Spider Camera Holster has launched two new accessories: the SpiderPro Medium Lens Pouch and Memory Card Organizer.. Compatible with the SpiderPro single and dual-camera holster systems, the Medium Lens Pouch accommodates all small (or short) professional zoom lenses with hood attached. Its unique design allows the user to easily insert the lens with the lens hood still connected, thereby saving time and hassle during use. The pouch’s side opening gives clearance for users to gain a firm and comfortable grip of the lens while swapping. The Spider Holster Memory Card Organizer (pictured) allows for photographers to carry as much memory possible, hands free and with maximum convenience, without having to shuffle through gear bags or sifting through various pockets. Designed for easy access, its fold-out compartment holds 6 Compact Flash memory cards and 3 smaller Secure Digital memory cards – all instantly available, hands free, right at your hip.The base SpiderPro Medium Lens Pouch will carry an MSRP of $65.00. The SpiderPro Memory Card Organizer will carry an MSRP of $35.00. Both accessories will be available for direct purchase through the company website

Plustek USA has launched a new instant rebate programme for selected scanners. The eligible products include - alongside a number of document scanners and book scanning devices - the Plustek OpticFilm 8200i AI, a 35mm film scanner featuring a hardware resolution of 7200x7200ppi and an infrared channel for dust and scratch removal (pictured). Those purchasing the OpticFilm 8200i AI before 30th September are entitled to an instantrebate of $70.

Connected Data have launched their Drobo Mini with Solid State Disk drives delivering as much as 80% more performance compared to a Mini configured with traditional spinning hard drives. Featuring four 2.5” SSD bays with an mSATA accelerator option; the Drobo Mini connects via Thunderbolt or USB 3.0 and protects data without user intervention, even in the event of multiple SSD drive failures. If a drive does fail, Drobo Mini automatically repairs itself and returns to a protected state while providing full access to data without performance being affected. Additional security is provided with battery backup that protects against data loss in the event of a sudden power outage ensuring that all data in flight is protected until power is restored. The Drobo Mini with SSD is available today in three capacity bundles of 1TB, 2TB and 4TB starting at an MSRP of $1,199 through the website below.

PhotographyBB has released Volume 4 of Clarity Magazine. Covering a wide range of topics, this issue includes a helpful guide to understanding a camera’s histogram, an in-depth look at all-flash indoor lighting setups, the focal-distance compression effect of lenses, Lightroom and Photoshop video tutorials, and more. Additionally, Volume Four includes a new feature column on smartphone photography. Priced at $6.99, Clarity Volume 4 is available to download in PDF format from the website below.

Website: PhotographyBB

Sony USA today expanded its product portfolio with two Cyber-shot models, both of which have been available in other markets for a while. The pocket-sized Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX220 (read review) is extremely slim and compact, yet packs an 18.2 megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor with 1080/60p movie recording capabilities, a 10x zoom lens bearing the prestigious 'G' designation, and an integrated Wi-Fi module. The entry-level Sony DSC-W810 features a 20.1MP CCD sensor and 6x optical zoom lens, and can shoot HD movies at 720p. For convenient movie shooting, there’s a dedicated movie button on the camera that instantly starts video recording without digging through menus. The new Sony Cyber-shot WX220 will be available in August in black and gold for about $200, and the new Cyber-shot W810 will be available in September in silver for about $100.

Aperture Exporter is a Mac application allowing users of Apple Aperture to transfer their images and libraries to another photo manager such as Adobe Lightroom. "With only a few options and a click of a button, Aperture Exporter re-generates your Aperture Library as a set of folders and subfolders containing your images," the developers say. The program enables users to "retain meticulously crafted project hierarchies," keep all their metadata including ratings and comments, export images contained in their albums and smart albums, and convert Aperture flags and colour labels to keywords. Aperture Exporter is now available on the Mac App Store, priced at $14.99.

Adobe has released final versions of ACR 8.6 and Photoshop Lightroom 5.6, which were earlier posted as 'release candidates.' These updates add support for raw files generated by the Nikon D810, the Panasonic FZ1000 (pictured) and Lumix GH4, add profiles for twenty-two camera-lens combinations, and fix bugs.

Source: Adobe Lightroom Journal

Tonality from Macphun is a new Mac app for creating superior black-and-white images. The software uses a proprietary 16-bit raw processing engine, advanced imaging algorithms and a comprehensive set of unique digital darkroom features permitting photographers "to do things they never before have been able to achieve," the company says. Starting with "professionally inspired" presets, Tonality includes features like layer-based image editing, adaptive exposure and smart contrast, overlay textures, advanced clarity and structure detail, grain and film emulation, adjustment brushes and a selection of finishing tools for photographers to craft their finest work. Each layer includes separate opacity controls, blending modes and preserves colour data of the original image. “For many photographers, crafting dramatic black-and-white images is their favouritee form of creative expression yet presents uniquely difficult and time-consuming challenges,” said Paul Muzok, CEO of Macphun. “We designed Tonality to overcome those challenges, and be not only the best app for those passionate about monochrome image making but also appeal to the casual photographer who is exploring the genre." Tonality is available today as an electronic download from the Macphun Web Store.

The winners of the world’s longest running photography exhibition have been announced. Student, amateur and professional photographers from around the world were invited to enter their images to The Royal Photographic Society’s International Print Exhibition 157, and over 6,600 images were submitted. The five award winners are Jacqueline Roberts (Germany), William Lakin (UK), Mandy Barker ARPS (UK), Tamara Staples (USA) and Damien Wootten (UK). The exhibition at Berkeley Gallery, Greenwich Heritage Centre, Woolwich, runs until  28 August 2014 before moving on to venues around the United Kingdom.  All the selected images will be posted on the RPS website at the beginning of August. For information about venues and the exhibition, visit the RPS website.

Nikon has released an update to the 64-bit Windows edition of its new Capture NX-D software. According to the company, when the 64-bit Windows version of the application was used to create JPEG-format files converted from raw (.NEF/.NRW), TIFF, or JPEG images using the Convert Files... or Run Batch Process... option in the File menu, a gray band was sometimes visible at the bottom of the images when they were opened in the 64-bit Windows version of Capture NX-D. This issue has been resolved in version 1.0.1.

Website: Nikon

The new BounceLite is a mini-softbox/bounce-card combination for your hotshoe-mounted flash. Currently raising funds on Kickstarter, this ingenious light modifier attaches directly to the flash head and comes with a filter cassette for colour temperature modifying gels such as CTOs and CTBs. The entire BounceLite Collection includes the BounceLite itself, the filter cassette, neoprene case, mounting pads, a filter wallet and two sets of gels. Interested readers are encouraged to visit the project's Kickstarter page.

Zeiss has announced the availability of a firmware upgrade for the E-mount version of its Touit Makro Planar 2.8/50mm T* lens. This update addresses two issues including AF hunting in continuous auto focus mode and "clearly noticeable shutter release delays when pressing the release button with activated flash." Note that you cannot install this firmware update yourself - you will need to send the lens, together with a completed copy of Zeiss' delivery note, to the Zeiss Service address nearest to you.

Canon India has posted a teaser ad on its Facebook page. The advert, reprinted above, promises "something big" for your camera (if your camera happens to be a Canon, of course). This could be something literally big, such as a new full-frame telephoto lens, or a brand new accessory that represents a technological breakthrough - there's no way to tell yet, although speculations abound.

Via Photography Bay

Update: Everyone guessed wrong.. the BIG thing mentioned in the ad is the Canon PhotoMarathon, the biggest photography competition in India.

The 36-megapixel FX imager of the new Nikon D810 has achieved a DxOMark Sensor Score of 97, which is higher than those of its predecessors, the Nikon D800 (95) and D800E (96); prompting DxO Labs to declare it the"new leader" in their database. "It’s an outstanding score with excellent colourr depth and an extremely wide dynamic range at base ISO for the most subtle tonal gradations in highlights and shadows," DxO Labs said in a statement. "The low-light score of 2853 ISO is also excellent however it’s somewhat behind the best in that category."

Website: DxOMark

ProAm USA has just launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the commercialisation of its latest innovation, the CarryOn Jib. Billed as the most compact, yet full-sized crane on the market, the ProAm USA CarryOn Jib features a 360-degree, lockable bearing base with built-in bubble level to provide smooth, fluid motion. Every joint features oil impregnated brass bearings to ensure smooth rotations. The crane’s coated steel cables that connect to the camera platform provide automatic leveling, while the platform can be swapped out for an optional 75 mm bowl mount. The CarryOn Jib Kickstarter campaign offers a number of varying donation levels, from a supportive $5 donation to the $799 level, which gets generous backers the four-section eight-foot CarryOn Jib with bag, quick-release plate, sandbag, tripod and full 7” HDMI LCD kit.

Apple today updated its MacBook Pro with Retina display with faster processors and double the memory in both entry-level configurations. The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display now features dual-core Intel Core i5 processors up to 2.8 GHz with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.3 GHz and 8GB of memory, up from 4GB in the entry-level notebook. The 13-inch model can also be configured with faster dual-core Intel Core i7 processors up to 3.0 GHz with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.5 GHz. The 15-inch model features faster quad-core Intel Core i7 processors up to 2.5 GHz with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.7 GHz, 16GB of memory, up from 8GB in the entry-level notebook, and can be configured with quad-core Intel Core i7 processors up to 2.8 GHz with Turbo Boost speeds up to 4.0 GHz. The top-of-the-line 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display has a new, lower starting price of £1,999 / $2,499. Apple today also lowered the starting price of the non-Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro by £100 to £899 / $1,099.

Building on the features of the PowerShot SX510 HS, the new PowerShot SX520 HS digital camera incorporates a 42x otical zoom with optical image stabilisation, a 16-megapixel CMOS imager, and a dedicated movie button that enables users to easily record 1080p Full HD videos. Upgraded from its predecessor, the PowerShot SX520 HS features Canon's Creative Shot mode that uses a combination of lighting, colour and composition from the original image to create unique, artistic images. The PowerShot SX520 HS digital camera will be available in September 2014 for an estimated retail price of £299.00/€359.00$399.99.