Fujifilm has posted a firmware update for its Finepix X100 large-sensor digital compact camera. Version 1.01 fixes a bug related to ISO sensitivity bracketing. Specifically, if the images were shot with ISO bracketing when “Quick Start Mode” was set to “ON”, and you turned off the camera, it could not be turned on again. The new firmware resolves this issue. You can download the update from the website below.

Website: Fujifilm

The Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) has honoured the Olympus E-5 with its “Best Expert DSLR” award, while the Olympus XZ-1 has been deemed the best expert compact. The Olympus E-5 (pictured) is a weather sealed digital SLR camera featuring a robust magnesium alloy body, large and bright viewfinder, ultra-fast 11-point auto focus system, self-cleaning 12-megapixel sensor, high-resolution articulated LCD monitor, in-body image stabilisation and HD video capture. The Olympus XZ-1 is a 10-megapixel premium compact camera boasting an ultra-bright 28-112mm equivalent f/1.8-2.5 zoom lens, a high-resolution 3-inch OLED screen and a 1/1.63 inch CCD imager with sensor-shift image stabilisation.

Panasonic scooped up three TIPA awards this year. The Lumix DMC-FT3 / DMC-TS3 has won the accolade of “Best Rugged Compact Camera”, the Lumix DMC-GH2 (pictured) has received the “Best Expert Compact System Camera” award, while the Panasonic Gold Pro SDHC UHS-I memory cards have been named 2011’s “Best Imaging Storage Media”.

Ricoh has just released a free Android/iPhone app called EventJot, which allows users to quickly “build” events that anyone can add photos and comments to. The app only requires a Twitter account and a smartphone, and it tweets pictures and comments in real time - an easy way of promoting outings to a wider audience. Events that include pictures and comments are then available anytime on the web through a unique address. The app is available now on iTunes and the Android Market.

Eka Technologies have announced the FotoSpot and FotoMapr geo-tagging peripherals for Nikon, Canon, Sony, Panasonic, Ricoh and other digital cameras. FotoSpot ($249-$329) provides consumers with an easy-to-use, inexpensive way to add the photo location and shot direction to images created with virtually any digital camera. Photos geotagged with FotoSpot can then be uploaded to a computer via USB and used with any of today’s popular PC, Mac and Internet photo mapping software. The professional FotoMapr is a cost-effective way (starting at $269) for advanced photographers to geotag - and even annotate - images for use in their mapping platforms. Both FotoSpot and FotoMapr are available in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and hard-wired versions. For stockist information, visit the website below.

Olympus has issued a firmware update for the Olympus XZ-1 digital compact camera. Version 1.2 adds a new menu item, “Picture Orientation”. Given that the camera’s orientation sensor might not always be able to correctly recognise if an image was taken in portrait or landscape orientation, users will now have the ability to specify the orientation of any given image in Playback mode simply by a turn of the click-stop dial. The user-defined picture orientation is then saved in the EXIF. You can update the camera firmware from within the Digital Camera Updater software, while the XZ-1 connected to the computer.

Via Photoscala

Olympus UK has reduced the price of the Olympus PEN E-PL1 compact system camera to £299.99. Announced slightly over a year ago, the Olympus E-PL1 hit the shelves at a price of £549.99 - thus, the new price is £250 less than what early adopters had to pay for it at launch. You can also buy the camera in a twin-lens kit for £449.99. This bundle includes the camera body plus the M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm L f/3.5-5.6 standard zoom and the M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4-5.6 telephoto zoom lenses, the latter of which we recently reviewed.

Review: Read our in-depth review of the Olympus PEN E-PL1 camera
Review: Read our in-depth review of the M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4-5.6 lens

Sony has won two awards from the Technical Image Press Association. The company scooped up the TIPA award for best imaging innovation for its SLT technology, whilst its Handycam NEX-VG10E interchangeable-lens video camera has won the accolade of “Best Expert Camcorder”. Sony’s SLT technology is used in the Sony A55 and A33 cameras, and it will also be at the heart of the upcoming Sony A77. The Sony Handycam NEX-VG10 (pictured) is a Full HD camcorder that has an APS HD CMOS sensor and takes Sony E-mount lenses (as well as A-mount lenses with the LA-EA1 mount adapter).

Canon has won four awards from the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA). The Association has found the Canon EOS 600D (read review) to be the best entry-level digital SLR camera released in the past 12 months, awarded the Best Superzoom Camera title to the Powershot SX230 HS (pictured), honoured the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L II USM lens with the “Best Professional Lens” award, and hailed the Pixma MG8150 as the best multifunction photo printer.

Two Epson printers and an Epson scanner received TIPA awards this year. The Epson Stylus Photo R3000 won the title, “Best Expert Photo Printer”, the Epson Stylus Pro 4900 was announced the “Best Large Format Printer”, while the “Best Photo Scanner” award has been scooped up by the Epson Perfection V330 Photo (pictured).

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.