DayMen Group has announced the acquisition of Joby, a San Francisco-based manufacturer of photo, mobile and lighting accessories, including the award-winning GorillaPod (pictured). Since it was founded over six years ago, Joby has grown from a start-up to a company with distribution in over 65 countries. DayMen has been distributing Joby in Canada since 2007 and Australia since 2008. “DayMen will bring its extensive distribution network and our history of building great brands to the Joby line of products,” said Gil Roberts, DayMen CEO. “Together, we can accelerate the growth of our business and build the global presence of our Lowepro, Acme Made and Joby brands, as well as the many outstanding third-party brands we distribute around the world.”

X-Rite has announced a $150 cash back promotion for X-Rite customers who want to upgrade their i1Match, ProfileMaker or MonacoPROFILER software to i1Publish. Fully supporting the new Mac OS X 10.7 Lion operating system, the latest version of i1Publish is an ICC profiling solution that includes i1Profiler software, ColorChecker Camera Calibration software, PANTONE Color Manager software and two ColorChecker targets – ColorChecker Classic and ColorChecker Proof. For more information about the i1Publish upgrade and rebate, visit the website below.

Adobe has posted Release Candidates (RCs) for Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) 6.5 and Photoshop Lightroom 3.5, adding support for a dozen new digital cameras and backs as well as 26 new lens profiles. Newly supported cameras and backs include the Fujifilm FinePix F600EXR, Olympus E-P3, Olympus E-PL3, Olympus E-PM1, Panasonic DMC-G3 (pictured), Panasonic DMC-GF3, Phase One IQ140, Phase One IQ160, Phase One P40+, Phase One P65+, Sony NEX-C3 and Sony Alpha SLT-A35. A “Rrelease Candidate” label indicates that this update is well tested but would benefit from additional community testing before it is distributed automatically to all Adobe customers.

Website: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3.5 Release Candidate
Website: Adobe Camera Raw 6.5 Release Candidate

Delkin has announced the launch of a new range of ruggedised CompactFlash (CF) memory cards, which are claimed to offer the fastest read and write speeds in the world. Available in capacities ranging from 8GB up to 64GB, the Delkin Compact Flash 685x memory cards are capable of transferring photos, movies and other files at speeds up to 103 megabytes per second. “Unlike a traditional CF memory card, the CombatFlash PCB is protected with a Tekta infusion process that enables the card to achieve phenomenal reliability and performance in environments where a normal CF card would typically fail,” explains Delkin’s Marketing Manager, Anna Lopez.  “The card is protected from underwater submersion, solid impact, corrosion, rust and more.” Pricing for the new Delkin CF cards ranges from $149.99 to $899.99, depending on capacity.

In Japan, Panasonic has showed mock-ups of two large-aperture pro zooms for the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) system, due for release in 2012. There will be a 12-35mm (24-70mm equivalent) lens with a minimum focus distance of 25cm and a 35-100mm (70-200mm equivalent) telezoom with a close-focus point of 85cm, both with Power O.I.S. (optical image stabiliser) on board. The exact maximum apertures are unknown, but it’s already clear that both lenses will feature the manufacturer’s Nano Surface Coating to combat flare and ghosts. Judging by the pictures posted on the DC Watch website, both lenses will have proper focus and zoom rings. Exact availability, pricing and full specifications to be announced later.

Via DC Watch

Kenro has announced the UK launch of a new photo digitising device called the Reflecta Imagebox LCD9. Equipped with a 9-megapixel area-array sensor, the Reflecta Imagebox LCD9 is claimed to deliver a resolution comparable to a 2400ppi scan from 35mm film. In addition to digitising slides and negatives, the Reflecta Imagebox can also scan prints of up to 6x4 inches. The unit can be operated independently from a computer, and comes with a dust and scratch removal system based on infrared technology (available for negatives and transparencies, but not prints). The device comes with a holder for 4 mounted slides, another holder for loose film strips of up to 6 frames, power adaptor, USB cable, TV cable and user manual for a recommended retail price of £280.

Nikon build on the success of the Coolpix P7000 with the release of the P7100, featuring a 10.1 megapixel 1/1.7 inch CCD sensor, EXPEED C2 processor, 7.1x (28-200mm) optical zoom through a NIKKOR ED lens, 3 inch tilting screen, Raw shooting, twin control dials and more buttons than you can shake a stick at. The Nikon Coolpix P7100 has an RRP of £499.99 (580 Euros) and will be available in late September 2011.

The Nikon Coolpix P7100 is designed to span the gap between a compact camera and a DSLR. It provides the features and functionality of a DSLR without the bulk. In profile, it looks a simple camera with the lens and optical viewfinder on the front but with the addition of a control wheel which will operate the aperture in manual mode. Another wheel on the back will operate the shutter speed.

The improvements come from Nikon listening to feedback from users of the P7000 and adding all the bits that they asked for.

The Nikon Coolpix AW100 is the company’s first steps into the world of tough cameras. Built to last and filled with features to dominate the market, the AW100 sports a 16 megapixel CCD sensor, 5x optical zoom, 3 inch LCD and EXPEED C2 processor. On top of that, the camera can be plunged into water down to 10 metres, dropped from a height of 1.5 metres and taken to freezing locations as low as -10 degrees. It also has a built-in GPS system with on-board maps to help tag your pictures on Google Maps when you get home.

The Nikon Coolpix AW100 has an RRP of £329.99 (383 euro) and will be available early September 2011.

The S1200pj is the newest projector camera from Nikon. A slim camera, the S1200pj has a 14 megapixel sensor and 5x optical zoom. A 3 inch screen on the back of the camera joins just a few buttons to adjust settings and enter menus but there’s also a dedicated video button for fast recording of candid moments.

One of the higher specification models, the S8200 has an attractive design thanks to the huge lens barrel on the front. Images go through a 14x optical zoom NIKKOR ED lens onto a 16 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor. The 3 inch screen on the back has a 921,000 dot (307,000 pixel) resolution and is extremely clear with no motion blur.

Speed is a big issue for Nikon on the S8200 and because of this the autofocus and start-up time has been improved on. It certainly seems to be faster but the full review on a final sample with prove it.

Slightly just down the ladder from the S8200 is the S6200. It’s a smaller, lighter version and you could also say a lite version. There are noticeable omissions to distinguish between the S6200 and S8200. The resolution is the same on both cameras, the function wheel on the back is present on each camera and they both have an EXPEED C2 processor. But the NIKKOR ED lens on the S6200 has a more moderate 10x optical zoom. The HD video isn’t Full HD and the screen on the back is slightly smaller at 2.7 inches.

The Nikon S100 is a flat, palm sized digital compact camera that’s packed with features for the tech savvy younger generation. A 16 megapixel Back-illuminated CMOS sensor sits inside the smart phone shaped unit which also records FullHD video. The screen on the back is an OLED 3.5 inch touch-screen which is extremely sensitive. But not in a way that it preempts your moves. However, some touch screens we’ve seen have had to be jabbed at to get a command acknowledged but the S100 is more sensitive than an iPhone.

Want to see what the new Panasonic X 14-42mm lens looks like in the flesh?

Here’s a gallery of hands-on photos of the Panasonic X 14-42mm professional lens.

Want to see what the new Panasonic X 45-175mm lens looks like in the flesh?

Here’s a gallery of hands-on photos of the Panasonic X 45-175mm professional lens.

Want to see what the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150 looks like in the flesh?

Here’s a gallery of hands-on photos of the Panasonic FZ150 super-zoom compact camera.

Want to see what the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX90 looks like in the flesh?

Here’s a gallery of hands-on photos of the Panasonic FX90 compact camera.

Panasonic has unveiled a duo of power zoom lenses for the Micro Four Thirds system, including the tiny Lumix G X PZ 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 standard zoom and the Lumix G X 45-175mm f/4-5.6 telephoto lens.  The new lenses feature Panasonic’s Nano Surface Coating, optical image stabilisation and aspherical and ED glass elements; as well as a motorised - yet smooth, quiet and precise - zooming mechanism. The Lumix G X 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 lens additionally features a collapsible design that allows it to be approximately as small as the 20mm pancake lens when not in use. In comparison to the existing Lumix G Standard 14-42mm kit lens, this lens provides “significantly improved optical performance” while being a lot smaller and 48% lighter. The Lumix GX 45-175mm f/4-5.6 lens has a 35mm equivalent focal range of 90-350mm and features a fast motorised Multi-Actuator Floating Inner Focus System, which ensures that air and dust isn’t sucked into the lens during zooming or focussing. The new lenses will debut this September at the IFA trade show in Berlin. Panasonic Europe will also release a Panasonic GF3X kit including the Panasonic GF3 camera body and the new 14-42mm power zoom. Pricing to be confirmed.

The Panasonic FZ150 is a 12.1-megapixel, 24x super-zoom camera with Light Speed auto-focus and Full HD video recording. The Leica-branded 25-600mm equivalent lens of the boasts Nano Surface Coating, which is claimed to “dramatically minimise” ghosting and flare, while the new sensor delivers an improved signal-to-noise ratio compared to the existing Lumix DMC-FZ100. The Panasonic FZ150 also offers a range of manual controls, a hot-shoe, Power O.I.S. optical image stabiliser, continuous shooting speeds of 5.5fps with auto-focus and 12fps without focus tracking, and 1,920x1,080/50p Full HD movie capture with stereo sound, as well as QVGA video recording at 220fps.  The Lumix FZ150 even features a Creative Video mode, which lets users set the shutter speed and aperture manually. Additionally, it is also possible to take 3.5-megapixel stills while filming a movie. Face Recognition, an Intelligent Scene Selector and a 3D photography mode round off the features list. The DMC-FZ150 will be available from October.

Panasonic is launching a new photo sharing service called Lumix Club to coincide with the release of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX90 digital camera, which features Wi-Fi connectivity. The service offers external site link function to support easy Social Network Service posting using the DMC-FX90 without having to worry about complicated settings, the company says. The External Site Link function allows users to upload a photo or video to multiple sites (including Facebook, Flickr, Picasa and YouTube) simultaneously. In the future, Lumix Club will provide additional functions such as a storage service, and album timeline display function and a device link function, which allows e.g. the photo of a faraway grandchild posted to Lumix Club to be viewed or downloaded using a Panasonic DIGA Blu-ray Disc recorder. The service will be available through the website below.