Between Friday 5th August and Friday 30th September 2011, Manfrotto UK is offering savings of up to £20 across its 290, 190 and 055 Series tripods when purchased with any Manfrotto head. Specifically, customers buying any Manfrotto 290 Series tripod may claim £10, those buying a Manfrotto 190 Series tripod are entitled to £15, while photographers who purchase any Manfrotto 055 Series tripod will receive £20 cash back, subject to the condition that they also buy a Manfrotto head. All claims must arrive by 31st October in order to qualify. For full promotion details and to download the cashback redemption form, visit the website below. NB: The promotion is open to UK residents and valid on items purchased through authorised UK dealers only.

Responding to popular demand, Tenba has added a Photo/Laptop Daypack and Photo/Tablet Daypack to their Discovery collection, and a Photo/Laptop Daypack and Photo Sling Bag to their Vector collection. The Discovery Mini Daypack has a front, padded photo compartment that fits a DSLR camera body with 2-3 lenses and accessories, plus a rear sleeve that fits an iPad or similar tablet up to 10 inches. The Large size Daypack will fit a laptop up to 15 inches and fits an expanded camera system of 1-2 DSLR camera bodies and 4-6 lenses. The Vector Photo Sling Bag combines the ease-of-use and accessibility of a camera shoulder bag with the all-day carrying comfort of a backpack. Finally, the Vector Photo/Laptop Daypack (pictured) fits a laptop up to 15 inches, plus 1-2 DSLR camera bodies as well as 3-4 lenses. The new Discovery and Vector bags are available now at SRPs ranging from $79.95 to $139.95.

Smartfish has released two computer accessories that might be of interest to photographers working on location. The Smartfish Mouse Pad Travel Pouch ($14.95, pictured) provides a smooth 9” diameter surface work area, and zips up to stow and protect your mouse and accessories while not in use. The tiny Smartfish Whirl Mini Notebook Mouse ($49.95) features an ambidextrous design, 800-dpi hi-def laser sensitivity, 2.4MHz wireless connectivity and extra long battery life. Both products are available through the website below.

Kingston Europe has announced the launch of a USB 3.0 SuperSpeed compliant memory card reader/writer. The Kingston USB 3.0 Media Reader supports multiple card formats including the newer high-capacity SDXC. Other formats supported inlclude CompactFlash Type I & II (up to UDMA 6), microSD(HC/XC) and MemoryStick PRO, Duo, PRO Duo and M2. The device comes with a three-foot USB 3.0 cable and is also backwards compatible with USB 2.0. The Kingston USB 3.0 Media Reader has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of £17.77+VAT.

Switronix has released the XP-DSLR-GH2, a power cable for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 compact system camera. Featuring a regulated 9.2v connector jack with an inline female P-Tap connector for 12V DC, housed in an enclosure, the XP-DSLR-GH2 also includes both red and green LED indication to display battery power status. The cable can be used in association with a Switronix accessory or used solo with a PRO-X series Lithium-ion battery product.

Website: Switronix

Leica has teamed up with fashion designer Paul Smith to offer two exclusive, limited edition leather cases for the Leica D-Lux 5 digital compact camera. Available from October 2011, just 300 of the premium quality cases will be available – 150 in a smooth chocolate brown calf leather with the famous Paul Smith vintage multi-stripe on the sides, and 150 in a light grey, croc-style embossed leather with a luxurious purple lining. The cases are hand-crafted in England and embossed with Paul Smith for Leica on the back. Both designs also feature an elegant matching shoulder strap.  The cases will retail at £200 including VAT.

JP Distribution has announced that it has been appointed as the UK distributor of Micromuff, an HDSLR accessory developed to eliminate the wind noise associated with built in camera microphones. Conceived by filmmaker and designer Will Hutchinson, Micromuff attaches directly to the camera body using die-cut Velcro rings. Made using high quality acoustic fur and a unique cutting process, Micromuff sells for £12.95+PP.

Olympus has officially launched the VF-3 add-on electronic viewfinder. Priced at £179.99 in the UK and $179.99 in the US, the Olympus VF-3 is cheaper than the existing VF-2 - no wonder given that this is a lower-specified model offering a lower resolution (922,000 dots), magnification (0.97x) and eye-point (17.4mm). Fortunately, the 100% frame coverage remains, and unlike the VF-2, the VF-3 comes with a shoe lock mechanism that should prevent the finder from slipping out of the camera’s hot-shoe. The Olympus VF-3 is compatible with the XZ-1 compact and all digital PEN cameras except the E-P1.

Sony has announced new additions to its S-Frame Gift series of digital photo frames. Available in a choice of panel sizes from 7” up to 10”, Sony’s three new S-Frames offer easy and intuitive operation, slideshow and clock/calendar display modes, and an energy-saving timer. The Sony S-Frame DPF-C1000, C800 (pictured) and C70A models are compatible with Memory Stick Pro Duo and SD(HC) memory cards and come with WSVGA-, SVGA- and WQVGA-resolution viewing panels respectively. The new S-Frame Gift Series models will be available from September 2011.

Sony is launching two new models in its S-Frame Innovation series of digital picture frames. The S-Frame HD1000 and HD800 can play HD videos shot in AVCHD format, and are also capable of playing back MPEG4, MPEG1 and Motion JPEG videos shot with a wide range of cameras and camcorders, including the latest Cyber-shot and Handycam models from Sony. Both picture frames can of course display still photographs as well, and each comes with two gigabytes of built-in storage. The HD800 is a 8” frame with a WVGA-resolution panel, while the HD1000 is a 10” model boasting WSVGA resolution. Both of these spny digital picture frames will be available from September.

Glidetrack has announced a video competition / promotion. Known for its portable camera sliders/dollies, Glidetrack is offering visitors to its website a chance to win a Glidetrack voucher worth $750. To take part all you have to do is vote for your favourite video made using a Glidetrack and you’re entered into a draw. As always, we suggest that you read the terms & conditions before casting your vote.

Website: Glidetrack

Western Digital has commenced volume shipments of its WD Scorpio Blue 9.5 mm, 2.5-inch mobile hard drive with 1 TB capacity. Targeted at photographers and videographers on the go, the WD Scorpio Blue features low power consumption, WhisperDrive technology for quiet operation and improved long term reliability due to reduced head wear. The drive is available for $139.

Photogenic Professional Lighting has announced a full line of new lighting kits, including the Solair, PowerLight, and StudioMax III series. Each kit includes at least one monolight with reflector and a softbox, while multi-light kits also include an Eclipse umbrella. Many Solair and PowerLight kits come with PocketWizard receivers built into the monolight housing, and all Solair and PowerLight kits include Photogenic Heavy Duty Air-Cushioned Stands. There are six new Solair kits, eight new PowerLight kits and ten new StudioMax kits in total.

Samsung has launched a new range of high performance SDHC and micro SDHC memory cards. All of the cards in Samsung’s memory line-up, divided into Essential and Plus, now provide fast read speeds of 24MB/s. The premium ‘Plus’ range have the highest available class 10 speed rating, offering a class-leading write speed of up to 21MB/s. Pricing ranges from £7.99 for the 2Gb Essential SDHC card to £38.99 for the 16Gb Plus SDHC card.

Black Rapid has rolled out a revised version of its RS-5 camera strap. Manufactured from ballistic nylon rather than the ripstop nylon of the previous version, the new BlackRapid R-Strap RS-5 features expanded storage, increased organisational features and enhanced closure. The RS-5 is priced at £75.00/$64.95.

Pompidoo is a new brand for stylish camera bags aimed at female photographers. Made of natural leather, Pompidoo bags sport a modern and elegant design and a well thought-out form, and accommodate an SLR camera with lens and other accessories. The bags are available for €284.99 through the website below.

Olympus has quietly introduced a new add-on electronic viewfinder (EVF) for the XZ-1 compact and all PEN cameras equipped with an accessory port. The VF-3 has a resolution of 920,000 dots, which is somewhat lower than that of the existing Olympus VF-2 but much higher than the 202,000 dots of the Panasonic DMW-LVF1. The VF-3’s 0.97x magnification is also less than the VF-2’s value of 1.15x, but it still offers 100% frame coverage. Unlike the VF-2, the new VF-3 has a shoe-lock mechanism. Pricing and availability to be confirmed.

Source: Olympus America via 1001 Noisy Cameras

Kenro has announced the release of a new-generation Benro Flip Lock Aluminium Monopod and Transfunctional Travel Angel Tripod range. The Flip Lock Aluminium monopod has been designed for fast set ups and to combine the quality and strength of a stable camera support in situations where it is not possible to use a normal tripod.  Features include flip lock lever design legs, a padded handgrip and a hand strap for additional security. A swivel foot pad, with a large base and flexible ball and socket is designed to give a good grip on difficult or uneven surfaces. It has a maximum load of 18 kilograms and has a recommended retail price of £67.00. The also-new Travel Angel Transfunctional Series Tripods range in price from £220.00 for the smallest to £259.99 for the largest.

Hama has introduced a new USB 3.0 memory card reader/writer. This new hot-swappable all-in-one device can accommodate nearly all standard memory card types of practically any capacity, including xD-Picture cards, UDMA 7 compliant Compact Flash memory cards, UHS-I SDHC and SDXC media and XC series Memory Sticks. It even reads microSD and Memory Stick Micro M2 cards without any adapters. The price of the Hama “All in One” USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Multi Card Reader is €19.99. Like the also-new Hama “Combo” Photo Scanner, the new card reader will be on display at IFA 2011 in Berlin.

Leica has announced a range of adapters for the Leica S2 medium-format DSLR camera. The Leica S-Adapter V can be used for Hasselblad V System lenses, the Leica S-Adapter P67 for the Pentax 67 system lenses and the Leica S-Adapter M645 (pictured) for the lenses of the Mamiya 645 system. “As a result of being able to use third-party lenses on the Leica S2, photographers now have access to a wider selection of additional lenses, further increasing the S-System’s flexibility,” the company said in a statement. “Furthermore, photographers who already own lenses from the aforementioned systems can now use them on the Leica S2.” The UK suggested retail price of the Leica S-Adapter (all versions) is £525 including VAT.