Kenro has announced the UK launch of the Nissin Di700 flash gun. The Nissin Di700 features a zooming flash head with an extended 24-200mm coverage and a guide number of 50 (in metres at ISO 100/21°) at the 200mm setting. The model supports 180° horizontal rotation to the right and left, tilts up to 90° and expands 7° downwards to facilitate close-up photography. Other highlights include a recycle time of 0.1-4.0 seconds, an AF assist light, PC sync, 3.5mm sync and an external power socket that makes the Di700 compatible with the Nissin PS 8 power pack. The new Nissin Di700 is available now in Canon and Nikon digital SLR camera fittings (Sony fitting available in September 2013) and has a SRP of £195.

In collaboration with Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC), Nikon has introduced a new robotics solution that allows professional photographers to "achieve shots that were never before possible." Using a Nikon D4 digital SLR camera; one of MRMC’s SFH-30 robotic heads quickly moves and rotates the camera from a position that would not normally be physically possible, allowing photographers to shoot difficult angles and in impossible locations. The camera is then controlled and used to shoot images by a photographer from a remote location. "The impressive latency of this system of less than 0.1 seconds makes this robotics system an ideal solution for shooting fast action sporting events," Nikon claims. The setup was first trialled at Wimbledon 2013, by sports photographer Bob Martin who used a 200-400mm and a 80-400mm lens on his Nikon D4 to capture some truly interesting photos. Click through / scroll down to see a selection of his images.

Panasonic has released a firmware update for its Lumix DMC-G5 compact system camera. Version 1.1 - which is intended for cameras sold and used in PAL broadcast regions - corrects the wording "60p/60i/30p" of AVCHD frame rate on [Rec Quality] menu to "50p/50i/25p." If you use the camera outside these regions - or if the wording of the menu item in question is already correct on your unit - you do not need to download this update.

Website: Panasonic Japan Support

Panasonic has posted a firmware for its flagship Micro Four Thirds camera the Panasonic GH3. According to the company, version 1.2 incorporates the following improvements and fixes:

1. "Low Light AF" is added that makes it possible to set focus on the subject in low-lit situations (-3EV).
2. "Silent Mode" is added which suppresses electronic shutter, shutter sound, operation sound and flash emission with a single setting.
3. "Exposure Comp. Reset" is added which resets the setting of exposure compensation to ±0 whenever the camera is turned off or the shooting mode is changed.
4. Performance of AF is enhanced in use with H-PS14042 and H-PS45175.
5. Connection problem with Apple Mac computers via Wi-Fi is fixed.

Website: Panasonic Japan Support

"Printing your own pictures is all nice and well, but why stop there when you can print your own camera?" Perhaps this is what crossed Leo Marius's mind when he set about creating a fully functional 35mm film SLR camera using a 3D printer. The 24-year-old French student named his invention "OpenReflex," and made the documentation available on the Instructables.com website so that anyone with a suitable 3D printer can make his or her own copy of the device. For more information, visit the website below.

Website: OpenReflex on Instructables.com

Pentax Japan has unveiled a blue-and-white edition of the Pentax K-01 compact system camera. Bundled with an smc Pentax-DA 40mmF2.8XS lens, the special blue-and-white edition of the Pentax K-01 will be available in Japan starting 25th July. Pricing and international availability have yet to be communicated.

Source: Pentax Japan

Pentax has issued a firmware update for the Pentax Q small-sensor compact system camera. Version 1.13 adds support for the Pentax-07 "mount shield lens" and improves overall stability. You can download the firmware update from the website below.

Website: Pentax Japan Support

Singapore-based photographer Aram Pan has created what must be the world's first spherical panoramic image shot on a Hasselblad Lunar. Having produced commercial VRs in Singapore, China, Greece, Indonesia, Israel, Jordan, Malaysia and Thailand; professional virtual-tour photographer Aram Pan used a Zeiss Touit Distagon T* 12mm f/2.8 lens on his newly purchased, US$6995 Hasselblad Lunar camera to shoot the source frames needed for the 360° panoramic image of Singapore Botanic Gardens, which can be viewed at the website below.

Websitw: 360 Cities

Olympus UK are hosting a spectacular photographic experience at the Giffords Circus, Frampton-upon-Severn on Friday 2nd August 2013. Fifty photography enthusiasts will have the chance to win a pair of free tickets to take part in this exclusive and rare opportunity to photograph amazing Circus performers under the big top, and capture all the excitement. Guests will be able to get hands-on with the latest cameras and lenses from Olympus, including the newly launched PEN E-P5 (read review). Tickets to the event are free, but there are only 50 pairs available. These can be won by entering at the website below.

Páramo Directional Clothing Systems is launching a new ladies’ jacket – the Alondra – designed for wildlife photographers. Seven large pockets allow photographers to organise, transport and easily access a range of essential equipment. Each Alondra jacket sold will contribute a sapling to be planted in the Scottish Highlands by the charity, Trees for Life, with whom Páramo have worked for some 7 years. The Alondra jacket is available in five different sizes for an RRP of £300.

The free-to-view Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY)exhibition is back at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) in London. It runs from July 12th to August 18th in the Society's Pavilion in Exhibition Road, just a few minutes' walk away from the Science Museum. The exhibition is part of this year's Travel Photography Live! festival which starts off in style with renowned wildlife photographer Andy Rouse at the Royal Geographical Society on July 17th. Some of the world's other leading travel, landscape, adventure, people, location and wildlife photographers will also be speaking at the Society during this event, which takes place on the evenings of July 17th and 24th and all day over the weekend of July 27th and 28th. Do note that while the exhibition itself is free, festival tickets cost £25 for each evening event.

The Photographic Museum of Humanity (PMH) has announced the newest of its online exhibitions, entitled "Our Nature." Featuring the works of prestigious photographers like Espen Rasmussen, Freya Najade, Hajime Kimura, Gustavo Jononovich and Nicolas Janowski, the exhibition aims to explore the diversity, beauty and danger of nature and warn society about the consequences of doing nothing to take care of it. You can view the exhibition online at the website blow.

The Society of International Travel and Tourism Photographers (SITTP) has announced the winners of its People Watching Photographic Competition. Unni Brekke’s image taken in the Louvre, Paris was chosen as the winner from over 300+ pictures entered in the contest. Unni from Loddefjord, Norway has won 12 months membership in the SITTP. The runners up Debashis Mukherjee from India and Alexandros Dalkos from Greece have both been awarded 6 months membership.

In the UK, Elinchrom’s D-Lite RX ONE (pictured), D-Lite 2 & 4 and BRX 250  & 500 Compact kits now come at special summer prices through to 30th September. Complete kit prices start at £365 backed by a 2 year warranty. In addition, the kits now include two useful extra accessories worth £118. These include Elinchrom's 4-piece Deflector Set and a USB Skyport Module. Also at special summer prices are Elinchrom’s Quadra Hybrid RX kits with an 18cm Quadra Reflector, a 30° Grid and the USB Skyport module thrown in for free. For more information, visit the website below.

Hama has added two new bags to its Miami range. The Miami 190 photo backpack (€59.99) and Miami 200 camera  trolley (€89.99) are made of durable polytex, and can be used as a carry-on item on most flights. Both are padded throughout and feature an adjustable inner divider (which can even be completely removed from the trolley). Furthermore, the trolley also has a separate compartment for a laptop or tablet PC. Each new Miami bag is equipped with a tripod holder, a padded carrying handle and an adjustable shoulder strap.

PocketWizard's new Nikon power cable is now available in the United Kingdom. Designed for use with the PocketWizard MiniTT1 Transmitter, the Plus III and USB-enabled MultiMAX Transceivers and any Nikon camera equipped with a Nikon 10-pin remote terminal, the PW-DC-N10 power cable allows the camera to keep the Transmitter/Transceiver always awake for the fastest reaction time. In the UK, the cable is available for a suggested retail price of £14.99.

The Reflecta x7-Scan is a standalone device that enables users to quickly digitise their 35mm slides as well as 110 and 125 format films. Rather than scanning the film frames, the Reflecta x7 uses a 14-megapixel area-array sensor for the digitisation, which promises to deliver similar results to a conventional 3200ppi film scanner. This solution allows the Reflecta x7 to produce a digital image in just 2 seconds. The new addition to the Reflecta range features a 2.4" LCD screen, comes with an integrated SD-SDHC card slot, and boasts a battery operating time of 2.5 hours. The device comes supplied with film holders for three mounted slides, film strips up to six exposures, 110mm film strips up to eight exposures and 126mm (instamatic) film for up to seven exposures. The x7 Film Scanner from Reflecta is available now with a suggested retail price of £136.80.

Pentax has posted a firmware update for the Pentax Q10 small-sensor compact system camera. Version 1.02 adds support for the Pentax-07 "mount shield lens" and improves overall stability. You can download the firmware update from the website below.

Website: Pentax Japan Support