Tamron USA has launched its third My Photo Exhibit annual photo contest. Offered exclusively to Tamron USA lens users, the My Photo Exhibit competition gives one lucky winner the opportunity to win one of seven Tamron lenses (among them the Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD, pictured). Entrants will create a 3D virtual exhibit showcasing 8-14 of their best images in a travel theme on Tamron’s unique photo sharing exhibit site, MyPhotoExhibits.com. The deadline for submissions is 30 September 2013.

Manfrotto School of Xcellence (MSoX) has announced two exclusive, free webinars for April. This Thursday, Victoria Hillman will be hosting an online seminar exploring her work as a wildlife and landscape photographer. This webinar begins at 4 p.m. BST. The second event will take place on 30th April (also starting at 4 p.m.) will see commercial, editorial and advertising photographer Drew Gardner present a range of his work, exploring lighting and technical details including a breakdown of each set, how it was lit and the equipment that was used.

Fujfilm North America will increase prices for consumer and professional photographic film as well as one-time-use cameras by approximately 20%, effective 1 July 2013. “The price increases are a result of the continuing decline in demand for film products, the high costs of production, and the increased expenses associated with raw materials, including silver and petro-chemicals, and energy,” the company said in a statement. “Under such circumstances, and despite efforts to maintain production costs, Fujifilm is unable to absorb these costs entirely and must implement price increases at this time.”

Schneider Kreuznach has launched a completely new series of full-frame lenses, the “Xenon full-frame primes.” Developed specifically for video enabled DSLRs (but also usable on professional cine cameras), the series initially comprises three fixed focal lengths: T2.1/35mm, T2.1/50mm and T2.1/75mm. The lenses support 4K Ultra HD video resolution and can also be used for stills photography. Cinematographers will be pleased to learn that they are all compatible with standard professional cine accessories like rigs, follow focus or matte boxes. Each Schneider-Kreuznach Xenon full-frame prime lens features a maximum aperture of T2.1, an iris diaphragm with 14 rounded blades, an M95 filter thread, robust cine-style lens mechanics and a focus ring with a 300° angle of rotation. For more information, visit the website below.

iStockphoto founder Bruce Livingstone has launched a new digital licensing cooperative called Stocksy. Under its brand new business model / compensation plan, photographers will receive a 50% royalty on each transaction and 100% on extended licenses; what’s more, 90% of all pro?ts will be divided among members at year’s end. Photographers who are accepted into the cooperative also receive equity and have a real say in how the business is operated. “We wanted to create a marketplace for photographers that was not only democratic, but fair and sustainable,” Livingstone says. “There’s no reason these artists shouldn’t be able to earn a living from what they produce.”

Canon has posted a firmware update for the Canon Pixma MG6320 printer. According to the simultaneously released product advisory, Version 2.010 fixes a phenomenon where the touch screen on the printer “may sometimes not respond.” You can download the firmware update from the website below.

Website: Canon Pixma MG6320 Product Page

Panasonic and Rankin Film Productions (RFP) have released the first “GH3-minute movie,” entitled Hertz. Three weeks ago, we wrote that Panasonic had partnered with RFP to produce three 3-minute films using three Lumix GH3 cameras. The partnership represents a unique way of promoting the camera and aims to further demonstrate the credentials and benefits a CSC has for “harnessing the creative visions of up-and-coming talent,” Panasonic says. Click through / scroll down to watch Hertz, the first “GH3-minute movie” in the series.

Mastering the Nikon D600 by Darrell Young is a new title from Rocky Nook. This book explores the features and capabilities of the camera in a way that far surpasses the user’s manual, the publisher claims. It guides readers through the camera features with step-by-step setting adjustments; color illustrations; and detailed how, when, and why explanations for each option. Every button, dial, switch, and menu configuration setting is explored in a user-friendly manner, with suggestions for setup according to various shooting styles. The 568-page volume is available for $40.

The Olympus Stylus TG-2 and the Olympus PEN Lite (E-PL5) cameras have each been hounoured with a Red Dot design award in the “Entertainment Technology and Cameras” category. The shock, frost, crush and waterproof Stylus TG-2 convinced the jury with its “combination of brawn and brains,” whereas the Olympus E-PL5 (pictured) won over the jusrors thanks to its “cutting-edge technology in a compact design matched with exceptional user-friendliness.” A third Red Dot design award was bestowed in the “Life Science and Medicine” category to the Olympus THUNDERBEAT system. The awards will be conferred on 1 July 2013 as part of the annual Red Dot gala.

Yesterday we reported that a set of “never-before-seen” colour photographs portraying inmates in the Dachau concentration camp had surfaced on the Vintage Everyday blog; with the remark that the original source of the photographs was not specified. Since then, we’ve managed to trace back the images to the copyright owner, which happens to be the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM). The photos were apparently taken by Alexander Zabin, an “American soldier from Malverne, Long Island, New York, serving with the 4th Auxiliary Surgical Group in the US Third Army when he visited Dachau in mid-May 1945.”

Manfrotto Lighting has launched the new Hotrod Octa & Strip Box Grids. These new light modifying grids for the Hotrod Octa and Strip Softboxes provide a controlled direction to the light which can be positioned without having to worry about light spilling onto the background. They attach to the softbox using the included diffuser panel and hook and loop tape. Available for both sizes of Hotrod Octa and strip softboxes, the grids are priced from £52.92-£63.00.

PhotoShelter has partnered with ASMP to release their latest guide, The Photographer’s Guide on Copyright. Filled with insights and resources, the guide features in-depth interviews that will help photographers navigate U.S. copyright law, register their images and protect their work from infringement. You can download The Photographer’s Guide on Copyright from the website below.

Website: Photoshelter

Focal Press has announced the upcoming release of two new books for entry-level photographers by acclaimed author and travel photographer, Michael Freeman. “Digital Image Editing & Special Effects” ($24.95) is a tactical guide that walks readers through the basics of image processing to the powerful capabilities of today’s photo-editing software; “Black & White Photography Field Guide” ($15.95) is Freeman’s latest addition to Focal Press’ Field Guide series, offering advice on lighting, shooting, conversion and post-production. Both new books are currently available for pre-order and will be on shelves at major book stores by 15th May.

Panasonic has issued a firmware update for the Lumix DMC-GH3 compact system camera. As promised earlier, Version 1.1 enables users to connect their camera to a PC over Wi-Fi by inputting the computer’s name, and add a 60p, 28Mbps Full HD video recording mode for MP4 movies. The firmware update also enhances AF speed and continuous shooting performance when using the camera in AF-C mode in conjunction with the 14-42mm, 40-150mm and 45-175mm lenses; and incorporates a number of bug fixes and improvements.

Website: Panasonic Japan

On Monday 29 April, best-selling author and photographer Steve Bloom will deliver a lecture as part of PhotoVoice’s ‘Words on Monday’ series. “Witness silverback mountain gorillas deep in the rainforest; endangered black rhino drinking at a moonlit waterhole; remote cultures in Ethiopia’s Omo Valley; Mozambican migrant workers toiling in a gold mine three kilometres below ground; and fishermen on the Niger River,” the charity said in a statement. “In this unforgettable event, Steve captures the diversity of the continent where he grew up, and where he has felt compelled to return throughout his life.” The lecture will take place at Kings Place, 90 York Way, London, N1 9AG, starting at 7pm. Tickets cost £9.50 when bought on the door, with an early bird discount available to those purchasing their tickets before Sunday 31 March.

The International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) 2013 competition 7 is now underway. Each year, the organisers run three ‘Photo project’ seasonal contests alongside the main competition - focussed on photography ideas, techniques and creativity in connection with garden and plant images. These ‘Photo project’ categories have earlier deadlines than the main competiton. The first of the categories is’ Monochrome’ - it’s all about black and white photography but can include any single-colour photograph. The deadline for this contest is 30 April 2013.

Transcend has introduced its 64GB microSDXC Ultra-High Speed Class 1 (UHS-I) memory card. The new 64GB microSDXC card features transfer rates of up to 45MB/s (300x) and includes a free download of Transcend’s own RecoveRx software, a tool for bringing back accidentally deleted or lost files. The card is now available for a suggested price of US$109 and carries Transcend’s Lifetime Warranty.

Seim Effects Photo Tools has introduced ColorFlow, a creative preset collection for Apple Aperture. The ColorFlow presets collection organizes more than 60 presets across 5 categories of colour tools: Essential Colour, Colour Story, Film Inspired, Hollywood Cinema and Colour Toners. The colour effects can be mixed and blended to achieve a specific look or desired mood. Seim Effects’ ColorFlow preset collection for Apple Aperture (ver. 3 and newer) is now available for instant download. And, until April 10, 2013 there is an introductory price of $39 (a $10 discount).