The Lomography X-Pro Chrome 100 is a new colour reversal film. Although it is possible to develop the Lomography X-Pro Chrome as a “normal” transparency film, using the industry-standard E-6 process, lomographers will probably love it for the strong contrasts and saturation it produces when cross-processed. In the United Kingdom, the Lomography X-Pro Chrome 100 is available in 35mm format, priced at £16.90 for a 3-pack.

In order to help those interested in traditional wet darkroom practices, Peter Heaton - former head of photography at York Art College - has created Vale of York Darkrooms; a darkroom and teaching solution at Stillington, 10 miles north of York, North Yorkshire. Vale of York Darkrooms offer a range of Black and White photographic courses throughout the year. They are suitable for absolute beginners through to the more experienced photographer, and cover traditional and experimental photographic techniques. The fully equipped darkroom is also available for hire to groups or individuals, though a low-cost annual membership is required prior to any hire usage.

Fujifilm has announced the development of the Fujfilm GF670W Professional, a new medium-format rangefinder camera with a wide-angle lens. Similarly to the existing Fujifilm GF670, the new GF670W uses 120/220 format roll film and features 6x6 and 6x7 dual-format shooting. Unlike that camera, though, it has a 55mm f/4.5 lens instead of an 80mm f/3.5. Fujifilm says it has received “numerous requests for the production of a series of medium-format wide-angle cameras”, and the GF670W Professional is the company’s response to these requests. Like the GF670, it features a coupled rangefinder, an electronically controlled leaf shutter Aperture Priority and Manual exposure modes, central-weighted average TTL metering and +/-2EV exposure compensation in 1/3EV steps. A prototype will be on display at Photokina 2010. No pricing information has been given but if the GF670 is any indication, the Fujifilm GF670W won’t be cheap.

Website: Fujifilm press release

The new Kodak Professional Portra 400 is claimed to be the world’s finest grained 400 speed colour negative film. Available in 135, 120/220 and 4x5” formats, the new film incorporates Kodak Vision Film Technology, plus Antenna Dye Sensitisation in the cyan and magenta emulsion layers to achieve its fine grain structure. Retaining the natural skin tones and remarkable colour reproduction the Kodak Portra line has always been noted for, the new Kodak Professional Portra 400 utilises optimised Emulsion Spectral Sensitivity and Image Modifier Chemistry, Kodak’s Proprietary DIR Couplers and Micro-Structure Optimised T-Grain Emulsions, resulting in a finely-grained negative that is easy to scan. Kodak says the new film replaces the existing Kodak Professional Portra 400NC and 400VC film offerings, meaning these emulsions will be discontinued.

Fujfilm is to cease manufacture of the Fujichrome Sensia slide film range with immediate effect. Fujifilm’s Product Manager for Professional Film, Gabriel Da Costa explains the move: “Due to increasing production costs and decreasing demand globally, all Fujichrome Sensia film (100, 200 & 400 ISO) has been discontinued. Our laboratory in Leeds will continue to process and mount Fujichrome Sensia film until all stocks are depleted, including all rolls previously sold and awaiting processing.”

K. B. Canham Cameras has struck an agreement with Kodak to supply a variety of Kodak emulsions in a range of sheet film sizes. Kodak Tri-X, Ektar 100 and 400NC can be preordered in sizes ranging from 11x14 inches to 16x20 inches, while Kodak TMax 400 is available in 5x7” size. Since demand for most of these sizes is rather limited, prices are naturally high and interested photographers are required to pay the full amount in advance. Those who order a box or two of these films will be placed on a list along with everyone else that has ordered the same size and emulsion, and once enough orders are placed to reach the minimum number of boxes needed, as listed on their website, K. B. Canham Cameras will contact Kodak and should receive the film in approximately 6 weeks.

Fujifilm has organised a scavenger hunt on 25th July in New York City to celebrate the resurgence of instant film photography on the declaration of its first annual Instax Day. Instax Day will bring 50 instant film enthusiasts together to use instant film to capture New York City landmarks and hot spots during a summer fun scavenger hunt that will take place between Rockefeller Center and Union Square Park. Contestants will be given a map to help plot their course, and compete for a chance to win first ($500), second ($250) and third ($100) prize gift certificates to B&H Photo Video. Check-in for the scavenger hunt will begin at the B&H Event Space at 10am and the scavenger hunt will officially kick off at 11am sharp.  The date of 7/25 reflects the model numbers of the two currently available Instax Mini instant cameras, the Mini 7S and the Mini 25.

Website: Instax on Facebook

In Germany, Mamiya is celebrating the 70th anniversary of its being in business with a promotional offer on the Mamiya 7 II medium-format rangefinder camera. The company was founded in 1940 and soon became famous for its Mamiya 6 medium-format folding camera that featured film-plane focussing (which meant that the bellows and the lens did not move while focussing, but the film plane did). The year 1948 marked the launch of the first Mamiya Twin-Lens Reflex (TLR) camera, while next year the company entered the 35mm market. The second half of the twentieth century saw the introduction of a series of innovations by Mamiya, including the Magazine 35 - a 35mm camera featuring interchangeable film backs -, the Mamiya Press - a 6x9 format press camera -, the Mamiyaflex C - a series of TLRs with interchangeable lenses -, the RB67 Professional 6x7 SLR with a rotating back, as well as the M645 and the RZ67 Professional SLRs. The company recycled the Mamiya 6 name in 1989 when it introduced a medium-format rangefinder camera with interchangeable lenses, which was later followed by the Mamiya 7 and 7 II.

Fujifilm Professional has announced the winner of its 2010 Student Awards. The winner is Anne-Marie Atkinson from Leeds College of Art. Her photo, which was taken on Fujicolor Superia Reala 100, will feature on the cover of the next edition of Flann O’Brien’s novel, At Swim-Two-Birds. She will also receive £250 worth of Fujifilm Professional film and 25 Penguin Classics titles of her choice. Additionally, exhibition sponsors Genesis Imaging are providing Anne-Marie with a professional quality portfolio. The portfolio prize will contain up to fifteen 20"x16” prints together with a 20"x16” Clamshell Portfolio box.

Photojojo has teamed up with The Impossible Project to offer a limited number of vintage Rainbow SX-70 OneStep Polaroid cameras bundled with two packs of PX 100 instant film. There are only 50 kits available, so those interested in the deal may want to act quickly. The camera-film bundles go on sale on Thursday the 24th and will be available exclusively through the Photojojo Store.

Website: Photojojo Store

Fujifilm has just launched the Fujifilm GF670 medium-format folding rangefinder camera in the United Kingdom. The Fujifilm GF670 - which is sold as the Voigtländer Bessa III in the rest of Europe - offers 6” x 6” and 6” x 7” format shooting, selectable via a simple switch, with 120 and 220 roll film. Featuring a Fujinon EBC 80 mm lens and coupled rangefinder, the GF670 has manual shutter speed control and offers a setting for aperture priority automation. There is both a hot shoe flash mount and a PC sync connection socket, and the camera boasts a “whisper quiet” shutter. Finished in silver, the Fujifilm GF670 is available now from leading camera retailers priced at around £1,700.

Lomography has announced the Spinner 360°, a fully mechanical camera that captures 360° panoramas on 35mm film with a spectacular spin. Simply take the Spinner 360° in one hand, pull the trigger-cord with the other and release it – in a split second the camera spins 360° around its own axis and records everything that’s around you on a frame more than 4 times longer than a conventional landscape picture. For best results, it is recommended to load the Lomography Spinner 360° with ISO 400/27° film. Given the size of the panoramic images, you can expect to manage approximately 8 frames on a standard 36-exposure roll.

Website: Lomography

Arctic explorer and photographer Martin Hartley has recorded historic images with an LEICA MP camera during a 60-day trek to the North Pole. “I carried the Leica MP around my neck in a thin waterproof bag to stop the moisture from my breath landing and then freezing on the viewfinder. The camera was instantly accessible all day every day, no matter how cold it got. Every time I wanted the camera to work, it did” Hartley commented.

Kodak has recently announced a new colour reversal film available in the Super 8 mm format. In the past, Super 8 used to be an amateur format, but according to Kodak, it is now “a viable option” for professional filmmakers and students too. The American company argues that Kodak Ektachrome 100D “offers filmmakers image quality far beyond that of the familiar home movie format of the 1960s”. Ektachrome 100D is a daylight-balanced 100-speed colour reversal film that offers “bright saturated colours and fine grain with excellent sharpness”, the company claims.

Canon announced today that combined production of the company’s EOS-series film and digital SLR cameras passed the 40-million mark. The Canon EOS system was born in 1987 when the company announced the discontinuance of its FD line of manual-focus SLR cameras and lenses, and introduced the EOS 650 autofocus SLR camera along with the first EF lenses. In 1997, the 10th anniversary of the series, production reached 10 million camera units, and in 2003 passed the 20-million mark. After the rapid spread of digital SLR cameras, Canon went on to reach the 30-million mark during the series’ 20-year anniversary in December 2007, followed by the current 40-million-unit production milestone.

Impossible GmbH, the company behind The Impossible Project, has stated its stance on the recent announcement of the Polaroid 300 camera. In October 2009, The Impossible Project and the new licensee of the Polaroid brand – The Summit Global Group – announced the relaunch of some of the most famous Polaroid instant cameras; for which Impossible was supposed to develop and produce a limited edition of Polaroid branded instant films. In January 2010, Polaroid unveiled their plans of producing a new, classic instant camera, the PIC 1000. Then, at the end of April, they launched a completely different model, the Polaroid 300, essentially a rebranded Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S, which uses Fujifilm’s Instax Mini instant film and its Polaroid branded version. Marlene Kelnreiter, Communications and PR manager of Impossible, has told PhotographyBLOG that the “management of The Impossible Project finds this confusing and clearly wants to state that the Polaroid 300 is not the camera that has been announced in Polaroid’s Press Release from January 7, 2010, which would be compatible with Instant Film produced by Impossible.” Click through / read on to read the full statement.

The Polaroid 300 is a new instant film camera featuring a built-in automatic flash and four scene settings. Using Polaroid 300 instant film, which is available in a 10-pack that retails for $9.99, the Polaroid 300 camera is the product of a new partnership between Fujifilm and the Summit Global Group, the exclusive worldwide licensee for Polaroid branded imaging devices (hence the similarity to the Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S). Available with a suggested retail price of $89.99 including a wrist strap and batteries, the Polaroid 300 instant camera can be purchased via Bloomingdales, J&R and Polaroid.com.

Website: Polaroid 300 Instant Film Camera

Remember Martin Hartley, the Arctic explorer who left the UK in February, equipped with a Leica MP 35mm film camera? Now’s your chance to win an original, signed print of one of his photographs. The spectacular photo has been flown back direct from the Arctic where Martin is currently on the ice with the 2010 Catlin Arctic Survey helping to investigate the effects of ocean acidification. For your chance to win this prize, and for more details on the prize draw, pay a visit to the website below.

Website: Catlin Arctic Survey

The Impossible Project announced that it has just released the second instant film for Polaroid cameras, called PX 600 Silver Shade. Last month saw the introduction of its first product, PX 100 Silver Shade, a film for Polaroid SX70 cameras. The new PX 600 is a high definition integral film for Polaroid 600 cameras, featuring “beautifully detailed monochrome characteristics”, the company says. The PX 600 Silver Shade film will be available on www.the-impossible-project.com as well as at selected retail partners. Launch events will be held on April 22 at Chandal in Barcelona, on April 24 at The Photographers’ Gallery in London and on April 30 in the SofortBildShop Berlin. April 30 will also mark the opening day of The Impossible Project’s Space in New York City.

The newest project of Toby Smith, a contemporary reportage photographer concentrating on landscape and the energy sector, is focussed on renewable energy production. Working in Scotland, he is using his vehicle as a production base, home and office immersing himself in the surrounding environment. Using large-format traditional negative enables him to work in very low light using exposures lasting many hours resulting in incredibly detailed prints. Above ground he has captured dramatic panoramas, vast arctic-like scenery and alluring night images lit by the moon and stars. Being supported by Scottish and Southern Energy has allowed Smith privileged access to hidden corners including turbine halls, underground passages and engineering marvels. You can follow the project at the website below.

Website: The Renewables Project