Ricoh UK has announced that the Pentax K-3 camera was selected as the Best Expert DSLR by the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA). In its official product citation, TIPA noted: 'Developed by Ricoh Imaging as the flagship of the Pentax K digital SLR camera series, the Pentax K-3 with 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor adds the unique “anti-aliasing simulator” to its low pass filter-less design. Housed in a weather-sealed magnesium alloy body, the camera can deliver 8.3 frames per second in bursts of 23 RAW or 60 JPEG images. Utilising the sensor-shift image stabilisation mechanism it adds a controllable “anti-moiré” effect. The K-3 delivers Full HD video with stereo sound and an upgraded interval movie mode for capturing 4K movie clips. It also incorporates a new PRIME III processor and 27-point SAFOX II AF system, with 25 cross-type sensors. The shutter is now rated at a robust 200,000 actuations.'

Nikon has released a firmware update for its D4S digital SLR camera. Version C 1.01 fixes various bugs related to image playback, histogram display and raw shooting. You can download the firmware upgrade from the website below.

Website: Nikon Europe

Want to see exactly what the new Canon EOS 100D White Edition DSLR camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our hands-on gallery of photos of the new entry-level Canon EOS 100D White Edition DSLR camera.

Canon UK has announced a new white edition of its EOS 100D digital SLR camera and 18-55mm standard zoom. Like the existing black variant, the white Canon EOS 100D features an 18 MP APS-C Hybrid CMOS AF II sensor and a range of simple controls and automatic shooting modes, as well as Full HD video capture. The camera is complemented by a white version of its EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM zoom lens, which covers a focal range of 29-88mm in 35mm terms. The kit will be available from May 2014 with an SRP of £499/€599.

The Pentax 645Z is a new medium-format dSLR camera with a 51.4-megapixel CMOS sensor, live view, dual SD card slots, 3fps continuous shooting and Full HD movie recording capabilities. The sensor has an imaging area of 43.8mm x 32.8mm, which is approximately 1.7 times larger than that of a 35mm full-frame imager.The Pentax 645Z boasts a maximum sensitivity setting of ISO 204,800; a 10-frame raw buffer, a newly designed SAFOX 11 phase-matching AF module with 27 sensor points (including 25 cross-type sensors), a tiltable 3.2-inch LCD monitor with a resolution of approximately 1,037,000 dots and a large, bright viewfinder with 98% frame coverage. The camera shoots Full HD video clips (60i/30p) and allows interval video recording of 4K-resolution images (in Motion JPEG or AVI video format). By installing the optional Flucard for Pentax 16GB O-FC1 memory card in the 645Z, the user can release the 645Z’s shutter, check the live-view image, and browse and download the images recorded on the card using a smartphone. The Pentax 645Z will be available in May, priced at £6,799.99 / $8,499.95 (or £7,699.99 with a 55mm lens).

From 6.30pm tonight (BST), Nikon’s D4 and D800 cameras will be rolling on the set of London Live, the new 24 hour entertainment channel devoted to London. Working with Nikon and Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC), London Live has helped develop a new state-of-the-art robotic system, featuring a nine-axis robotic arm at the heart of the automated studio. Bryn Balcombe, Technology Director, London Live says: “Building a television channel from scratch has given us an exciting opportunity to source the most innovative new technology and find less traditional and more cost-effective ways of doing things. Nikon’s digital SLR cameras will be perfect for our new London-based studio, allowing us to provide fast-paced, 24 hour broadcasting without compromising the image quality for our viewers.”

Sweden-based Marcel Pabst has become one of the first photographers to test shoot the brand new Hasselblad H5D-50C medium-format camera. For the session Marcel decided to invest in a new spacesuit for his five year old son Elmer and explain to him that the two of them were going on a mission to discover a new planet and shoot a few pictures. “I got myself set up and I tested a couple of smoke grenades to see how that might look – as part of a plan to create a mystical feel and look to the images," Marcel says. "Then I tried a shot at ISO 400 – a ploy I just would never have attempted with my old Hasselblad camera. It was then it really struck me how ‘super good’ the 50c really was.”  

Combined production of Canon's compact digital and interchangeable-lens digital cameras surpassed 250 million units on 31 January 2014, the company said in a statement. Canon began producing and marketing digital cameras in the mid 1990s. The first digital SLR cameras bearing the Canon logo - such as the Canon EOS DCS 3 (pictured) - were jointly developed by Canon and Kodak; with the first "true" Canon EOS dSLR - the Canon EOS D30 - being released in 2000. The first Canon digital compact camera, the Canon Powershot 600, had been introduced four years earlier.

This year, Leica Camera AG is celebrating the 100th birthday of Oskar Barnack's 'Ur-Leica.' "On the occasion of this very special anniversary, 2014 will see not only numerous events, but also a series of centennial editions," the company promises.  The first of these special centennial editions is the Leica S 'Edition 100' (pictured), a kit that comprises a Leica S medium-format system camera and two of the most popular S lenses, each featuring a leaf shutter - the Leica Summarit-S 70 mm f/2.5 ASPH CS and the Leica Elmarit-S 30 mm f/2.8 ASPH CS. The second special edition is the Leica D-Lux 6 ‘Edition 100'. This centennial edition set includes a Leica D-Lux 6 compact camera in a two-colour finish with a silver lens and a high-gloss black camera body, featuring the centennial logo on the front plate.

The Canon Professional Services (CPS) program has been expanded to provide support for all Cinema EOS products. A new CPS Cinema level has been added to the current Silver, Gold and Platinum levels, providing members with benefits like maintenance services, repair discounts and equipment evaluation loans. In addition, members receive Canon Live Learning discounts, access to a 24/7 Live Exclusive Member Hotline, as well as a range of other benefits. CPS Cinema members receive expedited two-business day turnaround on their registered products at Canon Service and Support centers located in Hollywood, CA, and Ridgefield Park, NJ. To become a CPS Cinema member a customer needs to own just one Cinema Zoom lens, or one of the following Cinema EOS cameras: the EOS C300, EOS C500, or EOS-1D C (pictured). Annual membership for CPS Cinema is $1,000.

Canon has issued a firmware update for its EOS 6D full-frame digital SLR camera. Version 1.1.4 fixes a phenomenon in which some images cannot be transferred to mobile devices running the EOS Remote app, corrects an error in the German language Feature Guide and another error in the Korean language Feature Guide.

Website: Canon EOS 6D
 

Nikon has released a firmware update for the Nikon D4 full-frame digital SLR camera. Version 1.10 adds a new custom setting (Assign Remote Fn Button), provides support for Compact Flash memory cards greater than 128GB, modifies the specifications for Custom Setting a4 (AF Activation), and  fixes a bug related to certain Compact Flash memory cards being inserted simultaneously with an XQD card.

Website: Nikon D4 Firmware Update A 1.10, B 1.10

Ricoh has posted firmware updates for ten Pentax cameras. Applicable to the Pentax K-01, K-3, K-5, K-5II, K-5IIs, K-7, K-30, K-50, K-500 (pictured) and K-r; the upgrade adds compatibility with the new HD Pentax DA AF 1.4X AW Rear Converter. You can download the updates from the websites below.

Pentax K-01 | Pentax K-3 | Pentax K-5 |
Pentax K-5II/s | Pentax K-7 | Pentax K-30 |
Pentax K-50 | Pentax K-500 | Pentax K-r |

Want to see exactly what the new Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art lens looks like in the flesh?

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of the exciting new Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art lens for full-frame DSLR cameras.

Want to see exactly what the new Nikon D4s DSLR camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of the new flagship Nikon D4s DSLR camera.

Want to see exactly what the new Canon EOS 1200D DSLR camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of the new entry-level Canon EOS 1200D DSLR camera.

Want to see exactly what the new Tamron 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 VC PZD and 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di VC PZD lenses look like in the flesh?

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of these new lenses, which are apparently the only ones in the world...

Ricoh is inviting attendees at the 2014 Wedding Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) Expo to try out the Pentax 645D digital medium-format camera. “Using professional equipment like the PENTAX 645D is an outstanding way for photographers to enhance and differentiate what they can offer the consumer,” said Jim Malcolm, Executive Vice President, Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation. “The added dimension, wider dynamic range and shallow depth of field produced by the 645D create a distinguished look that potential customers will admire and competitors will covet.” In conjunction with the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International Expo, Ricoh Imaging is offering a $500 instant rebate on the purchase of a Pentax 645D during the month of March 2014.

Canon UK has launched its Spring 2014 cashback promotion. Customers can claim up to £210 cashback on a range of Canon products including DSLRs, lenses, compact cameras, camcorders and Pixma PRO printers. The offer runs from 1 March 2014 to 7 May 2014 for eligible products purchased from UK or Republic of Ireland retailers