The Sigma APO 70-200mm f2.8 EX DG OS HSM has won a TIPA award for being the best “expert” lens in 2011. Announced a year ago, the Sigma APO 70-200mm f2.8 EX DG OS HSM lens contains two of the company’s new “F” Low Dispersion (FLD) glass elements and comes with optical image stabilisation as well as a HyperSonic Motor for quiet auto focus. Constructed of 22 elements in 17 groups, the lens has a filter thread size of 77mm and has an iris diaphragm with 9 rounded blades for smooth bokeh. Like most Sigma lenses, the APO 70-200mm f2.8 EX DG OS HSM is available for a number of different SLR systems, including Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sigma and Sony/Minolta.

Nikon won two TIPA awards this year, one for the Nikon D7000 digital SLR camera, and one for the Nikon Coolpix P300 prosumer compact. The Nikon D7000 (read review) has been named the best advanced DSLR in 2011, while the P300 (read review) has won the accolade of Best General Compact Camera. “The Nikon D7000 impressed us as the definition of a state-of-the-art DX-format DSLR,” the jury said. On the P300, they commented: “[T]his camera gives excellent image quality even in dim lighting conditions.”

The Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) has named the Pentax 645D the best professional DSLR camera in 2011. Pentax’s medium-format digital SLR was singled out because of the camera’s exceptional image quality, excellent reliability and outstanding operability. The 645D offers approximately 40 megapixels of resolution, 77-segment metering, in-camera raw development, a digital level indicator, an autofocus system with 11 sensor points, a robust body, dual memory-card slots and a large, bright viewfinder. The Pentax 645D body is available for £8999.00 in the UK and $9995.95 in the US.

Lastolite is launching a new range of lighting kits and accessories. The Lastolite Joe McNally range includes the Joe McNally UpLite Kit (£170, pictured), which is similar to the standard Lastolite UpLite ‘cool tone’, but has the added extra of including a 2 stop diffuser panel; the Joe McNally Skylite Kit (£290), which contains a standard Lastolite 1.1m x 1.1m aluminium frame plus a new ‘slide on’ 2 stop diffuser panel and a telescopic crossbar assembly; and new versions of the Ezybox softbox (£100), the TriFlash (£65) and the TriGrip (£130).

The Samsung W200 is a pocket-sized, waterproof Full HD camcorder featuring a 5-megapixel CMOS imager. With a bright f/2.2 lens and a tough body that’s waterproof down to a depth of 3 metres, the Samsung W200 is especially well-suited to capturing underwater videos and stills. The lens also features anti-fog coating that lets steam disperse so you always have clear, blur-free videos and pictures even straight after coming out of the pool. The 1300mAh battery provides enough power for up to two hours of continuous recording. The Samsung W200 Pocket Cam will be available from May at a recommended retail price of $159.

The Samsung ST93 is a new 16 megapixel compact camera. Featuring a 26mm, 5x zoom lens with optical image stabilisation, the ultra-slim ST93 has a range of smart filters, frames and in-camera panoramas. The Samsung ST93 will cost £129.99 and be available in June.

Fujifilm UK has announced that the Fujifilm FinePix HS20 is now available at retail. The Fujifilm FinePix HS20 is a new 30x super-zoom digital camera with a new 16-megapixel EXR CMOS sensor, 8fps high speed continuous shooting, fast auto focus, a 360° motion panorama mode and Full 1080p HD video with stereo sound. The camera is available now for £399

Billed as the first dedicated iPad 2 camera app, Camera Boost offers a a range of effects that are applied in real time to the live view feed as well as the photos captured. Utilising the full potential of the iPad 2’s A5 processor, Camera Boost allows users to mix and match a large number of effects at the same time. The app supports both the front and the rear camera, and comes with a built-in photo album with an image viewer. You can also share the photos via Facebook, Flickr and email. Camera Boost 1.0 is available now on iTunes for $2.99.

Hasselblad has announced the formation of a new Special Applications Department. With an initial focus on aerial photography, this new department represents a new initiative by Hasselblad to go further in developing products and solutions to meet the needs of photographers working in special fields. As Benny Buchtrup, Global Special Applications Manager, explains, “We at Hasselblad take pride in manufacturing solutions for our customer’s needs and with the Special Applications Department, we are counting on ideas from Hasselblad users to move beyond our current product line-up into specialised photographic fields.”

Photography for Kids is a new title from Rocky Nook. This fun guidebook introduces children between the ages of 8 and 14 to the world of digital photography. Readers will learn how to choose interesting subjects, compose strong, creative images, operate a digital camera, transfer image files to a computer and print their favourite photos. The 160-page hardback is available now for pre-order, priced at $24.95. There is an electronic version too, which is available now as a PDF download, for $11.95.

Magix has just released PhotoStory on CD & DVD 10, a slideshow editor for Windows. This program allows you to import photos and videos, transform them into multimedia slideshows, and automatically burn them to disc with a DVD menu. ou can enhance and correct poor-quality snapshots in a non-destructive manner, and add suitable background music, effects and personal text. New features in version 10 include a range of new decorative elements and animations, simplified use with a new user interface, a new export assistant for all common presentation purposes, advanced options for individual zooms and camera pans and more. Magix PhotoStory on CD & DVD 10 is available now from Amazon for £39.99.

iStockphoto is partnering with the World Photography Organisation (WPO) as a major sponsor of The London Festival & Sony World Photography Awards. With daily photo shoots, portfolio reviews by iStockphoto inspectors, and educational seminars and workshops, iStockphoto is helping the WPO bring the art and business of photography to the audience of festival-goers. In addition, iStockphoto will host the official awards after-party at Somerset House. From 2-6 May, an event called iStockalypse London will take place, featuring by-invitation-only street and studio workshops and one-to-one photo editing and review. Morning seminars will be followed by shooting assignments, where “iStockers” will head to the studio, or into the streets, to apply new learnings. Canon will also be in attendance to showcase equipment and run education sessions.

Rawstudio 2 is an open-source program that reads and manipulates RAW images. After three years in development, Rawstudio 2 includes full DNG Color Profile support, better image quality, and a new image decoder. Rawstudio is currently tested and available for multiple Linux based platforms, with Windows, MacOS X and FreeBSD versions to be available in the future.

From 5-19 May 2011, the Londonewcastle Exhibition Space will present the first major solo show from photographer Shaniqwa Jarvis. ‘This Charming Man’ is a selection of intimate portraits inspired by men who have interested and affected the artist. Shot in London, LA, and New York, these images explore how these “Charming Men” have shaped their creative and living environments within the various confines of dwelling spaces. The Londonewcastle Exhibition Space is located at 28 Redchurch Street, London..

The Art of Photography Show, an international photo exhibition which will take place 13 August through 16 October 2011, is now open for entries. According to the rules, anyone in the world may submit images for consideration. You may submit photographs taken digitally or on film, as well as montages, photograms and mixed media, as long as they are in JPEG format and are at least 1500 pixels wide (but no larger than 3000 pixels on the longer side). The deadline for entries is 11:59pm PDT on 17th May. Note that entry fees apply. A total of $10,000.00 in awards will be provided to the top-rung artists, with the overall winner receiving $2,000. Interested readers can register at the website below.

In celebration of 50 years of conservation history, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has announced its first-ever photo contest. Starting on Earth Day, 22 April 2011, the competition allows you to enter up to 15 photos of wildlife, wild places and people connecting with nature for a chance to win a trip for two on Natural Habitat Adventures’ Classic Polar Bear Photo Adventure and have your photo published by WWF. The submission deadline is 17 June 2011. Note that this competition is open to adult residents of the US only. As always we recommend that you read the rules before entering your work.

Polish photographer Dariusz Majgier has embarked upon an interesting project called Street Portraits of Strangers. He regularly walks up to complete strangers on the streets of Warsaw, and asks for permission to take their portraits in order to create a unique gallery, a photographic record of urban fashion in the 2010s. “Street portraits are intoxicating,” Majgier says. “This time roles reverse and instead of being hired by clients, this is me who has the privilege of picking those who just have that something and would agree to be photographed.” To learn more, visit the project’s website via the link below.

Website: Street Portraits of Strangers

Blurb has just announced that the 2011 Photography Book Now (PBN) competition is open for entries. Now in its fourth year and featuring a $25,000 grand prize, this international-juried competition celebrates the very best in self-published photography books and the photographers behind them. There are 3 main categories, including Documentary, Fine Art and Travel, plus a Student category for up-and-coming photographers. Entries will be accepted through 3pm PDT (10pm GMT) on 14 July 2011, at the website below.