Profoto has released a new version of the classic Profoto Softlight Reflector. The new version is named OCF Beauty Dish and is a collapsible, more portable version of the original. Available in white and silver, the OCF Beauty Dish is not made of metal but high-quality fabrics. When collapsed, it is stored in a carrying bag that fits in a small backpack. Mounting the OCF Beauty Dish is quick and easy too, thanks to a clever, patent-pending design that allows you to snap it onto the OCF Speedring without having to bend and fumble with the rods. The entire tool, including speedring and deflector plate, weighs a mere 0.48 kg (1.1 lbs.). When mounted, the OCF Beauty Dish has a diameter of 56 cm (2'). The OCF Beauty Dish is available for €160/$179.

Sony have announced plans to release a new wireless lighting control system. Designed for compatibility with their a interchangeable cameras and external flash units, the new lighting system will include the FA-WRC1M wireless radio commander as well as the FA-WRR1 wireless radio receiver. With a maximum range of 30m, the new radio controlled system can control a maximum of 15 separate flash units in up to 5 groups.  Additionally, the new lighting control system will be capable of flash sync speeds of up to 1/250th of a second with high speed sync (HSS) available as well. A prototype of the new system will be on display in Sony's booth at WPPI 2016.

The LG 360 Cam is a compact 360° camera module equipped with two 13-megapixel 200-degree wide angle cameras, 1,200mAh battery and 4GB internal memory, which can be supplemented by a microSD card. The device can be easily connected to the LG G5 allowing users to create 360° content. The LG 360 Cam provides 2K video and 5.1 surround channel recording on three microphones. Thanks to the partnership with Google, images taken with the 360 Cam can be uploaded to Google Street View and YouTube360, adding the option of sharing creative contents with others. “This announcement of the LG 360 CAM means a lot to over 500 million Street View users and all who love to create and share 360-degree content,” said Charles Armstrong, Product Manager of Google Street View. “With its capability to create 16MP images, the LG 360 CAM will be the most preferable choice for anyone to join in the fun of 360-degree content.” The images will also be available to view on the LG 360 VR or other smartphones or devices that are capable of 360-degree content.

The Polaroid Brightsaber is a new LED lighting wand with an integrated rotating tungsten filter. The highly portable lighting solution can be comfortably handheld or mounted to a tripod for studio setups, and comes with 298 efficient, low-heat 5600K LED bulbs rated at >50,000 Hours. Helping photographers stay focused on set, the Polaroid brightsaber comes with an innovative multi-function IR remote. This handy device gives users full control over the lighting, while doubling as a remote shutter release for virtually any Canon, Nikon or Pentax camera. The Polaroid Brightsaber is available now for $162.29.

DJI has launched the Phantom 4 quadcopter, billed as the first consumer drone to use "highly advanced computer vision and sensing technology to make professional aerial imaging easier for everyone." The Phantom 4’s camera has undergone an upgrade that includes improved optics for better corner sharpness and reduced chromatic aberration. The quadcopter also has DJI’s signature Lightbridge video transmission system onboard, allowing users to see what their camera sees in HD and in real-time on their smart devices at a distance up to five kilometres. Additionally, the Phantom 4’s Obstacle Sensing System features two forward-facing optical sensors that scan for obstacles and automatically direct the aircraft around the impediment when possible, reducing risk of collision, while ensuring flight direction remains constant. The DJI Phantom 4 is now available for preorder, priced at £1229. Customers will begin receiving their units on 15th March.

Nest today announced the first in a new range of modular photo backpacks, the Diverse 20. Designed for convenience, the ultra lightweight Nest Diverse 20 backpack features two removable inserts (shoulder bags complete with straps and internal splitters and integrated pockets). Other features include a spacious hydration reservoir area, a dedicated pocket to store your tablet (up to 10"), a tripod mounting system and additional pockets for photographic accessories. Available in early March, the Diverse 20 has a suggested retail price of £149.99.

The Tether Tools Case Relay Camera Power System (CPS) is the first uninterruptible power system that consistently powers a camera via any common USB 5-volt power pack or wall power. Compatible with many Canon, Nikon, Sony and Panasonic cameras, the Case Relay Camera Power System works by inserting a relay camera coupler directly into the camera's battery port, then connecting it directly to Case Relay CPS. With Case Relay’s own secondary, internal 1200 mAh battery, it’s easy to hot swap the external battery and not lose power to the camera. “The Case Relay Power System is perfect for time-lapse photography, photo booths, video production, power-hungry LiveView shooting or any long day on the set,” said Josh Simons, Tether Tools President. “To a photographer or filmmaker, Case Relay means you will never run out of power and won’t need to stress about remembering to charge and bring extra camera batteries for each body to every shoot.” The Case Relay Camera Power System is now available for $99.99.

The Polaroid remote-controlled 360°panorama eyeball head is a compact, portable free-standing mini mount that can also be placed on a full-length tripod, slider or even selfie stick. Ideal for creating panoramic photos or videos, the Polaroid remote-controlled 360°panorama eyeball head rotates your camera in its place, clockwise or counterclockwise, for smooth shooting action. IR remote controls offer five speed modes as well as a triangle mode up to 75°, while the built-in battery is rechargeable from any USB port or power outlet. A single charge provides five hours of standby and over three hours of non-stop runtime. The Polaroid remote-controlled panorama eyeball head is available now for $49.99.

Sigma USA has announced two new Global Vision Lens kits: the 150-600mm F5-6.3 Sports Lens and TC-1401 1.4X Teleconverter bundle ($2,229) and the 150-600mm F5-6.3 Telephoto Contemporary Lens and TC-1401 1.4X Teleconverter bundle ($1,289). Expanding the focal range from 150-600mm to 210-840mm F6.3-9, the new bundles offer Canon, Nikon and Sigma camera users a more powerful telephoto reach. “These bundles are ideal for photographers – both professional and enthusiast – who continually seek out longer ranges and want more options for their shooting style,” states Mark Amir-Hamzeh, president of Sigma Corporation of America. “Sigma’s high-performance telephoto offerings cover the range of photographic scenarios from professional sports to nature and more. Combined with the Sigma 1.4X Teleconverter, customers have even more options with the same great performance they have come to expect from Sigma.”

The Sigma MC-11 mount converter enables Sony NEX camera users to attach Sigma's SA- and EF-mount lenses to their camera bodies. The adapter incorporates the digital data necessary to provide fast and smooth AF for compatible lenses as well as image stabilisation and functions of the camera that help control peripheral brightness and correct transverse chromatic aberration, distortion, and more. In addition, since Sony E-mount camera bodies do not require mechanical integration with lenses for aperture control, the Sigma MC-11 makes the lenses fully compatible with the automatic exposure control of Sony E-mount camera bodies. The Sigma Mount Converter MC-11 has an anticipated street price of £179.99. Availability has yet to be confirmed.

The Sigma EF-630 is a multifunctional clip-on type flash designed to work with current digital SLR cameras from Canon, Nikon and Sigma. Featuring a zoomable tilt-swivel head with a zoom coverage of 24-200mm, the Sigma EF-630 offers wireless TTL exposure control as well as high-speed sync, rear-curtain sync and modelling flash functions. Photographers can update the unit's firmware via the newly developed optional Flash USB Dock FD-11.

Bowens has announced it is pulling out of The Photography Show, held from 19-22 March 2016 at the Birmingham NEC. “The decision to book 2016 show space was taken many months ago - after fulfilling our commitment at TPS 2015 to create the biggest ever presence by Bowens at any show or convention in almost seventy years,” says Alan Walmsley, Bowens sales and marketing director (left). “But this 2016 show judgement has been predicated on our full expectation to use the NEC event as the platform for introducing our new flash system products. Despite our all-out attempts to fulfil this ambition on schedule it is clear that the first models of our new ‘Generation X’ programme will not meet the required delivery deadline. This is a major disappointment for all parties and we apologise unreservedly to everyone who was looking forward to seeing us and our new products in Birmingham.”

The Nissin i60A is a new radio-controlled flashgun compatible with the Nissin Air System (NAS). Available in Canon, Fuji, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon and Sony versions; the Nissin i60A builds on the existing i40 unit offering a similar (albeit not identical) form factor and a higher guide number (60 in metres at ISO 100/21°) and a wider zoom range (24-200mm). The built-in radio receiver is compatible with the Nissin Commander Air1, a hotshoe-mounted 2.4GHz radio transceiver that links up to 21 Nissin Air System flash units (including the i60A and the Di700A models) in up to 3 groups. Other highlights of the Nissin i60A include TTL and HSS functionality, first- and second-curtain synchronisation, a recycle time of 0.1-5.5 seconds, a built-in LED light, a rear-mounted colour LCD panel and a tilt-swivel head. Available from May, pricing to be confirmed.

SanDisk today introduced the World's fastest microSD memory card. Available in 64GB and 128GB capacities, the SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDXC UHS-II card delivers transfer speeds of up to 275MB/s and also includes a USB 3.0 card reader to conveniently offload files to a PC. The 64GB and 128GB SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDXC UHS-II cards will be available in Q2 at MSRPs of $179.99 and $299.99, respectively.

Aurora Aperture today introduced the PowerXND 2000 variable ND filter family. The PowerXND 2000 offers eleven stops of light reduction capacity which previously has been only available in fixed neutral density filters. “ND filters are popular among landscape photographers and videographers for reducing amount of light,” said Jinfu Chen, founder and CEO of Aurora Aperture Inc. “Variable ND filters are useful as they can replace multiple fixed ND filters. However, the variable ND filters in the market today typically have 6+ usable stops, whereas users often demand more stopping power: such as 10 or more stops. Our PowerXND 2000 family of variable ND filters will be able to satisfy this requirement with additional benefits such as superior image quality that rivals fixed ND filters and a slim frame profile to prevent vignetting in wide angle lenses.” The Aurora PowerXND 2000 filter will be available through Kickstarter crowdfunding in February 2016, and to general public as well as dealers in Summer 2016. List prices will start from $159.

Sony has announced the commercialisation of a new Exmor RS imager billed as the World's first stacked CMOS sensor with built-in hybrid AF and "3-axis" image-stabilisation. The 1/2.6"-type Sony Exmor RS IMX318 has a pixel pitch of 1μm and a resolution of 22.5 effective megapixels. The dimensions and pixel size make this sensor suitable for inclusion into smartphones and ultra-compact cameras. Sony aims to begin shipments for this new CMOS image sensor in May 2016.

Want to see exactly what the new Canon Power Zoom Adapter PZ-E1 looks like in the flesh?

Check out our hands-on gallery of photos of the Canon Power Zoom Adapter PZ-E1.

Want to see exactly what the new Pentax D-BG6 Battery Grip looks like in the flesh?

Check out our hands-on gallery of photos of the Pentax D-BG6 Battery Grip.

Eizo has announced two 24.1-inch monitors with a resolution of 1920x1200 pixels. The ColorEdge CG2420 is the professional-level model for use in photography, design, print, and post-production. It features a built-in self-calibration sensor for hassle-free monitor maintenance that ensures optimal color reproduction and image consistency throughout the creative workflow. The ColorEdge CS2420 includes many of the advanced features of Eizo’s ColorEdge lineup while meeting the different needs and budgets of hobbyists and prosumers. Both monitors feature a wide-gamut IPS (in-plane-switching) panel with 10-bit display from a 16-bit LUT and 99% Adobe RGB colour space coverage. The ColorEdge CG2420 and CS2420 monitors from Eizo will be shipping from February. The date of availability varies by country.

Today Monument Labs launched their Kickstarter campaign for Monument, the first-ever desktop device that uses artificial intelligence to create a secure, instantly organised repository for photos and videos. The device uses standard USB disk drives to create a “personal cloud” accessible from anywhere in the world via a smartphone, tablet or PC. The advanced AI algorithms automatically sort content according to time, location, even people. Facial recognition software identifies individuals who can then be browsed and/or recalled whenever desired. The Kickstarter campaign aims to raise $60,000 from backers to put Monument into production.