The Impossible Project has released a new Special Edition Color SX-70 Skins instant film for Polaroid SX-70 cameras. The film features frames patterned with zebra, rattlesnake, tiger, crocodile, fish, giraffe, leopard and iguana skins, resulting in a picture that is instantly recognisable. “Impossible has always been a favorite of the fashion crowd,” says Alex Holbrook, Impossible’s Berlin-based Marketing Communications Manager. “Skins underscores Impossible’s position as the instant film brand of choice among industry creatives, as well as a perception that our films offer something indefinably ‘more’ among those fashion-forward customers.” The new Impossible Special Edition Color SX-70 Skins film is available to pre-order from 9th June through the Impossible Online Shop and from 19th June in selected retail stockists.

Jessops has announced a camera sensor cleaning service. Available at any of their 28 stores, the cleaning starts at £30 for a two-day service. A same-day upgrade is available for an extra £10. A 1-hour service (subject to availability) will set you back £50.

Vanguard today announced several new product ranges.. These include the all new Alta CA enthusiast level tripods, the Sedona bag series, the Espod CX series tripods and the Reno bag range. The Alta CA and Espod CX tropods are now available, while the Sedona and Reno bags will go on sale later this month. Click through / scroll down for the details, including prices.

Manfrotto today announced its new Compact Range of entry-level supports for photographers. The new range of tripods and monopods is characterised by brand new design, innovative and intuitive features and an expanded range of colours. The lineup comprises a total of 15 items including a compact light tripod in 4 colours, a compact action tripod in 3 colours, a compact advanced tripod in 2 colours, a compact monopod in 4 colours and a compact advanced monopod in 2 colours. The full range is available now, with prices starting from £19.95.

Canon today revealed irista – an advanced, cloud-based image management platform that allows users to access and manage their photo libraries "like never before." Previously known in beta-form as Project1709, irista makes it easy to find any picture, regardless of which device it was shot on. Simple to use, inspired and connected, irista enables everybody to store all of their images securely in one location so they can be accessed anytime, anywhere. The service supports a wide range of file types, has no file size limitations and automatically uploads new additions to image collections. irista is available to everyone, with tiered storage options to suit a range of different needs. The ‘entry’ tier offers 10GB of cloud storage space completely free-of-charge. Advanced enthusiasts or professional users, who require larger capacities, can also choose from two further storage options, with 50GB and 100GB tiers available for a monthly or annual cost.

The ‘CLAstory’ is an open-sourced creative project by Mercedes-Benz, aimed at supporting fledgling filmmakers. At the heart of the project is the Mercedes-Benz CLA four-door coupé. Three high-profile Instagrammers - Jiri Siftar, Alan Brutenic and Allan Edward Hinton - have each collaborated with Mercedes-Benz to create a trio of short films featuring actor, comedy writer, producer and presenter, James Corden. Their instavids provide a basic framework for the story - forming the beginning, middle and end of a storyboard – six vital scenes from which are missing. Budding film directors are invited to complete the scenes and the film in the #CLAstory by uploading their videos onto the Mercedes-Benz UK Instagram channel. The creator of the winning film will then get the chance to direct their #CLAstory starring James Corden and the Mercedes-Benz CLA AMG Sport. The winner of each of the six scenes will receive a Go Pro camera as a prize.

Ricoh have posted a function-enhancing firmware update for the Ricoh GR digital compact camera. Version 4.0 adds the following features:

• Added [Shift Crop] on [Effect] of [Shooting] menu.
• Added [AF Mode] on [Set up] menu. It has two options: [Normal] or [High speed].
• Added [Card Sequence No.] on [Setup] menu. It has two options: [On] or [Off].
• Added [Playback Animation] on [Setup] menu. It has two options: [On] or [Off]
• When deleting an image taken with RAW+ on Playback Mode, [Delete RAW+ JPEG], [Delete JPEG only] or [Delete RAW only] can be selected instead of [Delete One].

Website: Ricoh

SanDisk has announced the availability of its new SanDisk Extreme PRO SSD. With sequential read speeds of 550 MB/s and write speeds of up to 520 MB/s, the SanDisk Extreme PRO is available in capacities up to 1TB. SanDisk’s nCache Pro technology utilises a two-tiered caching architecture to optimise speed and endurance for heavy workloads, efficient multi-tasking, and responsiveness on desktops and laptops alike. Offering an industry-leading 10-year limited warranty, the SanDisk Extreme PRO SSD comes in capacities of 240GB (MSRP $189), 480GB (MSRP $369), and 960GB (MSRP $599).

Kenko Tokina USA has announced its new CFL series of SLIK carbonfibre tripods with newly developed S.R.L. Speed Release Locks. These fast, easy-to-use lever locks are spring-loaded to hold each section of the tripod legs securely. There are six models in this series, ranging from compact feather-weight tripods for backpacking to larger tripods for use on location with heavier equipment. Click through / scroll down for the details.

Samsung invites consumers to #DITCHtheDSLR at Ditch Day on New York’s Times Square today from 12pm – 6pm ET. Attendees have the opportunity to trade-in a DSLR in exchange for a new Samsung NX30 (pictured). The event features several unique shooting stations where consumers have the opportunity to experience the full line of mirrorless and SMART cameras in a variety of scenarios. Additionally, a group of Samsung #Imageloggers are on hand discussing their experiences since ditching the DSLR in favour of Samsung’s NX cameras and offering up tips for how to capture great images. The Samsung Ditch Day event is taking place on Times Square, between 42nd and 43rd streets, in front of the NASDAQ marquee.

Adobe have released Camera Raw 8.5 Release Candidate for Photoshop CS6 and CC. This update adds support for the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II, the Fujifilm FinePix S1, the Nikon 1 J4 and V3, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 cameras, fixes an issue with reading lossless compressed Nikon raw files from nine older Nikon dSLRs, and adds profiles for fourteen lenses from Fuji, Nikon, Sigma and Tamron.

Website: Adobe Labs

The Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers (SINWP) have announced the winners of their ‘Water’ themed contest. Kutub Uddin from Bognor Regis, West Sussex, has been named as the overall winner for his image entitled, "Raining" (see above). "The picture was taken at morning in my garden Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England, with a Sony a77 & a Sony 100mm macro lens," Kutub says. The runners-up are Mara Acoma from County Durham and Gerald Davies from Port Talbot.

Adorama has expanded its Flashpoint ZeroGrav line with the Flashpoint ZeroGrav III hybrid DSLR/digital video stabiliser featuring a jib-like arm for low angle shots. "Using a dynamic spring-powered arm supporting a gimballed aluminium alloy monopod, ZeroGrav combines the best of gimbal-based camera stabilisation systems to offer a unique, silky-smooth approach to filming," the company says. The jib-like arm on the ZeroGrav III can be rotated vertically, putting the camera on the bottom and the counterbalance on the top, for low-angle shots. The camera is attached directly to the platform or by means of a quick-release adapter. Positive locking levers and micrometer-geared adjusting knobs on a clearly marked calibration scale ensure the slightest changes in equipment weight won’t affect the shot. The Flashpoint ZeroGrav Stabiliser III is now available for Ł300.

Aberystwyth University student Gregory Dash has created a new digital version of the classic Diana camera. Despite looking like a classic film camera, the digital Diana houses a 1/3” CMOS sensor and can take pictures of up to 12 megapixels. It also has a plastic lens, replicating the look of photos taken on the original camera but with the benefit of digital features including built it photo filters, and some manual controls. “We’ve already developed a working prototype and just now need to raise the funds to cover the costs to purchase the materials for the cameras," Greg says. Cameras will cost £65 each, with production limited to 1000 units. The project is currently raising funds via Indiegogo.

Lexar today expanded its Professional Workflow line to include 512GB and 256GB USB 3.0 storage drives. Designed for use with the Lexar Professional Workflow Hub, the Professional Workflow DD512 (pictured) and DD256 offer read transfer speeds up to 450MB per second and write speeds up to 245MB per second. Additionally, the drives include an LED capacity meter that allows users to see available storage space at a glance. Designed to enable fast transfer and back up of raw images, high-res photos, and HD, 3D, and 4K video, the drives can also be removed from the hub and used individually. The Lexar Professional Workflow DD512 and Lexar Professional Workflow DD256 are available now with MSRPs of £99.99 and £144.99, respectively.

Apple has announced OS X Yosemite. “Yosemite is the future of OS X with its incredible new design and amazing new apps, all engineered to work beautifully with iOS,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. The company is introducing the OS X Beta Programme, which gives customers early access to Yosemite and invites them to try out the release and submit their feedback. Mac users can participate in the OS X Beta Programme for Yosemite this summer and download the final version for free from the Mac App Store this autumn.

Apple has unveiled version 8 of its iOS operating system. This update adds some interesting enhancements to the Photos app, including automatic and manual horizon straightening, intelligent cropping, and a suite of smart editing tools. Another new photo feature is iCloud Photo Library, which gives you access to all of your photos and videos anytime, anywhere, across your enabled devices. iOS 8 will be available this autumn for iPhone 4S and newer, iPod touch 5th generation and newer, as well as iPad 2 and later devices.