L, TS-E 50mm, TS-E 90mm, TS-E 135mm lenses and Macro Twin Lite accessory looks like in the flesh?

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of the Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L, TS-E 50mm, TS-E 90mm, TS-E 135mm lenses and Macro Twin Lite accessory.

The Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-26EX-RT is a powerful, high-performance specialist flash for professional photography. The MT-26EX-RT features Macro Twin Lights with moveable flash tubes, which can be positioned at five degree intervals around the lens. They can be rotated upwards or downwards, plus pivoted inwards or outwards, depending on the lighting requirements of the shot.

The Canon MT-26EX-RT is available from November 2017 with an SRP of £1,079.99/€1,299.99.

Polaroid has announced the new Polaroid LED macro flash flexi light with twin antennas. Ideal for distances of five centimeters to two meters (two inches to six feet), the macro flash flexi light’s two bendable, independently controlled arms give photographers precise control over light fill, intensity and direction, as well as near endless set up options for their macro photo shoots. The Polaroid LED macro flash flexi light lets photographers easily adjust the vast array of light settings including continuous lighting, LED support flash, pilot and more to help pinpoint the perfect exposure for their macro shoot every time. Simple to set up and easy to use, the Polaroid LED macro flash flexi light features a large, intuitive LCD display that shows an arrangement of indicator levels including battery life and light intensity. The flexi light ships with two hot shoe bases, providing simple mounting for a variety of camera systems. The Polaroid LED macro flash flexi light is available now on Amazon for $39.99.

Think Tank Photo have announced three new shoulder bags. The Spectral 8 fits one standard size DSLR body with a wide or short zoom, a 24–70mm f/2.8 detached, plus one to two small extra lens, and an eight-inch tablet. Or, it fits a Mirrorless kit with three to four lenses, including the 50–140mm. The Spectral 10 fits one standard size DSLR body with 24–70mm attached, a 70–200mm detached, one to three extra lenses, and a 10” tablet. The Spectral 15 fits one standard size DSLR body with 24–70mm attached, a 70–200mm detached, two to four extra lenses, flash, a 10” tablet, and a 15” laptop. The Spectral 8 is available for $99.75, the Spectral 10 sells for $119.75, and the Spectral 15 costs $139.75.

Western Digital today unveiled their My Book Duo storage system, with capacities ranging from 4TB to 16TB. It comes with RAID-optimized WD Red hard drives inside to deliver high speeds of up to 360 MB/s sequential reads, and RAID-optimised firmware which is perfect for two-disk array systems with auto management of drive operations to help ensure read/write cycle data integrity. “As a creative professional, I constantly have several photo and video projects in the works. With the way files sizes are increasing and demand for higher-quality content is growing, I need a reliable, massive storage system that I can quickly and easily access while managing my business. The My Book Duo combines the speed, capacity and features I need to help keep my content in control and securely backed up,” said Trevor Traynor, Director, Photographer, and Producer. The My Book Duo storage system has an MSRP of £559.99 (16TB), £479.99 (12TB), £359.99 (8TB), £299.99 (6TB) and £269.99 (4TB).

Samsung have launched the Samsung Portable SSD T5, built with Samsung’s latest 64-layer V-NAND technology. Delivering speeds of up to 540 MB/s, the new T5 is designed especially for content creators, business and IT professionals as well as mainstream consumers to give instant, easy access to data. Also, the T5 is smaller than an average business card at 74 x 57.3 x 10.5 millimetres and incredibly lightweight at a mere 51 grams, comfortably fitting in the palm of your hand. The aluminium exterior comes in two distinct metal finishes – Deep Black (1TB and 2TB models) and Alluring Blue (250GB and 500GB models). With no moving parts and a shock-resistant internal frame, the T5 offers users peace of mind as it can withstand accidental drops of up to 2 metres. The Samsung Portable SSD Software for PCs and Macs based on the AES 256-bit hardware data encryption makes it easy to configure security settings and receive the latest firmware and software updates. A mobile app is also available for Android smartphones and tablets for even further convenience. In addition, the T5 includes two connection cables – USB-C to C and USB-C to A – for enhanced compatibility across numerous devices. The T5 comes with a three-year limited warranty and will be priced from $129.99 for the 250GB model.