Kenro has announced the release of a new-generation Benro Flip Lock Aluminium Monopod and Transfunctional Travel Angel Tripod range. The Flip Lock Aluminium monopod has been designed for fast set ups and to combine the quality and strength of a stable camera support in situations where it is not possible to use a normal tripod.  Features include flip lock lever design legs, a padded handgrip and a hand strap for additional security. A swivel foot pad, with a large base and flexible ball and socket is designed to give a good grip on difficult or uneven surfaces. It has a maximum load of 18 kilograms and has a recommended retail price of £67.00. The also-new Travel Angel Transfunctional Series Tripods range in price from £220.00 for the smallest to £259.99 for the largest.

DxO Labs have released their detailed findings on the Olympus E-P3’s new 12-megapixel sensor. The overall DxO Mark Sensor score is 51, which is surprisingly low, given that even the older and cheaper Olympus E-PL2 achieved a somewhat higher rating. The site puts raw dynamic range at 10.1 stops (at base sensitivity), which sounds like a lot but is actually among the lowest values they’ve ever published for a digital camera. The E-P3’s low-light ISO score of 536 is also quite low for a recent interchangeable-lens camera, although higher than that of the Panasonic GF2’s rating of 506. (Remember that these numbers measure raw sensor performance only, and tell you nothing about things like the cameras’ handling, focusing and operational speed, image processing, mechanical quality or overall ease of use.)

Website: DxOMark

Your Creative Mix: Growing Your Photography Business through Creativity and Collaboration by Corwin Hiebert is a new e-book published by Craft & Vision. The book, available in Portable Document Format (PDF) “focuses on the unique business and marketing challenges faced by emerging and established vocational photographers”, as the publisher puts it. The e-book is available for download for $5 from the website below.

Website: Craft & Vision

The Casio Exilim EX-ZS15 is a new 14-megapixel digital compact camera with a 3” touchscreen and touch shutter functionality. The new model also features a 26-130mm equivalent 5x zoom lens, 720p HD movie recording and face detection. The Casio EX-ZS15 is available in three colours: silver, red and black. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is €159 in the euro zone.

Hama has introduced a new USB 3.0 memory card reader/writer. This new hot-swappable all-in-one device can accommodate nearly all standard memory card types of practically any capacity, including xD-Picture cards, UDMA 7 compliant Compact Flash memory cards, UHS-I SDHC and SDXC media and XC series Memory Sticks. It even reads microSD and Memory Stick Micro M2 cards without any adapters. The price of the Hama “All in One” USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Multi Card Reader is €19.99. Like the also-new Hama “Combo” Photo Scanner, the new card reader will be on display at IFA 2011 in Berlin.

Hama has just announced a new scanner that allows users to quickly digitise their 10x15cm or smaller prints as well as their collection of negatives. The Hama “Combo” Photo Scanner scans a 10x15cm print in five seconds at 300ppi, and is able to digitise a film strip of six frames in ten seconds at 1200ppi. The resulting digital photos can then be transferred to a PC or digital photo frame, or saved to SD memory cards or Memory Sticks. The suggested retail price of the Hama “Combo” Photo Scanner is €89. The product will be on display at the IFA trade show in Berlin.

MacPhun has released a major update to FX Photo Studio for iOS. Version 4.0 adds new effects, a new look and integration with Instagram, and introduces “Masking Studio” - a tool which allows users to apply any of 194 effects selectively to any part of the image. FX Photo Studio 4.0 is available now on iTunes for $1.99.

Kenigart has released Camera PRO+ for iPhone 4. Claiming that its app uses “special photo improving math algorithms”, the Kaliningrad-based company has packed ten photo effects into the program, which also comes with a simple and easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI) that’s fully optimised for the Apple iPhone 4. Camera PRO+ for iPhone 4 is available on iTunes for $2.99.

Lomography has launched two new black-and-white emulsions in 35mm format. The Lomography Earl Grey B&W 100, available in a 3-pack, is a finely grained ISO 100/21° speed film, while the Lomography Lady Grey B&W 400, also sold in packs of three, is an ISO 400/27° emulsion for low-light or action photography. Both films are claimed to offer a wide tonal range and high resolution. The Lomography Earl Grey B&W 100 sells for £12.90, while the Lomography Lady Grey B&W 400 is available for £14.90 per 3-pack from the Lomography Online Shop.

To popularise the new Lumix G3 compact system camera, Panasonic has launched a campaign entitled ‘Small Camera, Epic Shots’ which enlists the talents of two UK professional photographers. David Eustace heads to Yosemite National Park, while urban photographer Will Cooper-Mitchell explores the bustling New York City to find out for themselves how the camera performs in two very different and visually stimulating environments. Devised by creative agency Brave, the campaign will feature on television, in print, online and in store and breaks on the 15th July.

Update: Click through / scroll down to view the New York City TV spot.

Dutch software developers VeprIT has released an iOS-optimised version of their Photo Sense application. Originally developed for Mac OS, Photo Sense is billed as “a powerful tool for quick and easy photo enhancement”. The iOS version enables users to improve pictures taken with the built-in camera, or they can enhance one that is already present in the photo library. The app even allows them to compare the modified image to the original before saving. PhotoSense is available now on iTunes for $1.99.

Kenko-Tokina has announced that the release of the Tokina AT-X 17-35mm f/4 Pro FX wide zoom lens has been postponed. Blaming defects found in mass-produced component parts, the company says it has suspended production of the lens, and pushed back its market launch to the end of August for the EF-mount version and September for the F-mount variant (pictured).

Source: Kenko-Tokina

Leica has announced a range of adapters for the Leica S2 medium-format DSLR camera. The Leica S-Adapter V can be used for Hasselblad V System lenses, the Leica S-Adapter P67 for the Pentax 67 system lenses and the Leica S-Adapter M645 (pictured) for the lenses of the Mamiya 645 system. “As a result of being able to use third-party lenses on the Leica S2, photographers now have access to a wider selection of additional lenses, further increasing the S-System’s flexibility,” the company said in a statement. “Furthermore, photographers who already own lenses from the aforementioned systems can now use them on the Leica S2.” The UK suggested retail price of the Leica S-Adapter (all versions) is £525 including VAT.

Nikon U.S.A. has issued a service notice to owners of the Nikon Coolpix L23 digital compact camera (read review). The company says that “in some rare cases, when the batteries are inserted, or the AC Adapter EH-65A is connected, even with the camera turned off, excessive heat is generated in the top portion of the camera, which sometimes causes the top cover to become deformed”. To determine if your camera is affected, you need to contact Nikon Customer Relations on 1-800-645-6687, 8am to 2am (Eastern) and provide the camera’s serial number.

Source: Nikon

Olympus Japan has announced the Olympus TG-615 digital compact camera. Based on the existing Olympus TG-610 water-, shock- and freezeproof camera model, the new TG-615 adds a new filter / shooting mode, and comes with a modified (probably improved) image stabiliser on board. That aside, the main specs appear unchanged, including the 14-megapixel CCD, 28-140mm equivalent zoom lens and of course the tough water-, shock- and freezeproof body. We have received confirmation from Olympus that the TG-615 is a Japan-only model.

Imagine Publishing and Samsung are joining forces to launch the fifth annual Digital Photographer of the Year (DPOTY) awards.  The format of the awards for 2011 will see a brand new competition category launched in each issue of Digital Photographer Magazine. There will be six photographic categories in total, including Landscapes, Portraits, Action/Sports, Wildlife/Nature, B&W and Creative Expression. Each category winner will receive a Samsung NX100 and two lenses. The runners up for every category will each receive a Samsung WB700 camera. The overall winner will scoop a Samsung NX11 plus a 20-50mm, 16mm pancake, an 85mm lens and a flashgun. For all the details on how to enter, look out for Digital Photographer issue 111 on sale now or check out the website below.

Olympus has issued a firmware update for the Olympus SZ-20 digital compact camera. Version 1.1 improves the “reliability of zoom positioning when power is turned off”, as Olympus puts it. You can download the firmware upgrade from within the Olympus Digital Camera Updater software, with the camera connected to your PC via USB.

Review: Read our in-depth review of the Olympus SZ-20 digital compact camera

Crowdbooks, a new platform that combines crowdfunding with photo book publishing, has officially launched. The concept is built on a model that brings together talented photographers and supporters of the arts with a quality-focused independent publisher. “Crowdbooks will create a passionate community wherein the artists and investors work hand-in-hand to bring a new photo book to life,” says Crowdbooks founder Stefano Bianchi. “For would-be investors, the Crowdbooks platform offers them an compelling opportunity to both support the arts and have a hand in the success of a photographic artist and the resulting book. The investors literally become a part of the book.” Crowdbooks currently features two projects and there are many more in the line-up for the upcoming weeks.