SanDisk have announced the world’s fastest microSD UHS-I memory card, the 64GB SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDXC UHS-I card. With transfer speeds of up to 95MB/s*, users can shoot like a pro and still experience world-class responsiveness from their smartphone, tablet or action camera. The card also features Class 10 and UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) ratings, which are recommended by the SD Association for 4K Ultra HD video capture. The SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDHC/microSDXC UHS-I cards are available worldwide in capacities of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB and range in pricing from $79.99 to $299.99 MSRP.

Phase One and ALPA plan to launch a new A-series camera system for fine art photographers. Shortly, Phase One and ALPA plan to launch a new A-series camera system that builds on the products and technologies from both industry leaders. The A-series represents a pioneering development in the market for compact solutions offering full frame medium format image quality, and is expected to be a category-defining product.

The Odin II adds new cutting-edge functionality and features to Phottix’s flagship flash trigger. The Odin II for Canon, Nikon and Sony are expected to be available during Q1 of 2015.

Hasselblad has announced the upcoming launch of a new medium format camera body. The Hasselblad H5X, which boasts latest capture functionality comes after the spring launch of the world's first 50MP CMOS Sensor H5D-50c camera and the summer launch of the new H5D-50c MS, H5D-200c MS and the CFV-50c CMOS digital back. The H5X, which will retail at €4,595 without viewfinder (or €5,795 with viewfinder), provides the same extensive functionality as the H1 and H2 cameras but with a number of new functions including full HC and HCD lens compatibility, eight memory banks, True Focus mechanism, high-power AF illumination, superior viewfinder options including the HVD 90x viewfinder optimised for 36x48 mm format and HV 90x-II viewfinder optimised for the film and 40.2×53.7 mm format. the camera works with film and digital backs. Hasselblad will showcase the new H5X at photokina 2014.

The Leaf Credo 50 is a fifty-megapixel medium-format back featuring a CMOS sensor. Giving photographers a wider ISO range of 100 to 6400 for greater versatility and higher performance, the Leaf Credo 50 offers very long exposures - up to an hour -, fluid high-quality live view for exact composition as well as more accurate and selective focusing, a claimed 14 f-stops of dynamic range, an enhanced image processor and a hi-res 3.2" touchscreen Available from 16 September 2014 in Mamiya, Contax, H and V mounts, the Mamiya Leaf Credo 50 Digital back is priced at $26,995 / €19,995.

Sony have released three high-resolution sample images captured with the new ILCE-QX1 camera. Taken at ISO100/21° and ISO200/24°, these Sony QX1 samples can be downloaded from the website below.

Website: Sony Global

The Sony ILCE-QX1 is a new lens-style camera that allows you to use an E-mount lens with your smartphone. The Sony ILCE-QX1 has an APS-C size Exmor CMOS sensor with 20.1-megapixels, BIONZ X processor, advanced camera features including RAW image files, and even a pop-up flash. The compact DSC-QX30 keeps things crisp and clear with its powerful 30x optical zoom lens, supported by Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation that helps eliminate blurring.

Shipping as standard with the ILCE-QX1 and available as an optional accessory for all other QX models, the FSK1 Free Angle Shooting Kit includes a tilt adaptor and a grip, allowing you to shoot from low or high angles or take effortless selfies.

The QX1 (£249) and QX30 (£249) lens-style cameras and new colour variations of QX10 are available to pre-order now from www.sony.co.uk. The QX10 colour variants and QX30 are available in the UK from the end of September 2014 and QX1 and FSK1 (£25) from October 2014.

The Sony Action Cam Mini weighs just 63g and is approximately 2/3rd the size and weight of existing models. Squeezed into its tiny dimensions, you’ll find many of the same leading Sony technologies such as advanced SteadyShot and delivers eye-popping Full HD pictures and crisp stereo sound. With the ability to capture high bit-rate recording at 50mbps in XAVC S and a 170° wide angle lens, the power of the HDR-AZ1 defies its small size. The new HDR-AZ1VR Action Cam Mini (including the LVR2) from Sony is available to pre-order now from www.sony.co.uk. It’s on general sale in UK from October 2014 for £329.

Zeiss are set to launch a new family of lenses at Photokina, dubbed Loxia. Rumoured to be for Sony FE full-frame mirrorless cameras (A7S, A7R, A7), the new range will be joined at the show by another Otus full-frame DSLR lens as well as new rangefinder products. Zeiss are currently running a special interactive puzzle on their blog which will eventually reveal the new Photokina 2014 products.

Leica Camera UK is offering existing Leica M owners the opportunity to part-exchange their current M body for the Leica M (Typ 240). “We are really excited to be able to offer this M part-exchange to our Leica M owners,” says Jason Heward, General Manager at Leica Camera. “Our owners have been requesting this service for some time and it’s great that we are finally able to meet this need. This year marks 60 years of Leica M photography, so whether it’s inspiring M analogue users to go digital, or simply upgrading to the latest digital M, we hope that it provides a good opportunity for photographers considering the M (Typ 240).”

Via its official Instagram channel (!), Hasselblad has introduced a new multi-shot camera called the Hasselblad H5D-200c Multi-Shot. Just like the existing Hasselblad H4D-200MS, the new camera has a 50-megapixel sensor and utilises Hasselblad’s patented piezo frame module, which captures a series of shots of the same subject and combines them into a 200-megapixel file. The main difference is the Hasselblad H5D-200c MS has a CMOS chip instead of a CCD, which offers a much wider sensitivity range and exposure times as long as 12 minutes. Pricing and availability to be confirmed.

Leica has today announced a new digital rangefinder camera. Based on the otherwise identical Leica M, the new Leica M-P (not to be confused with the Leica MP film camera) offers all the technical advantages of the Leica M-System and several additional features. According to Leica, the ‘P’ in the product name indicates the "particularly discreet and enduring design concept with which the Leica M-P joins the line of Leica M-Cameras." Instead of the red Leica logo, the M-P is graced only with a "discreetly classical" Leica script, making it "noticeably unnoticeable," the company says. The full-frame, 24-megapixel Leica M-P features a 2GB buffer (upgraded from 1GB on the Leica M), a sapphire glass LCD cover and a frame selection lever with which bright-line frames for six different focal lengths can be projected into the viewfinder to simulate subject framing. The corresponding frames are shown in pairs for the focal lengths 28 and 90mm, 35 and 135mm or 50 and 75mm. The manufacturer's suggested retail price is $7949.95.

The Hasselblad CFV-50c is a new 'back to the future' CMOS sensor-based digital back, targeting V System photographers. The new CFV-50c, which will have an €11,000 price tag, is engineered to work on almost every Hasselblad V camera ever made. The sensor inside the Hasselblad CFV-50c digital back measures 43.8x32.9mm, has a resolution of 50 megapixels and a sensitivity range stretching from ISO 100/24° to ISO 6.400/39°, and captures 16-bit/channel raw files at a maximum continuous shooting speed of 1.5fps. The back itself offers simple operation without any external cables, a larger LCD, full-colour Live Video via Phocus software, compatilbility with 90° finders, a new menu system and button layout, and a new programmable button.

Market research and consultancy firm InfoTrends has published a new report entitled Digital Camera End-user Survey Analysis: United States. The report argues that new advances in the digital camera market - such as adding various wireless connectivity options to cameras and accessories - will better enable digital cameras to compete with the popular smartphone; whether users want to share their photos using email, multimedia message or social networking platforms. InfoTrends also highlights in this study that over half of the consumers surveyed reported areas where their current camera was falling short of their needs. Common areas of concern included battery life, low-light capture capabilities, and lack of Wi-Fi connectivity. "Digital camera vendors should focus marketing messages on issues such as these, and how they have improved with newer models," the company says. "Viral forms of marketing including blogs, social networks, and video sharing are effective tools to complement traditional advertising methods." The report can be purchased from the website below.

Leica has released a firmware update for the Leica M (Typ 240) digital rangefinder camera. Version 2.0.1.5 enables live view capability with every lens (including older screw lenses via an adapter), adds a 'Video off' option to the Set menu, creates a new menu item called Exposure Simulation, extends the camera's Auto ISO options, adds new crop marks and a new Focus Peaking function, and much more. Click through scroll down for the details.

Lytro has decided to open-source its code for the light-field Living Picture player, bringing interactive imagery anywhere on the Web. The Lytro WebGL Player allows developers to seamlessly integrate galleries of "living pictures" taken with the Lytro Illum light field camera into their websites. Living pictures are the product of light field photography ­ a transformative way to experience digital images. Audiences can alter the appearance of the images by adjusting perspectives, focal points and dimensions. 500px will be the first to integrate the Lytro WebGL Player. The open source code for Lytro's WebGL Player will be available on 15th July, at the website below.

Lytro has published full specifications for its Illum light-field camera. Back in April, when the Lytro Illum was announced, only the headline specs were released, including a 40-megaray light field sensor, 8x optical zoom lens (30mm-250mm equivalent) with a constant aperture of f/2, 1/4000 of a second high-speed shutter, articulating touchscreen and a flash hotshoe. Now Lytro has published a detailed spec sheet that includes data on sensor format, crop factor, native resolution, maximum reproduction ratio, shutter type, and much more, Click through / scroll down for the details.

AppCam have issued a statement regarding what they call a "surprising resemblance" of the Leica T's graphical user interface (GUI) and operating system to the AppCam OS-II. "The only major difference is that the values ​​are set by tapping on the display on the Leica T," the company says (AppCam uses dials and soft buttons instead). "The use of camera apps and their free configuration - like the apps on a smartphone - equates otherwise more or less exactly to our system." AppCam's Jürgen Habenstein claims they had presented their system approximately two and a half years ago to Leica's product manager, Stefan Daniel, at the former company headquarters in Solms but eventually, the German company refused any form of cooperation. Despite this, AppCam do not explicitly allege that Leica stole their idea. "We are really looking forward [to] the great success of the Leica T, because it contributes to mak[ing] the benefits of camera apps known worldwide," Habenstein says. "Camera apps are the future."

Want to see exactly what the new Pentax 645Z medium-format DSLR camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of the exciting new Pentax 645Z medium-format DSLR camera.

Last month, Lytro announced the Illum, an upcoming camera that uses light field technology to capture "multi-dimensional" images with a single click. Since then, the company has released a short documentary about five leading photographers who got to pilot the new camera. The behind-the-scenes video follows the artists coast to coast - from portrait artist Anna Webber's film noire scene in the streets of New York City to the surreal concepts of Kyle Thompson set against the drizzly woods of Eugene, Oregon.