Kenro has announced the UK availability of four new Benro Gimbal heads. These have been developed to allow the user to manipulate heavier cameras with large telephoto lenses more comfortably than with a standard tripod head. The mechanism on Benro Gimbal heads operates on the principle of manipulating the lens using its own centre of gravity. The four new heads range from 0.47kg to 1.76kg in weight, 15 to 25kg in load capacity and £220.00 to £584.99 in price. Stockist information is available on Kenro’s website.

The new Velbon Ultrek UT-43D is a full-height tripod that folds down to 29.5cm for transport. This feat is accomplished through the use of six-section reverse-folding legs. The Velbon Ultrek UT-43D tripod comes complete with Velbon’s QHD-53D ball head, a quick-release plate and a two-section telescopic centre column. Weighing in at 1.17kg and extending to a full height of 156.6cm, the tripod has a load capacity of 3 kilograms and carries a suggested retail price of £179.99.

Lastolite has announced that it has been chosen as the UK distributor for the SMDV Flash Wave III. The new Flash Wave III is a compact radio slave system for wireless triggering of cameras, battery-operated and studio flash units, providing 16 individual radio frequency channels on a 2.4 GHz frequency band. A compatible shutter release cable allows you to remotely focus and trigger your camera using a two-step triggering button. The Flash Wave III has a built-in hotshoe, and also comes with a number of accessories including a PC Sync, 3.5mm mini jack cable and 3.5 – 6.3mm converter. The SMDV Flash Wave III is available now for £125.

Metz has announced a software update for the mecablitz 58 AF-1 digital and 48 AF-1 digital flash models. The update, which can be downloaded from the Metz Germany website and installed via the units’ integrated USB interface, adds a function previously only available on the 48 AF-2 digital and 58 AF-2 digital flashguns. To wit, it enables the older units. to be used as an additional creative light source in a room, with a camera without a master function. In addition to the increased functionality for the 58 AF-1 digital and 48 AF-1 digital flash devices, a further software update has been made available for all Metz system flash devices equipped with a USB interface. This update adds compatibility with the Canon EOS 600D digital SLR camera

Joby has released new versions of the hands-free positioning and camera optimizing case & stands: GorillaMobile Ori and GorillaMobile Yogi for iPad 2. Drawing its inspiration from the folding art of origami, the GorillaMobile Ori (£56.99) is engineered from a superlight German-made aluminium/polypropylene composite which allows the GorillaMobile Ori to be folded into countless positions. The GorillaMobile Yogi (£35.99, pictured) has been designed to stabilise the device on uneven surfaces. The quick-release clip easily detaches the modular legs, allowing the case and legs to be used in landscape or portrait mode. Both products are available form Amazon UK and a number of other retailers.

Spider Holster has unveiled its modular SpiderPro Pad, which allows photographers to carry two pro-level DSLR cameras without straps or bags. The design places a Spider Holster and pad on each hip, eliminating the back, shoulder and neck strain of carrying cameras on neck straps. The SpiderPro system is fully customizable and those that already own a single-camera SpiderPro Holster don’t need to buy a whole new system. They can simply purchase a SpiderPro Pad upgrade kit for $120 that contains a SpiderPro Pad, SpiderPro Holster, SpiderPro Plate, along with one SpiderPro Pin and adapter screws. In addition, SpiderPro Pad adapter kits are available that will accommodate the SpiderPro system on popular third party photography belts. Newcomers to Spider Holster can purchase a complete SpiderPro DualCam System for an introductory price of $235 via the website below or through retail outlets worldwide.

The Sony HVL-F20S is a new external flash unit for the NEX system that clips onto the Smart Accessory Terminal of NEX-C3 and other E-mount cameras. This flash unit has a guide number of 20 (in metres at ISO 100/21°) and is powered directly by the camera, requiring no additional batteries. The flash head can be tilted upward for bounce flash effects. The Sony HVL-F20S will be available this August for about $150.

Digisky is the new compact high-precision exposure meter in the Gossen range of products for flash light and ambient light. It is the world’s first exposure meter equipped with a colour graphic display, which allows all values to be read clearly and easily. Another integral part of the Digisky’s design is a ring controller, which lets users select various functions in a simple and straightforward manner. Moreover, the Gossen Digisky has a built-in remote radio trigger compatible with Elinchrom’s SkyPort technology. A rotating, retractable diffuser allows easy switch-over between flat & spherical 180° measurements. The suggested retail price is £399.99.

The new Sidekick from Lenspen is a screen cleaner for the Apple iPad. It cleans fingerprints easily using the patented Lenspen carbon cleaning compound. The cleaning pad is re-charged each time it is put back in its case and offers 150 cleanings per pad. The suggested retail price of the Lenspen Sidekick is £14.99, with replacement pads available separately at £9.99 for a pack of two.

Acme Made Compact Mega Zoom (CMZ) pouches are a new range of colourful and compact protective cases. Available in high gloss purple, red, yellow and a black chevron design, Acme Made CMZ cases are perfect to house compact mega zoom cameras. They are available from major photo retailers, www.acmemade.co.uk, and selected electrical retailers. Price is around £20.

The Camera Lens Cap Holder makes sure that you won’t lose a lens cap again. Mark Stevenson’s lens cap holder allows you to securely attach a camera’s lens cap to your neck strap or camera bag. Initially there will be ten lens cap sizes. 52mm, 55mm, 72mm & 77mm for Nikon, Pentax, Fujifilm, Sony, Pro-series and vintage lenses, 46mm, 58mm & 67mm for M4/3, Cannon and Nikon lenses, and 40.5mm, 49mm & 62mm for M4/3, Olympus and vintage lenses.

XL Studio Lighting have released a new 2 in 1 black and white background for high/low key studio photography. Made from durable vinyl, one side is Matt Black and the other Matt White. Available in 2m and 2.9m widths and a range of lengths, prices start at £49.95.

KAZA has introduced handcrafted, full-grain leather camera cases for the Olympus E-PL1 and the Olympus E-PL2. Each case has a classic, vintage look and “is expressly intended to offer the utmost in security and ease of access in a full case”, the company says. Both of these cases have a smooth, soft flannelette lining that cushions the camera and protects the lens and LCD screen from scratches without adding unnecessary bulk, keeping the cases slim and easy to bring anywhere. KAZA’s Olympus E-PL1 and E-PL2 cases are available now at $59 apiece. For more information, check out the website below. Note that buyers are required to specify whether they need the E-PL1 or the E-PL2 version as they are slightly different in size.

Pentax has just announced the Pentax O-GPS1, a versatile GPS unit providing basic location data and offering an array of original features. Designed for use with Pentax digital SLR cameras, the Pentax O-GPS1 records the latitude, longitude, altitude, coordinated universal time (UTC) and aspect of the location they are shooting, and additionally offers applications like ASTROTRACER, Simple Navigation and an Electronic Compass. The ASTROTRACER functionality, available with the unit mounted on the Pentax K-5 or K-r, couples the Pentax O-GPS1 with the camera’s magnet-driven Shake Reduction system to compensate for the Earth’s rotation, enabling photographers to capture stars as you see them, rather than as star trails. Thanks to its “simplified weather-resistant construction”, the Pentax O-GPS1 can also be used in light rain, making it a perfect companion to the K-5 camera and WR lenses. The unit will be available mid-June 2011, at the RRP of £229.99. In the USA, the Pentax O-GPS1 is expected to ship in July, for $249.95.

Kenro has released the Benro Flat Traveller tripod range. Tripods in the Flat Traveller series incorporate dust and water resistant leg-locks and an anti-rotation leg system. They also feature a centre column which allows the user to make fine vertical camera adjustments. These ultra-lightweight camera tripods are available in either aluminium or high-strength carbon fibre and come with either stainless steel spiked or rubber feet. There are three models available in aluminium, with varying maximum loads of 6, 8 or 12 kilograms. They range in price from £109.99 for the smallest to £130 for the medium model up to £160 for the largest. The carbon fibre versions come in the same sizes and cost £319.99, £359.99 and £394.99 respectively.

Cyclopital3D has introduced a unique line of accessories for the Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W3 camera. The new accessories enable users to attach add-on macro, wide-angle and fish-eye conversion lenses to their cameras. Also available is a stereo base extender for the W1 and W3, which uses perfectly aligned high-quality mirrors to effectively increase the stereo base of the camera to 225mm for great 3D photos of faraway subjects. The accessories are available through the website below.

Sony has announced a 16.15-megapixel, 1/2.3” CCD sensor, which uses its Super HAD (Hole-Accumulation Diode) technology. Developed for consumer digital cameras, the new sensor uses tiny 1.34µm pixels, but Sony says it has maximized the photodiode area and significantly improved sensitivity per unit pixel thanks to “new fine pixel fabrication technologies”. It also claims to have “raised signal-to-noise ratio to the highest level in the industry.” The company also introduced a smaller, 1/2.93” sensor offering 10.17 megapixels of resolution using the same 1.34µm pixel size.

Source: Sony CX-NEWS Via DCVIEWS

Kingmax has unveiled the world’s first 64GB microSDXC memory card. The company says it has implemented the 9 Stacked Die technology for this Class 6 card, which is compliant with the latest SD3.0 specification. With the help of an adapter, Kingmax’s microSDXC card can also be used in devices that take regular sized SDXC cards. Pricing to be confirmed.

Redrock Micro has announced new Universal Bundles for video DSLR cameras such as the Canon 5D and 7D. Redrock is shipping seven universal bundles: one for each of the popular product lines - nano, handheld, shouldermount, and studio - and two “master” bundles that build multiple rigs across product families. The Complete Universal Bundle enables customers to build every HDSLR rig Redrock currently offers. In addition to support for DSLR cameras, the Universal Bundles can be easily adapted for use with the latest video cameras such as the Panasonic AG-AF100, Canon XF300, and Sony PMW-F3. Pricing varies based on configuration and starts at $1,276.

Tenba has just announced the new Discovery collection of lightweight bags for photographers with an active outdoor lifestyle. This new collection includes an adventure-friendly Photo/Hydration Daypack and a camera Shoulder Bag (pictured) that provides quick access to a large camera system. The Photo/Hydration Daypack weighs only 2.4 pounds and features a hydration-ready rear compartment that fits a reservoir up to 72 ounces. This rear pocket can also be used for a slim tablet or laptop up to 11 inches. A pop-out, padded camera insert fits any size DSLR with 4-6 lenses and accessories, and the insert can be removed to convert the bag for non-photo use. Weighing less than 2 pounds, the Shoulder Bag provides quick access to 1-2 DSLR bodies and 5-7 lenses, plus flash and accessories. An overlapping top zipper closure protects against the elements, and padded side cargo pockets have cutaway openings for easy retrieval of equipment. The new Discovery bags are available now at suggested retail prices from $119.95 to $129.95 for the Shoulder Bag and Daypack, respectively.