Venus Optics have launched a teaser campaign for a new E-mount lens. So far the company hasn't disclosed any details, but the silhouette of the new product hints at another wide-angle lens joining the existing Laowa 15mm f/4 Macro and 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D offerings. However, this lens was apparently designed specifically for Sony cameras, whereas the 12mm and 15mm Macro lenses are also available in Canon, Nikon and Pentax fit.

Canon have announced their plans for Photokina 2016. The Japanese manufacturer's stand will feature the new Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, the full Pixma range of printers and hdbooks – a service that professionally prints and binds personalised photo books. Visitors to the stand in Hall 12 can step into an immersive world of inspiring images - at the heart of the stand is a 180° screen experience, where Canon’s new brand campaign, City Surfing, will be shown. A live seminar programme will equip people with the knowledge to capture those exciting images through different photography styles and techniques. The presenters include Canon Ambassador Thorsten Milse, as well as sports photographer Samo Vidic. “Canon’s aim is to inspire and enable photographers to capture, store, print and share their lives through the universal language of imagery,” said Alessandro Stanzani, Executive Vice President of Consumer and Professional Imaging, Canon Europe. “At Photokina, we’re excited to be showcasing our smart imaging products and hope to inspire photographers in their pursuit of the shot.”

Sony today introduced a new full-frame lens for their E-mount camera system. Boasting a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:1, the Sony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro lens features ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass to effectively compensate for axial chromatic aberration at close focus, allowing it to create consistently sharp photos. Weighing just 236g, the lens offers a 0.16m minimum focusing distance and a near-circular aperture that produces beautiful bokeh effects. The dust- and moisture-resistant Sony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro lens will be available in Europe in October priced at approximately £500 and €660.

Vivid-Pix, a software company with a focus on photography, has announced that its easy-to-use Land & Sea software is now available to purchase. The software provides users with the ability to enhance pool and snorkel photos with a single click. “In the world of seemingly unlimited apps, it is hard to imagine that something so unique and broadly needed for improving photos would just now be coming to light,” said Rick Voight, Vivid-Pix CEO.  “However, Land & Sea is here now, and it is a great way for consumers to vividly, and in great detail, re-live and share their summertime memories of camping, visiting local and distant parks and forests, or cooling off at a nearby pool or beach.” The Mac/Windows version costs $24.99, and the iOS edition is available for $4.99. Land & Sea+ for iOS provides SCUBA depth image improvement and other features with a $19.99 in-app additional purchase.

Wix.com has announced three of its photographers won the opportunity to shoot the covers of Brides and Condé Nast Traveler, and assist a celebrity photographer on a cover shoot for Vanity Fair. Wix and Condé Nast teamed up for the #LookStunning campaign to award global photographers the chance to turn their passion into a once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity. Nicholas La will be shooting the cover of Condé Nast Traveler, Max Montgomery has won the chance to shoot the cover of Brides, and Tony Salvagio will be the assistant to the photographer for a cover shoot of Vanity Fair. "We host millions of photographers on the Wix platform and wanted a way to showcase their talents. Incredible photographers from all over the world took part in the campaign and the entries were nothing short of spectacular. We are enormously proud of these photographers' accomplishments, and can't wait to see the results," said Omer Shai, CMO of Wix. "Wix thrives on creativity in all forms, and we love the passion of our communities. Helping connect an artist, or any user, to new opportunities related to their interests through, and beyond, our platform is what we strive for every single day."

Skyline Group, the exclusive distributor of Genesis brand in Europe, has announced a number of new Base line products including a professional cine tripod (CVT-20 Kit), a carbon photo tripod (C1 Kit), an aluminum photo tripod (A3 Kit), L-shaped quick-release plates in Arca-Swiss standard and a monopod stand (S-1 Stand). The Genesis Base CVT-20 Kit includes an aluminium tripod with 3-section legs and metal feet spikes plus a VF-7.5 head which can be tilted within the range of +90° and -75°. The CVT-20 Kit comes with two spirit levels: one is used to level the head, while the second levels the tripod. The C1 Kit is an ultra mobile kit which weighs as little as 1.42 kg. The kit includes the Genesis Base C1 carbon-fibre tripod and BH-34 ball head. The A3 Kit includes the Genesis Base A3 aluminium tripod, and BH-34 ball-head. Click through / read on for the details.

Anthropics Technology have released PortraitPro Body - the industry’s first dedicated full-body retouching software. According to the company, "PortraitPro Body’s cutting-edge technology is based on academic research into human appearance and on extensive training in human body shape and beauty." The program is available in two editions, PortraitPro Body Standard ($39.95) and PortraitPro Body Studio ($59.95). The standard version is a standalone applicationç whilst the studio edition additionally includes a Photoshop/Lightroom plug-in, handles camera raw files, supports conversion between different colour spaces and provides support for embedded colour profiles.

Nikon has announced that entries for the Nikon Photo Contest 2016-2017 will be accepted between 17 October 2016 and 27 January 2017. One of the world's largest international photo contests since its inception in 1969, the 36th Nikon Photo Contest sees the addition of two new categories. The ‘Nikon 100th Anniversary’ category celebrates Nikon's upcoming 100th birthday in 2017, and the ‘Next Generation’ category, for anyone under the age of 30, looks to encourage the talent of the next generation of photographers. The winners of the Nikon Photo Contest 2016-2017 will be announced in July 2017, with an awards ceremony in Japan.

The Royal Photographic Society's International Print Exhibition - world’s longest running photography competition - has announced the winners of its 159th edition. UK photographers Carolyn Mendelsohn, Polly Braden and Poem Baker secured the Gold, Silver and Bronze awards and Russian photographer Anna Shustikova won the under-30s Gold award. The competition attracted entries from 57 countries and the finalists and winners were selected by a panel consisting of social documentary photographer Dougie Wallace; Brighton Biennial Photo Festival director, Celia Davies;  the director of Glasgow’s Street Level Photoworks, Malcolm Dickson; Russ O’Connell, Picture Editor for The Sunday Times Magazine and the photography writer and editor Gemma Padley. The Gold Award image, titled Alice by Carolyn Mendelsohn focusses on the complex transition between childhood to young adulthood. Under-30s Gold winner Anna Shustikova’s image School Bus (above) was taken after a school excursion to the Dubna wetlands nature reserve in the northeast Moscow province. All the photographs selected for the exhibition will be shown at the opening exhibition at London’s Photomonth International Photography Festival, at the Old Truman Brewery, on Brick Lane, from 13–18 October (as part of the PHOTOBLOCK series of events).  The exhibition will travel to The Royal Albert Hall before moving to other venues in the UK, including the Belfast and Retina (Edinburgh) International Photography Festivals.

British Journal of Photography’s International Photography Award 2017 is now open for entries. One photographer will be selected by a panel of elite industry experts to receive a three-week solo exhibition at TJ Boulting, an innovative gallery in the heart of London, plus a £5000 production grant from Metro Imaging. The winning photographer will also have their work published across British Journal of Photography’s print and digital channels, and showcased globally on WeTransfer. Previous winners include Juno Calypso, Felicity Hammond, Dominic Hawgood, Chloe Dewe Mathews and Edmund Clark. Photographers may enter projects on any topic, shot in any format or camera model, on film or digital. Projects entered must contain a minimum of 10 and maximum of 30 images. The closing date for entries is Sunday 20 November 2016, and BJP is offering a 25% discount for early-bird entries until Friday 30 September 2016.

DJI has launched the Osmo+, which brings an integrated zoom camera to the Osmo hand-held camera stabilisation system. The Osmo+ camera has a total of 7x zoom, with 3.5x optical and 2x digital lossless zoom (only available when shooting at 1080p), giving it a focal length ranging from 22mm to 77mm without sacrificing Full HD video quality. Without digital zoom, the camera is capable of recording movies in 4K resolution. It is similar to, but not interchangeable with, the new Zenmuse Z3 zoom camera recently launched for the Inspire 1 drone system. “The Osmo+ opens up entirely new capabilities for creators who love the Osmo’s ability to deliver crisp, sharp and detailed handheld imagery,” said Paul Pan, Senior Product Manager. “From action selfies to detailed panoramas to motion timelapses, the zoom features of the new Osmo+ once again expand the capabilities of handheld photography to push the limits of the imagination.” The Osmo+ is available for £629.

Fuji have announced the Wi-Fi enabled Fujifilm X-A3 compact system camera, featuring an APS-C sized 24.2-megapixel imager. Unlike its siblings, the new X-A3 forgoes the company's much-touted X-Trans sensor technology in favour of a more conventional Bayer colour filter array. Key highlights include a sensitivity range of ISO 200-6400 (expandable to ISO 25600), a tilting LCD touchscreen, 11 Film Simulation modes, 10 Advanced Filters, two command dials, an auto focus system with 49 selectable AF points plus Zone and Wide / Tracking modes that use 77 focus areas to capture a moving subject, an  extended battery life, and Full HD (1080/60p, 50p, 24p) video recording capabilities. Additionally, the Fujifilm X-A3 now features Panorama and Time-Lapse functions. In the UK, the X­-A3 will be available exclusively at Jessops from the end of September 2016, kitted with the Fujinon XC16­-50mm F3.5­5.6 OIS II lens, with an SRP of  £599.

Fujifilm have announced the upcoming release of the Fujinon XF23mmF2 R WR lens. Dustproof and weather-resistant, the new XF23mmF2 R WR has a highly versatile focal length equivalent to 35mm (in the 35mm film format), suitable to a range of genres and subjects from street photography to landscapes and environmental portraits. The inner-focus AF system uses a stepping motor to drive the focusing group of lens elements for silent and fast auto-focus. When combined with the phase detection AF system of the Fujifilm. X-Pro2 or X-T2, the lens can lock focus in 0.05 seconds. The optical formula comprises 10 elements in 6 groups, including 2 aspherical elements, plus an iris diaphragm with nine rounded aperture blades. This lens can be used with the vented metal hood LH-XF35-2, which is also compatible with the XF35mmF2 R WR. Coinciding with the launch of the XF23mmF2 R WR, a silver version of the lens hood LH-XF35-2 will also be released, allowing users to choose an optional hood that matches the colour of the lens. The Fujifilm XF23mmF2 R WR lens will be on sale in the UK from September 2016, at a suggested retail price of £419.

Photography Blog attended the recent UK press launch of the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV in central London. As one of the first people outside of Canon to actually get their hands on the new EOS 5D, here are my initial thoughts...

Canon have released thirteen full-resolution sample photos and two reduced-resolution sample videos shot on their new EOS 5D Mark IV digital SLR camera. Captured with a variety of lenses including the EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM, EF11-24mm f/4L USM, EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, EF600mm f/4L IS II USM and new EF24-105mm f/4L IS II USM, these Canon EOS 5D Mark IV samples were taken at  sensitivity settings ranging from ISO 100 to ISO 6,400.

Website: Official Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Sample Images & Movies

Want to see exactly what the new Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our hands-on gallery of photos of the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR camera, including a side-by-side comparison with the previous 5D Mark III, and the new EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM and EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM lenses.

Want to see exactly how the new Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR camera compares to the previous 5D Mark III model?

Check out our side-by-side comparison of the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with the previous 5D Mark III.

Want to see exactly what the new Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens looks like in the flesh?

Check out our hands-on gallery of photos of the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens.