The new SanDisk FlashBack Adapter backs-up your laptop data onto an SD memory card.The FlashBack Adapter fits into the ExpressCard slot of your PC, automatically and continuously backing up and encrypting critical data. SanDisk’s FlashBack Adapter will start shipping worldwide in Q2 and has a suggested retail price of $29.99 (memory card sold separately).

Manfrotto has unveiled a new range of carbon fiber tripods, called the CX series. Three models are available - the 190CXPRO3, 190CXPRO4 and 190CX3. The Manfrotto CX family introduces redesigned locking levers, new leg angle selectors, and re?engineered magnesium and aluminum castings. The new CX PRO models feature Manfrotto’s innovative and award-winning Q90° (Quick Center Column System). The 190CXPRO4 ($325) and 190CXPRO3 ($300) feature all carbon fiber tubes, including a tri-faceted center column, while the simpler 190CX3 ($250) features carbon fiber tubes paired with an aluminum center column and aluminum top plate. All Manfrotto CX tripods will be available March 2008.

HP have reportedly narrowed down the choice of who will manufacture their next-generation of digital cameras to three companies. The website EMSNow say that Flextronics, Lite-on and Altek have made it through to the second round of negotiations, with a decision being made in the second quarter of this year. Interestingly Flextronics already make cameras for Kodak, Altek is a long-standing camera partner of HPs, and Lite-On have no history whatsoever of digital camera manufacture.

Website: EMSNow - 3 digital camera makers to Vie for HP’s brand license

Apple has quickly followed up the launch of Aperture 2 with a new version, 2.0.1, that “addresses issues related to performance and overall stability”. It specifically includes fixes for the following areas:

  *  Upgrading libraries from earlier versions of Aperture
  * Publishing .Mac Web Gallery albums
  * Preview generation and deletion
  * Creating and ordering books
  * AppleScript support
  * Keyboard shortcut customization
  * Appearance of metadata overlays in the Browser, Filmstrip, and on light tables
  * Watermarking of emailed photos
  * Highlight Hot and Cold Areas

Website: Download Apple Aperture 2.0.1 Update

The Spring 2008 release of liveBooks Professional, portfolio software for professional photographers, adds new features to enhance search marketing functionality. “Building a photography business is a lot of work—work that often detracts from what most photographers really want to do, which is spend time shooting,” said Tricia Gellman Holmes, Vice President of Marketing at liveBooks. “We are continually enhancing our product to not only showcase photographers’ images on the web, but to also act as a virtually effortless, yet sophisticated and powerful marketing tool to help them get recognized and book more work.” The Spring 2008 Release of liveBooks Professional is available immediately.

AKVIS ArtSuite, previously known as Frame Suite, has been updated to version 3. Three new effects - Black&White, Shift Colors, and Channel Mixer - have been added to AKVIS ArtSuite v.3.0, which also offers 15 digital photo frame effects. The program can be used as an independent application (standalone) and as a plug-in to a photo editor. AKVIS ArtSuite sells for $49 USD, and a free 10 day trial version is available.

Hahnemuhle has announced the addition of two new canvas inkjet products to its Digital FineArt collection. Daguerre Canvas 400gsm is a specially coated artist canvas made of poly-cotton with a tactile surface texture which makes it perfect for fine art photo printing. Monet Canvas 410gsm is a genuine artist canvas made of 100% cotton with a special coating that is ideal for fine art printing. Both papers will be available by the end of March in 17”, 24”, 36”, 44” and 60” rolls, as well as A3 size 20 sheet boxes.

Lastolite have announced a set of three Ezybox Hotshoe Mask Covers to further enhance the popular Ezybox Hotshoe range. The set which is available for the 38cm and 60cm versions comprises of three different shaped diffuser panels that will allow you to be more creative with lighting in the studio or on location. A set of 3 Ezybox Hotshoe Mask Covers in the 38cm size costs £39.99, with the 60cm retailing at £42.99.

TrustedReviews have reviewed the Casio EX-Z1080 digital camera, which features a special YouTube scene mode, high ISO 6400 sensitivity and 10.1 megapixels.

“I’ve criticised some previous Casio cameras for overall picture quality, but here too the Z1080 scores high marks. The lens performs much better than some previous models, with excellent edge-to-edge sharpness with virtually no chromatic aberration. There is some barrel distortion at wide angle, but no distortion at the telephoto end. In the highest quality setting the Z1080 records JPEG files that average around 4.8MB, larger than average for a 10MP compact and consequently much less compressed, prodicing more fine detail with fewer artefacts.”

Website: TrustedReviews - Casio EX-Z1080 Review

The highly-anticipated Sigma DP1 compact camera (pictured) hasn’t even started shipping yet, but that hasn’t stopped Sigma from unveiling plans for the SD2 and SD3 successors. In an article in last week’s UK-based Amateur Photographer magazine, Sigma’s founder Michihiro Yamaki revealed that not one but two new Sigma compact cameras will be unveiled by the end of 2008. No concrete details were revealed about the possible specification. Yamaki also said in the PMA interview that the SD15 DSLR camera will be shown at the Photokina trade show in September 2008, featuring the same image processor as the DP1.

The Sigma DP1 is available for pre-order now at Amazon for $800.

Website: Amateur Photographer

The Canon PIXMA MX7600 is the first ever all-in-one printer to use pigment ink. The MX7600 uses a new clear ink working in tandem with five LUCIA pigment inks when printing from the cassette on plain paper. The clear ink initially covers the print surface enabling the pigment ink to bond with the clear ink to produce outstanding graphics, text and photo images. Utilizing the same LUCIA pigment-based ink found in Canon’s award-winning wide-format printers and PIXMA Pro9500 photo printer, the Canon MX7600 also provides high-quality, long-lasting photographs with exceptional color. The new PIXMA MX7600 Office AIO has an estimated retail price of $399.99.

The Fantasea Line FL-18 is a new underwater housing for the Nikon Coolpix L15, L16 and L18 compact cameras. The FL-18 is depth rated to 60 meters/200 feet, has a double O-ring seal on all controls, anti-glare hood over LCD screen, removable flash diffuser and a lens port with a 46mm thread. As with all other Fantasea Camera Housings, in the event of accidental water leakage, the Coolpix camera inside is insured.

WHTour.org is a stunning 360-degree virtual tour of World Heritage sites from across the globe. Belgian photographer Tito Dupret has spent the last seven years producing some of the most impressive panographies ever seen. Dupret’s panographies are produced with the aid of REALVIZ’s panorama assembling software, Stitcher Unlimited. “For the last 15 months I have not published a single image,” explains Dupret. “Around 8 of these were spent shooting 80 new World Heritage sites. An additional 7 months were needed to build the new site and to post-produce the ‘panographies’ – 360 degree imaging.”

The Fantasea Line FS-210 is a new underwater housing for the Nikon Coolpix S210 compact camera. The FS-210 is depth rated to 60 meters/200 feet, has a double O-ring seal on all controls, anti-glare hood over LCD screen, removable flash diffuser and a lens port with a 46mm thread. As with all other Fantasea Camera Housings, in the event of accidental water leakage, the Coolpix camera inside is insured.

Fantasea Line’s FD-40X underwater housing is compatible with Nikon’s entry level DSLR D60 camera. The FD-40X housing is rated to a depth of 200 feet (60m). The FD-40X Housing is offered at an MSRP of $1099, which includes a one-year free Flood Insurance program. The FD-40X and FSB-800 Set is offered at an MSRP of $1,499.

TrustedReviews have tested the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS5 are the first models in a new range of stylish, easy to use cameras. Both the FS20 and FS5 offer a 4x, 30-120mm lens and 10.1 megapixel, 1/2.33-inch sensor.

“Images are pretty good for a Panasonic, usually notable for their high noise levels - especially on higher resolution models. Lower ISOs are fine, and even ISO 800 is relatively clan. By ISO 1600 though the noise reduction system turns the images a little mushy. They’re usable but detail gets lost as the NR attempts to hide any image grain.”

Website: TrustedReviews - Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS5 Review

DCResource have reviewed the Nikon Coolpix S51 camera, which features a distinctive wave-surface design and a 8.1 megapixel sensor.

“The Nikon Coolpix S51 is a fairly average ultra-compact camera that doesn’t particularly stand out in any one area. The biggest thing going for it is probably in the value department. For under $200, you get an 8 Megapixel camera, 3X zoom, image stabilization, and a huge LCD. Photo quality is decent, though there’s certainly room for improvement. My biggest issues with the S51 relate to performance: it’s sluggish in almost every area, and battery life is the worst in its class. I’m not a huge fan of its ergonomics, either. The Coolpix S51 is worth a look, but I’d recommend spending a little more on a better performing camera instead.”

Website: DCResource - Nikon Coolpix S51 Review

Steves Digicams have reviewed the Fujifilm Z10fd, a 7.2 megapixel digital camera with a a 3x optical zoom lens and 2.5” LCD screen.

“The Fuji FinePix Z10fd offers a nice combination of style and technology that really appeals to the younger, on the go, generation of photographers. The ultra-compact model is incredibly easy to use, and with the full auto mode, anyone can slide the camera open and start taking nice pictures. There are also several more advanced features for the novice or more creative photographer. With a street price of US$199 or less, we feel with its style, performance and image quality, the Z10fd will be a popular model this year.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Fujifilm Z10fd Review

The winners of the February 2008 PhotographyBLOG Competition have been selected by a panel of judges. The theme for February was “Natural Patterns” - you can view all of the entries in this gallery. Here are the 5 winners:

1st Place
Peacock_7166 by jimmyedmonds

Prize: ShutterPoint.com one-year subscription with 100Mb of storage space
Kindly donated by ShutterPoint.
http://www.shutterpoint.com

DxO has added 10 new lenses, including popular zooms and fish-eyes, to its library of lens correction modules for DxO Optics Pro v5. The addition of these lenses, designed specifically for the Nikon D3 and Nikon D300 digital SLR camera bodies, bring the total number of lens correction modules available to DxO Optics Pro users to nearly 700. “We are constantly extending our library of DxO Lens Modules to offer photographers worldwide the greatest selection of correction capabilities,” said Luc Marin, vice president of the DxO Labs Photography Business. “Combined with the batch-processing capabilities of DxO Optics Pro, this means workflow improvements for even the most serious photographers.”