Hahnemühle FineArt has introduced a new line of resin-coated papers for inkjet photo printing. The Hahnemühle Photo Luster offering features a: bright white, smooth, lustre surface with a pearlescent finish, while the Photo Glossy paper boasts a super smooth, high-gloss bright white surface for vivid results. Both papers feature an “extremely large” colour gamut and a weight of 290gsm. Photographers will get a chance to see these new products at the SPE Conference in Chicago, March 7-10 at the WPPI Expo in Las Vegas, March 11-13. Availability is slated for March with pricing to be communicated.

LPA Design today announced the new G-Wiz Vault bag. Designed for use with the PocketWizard MultiMAX, Plus II or FlexTT5 Transceivers and accessories, this padded gear bag is also the perfect size to protect a “full-sized” SLR camera, the company says. The new PocketWizard G-Wiz Vault bag holds up to six MultiMAX or Plus II radios with connector cables, ten FlexTT5’s, or one SLR camera body. Available in three colours, the G-Wiz Vault opens from the top, and features three movable or removable hook-n-loop padded dividers. The PocketWizard G-Wiz Vault bag is priced around $28.

Optrix has unveiled the XD5, a rugged wide-angle camera case for the Apple iPhone 5. Optrix’s XD5 camera case is made with a thinner, lighter and stronger body when compared to the Optrix XD Sports Case, but boasts a higher waterproof rating of up to fifteen feet. In addition, the XD5 incorporates a second door to access charging connectors and headphone jack, has an interchangeable conversion lens system and can be removed from the mounting system. The phone’s 1080p HD video is captured through our three layer, all glass, wide-angle lens. The kit includes the ultra-rugged main housing, iPhone 5 sled, 2 mounts (curved and flat) and the quick release rail system to securely mount the XD5 “just about anywhere.” The XD5 is available for pre order now at £89.95 to include delivery and will ship the second week in February.

After a successful Kickstarter campaign, Connected Data today launched Transporter, a private data sharing and storage solution that gives users ownership and complete control of their data and files. “What sets Transporter apart from all other solutions is the ability to communicate and share files with other Transporter devices located anywhere in the world,” the company says. “This ability eliminates all complexity associated with syncing files and delivers fast, local copies of data without having to move it into or out of the cloud. Compatible with any 2.5” SATA II/III hard drive, Transporter is available starting at a suggested retail price of $199 from a network of partners including Adorama, Amazon, B&H Photo, Datavision, J&R, Newegg, and PC Mall.

Chrome has launched a new camera bag. Designed and built for day shooting and travel with a tough weatherproof denier nylon outer shell and military grade truck tarpaulin liner, the Niko camera pack has a fully customisable interior compartment for lenses and flashes, a padded laptop compartment and multiple pockets for cable and gear storage. The Chrome Niko Camera Pack has a suggested retail price of $180 and is available from select retailers or chromebagsstore.com.

Pentax Ricoh is developing a new clip-on flash and fixed-focal-length mount cap lens for its Q-mount system cameras. Tentatively named the Pentax AF360FGZ II, the new clip-on type P-TTL flash unit has a guide number of 36 (in metres at ISO 100/21°) and a tilt-swivel head. The “mount cap lens” appears to be the same product that first appeared on the Pentax Lens Roadmap back in February 2012. Both the flash and the mount cap lens will be on display at the CP+ show beginning tomorrow in Yokohama, Japan. Availability for both products is slated for summer 2013, with pricing to be communicated.

Apple has introduced a 128GB version of the fourth-generation iPad.  The 128GB iPad with Wi-Fi and iPad with Wi-Fi + Cellular models provide twice the storage capacity of the 64GB variants to hold even more content including photos, movies, apps and so forth. Like the existing lower-capacity models, the 128GB edition of the fourth-generation Apple iPad features a 9.7-inch “Retina” display with a resolution of 264 pixels per inch, and will be available starting Tuesday, 5th February for a suggested retail price of £639 for the Wi-Fi model and.£739 for the iPad with Wi-Fi + Cellular (prices include VAT).

Hama has introduced a new line-up of bags designed for compact system cameras. The ‘Seattle’ series is available in six different sizes, including two Colt models. Prices range from €19.99 to €39.99.

Transcend has announced that it now offers a comprehensive line-up of memory cards featuring the next-generation Ultra-High Speed Class 1 specification (UHS-I, U1). The company’s ‘Premium’ series microSDHC UHS-I memory cards are mainly aimed at smartphone and tablet users, while Transcend’s ‘Ultimate’ series SDHC/SDXC UHS-I cards are designed for professional photographers, reporters and enthusiasts. When paired with UHS-I enabled devices, these cards offer transfer speeds of up to 90MB/s (600X) and feature storage capacities ranging from 8GB to 64GB. Each Transcend UHS-I memory card includes a free download of Transcend’s own RecoveRx software. For more information, visit the website below.

Epson has begun volume production of its latest, XGA-resolution Ultimicron panel designed for use in electronic viewfinders. Measuring just 0.48 of an inch diagonally, the latest in the Ultimicron series boasts increased surface luminance of 520cd/m². Previous generations of Epson Ultimicron panels have been used in the viewfinders of top-of-the-line digital cameras including the critically acclaimed Olympus OM-D E-M5, which has recently won the coveted PhotographyBLOG Camera of the Year 2012 award. The new panel will be exhibited at Epson’s booth at CP+ 2013 in Yokohama, Japan, from 31 January to 3 February 2013.

The Lil-Mule is an intuitive new professional dolly for creating arced or linear camera moves when shooting time-lapse movies and regular video clips. Developed by product designer and time-lapse enthusiast Warren Herndon, the Lil-Mule gives you a self-contained, motorised cart that makes straight or curved moves and can motor as far as the surface you set the shot up on will allow. “I wanted the motion control piece to be as simple as possible,’ Warren Says. “The controller for the Lil-Mule is a single knob which allows you to variably control the speed you are moving in the forward and backward direction. No math equations, no menu settings, just set up your shot and twist a knob to start moving.” The Lil-Mule project has already surpassed its minimum funding goal on crowd-funding site Kickstarter but you still have 10 days to offer your support in exchange for significant savings off the planned retail prices ($289 for the manual version, $689 for the motorised edition).

Website: Lil-Mule on Kickstarter

Cooltopia has announced that its Kickstarter campaign for the SnappGrip - a snap-on camera controller that essentially turns smartphones into point-and-shoot cameras - has met its funding goal and will enter production in late February. “We will release SnappGrip for iPhone and Galaxy III in less than a month and will soon follow that with additional smartphone options,” says Lee Harris, Creator of SnappGrip. Completely portable, compact and removable, the SnappGrip enables smartphone users to take one-handed photos and snap off spontaneous pictures with ease. Carrying an MSRP of $99, the SnappGrip can be pre-ordered now for approximately $79 (£49) at the website below.

Lehmann Aviation today launched a totally new product - the LA100, a fully automated Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) which, when outfitted with a GoPro camera, enables amateurs to easily capture aerial images and video. Aimed at users with no piloting background, the Lehmann LA100 follows a pre-programmed flight path, so the only thing to do is literally to mount a GoPro Hero, Hero2 or Hero 3, switch on the engine and launch the vehicle. After 5 minutes of capturing footage from a height of 80 to 100 metres, the hand-launched aircraft returns to the launch site with HD aerial videos or photos on the SD card. The LA100 is priced at €990 (around $1,290). Lehmann Aviation says it plans to release hardware and software upgrades for the LA100 on a regular basis.

Canon USA has rolled out a “consumer-safety initiative” that will promote awareness of the risks of using counterfeit accessories - especially batteries and chargers - for digital cameras and camcorders. “Counterfeit products are fake replicas of the real products, designed to take advantage of the superior value of the real product,” the company said in a statement. “Purchase of these products can lead to potentially dangerous results. Unlike genuine Canon products, counterfeit accessories may not meet government and industry safety standards and may overheat, smoke, melt, ignite and may cause bodily injury and property damage.” In support of this initiative a digital campaign, with the tagline, “Play it safe. Power your Canon with Canon Power” was launched on 8th January, advising consumers to avoid counterfeits by purchasing products through established retail channels. In addition, the Canon USA Website has been enlisted to educate consumers on the Canon batteries and chargers most frequently counterfeited and to provide helpful tips to spot them.

Velbon has just announced a range of tripods aimed at the budget-conscious photographer. Comprising three models, the Velbon DF range is claimed to offer “outstanding quality at a very affordable price.” Each of the three models features a 3-way pan-tilt head with quick release plate and 3 section, braced, aluminium legs with quick release leg locks and non-slip rubber feet. The £29.99 Velbon DF-41 is a lightweight (1.15kg), compact tripod, ideal for travelling. The £39.99 Velbon DF-51 (pictured) is a fully featured standard tripod weighing 1.38kg and the top of the range, £49.99 Velbon DF-61 is a “deluxe” heavy-duty tripod with a weight of 1.75kg.

The HydRemote Remote Cable System allows the waterproof connection of hundreds of remote controllers to GoPro HD Hero and Hero2 cameras. According to HydRemote’s creator, Ethan Janson, “this new system leaves the GoPro powered off until triggered, thus extending battery life by many hours or even days.  Now you are only restricted by the battery life in your remote or receiver.” The HydRemote Cable System is available on Amazon at an introductory price of $45.99

G-Technology has announced that it is now shipping its G-Technology G-DRIVE mini and G-RAID mini external storage solutions with new high-quality, 1TB, 2.5-inch 7,200RPM hard disk drives from HGST. Delivering up to 136MB/s performance, the G-Technology G-DRIVE mini features a sleek compact and durable all-aluminium enclosure and both USB 3.0 and FireWire® 800 connectivity. Preformatted for Mac users, the drive works with Apple computer systems right out of the box and is Time Machine ready. The new G-DRIVE mini is now available for a suggested retail price of £149.99 for 1TB. Out of the box, the G-RAID mini solution is set up in RAID 0 (performance mode), with its two 7,200rpm drives working together for the performance needed to edit the most popular compressed HD formats. The G-RAID mini is FireWire bus powered — even when using USB 3.0 for data transfer. Shipping in early Q1, the 2TB G-RAID mini solution will have a MSRP of £339.99.

As the exclusive distributor for Phottix products in the United States, OmegaBrandess has launched a portrait / battery grip for the Nikon D600 digital SLR camera. Accommodating one EN-EL15 or six AA size batteries to offer double-length shooting time, the Phottix BG-D600 Premium Series Vertical Grip/Battery Holder is equipped with a vertical-grip shutter button, dual control dials, multi-function controller and an AE-L/AF-L button for convenient shooting with the camera in portrait orientation. The Phottix BG-D600 carries an MSRP of $139.99.

As the exclusive distributor for Phottix products in the United States, OmegaBrandess has launched the magnesium-alloy Phottix BG-800M multi-funcion battery grip for the Nikon D800 digital SLR camera. Capable of holding one EN-EL15 or eight AA size batteries to offer double-length shooting time, the Phottix BG-800M is equipped with a vertical-grip shutter button, dual control dials, multi-function controller and an AF-ON button. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the BG-D800M Multi Function Battery Grip is $199.99.

Mounting between a mirrorless camera and an SLR lens, the Speed Booster adapter from Metabones and Caldwell Photographic increases maximum aperture by a full stop (hence its name) and has a focal length multiplier of 0.71x. This essentially means that full-frame SLR lenses can be used on a compact system camera with an APS-C sized sensor with (almost) the same angle-of-view coverage as originally designed. For example, a 28mm lens becomes a 19.9mm with the Speed Booster - if you then mount it on a camera with a 1.5x “crop factor” you’ll end up with a 29.8mm equivalent solution. The first Speed Booster enables users to mount Canon EF lenses to Sony NEX bodies, with auto-aperture, image stablisation, EXIF and (slow) autofocus support for post-2006 Canon-brand lenses. It will be available in later this month from Metabones’ website and its worldwide dealer network for $599 plus shipping and applicable taxes and duties.