Nikon has updated its ‘my Picturetown Pad’ App for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch to include iOS 5 support. The app gives users of the company’s my Picturetown image sharing and storage service a convenient way to access their photos and movies from any supported iOS device. Moreover, the ‘my Picturetown Pad’ app also allows Motion Snapshots generated with the Nikon 1 V1 and J1 cameras to be played back on the user’s iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. The app is available as a free download from the iTunes App Store.

Canon has posted a firmware update for the Canon EOS 5D Mark II full-frame digital SLR camera. According to the manufacturer, version 2.1.1 incorporates the following fixes and improvements:

1. Fixes a phenomenon where shooting stops after capturing one image when in continuous shooting or the Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) continuous shooting setting.
2. Corrects wording in the Dutch language menu screen.

The firmware update can be downloaded from the website below.

Website: Canon

The Lomographic Society has announced that three of their most popular Lomography plastic cameras are now available in a Special Gold Edition. The new versions of the Fisheye 2, the Diana F+ and the Diana Mini are available for £89, £99 and £109, respectively.

The newest collection of Etre Touchy gloves has just gone on sale in the UK. Etre Touchy gloves are a stylish, fun and practical way to keep your hands warm while fiddling with your gear outdoors. Originally targeted at users of mobile phones, music players and portable games systems, these gloves - which have missing thumb and index fingertips - have also proven popular with photographers. Available from leading fashion stores, including Selfridges, Park & Bond and YMC, Etre Touchy Gloves retail at £35.

Behind Photographs – Archiving Photographic Legends is a new book by world-renowned photographer Tim Mantoani. Successfully funded through a Kickstarter project, the book is Mantoani’s personal mission to introduce the world to the photographers behind some of the world’s most quintessential images. Using the rare and mammoth format of 20X24 Polaroid, Mantoani documented these photographers holding one of their favorite or most iconic photographs.Featured photographers include legendary rock photographer Jim Marshall holding a photograph of the late Johnny Cash during his legendary concert at San Quentin Prison, Neil Leifer posing with his famous shot of Muhammad Ali standing and gesturing over a knocked out Sonny Liston, Harry Benson with his epic photo of The Beatles having a pillow fight and Steve McCurry’s famed portrait of the Afghan Girl from the cover of National Geographic. At the bottom of each Polaroid, the photographer has been asked to comment about their image in their own penmanship. Published by ChannelPhotographics, the book is available for $60. There is also a limited-edition version, which includes a set of nine 8"x12” individual prints ($295).

Zoner Software has released a new version of its flagship software Zoner Photo Studio. Among the most important new features are new editing functions - such as Tone Mapping and ‘Fill with Surroundings’, CUDA/OpenCL support, and direct integration with the Zonerama web photo sharing service. Zoner Photo Studio 14 PRO is offered at a price of $69.99, while the HOME edition is available for $34.99. A free, 30-day trial version can be downloaded from the developer’s website.

The new “Quick Shoot Strap” accessory from Hama gives you quick access to your camera while working in the field. “The strap is easily attached to a threaded plate on the tripod socket of the camera and can go from carrying position to the desired shooting position in a flash without having to move the entire camera strap,” the company says. The Hama Quick Shoot Strap also features 18 air cushions in the shoulder pad for added comfort. The product is available for a recommended retail price of €49.99.

Ricoh has issued a firmware update for the Ricoh PX dust-, shock- and waterproof digital compact camera. Version 1.10 improves zooming speed and enhances the quality of the images displayed on the rear screen. The firmware upgrade can be downloaded from the website below.

Website: Ricoh

DxO Labs has released DxO Film Pack 3.1, the latest version of its film simulation software. Compatible with Mac and Windows, DxO FilmPack 3.1 comes in 2 editions — Essential and Expert —, which differ in terms of number of film renditions and features. The two editions of DxO FilmPack 3.1 are available as standalone applications and as plugins for DxO Optics Pro, Photoshop, Lightroom and Aperture. Both the Essential and Expert editions are now available for purchase in the DxO Labs online store and at photo resellers at a special €30 discount from now through 24th December.

Richmond-based photographer Cameron Texter has invented a new selective-focus lens for Canon and Nikon SLR cameras, called the Lynny. “The way it works is you push and pull the lens to and from the camera, and tilt the lens around to control where the blur is in the photo,” Texter says. “The Lynny is made from just an extension tube, macro filters, and gaffers tape, or electrical tape, and also 2 pipe clamps for having something to grip when pushing and pulling the lens to and from the camera.” The inventor has set up an IndieGoGo page to raise funds for the commercialisation of the Lynny. Interested readers are encouraged to check out the project’s website via the link below.

Website: Lynny on IndieGogo

Olympus has announced a new, silver version of the Olympus XZ-1 premium compact camera, Apart from the new body colour, the silver XZ-1 is identical to its matt black and white lacquered siblings. The silver-coloured Olympus XZ-1 is available for £399.99 from mid-December 2011. In addition, the company has also announced a new lens cap that features a sleek design, with a front cover that opens and closes automatically. Available from January, the black LC-63A lens cap costs £24.99.

X-Rite has announced a number of free webinars for the month of November. The first online seminar, starting tomorrow at 2pm EST and hosted by Winifred Whitfield, is entitled “Take your images to WOW!”. In this webinar, Winifred will demonstrate how precise colour management and Nik Software give her the competitive edge to produce her stylized images. Other topics for November include “Stop Guessing - Start Knowing! Accurate Monitor Colour with X-Rite”, “Beyond Monitor Calibration - Get Prints That Match Your Display!” and “Improve your Colour Management Skills”. Click through / read on for the exact webinar dates and times.

Connie Smyth, aged 15 years, has been announced as the overall winner of the London Legacy 2020 Photo Awards. She impressed the judges with her picture ‘rust’, an “eerily beautiful” shot of a lamppost beneath railway arches in London Fields.As a reward for her efforts, she won £1,000 worth of camera equipment including a digital SLR, as well as the opportunity to carry out a photo-shoot with the English National Ballet, courtesy of City law firm CMS Cameron McKenna.

Tamron USA’s Mom-to-Mom Project is a series of photo exhibitions that feature technical tips and artistic inspiration from image-making moms. The exhibits, which focus on a new theme each month, are designed to encourage other moms to experiment with their cameras, lenses, and accessories to hone their own photographic skills. Visitors are encouraged to contribute their own photography comments and concepts. “We designed the Mom-to-Mom exhibits to serve as a fun, interactive venue where moms brainstorm with and glean ideas from other mom photographers to boost their confidence when creating their own family memories,” says Tamron Chief Marketing Officer Stacie Errera. The inaugural exhibition for November 2011 features the photographers’ favorite way to get their kids to smile. Upcoming themes scheduled through the end of 2012 include holiday card photos, youth sports, multigenerational portraits, and special event photography such as birthdays and back-to-school imagery.

The Ricoh CX6 is a 10-megapixel compact superzoom camera with a 28-300mm equivalent lens and an improved hybrid AF system that promises focus acquisition speeds as as fast as 0.1 second. This is about twice the (nominal) speed of the Ricoh CX5, which was announced at the beginning of the year. The CX6 also adds aperture- and shutter-priority modes, and a 3fps burst mode with auto-focus (the fastest continuous shooting speed at full resolution is 5fps, as in the previous model, but the new.3fps mode allows the camera to adjust focus separately for each frame in the sequence which should, in theory, result in a higher number of in-focus shots of moving subjects). Also new for the Ricoh CX series is a separate movie record button, located on the rear panel of the camera. The Ricoh CX6 comes with a 3” LCD monitor offering a resolution of 1.23 million dots and 1.7x the brightness of the CX5’s display. Available from December in black, pink and silver, the Ricoh CX6 has an RRP of €299.00/£259.99 (US availability and pricing to be confirmed).

FLIR Systems have introduced two PS-series handheld thermal imaging cameras to their Scout range. “Unrivalled in its marketplace, the device sees clearly in total darkness,” the manufacturer says. “It makes images from heat, not light, a feat impossible for the human eye or even image-intensified night vision devices.” In the UK, the FLIR Scout PS-series is exclusively available from J J Vickers & Sons Ltd, the official FLIR distributor for the UK and Ireland.

Apple has posted a Camera RAW compatibility update, adding system-level support for raw files produced by a number of new digital cameras. The newly supported models include the Canon PowerShot S100, Nikon 1 J1, Nikon 1 V1, Nikon COOLPIX P7100 (pictured), Olympus PEN E-PL1s, Olympus PEN E-PL3. Olympus PEN E-PM1. Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ150, Sony Alpha NEX-5N, Sony Alpha SLT-A65 and Sony Alpha SLT-A77. To view the full list of currently supported digital cameras, visit the website below.

Website: Apple Mac OS X Lion: Supported digital camera RAW formats

Panasonic will soon be releasing firmware updates for the new Lumix G X Vario PZ 14-42mm and 45-175mm lenses. Both firmware updates improve AF performance and optimise operation when using Touch Zoom with the Lumix GX1 camera. The upgrade for the G X Vario PZ 45-175mm lens additionally improves the stability of the optical image stabiliser (OIS). The firmware updates will be available worldwide at 6:00 GMT on 17th November at the website below.

Website Panasonic Lumix Support