Ikigai is a new brand of camera bags that feature a configurable and removable "camera cell," which provides added protection and makes packing easier. Initially, Ikigai will debut its innovative bag design with the Rival Backpack, to be followed by a complete family of interchangeable camera bags that allow users the freedom to custom-tailor their own carrying solution. "Ikigai represents the perfect blend of form and functionality," says founder Mark Green. "We know photographers are tired of constantly switching bags and repacking their gear to adapt to the needs of individual shoots. We also know there are entirely too many variations of bags, which creates a very confusing and frustrating shopping experience. Once a few professional photographers experience Ikigai for themselves, we expect the brand to spread like wildfire." Pricing for the camera cells starts at $79.99.

Rockabye is a new title from Daylight Books, featuring photographs by Lili Holzer-Glier. On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy slammed into the Northeast coast of the United States engulfing homes and crippling communities. Among the worst hit neighborhoods in New York City was Rockaway Beach located in the Borough of Queens. In Rockabye,r Lili Holzer-Glier examines the condition of the Rockaways, post-Hurricane Sandy, through a series of colour landscapes and portraits taken between 2013-2015. The 112-page hardcover ($45) will publish in October coinciding with the third anniversary of the storm.

In October 2015, MindShift Gear will launch a new 26-litre photo daypack. The company's BackLight 26L Photo Daypack holds a standard-size DSLR and four to six standard zoom lenses plus a flash, or two large mirrorless cameras and five to seven lenses plus a flash. It also has 9 litres of daypack capacity providing plenty of space for personal gear, including separate dedicated compartments for a 10” tablet and 15” laptop. The BackLight 26L carries a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $249.99.

Olympus have announced an upcoming firmware update for the Olympus OM-D E-M1 compact system camera. Version 4.0 will add a new focus stacking mode, optical viewfinder simulation, a focus bracketing mode synchronised PCM audio recording with movie capture, and the ability to disable snapshot focus / MF Clutch from the menu. The company is also planning to release a similar firmware upgrade for its OM-D E-M5 Mark II camera adding, on top of these features, a new "Flat" Movie Exclusive Picture Mode. At the same time, Version 1.1 of Olympus Capture will be released to "meet demands from professionals," and the latest firmware update for M.Zuiko Pro and Premium lenses will also be issued to provide improved aprture drive for smooth exposure control even when shooting movies in situations with sudden changes in brightness. These firmware and software updates will all be released in late November.

Zhongyi Optics (ZY Optics) has officially announced the Mitakon Speedmaster 25mm f/0.95 MFT lens, which was first unveiled a week ago by way of the company's Facebook fan page. This tiny yet ultra-fast manual-focus lens features 11 elements in 9 groups, and a diaphragm with 11 aperture blades. Weighing in at 230 grams, the Mitakon Speedmaster 25mm f/0.95 takes 43mm filters, and offers a close-focus point of 25cm, measured from the sensor plane. Equivalent to a 50mm lens on a 35mm camera, the Mitakon Speedmaster 25mm f/0.95 Micro Four Thirds lens is available to pre-order for $399.

Exhibitr is hosting a competition to discover the best photographers in the student community. The theme of the contest is ‘Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle,' and the  overall winner will receive an Olympus OM-D E-M1 compact system camera (pictured). "The opportunity to give students a chance to show off their best work, whilst being in with a chance of winning some brilliant prizes provided by Olympus UK is incredibly exciting for us," says Exhibitr founder Harry Hanlon. "We’re looking forward to seeing the most creative and original take on the competition’s theme." You can submit as many entries as you like, using any make of camera equipment, and the competition is open from now until 8 January 2016.

Sony today announced that user selectable compressed and uncompressed 14-bit-per-channel raw image capture will be featured in the new A7S II full-frame compact system camera. Additionally, they have announced plans to add this feature via firmware update to additional cameras, beginning with the recently introduced A7R II. Until now, Sony camera users have had to make do with raw files compressed using a lossy algorithm, leading to sub-optimal results (as compared with other manufacturers' cameras equipped with similar Sony sensors).

CyberLink today launched the latest versions of its Director series multimedia editing software applications. PowerDirector 14 (priced from $69.99) features flexible video editing modes, more than 500 effects and templates, improved 64-bit video rendering with TrueVelocity 5, precision motion tracking and a new Action Camera Center. PhotoDirector 7 ($59.99) adds support for a wide variety of new cameras and raw image formats, introduces a fresh approach to layer-based editing, and features new face and body beautification and content-aware object removal tools. ColorDirector 4 Ultra ($129.99) offers intelligent motion tracking, post-production colour grading and HDR video editing.

Epson today announced the 24-inch SureColor P6000 and P7000, plus the 44-inch SureColor P8000 and P9000 printers. The SC-P7000 and SC-P9000 are available in a Commercial Edition featuring an all-new Violet ink for expanded color gamut delivering output matching 99-percent of the PANTONE FORMULA GUIDE Solid Coated. In addition, the printers are configurable with an optional Epson SpectroProofer UVS in-line spectrophotometer designed to provide automated colour management and verification-related tasks for a range of proofing applications. The SC-P6000/P8000 leverage the eight-colour UltraChrome HD ink and the SC-P7000/P9000 use the 10-colour UltraChrome HDX ink. Both professional ink sets deliver improved black density: the new Black ink is 1.5 times denser than previous ink formulation, providing significant improvements to overall contract ratio and optical clarity, the company says. The Epson SureColor P-Series will be available in October 2015.

Hobie by Overlab Designs is a new tool for creating time-lapse videos with smartphones. Available in four colours, Hobie is a simple, fully mechanical device that works with any phone that's less than 8cm wide. Comprising a modified kitchen timer, a crossbar and a large wheel, the ingeniuous device is highly portable and features 36 different point-of-view setting options for both static and 360-degree time-lapse sequences. Interested readers are encouraged to pay a visit to Hobie's Kickstarter page for more information.

Leica Camera has announced a new programme of photography training courses and workshops at its London-based Akademie. This includes the Leica Masterclass Series (starting with a street photography workshop held from 3-4 October 2015), the Learn With Leica course designed to move novice photographers away from the ‘Auto’ setting and unleash their true potential, several one-day "Leica In London" events, a personalised one.hour workshop called "Leica Bespoke," plus several complimentary workshops aimed at Leica M and T system photographers. The Leica Akademie UK is located at the Leica Studio, 27 Bruton Place, Mayfair, London W1J 6NQ.