The Fujifilm Z900 EXR is a new addition to the fashionable line of Z-series compact cameras. The Z900 EXR has a 16 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor, a 5x wide angle lens (28-140mm equivalent), full 1080p HD movie capture and a widescreen 3.5 inch touch-screen LCD. Available in May 2011, the Fujifilm FinePix Z900 EXR will be available in black, red, pink and blue and retail for $279.95 / £219.

Want to see exactly what the new Nikon D5100 DSLR camera looks like?

Then check out our hands-on photo gallery of the Nikon D5100, a new mid-range DSLR camera that offers 16 megapixels, a 3 inch tilting LCD screen, 1080p movies and a range of special effects. We have 34 photos of the Nikon D5100 and the ME-1 stereo microphone.

At yesterday’s UK press launch, Nikon gave an insight into their ranking within the UK market and the thinking behind the new D5100 DSLR. Nikon were the number 1 DSLR brand for March in the UK, with five D3100s sold every hour. Here are the slides from the press presentation, which provide some detailed information on the features and positioning of the D5100.

The Nikon D5100 is a new 16 megapixel DSLR camera. Featuring improved vari-angle screen, special effects mode and full 1080p HD movies, the Nikon D5100 has the same DX-format 16.2 megapixel CMOS sensor as the D7000, with an ISO range of 100-25600. Other key features of the D5100 include an 11-point AF system, High dynamic range mode, Active D-Lighting, 4fps burst shooting, and seven different special effects for stills and movies. The D5100 will be available from 21st April for £669.99 / $799.95 / €777 body only or £779.99 / $899.95 / €904 with the 18-55mm VR kit lens.

The Nikon ME-1 is the company’s first stereo microphone. The unidirectional ME-1 microphone offers crisp, clear sound with no unwanted operational noise. The ME-1 is equipped with a vibration reduction mechanism that suppresses unwanted operational noise which can come from autofocus. The Nikon ME-1 will be available from 21st April for £119.99 / €139.00.

Lomography has announced three new cameras inspired by Japanese culture. “When conceived, these cameras were meant to commemorate Japan’s Golden Week,” Lomography said in a statement. “Now, the cameras have taken on a whole new meaning; they have become a way to help a community with a lot of work ahead of them.” By purchasing one of these cameras, you contribute to a donation of €20,000 to the Red Cross Relief Japan. All three models can be pre-ordered in the Lomography Online Shop or at the Lomography Gallery Stores.

Lensbaby has just announced the Lensbaby Composer Pro, which looks a lot like the Lensbaby Composer but features a metal swivel ball and a refined focus mechanism for professional performance. Compatible with the Lensbaby Optic Swap system, the Lensbaby Composer Pro delivers “ultra-smooth focus and tilt control”, and comes in Canon, FourThirds, Nikon, Pentax and Sony mounts. Available now in the Lensbaby Store for $300 with a double-glass optic or $400 with the new Sweet 35 optic.

HireACamera has announced the launch of a new hire range consisting of Micro Four thirds and Sony E mount cameras, camcorders, lenses and accessories. Compact system cameras for hire include the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 and GH2, and the Sony NEX-5. Additionally, a range of lenses from Leica, Olympus, Panasonic and Voigtländer are available for hire for the Micro Four Thirds mount. The range of Sony E-mount lenses is restricted at present, but further lenses will be added as and when they are launched, the company says. For more information, visit the website below.

According to Nikon, the total production of Nikkor interchangeable lenses for its SLR cameras reached 60 million this March. As the 55 millionth Nikkor was manufactured in August 2010, this means that Nikon produced no less than 5 million lenses in barely more than half a year. Many of these were completely new lenses launched in Fall 2010, such as the AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR (read review), the AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4G, (read review), or the AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR (review coming soon).

During the NAB Show in Las Vegas from April 9-14, 2011, Carl Zeiss will introduce an attractive bundled lens set for its SLR lenses. The set contains the following lenses with F (ZF.2) or EF bayonet (ZE): Distagon T* 2,8/21, Distagon T* 2/28, Distagon T* 2/35, Planar T* 1,4/50 and Planar T* 1,4/85. The five lenses come in a special waterproof case (IP67), custom-made for this set. A special inlay ensures that each lens fits perfectly inside the suitcase and protects the lenses from shock and vibration. The new SLR lens set will be offered at a recommended retail price of €4562 excluding VAT, and will be available starting May.

The Seagate GoFlex Slim drive, billed as the world’s slimmest portable external hard drive, is now available through the manufacturer’s website and at retail. Equipped with a 7200RPM drive and a USB3.0 interface, this 9mm thin, 2.5” drive has a storage capacity of 320GB, and allows for use on both Windows and Mac computers, interchangeably, without formatting or performance loss. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $99.99.

TLPro’s “Stage Zero” is an affordable time-lapse photography solution that combines a motion rail of up to 2 metres in length with a controller for precision movement and triggering your camera. The rail system can be mounted on any standard tripod, while the controller supports “all popular makes and models of camera”, the company says. Moreover, the controller is fully user upgradeable via USB with built-in support for a secondary axis motion system due for release as an upgrade later this year. The “Stage Zero” system has a complete series of training videos featuring how to setup, operate, and finally produce time-lapse videos and is priced at £699.

HolgaDirect has launched an updated version of its popular Holga Lens for Canon and Nikon DSLR cameras. This is a low-cost plastic 60mm f/8 lens which, once mounted to a Canon or Nikon digital SLR camera, enables digital photographers to closely reproduce the characteristic Holga look associated with Holga medium-format film cameras. The updated version has soft-focus properties and produces more Holga-like vignetting. Several conversion lenses including the Holga Wide Angle Lens, Holga Telephoto Lens, Holga Close-Up Lenses and Holga Macro Lenses can be added for more creative effects. The Holga Lens for digital SLR cameras is available in Canon and Nikon fit at a price of $24.99. Pricing for the add-on conversion lenses ranges from $13.99 to $16.99.

Adore Noir is a new fine art photography magazine available exclusively in digital format. The first, 97-page issue features high-quality black-and-white photography by “six photographers with six very unique styles”, says editor Chris Kovács. The six photographers include Dominic Rouse, Scott Speck, Richard Vanek, Patrick Gonzales, Steve Gosling and Carolyn Hampton. The photographs are accompanied by a variety of articles, essays and interviews. Adore Noir can be downloaded as a PDF for $2.95 from the website below.

Website: Adore Noir

Lowepro today announced the launch of a new shoulder bag series, the ILC Classic; purpose-built to address the growing number of photographers with compact system cameras. The ILC Classic 50 fits a camera with its attached kit lens and a spare memory card. The ILC Classic 100 (pictured) fits the camera with lens, plus an additional lens and flash and two extra memory cards. Both shoulder bags are available in black.

White Knight Press has announced a new guidebook with the title, “Photographer’s Guide to the Canon PowerShot S95”. It explains all operations, features, menus, and controls of the camera in clear language, providing guidance not only about how to accomplish things with the camera, but when and why to use certain features.The book’s more than 170 colour photographs provide illustrations of the camera’s controls and menus, and also include examples of the various types of photographs that can be taken using the many creative settings available. Available now as a PDF e-book for $9.95, the “Photographer’s Guide to the Canon PowerShot S95” will also be sold as a 256-page paperback for $24.95.

Flip Video has announced an update to its FlipShare software, and launched a suite of FlipShare Mobile apps for Android, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The FlipShare software, which comes with every Flip video camera, now has enhanced video sharing capabilities - including FlipShare Groups, a new and social way for consumers to share video more securely. The mobile apps allow users to share up to five mobile videos and/or photos at once to Facebook, YouTube or Twitter, post a comment with the click of a button, and include a set of built-in filters let users quickly navigate and organise their video library.

The winners of the March 2011 Photography Blog Competition have been announced. The theme for March was “Weddings” - you can view all of the entries in this gallery. Here are the 5 winners:

1st Place
Happy Bride by Isabelle Bouvier-Whittaker

Prize: X-Rite ColourChecker Passport
Kindly donated by X-Rite
http://www.xritephoto.com/