To celebrate the launch of the new Pentax K-30 DSLR camera, Pentax Ricoh Imaging UK todaylaunched Meet Britain, a nationwide competition asking members of the public to submit images of the things they feel make Britain great. Entrants can submit images across five different categories, including Great British Outdoors, Great British Culture, Friends and Family, Summer Holidays and Celebrations. The best images will then be shortlisted and will feature in an exhibition which will be open to the public in September. One winner from each category will take home a Pentax K-30 camera and one overall winner will be awarded £1,000. For more information, visit Pentax UK’s Facebook fan page.

Via its official blog, Nokia has announced that it is launching the Nokia 808 PureView smartphone in the US. Featuring a 41-megapixel sensor, high-performance f/2.4 Carl Zeiss optics, plus new PureView Imaging and pixel oversampling technologies, the Nokia 808 PureView also incorporates full HD 1080p video recording and a 4” AMOLED capacitive touchscreen. The smartphone will be available unlocked and unsubsidised through Amazon, starting 8th July.

Canon has posted a firmware update for the Canon EOS C300 and EOS C300 PL interchangeable-lens digital video cameras. Version 1,0,6,1.00 incorporates the following features:

1. Genlock synchronisation can now be used to synchronize the camera’s 24.00P, 24.00PsF, 23.98P, and 23.98PsF input signals.
2. Adds the Korean language to the camera’s menu.
3. Minor corrections to simplified Chinese language menus.

Website: Canon

Sony has announced that it plans to invest approximately 80 billion yen in Sony Semiconductor Corporation’s Nagasaki Technology Center to increase the production capacity for stacked CMOS image sensors. These imagers “layer the pixel section containing back-illuminated structure pixels onto chips containing the circuit for signal processing, in contrast to the supporting substrates used in conventional back-illuminated CMOS image sensors,” the company says. “These products enable Sony to mount large-scale circuits while decreasing the chip size of image sensors, thereby enhancing image quality and functionality and allowing for a more compact size for digital cameras and mobile devices.” These stacked CMOS sensors are going to be used primarily in camera phones and tablets.

Pixite has released an update to their Flickr photo management app, Flickring HD for iPad. The new update adds 2048-pixel, high-resolution photo viewing on the new iPad, and full-resolution photo viewing during zoom-in on all iPads. Furthermore, Flickring HD now also supports Full HD video playback and makes protecting the users’ privacy easier by including the option to strip location data from images and to set privacy levels on the photos during uploading. Flickring HD for Flickr is available on iTunes for $3.99.

The Aquatica Team has unveiled the Aquatica A5D Mk III underwater housing for the Canon EOS 5D Mark III digital SLR camera. Featuring a newly designed camera tray that smoothly and precisely positions the camera in the housing, the Aquatica A5D Mk III is aimed at professional photographers and videograpers. “Given the immense impact its predecessor, the Aquatica 5D Mk II, had on the underwater video industry, it was deemed absolutely important that this new housing be optimized even more for this task, all video controls where redesigned for easier reach and smoother operation, without sacrificing nothing to the still image side of the housing operation,” the company claims. Also, the new housing has the same standard 90m/300ft depth rating and can still be upgraded to 130m/425ft. The Aquatica A5D Mk III is priced at $3,199.

Datacolor has announced that its SpyderCheckr now supports Hasselblad’s Phocus software. “Spectrally engineered with 48 colour patches and user-friendly profiling software, Datacolor SpyderCheckr enables photographers to achieve consistent, predictable colour control from capture to edit,” the company says. “The only colour reference system that supports Hasselblad’s Phocus software, SpyderCheckr allows photographers to obtain consistent, accurate colour within a standard raw processing workflow.” The SpyderCheckr Pro bundle, a bundle package that includes both the SpyderCheckr and the SpyderCube, is now available for a special promotional offer of $139 (regular price $179).

OmegaBrandess and Phottix have announced the revolutionary Phottix Odin TTL Flash Trigger for Nikon. Consisting of an on-camera transmitter and control unit (TCU) and receivers for hot-shoe flashes, this accessory lets Nikon photographers wirelessly trigger their system flashes, retaining full TTL functions, as well as remotely control power and flash zoom settings. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the TCU and Receiver sets is $350 USD and $140 USD for individual receivers.

Lynda.com has released a new course on photographing cars, taught by Adobe Photoshop senior product manager Bryan O’Neil Hughes. The course, Photo Workshop: Car Photography Tips, is a summation of a workshop hosted by lynda.com and Adobe Systems Incorporated on 5th May. Lynda.com staged professional studio lighting for the workshop in three separate spaces — a cleared-out warehouse, an outdoor setup, and a professional studio in its newly redesigned production centre. The course is available from Lynda.com’s online training library.

DxO Labs have posted their findings on the sensor of the new Nikon D800E camera. The overall DxOMark Sensor Score is 96 - essentially the same as the D800’s 95 points. Nevertheless, the tiny, one-point difference - which mainly comes from the slightly different Low-Light ISO scores - was enough for the D800E to snatch the first position from its twin brother, making it the best camera ever tested at DxOMark. That said, even DxO Labs believe that “the one-point spread between Nikon’s D800E and the D800 is so small that it can be considered a draw”.

Website: DxOMark

Electrical engineers from Duke University and the University of Arizona have built an imaging apparatus consisting of 98 synchronised microcameras and a large, ball-shaped central lens. “Each one of the microcameras captures information from a specific area of the field of view,” said Professor David Brady of Duke University. “A computer processor essentially stitches all this information into a single highly detailed image.” Stitched images from the prototype offer a resolution of one gigapixel, but in the long run, the researchers aim to produce a 50-gigapixel camera. Another direction for future development is miniaturisation: “within five years, as the electronic components of the cameras become miniaturised… gigapixel cameras should be available to the general public,” the scientists say.

Source: University of Arizona Photo: Duke University Imaging and Spectroscopy Program

Intel has launched a time-lapse photography contest. For “A Momentary Lapse,” Intel is giving away more than $50,000 in prizes (including Intel Core i5-based Dell XPS Ultrabook devices, Canon EOS 5D Mark III and GoPro Hero2 cameras, and CyberLinkediting software), in addition to a chance for the winning entry to be featured in an online Intel advertisement. Weekly prizes also will be given away to the best single image photography submissions. Open to residents in the U.S. and parts of Canada, the contest will run until 7 November 2012. Click through / scroll down to watch a video tutorial entitled, “How-To Make Time-Lapse Photography,” by award-winning director and photographer Vincent Laforet.

Available from camera care specialists Just Ltd, Lens Bands are a new solution to zoom creep. “Some manufacturers fit zoom locks to their products, but many don’t. Of course, some lenses are fine when new but develop a bit of creep as they age and the zoom mechanism wears a little,” said Just’s Peter Brogden. “The obvious solution is to use a Lens Band and banish lens creep forever!” Available at £5.95 each, Lens Bands come in a choice of colours, and fit all SLR zoom lenses regardless of brand.

Ilford has announced that it is adding an enthusiast-oriented Ilford Premium product category to live alongside its recently announced professional-grade Ilford Prestige range. This new range includes several legacy offerings along with the newly introduced Galerie Premium Gloss 270 gsm and Lustre 270 gsm. Both products are intended for photographers seeking superior inkjet media for home and studio printing projects.

The United Kingdom’s first Creative Week will run from 9th – 13th July. Intended to be a “celebration of the creativity in the UK,” Creative Week is hosted by Adobe. Each day will focus on a different theme and involve luminaries from the creative world, Adobe evangelists and members of the creative community, including Rufus Deuchler, Jason Levine, Paul Trani, Julieanne Kost, and more. For photographers and videographers, the 11th and 13th July will be the most interesting. Click thtough / scroll down for the lowdown of what to expect during the week:

The Lomographic Society has announced a new special edition of its La Sardina film camera.  Dressed in blue, red and white the ‘Guvnor’ Edition features a London “city map” on the outside of its body and comes complete with Fritz the Blitz, a flash gun in a matching blue colour. Otherwise its specifications are identical to that of the standard La Sardina model, including a 22mm lens with an angle of view of 88 degrees and a fixed aperfure of f8, an independent MX switch for multiple exposures,  and two shutter speed settings, 1/100 second and Bulb. Lomography’s La Sardina ‘Guvnor’ Edition is available for £99.

IT Supplies will be publishing a calendar for 2013, coordinated with the IT Supplies Photo Contest. Open to both amateur and professional photographers, the IT Supplies Photo Contest offers three categories including Faces, City Spaces and Outdoor Places, One grand prize winner will receive prizes totaling over $2000 and take cover position on the 2013 calendar, while three category winners will receive prizes valuing $250. Do note that there is an entry fee of $25 per image. As always we suggest that you read the rules before entering your work,

Canon has released a firmware update for the Canon EOS 60D and EOS 60Da digital SLR cameras. Version 1.1.1 incorporates the following fixes:

1. Fixes a phenomenon where the serial number that is displayed in the shooting information does not match the camera’s actual serial number.
2. Corrects errors in the Greek, Italian, and Portuguese menu screens.

Website: Canon EOS 60D