Manfrotto is running a special giveaway for the festive period. Available on selected products across the Manfrotto and Lastolite by Manfrotto range, the offer is available from all qualifying Manfrotto dealers in the UK. Under the terms of the promotion, customers are eligible for a free gift when buying certain products. This offer is valid from 1st November 2016 – 24th December 2016.

Gary Fong has today introduced the new Bounce Panel pop-up flash diffuser for Sony’s smallest mirrorless camera line. This unique hot-shoe mounted diffuser elevates and disperses the pop-up flash, resulting in softer light on the subject, reducing the harsh side-shadows and hot-spots that pop-up flashes often create.The Bounce Panel boasts two different colour options (available as a set). The Half Cloud Panel is for more efficient use, and neutral tones ideally suited for event candids. The Amber Panel is designed to mimic the warmth of a setting sun or the colour temperature of tungsten lighting for proper balance. The Bounce Panel is available for $19.95.

Leica today announced that its Leica D-Lux (Typ 109) camera will be available in a set with added accessories at a special price starting mid-November. The new Leica D-Lux Explorer Kit includes the camera with the additional functionality of an auto lens cap – which allows photographers to power the camera on, shoot pictures, and then power off without the need to remove the cap – and an exclusive red carrying strap made from the finest quality cotton. Just in time for the season, the Leica D-Lux Explorer Kit comes in attractive packaging with a winter theme. The kit will become available later this month, at a recommended retail price of £920/$1,145.

Olympus has announced the recommended retail price of the new STF-8 Macro Flash. Billed as the World's first dust-, splash- and freezeproof macro twin flash, the Olympus STF-8 is designed for a perfect output to match macro shooting, with a guide number of 8.5 when both heads are fired, and 6 when firing one head. The output ratio of left and right flash head (A/B) can be set from 1:8 to 8:1 through two dials on the control panel. In addition to high-precision TTL flash exposure control, the output can be fine-tuned for manual flash firing within 1/1 to 1/128. Remote firing from the front of the control section is compatible with the Olympus wireless RC flash system that communicates via infrared light. The separately sold clip-on flash (FL-900R) and other large flashes for background light can be used for multi-unit lighting. The Olympus STF-8 Macro Flash is priced at £449.99 and available from December 2016.

Tenba have announced the addition of two new sizes to their DNA Messenger bag range. The Tenba Messenger DNA 10 (£99) is designed to stylishly carry and protect a compact system camera, 2-3 lenses and a small tablet, while the Messenger DNA 15 Slim (£120) is capable of carrying a mirrorless or DSLR camera with 4-6 lenses, as well as a 15" laptop or large tablet. Available now from all good photo retailers, both bags come in a choice of colours including Graphite, Olive, Cobalt and Dark Copper.

Apple today introduced the thinnest and lightest MacBook Pro ever, featuring a new Retina display supporting a wider colour gamut plus, on selected models, a Retina-quality Multi-Touch display called the Touch Bar. The Touch Bar places controls right at the user’s fingertips and adapts when using the system or apps like Adobe Photoshop or Apple's own Final Cut Pro. Additionally, the new MacBook Pro features an entirely new enclosure design and all-metal unibody construction. The 13" MacBook Pro without the Touch Bar starts at £1,449/$1,499, features a 2.0 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.1 GHz, 8GB of memory and 256GB of flash storage, and ships today. The 13" Touch Bar model starts at £1,749/$1,799, and boasts Touch ID functionality, a 2.6 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.5 GHz, 16GB of memory and 256GB of flash storage, and ships in two to three weeks. The Touch Bar-equipped 15" MacBook Pro starts at £2,349/$2,399, and features a 2.6 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.5 GHz, 16GB of memory and 256GB of flash storage, and will be available in two to three weeks.

Colorama has announced the launch of Translum, a polypropylene backdrop-cum-diffuser designed to transform light. Lighting Translum from behind creates a soft, white background with an even, smooth look similar to seamless paper. Photographers can also position a subject and lights behind Translum to create a silhouette. When not being used as a backdrop, Translum’s versatility as a diffuser means it can be hung from ceiling to floor to create a large softbox, placed in front of a window or doorway to diffuse natural light, or easily cut into any shape or size from the roll. Because it bends, Translum can be manipulated into nearly any configuration needed – and can even be used to tailor the correct sized tent needed for your shoot. Translum comes in three grades; Lightweight, Medium and Heavy, and is available to buy as a roll, or as a set of 6 sheets including 2 of each of the different grades.

Manfrotto has announced a new product range featuring high-performance monopods for professional videographers and photographers: the new XPRO Monopod+ family. This range comprises six monopods featuring an exciting market-first: 3D fluid movement – on pan, tilt and swivel – for compellingly smooth video footage, powered by Manfrotto’s new Full Fluid Base, a pioneering technological innovation based on a spherical system located inside the base. The Manfrotto XPRO Monopod+ family also includes different camera connections, i.e. simple plate with 1/4”-3/8” thread, sliding plate system, 2-way fluid head and video head.The Full Fluid Base is available as a kit with all the new XPRO video Monopod+, but also available as an accessory (£74.95/$99.99) to convert the new XPRO Photo Monopod+ to video monopods. The XPRO Monopod+ kits start at £144.95/$189.99.

Manfrotto have annouced the new Pro Light 3N1 Camera Backpack. This three-in-one carrying solution comes in two versions that can be carried in 3 different ways and holds 3 types of gear by configuring its flexible internal dividers: photo, video or drone equipment. This multi-purpose backpack is designed for professional gear, i.e. models like the Canon 1Dx mark II or Nikon D5, Canon EOS C100/300 and the DJI Phantom 4 or 3DR Solo. Both versions feature a padded device protection pocket (for a 10” tablet in the Manfrotto Pro Light  3N1-26, and a 15” laptop in the 3N1-36). The Pro Light 3N1-26 and 3N1-36 backpacks are available from £149.95.

Leica today announced the 'ONA for Leica' collection of high-quality camera bags. Featuring six distinctive models crafted by ONA, the 'ONA for Leica' collection includes a special edition of ‘The Bowery for Leica’ camera bag, the ‘Prince Street for Leica’ shoulder bag, the 'Brixton for Leica' bag, the 'Camps Bay for Leica' rucksack, the 'Berlin II for Leica' bag and the 'Roma for Leica,' a practical insert with five compartments, which transforms almost any standard bag into a camera bag. The 'ONA for Leica' collection is scheduled to be available from November 2016 from Leica Stores and Boutiques. Pricing will be confirmed from the date of availability.

Manfrotto have unveiled their Advanced & Street selection aimed at compact system camera owners. Built of high-quality materials to be functional, durable, rugged and lightweight; this new collection comprises five models including the Advanced Compact 1 backpack, the Street CSC backpack, the Street CSC Messenger bag, the Advanced Compact 1 shoulder bag and the Street CSC shoulder bags. All models feature zipper covers designed to stay close to the body, making it hard for anyone other than the user to open them. The two Advanced bags come with a rain cover that creates a barrier between the wet outside and equipment inside the bag in tough weather. The Advanced and Street CSC range is available from £39.95.

OmegaBrandess has announced a new addition to the Gigapan line of robotic camera mounts. The Gigapan EPIC Pro V provides horizontal rotation up to 360° and vertical panning up to 180° continuously while the camera is in the video recording mode. In addition, it provides the ability to pan on two axes, enabling diagonal movement in a fluid motion with speed control. In conjunction with the video panning mode, a motion time-lapse mode is available. When using this feature you select the beginning and ending positions, the duration of the time-lapse, and the number of images you would like to shoot. This also lets you move on two axes enabling a horizontal rotation up to 360°, vertical rotation up to 180°, or diagonal movement. This functionality requires a still camera connected via a GigaPan remote shutter release cord. The Gigapan EPIC Pro V is available for $995.

Phase One have released a major XF Camera System update. Available now and free to all XF Camera System owners,Feature Update #3 greatly advances the features of the world’s first full frame medium format CMOS sensor. The IQ3 100MP system now includes complete Electronic Shutter integration -- the world’s first in medium format photography. The update also adds significant improvements for studio and flash photography applications such as advanced flash controls with the in-camera Profoto Air Remote enabling Profoto TTL metering. Furthermore, a post-capture Flash Analysis Tool has been added to ensure unparalleled control. In addition to the feature update, Phase One also introduced the new XF V-Grip ($1490, pictured), providing advanced ergonomic capabilities and control options.

Manfrotto has just launched the Manfrotto Windsor Collection, an elegant addition to its Lifestyle camera bag offering. The newly-arrived Manfrotto Windsor Collection consists of a camera and laptop backpack, a camera reporter bag and two messenger bags. All of these models feature genuine leather trims, fabrics that are both elegant and highly resistant and immaculate detailing carefully selected by Manfrotto designers to achieve a quintessential vintage look. The bags are engineered with internal dividers providing maximum protection for photographic equipment and other electronic devices. Lenses and accessories are kept safe in the special protection areas at the heart of the bags. The dividers can easily be configured to accommodate varying photography equipment requirements. The Windsor collection is available from £99.95.

Wacom MobileStudio Pro is a new line of lightweight, powerful mobile computers featuring Wacom’s new pen technology. The company has developed a family of 13.3" and 15.6" MobileStudio Pro computers to fit virtually every professional’s creative computer and budgetary needs (starting at $1,499). There are six configurations to choose from. Four 13.3" models combine maximum mobility with high performance and colour accuracy and two 15.6" models deliver a larger work area, 4K resolution, high colour performance as well as superior NVIDIA Quadro graphics. Bundled with Windows 10, MobileStudio Pro is capable of running Adobe Photoshop CC and Illustrator as well as demanding 3D creative software applications. "Unlike most general-purpose mobile tablets created for the mass market, Wacom’s MobileStudio Pro was designed specifically for the needs of the creative professional and how they work," says Ed Neumann, Senior Vice President of Wacom’s Creative Branded Business. "Our long-standing relationship with the professional creative community enabled us to develop a game-changing solution for the creative market that exceeds customer expectations and provides the best, most natural and precise creative experience imaginable." MobileStudio Pro is expected to be available online and at select retail locations in late November 2016.

ExoLens have announced the upcoming launch of their PRO and PRIME ranges of high-quality accessory lenses for the Apple iPhone 7. Leading the collection is the ExoLens PRO line, which feature Optics by Zeiss, to offer truly professional-grade mobile lenses to photographers, artists and journalists. First to market will be the ExoLens PRO Wide-Angle and Telephoto Kits for iPhone 7. All PRO Kits come with the new machined aluminium ExoLens Edge mount, which features an integrated cold shoe accessory mount (compatible with accessories such as external video light) and key ring loop. Available from December 2016, the ExoLens PRO Wide-Angle Kit ($199.99) with Optics by Zeiss includes a Zeiss Mutar 0.6x Asph T* Wide-Angle lens, which provides virtually no distortion and exceptional edge-to-edge contrast, resulting in an image quality that is unmatched by any other iPhone accessory lens. The ExoLens PRO Telephoto Kit with Optics by Zeiss, also available from December, features a Zeiss Mutar 2.0x Asph T* Telephoto lens, and sells for $249.99. The ExoLens PRIME product line allows for artistic expression and non-technical social sharing to step up your iPhone photography and videography game. The lenses offered for PRIME Kits are the Wide Angle 0.6X, the Telephoto 2X and the Super Wide-Angle/Macro Combo. The PRIME product line will be available starting Q1 2017.

Drobo today announced the launch of the world’s first self-­managing USB-­C storage solution, the Drobo 5C. Built upon the company's BeyondRAID technology, the Drobo 5C allows the user to easily expand capacity by adding a mix of different size hard drives and brands, eliminating the limitations found in traditional RAID systems. The 5C, with an average performance of 250MB/sec, is ideal for storing all types of data, including pictures and video. The five-bay 5C, which uses the latest USB‐C interface to connect to your PC, is available for $349. Drobo is offering second and third generation Drobo 4 Bay customers a $50 USD discount when they purchase a new Drobo 5C through its online store.

The PowerEye professional cinematography drone is now available for global pre-order. PowerEye features PowerVision’s integrated Dual Viewing capability, which gives multiple users the ability to see video simultaneously from a First Person View and a Subject Matter View. With Dual Viewing a cinematographer has the ability to see what is in front of the PowerEye while in flight through a dedicated FPV camera housed in the nose of the aircraft and a separate gimbal-mounted camera can be simultaneously directed to action on the ground or other areas in the sky. PowerEye is available in two camera models. The “PowerEye Professional” is equipped with a Lumix G 11mm F2.5 ASPH 4K UHD camera.  The “PowerEye Thermal” is equipped with a state-of-the-art Thermal/Natural Light Switchable Camera that comes with two integrated light sensors and two lenses. Through the PowerEye App, users can switch between the thermal and the natural light setting with one touch. Using the Thermal/Natural Light Switchable Camera, cinematographers can capture a spectrum of light not visible to the unaided eye. The PowerEye Professional is priced at $3,988.

DJI today revealed its Mavic Pro drone – a portable, powerful and easy-to-use remote-controlled helicopter featuring DJI’s most innovative flight technology in a sleek, foldable package. Small enough to toss in a bag and easy enough to launch quickly whenever the time and place are right, the DJI Mavic Pro's folding design compresses the entire drone to practically the size of a water bottle. Equipped with a stabilised, raw-capable 4K/12-megapixel camera and a visual navigation system, with a 4.3-mile range and 27-minute flight time, the Mavic Pro can be operated by the powerful long range remote controller, or simply by your smartphone at shorter range. When controlled by a smartphone, the whole system can be set up and airborne in less than a minute. The Mavic Pro’s U.S. retail price will be $999 with the remote controller, and $749 without.

Check out our hands-on gallery of photos of the latest Artisan&Artist camera bags and straps.