Fujifilm has announced its second collaboration with luxury British luggage manufacturer Globe-Trotter. Harrods Technology will be the sole retailer for Fujifilm’s exclusive X Series Globe-Trotter cases and camera sets. The kits include X-E2 in Beige and Navy Blue Lizard in a Globe-Trotter 16” Slim Attaché Case, with a Fujinon XF23mm lens, standard hand grip, EXF-20 flash, RR-90 Remote Release, leather half case, 23mm lens filter and ‘Harrods Exclusive’ luggage tag (£2999); the Fujifilm X100S in Red Lizard, a Globe-Trotter 9” Mini Utility Case in Black and Red and ‘Harrods Exclusive’ luggage tag (£1700); the X-Pro1 Yellow Lizard CSC kit (pictured), presented within a Globe-Trotter 16” Slim Attaché Case, with XF18, 35, and 60mm Fujinon lenses, a standard hand grip, an EF-X20 Flash, 3 lens filters, and a ‘Harrods Exclusive’ luggage tag (£4499) and the Fujifilm X20 in Brown Snakeskin Effect, in a Globe-Trotter 9” Mini Utility with a ‘Harrods Exclusive’ luggage tag (£1099). The range is now available to buy from Harrods Technology Department, Level 3.

This year, Leica Camera AG is celebrating the 100th birthday of Oskar Barnack's 'Ur-Leica.' "On the occasion of this very special anniversary, 2014 will see not only numerous events, but also a series of centennial editions," the company promises.  The first of these special centennial editions is the Leica S 'Edition 100' (pictured), a kit that comprises a Leica S medium-format system camera and two of the most popular S lenses, each featuring a leaf shutter - the Leica Summarit-S 70 mm f/2.5 ASPH CS and the Leica Elmarit-S 30 mm f/2.8 ASPH CS. The second special edition is the Leica D-Lux 6 ‘Edition 100'. This centennial edition set includes a Leica D-Lux 6 compact camera in a two-colour finish with a silver lens and a high-gloss black camera body, featuring the centennial logo on the front plate.

Panasonic has unveiled a new Micro Four Thirds lens, called the Leica DG Summilux 15mm f/1.7 ASPH. Equivalent to a 30mm lens on a 35mm camera, the new Leica DG Summilux 15mm f/1.7 Asph. features 9 elements in 7 groups, including 3 aspherical elements. Panasonic's Nano Surface Coating technology is adopted to minimise reflections. The lens will be available separately for £549.99, or in a kit with the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1 compact system camera, priced at £999.99. Availability is slated for June.

Panasonic today unveiled the world’s first 4K Ultra HD/25p wearable camcorder, the HX-A500. Enabled by a new high-speed image processor, the Crystal Engine Pro+; the Panasonic HX-A500 provides 4K video recording at 25 frames per second (fps). The HX-A500’s Levelling Correction function automatically detects when the recording is at a tilt and levels out final images, while the new slow motion function means the HX-A500 is also ideal for analysing sporting techniques, such as your golf swing, at one of three speeds: 200 frames per second (at 848x480 pixels); 100 frames per second (1280x720); or 50 frames per second (1920x1080). A new colour, 1.5 inch LCD monitor has been incorporated into the HX-A500’s main body so you can check the camera’s field of view during recording. Available from May 2014, the Panasonic A500 will be priced RRP £379.99.

A Hasselblad 500 'EL DATA CAMERA HEDC' - a modified Hasselblad EL designed for NASA's Apollo missions - was sold for €682,000 at a WestLicht auction. "Jim Irwin took exactly 299 pictures with this Hasselblad 500 'EL DATA CAMERA HEDC' during his 3 days stay on the lunar surface and 96 more on the way to the moon and back again," Westlicht says. The camera, which was sold together with a 200-exposure silver film magazine and a special NASA Biogon 3.5/60mm lens featuring control tabs designed for use with space gloves, was reportedly purchased by Terukazu Fujisawa, founder of Japanese retail chain Yodobashi Camera.

A duo of Hasselblad Lunar cameras with a joint retail value of around $14,000 were sold for $54,500 at a charity auction in Florida. The deal also included a unique set of classic motorsport photographs shot over decades with a Hasselblad camera by Concours Show founder and chairman, Bill Warner. Michael Hejtmanek, President of Hasselblad Bron said: "We knew our new, retro-look Lunar range was compelling - especially the rich-veined olive wood edition with its advanced technology and supreme ergonomics - but for a pair of them to raise $54,500 for Spina Bifida Jacksonville at this auction is just outstanding."

The new Phase One iXU 150 is billed as the World’s smallest and lightest integrated digital medium-format aerial camera. The iXU's 50-megapixel CMOS sensor offers 8280 pixels cross-track coverage and a sensitivity range of ISO 100/21° to ISO 6400/39°. The Phase One iXU 150 utilises the central leaf shutters built into the wide range of compatible Schneider-Kreuznach lenses (28 mm, 55 mm, 80 mm, 110 mm, 150 mm and 240 mm). The camera is easily integrated into new or existing setups with its USB 3.0 connectivity for storage and control, and direct serial communication to GPS/IMU systems. The Phase One iXU 150 will be available in either visible light or Near-IR configurations. Available from July, the camera has a list price of €30.000 / $40,000.

The World Photography Organisation (WPO) has disqualified Borhan Mardani, the winner of the 'Youth Culture' category of the prestigious Sony World Photography Awards, due to a violation of the contest rules. "Following his entry into the Youth competition Mr Mardani confirmed to the WPO, in writing, that he was 19 when he took the winning image.  This has now been shown to be incorrect," the organisation says. "Unfortunately the WPO must rely on the warranties provided by the photographer and we regret that in this case the warranties provided to us have been false." The new winner is Anastasia Zhetvina aged 19 from Russia, for an image entitled "Young Talents" (shown above).

Los Angeles-based LifePrint has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the commercialisation of its new product, a Wi-Fi/Bluetooth-enabled photo printer for smartphones. Measuring roughly 6.5" long x 4.5" wide x 1.5" thick and weighing in at approximately 1.5 lbs, the LifePrint wireless smartphone printer produces prints of standard 3"x4" size. "Beautifully designed and smaller than an iPad Mini, the LifePrint photo printer lets you instantly print photos from wherever you are - simply open the LifePrint app (iOS & Android), select a photo and hit print," the company says. "Take LifePrint with you to print on-the-go or send a photo directly to a friend’s LifePrint printer so they can instantly hold that special photo in their hands." Interested readers are encouraged to visit the project's Kickstarter page.

Sony Australia has posted product images and full specifications for a new camera called the Sony α3500. Launching just half a year after the A3000, the new Sony A3500 promises better battery life and comes with a new Sony E 18-50mm f/4-5.6 (SEL1850) lens. Otherwise, its headline specifications appear to  be identical to those of the Sony A3000 (read review). The manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) is AU$499.

Via PR

Samyang have announced a new, wide-angle 12mm lens designed for compact system cameras with APS-C sized (or smaller) sensors. This is a rectilinear, manual-focus lens with a diagonal angle of view of 98.9° (when mounted on a camera with an APS-C sized imager) and an optical formula that comprises a dozen elements arranged in ten groups. These include 1 aspherical, 1 hybrid aspherical and 3 extra-low dispersion lens elements. Nano-crystal anti-reflective coating is applied to the elements to improve contrast, reduce reflections and enhance light transmission. The product comes with a removable lens hood and 67 mm filter mount. Availability and pricing have yet to be confirmed.

Samyang has announced the new Samyang 8mm T3.1 UMC Fish-eye II V-DSLR lens. Also sold under the Rokinon brand name, the Samyang 8mm T3.1 UMC Fish-eye II is an updated, faster version of the Samyang 8mm T3.8 UMC Fish-eye CS II. The new lens features 11 elements in 8 groups (as opposed to 10 in 7 in the older version) courtesy of an extra aspherical lens element; and is available in Canon M, Fujifilm X, Samsung NX and Sony E mounts.

Transcend have released a range of SDXC/SDHC UHS-I cards featuring full support for the Ultra High Speed Class 3 (U3) specification. Recently released by the SD Association, the Ultra High Speed Class 3 specification guarantees a minimum constant write speed of 30MB/s to facilitate cinema-quality video recording. Transcend’s SDXC UHS-I U3 and SDXC/SDHC UHS-I U3X “Extreme” cards, however, can achieve at least double this performance with write speeds of up to 60MB/s and 85MB/s respectively. In devices that do not support the UHS-I specification, Transcend’s SDXC/SDHC UHS-I U3 cards offer constant write speeds of at least 10MB/s (SD Speed Class 10 performance). The SDXC UHS-I U3 cards (R95MB/s, W60MB/s) are available in 64GB (US$49) and 128GB (US$109) capacities, while the SDXC/SDHC UHS-I U3X cards (R95MB/s, W85MB/s) are available in 32GB (US$59) and 64GB (US$119) capacities.

Cosyspeed have launched a new range of camera bags designed specifically for CSCs. Developed in Germany, the Cosyspeed bags and cases encourage users to take their cameras with them wherever they may go. "The camera is worn on a belt around the hip, protected by a very slim storage compartment, really quick to grab and also comfortable to carry over a long period of time," the company says. "Small, light, fast – Camslinger bags really bring out the benefits of mirrorless cameras. The product line is completed with an accessory range of lens and smartphone bags as well as an innovative finger strap." Click through / scroll down for more information.

This spring, visitors to the National Trust at Lacock Abbey can enjoy a collection of winning images from the International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) competition. Lacock Abbey is the birthplace of photography, as William Henry Fox Talbot invented and took the first photographic negative at this National Trust property, then his home. Keen photographers can improve their own skills with Philip Smith, founder and organiser of the competition, who will be visiting Lacock to hold a special photography workshop on 10th May. The workshop runs for a whole day and includes lunch (£75 per person, booking essential). The exhibition itself will be displayed in the Botanic Garden, from 5th April to 22nd May.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) will launch its annual RHS Photographer and Young Photographer of the Year Competition on 24th March. There are five categories including Plants, Abstracts and Details, Seasons, Celebrating Gardens and Wildlife.  Cash prizes will be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in each category from an overall prize fund of £7550. This year the RHS has doubled the top prize to £2000, which will be awarded to one of the 5 adult category winners. Entries can be submitted until 2 November 2014.

DxO Labs have posted their findings on the new CX-format sensor found in the Nikon 1 V3 compact system camera. The overall DxOMark Sensor Score is 52, which does not differ significantly from the results of the Nikon 1 V1 (54) and V2 (50). It's also very close to the Nikon 1 AW1 (51), although its "Sports (Low-light ISO)" score is decidedly lower. The Nikon 1 V3 comes with a new 18-megapixel sensor, but the real improvements the camera offers have more to do with features than image quality: the camera boasts a new and significantly enhanced AF system, faster continuous shooting while maintaining autofocus, and expanded video functionality.

Website: DxOMark