Get a free Coolpix P300 camera worth £299.99 when purchasing any Nikon binocular from the EDG range. From 20th June - 31st August 2011 customers will be able to claim a P300 compact digital camera with purchases of one of the five models in Nikon’s flagship range of binoculars. The P300 is a premium camera that packs high quality features into a small and lightweight body. Claims must be received by 30th September 2011 inclusive.

Olympus have released a new firmware update for the XZ-1 compact camera. Version 1.3 improves the algorithm for ESP spot metering.

Download Olympus XZ-1 Firmware Update 1.3

Pentax has announced the addition of a new Shiny Orange version to its Optio WG-1 GPS waterproof digital compact camera range. The company says the new version was designed in response to strong demand by outdoor enthusiasts. It features a high-quality finish in brilliant orange with an aluminium-alloy front panel to give the camera a vibrant, glossy appearance. A gunmetal-grey rubber coating has also been applied to the edge of the camera body to further accentuate the brilliance of the sparkling orange colour. The Shiny Orange Pentax Optio WG1-GPS will be available from the beginning of August 2011, at the recommended retail price of £299.99.

General Imaging has unveiled three new 14-megapixel compact cameras, including two superzooms. The GE G100 Power Pro offers 15x optical zoom, optical image stabilisation, 10fps burst shooting, 1080p Full HD video recording and an HDMi port. A 3” rear screem. Multi-Exposure, Object Tracking and HDR with image blending can also be found in the G100, available in October 2011. The GE E1410SW boasts 10X optical zoom and 1080p Full HD video in a thin and stylish design, and is also available from October. Finally, the GE J1456W (pictured) is an entry-level model with a 28-140mm 5x zoom lens, Smile, Face and Blink Detection; red-eye removal; 720p HD video capabilities and a Pan-Capture Panorama shooting mode. Although the exact price has not been revealed, General Imagigng says the “GE J1456W will be one of the most affordable 5X Zoom, Li-on cameras on the market and is set to launch in August”.

Fujifilm has posted a firmware update for the Fujifilm Finepix X100 large-sensor compact camera. Version 1.10 incorporates nearly two dozen improvements, additions and bug fixes. Some of the changes are so profound that Fujifilm saw fit to revise and update the user manual too, which can be downloaded from the Fuji website along with the firmware upgrade. Click through / scroll down for a detailed list of all the enhancements and fixes introduced with this update.

Ricoh has posted a firmware update for the Ricoh CX5 digital compact camera. Version 1.19 improves white balance accuracy and fixes a bug with camera response when you take pictures repeatedly with a full-press of the shutter release. The firmware upgrade is available for download now from the website below.

Website: Ricoh CX5 Firmware

Ricoh has announced that it will release a function-enhancing firmware update for the Ricoh G700 and the Ricoh G700SE cameras. The update brings the following enhancements to the G700: images stored in camera memos can now be viewed using playback zoom, complete with scrolling, allowing any part of each image to be viewed in detail; camera memos can now be disabled, plus there are new Picture Quality options and support for Aztec bar codes. Ricoh G700SE owners who have both an optional GP1 unit and a Bluetooth-equipped GPS unit can now choose the device used to supply the compass heading and specify whether compass data are corrected for magnetic declination. Also, the G700SE now displays location data during movie recording and a Degrees option has been added to the Compass Heading in the expanded settings menu. The update will be available from the Ricoh website starting tomorrow.

Casio has released a firmware update for the Casio TRYX digital compact camera. Version 1.01 brings the following enhancements and improvements:

• Adds a LED light [Auto] mode.
• Adds an icon to the REC mode screen for switching to PLAY mode.
• Changes the REC icon and PLAY icon designs.
• Adds a function for displaying the remaining number of shots and movie recording time.
• Improves connection with Mac OS9.

Website: Casio TRYX Firmware Update

Casio has released a firmware upgrade for the Casio Eximilm EX-H20G digital compact camera. Version 1.03 improves the quality of connection with old Mac computers running MacOS 9. The firmware upgrade can be downloaded from the website below.

Website: Casio EX-H20G Firmware Update

Fujifilm has issued firmware updates for its FinePix XP20 (XP22), XP30 and Z90 (Z91) digital compact cameras. Version 1.02 for the XP20/XP22 and Z90/Z91, and version 1.03 for the XP30 all bring the following improvements:

1. Improvement of zoom-in and zoom-out speed in playback mode.
2. Improvement of playback (panning) speed for panorama images.
3. Improvement of image quality (sharpness and colour saturation).

Website: MyFinePix UK

Panasonic has issued a firmware update for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP3 digital compact camera. The company claims that version 1.3 brings an “improvement of the menu indication”, without expanding on the details. You can download the firmware update from the website below.

Website: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP3 Firmware Update Service

Panasonic has released a firmware update for the Lumix DMC-FH22 (also known as the DMC-FS33) digital compact camera. Version 1.2 is a minor upgrade bringing an “improvement of the menu indication” according to Panasonic.

Website Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH22/FS33 Firmware Update Service

Ricoh has announced a new, 16-megapixel dust-, shock- and waterproof digital compact camera called the Ricoh PX. Sporting a 28-140mm equivalent f/3.9-5.4 zoom lens and a sensor-shift anti-shake mechanism, the Ricoh PX is waterproof down to a depth of 3 metres for a duration of up to 60 minutes and can also withstand being dropped from a height of up to 1.5 metres. For low-light shooting, the camera offers a handheld night scene mode that uses pixel binning for improved light sensitivity. In addition to taking photos, the Ricoh PX can also shoot 720p HD video, recording both movies and stills on SD(HC) memory cards. Available in lime green, silver and black, the Ricoh PX has a recommended retail price of £179.99 in the UK, $249.00 in the USA and €199.00 in the Euro zone. A range of add-on protective panels will be available in a variety of colours, priced at €20 apiece. These panels/covers add further protection to the tough little camera, the manufacturer says.

Via Photoscala

Having recently won the TIPA Award for Best Premium Camera, the Fujifilm Finepix X100 now received the prestigious award of Editors’ Choice from the 2011 Camera Grand Prix of Japan. Adrian Clarke, Director of Fujifilm’s Digital Products said “To win two of the camera world’s most prestigious awards is a fantastic achievement… The Awards are the highest recognition that with the X100, Fujifilm has created a camera with truly outstanding qualities”.

Review: Read our in-depth review of the Fujifilm FinePix X100 camera

Samsung has developed a range of animation features for display on the front screen of its unique Dual View compact cameras to keep children captivated while their photo is being taken. The Samsung ST700 boasts eight fun and playful children’s animations, available as free downloads from the Samsung website. The Samsung PL170 and PL120 models also include 21 creative animations to keep the kids mesmerised. Nick White, Head of Digital Imaging, Samsung UK, said: “At Samsung we are always trying to come up with creative new ways to further enhance the consumer experience. This new range of animations for Samsung’s 2View compact cameras have been designed to be as engaging as possible to help families capture the perfect shot of their little ones by keeping their eyes fixed on the camera..

The Leica V-LUX 30 is a 14-megapixel digital compact camera with 16x optical zoom, 1080i video capture and integrated GPS. Successor to last year’s Leica V-LUX 20, the new model shares its lens and much of its feature set - including the nifty 3D photo mode - with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ20/ZS10 superzoom, which we reviewed three months ago, but comes in at a substantially higher MSRP of £550/$750. The higher price is partly due to the inclusion of Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 and Adobe Premiere Elements 9 in the bundle. In addition, a choice of two smart leather cases are available as optional accessories: a strong, tan leather case with shoulder strap, and a soft brown leather pouch that fits easily into a travel bag or pocket. The Leica V-LUX 30 digital compact camera will be available from June.

BenQ has released a new 14-megapixel, 5x zoom digital camera in its S-series. Featuring a 26-130mm equivalent lens, optical image stabilisation and a 3” monitor with a resolution of 460,000 dots, the BenQ S1430 comes with a range of creative shooting modes, including “Toy”, “LOMO”, “Colour Accent” and “Fisheye”. Functions like HDR imaging, skin softening and “de-blemishing” are also on board to help users capture pleasing photos. Pricing to be confirmed.

The Casio EX-Z3000 is a 16.1-megapixel digital compact camera with 8x optical zoom and a 3.2” touch-sensitive LCD screen. Users can activate the shutter simply by touching the screen: with a single touch, the camera focuses on that point in the scene and captures the image. The Casio EX-Z3000 also features CCD-shift image stabilisation and high-speed autofocus (0.14s at the wide end of the zoom).  The EXILIM EX-Z3000 is available in four colours: silver, pink, brown, and red. Pricing to be confirmed.

The BenQ P1410 digital compact camera is BenQ’s first model to feature a 7x optical zoom. Other features include a fourteen-megapixel imager, a clear 460k-pixel 3” LCD display, powerful double anti-shake system, special shooting effects and an ultra-slim casing. Powered by BenQ’s latest HDR II image enhancement technology, the P1410 is able to self-adjust the darkest and the brightest parts in a photo in order to faithfully reproduce the wide range of brightness levels present in an outdoor scene under extreme lighting conditions. The camera can also capture HD movie clips at a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. The new BenQ P1410 digital camera will be available worldwide in May 2011. Price to be announced.

NAVTEQ have issued a statement revealing that map and location data for the built-in GPS unit of the Olympus Tough TG-810 digital compact camera are supplied by them. The TG-810 features GPS functions and an electronic compass to record the location data of the shot. By simply activating the GPS functionality, the camera can display landmarks on the monitor and identify the country/region of the shot being taken. Integrated within the TG810 are NAVTEQ maps and Points of Interest (POI), so users can link every photo they take with the exact POI on the NAVTEQ map, the company says.