Park Cameras have teamed up with Panasonic to provide a free training session dedicated to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 digital camera. The training will take place on Thursday 18th June between 6-8pm. Advance registration is required.

Starting June, Digital Camera Buyer magazine will be sold under the title Digital Camera Essentials. The renamed magazine features the same in-depth reviews, hands-on group tests and 25-page buyers’ guide it has become famous for, but also now incorporates a large photo techniques section and editing tutorial. Along with the new name and a new look for the magazine, June will also see the launch of a new subscriptions offer for Digital Camera Essentials.

Samsung have released the Samsung SPF-87H, an ultra-thin digital photo frame.  The Samsung SPF-87H is only 23mm thick and features an 8-inch wide screen and 1GB of internal memory plus an SD slot for expanded storage. The screen boasts a contrast ratio of 500:1 and a resolution of 800x480 pixels. In addition to running photo slide shows in a variety of formats, the SPF-87H can be linked to a computer and serve as a secondary mini-monitor. With its Power Saving feature, the photo frame runs on minimal power through its USB cable. With an MSRP of US$129, the SPF-87H is now available from Fry’s Electronics and Amazon.com.

Photographers working for Our Place World Heritage, a global photographic initiative to document the sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list, now use the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 worldwide. Geoff Steven, Director and Assignment Editor of Our Place, claims that the low weight, portability and discreetness of the Panasonic G1 are great advantages to their photographers. To see images from the OUR PLACE World Heritage Collection, go to www.ourplaceworldheritage.com

Pentax Imaging Company has announced a third instant rebate programme effective May 15 – May 24, 2009 on select digital cameras. The savings consist of a $20.00 USD instant rebate on the PENTAX P70 and the PENTAX E70 compact digital cameras and a $50.00 USD savings on the PENTAX K2000 digital SLR double lens kit. There is no need to submit or track claims or wait several weeks for a rebate cheque.  More information about the programme and all of these products is available at: www.pentaximaging.com

With a DxOMark Sensor score of 89 points, the 60-megapixel Phase One P65+ has taken the lead in the overall DxOMark Sensor rankings. DxO Labs claim that up until now, shooting in low light has been challenging for medium-format cameras when compared to other digital cameras, but thanks to a newly-revised binning implementation, the P65+’s low-light performance has helped close the gap. Its higher Low-Light ISO score, combined with excellent scores for both Colour Depth and Dynamic Range, has propelled it to the first-place slot among all cameras in the dxomark database, regardless of format.

Website: Phase One P65+ at DxOMark.com

JOBO has introduced a 9mm thick digital photo frame, the JOBO NANO 7, as part of a new series of digital frames. The JOBO NANO 7, which features a 7” LCD, will be available in three different versions – Basic, Pro and Media. The JOBO NANO 7 Pro and Media versions feature touch activated buttons on the front of the frame. The NANO Media version features multimedia capabilities including viewing digital photos in slide shows along with music and video with audio. The resolution of the NANO 7 Basic is 480x234 pixels, whereas the Pro and Media versions come with an 800x480-pixel screen.The NANO 7 offers Dual-Mini-USB 2.0 high speed capability for connecting a card reader or USB jump drive and supports SD and MMC memory cards. The JOBO NANO 7 Basic, Pro and Media will be available in June with an AC adapter, remote control and manual for €74.90, €94.90, and €119 MSRP, respectively. The JOBO NANO 8 Media (8 inch) and NANO 10 Media (10 inch) models will be available later in July 2009 for €139 and €199 respectively.

Following a press release by Panasonic USA, the company’s UK branch has also announced an approximate price for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1. The new Mirco Four Thirds digital camera with Full-High Definition video recording ability will be available in early June on Panasonic’s eshop for approx. £1299.99 including the new Lumix G Vario HD 14-140mm lens.

Following a press release by Panasonic USA, the company’s UK branch has also announced an approximate price for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1. The new Mirco Four Thirds digital camera with Full-High Definition video recording ability will be available in early June on Panasonic’s eshop for approx. £1299.99 including the new Lumix G Vario HD 14-140mm lens.

The Garmin Oregon 550 is a hand-held GPS device with an integrated 3.2 megapixel digital camera, which creates geotagged images. The Oregon 550 is waterproofed, boasts 850 megabytes of internal storage plus microSD compatibility, and has a fixed-focal-length AF lens. Once your Oregon 550 is connected via USB, you can use my.Garmin.com to detect Oregon’s photos, simplify the selection and uploading processes and then store those photos on Picasa. Weighing only 6.8 ounces, the Oregon 550 comes with two precharged AA NiMH batteries, a charger,a carabiner clip and a USB cable. Pricing and availability to be confirmed.

The Clickfree Traveler is the first flash memory-based Clickfree product. Available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities, the Clickfree Traveler automatically starts when connected to a computer, then searches for, copies and organises all of your important data. Pricing for the Clickfree Traveler card is £79.99 for the 16GB model, £119.99 for 32GB and £199.99 for 64GB.

Panasonic announced a contest exclusively on LivinginHD.com in which they will give away one HD product each day for 30 days. The three prize options include two LUMIX Digital Cameras featuring 720p HD video recording (the DMC-ZS3/TZ7 and the DMC-TS1/FT1) and the new HDC-TM20 1080p HD Camcorder featuring a 16GB internal memory. Current and new members of the LivingInHD.com community will be eligible to register daily for the Living In HD 30x30 contest. More information, including complete contest rules and requirements, can be found online at http://www.livinginhd.com/go/promo/30x30entry.

Panasonic today announced pricing for the highly-anticipated LUMIX DMC-GH1, the new Micro Four Thirds digital camera with Full-High Definition video recording ability. The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GH1 will be available in early June for a suggested retail price of $1499.95 including a LUMIX G VARIO 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH/MEGA O.I.S. super-zoom lens. The new lens, designed to support HD movie recording, features a silent motor and continuous auto focusing capability. The Panasonic GH1 is an interchangeable-lens system camera sporting a high-resolution electronic viewfinder, a 12-megapixel sensor for high-resolution still photography, and an ability to record AVCHD 1080p/24p High Definition video. Uniquely, you can adjust aperture and shutter speed even in video mode.

At this point, it is unclear whether the GH1 will ever be sold as a body-only option.

Website: Panasonic GH-1 Hands-On

Sinar has announced that in addition to the existing professional architectural and landscape camera solution “Sinar arTec Hy6”, it will also offer a new “Sinar arTec HB-V”. The Sinar arTec HB-V accepts any third-party digital backs or any of the Sinarback eMotion models that are equipped with a Hasselblad V camera interface. With the Sinar arTec HB-V, film photography is also possible using a Hasselblad type A12 or A16 Roll Film Magazine. An appropriate mechanism allows for the film advance. Plus, with the new version, the tilting mechanism does not need any locking levers anymore since it is equipped with a self-locking fine micro-drive. You just move it and it stays in place. Sinar has also announced a spring promotion package, which includes a Sinar arTec camera (Hy6 or HB-V) + a 33-megapixel Sinarback eMotion 75 LV + adapter + a Sinaron Digital HR 4.0/35 CEF lens for 29,000 Swiss francs.

Sinar has announced that in addition to the existing professional architectural and landscape camera solution “Sinar arTec Hy6”, it will also offer a new “Sinar arTec HB-V”. The Sinar arTec HB-V accepts any third-party digital backs or any of the Sinarback eMotion models that are equipped with a Hasselblad V camera interface. With the Sinar arTec HB-V, film photography is also possible using a Hasselblad type A12 or A16 Roll Film Magazine. An appropriate mechanism allows for the film advance. Plus, with the new version, the tilting mechanism does not need any locking levers anymore since it is equipped with a self-locking fine micro-drive. You just move it and it stays in place. Sinar has also announced a spring promotion package, which includes a Sinar arTec camera (Hy6 or HB-V) + a 33-megapixel Sinarback eMotion 75 LV + adapter + a Sinaron Digital HR 4.0/35 CEF lens for 29,000 Swiss francs.

Following a similar programme announced last month, Pentax is now offering instant rebates on select cameras in the USA. This time around, two models are involved, the Pentax X70 super-zoom camera and the Pentax K2000 digital SLR; the latter in a bundle with the DA L 18-55mm lens. The rebate is $30 on the X70 and $50 on the K2000 kit. The offer is valid until Saturday, 9 May.

Review: Read our in-depth review of the Pentax K2000

Phase One today announced immediate availability of the Phase One P 40+ - the company’s second Sensor+ enabled digital camera back/camera system, which features a 40-megapixel sensor. Like the P 65+ introduced last year, this new system offers two separate image-capture modes. In normal mode, the P 40+ delivers full 40 megapixel captures for high-quality image details. And when shooting conditions demand, a photographer can push a button and instantly switch from 40 megapixels to 10 megapixels, gaining a four-fold increase in light sensitivity, and a capture rate of up to 1.8 frames per second - alledgedly the fastest capture rate of any high-end medium format camera system on the market today. The Phase One P 40+ digital back is compatible with the Phase One 645 AF, Mamiya 645AFDII/ AFDIII, Hasselblad H1 and H2, Hasselblad 555ELD, 553ELX, 503CW and 501CM and Contax 645 bodies as well as the Mamiya RZ67 PRO IID via an adapter. For pricing and more information please contact a local Phase One dealer. The launch of the Phase One P 40+ is official as of April 30th at 10am EST, and all website links will be live at that time.

HP has announced that a customised version of its HP Indigo WS6000 Commercial Digital Press will be available to professional photo labs in July. This customised photo specialty solution comes configured for HP SmartStream print server solutions for high-volume commercial print production. The HP Indigo WS6000 Commercial Digital Press connects with HP Indigo commercial unified workflow and provides the same HP Indigo print quality across the different applications and platforms. The digital printing replicates the media structure and coating, removes wet processes and offers superior gloss uniformity while the thin layer requires less colorant.

The digital photo frame (DPF) market is on track to reach a trade value of nearly 750m Euros across Western Europe this year, up from less than 700m Euros in 2008. This has been revealed in an industry report by Futuresource Consulting, a specialist research and knowledge-based consulting company. Right now, digital photo frames are mainly bought as gifts, and “consumers are still not purchasing for their own use,” says James Wells, a consultant. The UK is projected to account for 26% of total Western European shipments this year, trailed by France (20%) and Germany (14%). And although 7” screens will continue to dominate the market, the price of 8” screens is forecast to drop to €100 in 2009.

Graphics: Futuresource, copyright 2009

The Leica M8 White Edition, which we wrote about last week, now has a retail price and an availability date. German photography website photoscala.de reports, based on a newsletter issued by Leica retailer Martin Meister, that the white Leica M8 is to become available mid-June at a retail price of €7,000 (including German VAT) in a bundle with a silver-coloured Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 wide-angle lens. Meister Camera Hamburg is already taking pre-orders.