Sony today unveiled two new full-frame wide zoom lenses for their E-mount cameras. The new lenses include the FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM large-aperture wide-angle zoom and the FE 12-24mm F4 G ultra-wide angle zoom lens. The FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM joins the acclaimed FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM and FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS to round out Sony’s line-up of F2.8 large-aperture zoom lenses. Equipped with a variety of Sony’s most advanced lens technologies, it is the first wide-angle G Master model, making it ideal for landscapes, architecture, close up portraits, sports, action and much more. The front XA element on the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM lens is the largest XA element ever produced, ensuring optimum quality. There are also two ED (Extra low-Dispersion) glass elements that keep chromatic aberration to a minimum while maximising resolution, and Sony’s original Nano AR coating that suppresses internal reflections to ensure excellent image contrast and clarity.

The new FE 12-24mm F4 G lens produces outstanding image quality in a compact, lightweight design, weighing approximately 566g. Sony’s widest full-frame E-mount lens, the FE 12-24mm f/4 G offers a dynamic perspective for landscape, architecture and interior photography, and is well-suited for both stills and video shooting. The lens features an innovative optical design with four aspherical elements that ensure excellent corner to corner sharpness and resolution. Additionally, it has three ED glass elements and one Super ED glass element that minimises chromatic aberration throughout the entire image and benefits from Sony’s original Nano AR coating.

The FE 16-35mm lens will start shipping from August 2017 priced at approximately €2,700/$2,200. The FE 12-24mm will start shipping from July 2017 priced at approximately €2,000/$1,700.

Manfrotto has launched the new Manhattan Camera Bag Collection. Comprising three models – a backpack, a 3-way shoulder bag and a messenger - built to seamlessly blend in with city life, Manfrotto’s Manhattan range is made of high-quality materials, with meticulous attention to detail. Designed to be highly functional, the bags effortlessly transform from photography to media carrier, comfortably holding all the equipment you need on an action-packed day around the city. The new removable Manfrotto Insert System safeguards photography gear at the heart of the bag, whilst the Flexy Camera Shell divider system combines uncompromising protection with never before seen flexibility, keeping your DSLR/CSC safe. Prices start from £79.95. Click through / read on for the details.

The Olympus Tough TG-5 is a new compact digital camera designed to capture images in the most challenging conditions. Successor to the TG-4, the new TG-5 has a 12-megapixel backlit CMOS sensor, an improved 25-100mm (eq.) f/2.0-4.9 lens with a new Anti-Fog Lens Cover Glass, a GPS sensor, manometer, compass and temperature sensor, and integrated WiFi. The camera is waterproof to depths of 50 feet (15 metres), shockproof from 7 feet (2.1 metres), crushproof to 220 pounds of force (100 kilograms of force), freezeproof down to 14°F (-10°C), and dustproof. In addition to taking 12-megapixel stills, the Olympus TG-5 can record 4K videos at 30fps, or Full HD movies at up to 120fps for slow-motion playback. The camera will become available next month, with an MSRP of £399.99/$449.99. A number of accessories including a silicone jacket and an underwater case depth rated to 45 metres will also be available from June. In addition the Olympus Tough TG-5 is compatible with a number of existing accessories, from add-on type conversion lenses to underwater flashguns and a flash diffuser.

Canon has today launched 'Live for the story', an entirely new brand proposition for the consumer and professional imaging business across Europe, in a bid to shift perception of the company amongst a younger audience. ‘Live for the story’ encourages people to find special memories in all moments of their life, no matter where they are or what they are doing.

Canon is looking for someone to fill a very unique position as it begins its search for the ultimate storyteller. The lucky person will spend a year chasing summer across the globe in order to identify 365 inspiring stories.

DJI has announced the availability of its Smart TV App for smart TV platforms including the Samsung Tizen TV and Apple TV. The DJI Smart TV App will allow users to stream a variety of aerial content and 4K videos captured from around the world, all in the comfort of their living room. Once downloaded and installed, the DJI Smart TV App can then be activated without the need for registration. “We’ve made flying and capturing aerial footage easy with our drones, and now with the DJI Smart TV App, creators will have more ways to share their work with the world. This is really an opportunity for people to be inspired, intrigued, travel to places they would have never imagined and see the world in a whole new way,” said Paul Pan, Senior Product Manager.

HTC today unveiled the HTC U11, the world’s first smartphone featuring squeeze interaction. With a simple squeeze, HTC Edge Sense lets you easily engage with your phone in an intuitive way, helping you more naturally enjoy things like taking photos or launching any of your favorite apps. The phone’s liquid glass surface is uses Optical Spectrum Hybrid Deposition. By layering highly-refractive precious minerals across the phone’s back cover, the company has created vivid new colours that transform light with every movement you make. The HTC 11's camera has earned a DxOMark Mobile score of 90, making it the highest-rated smartphone camera they've ever tested. The main camera unit features a 12-megapixel, 1/2.55"-type sensor and an f/1.75 lens with multi-axis optical image stabilisation. "We improved our camera and video for a more dynamic exposure range with HDR Boost without the lag, new white balance enhancement, a major reduction in noise, and excellent detail preservation," the company says. "HDR Boost offers clearer, more balanced pictures by taking multiple shots that measure the darkest shadows and brightest highlights without any slowdown." The HTC U11 incorporates the new UltraSpeed AutoFocus, so you can enjoy significantly faster focus speeds. The new front camera now combines16 megapixels of resolution and the company's UltraPixel light sensitivity for brilliant selfies day or night. It also utilises the same HDR Boost and noise reduction technologies as the main camera. The HTC U11, available in Amazing Silver, Sapphire Blue, Brilliant Black, Ice White, and Solar Red, and will be available worldwide from May 2017 onward.

The Kraszna-Krausz Foundation (KKF) today revealed the shortlisted entries for its annual photo book awards. Established in 1985, the KKF Book Awards are the UK’s leading prizes for books published in the fields of photography and the moving image and the two winners share a £10,000 prize. The shortlisted works were chosen by an international panel of leading photography professionals after an open call for submissions, and will be on display at Photo London, Somerset House from 18 until 21 May 2017. Click through / read on for more information on the shortlisted photography and moving image books.

The powerful new Profoto B1X is a successor to the award-winning Profoto B1 on-location flash. Like its predecessor, the B1X is a 500Ws cordless light, offering TTL metering with Canon, Olympus, Nikon and Sony cameras, in connection with a hotshoe-mounted Air Remote TTL unit. The new model's LED modelling light offers 80% more light output, the battery holds 50% more power and the B1X boasts the widest HSS range available on any flash (up to 1/8,000s with 9 f-stop power range). "We want image creators everywhere to be able to realise their vision," the company says. "If that’s halfway up a mountain, overpowering the sun in the middle of the desert or hanging off a rock overlooking the Mediterranean – then so be it." In addition to the B1X light, Profoto are also launching two new OCF reflectors. Adding hard light to the shaping palette of Profoto OCF Light Shaping Tools, the OCF Zoom Reflector and the OCF Magnum Reflector are compact and lightweight, making them ideal for shooting on location. The OCF Zoom Reflector is so portable it even fits into the B1 case while mounted on the B1 or B1X.

The Camera Lift Strap - an innovative camera strap that reduces the neck and back strain caused by the weight of your camera - is now available for purchase. "Our camera strap design clasps right onto to your backpack handle and keeps the weight of your camera distributed along the shoulders, one of the strongest parts of the human body," the company says. "It has the capacity to carry the heaviest of camera equipment with ultimate comfort, so you can experience the weightlessness of your camera like never before!" The Camera Lift Strap is available to purchase at the website below, priced from $37.

Website: PONTE Leather

Leica have announced that the submission phase for entries for the ‘Leica Oskar Barnack Award’ photo competition (LOBA) has now closed. Approximately 2,700 photographers from a total of 104 different countries submitted entries to LOBA 2017. The majority of the entries received came from China, France, Brazil, Germany, Italy, South Korea and the USA. The international jury of experts will now judge the entries received and select the twelve finalists in the two categories of the competition, the ‘Leica Oskar Barnack Award’ and the ‘Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award’. The winners of the 37th LOBA will receive their prizes at a gala event in Berlin in September. The work of all twelve finalists will then be displayed at a major exhibition in the ‘Neuen Schule für Fotografie’, Brunnenstrasse 188-190, 10119 Berlin.

Delkin announced today the newest addition to their growing line of BLACK products: the Delkin BLACK USB 3.0 Rugged Memory Card Reader. Utilising an innovative aluminium-plastic design, the BLACK rugged memory card reader takes advantage of stronger materials to offer ruggedised protection and extend the lifetime of the reader. Providing storage for one SD card, one microSD card and one CompactFlash card, the Delkin BLACK USB 3.0 includes a wraparound cord that tucks neatly into the rubberised cover for easy storage. Both SD & microSD slots fully utilise the high-speed performance of UHS-II cards, while the CF slot incorporates UDMA 7 and VPG (video performance guarantee) support.

StarTech.com has released two new USB 3.0 compliant card reader/writers for CFast 2.0 memory cards, which enable quick downloads, transfers or backups of photo or video content. The new single-slot card reader/writers are available in two versions, a USB-C variant and a USB-A version, which connect through an integrated cable to a laptop, mobile device or desktop computer. Both card readers are backward compatible with USB 2.0/1.1 connectors and CFast 1.0 cards. The MSRP is £55.90+VAT.

The Felix Schoeller Group is reminding interested photographers that the submission deadline for the third international Felix Schoeller Photo Award is getting closer and closer. After 31 May 2017, one of the most prestigious photo contests for professional photographers in the German-speaking world, with a total prize pool of €25,000, is moving into the judging stage. Due to past experiences and an enormously increased number of registrations, it is recommended that entrants do not wait until the final hours to upload their work. The first shortlist will be announced at the beginning of August, and the awards ceremony will be held on 14th October.

Fondation Carmignac has anounced Libya: A Human Marketplace, an exhibition of work by Mexican photographer - and the 7th Laureate of the Carmignac Photojournalism Award - Narciso Contreras, hosted by the Saatchi Gallery, London, from 16 May to 16 June 2017. Contreras lays bare an unfolding humanitarian crisis in which illegal migrants, refugees and asylum seekers are at the mercy of militiamen who exploit them for financial gain. Held in detention centres, the migrants are subjected to inhumane conditions including overcrowding, lack of sanitation and vicious beatings. The exhibition of 32 photographs by Narciso Contreras will be displayed from 16 May to 16 June 2017 at London’s Saatchi Gallery.

The Epson International Pano Awards 2017 competition is now open for entries. Dedicated to the art of panoramic photography, the 8th Epson International Pano Awards is open to all professional and amateur photographers with a combined pool of more than $50,000, including $22,000 cash. Prizes include an Epson SureColor P7070 and an Epson SureColor P5070 printer, and an Epson EB-1776 ultra-slim projector. “Epson is proud to continue its support as the title partner of The International Pano Awards in 2017,” said Craig Heckenberg, General Manager, Business Division, Epson Australia. “Each year the competition continues to go from strength to strength and nothing highlights this better than the fact that the awards now attract entries from over 60 countries around the world. The images submitted are nothing short of spectacular and I am confident 2017 will raise the bar once again.” For the first time ever, Nikon is now also sponsoring the Awards. Early-bird entries are open now until Sunday, 9 July 2017.

Fantasea line has just launched the rugged FRX100 V housing for the Sony RX100 V, RX100 IV and RX100 III cameras. Providing full access to all essential camera controls and functions, the Fantasea FRX100 V housing is depth rated to 60 metres, and features a shock-resistant construction, ergonomic design and double O-ring protection. Free extras include a hand-strap, moisture detector and port cover. Do note that the FRX100 V is very similar to the FRX100 IV housing. However, the FRX100 IV has a built-in front port thread design compatible with 55mm wet lenses and also includes in the box a 55-67mm lens ring adapter. By contrast the FRX100 V has a built-in front port thread design compatible with 67 mm wet lenses and is therefore not compatible with 55mm ones. The Fantasea FRX100 V underwater housing is available for $529.95.