Manfrotto has just announced the launch of the Manfrotto 290 Carbon series - a new family of carbon fibre camera supports designed for intermediate-level amateur photographers. “The Manfrotto 290 Carbon series is designed to be easily transported and carried: 290s are small when folded, but lightweight and very stable when open,” the company says. “For this model, Manfrotto developed a next- generation Carbon tubing: an innovative composite tube ideally suited to the needs of developing photographers, which draws on Manfrotto’s professional experience. It uses optimised fibre angles to provide consistent advantages of torsion/flexion rigidity and stability compared to aluminium tubing; advantages that have made carbon fibre tripods so understandably popular among professionals.” The Manfrotto 290 Carbon range includes a “legs-only” tripod, a monopod and a small selection of ready-to-use complete tripod + head kits, divided into two sizes.

Billed as the “World’s first permanent LomoWall,” the Lomographic Society’s LomoWall Manchester was unveiled yesterday on Tariff Street. Now open to the public, the LomoWall Manchester is a 30m x 3m long artwork containing 14,000 individual “lomographs.” Alexandra King, Piccadilly Partnership Director said: “This is a new landmark on the Northern Quarter landscape, here in the heart of the Piccadilly Basin.  The LomoWall adds to the street art scene in this part of the city centre and will become a visitor attraction in its own right. We are very proud to host it and to have the world’s first permanent LomoWall is a real honour. It’s a welcome addition to the urban landscape.”

ViewBug has teamed up with Lytro to launch a photo contest focussing on the theme of “depth”. The contest will run until 6th November, and photos will be judged based on the photographer’s creative ability to capture a three-dimensional space. The winner will receive a Lytro Camera, valued at over $399.

Sony has just unveiled the newest addition to its XDCAM HD4:2:2 line – the PMW-200 Full HD camcorder. Billed as the only professional handheld camcorder in its class with three 1/2”-type Exmor CMOS sensors and full HD 4:2:2 50Mbps recording, the Sony XDCAM PMW-200 has two high-speed SxS memory card slots. Developed specifically for professional content creation applications, these cards offer high transfer rates as well as resistance to shocks and vibrations. The PMW-200 camcorder is armed with a 14x zoom lens with auto-focus and image stabilisation. The lens is also equipped with three independent rings for zoom, focus and iris adjustment. The Sony PMW-200 is expected to be available in September for a suggested list price of $7,790.

Digital Kirlian Photography is a new book by John Iovine. Kirlian photography is an alternative photography technique that can produce strikingly beautiful abstract images. “The Digital Kirlian Photography book project is a complete rewriting and updating of my original Kirlian photography book that used film,” the author says. “This new digital photography book will detail the construction of equipment needed to take beautiful kirlian photographs using digital cameras and image processing.” The publication of the book is a crowdfunding project being hosted by Kickstarter. People who help back the project will receive a free book.

Billed as an “automatic cameraman tripod system,” the new Soloshot lets athletes, parents and filmmakers get video footage of the action without needing someone to hold the camera. Consisting of a tripod base and a small waterproof sensor that is attached to an armband, Soloshot allows users to mount a camera to a tripod and have it track their movements automatically. After an easy pairing sequence, the base rotates as needed to continually keep the camera pointed at the subject wearing the armband. Through 30th August, customers can visit Kickstarter and pre-order Soloshot at a discounted price.

The CompactFlash Association (CFA) has announced the development of the XQD 2.0 specification with support for transfer speeds up to 1,000MB/sec. XQD 2.0 will leverage the same connector interface as XQD 1.0 interface for higher performance and backward compatibility. The new format will have VPG (Video Performance Guarantee) capability with profiles capable of supporting digital intermediate formats such as ProResTM, DPXTM, and DNXhdTM.

Samsung today announced that it is now shipping the Wi-Fi enabled NX1000 compact system camera to retailers across the USA.  The entry-level Samsung NX1000 is a highly portable 20-megapixel camera weighing in at just over 350g with a lens, battery and memory card fitted. In the US, the camera is available in black, white and pink, priced at $699.99 including a 20-50mm lens and external flash.

Read our in-depth review of the Samsung NX1000 compact system camera

Lomography has just unveiled the Fisheye Baby 110 Bauhaus Edition. Like the regular Fisheye Baby 110, the Bauhaus Edition takes circular fisheye shots on 110 format film. “Red, yellow and blue – three simple colors which fit the Bauhaus Color Theory, decorate the very first tiny Fisheye Baby 110 color clone,” the company says. “These colors will boost any mood in seconds and will attract attention no matter where it is.” The Lomography Fisheye Baby 110 Bauhaus Edition is available now through the Lomography Online Shop for €45.

Flock is a new iPhone app that addresses the common problem we all face when taking pictures with our phones: remembering to share the photos with the people who were actually with you when the photos were taken. Whenever Flock finds photos you’ve taken while with your Facebook friends, it will ask you if you want to share those images with them – and when your friends choose to share their photos from the same event or hangout, they’ll be added to the same group album. Note: this requires that all of your friends and family have the app too. Flock is available as a free download from the iTunes App Store. Click through / scroll down for a promotional video illustrating the app.

Cancer Research UK has launched a photo competition as part of its ‘Made in the Shade’ campaign. Addressing the issue of rising skin cancer rates amongst young Britons, the campaign is looking to highlight the worrying relationship between sunburn and skin cancer. The competition invites UK residents aged 16 and older to submit their best photographs taken in the shade for a chance to win a studio recording session, the chance to attend a film or photography course, have their work published in Glamour online, or get tickets to a Premier League game or comedy gigs. As always, we suggest that you read the terms and conditions before entering your work.

Website: Made in the Shade

G?Technology today announced that it is expanding its G-TEAM ambassador programme in Europe. The G-Technology G-TEAM is a group of acclaimed creative professionals who “continue to give unprecedented insight into their creative journeys, sharing some of their techniques and approaches that have made them the best in their field.” New ambassadors include accomplished filmmakers Sébastien Montaz-Rosset, Philip Bloom and Nino Leitner.

Apple today announced that OS X Mountain Lion is now available as a download from the Mac App Store. New system-wide Sharing allows you to share photos and videos quickly via a Share button, without having to switch to another app, and you just need to sign in once to use third-party services like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Vimeo. With built-in support for Facebook - available in an upcoming software update to Mountain Lion -, you will be able to post photos with locations right from your apps. Additionally, the new AirPlay Mirroring lets you wirelessly send an up-to-1080p secure stream of what’s on your Mac to an HDTV using Apple TV. OS X Mountain Lion is available from the Mac App Store for £13.99. Note that Mountain Lion requires Lion or Snow Leopard (OS X v10.6.8 or later), 2GB of memory and 8GB of available space.

Photoshop CS6 and Lightroom 4: A Photographer’s Handbook by Adobe Certified Instructor Stephen Laskevitch is a new title from Rocky Nook. In addition to describing the essential features of the two programs, Laskevitch covers new features specific to the 2012 releases, including geocoding in Lightroom, Photoshop’s Blur Gallery, new development controls in Lightroom and Camera Raw, and more. The 344-page volume can be pre-ordered for $44.95, with an electronic version also available for $19.95.

Beneath our Feet is a new book by York-based photojournalist Dominic Evans. “This book was shot on the London Underground and documents the existence of people who rely on the system every day,” Evans says. “It looks at the variety of people, their differences and similarities.” Available in both hardback and soft-cover editions, Beneath our Feet is a rich showcase of first-class black-and-white photographs shot almost entirely on Kodak Tri-X film. The book is available now through the Blurb Bookstore.

Website: Blurb Bookstore

PhotoShelter has announced a new webinar entitled, “How To Break Into Travel Photography.” In this live online seminar, Andrew Rowat will talk with PhotoShelter Chairman Allen Murabayashi about the challenges that travel photographers face in an increasingly competitive industry. The event is taking place today from 4pm EDT. Interested readers can register through the website below,

Website: How To Break Into Travel Photography with Andrew Rowat

Sony Japan has announced a new 18-megapixel ultra-compact camera with 10x optical zoom, Steady Shot technology and a high-resolution touchscreen. Weighing in at a mere 119g, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX170 comes equipped with a 25-250mm (equivalent) f/3.3-5.9 lens bearing the prestigious “G” designation, and a touch-sensitive 3-inch rear screen with a resolution of 921,000 dots. The back-illuminated “EXMOR-R” CMOS sensor and BIONZ image processor enable the camera to shoot at sensitivity settings up to ISO 12,800. Focus acquisition is claimed to be extremely quick for a digital compact camera (0.13 second in bright light and 0.2 second in low light). The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX170 will be available in various Asian markets starting 3 August 2012. Currently, there’s no word on EU/US availability or pricing.

Source: Sony Japan

Sony today introduced a new telephoto zoom lens for its A-mount DSLRs and SLTs with APS-C sized sensors. With a 35mm equivalent focal range of 83-450mm, the Sony DT55-300mm f4.5-5.6 SAM features a Smooth Auto-focus Motor (hence the SAM abbreviation in the product name), which enables fast, quiet and smooth focusing even during video capture. The optical formula comprises 12 elements in 9 groups, including one ED (extra-low-dispersion) lens element, and an iris diaphragm with seven rounded aperture blades. Weighing in at 460 grams, the Sony DT55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 SAM lens has a close-focus point of 1.4 metres, 0.27x maximum magnification and a 62mm filter thread. Shipping with a bayonet-type hood, the Sony DT55-300mm f4.5-5.6 SAM will be available from September 2012 priced at $300.

The Fujifilm FinePix F800EXR is a new 16-megapixel compact camera with a 25-500mm equivalent zoom lens and Wi-Fi connectivity. Other highlights include a start-up time of 1.5 seconds, shot-to-shot lag of 0.8s and AF lag of just 0.16s. Wireless Image Transfer facilitates sending photos from the FinePix F800EXR to smartphones and tablets quickly and simply with the help of the free Fujifilm Photo Receiver app. Full HD video recording, raw image capture, manual exposure control, Motion Panorama, Film Simulation and Multiple Exposure round off the features list. The Fujifilm FinePix F800EXR is now available for pre-order, priced at $349.95. The camera is expected to hit the shops in August. In the UK, the Fujifilm FinePix F800EXR will go on sale towards the end of September for an estimated £279..