Professional Photographer magazine is hosting a Cover Photo Contest from March 1 to May 31, 2008. Open to all photographers, entries will be judged on technical and artistic merit. The winner will land the cover of a 2008 edition of the magazine plus a selection of prizes totaling more than $15,000. Visit http://www.ppmag.com for submission details and to enter.

Pentax have launched a Student Photography Program which offers significant savings to photography students and educators. Discounts on camera bodies, lenses and flashes are offered exclusively to full-time students at accredited institutions and full-time photography educators. This program is only valid to students and educators in the United States for purchases made in the United States.

Support for Drobo, the world’s first storage robot, is now available in 14 countries throughout Europe. “The industry recognition that Drobo has received since launching has created an overwhelming amount of global interest - and has generated a user base that is growing rapidly by the day. We are doing everything we can to keep pace with demand while continuing to achieve the highest levels of customer satisfaction attainable.” said Geoff Barrall, CEO and co-founder of Data Robotics. Drobo takes a step beyond data storage options widely available today by adding a layer of intelligence and configurability to simplify operations and give users more control of their digital assets.

The new HP Media Vault mv2120 is designed to store, protect and share your digital media. The mv2120 can be set to automatically back up important media and digital files weekly, daily or continuously. The HP mv2120 ships with 500 GB capacity. The HP Media Vault mv2120 is currently available starting at $299. HP have also unveiled the Elite Autofocus Webcam, which offers a a 3-megapixel sensor with autofocus. The HP Elite Autofocus Webcam is expected to be available from April 6th for $99.

The Fine Art of Digital Printing workshop is back for another year, visiting the East and West Coasts of America. John Paul Caponigro and R. Mac Holbert, two of the pre-eminent leaders in digital photography and fine art printing, are joining forces again to provide one-on-one instruction. The workshop covers topics impacting the entire printing workflow and employs innovative techniques with the industry’s leading printing technology. Limited to 24 attendees, the Fine Art of Digital Printing Workshop will be held at the Hallmark Institute of Photography in Turners Falls, Mass., July 20-25 and Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, Calif., Oct. 26–31, and costs $1,495.

Photomatix Pro 3.0 the latest version of HDRsoft’s High Dynamic Range imaging software. Photomatix Pro combines differently exposed photographs of a high contrast scene into one image with details in both highlights and shadows. Photomatix Pro version 3.0 features a new user interface and workflow. It also adds a second automatic alignment method for hand-held shots and an improved exposure blending method improvements. A license for Photomatix Pro costs U.S.$99.

CameraLabs have reviewed the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens specifically for use on a cropped-frame camera body.

“Canon’s EF 24-105mm is clearly a quality zoom lens, but it comes at a higher price than most general-purpose options for cropped-frame bodies, while also missing out on true wide angle capabilities when mounted on such a body. It’s also important not to assume Canon’s L lenses are optically perfect either, as even on the more forgiving smaller frame of APS-C bodies, the EF 24-105mm can exhibit noticeable fringing.”

Website: CameraLabs - Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens Review for cropped-frame bodies

Three out of the ten cameras featured in GfK’s ‘Digital Still Cameras: Top Sellers 2007’ list were Canon. The EOS 400D was the second most sold digital camera in the UK with over 146,000 units sold. “With consumers having the choice of over 1,050 different digital camera models on the UK market last year, this is a great achievement and one which we hope to build on in 2008” commented Guido Jacobs, Marketing Director, Canon UK. Somewhat surprisingly, a camera from Vivitar (the budget Vivicam 3105S) topped the charts…

Kodak has updated its image enhancement plug-ins to support the latest operating systems. Version 2.1 of the four professional tools is now compatible with Windows Vista, Mac Intel and Photoshop CS3. Kodak is offering these updated versions at the same prices, and is also offering special savings to new customers. A free trial is also available.

HP are holding a photography and printing masterclass in collaboration with Magnum at the British Film Institute in London. The masterclass will be run by Magnum photographers Donovan Wylie and Chris Steele-Perkins along with a forum of other photographic industry professionals. The event takes place on 1st May from 10am – 5pm. Limited places at the masterclass are available through registration at www.hp.com/uk/masterclass . A £50 registration fee includes a full day at the masterclass from 10am–5pm and a copy of the attendees’ favourite image as a high-quality 45x60 cm HP print after the event. The fee will also be refunded on the purchase of an HP B-size or larger format printer.

The Epson Stylus Photo R1900 is a new A3+ inkjet printer, offering durable, superior quality photos on a wide range of media. The R1900 features Epson’s new UltraChrome Hi-Gloss 2 ink system, with a wider colour gamut, natural skin tones and consistent colour with a smooth gloss finish. With a recommended retail price of £399.99 / $549.99, is the Epson Stylus Photo R1900 a worthy successor to the popular R1800 model? Jon Canfield put the R1900 through its paces to find out…

Website: Epson Stylus Photo R1900 Review

WWAOW.com is the first low-cost self-publishing service for creating high-quality hard or soft cover books, documents, and manuals. Pronounced “WOW!”, WWAOW.com allows you to publish your own book “on demand” for only $79 for 5 books. No long-term commitments, sign-up fees, or service contracts are required. “For writers, self-publishing through WWAOW.com is an amazing way to achieve the dream of publishing and earning royalties.  For businesses, WWAOW means documents and catalogs can be quickly updated online and printed as needed,” said Brigitte Peleman-Vantieghem, CEO, Peleman Industries.

Luminous Landscape have just reviewed DxO Optics Pro 5, a software application for automatic image quality enhancement for Digital SLR camera users.

“DxO 5 features significant improvements and new features compared to previous versions.  If you are already using DxO you will find that version 5 features new options and is easier to use. If you have not used DxO yet you can download a free trial version from DxO.com and evaluate the software. To me, the new user interface alone is worth updating.  Until DxO 5 I kept wondering where some of the options were. Now I find them all easily and my workflow is a lot quicker and more intuitive.  I focus on image optimization instead of trying to remember where everything is.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - DxO Optics Pro 5 Review

CNET have reviewed the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS80, a new entry-level 8 megapixel digital camera.

“The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS80 distinguishes itself as one of the least expensive cameras available with an optical image stabilization system. Unfortunately, while that feature is handy, it simply can’t make up for the camera’s sluggish performance and poor picture quality. If you’re looking for an affordable budget camera, forego the LS80’s image stabilization and instead look to the Canon PowerShot A470. It doesn’t include optical or mechanical image stabilization, but it shoots faster and produces much nicer-looking photos.”

Website: CNET - Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS80 Review

Apple today released Aperture 2.1, which introduces an open plug-in architecture and now includes the Apple-developed plug-in, Dodge & Burn. Apple is working closely with key developers to bring the most requested plug-ins to Aperture. “The image quality in Aperture 2 has won over the most demanding photographers,” said Rob Schoeben, Apple’s vice president of Applications Product Marketing. “Now, thanks to our open plug-in architecture, users can access an entire industry’s worth of imaging expertise without ever leaving Aperture.” Aperture 2.1 is available immediately as a free software update to current Aperture 2.0 users.

Never seen before images of Britain are to be unveiled at an exhibition in London. Renowned climber and photographer Mike Robertson toured the country scaling legendary landmarks, armed with the Sony A700 DSLR camera. “Whilst I am used to embarking on difficult climbs, the unusual building structures and the unpredictable weather conditions made the Sony ? Unseen Britain an amazing challenge” said Mike Robertson.  “Using the ?700 Digital SLR camera and range of lenses allowed me to capture some fantastic and unique shots of Britain.” The Unseen Britain exhibition takes place at La Galleria, Royal Opera Arcade, London between Thursday 27th – Saturday 29th March 2008.

Hasselblad 3FR RAW files are now supported by Apple in Mac OS X 10.5.2 and Aperture 2. The free Leopard update includes support for Hasselblad raw image files in the 3FR, FFF and DNG format, created with any Hasselblad digital camera. Apple’s raw file processing is very fast, and delivers images with a generally high image quality, resulting in a level of image quality sufficient for standard application.  The quality of the images produced, however, will not equal that of those processed via Hasselblad’s proprietary FlexColor or Phocus software.

Ricoh have released a new firmware update, version 2.0, for the GR DIGITAL II compact digital camera. Ricoh’s function-enhancing firmware updates are developed in response to opinions and requests received from a large number of customers. The function-enhancing firmware and instructions for using these functions can be downloaded free of charge from the Ricoh website.

The Kodak M1020, M820 and P720 are new additions to Kodak’s range of digital picture frames. These sleek and stylish frames host a suite of features including the newly announced Quick Touch Border, as well as accessories for enhancing your home. “Kodak’s acclaimed and industry-leading Digital Picture Frames let consumers bring their favorite memories to life, releasing them from a computer and displaying them in brilliant quality in the home or office,” said John Blake, general manager Digital Capture and Devices, Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company. “With the addition of Quick Touch Border, Kodak has made the consumer experience even more intuitive and engaging.”

JP Service Solutions has introduced a new concept to DSLR sensor cleaning. They have launched a sensor cleaning service in the UK which is delivered via a pre-paid fixed price voucher. The vouchers can be purchased from appointed retailers, and the sensor clean is performed by experienced engineers within the JPSS Staffordshire facility. The complete service is provided within a 72-hour window and the price includes the secured courier return of the product. Commenting on this new initiative, David Harper, the JPSS Operations Director, said, “In developing this new service, we believe that we can provide a defined and cost effective response to the needs of the UK DSLR user.  Customers can feel assured that their product will be handled by experienced staff, which removes the inherent risk of product damage if sensor cleaning is undertaken by other means”, he continued.