Want to see what the new Sony NEX-5N camera looks like in the flesh?

Here’s a gallery of hands-on photos of the Sony NEX-5N, including the new Sony 55-210mm and Carl Zeiss 24mm lenses, and various accessories.

Kodak has unveiled a robust special edition of the Kodak Playsport pocket video camera. “The BURTON Edition of the Playsport Camera goes where you want to go, even in the harshest winter conditions,” said Phil Scott, Vice President of Marketing, Digital Capture and Accessories, Kodak. “This little pocket-sized video camera is waterproof, and shockproof so no need to worry about carving through fresh powder or hitting a rail or hard pack in a terrain park. The easy to read interface and buttons are large enough to use even with gloves on.” Capable of shooting 1080p Full HD video footage as well as 5-megapixel stills, the Kodak Playsport BURTON Edition comes with an HDMI cable, remote control, 4GB SDHC memory card, a gripping tripod and carry case and retails for £179, with availability slated for autumn.

Fantasea Line has announced its plans to launch an underwater (UW) housing for the new Nikon Coolpix P7100. The company says it is working closely with Nikon to deliver a housing that “will be desgined to meet the same high standards as featured by the successful FP7000 Housing and will be compatible with the complete FP7000 dedicated accessory line”. As of writing, there is no firm release date set for the underwater housing. The Nikon P7100 will be available from mid-September.

Update: Availability for the Fantasea Line FP7100 underwater housing is slated for the beginning of 2012.

Nikon UK has announced a new promotion on the Nikon D300S digital SLR camera, open to residents of the United Kingdom and Ireland. Those who buy a new Nikon D300S (supplied and distributed by Nikon UK), either as a body or part of a kit, are entitled to claim a free Transcend StoreJet 25M 750Gb portable hard drive worth £99.99. The offer is available from today to 31st October 2011 (inclusive), and all claims must be received by 30th November 2011. For more information and to download the claim form or read the terms and conditions, visit the website below.

Olympus has announced the recommended retail prices of the Olympus E-PM1 (a.k.a. PEN Mini) compact system camera in the UK and the US. The smallest digital PEN, which boasts features like an ultra-fast 35-point auto-focus system, wireless flash control via a bundled clip-on unit, Multi Exposure, 1080i Full HD movie recording with stereo sound and compatibility with 20 Micro Four Thirds, 27 Four Thirds and more than 500 other lenses (via adapters), will be available in early autumn for £449.99/$499.95 including a kit zoom and a tiltable external flash.

Today at 7.30pm BST, Sony UK will be hosting a live Web chat on its Facebook page. The company’s photography expert, Paul Genge, will be there to answer any questions you might have about the products announced today. If interested, visit the website below, hit the “Like” button, and join the conversation.

Website: Sony UK - Facebook

The Sony A65 and A77 digital SLT cameras both feature a newly developed, APS-C sized 24.3-megapixel Exmor CMOS sensor and extremely fast burst shooting with continuous auto focus. Billed as the quickest, most responsive interchangeable lens cameras in their class, the Sony A77 and the Sony A65 feature shooting speeds of 12 and 10fps, respectively, with uninterrupted continuous phase-detection auto focus for tracking fast-moving subjects with ease. Additionally, the Sony A77 comes with a new 19-point AF module with 11 cross-sensors, while the A65 offers 15-point auto focus with 3 cross-hatched sensors. The other main difference between the two models is that the A77 has double control dials and a separate top-mounted LCD data display. Both cameras showcase the world’s first XGA OLED electronic viewfinder with 2359k dot resolution and 100% frame coverage. The sensor has a sensitivity range of ISO 100-16000, with ISO 50 available as an “expanded” setting on the Sony A77. Both cameras offer 1080p Full HD video recording with AF and a choice of 50fps or 25fps, and both will be available from October.

Pricing update: The Sony A77 has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of £1150, or £1650 with the also-new Sony DT-16-50mm f/2.8 SSM lens. The optional VG-C77AM Vertical Grip will be available for £270. The Sony A65’s recommended retail price is £800 (£900 with a 18-55mm zoom lens).

The Sony DT 16-50mm f/2.8 SSM is a high-performance standard zoom lens for Sony’s A-mount digital SLT and SLR cameras with APS-C sized sensors. Featuring a dust- and moisture-resistant design, the lens boasts two aspherical elements and three ED glass elements to minimise aberration at all focal lengths. An internal SSM (Super Sonic wave Motor) drive assures fast, quiet auto focus and enables full-time manual override. Priced at £550/$700 and available from October, the Sony DT 16-50mm f/2.8 SSM has a circular diaphragm with 7 rounded blades for a pleasing rendition of the out-of-focus areas.

The Sony NEX-7 is a 24.3-megapixel compact system camera with an eye-level electronic viewfinder, responsive autofocus and world’s shortest shutter lag. Using the same Exmor APS HD sensor as the Sony A77 and A65 “SLT” cameras, the Sony NEX-7 offers a combination of ultra-high resolution and a sensitivity range of ISO 100-16000. The NEX-7 also features quick, easy control over creative settings via an intuitive new TRINAVI control. Two control dials on the top of the camera are complemented by a control wheel. Pushing the navigation button cycles quickly through various shooting modes, allowing enthusiasts to make adjustments swiftly and easily. The NEX-7 is also the world’s first compact camera that features an XGA OLED electronic viewfinder with approximately 100% frame coverage. In speed priority mode, the NEX-7 captures fast-moving action at up to 10fps (though AF performance remains to be seen). The NEX-7 introduces an Auto-lock Accessory Shoe that supports accessories including HVL-F58AM, F43AM and F20AM Flash, the HVL-MT24AM Macro Twin Flash Kit and CLM-V55 Clip-on LCD Monitor. Also capable of shooting full HD video at either 50fps or 25fps, the Sony NEX-7 will be available from November for about £1000/$1200. A kit comprising the NEX-7 camera and Sony E 18-55mm zoom lens will also be offered, for £1100/$1350.

The Sony NEX-5N is a new compact system camera with a resolution of 16.1 megapixels, responsive auto focus, world’s shortest shutter lag and 1080p/50fps video recording capability. Doubled signal readout speeds and more efficient processing have resulted in an AF that is significantly faster than the current NEX-5 model, Sony claims. Maximum sensitivity is also boosted to ISO 25600, the highest among mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras. Stereo audio quality is improved, with revised circuitry that lowers wind noise levels, especially when shooting quiet scenes. Like the also-new Sony NEX-7, the NEX-5N offers a speed priority mode in which the camera can capture full-resolution photographs at up to 10fps. Unlike that camera, the Sony NEX-5N has no eye-level EVF and comes with a Photo Creativity Touch interface rather than the wheel-and-dial-based UI of the higher specified model. Priced at $600, the NEX-5N will be available from September. The camera will also be offered in a kit with the existing Sony E 18-55mm zoom lens, for about $700.

In the UK, the Sony NEX-5N will be available in a bundle with either the Sony E 18-55mm or the Sony E 16mm f/2.8 lens from September, priced at £600 and £700 respectively. A double-zoom kit, comprising the Sony NEX-5N camera body and the 18-55mm as well as the new 55-210mm lens, will be offered from November for £800. Sony UK is not planning to sell the NEX-5N as a body-only option.

The Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm f/1.8 ZA is a new, ultra-bright moderate wide-angle lens for the Sony NEX system. Featuring a very fast maximum aperture and a near-circular diaphragm with 7 blades, the Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm f/1.8 ZA is capable of producing wide-angle images with good subject isolation and pleasing bokeh. Sony’s DMF technology allows for direct manual focusing after autofocus lock-on without having to switch modes. The suggested retail price is $999.99.

The new Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS is the world’s fastest interchangeable lens with integrated image stabilisation. Designed as a short telephoto prime for the Sony NEX system the Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS has an angle of view of 32 degrees and a 7-bladed circular aperture diagram for a pleasing rendition of out-of-focus backgrounds. Priced at $299.99, the lens will be available to Sony NEX users in December.

The Sony E 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 OSS is a telephoto zoom lens for the Sony NEX system. Designed to complement the existing 18-55mm kit zoom, the Sony E 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 OSS features Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation, quiet and responsive auto focus and a 7-blade circular aperture diaphragm for a pleasing bokeh. Available from October, the lens has an SRP of $349.99.

The Sony FDA-EV1S is an external EVF for the Sony NEX-5N compact system camera. Featuring a resolution of 2,395,000 dots, this OLED viewfinder provides a similar user experience as the built-in EVF of the Sony NEX-7, except that it’s tiltable and detachable. Available from September, the Sony FDA-EV1S is sold separately for £300.

The Sony LA-EA2 mount adapter allows Sony NEX users to use A-mount lenses with high-speed phase-detection auto focus on their cameras. We believe this adapter should be especially interesting for owners of the Sony NEX-FS100, NEX-VG10 and NEX-VG20 interchangeable-lens camcorders as well as dual DSLR-NEX users - and generally, anyone who finds their NEX camera’s auto focus too slow or the current E-mount lens line-up too limited. Priced at £340, the Sony LA-EA2 mount adapter will be available from September.