Hama has added the new Traveller Premium Mono 170 monopod to its product range. Like its sister product, the Traveller Premium 144 Ball tripod, the monopod features an extremely light and sturdy aluminium design and screw clamps for quickly locking the leg at the required length. The Hama Traveller Premium Mono 170 has a minimum height of 45cm and can be extended to 170cm. The maximum load capacity is 8kg, making the monopod well suited for larger cameras and lenses. The Hama Traveller Premium Mono 170 is available for €69.

Olympus have issued a firmware update for their OM-D E-M5 Mark II compact system camera. According to the company, Version 1.1 incorporates the following enhancements and fixes:

• Audio can be faded out of movie files created with My Clips editing.
• Speed at which information is displayed when the camera is turned on has been improved.
• The issue of noise appearing in images captured while shooting with High Res Shot has been corrected.

You can install the firmware upgrade via the Digital Camera Updater utility.

Zhongyi Optics have announced the full-frame Mitakon Speedmaster 85mm f/1.2, an ultra-bright short telephoto lens ideal for portraiture. Available in Canon EF, Nikon F and Sony FE mounts (with the Sony A and Pentax K editions coming later this year), the Mitakon Speedmaster 85mm f/1.2 has a circular aperture with 11 diaphragm blades, and incorporates 9 elements in 6 groups, including 2 extra-low-dispersion elements and 4 high-refractive-index elements. "Manual focus design and a click-less, silent aperture ring promote smooth handling and are especially well-suited to video applications," the company says. The lens weighs 921 grams, takes 77mm filters, and focuses down to 1m. The Zhongyi Mitakon Speedmaster 85mm f/1.2 is available for $799.

Nikon has posted a service advisory concerning the Nikkor 300mm f/4E PF ED VR telephoto lens. The company has confirmed that when the lens is used with the D800, D800E or D810 cameras, images captured at shutter speeds of around 1/125 s with the VR (NORMAL or SPORT) function enabled sometimes exhibit noticeable blur. To reduce the occurrence of this, Nikon will offer a service for updating the lens firmware. D800, D800E and D810 users who are concerned about this issue may take or send their lens to an Nikon Service Centre, where their lens firmware will be updated free of charge. Note that firmware for lenses with a serial number of 205101 or later have already been updated.

Macphun today launched their latest application, Noiseless. Using newly developed imaging technology; Noiseless provides a one-click solution for eliminating the noise generated by every camera when shooting in low-light situations. Advanced users can use the “Adjust Panel” of Noiseless for even greater control, including unique detail preservation and selective reduction tools. The program is available in two versions, a standard version, sold exclusively through the Mac App Store; and a Pro variantsold on Macphun’s website.

The Canon SELPHY CP1000 is a new compact photo printer that allows you to print lab-quality photos at home and on the move. With an elegant, compact design, the Canon SELPHY CP1000 has a 2.7" tilting screen and an optional battery pack accessory. With the ability to control the heat applied to the ink ribbon on the print head, the Canon SELPHY CP1000 offers four print finishes without ever having to use a different paper or media type. The SELPHY CP1000 also allows for ID Photo Printing at 43 pre-set sizes with the ability to print two different ID image sizes on one sheet. The Canon SELPHY CP1000 will be available from early July for £89.99/€109.99.

CheeringTech has released Version 2.0 of its CASE Remote iOS app. Designed to work with CASE Remote hardware, the smartphone app enables you to wirelessly control DSLR camera from your mobile devices. "CASE Remote is the best solution for tethered photography with live view function,." the company says "It does not only add WiFi function to your camera, but also introduce more advanced photography functions, making your photography much easier!" New in Version 2.0 adds focus peaking and video recording capabilities, and delivers an improved user experience. You can download the free app from iTunes.

Fujifilm officially announced the availability of the Fujinon XF16mm f/1.4 R WR (Weather Resistant) lens, which first appeared on the X-mount lens roadmap in July 2014. Equivalent to a 24mm lens in a 35mm system, the Fujinon XF16mm f/1.4 R WR features 13 lens elements in 11 groups, including two ED and two aspherical elements, and an iris diaphragm with nine rounded blades. The lens itself will be available from mid-May, priced at £729.99. A premium-quality metal lens hood (LH-X16, optional) will be released in September.

Benro today announced the expansion of their S-Series with the S7 Video Head and Tripod Kits. The S7 video head offers a maximum load capacity of 7kg, a 65mm flat base, a 4-step counterbalance, independent pan and tilt locks and a 501 compatible QR6 plate. The flat base provides much needed versatility for mounting on sliders, jibs and half ball adapters. Available in carbon-fibre and aluminium versions, the S7 Tripod Kit includes an S7 Video Head plus a tripod that folds down to 29cm and extends to 161cm.

X-Rite has launched the X-Rite ColorChecker Classic Mini ($70), which has been specifically designed to help photographers specialising in capturing fine art and heritage artwork. Measuring 6.3cm x 10.6cm, the ColorChecker Classic Mini offers users a flexible solution for situations where a more lightweight colour chart is required. When dealing with valuable and often delicate artwork, the ColorChecker Classic Minican be positioned against the delicate surface of the painting whilst it is being photographed. Each of the 24 colours represents the actual colour of natural objects and reflects light just like its real-world counterpart. Since they exemplify the colour of their counterparts and reflect light the same way in all parts of the visible spectrum, the squares will match the colours of representative sample natural objects under any illumination, and with any colour reproduction process. The ColorChecker Classic Mini can also be used to create a white balance with your digital camera to guarantee precise, uniform, neutral white under any lighting condition.

DxO have released DxO OpticsPro 10.4, DxO FilmPack 5.1.2 and DxO ViewPoint 2.5.4 for Mac and Windows. These new versions add support for the Nikon D7200 and the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II (pictured). To further improve workflow, the DxO OpticsPro interface now offers a new “Reset” button that lets users cancel in just one click all of the manual corrections made to an image and to return to the default preset corrections, and includes support for several DxO optics modules offering support for Konica Minolta, Nikon, Olympus, Sigma, Sony, Tamron, Tokina, and Zeiss lenses for many Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, and Sony cameras.

Garmin has announced two HD action cameras, the VIRB X and the VIRB XE. Waterproof to 50 metres, theVIRB X and XE boast a plethora of built-in sensors and wireless functionality options, which can be utilized through the new G-Metrix feature for a wide array of data overlays and a richer viewing experience. The VIRB XE is designed to shoot professional HD footage at 1440p/30fps and 1080p/60fps with super slow-mo, image stabilisation and different zoom levels. The VIRB X shoots crisp HD footage at 1080p/30fps and 720p/60fps with slow-mo and zoom options. Both versions can capture 12-megapixel stills, and the XE version has a Pro Mode with more advanced manual camera adjustments such as white balance control, sharpness control, colour profile control, ISO and exposure compensation. The Garmin VIRB X will have a suggested retail price of $299.99, and the VIRB XE will have an SRP of $399.99.

The Epson SureColor P800 is a full 17-inch wide borderless printer with unique Epson MicroPiezo AMCTM printhead technology. Key highlights include an all-new Epson UltraChrome HD eight-colour ink set, an advanced Black-and-White print mode for professional-level neutral or toned black-and-white prints and the ability to print on fine art and roll papers and create panoramas over 10 feet long (requires a separately sold roll paper adapter). Connectivity options include Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi as well as Google Cloud Print and Apple AirPrint support. The SureColor P800 will be available for purchase in June for $1,295.

Want to see exactly what the new Sony Cyber-shot HX90V camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of the Sony Cyber-shot HX90V camera.

Want to see exactly what the new Sony Cyber-shot WX500 camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of the Sony Cyber-shot WX500 camera.

Tamron USA has launched the national 2015 Tamron Tailgate Tour. The fully equipped Tamron van is back by popular demand with all new free mini-seminars, hands-on experiences with the latest Tamron technology, portfolio review opportunities and a new evening seminar programme. The tour will work with local photo retailers to deliver an education programme including free mini-sessions under the Tamron Tailgate Learning Tent - "Achieving Perfect Exposure"12:00 - 12:45pm, "Portfolio and Image Review" 1:00 - 2:30pm and "Understanding Your Digital Darkroom" 3:00 - 3:45pm. For those looking for even more tips to creating better photographs, Tamron will offer a two-hour evening seminar entitled "The Field Guide to Inspired Photography: See It, Capture It, Work It" taught by experienced Tamron tech team photographers.  The cost of the seminars will be $25 and will include a welcome bag with a reporter notebook and lens cleaning cloth. For more information and to find out when the Tamron Tailgate Tour will be in your area, visit the website below.

Panasonic is planning to release a new firmware update for the Lumix DMC-GH4 compact system camera. Version 2.2 adds a new [Anamorphic(4:3)] mode which enables video recording in 3328 x 2496 pixel resolution with an anamorphic lens at a frame rate of either 23.98, 24, 25 or 29.97 fps. Anamorphic lenses are used to create a cinemascope aspect such as 2.39:1 or 2.35:1. Panasonic discovered that cinematographers had been experimenting with the 4K PHOTO mode 4:3 aspect ratio in the LUMIX GH4 and vintage anamorphic cine lenses to achieve the classic Hollywood look of anamorphic film capture. Thanks in part to its Micro Four Thirds format and 4K recording ability, firmware Ver.2.2 for the LUMIX GH4 enables videographers to capture and un-squeeze a 3356x2496 image in post-production. In addition, 4:2:2 / 10 bit HDMI output is also available. A further enhancement of the new firmware is the addition of a very high shutter speed of 1/16,000 sec. when using the GH4's electronic shutter. The new firmware is scheduled to be released in late April.