Olympus now offers a range of underwater cases for its compact and DSLR cameras. The PT-037 fits the new SP-550 UZ ultra-zoom camera and is rated to a depth of 40m, as are all underwater cases for Olympus compact cameras. A new underwater case for the DSLR range is the PT-E03 for the E-400 and the E-410 cameras with Live View.

The Brite Vue Sensor Loupe from VisibleDust allows you to closely examine the sensor of a DSLR. With the Sensor Loupe, the photographer can easily check for sensor dust and know exactly if a cleaning needs to take place. Retail price is US$69.95, 79.95 CAD and at £44.95 in the UK.

Samsung has unveiled a 8Gb microSD Card with a read speed of 16MBs per second and a write speed of 6MBs, faster than most competing microSD cards currently on the market. The new fingernail-sized card is capable of storing 2,000 MP3 music files, 4,000 digital photos, or approximately five DVD-quality movies. MicroSD cards are commonly used in camera-phones, but are also are backward compatible with SD cards using an extender.

Just Resize My Photos 1.2.0 now supports opening CMYK JPEG’s and TIFF files and a wide range of RAW camera formats including .NEF, .RAW, .CRW and more. A trial version of Just Resize My Photos 1.2.0 is immediately available for download. The purchase price for one user licence is $19.99.

Kingston has posted questions submitted by visitors from around the world to its ‘Icons of Photography’ microsite as part of its Ask the Icon interactive feature. The questions were answered by Harry Benson, Colin Finlay, Gerd Ludwig and Peter Read Miller. “We are encouraged by the response we have received from photographers around the world who are interested in learning more about the Icons and their personal views on photography,” said Jaja Lin, Flash marketing manager, Kingston.

DxO FilmPack and onOne Software Plug-In Suite 3 are now available together for a limited time at a significant savings. Purchased separately, the onOne Software Plug-In Suite 3 retail price is $399.95 and the DxO FilmPack has a retail price of $99.95 (Total value = $499.90), but purchased together in the exclusive bundle, users can get both for only $429.95. “Bundling DxO FilmPack with onOne Software’s Plug-In Suite 3 provides photographers with a wonderful combination of both aesthetic and technical tools for their demanding digital imaging needs,” says Luc Marin, vice president of the Photography Business at DxO Labs.

Entries are now open for the 2007 international Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) competition, with over £50,000 worth of prizes on offer. TPOTY 2007 will be judged by a panel comprising expert photographers, image buyers, magazine editors and imaging experts. Entries for the competition are now open and close on September 19th.

DPReview have reviewed the Nikon Coolpix P5000 camera, which offers 10 megapixels, 3.5x zoom lens (36-126mm), Vibration Reduction to combat camera shake, ISO 3200 capability and a 2.5 inch LCD screen.

”...the P5000, in common with most recent Coolpix models, has a serious issue with focus speed that makes it totally unsuitable for use in situations where quick reactions are essential. If you’re taking landscapes you can live with waiting a second (or two if you’re unlucky) for the camera to focus and take the picture, but snapping restless children (or in fact anything moving) is frustrating and ultimately a hit ‘n’ miss affair.”

Website: DPReview - Nikon Coolpix P5000 Review

DCResource have reviewed the new Fujifilm FinePix F40fd camera, which offers 8.3 megapixels, 3x zoom lens, 300 shot battery life, Face Detection technology and support for both xD-Picture Card and SD card formats.

“If you’re looking for a compact camera that’s a great low light shooter, then you should definitely put the Fuji FinePix F40fd on your list. The F40fd is a stylish camera that takes produces high quality photos, even at high ISO settings. There’s a fair amount of noise reduction in the photos (even at lower ISO settings), but for the typical F40 buyer I don’t think this will be an issue. Other nice features on the camera include its beautiful 2.5” LCD display, minimal redeye, and a memory card slot that takes both xD and SD formats. This is a point-and-shoot camera that I can definitely recommend.”

Website: DCResource - Fujifilm FinePix F40fd Review

The new Transcend 4GB 150X SDHC memory card features high data transfer speeds of 15MB/s. Transcend produces its SDHC Class 6 150X cards using original NAND Flash chips and quality components to ensure that your flash card keeps your data secure longer. The card supports Error Correction Code (ECC) to detect and correct errors and there is a mechanical write protection switch to help prevent accidental deletion.

Phanfare, a video and photo sharing service, now allows customers to organize and edit photos and videos even when not connected to the internet. “Our customers can organize and manage their media from anywhere - from an airplane, a submarine or even a hot air balloon - and still enjoy sharing their media via the Web.” said CEO Andrew Erlichson. There’s also a new import wizard which automatically launches the Phanfare desktop application and uploads your videos and images to the Phanfare Web site.

The AKVIS Enhancer plug-in has been updated to version 6.0 and is now compatible with Photoshop CS3 on Intel Mac platform. AKVIS Enhancer 6 improves detail in underexposed, overexposed, and mid tone areas of a photo. The upgrade for registered userrs is free.

The landmark exhibition ‘ILFORD PHOTO - Pioneers in Photography’ which opened at London’s HOST Gallery on 16 April was extended by a week due to its unprecedented popularity. The exhibition will tour other galleries around the world, with New York a likely venue later in the year. More than 50 examples of iconic black-and-white images printed on the new ILFORD GALERIE FB DIGITAL photographic paper were exhibited.

CNET have reviewed the Samsung L700 camera, which offers several advanced features, including a suite of advanced video and editing functions, in a compact, stylish metal body. It has 7 megapixels, 3x optical zoom and a bright 2.5” LCD display.

“Compared to a lot of other budget cameras, Samsung’s L700 offers plenty of options when shooting, including sensitivity, white balance, and exposure compensation. The camera’s sensitivity peaks at ISO 1,600, allowing nice flexibility in low-light and high-speed shooting. White-balance settings include standard (aka auto), cloudy, sunny, tungsten, fluorescent, and manual. We rarely see manual white balance modes in budget cameras, so this came as a pleasant surprise.”

Website: CNET - Samsung L700 Review

DigitalCameraInfo have just reviewed the new Panasonic DMC-FZ8 camera.

“When the Panasonic FZ8 is up against other ultra-zoomed competition, it still does well. It has manual modes, RAW shooting, and plenty of included software to play with the images. It caters to advanced photographers in this way, but is still very easy to use with its 20 scene modes and intuitive interface.”

Website: DigitalCameraInfo - Panasonic DMC-FZ8 Review

The Lastolite Studio Cubelite is a new softbox solution for product photography. Features include 360 degree lighting, a diffused film to create a translucent background and an acrylic top surface for heavier items up to 8kg. The Studio Cubelite is available in two sizes for £189.99 and £259.99.

Chris Buck is the winner of the first annual ASMP Arnold Newman Prize, awarded each year to recognize work that is grounded in the traditions and values of Arnold Newman’s portrait photography. This year’s prize includes $2,500 cash donated by Getty and a Canon EOS 30D camera.

The RPS has announced the winners of the 15th International Print Exhibition. The Gold Award was won by Richard Merritt FRPS for his extraordinary photograph of a Scalloped Hammerhead Shark. The Exhibition will open at Hoopers Gallery in London on 20th June 2007 and will then tour the UK until April 2008.

CameraLabs have reviewed the new Nikon D40x DSLR, which features a 10.2 megapixel sensor, producing 3,872 x 2,592-pixel images, 3D Colour Matrix Metering II system and 2.5 inch LCD screen, all in the most compact Nikon DSLR ever.

“So the bottom line is whether those extra Megapixels are worth a difference which at the time of writing worked out to be around $200 USD or £100 GBP extra. If you loved everything about the D40 but wished it had 10 Megapixels, then the D40x is undoubtedly the answer. But it’s important to also consider the alternatives available at this higher price point.”

Website: CameraLabs - Nikon D40x Review

Website: Read our Nikon D40x Review

TrustedReviews have reviewed the Pentax W30, a waterproof digital camera offering 7.1 megapixels, 3x optical zoom and two new Shake Reduction modes.

“Picture quality is about average for a 7MP compact. Exposure is generally good, although in standard multi-zone metering mode it does tend to under-expose in strong backlighting. Colour rendition is very good, and the lens performs well despite its unusual configuration. It has noticeable barrel distortion at the wide-angle end of the zoom range, but overall detail and corner sharpness are a match for any other 7MP pocket compact. As I’ve already mentioned, the W30 does suffer from quite bad image noise at high ISO settings, but as long as you keep it under 800 it isn’t a major problem.”

Website: TrustedReviews - Pentax W30 Review

Website: Read our Pentax Optio W30 Review