This summer, Panasonic will be touring National Trust properties throughout the UK, giving visitors the chance to try the latest Lumix cameras and lenses. From 7th May – 23rd October, the company will be organising photo walks with Lumix Pro Ambassadors, who will also be on hand to offer tips and advice on getting the most out of their photography. The events will allow attendees to borrow a choice of Lumix cameras, lenses and 4K camcorders. The roadshow is free to attend for National Trust Members and paying visitors to each property on the day. Click through / scroll down for a full list of venues and dates.

Flashpoint today announced the new Flashpoint R2 lighting line. The Flashpoint R2  wireless radio flash system consists of five new products, compatible with Canon, Nikon and Sony cameras: the Flashpoint XPLOR 600, Streaklight TTL, R2 TTL Remote Transmitter and Receiver, Zoom Flash and Zoom Li-on Flash. Also new are Flashpoint R2 bridge units, which introduce R2 compatibility to older Flashpoint Streaklights and Zoom Li-ons. The Flashpoint XPLOR 600 TTL all-in-one HSS studio flash with built-in R2 2.4GHz Radio Remote System ($749) is a portable lighting solution with a 600Ws head and an interchangeable 11.1-volt Lithium Ion 8700mAh battery. The Flashpoint R2 Streaklight 360 TTL ($519.95, pictured) is a hot-shoe, portable bare-bulb flash available in both Canon-compatible and Nikon-compatible models. The Flashpoint R2 TTL Wireless Remote Receiver connects all strobes to any tool in the R2 family, including older Flashpoint monolights and strobe lights. The R2 TTL Transmitter attaches to the body of any Canon, Nikon or Sony camera for full lighting control as well as TTL pass-through. The R2 Zoom Li-on Flash ($179.95) is powered by an internal lithium-ion battery pack and featurs a full-power recycle time of less than 1.5 seconds. Finally the R2 Bridge Receiver ($19.95) enables users to upgrade theirexisting non-R2 Flashpoint Streaklight and Zoom Li-on Speedlights to be upgraded to receive signals from the new R2 Radio Remote System.

MindShift Gear has released the Card-Again wallets designed for outdoor photographers who need quick access to their CompactFlash and SD cards. These two lightweight memory card wallets feature clear windows to identify used versus full cards and cutouts for easy access, and an attachment point to tether to a bag or clothing. The CF Card-Again holds4 CompactFlash or XQD media, whilst the SD Card-Again holds 6 SD cards. The wallets are priced at $14.99.

For outdoor photographers seeking one bag to carry a single DSLR or CSC on everything from a quick outing to a multi-night trek, MindShift Gear have just introduced four new Multi-Mount Holsters. Sized to fit a range of cameras and lenses, each holster offers five key mounting configurations: shoulder, pack/front harness, chest, storage, and belt. In a first for the photo industry, the Multi-Mount Holsters additionally feature a unique backpack mount. “The Multi-Mount Holsters include all the accessories needed to personalize your camera carrying method,” said Doug Murdoch, MindShift Gear’s CEO and Lead Designer. “With just a few adjustments, you can quickly switch from carrying it on your waist, back, chest or shoulder.” The Multi-Mount Holsters are priced from $89.99. Click through / scroll down for the details.

Elinchrom have introduced their next-generation Skyport flash triggering system. The new EL-Skyport Plus system is compact and robust, using readily available AA batteries. The Skyport Plus offers an extended range of up to 656 feet (200 m) and controls the power of all Skyport enabled Elinchrom flash units. With eight individual frequencies and the choice of standard and speed protocols, there are 16 frequency options, each with four groups. The EL-Skyport Receiver Plus will trigger almost every flash system and features a built-in hot shoe to trigger speedlights, while enabling them to also be conveniently mounted onto a lighting stand. The transmitter head folds down for reduced profile and easier subject viewing while shooting.

Iridient Digital has released version 3.1 of Iridient Developer, a raw file conversion and photo processing application for Mac OS X. This update brings two new demosaicing algorithms for Bayer sensor cameras featuring improved fine detail rendering, lower noise and faster performance. It also includes a critical workaround for an issue introduced in the recent Mac OS X 10.11.4 update which affects the Shadows and Highlights (Neighborhood Adaptive) adjustments. A bug with loading raw files from some 2007 and earlier Canon DSLR models has also been fixed. Additionally, version 3.1 adds support for raw image files generated by the Canon EOS 80D, 1D X Mark II, 1300D and PowerShot G7 X Mark II, the Nikon D500 and D5, the SonyA6300. A68 and RX10 III, the Fujifilm X-Pro2, the Panasonic DMC-GX80 and DMC-GX85, the Leica M-D, the Blackmagic URSA Mini 4.6K, URSA Mini 4K, URSA 4.6K and URSA, the DJI FC550 (Xenmuse X5), FC350 (Inspire 1 and Phantom 4), FC300X (Phantom 3 Pro) and FC300S (Phantom 3 Advanced), the Samsung Galaxy S7, plus the HTC One A9 and One M9. The update is free for all users who have purchased a new or upgraded license after September 2014.

Sigma Corporation of America today announced two special Mother’s Day promotions. From now until 10 May 2016, the 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM | Contemporary lens (pictured) will include an instant rebate of $80 off its original Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of $579 as well as a free USB dock, a $50 value and a Sigma macro close-up lens, a $55 value for a total saving of $185. Also offered during the same time period, the 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary lens will include a free USB dock.

Samyang have announced the upcoming launch of two auto-focus primes for Sony E mount CSCs. Scheduled for a July 2016 release, both the 14mm F2.8 ED AS IF UMC and 50mm F1.4 AS IF UMC lenses are specifically designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras. These will be the first auto-focus lenses in Samyang's history, and both models are claimed to be fully compatible with contrast-detect as well as phase-detect AF systems. Aspherical lenses have been included in both lenses to minimise aberration and unnecessary light dispersion, promising high resolution from the centre to the corners of the image. Each lens has a 67mm filter thread. The Samyang 14mm F2.8 ED AS IF UMC and 50mm F1.4 AS IF UMC lenses will be exhibited at the Photo & Imaging 2016 Show in Seoul. Pricing to be confirmed.

Adobe Camera Raw 9.5.1 is now available through the update mechanism in Photoshop CC and the Creative Cloud application. This upgrade adds support for the Pentax K-1 and the Sony RX10 III (pictured), and fixes the following bugs:

• EXIF lens name not visible for some camera models.
• Camera Raw would not launch under Mac OSX 10.7 and 10.8.
• Errors when using Camera Raw to tone HDR images from Photoshop. This occurred when converting 32-bit files to 16 or 8-bit files.

Additionally, DNG Converter also gets an update for MacOS and Windows.

Adobe have released Version 6.5.1 of Lightroom and Version 2015.5.1 of Lightroom CC. These updates add support for raw files generated by the Pentax K-1 (pictured) and the Sony DSC-RX10 Mark III, and fix a variety of issues. Click through / scroll down for a detailed of list of bug fixes.

Adobe have released Lightroom Mobile for iOS 2.3. "We heard from a number of users that editing and sharing a single photo was really important, so we made it possible to start editing immediately with a single photo," says Josh Haftel, Senior Product Manager at Adobe. "Importing multiple photos was also made easier by being able to swipe across a series of photos directly. By making it possible to start editing directly, you no longer have to find a photo, import it, find it again, and then start editing, so common workflows should be improved considerably." Lightroom for Mobile 2.3 is available now for iPads and iPhones.

Nikon have issued a firmware update for the Nikon D7200 digital SLR camera. Version 1.01 fixes te following issues:

• Selecting Firmware version in the SETUP MENU would not display “C X.XX L X.XXX”.
• About 4 seconds of static could be heard on audio recorded with external HDMI recorders during movie live view.
• Exposure compensation would fail to produce the desired results if a negative value was selected when NEF (RAW) images were processed using the NEF (RAW) processing option in the RETOUCH MENU.
• February 29th would sometimes not display correctly in leap years.

You can download the firmware upgrade from the Nikon Download Centre.

CENTER has announced PhotoSummer, a new collaborative initiative celebrating the photographic arts in New Mexico. Now in its second year, PhotoSummer represents and actively promotes historical and contemporary photography, and features photo-based programming through exhibitions, talks and workshopse. The highlighted kick-off weekend is June 16-17-18, 2016, with many exhibitions and openings before and after. Click through / scroll down for the detailed programme.

London’s Air Ambulance has launched a photography competition calling on the public to submit photos of its iconic helicopters and rapid-response car fleet to fill its 2017 Charity Calendar. “We receive so many fantastic photos from members of the public who kindly donate them for the charity’s use,” says Mark Davies, Director of Development at London’s Air Ambulance. “This competition is now a great opportunity for people to showcase their work more widely, while at the same time raising money.” Photographers have until Friday, 22nd July to enter their work, and the best photos will be picked by a judging panel made up of London’s Air Ambulance staff. To be eligible, all photos must have been taken in 2016 and must be submitted via e-mail. Money raised from the sale of the calendar will help the charity, which delivers an advanced trauma team to critically injured people in London.

As their Kickstarter campaign for the Pictar Camera Grip has reached its stretch goal of $150,000; Miggo have decided to offer an additional, dedicated Pictar model for the iPhone 6 Plus and 6s Plus smartphones. Billed as "probably the best iPhone camera-grip ever built," Pictar brings SLR-style controls - such as a physical shutter release and an exposure compensation wheel - as well as a tripod socket, a "smart wheel" and a zoom ring, to Apple's flagship smartphones.The new accessory is designed to communicate with the iPhone via a dedicated camera app which unlocks key features inaccessible on the native app to iPhone users. Each of the physical controls found on Pictar drive a specific function or setting and does so using high-frequency dual tone sounds. Each physical control is assigned a specific tone, and with each turn of a dial, press of a button or turn of a wheel, Pictar emits a sound that – when detected by the app – generates a corresponding action. The high-frequency dual tone (18,500 – 20,000 khz) is inaudible to the human ear and significantly increases battery life when compared to Bluetooth connectivity. Interested readers are encouraged to pay a visit to Pictar's Kickstarter project page.

Manfrotto has launched a new universal smartphone clamp. Devised for everyone who has embraced smartphone photography as a way of life, the Manfrotto TwistGrip is a high-quality aluminium accessory featuring a ¼” thread adapter to connect to any photographic support and cold-shoe lighting connection to allow integration with an LED light.The clamp’s twist movement and locking knob secure the smartphone in the right position in a just a few easy steps, so it stays safe, regardless of the shooting perspective.TwistGrip is priced at £39.95 and will be available from Apple UK and Manfrotto UK.