Samsung today announced a cash back initiative for customers purchasing a camera from the Samsung SMART range. The offers available include £100 cash back upon purchasing a Samsung NX20, the Samsung NX210 also comes with £100 cash back and the Samsung NX1000 comes with £50. The Samsung MV900F and the Samsung EX2F also come with £50 whilst the Samsung ST200 and DV300F come with £20, the Samsung QF20 camcorder comes with £30. Once a SMART camera has been purchased, a pre paid visa card loaded with cash will be sent back to the customer via post.

Sakar has announced the launch of several new digital compact cameras under the Polaroid brand. The new models include the Polaroid iF045 ($99.99), a fourteen-megapixel camera with front- and rear-facing displays and 5x optical zoom that’s waterproof down to a depth of 10 feet; the sixteen-megapixel Polaroid iS2132 ($199.99) superzoom camera with 21x “enhanced definition” optical zoom and HD video capture and the Polaroid iS326 ($79.99) ultra-compact camera with 3x optical zoom and a slim form factor. Unlike the Z-series Polaroid digicams, these models do not feature built-in printers.

Lytro, creator of the world’s first consumer light field camera, has announced that it will expand distribution to both US and international customers. The Lytro camera captures all the light traveling in every direction in a scene. The camera gives creative photographers unique capabilities like refocusing a picture after it’s taken and creating living pictures. Lytro has also recently announced availability for Windows, added accessories and is now generally available for customers. The Lytro camera will be available online at Target, Future Shop, BestBuy and Amazon starting October 9; in-store through retail in Australia, starting October 10; in-store through retail in Hong Kong and Singapore, starting mid-October; and in-store at CityTarget, starting November.

The GE X600 is a new super-zoom bridge compact camera. The X600 has a 26x zoom with a focal range of 26-676mm, a 14.4 megapixel CMOS sensor, 1080p Full HD video recording, 5fps burst shooting, an electronic viewfinder and a 2.7 inch LCD screen. The GE X600 is scheduled for delivery mid-October and will be priced around £149.99.

We have collected the most interesting digital cameras announced at (or just before) Photokina 2012. They are not necessarily the “best” cameras out there - some of them are indisputably ground-breaking, others rather controversial - but they are all intriguing in one way or another.

At Photokina, Fujifilm delivered a presentation about the new Fujifilm X-E1 compact system camera, the Fujinon XF18-55mm and XF14mm lenses and the XF1 premium compact camera.

Want to see exactly what the new, raw-capable Casio Exilim ZR1000 digital travel-zoom camera looks like in the flesh? We have compiled a hands-on gallery for your perusal.

Want to see exactly what the new Casio Exilim EX-H50 digital travel-zoom camera looks like in the flesh? We have compiled a hands-on gallery for your perusal.

The Casio EX-ZR1000 is the new, raw-capable flagship model in the manufacturer’s High Speed Exilim line-up, featuring a 24-300mm equivalent lens and newly designed user interface that includes a function ring and a hinged rear display. Powered by the Exilim Engine HS, the Casio Exilim EX-ZR1000 boasts performance indicators such as a start-up time of 0.99 second, auto focus lag of 0.15 second and a minimum shot-to-shot time of 0.26 second. Users can operate a Step Zoom with nine settings in addition to the regular zoom by rotating the function ring mounted around the lens. The function ring also allows them to set the exposure value (EV) shift, shutter speed, manual focus, and white balance. The maximum continuous shooting speed of the EX-ZR1000 camera is 30fps (up to 6fps with auto focus). A fixed-focus “snapshot” mode allows users to take “decisive-moment” photographs with no focus lag at all. Pricing has yet to be announced.

The Casio Exilim EX-H50 is a new, sixteen-megapixel travelzoom camera with 24x optical zoom and CCD-shift image stabilisation. This high-zoom, compact digital camera features a wide-angle 25-600mm equivalent zoom lens and a wide-screen 3.0-inch monitor, all packed into a slim body that fits easily in the hand. The new camera also comes with a silent mode, which instantly changes the camera’s settings to avoid disturbing others nearby. This includes silencing all sounds, disabling the flash, and deactivating the self-timer and AF Assist Lamp. The silent mode is especially helpful when taking pictures in places like museums, aquariums, and restaurants.  The Casio Exilim EX-H50 is available in three colours: black, white and red. Pricing has yet to be communicated.

Want to see exactly what the new Leica V-Lux 4 digital compact camera looks like in the flesh? We have compiled a hands-on gallery for your perusal.

Continuing Leica’s close relationship with Panasonic, the V-Lux 4 is essentially a re-purposed FZ200 with the usual Leica kudos and styling thrown into the mix, along with a free copy of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4. £690 snags you the Leica V-Lux 4 when it launches in November.

Want to see exactly what the new Leica D-Lux 6 digital compact camera looks like in the flesh? We have compiled a hands-on gallery for your perusal.

Want to see exactly what the new Pentax X-5 camera looks like in the flesh? We have compiled a hands-on gallery for your perusal.

Want to see exactly what the new Fujifilm XF1 camera looks like in the flesh? We have compiled a hands-on gallery for your perusal.

Want to see exactly what the new Leica M, S, M-E and X2 Paul Smith cameras look like in the flesh?

Check out our hands-on gallery of photos of the M, S, M-E and X2 Paul Smith edition cameras.

The Leica V-Lux 4 is a digital superzoom camera with a 25-600mm (eq.) f/2.8 lens. Featuring the same headline specifications as the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 and available from November, the Leica V-Lux 4 comes with a licence for the professional still picture and video processing software, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4, plus a two-year warranty and a one-year Leica UK ‘Passport’ (complimentary accidental damage cover) for £690 including VAT.

The Leica D-Lux 6 is a premium compact camera with a 10-megapixel sensor and a 24-90mm (eq.) f/1.4-2.3 Leica DC Vario-Summilux lens. Featuring the same headline specifications as the Panasonic Lumix LX7 and available from November, the Leica D-Lux 6 comes bundled with a copy of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4, a two-year warranty and a one-year Leica UK ‘Passport’ (complimentary accidental damage cover) for £600 including VAT.

Leica has expanded the ‘Leica à la carte‘ programme – the special concept for personalising your Leica camera – and will be offering a selection of styling options for the Leica X2 from the end of October 2012. In addition to the two standard models (black and silver) the X2 is now also available in an exclusive, titanium-coloured, anodised finish. The colour and textures step of the camera’s leather trim can be chosen in a further step of the personalisation process. The range includes a collection of ten different leather trim options. The choice of colours ranges from a discreet black saddle-leather to full-grain cowhide in eye-catching colours like green (pictured), blue or aztec. The portfolio also includes extravagant variations embossed with lizard and ostrich leather patterns.

The technical specifications of the Leica X2 à la carte are identical to those of the standard camera model.

The Leica X2 Edition Paul Smith is a special-edition Leica X2, limited to 1500 units worldwide. “What the red dot is to Leica, above all bright stripes are to Paul Smith designs and the most wonderful proof that they can live in perfect harmony is embodied in every single one of the 1,500 cameras of the strictly limited Leica X2 Edition Paul Smith,” the company says. “And it is these immensely popular stripes that are now recreated in the design of this special edition of the Leica X2: in the bright orange on the top plate, the legendary British racing green of the leather trim and the fluorescent yellow of its base.” The Leica X2 Edition Paul Smith is scheduled to be available in the UK at a suggested retail price of £2,000 including VAT in October 2012.

Want to see what the new Canon Powershot G15 premium compact camera looks like in the flesh? The new G15 features a relatively big (1/1.7-type) twelve-megapixel sensor, an extremely fast, 28-140mm (eq.) f/1.8-2.8 lens as well as built-in Wi-Fi. We have compiled a set of hands-on photos for your perusal.