Panasonic has announced the new LEICA DG VARIO-ELMARIT 12-60mm / F2.8-4.0 lens, the renewal of four LUMIX G lenses and a firmware update for its LEICA DG VARIO-ELMAR 100-400mm / F4.0-6.3 lens.

Sigma today revealed the recommended retail price and availability of the new Sigma sd Quattro H digital camera. The SIGMA sd Quattro H is the first camera to feature the newly developed APS-H size Foveon X3 Quattro direct image sensor with a resolution of 25.5 megapixels, which Sigma claims to be equivalent to a 51-megapixel Bayer imager. Building on the concept of the SD1 Merrill, the Sigma sd Quattro H features a Sigma SA lens mount, making them compatible with all of the Sigma GLOBAL VISION lenses in the Contemporary, Art and Sports lines. The camera offers a combination of contrast-detect and phase-detect auto focus, plus a focus peaking function for manual focus enthusiasts. The high-resolution 2.36-million-dot electronic viewfinder features near-100% viewfinder coverage and a 1.09 magnification ratio. O-rings and environmental seals around buttons and seams prevent the intrusion of dust and water, making the camera suitable for use in adverse weather conditions. The RRP of the SIGMA sd Quattro H is £1,499.99 and availability is slated for January 2017.

The Fujifilm X-A10 is a new entry-level compact system camera with an APS-sized 16.3-megapixel CMOS sensor, Fujifilm X lens mount and a 180-degree slide-and-tilt type LCD for facilitating selfies. The camera's grip is shaped to accommodate both normal shooting and self-portraits. When taking a selfie, you can focus and release the shutter by pressing the vertical command dial found directly below your index finger to minimise camera shake. Rotating the tilting LCD upward by 180 degrees activates the Eye Detection AF to automatically adjust the focus on the subject’s eyes.  The slide-and-tilt mechanism enables the screen to be fully visible even when it is tilted by 180°. The use of two Command Dials means you only need a thumb to quickly adjust aperture, shutter speed and exposure settings. Frequently used functions such as white balance, continuous shooting and the self-timer can be assigned to standalone function buttons, eliminating the need to dive into the camera's menu. The dedicated Video Recording button on the rear plate enables users to easily record Full HD movies. The X-A10 offers a total of six Film Simulation modes, namely the true-to-life colours of PROVIA (standard), the vibrant tones and saturated colours of Velvia (vivid), the soft tones of ASTIA (soft), the documentary-style deep colours and soft shades of CLASSIC CHROME, as well as Monochrome and Sepia. Battery life is rated at approx. 410 frames on a single charge. The Fujifilm X-A10 with XC16-50mmF3.5-5.6 OIS II kit will be available from January 2017 with a Suggested Retail Price of £499.

Canon’s new flagship mirrorless camera, the EOS M5, is now available in the United Kingdom. This camera features a 24.2 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor and Dual Pixel CMOS AF. The EOS M5 also has a DIGIC 7 processor, DSLR-level AF speed and accuracy, 9fps continuous shooting, and Full HD 60p movies. The Canon EOS M5 (RRP £1,049.99/€1,299.99) is available body only or paired with the EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM zoom lens (RRP £1,149.99/€1,499.99). From December, the camera will also be available with the new all-purpose EF-M 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM lens (RRP £1,399.99/ €1,799.99).

Fuji UK have announced they are doubling the cashback on their winter promotion for the Black Friday weekend. This means they are offering up to £250 cashback on selected X Series cameras and lenses. These include the Fujifilm X-T1 compact system camera, the Fujinon XF56mm APD (pictured), XF16-55mm and XF50-140mm lenses, and more. For the full list of qualifying products, visit the website below.

Website: Fuji Promotions

Jessops will offer a number of deals this Black Friday on more than 200 products, including cashback offers and savings of up to £235 across cameras, drones, lenses, photographic courses, accessories and photo gifts. The Jessops Black Friday event will start online at 8pm on Thursday 24th November and will take place across 54 nationwide stores and online until midnight on Monday 28th November. Some of the deals include a free ‘create your own’ photobook with every camera, lens or camcorder purchased this weekend; a Canon EOS 1300D Twin lens kit for £299; DJI Phantom 3 Standard for £399; GoPro Hero Session Gift bundle for £149; a 30% discount on selected lenses; a free Nikon accessory kit worth £49.99 with selected Nikon DSLRs; and much more. Pete Duncombe, Commercial Director at Jessops says: “We are delighted to reveal some of our best Black Friday deals before they even launch to help our customers plan their purchases this weekend. We are pleased to be able to offer excellent savings coupled with our Price Match Promise, outstanding customer service, and expert impartial advice.”

Sony have released a firmware update for the Alpha A7 II compact system camera. According to the company, version 3.30 "improves a condition that occurs with system software version 3.20 where, when using the Flash, the amount of light at the edge of the image is insufficient." The firmware upgrade can be downloaded from the website below.

Website: Sony A7 II Firmware Version 3.30

 In celebration of the release of the new Canon EOS M5 compact system camera (pictured), Canon have announced the launch of the #TagYoureIt collaborative Instagram campaign. Actress and blogger Jamie Chung and 12 participating photographers will be faced with completing spontaneous photo challenges from now through the end of the year. Throughout the campaign, Jamie and each participating photographer will be tagged and challenged by another influencer in the #TagYoureIt programme to complete their photo challenge within 24-hours. The game of #TagYoureIt continues when the previous individual tags the next participant on Instagram. The campaign will extend through December and can be tracked on Instagram using #TagYoureIt. Participating influencers will be challenging their fans to answer a challenge of their own for a chance to get reposted or get a special shout out.

Fuji have issued firmware updates for the Fujifilm X-T1 and X-Pro2 compact system cameras. Firmware version 5.00 for the Fujifilm X-T1 and X-T1 Graphite Silver models (pictured) adds support for the new EF-X500 electronic flash and a few new Function and Quick Menu items. Firmware update 2.01 for the X-Pro2 brings a number of bug fixes related to the XF18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR lens, the Nissin i40 flash and the PC Auto Save setting.

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera can shoot at up to 18fps with continuous autofocusing and metering.

To test this out, I hand-held the E-M1 Mark II and the 12-100mm f/4 lens, and then recorded an eagle that was flying towards me. Nothing else was used to support the camera, and the weather was frankly terrible (raining and overcast), yet the E-M1 II managed to nail the focus on the majority of frames.

The Leica TL is a new compact system camera with a 16-megapixel APS-C sensor and an upgraded AF system. Key highlights include a 3.7" LCD screen with a resolution of 1,230k dots, a sensitivity range of ISO 100-12500, a maximum continuous shooting speed of 5fps, 32GB of internal storage, and Full HD movie recording capabilities. The camera will be available later this month in black, silver and titanium anodised finish, priced at £1,450/$1,695.

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera can shoot 4K video whilst taking advantage of its in-body 5-Axis image stabilization, which compensates for all types of camera shake.

To test this out, I hand-held the E-M1 Mark II whilst sat in a moving car, and then recorded a pair of horses that were running alongside at roughly the same speed. Nothing else was used to support the camera, and this was the first and only take that I was able to record. Here's the resulting footage...

The new Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera has an innovative Pro Capture mode which should make it easier to capture that decisive moment. Simply set the shooting mode dial to the Pro Capture setting, then press and hold the shutter release button halfway. The E-M1 Mark II will then continuously buffer a series of full resolution 20 megapixel JPEG / RAW images until you fully press the shutter button, at which point it will capture the image plus the 14 previous frames. If you want to take full advantage of the E-M1 Mark II's amazing 60fps shooting rate, continue to keep the shutter release fully depressed to take up to an additional 99 frames.

Olympus have announced the recommended retail price of their flagship OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera. Equippedwith a 20.4-megapixel sensor, the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark IIreaches sequential speeds of 18fps with continuous auto focus enabled, and 60fps in S-AF mode. A completely new on-chip, phase-detection AF system offers 121 all cross-type AF points and a high-speed algorithm powered by the new TruePic VIII AF processor. With an EVF that offers a response rate of barely 6ms and a smooth frame rate of 120 fps, it’s easy to keep up with fast-moving subjects. Additionally, the innovative Pro Capture shooting mode on the OM-D E-M1 Mark II exploits the virtual elimination of shutter lag by recording up to 14 sequential frames before the shutter release is fully pressed. The redesigned 5-axis image stabiliser now offers a6.5-stop advantage when paired with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm1:4.0 IS PRO lens. In addition to capturing 20-megapixel stills, the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II can record 4K movies at 24fps and 30fps and a bit rate of 102Mbps/237Mbps. The camera body will be available from December, priced at £1849.99/$1,999.95. A kit including the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II and the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm 1:2.8 PRO lens will be available for £2399.99.

Want to see exactly what the new Fujifilm X-A3 compact system camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our hands-on gallery of photos of the Fujifilm X-A3 compact system camera, which will be sold in the UK exclusively through Jessops for £599.

Want to see exactly what the new white Olympus PEN E-PL8 compact system camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our hands-on gallery of photos of the white Olympus PEN E-PL8 compact system camera, which will be sold in the UK exclusively through Jessops for £499.

YI Technology has announced that its YI M1 compact system camera is now available to purchase. Featuring a 20.2-megapixel FourThirds sensor, a Micro FourThirds lens mount, a 3" touchscreen, an 81-point CDAF system, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE connectivity and 4K video recording capabilities, the YI M1 offers a mostly touchscreen-based user interface and comes in two single-lens kit (either with a 12-40mm f/3.5-5.6 standard zoom or a 42.5mm f/1.8 portrait lens) and a double-lens bundle. Pricing starts at $499.

Want to see exactly what the new Sony A6500 compact system camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our hands-on gallery of photos of the Sony A6500 compact system camera.

The Sony A6500 is a new flagship APS-C sensor camera which combines the World’s fastest AF speed and highest number of AF points with In-camera 5-axis image stabilisation, touchscreen AFoperation, and a 24.2 MP Exmor CMOS sensor.

The new Sony A6500 interchangeable lens camera will be available in Europe in December priced at approximately €1,700 body only or €2,800 with the SEL1670Z lens.

Announced in the run-up to Photokina 2016, the EOS M5 is the new flagship mirrorless camera in Canon’s range, joining the entry-level EOS M10 and the mid-range EOS-M3. Join us as we explore this exciting new product in our first hands-on preview.