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.

Urban Wordscapes is a new website featuring wordscapes - picture-story combinations that convey the author’s impressions about a city. Started by two native San Diegans who love art and travelling, Urban Wordscapes features stories of cities that are inspired by photographs from city travels. “No matter how visually attractive (or complex), a picture is still a static representation of an event,” the founders say. “A written story takes the reader through time and space, but lacks visual appeal. A wordscape combines the best of both worlds – a compelling visual image attached to a gripping story.” The site is interactive, allowing you add your own photos and stories to its ever-growing collection of wordscapes.

Website: Urban Wordscapes

Intro 2020, the UK distributor of Tamron photographic equipment, is launching a new promotion on the Tamron 18-270mm PZD travelzoom (pictured). Those purchasing the lens from an authorised Tamron stockist in the UK or Ireland between tomorrow and 15th September can claim a pair of Steiner Safari 8x22 binoculars worth £99. Additionally, the company is launching an online game called Tamron Island, which allows you to put your photography skills to the test – there is a selection of prizes to win every month from now through to the end of December. For details on the promotion and the game, visit the websites below.

The Association of Photographers (AOP) has announced a retrospective celebrating the exceptional work by the industry’s elite over the past 27 years. On the opening night of the exhibition (27 July) a raffle will be held, giving three lucky visitors a chance to win a print from the exhibition. The retrospective, which highlights the changes seen in the photographic industry since the eighties, also marks the closure of the AOP Gallery at Leonard Street. AOP will continue to curate exhibitions, the first of which will be the 28th Photographers Awards Exhibition, which will open at the end of September at Ambika P3, University of Westminster.

In collaboration with National Geographic Traveler, Fotopedia has launched Above France, a new iPad/iPhone app that will help you discover beautiful places in France from a bird’s-eye view. Billed as “a love letter written with a camera and a helicopter”, the Above France app showcases “the most spectacular abbeys, beaches, bridges, castles, cliffs, fortifications, geometric landscapes, harbors, islands, lakes, lighthouses, mountains, rivers, quaint villages, waterfalls, windmills” etc., many of which are found in remote and hard-to-access locations. In celebration of France’s Bastille Day, today and tomorrow you can get the app - which normally sells for $2.99 on iTunes - for $0.99.

World famous travel and landscape photographer David Noton will be headlining this year’s Masters of Vision Exhibition at Southwell Minster. As part of this biennial celebration of photography, David’s ‘Chasing the Light’ show will showcase in the Minster on Saturday 30th July (8.30pm start). The show includes David’s latest unpublished photographs, video clips from shoots around the world and the stories behind some of his most iconic images. Tickets for the ‘Chasing the Light’ show are priced at £15. The Masters of Vision Exhibition itself, which introduces the work of several emerging British landscape photographers, opens to the public on 30 July 2011 and runs until the end of August. Entry to the exhibition is free.

The new Niko is Chrome’s first professional camera bag. 15.5” wide x 9” high x 6.25” deep, the Chrome Niko has a single strap with the signature Chrome seatbelt buckle release that doubles as a bottle opener, a cross-chest load stabiliser and a top grab handle. The customisable main compartment holds an SLR camera with lenses, flash and other accessories, while your tripod can be carried safely courtesy of Velcro straps on the outside. Featuring a weatherproof Cordura outer shell, the Chrome Niko sells for $95. Coinciding with this product launch, Chrome has also announced the This is My City photography competition, which challenges photographers to submit a photo of their favourite coffee spot, park, hidden gem, dive bar etc. in their home town to chromebags.com for a chance to win a Chrome Niko bag and a Nikon D3000 digital SLR camera. The deadline for entries is 12pm PST on 25th July. For more information, head to the website below.

Pentax has just announced the launch of a limited-edition Pentax 645D camera kit. Called the Pentax 645D Japan, this kit features a beautiful, red lacquer-finished 645D camera body, which is made to order and is delivered in a specially designed paulownia-wood packaging. The exclusive lacquer finish not only gives the camera an elegant, exquisite appearance, but also enhances the camera’s durability, Pentax says.  Orders for this special kit can be placed during a two-month period from 20th July 20 to 20th September through one of Pentax’s preferred suppliers in the UK. American customers will be able to pre-order the kit on the Pentax Web Store. The product will be delivered within “four months or more” from the receipt of the order. For more details, visit on of the websites below.

USRobotics today introduced the USR8420 All-in-One USB 3.0 Card Reader/Writer, which features dual SD card slots plus one Compact Flash, one Memory Stick and one for SmartMedia. The reader/writer supports all new card formats including SDHC with UHS, CF with UDMA, SDXC, and MSXC cards — including the separate SD slots making it convenient for families with more than one camera or professionals with multiple cards.  The plug-and-play device is also hot swappable and its USB cable can be removed for easy storage or portability. The new USRobotics USR8420 All-in-One USB 3.0 Card Reader/Writer is currently available at retail prices starting at $39.99.

The Freelancer’s Online Marketing Blueprint is a new, free e-book from PhotoShelter. The 53-page e-book includes step-by-step practical tips on how to generate inbound website traffic through SEO, social media platforms and blogs, building a successful leads list for email marketing, and the benefits of pay-per-click advertising. The guide also includes insights on optimising websites to increase conversion of visitors to paying clients, and how to efficiently manage time and allocate marketing budgets. The e-book can be downloaded from the website below.

Oliver Cameron Publishing has announced the release of a free PDF Wedding Posing e-book with 50 images, each accompanied by a short description. The book is a continuation of the gallery contained in the highly popular print book Wedding Photography - A Guide to Posing (pictured). It is sized to fit on an iPad but as it is a PDF, it is viewable on virtually all computers and smart phones, and can even be taken to weddings.

Website: Increased Knowledge

PicasaTweet by LappdevV is an iOS app that lets you keep control over the photos you want to share with your friends and the world via Twitter. Photos you take or select from your phone are automatically uploaded to Picasa. The app allows you to keep control because photos are only added to your own Picasa albums, and you can decide later which ones you would like to share with the world via Twitter or other channels. PicasaTweet is free, and there is a Pro version available for $1.99.

Website: LappdevV

Hama has introduced a new addition to its DCC System: the IR Light Sensor Remote. This light /motion sensor is now the fourth type of remote release in the DCC system, joining cable, radio and timer remote shutter releases. Its main areas of use include sports and wildlife photography. The product consists of a transmitter and a receiver, the latter of which connects to the camera via an adapter cable that matches the brand of your camera. The transmitter has to be set up opposite - and at the same height as - the receiver. Both can be mounted on a tripod courtesy of integrated tripod sockets. The remote is priced at €99.00, with extension cables available for €14.99 each.

Timed to coincide with the exhibition, Eyewitness: Hungarian Photography in the 20th Century, Metro has announced the opening of submissions for the Eyewitness abstract, fashion, portrait and street photography competition. Each category is based upon an individual photographer from the Royal Academy’s exhibition: Brassaï for his classic portraits, Capa for street photography, Moholy-Nagy for abstract photography, and Pécsi and Munkácsi for fashion photography. The competition will be judged by leading figures in the fields of photography and journalism: Colin Ford CBE – Curator of Eyewitness exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, Jon Levy – Editor of Foto8, Steve Macleod – Creative Director of Metro Imaging and Laurence Earle - Executive Editor of the Independent on Sunday. The closing date for entries is 26th August. The overall and category winners will be announced 9th September.

The Nikon AF-S DX Micro Nikkor 40mm f/2.8G is a new, affordable 1:1 macro lens for use on Nikon DX digital SLR cameras. Weighing in at approximately nine ounces, the extremely compact and lightweight lens has a minimum focusing distance of just 0.53 feet (6.4 inches). For fast and quiet autofocus operation, the new Nikon 40mm Micro lens also features Nikon’s exclusive Silent Wave Motor technology that allows full-time access to manual focus. The Nikon AF-S DX Micro Nikkor 40mm f/2.8G employs Nikon’s Close-Range Correction System in which the lens elements are configured in a “floating” design wherein each lens group moves independently to help achieve critical focus. Additionally, Nikon’s Super Integrated Coatings are applied to help reduce instances of lens flare and ghosting. The Nikon AF-S DX Micro Nikkor 40mm f/2.8G will be available in August for an estimated selling price of $279.95 / £249.99 / €290.

Sony has introduced its first-ever range of external hard drives. The Sony HD-PG5 series of 500GB portable drives feature USB 3.0 connectivity, and even if you’re connected via USB 2.0, the pre-loaded Data Transfer Accelerator software promises to double effective transfer rates. The supplied USB adapter cable also allows easy ‘PC-free’ transfers of video footage from compatible Handycam camcorders with Direct Copy function, including the new DCR-SX21E and DCR-SR21. PlayStation 3 users can connect the hard drive via USB and view stored AVCHD videos and photos via the ‘Filmy’ application – again with no PC needed.One of the models, the Sony HD-PG5U, can even be hooked up to a compatible Sony Bravia HDTV set. The drives are available from mid July 2011 in United Kingdom, France and Germany only.

The Sony Handycam DCR-SX21E is an easy-to-use standard-definition digital camcorder with 57x optical zoom and SteadyShot image stabilisation. New to entry-level Handycam models, Intelligent Auto mode recognizes up to 18 different scene combinations – from portraits and landscapes to night views. Focus, exposure, colour and other settings are adjusted automatically in this mode.. Menus and settings are adjusted via a joystick next to the flip-out 2.7” Clear Photo LCD. A conveniently-placed button switches on the built-in LED video light to illuminate indoor scenes or night-time shots. The Sony Handycam DCR-SX21E will be available from early September 2011. Pricing to be confirmed.