In the U.S.A., Pentax K-r digital SLR camera will soon be available in limited edition colours including pink, purple, blue, green, yellow, navy, metallic brown, gold and silver. Exclusive to walmart.com, each new colour kit will ship with an 18-55mm lens.

Review: Read our in-depth review of the Pentax K-r

Canon has posted a firmware update for the Canon EOS 5D Mark II full-frame digital SLR camera. According to the manufacturer, version 2.1.1 incorporates the following fixes and improvements:

1. Fixes a phenomenon where shooting stops after capturing one image when in continuous shooting or the Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) continuous shooting setting.
2. Corrects wording in the Dutch language menu screen.

The firmware update can be downloaded from the website below.

Website: Canon

Nikon has released firmware updates for the Nikon D5100 and Nikon D7000 digital SLR cameras. Both updates address a number of issues and fix various bugs. Additionally, the Nikon D5100 firmware upgrade enables the camera to choose a value other than 2EV when shooting HDR exposures in Manual mode, with the exposure differential set to Auto. You can download the firmware updates from the websites below.

Website: Nikon D5100 Firmware Update
Website: Nikon D7000 Firmware Update

Canon has launched the Cinema EOS System, a new professional digital cinematography system that spans the lens, digital video camcorder and digital SLR camera product categories. The system currently comprises seven new 4K EF Cinema Lenses — four zoom lenses and three single-focal-length models —, an interchangeable-lens digital video camcorder called the Canon EOS C300 and equipped with a Super 35-mm-equivalent CMOS sensor, and a new digital SLR camera currently under development that features a 35 mm full-frame CMOS sensor supporting the recording of 4K video. The Canon EOS C300 will also be available with a PL mount.

Canon has announced that the company is developing a new-concept EOS-series digital SLR camera equipped with a 35 mm full-frame CMOS sensor that will also be able to record 4K video. 4K is a relatively new resolution standard for digital cinematography, whose name comes from its approximately 4000 pixels of horizontal resolution (by comparison, Full HD delivers “only” 1920 pixels in the horizontal dimension). Further details regarding the new EOS digital SLR camera currently under development, including the product name, specifications and scheduled launch date, have yet to be decided.

Pentax are offering £100 cashback on the Q compact system camera and £90 on the K-5 DSLR. Both cash back campaigns will run from 1st November to 31 December 2011. Consumers can visit www.pentax.co.uk/qcashback or www.pentax.co.uk/k5cashback for further details.

The new Hasselblad H4X medium-format SLR camera body, which is available to Hasselblad H1/H2/H2F users only, comes with the company’s True Focus technology and supports H System lenses and a variety of digital and film backs. “The H1/H2 series has had a long and distinguished career but the time has come to announce its evolution,” says Chris Russell-Fish, Global Sales and Marketing Director. “We know there are still a substantial number of photographers out there using H1/H2 bodies - and we are offering them an exclusive opportunity now to trade in and upgrade to a very worthy successor - the H4X.” For more information on the Hasselblad H4X, which is priced at €3,995+VAT, head to the website below.

Want to see exactly what the new Canon EOS-1D X digital SLR camera looks like in the flesh?

Then check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of Canon’s flagship camera, which replaces both the EOS-1D Mk IV and EOS-1DS models when it launches in March 2012.

A look at and listen to the amazing 14fps burst shooting mode of the new Canon EOS-1D X DSLR camera.

We got all hands-on with the new Canon EOS-1D X at the Canon Pro Solutions Show, which opened in London today. The above video demonstrates just how quick the 1D X’s continuous shooting speed will be when this new DSLR launches in March 2012.

The Canon EOS-1D X is a new professional digital SLR camera with a full-frame 18-megapixel sensor, a continuous shooting speed of 14 frames per second (12fps with AF) and a new 61-point AF system. Also featuring dual DIGIC 5+ image processors and 14-bit analogue-to-digital signal conversion, the Canon EOS-1D X offers a sensitivity range of ISO 100-51,200, expandable to ISO 204,800. The new 61-point AF module boasts Intelligent Tracking and Recognition, an expanded AF coverage area, superior focusing precision and low light sensitivity, and greater low-contrast subject detection capability compared to earlier EOS AF systems. The Canon EOS-1D X digital SLR camera is scheduled for March 2012 availability and will be sold in a body-only configuration at an estimated retail price of $6,800.

Canon Europe has posted a detailed, 12-page explanatory article on the new Canon EOS-1D X digital SLR camera. Available on the Canon Professional Network website, the article explains the technical aspects of the new camera in great detail. The professional-grade Canon EOS-1D X will be available in March 2012 at an estimated retail price of $6,800.

Canon has announced the achievement of two milestones: the company has recently manufactured its 50 millionth EOS-series SLR camera, and expects to produce the 70 millionth EF lens by the end of this month. The first-ever Canon EOS camera, the EOS 650, was launched in March 1987. By the 10th anniversary of the series in 1997, the number of EOS cameras sold had reached the 10 million mark. Production propelled to 20 million units in 2003, and by the 20th anniversary they had reached the 30 million mark, due to the continued popularity of the EOS system in the digital age. The 40 millionth EOS camera was manufactured in May 2010, while the current 50 million-unit production milestone was achieved in September 2011.

Sony has released firmware updates for the Sony Alpha SLT-A65 and A77 digital cameras. Version 1.03 cuts down on the time it takes for the camera to switch from the LCD to the EVF and vice versa, improves the responsiveness of the control dials and the Fn button, and adds support for the HVL-MT24AM macro twin flash. You can download the firmware upgrades from the websites below.

Website: Sony SLT-A77 Firmware Upgrade - Windows | Sony SLT-A65 Firmware Upgrade - Windows

Website: Sony SLT-A77 Firmware Upgrade- Mac | Sony SLT-A65 Firmware Upgrade - Mac

Sigma Deutschland has announced a limited edition Sigma SD1 that comes in a removable, hand-made wooden housing. “Over 60 hours of milling, sawing, grinding and polishing are needed to allow one of the finest and rarest woods of the world blend with the SD1,” the company says, calling the Sigma SD1 Wood Edition a “luxurious Christmas gift for photo enthusiasts”. To place an order for the €9,999 camera (without a lens), contact Sigma Deutschland directly. Not only do you have to dig deep in your pocket - you need to hurry up too, as there are only ten copies available for purchase.

Source: Deutscher Pressestern

Sony Japan has officially announced the discontinuance of the Sony A900 full frame digital SLR camera. The 24-megapixel Sony A900, which we praised for its high resolution, excellent viewfinder, robust build and intuitive controls, has been in production for three years, and is still available new on Amazon for $2,699.

Source Sony Japan via Foto Actualidad

Sigma has issued a firmware update for the Sigma SD1 digital SLR camera. Version 1.03 improves auto white balance accuracy, image quality at ISO 3200 and ISO 6400, the accuracy of evaluative exposure metering and flash output control, and fixes bugs. The firmware update can be downloaded from the website below.

Website: Sigma SD1

Independent developer Ken Tidwell has introduced DSLR Mega HD for iOS, another in his series of popular Min-U Guides to Nikon DSLRs. Containing no less than eleven camera guides, DSLR Mega HD is billed as a convenient alternative to carrying bulky printed manuals. The main camera-related menu chapters include: Playback, Shooting, Custom Setting, Setup, Retouch and My Menu/Recent Settings . There is also an additional chapter, [More], containing miscellaneous info like camera specs, buttons and dials diagrams, glossaries, error messages etc. DSLR Mega HD is available now on iTunes for $8.99.

Canon Europe has launched a campaign to educate and inspire entry level DSLR users about photography. The Canon ‘EOS Adventure’ campaign aims to encourage amateur photographers to take their photography adventure to the next level and hone their photography skills by providing inspiration, education and an opportunity to showcase their work on Yahoo! and Flickr. A competition is also part of the campaign, offering users the chance to win their very own EOS Adventure; an exclusive photography adventure in Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve with Canon’s wildlife photography experts, Jonathan and Angela Scott. Visitors to the EOS Adventure website will be encouraged to use their new photography skills and enter the resulting shots into the competition via the dedicated EOS Adventure page of the Yahoo! site. The Canon EOS Adventure competition will run in eight European countries (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Poland) until Sunday 20th November 2011.

DxO Labs have released their detailed findings on the Sony A77’s 24-megapixel sensor. The overall DxOMark Sensor Score is 78, which is significantly higher than the Canon EOS 7D’s 66 points, and only marginally lower than the Nikon D7000’s 80. The company puts the sensor’s raw dynamic range at 13.2EV (at base sensitivity). The Sony A77’s Low-Light ISO score is 801, which is comparable to the A55’s 818, but lower than the D7000’s 1167.

Website: DxOMark