Epson has announced its first Japanese-inspired media, Japanese Kozo Paper Thin. Fabien Nicol, product manager, Epson Europe, says: “The introduction of Epson’s Kozo paper comes at a time when designers and artists are increasingly looking to use fresh and alternative media in conjunction with technology to create original and stunning pieces of fine art. Our Kozo paper fulfils this requirement by being printer-friendly while combining the appeal of light weight, strength, translucence and deep colour saturation.” Part of Epson's SignatureWorthy range of media, the Japanese Kozo Paper Thin is a lightweight and translucent 34gsm paper designed to perform with UltraChrome HDR and UltraChrome K3 inks. The Kozo paper will be available from 7 December 2013, priced from £66 per 10m roll.

Elgato today announced Thunderbolt Drive+, a fast and ultra-portable storage solution for Thunderbolt and USB 3.0. By combining server-grade Plextor SSD technology, bus-powered operation, and a solid metal enclosure, Elgato Thunderbolt Drive+ is available immediately for £429.95 (256 GB) and £759.95 (512 GB).

Zeiss is to supply aerial specialist Heliguy with cinemizer OLED head-mounted displays for their professional aerial photography platform, Ikarus. The Ikarus Heavy Lift octocopter system was designed to carry the weight of professional movie cameras for over 15 minutes. Lighter payloads, such as stills cameras can remain airborne for as long as 30 minutes. The cinemizer OLED acts as a remote viewfinder, using a wireless video link from the octocopter. Using remote controlled aerial platforms like Ikarus is far cheaper, and quieter than using helicopters to get aerial shots, so the system is ideal for wildlife photography, Zeiss says.

Kenro has launched the full range of the new Marumi UV Haze Filters to the UK market. Specifically designed to reduce haze, these filters have been created to block ultraviolet rays. There are sixteen sizes available ranging between 37mm and 95mm, priced from £11.88 to £105.36.

LockCircle has introduced a new family of PrimeCircle professional filters to offer to filmmakers, videographers and photographers
a complete line of cost-effective 4 X 4" and 4 X 5,65" filters. Diamond cut from German Ultra-White optical glass, PrimeCircle professional filters are available now in a full range of  Technical, Diffusion and ND Grad filters.

Kenro has announced the immediate availability of a new range of 'holding devices' for tablets and smartphones, made by Reflecta. There are eight sizes available in the new Reflecta Tabula Range that hold devices in 7-11" sizes. Devices can be mounted either horizontally or vertically, and some models allow you to swivel the unit once mounted. "It's important to be able to view tablets and smartphones at the proper angle when used on a desk.... balancing them on a stapler or hole punch is not the best solution," says Kenro MD Paul Kench. "These new Reflecta Tabula holders not only look great, they are extremely functional." Suggested retail prices range from £3.54 incl VAT to £65.64 incl VAT.

Epson has extended its SignatureWorthy range to include its brightest  canvas media with a cool tint. The Exhibition Canvas Natural Satin has been designed for displaying high-end works such as portrait photography and fine art. The company claims that because it is not using any optical brightener agent, the yellowing effect over time is minimised. The Exhibition Natural Satin Canvas is priced from  £80.07 per 12.2m roll  and will be available in 2014 in widths of 17", 24" and 44".

The Profoto B1 is a 500Ws cordless off-camera flash, offering TTL metering with Canon and Nikon cameras, in connection with a hotshoe-mounted Air Remote TTL unit. The remote is sold separately, so that photographers may choose the right remote for their camera. The Air Remote TTL-C for Canon cameras with E-TTL II support is launched together with the B1. The Air Remote TTL-N for Nikon cameras with i-TTL support will be available in 2014. The 500Ws light output is enough to overpower the sun on a sunny day, or to light larger sets or groups of people. The light output can be controlled in 1/10 f-stop steps over the entire 9 f-stop power range. The B1 is also equipped with a high-efficient LED modeling light, powerful enough to be used as a portable video light.

Motion Source Video Production has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for a new shoulder rig they have developed. Designed by a team of filmmakers who had the goal to develop a camera shoulder rig that any amateur filmmaker can afford, the Motion Source Shoulder Rig has numerous features and can easily compete with, and even outpreform, the more expensive rigs currently on the market, the inventors say. With a donation of $29, Motion Source will hand deliver a shoulder rig to a college student studying film at a local Chicago school. This campaign will also allow customers to preorder the shoulder rig for less than retail cost.

Wacom has announced a partnership with Square Group to open its first Experience Centre sales outlet in the UK. Launching on Thursday 7th November, the shop will have the full range of Wacom products on display including the recently launched Cintiq Companion creative tablets, as well as the new line-up of Intuos pen tablets. In addition, a brand ambassador will be available for customer queries at all times including Saturdays. For more information, call the store on 01494 492 000.

G-Technology today announced two new portable external storage solutions. The G-Drive slim and G-Drive mobile are now available with 7,200 RPM hard disk drives.Designed for the Apple MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, the G-Drive slim (£69.95) features the industry’s only 7mm z-height, 7,200 RPM, hard drive – the Travelstar Z7K500 – as well as a high-performance USB 3.0 interface. Its slender, lightweight aluminium case packs up to 500GB of storage for photos, videos, music and more. The G-Drive mobile (£105.00, pictured) offers a USB 3.0 interface and a 1TB, 7,200 RPM HGST Travelstar7K1000 mobile hard drive.

Kenro has announced the availability of a new range of Braun digital photo frames. The high-quality series of nine variations of the Braun Digi Frame are available with LCD or LED screens, with some also featuring LED Backlight Technology.All models support USB memory sticks and a variety of memory cards and most also include built in memory, ranging from 256MB to 4GB. Screen sizes range from 7 and 15 inches, with prices starting at £49.08.

Kenro, the UK and Ireland Distributor of Benro products has announced the availability of the new Ranger Pro Backpack range, designed specifically for nature and sports photographers. The backpacks' upper compartment is larger than the lower compartment; allowing better ventilation and reduced pressure on the photographer. Front, upper, lower and side openings facilitate quick retrieval and storage of equipment. The Ranger Pro Backpacks are available in three different variations, 400N, 500N and 600N, with the capacity to hold up to two SLR cameras, 6-8 lenses, 2 flash units and one 17 inch laptop. Prices start from £129.90 - £149.94.

Induro has launched the PHD3 Multi-Axis Panhead, a new product which offers photographers the convenience and speed of a ballhead with the precise control of a panhead. An independent locking knob controls 360° rotation on a panning base with graduated scale, and a top mounted quick-release system can be rotated 90° to match the orientation of virtually any Arca-Swiss style compatible camera, lens and accessory plate.Suggested retail price for the new PHD3 Multi-Axis Panhead is $385.

Sekonic has announced a $50 US-only instant rebate for consumers of the touchscreen-operated Litemaster Pro L-478 series light meters. Qualifying purchases include the Litemaster Pro L-478D and the Litemaster Pro L-478DR - either alone or bundled with an X-Rite ColorChecker Passport with Sekonic Gray Balance Card. These meters are designed for digital still photographers working with remote flash set ups. The L-478DR model even incorporates PocketWizard wireless radio technology for in-meter power control of Canon and Nikon Speedlights on a PocketWizard FlexTT5 Transceiver. The $50 Instant Rebate will be awarded to eligible consumers at the time of purchase.

Emerson Roberts, the newly-appointed MD at Bowens International has pledged to invest heavily in new product development and expand the photo-lighting equipment manufacturer’s global market share. Since his official appointment two months ago Roberts has already implemented an exclusive distribution deal with the MAC Group in the USA. Now he plans a 2014 launch of a brand new range of highly advanced ‘radio-tech’ monoblocs and promises to expand the company's research & development team in the UK. 

Olympus has launched a new promotion in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Offering a free VF-4 electronic viewfinder with every E-P5 14-42mm kit or E-P5 body purchased, the promotion runs from today until 5th January. Customers will have until 2 February 2014 to claim their free VF-4. To learn more, read the terms and conditions of the promotion.

Display specialist AOC has launched three new 61 cm (24″) monitors with an aspect ratio of 16:10. Coming in a classy texturised black finish and different equipment variants, the 60 series models from the AOC Professional Line deliver a WUXGA resolution of 1920 x 1200. The AOC i2460Pxqu is based on a top-notch eIPS (In-Plane Switching) panel, with 178° viewing angles and a brightness of up to 300 cd/m². In addition to D-Sub and DVI-D, the i2460Pxqu features an HDCP-compatible HDMI socket as well as a DisplayPort. The AOC e2460Pxda and e2460Sxda each utilise an LED-backlit TN panel,a luminosity of 250 cd/m² and a static contrast of 1000:1. Both analogue and digital video signals can be received via D-Sub and DVI-D. In addition, the e2460Pxda offers full ergonomic flexibility, allowing users to adjust the panel height by 130 mm as well as to tilt and swivel the monitor.

Voigtländer has unveiled a new adapter, which allows M-mount lenses to be attached to Sony E-mount bodies and reduces the lenses' minimum focus distance courtesy of a 4mm helicoid extension. Weighing in at 125g, the new Voigtländer adapter has a diameter of 62.7mm and a 24x36mm frame coverage, making it fully compatible with the full-frame Sony Alpha A7 and A7R cameras..The company has also published a handy table showing the change in focusing range across a number of Voigtländer and Zeiss lenses. The adapter will go on sale in December.

Epson has announced the newest addition to its portfolio of Signature Worthy media. The new Epson Exhibition Watercolor Paper Textured is designed to deliver a distinctive feel along with rich blacks, a wide colour gamut and smooth tonal gradations. In addition to the 22 Mil caliper and 310 gsm, Exhibition Watercolor Paper is 100 percent cotton fibre and acid, lignin and OBA-free. The paper will be available in November through Epson Authorised Resellers in roll widths of 17, 24 and 44-inches, and 8.5” x 11”, 13” x 19” and 17” x 22” cut sheets. Click through / scroll down for prices.