Sigma UK has announced the suggested retail price (SRP) of the new Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 EX DC APO OS HSM lens. Available in mid April for Canon fit and mid May for Nikon and Sigma fit, the lens features Sigma’s proprietary OS (Optical Stabiliser) system, Super Multi-Layer Coating, six SLD glass elements and “hyper-sonic” focus motor. The price of the lens is £949.99.

At the same time, Sigma Corporation of America has announced the immediate availability of the upgraded 50-150mm lens, with an MSRP of $1,099.

Akvis has released Version 5.5 of Akvis Magnifier. Available as a plug-in or a standalone program, the software is claimed to “deliver good results” when ‘uprezzing’ a photo to create poster-sized enlargements. “Resizing pictures with Akvis Magnifier yields a much higher quality image than simple bicubic interpolation,” the company says. Version 5.5 adds compatibility with the upcoming Photoshop CS6 and Photoshop Elements 11 (plug-in version), fixes a bug which caused the program to crash when using the graphics processing unit on a computer running MacOS X Lion 10.7.3, and improves colour processing when loading raw images. Registered users of Magnifier can update their version free of charge.

PlayMemories Studio is a new and easy-to-use application for viewing, managing, editing and sharing digital photos and HD video clips on the Sony PlayStation 3 console. The integrated viewer in PlayMemories Studio lets you browse and view photos and videos – including 3D images and clips – on your TV screen. A Map view displays all your geotagged images on an on-screen globe, while one-button effects allow you to turn your photos into monochrome/sepia, emulate the effect of a soft-focus lens or a toy camera etc. PlayMemories Studio also allows users to tag, trim and join video clips.PlayMemories Studio can be purchased at the PlayStation Store, with a 30-day trial available as a free download.

Entries are now open for the Marwell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012 competition. The charity is calling all budding photographers to enter images which celebrate a variety of wildlife and capture the essence of nature. This year, the competition has four categories including Native, Cute & Funny, Marwell residents and Marwell endangered. Up to five images can be submitted per person. A charge of £5 applies, although junior entries are free. The submission deadline is 14 September 2012. To enter visit the website below.

Ricoh has released a firmware update for the Ricoh CX6 digital compact camera. Version 1.24 fixes a bug that sometimes caused parts of the live view feed to momentarily turn purple upon a half-press of the shutter release in “Toy Camera” and “Miniaturise” modes. You can download the firmware upgrade from the website below.

Website: Ricoh CX6 Firmware

UKTV has announced a photography contest to celebrate the launch of its new Human Planet series on Eden and Eden HD. “This breathtaking eight-part series takes the viewer to meet the people who survive by building complex, exciting and often mutually beneficial relationships with their animal neighbours and the hostile elements of the natural world,” the company says. Photographer Timothy Allen has been shadowing the crew during the production of the series, documenting the lives of communities in the Arctic, tropical rainforest and remote desert locations. Those participating in Eden’s Living Portrait competition on Facebook by uploading a photo of what “their human planet” means to them are in for a chance to win a 2-day on-location photo-shoot with Timothy at La Merce Festival, Barcelona’s largest street party.

Photographer and film-maker William Klein will receive the Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award at the 2012 Sony World Photography Awards. He will be honoured at the annual gala award ceremony on 26 April at taking place at London’s Park Lane Hilton Hotel. An intimate exhibition of his work, curated by Michael Benson, will be shown as part of the Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition at Somerset House in London from 27th April – 20th May.

Lomography has announced the Diana F+ Sahara special-edition medium-format film camera. Decorated with palm trees and pyramids, the Diana F+ Sahara is wrapped in printed leather and comes bundled with a flash unit. Using 120 Film, you can experiment with multiple exposures, long exposures and even pinhole shots. The Diana F+ Sahara is available for €99 from the Lomography Online Shop.

Seim Effects Photo Tools has announced complete updates for its collection of Lightroom toolkits designed for use by photographers. The company’s Power Workflow 3, Silver Shadows 2 and Color Fantasies are now fully compatible with Lightroom 4, including a dedicated set of every effect for Lightroom 4 that takes advantage of the new 2012 process version. In addition, Seim Effects is offering the updates free to all existing users of the current product line. New customers can purchase the toolkits through the website below.

Sony has issued firmware updates for the Sony A65 and the Sony A77 digital SLT cameras. Version 1.05 adds several enhancements to both models, including faster auto review response, shortened power-off times, improved front/rear control wheel response, enhanced auto focus accuracy in high-contrast situations and improved AF speed with the new Sony 500mm f/4 lens. Additionally, both cameras can now intelligently correct vignetting, lateral chromatic aberration and distortion for a total of 11 A-mount lenses. Click through / scroll down for the download links.

Jessops today launched the Spring edition of its Image magazine, available free at Jessops stores across the United Kingdom. This edition showcases new products and latest technologies that are stocked by Jessops and includes some handy guides and in-depth features on the latest products from leading manufacturers. Sean Emmett, Marketing & E-commerce Director at Jessops commented “We feel that the new magazine is a valuable asset for our customers because as well as being packed full of the latest technology and photographic innovation it also offers lots of advice and useful features to help our customers get even more from their photography.”

Nikon UK has announced a cashback offer on the Nikon D3100, D5100 and D7000 cameras. Customers buying a Nikon D3100 body only or in a single-lens kit can claim £30/€35, those getting the camera with two new lenses are entitled to a cashback of £45/€50. New Nikon D5100 buyers get £50/€60 (body only / single-lens kits) or £65/€75 (camera plus two lenses), while those purchasing a new Nikon D7000 can claim either £80/€95 or £100/€115, depending on the number of lenses bought together with the camera. The offer is valid on purchases made in the UK or Ireland between now and 30th May. All claims must be received by the 30th June 2012 in order to qualify. For more information on the cashback offer, visit the website below.

Congregational & General have launched a UK-wide photography competition which showcases the positive impact of faith in the community. The competition, now in its third year, has three categories including Community Spirit Against the Odds, A Year of Service and Moments of Faith. The winning photographer in each of the three categories will receive a prize pack valued at £1400, which includes a Nikon V1 camera. Winning photographers can also nominate a faith, charity or community group to receive £1000 of audio-visual or photography equipment of their choice. For further details of the competition, including prizes and entry requirements and to upload your images visit the website below.

Manfrotto has won two prestigious accolades at the 2012 Red Dot Design Awards. The two winning Manfrotto products include the modular SYMPLA Rig System designed for video-enabled digital SLR cameras and the 502HD telescoping video kit incorporating the MVH502A fluid head and the MVT502AM tripod. In addition to Manfrotto’s accolades, the Imaging & Staging Division of the Vitec Group was honoured with a prize for the Gitzo Systematic tripod range, having introduced a completely redesigned range of supports in January 2012.

Land Rover North America has launched on Tumblr with “Five By Five,” an innovative photography project that “reflects a unique approach to the creation and distribution of content”. The company selected five socially-connected photographers in five different cities and granted them access to different Land Rover models. “Land Rover is excited to launch on Tumblr with Five By Five because it is such a unique project that highlights our vehicles in a creative and artistic way,” said Ken Bracht, Marketing Communications Manager, Land Rover North America. “We chose to maximize Tumblr as our new social media channel because it fosters engagement, and with this project, allows enthusiasts to share and follow the journeys of each photographer as they experience our vehicles through the eyes of a lens.” To view the photos visit the website below.

SmugMug has announced a major update to its Camera Awesome app. Currently the #1 iPhone photography app in 55 countries, Camera Awesome allows users to “awesomise” their photos and then instantly share them on Instagram with one simple tap. Additionally, the Camera Awesome app now comes with an in-app getting started guide, easier and more intuitive pinch-zooming, a white balance lock feature and a smoother way to set the self-timer. Plus you can now purchase all add-on filters as a single package for $9.99. If you’ve already bought a few effects, the company will bill you the difference rather than the full amount.

Canon today announced that the Canon EOS C300, the first model from the new Cinema EOS System, has met the standards the BBC requires from cameras tested to the EBU recommendation EBU R118. The approval allows both internal and external BBC production teams to use the EOS C300 for the production of a variety of programmes to be broadcast on the BBC’s range of HD channels. The EOS C300 is the third professional camcorder from Canon to be approved by the BBC since the start of 2011, joining the XF305 and XF300 Full HD camcorders, which were approved for use in January last year.