Manfrotto now have an extensive bag collection, which caters to all types of photographers, from the professional to the amateur.

The Sony versions of the Metz mecablitz 44 AF-1 digital and 52 AF-1 digital now come equipped with new feet for cameras with “Sony Multi Interface” flash shoes. New Sony digital cameras incorporate new “Sony Multi Interface” flash shoes, which has made it necessary to adapt Metz's Sony-compatible flash units accordingly. With the new editions, it is no longer necessary to use a hotshoe adapter for mounting the Metz mecablitz 44 AF-1 digital and 52 AF-1 digital flashes on the new Sony cameras.

Adata has launched an industrial CFast card, which combines the form-factor of a Compact Flash card with a high-speed SATA interface for both high reliability and secure operation. Compatible with CFast 2.0 and SATA 3.1, the ISC3E CFast memory card offers sequential read/write speeds of up to 435/120 MB/s (MLC) and 165/170 MB/s (SLC). The card comes in capacities of 4GB-128GB (MLC) and 4GB-64GB (SLC) and features ECC (Error Code Correction) and S.M.A.R.T technology for high reliability of data transfer and security.

Benro's UK and Ireland importer/distributor, Kenro, is now supplying the new Hyacinth photo bag series in a range of colours - Blue, Pink, Grey and Black. Designed for SLR and CSC users, the Benro Hyacinth range of shoulder bags are easily distinguishable from traditional bags and can be carried either by the strong carry handle or the shoulder strap. The bags are available in two sizes, priced at £38.40 and £43.80.

Manfrotto has launched  the new Xpro Fluid Head, the new Manfrotto head designed for photographers who are starting to exploit the potential of their HDSLR video capabilities. The new head, part of the Xpro collection ensures portability thanks to the compact and lightweight body that makes the head weighing only 700g (1.54 lbs), versatility and convenience. A new fluidity sensor enables users to control the flexibility of the tilt movement and choose the right level of fluidity. The Manfrotto Xpro Fluid Head is available now and priced £119.95.

Kenro has just announced the UK and Ireland launch of the Benro BRC373TS8 Video Tripod Kit. Developed for use by professional film makers, live broadcasters and commercial film producers, the new Benro BRC373TS8 Video Tripod Kit is manufactured from high quality 8-layer carbon fibree with a breaking point of 134.1 kg. Boasting magnesium alloy castings, the Benro BRC373TS8 Video Tripod Kit includes a tripod, S8 head and carry case; and  features a continuous pan drag system, adjustable legs, a comfortable padded grip, illuminated spirit level, water-resistant rubber lock grips, an elaborate counterbalance system and independent functional locking knobs for pan, tilt and quick-release plate.The kit's suggested retail price is £756, while the S8 Head on its own has an SRP of £264.

The Lowepro Dashpoint AVC 1 and Dashpoint AVC 2 cases have been developed specifically for action cameras. "Ideal for adventurous locations the Lowepro Dashpoint AVC keeps all your gear safe and secure and helps protect against the environment and whatever you might throw at it," the company says. A lightweight composite shell construction provides high-impact-resistant protection – with a built in quick-grab handle for easy carrying and dual zipper opening for fast access. The stackable design also makes cases easy to store at home, in luggage or on location. The Lowepro Dashpoint AVC 1 (£26) is suitable for one action video camera plus accessories, and weighs in at only 0.3kg. The Lowepro Dashpoint AVC 2 (£30) accommodates two action cams complete with accessories.

Lowepro has released an updated and redesigned edition of its popular Toploader Zoom AW series. Available in 3 sizes, the Lowepro Toploader Zoom AW series bags are now lighter in weight, and feature a brand new mesh pocket and built-in key fob as well as new zippers with newly designed zipper pulls, which are easy to grip even in cold or wet conditions. Prices start at £30.

Transcend today introduced the ESD400, its latest SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Portable Solid State Drive (SSD). Featuring storage capacities ranging from 128GB to 1TB, transfer speeds of up to 410MB/s read and 380MB/s write, and an extra durable and compact design, ESD400 SSDs are best suited for consumers demanding massive storage space and high-speed data transfer. The ESD400 USB 3.0 Portable SSD is equipped with a next-generation SuperSpeed USB 3.0 connection interface that provides 10 times the bandwidth of USB 2.0. With USB 2.0 backwards compatibility, the ESD400 ensures that users will be able to move files between computers that do not support SuperSpeed USB 3.0. Transcend’s ESD400 Portable SSDs are available in 128GB ($109), 256GB ($189), 512GB ($349) and 1TB ($699) capacities, and all models carry Transcend’s three-year limited warranty.

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court approved the sale of the brand and assets of Tamrac to Gura Gear. Tamrac, which entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early 2014 will continue to operate normally until the acquisition is finalised later this month. Once the transaction is complete, Gura Gear will relocate Tamrac's assets and expand its Ogden, Utah facilities.

Adobe has unveiled a new suite of mobile apps and complementary hardware that connect Adobe Creative Cloud to your iPad. Adobe Sketch is a social sketching iPad app for free-form drawing, Adobe Line is the world’s first iPad app for precision drawing and drafting, while Photoshop Mix is billed as the most precise app for compositing and masking on iPad. Photoshop Mix also offers powerful cloud-based imaging technology on iPad for the first time, including Upright, Content Aware Fill, and Camera Shake Reduction. It offers non-destructive photo enhancements, selections, the ability to cut-out and mix images, and the ability to open and save PSD files. In addition to these apps, the company also released an iPhone version of Lightroom Mobile, and a couple of hardware devices including Adobe Ink, a digital pen, and Adobe Slide, a digital ruler. These devices work in tandem with Adobe Sketch and Adobe Line.

Apple today introduced a new 21.5-inch iMac starting at £899. Featuring a 1.4 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost Speeds up to 2.7 GHz, Intel HD 5000 graphics, 8GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive, the new iMac comes with OS X, next-generation 802.11ac Wi-Fi, two Thunderbolt ports and four USB 3.0 connectors. Configure-to-order options include a 1TB hard drive, a 1TB Fusion Drive, and up to 256GB flash storage. The new 21.5-inch iMac is available today through the Apple Online Store, Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorised Resellers.

The NEC MultiSync EA244UHD Ultra HD monitor is now available in the UK. Featuring a resolution of 3840x2160 pixels, the NEC MultiSync EA244UHD offers 14-bit gamma processing for improved colour accuracy, the latest DisplayPort connectivity, as well as a range of DVI and HDMI inputs. Those using a multiscreen configuration will also benefit from the ControlSync harmonisation feature that matches brightness, white point temperature, energy saving and other settings, as well as the ability to turn up to six synchronised displays on and off with one button. Distributed by Color Confidence, the NEC MultiSync EA244UHD is available for £1079+VAT.

Think Tank Photo has just released two new additions to its My 2nd Brain line of carrying solutions for Apple MacBooks and tablets. The My 2nd Brain Briefcase 13 and My 2nd Brain Briefcase 15 promise to improve the workflow of tech-focused travellers and creative professionals by keeping their tablets, laptops and accessories organised and their workflow clutter-free. Think Tank Photo's My 2nd Brain Briefcase 13” ($129.75) fits a 13” Macbook Pro or 13” MacBook Air, iPad, phone, over-ear headphones, a power brick with AC cable, portable hard drives, USB hub, USB connection cable, earbuds, monitor adapters, network cable, USB drives, pens, business cards, folders, sketchbooks and other personal items. The My 2nd Brain Briefcase 15” ($144.75, pictured) accommodates a 15" Macbook Pro, iPad, phone and all accessories listed above.

Today marks the official Kickstarter launch of SelfieMe, a unique lfestyle brand and phone photo accessory company that is looking to “revolutionarise the way users share and express memories.” Consisting of wide angle and fish eye lenses machined from aircraft-grade aluminium, an ergonomic raised shutter button, and a shock absorbent lens carrying case; SelfieMe is billed as the most proficient and lightweight lens system available for smart phones. “As photography enthusiasts, we found that most lens enhancements for our phones didn’t match our active lifestyles” said founder/co-creator Jonas Johansson. “In testing other lenses, we found they were too bulky, not easy to use, and at risk for damage, coming with lackluster cases -- that just didn’t work for us. We set out to create a better option for consumers and SelfieMe was born.”

Think Tank Photo's new Airport Roller Derby is a rolling camera bag with four dual wheel sets, which provide three ways to roll: upright at your side, tilt it to roll on its back wheels, or tilt it on its side wheels to roll through narrow airplane aisles. The bag allows for easily transporting a 15” laptop in its own dedicated pocket, along with two standard DSLRs, a tripod, and multiple lenses andflashes. Its travel-ready security features including a lock & cable and lockable zippers to tether the bag for domestic and international travel. The Think Tank Photo Airport Roller Derby is available for $389.75.

Vero Vellini has introduced a pair of hand-crafted, ergonomically contoured and padded camera and binocular slings. Intended to comfortably support your gear, ensuring that the weight of your camera is evenly distributed to reduce tension and fatigue on even the longest and most grueling shoots; Vero Vellini Camera and Binocular Slings are available in two stylish designs, either the lavishly padded Napa leather sling or a bounce-absorbing Air-Cushion neoprene with hand-stitched piping. The Napa-leather Camera and Binocular Sling is available with two-tone finely finished leather and soft slip-proof suede backing for $99.99. The slip-proof neoprene Camera and Binocular Sling is available in two colour combinations, forest green with brown piping or black with black piping, for $44.99.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4" is a new Android tablet with an 8.4", 360ppi WQXGA SuperAMOLED display. Other highlights include an 8-megapixel main camera with flash, 4900mAh Lithium-ion battery, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth, USB 2.0, 3GB RAM, 16 or 32GB of internal storage and compatibility with microSDXC memory cards. Weighing in at less than 300g, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4" will be available from $399.99 for the 16GB version. The company has also announced the Galaxy Tab S 10.5", a very similar tablet that has a bigger, 10.5" screen with the same pixel count (2560x1600) and consequently lower resolution (287ppi), and a 7900mAh battery. Pricing for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5" starts at $499.99.

The Asus Zenbook NX500 is a 15.6" laptop boasting an Ultra HD screen with 3840x2160 pixels and a resolution of 282ppi. The display also delivers lifelike colour reproduction with a wide colour gamut (100% NTSC/108% Adobe RGB) plus factory-calibrated colour temperature, making it perfect for photographers, the company says. Powered by an Intel Core quad-core processor (up to i7) and up to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M graphics, supported by 2GB of GDDR5 video memory. Pricing and availability to be announced.

If you’re not directly aware of Maidenhead, UK based photographic distributor Intro2020, you’ll certainly be au fait with most if not all of its 28-strong brand offerings. These include lens brands: Samyang photo and video lenses, Tamron photo lenses and Tokina Cine Lenses. Filters from Hoya, Kenko and Cokin and many other leading brands such as Velbon tripods, Metz flash, plus photographic bag ranges including Tamrac and Interceptor.

With responsibility for distributing all these in the UK, Intro2020 is constantly in touch with product developers in Japan and the Far East, and decided to share some of its current and future offerings with PhotographyBlog across a recent press trip to Amsterdam and back.