From 28 October, Sony UK will offer customers ‘VAT Back’ across its product range including Cyber-shot compacts, Alpha DSLRs, NEX system cameras, as well as larger purchases ahead of the forthcoming UK VAT rise in January. The campaign will run until Christmas Eve and feature a wide range of high street retailers such as John Lewis, Tesco Extra, M&S Home, Jessops, PC World, Amazon, Comet, Currys and Argos, as well as independent outlets and Sony Centres. For consumers to benefit from the offer the full price of the item is payable in-store then shoppers have until 31 January 2011 to claim the VAT cash back from Sony on purchases made between 28 October and 24 December.

Cazenove+loyd has teamed up with Leica UK to launch a new Travel Photographer of the Year competition for 2011. Each month from January to December 2011, photographers will be asked to submit up to five photographs taken in one of cazenove+loyd’s three areas of expertise – Africa+Indian Ocean, South+South East Asia and Central+South America. The 12 winning entries, one from each month, will be shown at an exhibition in Central London in early 2012.  The cazenove+loyd Leica Travel Photographer of the Year will be announced at the opening of the exhibition and will win a Leica X1 digital camera and accessories, plus a Leica X1 Akademie Workshop at Leica’s facility in Mayfair. Entries for January 2011’s monthly prize can be uploaded now on cazenove+loyd’s re-designed website.

Website: cazenove+loyd

Lomography has introduced the Sprocket Rocket, billed as the very first camera dedicated to sprocket hole photography. By including the sprocket holes found along the edges of every 35mm film roll, the Sprocket Rocket camera takes pictures with a unique look. Additionally, the Lomography Sprocket Rocket features a reverse gear which allows the photographer to move back and forth between the frames with two convenient scrolling knobs to enable taking multiple exposures on the same frame. Outfitted with a 30mm lens that has a somewhat wider-than-expected angle of view thanks to the larger-than-standard (72x35mm) frames recorded (although it does vignette noticeably), the Lomography Sprocket Rocket has a recommended retail price (RRP) of £79.

The new Fantasea FL-22 is an underwater housing for the Nikon Coolpix L22 digital compact camera. Depth rated to 60 metres / 200 feet, the Fantasea FL-22 housing provides photographers with access to all camera controls and functions. The housing consists of double O-ring seals on all controls, anti-glare hood over LCD screen, removable flash diffuser and a 46mm threaded lens port, designed to be compatible with a wide range of lens accessories. The FL-22 underwater housing costs $240.95 and is also available in a bundle with the Nikon L22 camera for $325.95.

The Pro Line Apollo 300 and Apollo 180 Creative Kits, which were announced last month, are now available in the UK. The Pro Line Apollo 180 Kit is perfect for those who are new to photography, while the Apollo 300 kit is for those with a larger studio area, or who simply want more power. The Apollo 180 and 300 Creative Kits are available for £299.99 and SRP £499.99 respectively.

Redbot Software has today announced Time Lapse Photo Journal Express 1.0 for iPhone and iPod touch. Time Lapse Photo Journal Express allows users to create Photo Journals of their lives, and then play back the photos they take over the weeks, months or years, as Time Lapse video slideshows. The app is free and available through the App Store in the Photography category.

Website: Time Lapse Photo Journal

Western Digital has introduced a new Full HD media player called WD TV Live Hub. The device features a 1TB built-in network hard drive and two USB ports, and allows users to stream videos from home network drives with a DLNA/UPnP server such as the recently announced WD My Book Live. The new WD TV Live Hub media centre also offers unique Facebook integration, which lets users upload photos and videos, share their status, view their wall and get the latest newsfeed from their network of friends. MSRP for the WD TV Live Hub media center is $199.99

Ricoh has announced the imminent release of the second function-enhancing firmware update for the Ricoh GXR system. The update contains no less tha 11 function enhancements, including the addition of 3 handy magnification ratios for the focus check function, spot AF and macro AF area selection, EXIF 2.3 support, auto noise reduction, a focus limiter for the GR Lens A12 50mm f/2.5 MACRO module, and faster autofocus, among other improvements. The firmware update will be posted tomorrow.

Website: Ricoh GXR Firmware (available from 27 October 2010)

Adobe has just posted the new Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) 6.3 and Photoshop Lightroom 3.3 Release Candidates. Both release candidates contain various bug fixes, and add raw file support for 8 new cameras, plus lens profiles for 10 Canon and 22 Nikon lenses and Sigma’s large-sensor compacts. Note that the ACR 6.3 Release Candidate has been designed to work with Adobe Photoshop CS5 and is not available for any version of Photoshop Elements.

Website: Adobe Camera Raw 6.3 RC
Website: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3.3 RC

Colour Confidence today announced the addition of the Cobra line to its booq range of bags. Each Cobra bag is crafted from black, water repellent ballistic nylon and is trimmed with genuine Nappa leather inside and out. All buckles and loopholes are reinforced with durable gunmetal hardware. King Cobra cases are highly functional solutions for the frequent traveler who needs the freedom to carry a laptop, iPad and documents, while the Cobra Courier XS is a sleek iPad bag boasting a blend of functionality and luxurious design. The entire booq bag, backpack and iPad skin range is available now direct from the Colour Confidence website.

Steve Davey and Better Travel Photography are launching two new travel photography tours for 2011. Impressions of Laos & Cambodia departs from Bangkok, Thailand, on 6 April 2011, and explores two of the most photogenic countries in South East Asia over 15 days. Top destinations include Vientiane, Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang and Angkor Wat. Impressions of Ladakh starts in Delhi, India, on 25 July, before flying up to Leh the high-altitude capital of Ladakh. Participants will visit an eclectic mix of fertile valleys, mountains and ancient monasteries, as well as the remote Tso Moriri Lake and the atmospheric town of Manali. The first tour costs £1645, the second £1595 per person, excluding flights to and from Bangkok and Delhi, respectively.

OmegaBrandess has announced the exclusive distribution in the United States of the b-grip line of camera belt grips. The b-grip is an SLR support whose base attaches to the photographer’s waist belt (or to the belt provided), while the quick-release plate attaches to the camera tripod socket. As a result, the b-grip’s broad base spreads the weight of the camera making it comfortable to wear. The b-grip can soon be found at photo specialty stores across the US. For a list of dealers, visit the website below.

JP Distribution, the exclusive UK distributor for Westcott has announced the 28“ Apollo Kit. Aimed at strobists who use hotshoe-mounted flash units, the Westcott 28” Apollo Kit is simple to use, and quick to put up and take down. The unique design allows for the flash to either be bounced towards the back of the Apollo for a soft, indirect light source, or directly through the front diffusion panel for more spectacular highlights. The Kit includes the 28“ Apollo, Shoe-mount Umbrella Bracket and Stand, and retails for £135.

Announced at the end of last month, the new TriGrip Difflector from Lastolite is now available in the United Kingdom. Marketed as the world’s first dual-purpose reflector panel, the Lastolite TriGrip Difflector can be used as a diffuser and a soft silver bounce reflector. The TriGrip Difflector also features the unique TriGrip moulded handle for accurate positioning of the reflector with just one hand. Available in three sizes, the TriGrip Difflector costs £48.00-78.64 including VAT.

Blurb is hosting a 12-day pop-up event in London from 3-14 November. Providing workshops and seminars from internationally acclaimed photographers, this 12-day event will kick-off on 3rd November with the Photography Book Now Gala, an exhibition of the winning portfolio books from this year’s competition. Workshop sessions include portrait photography and bookmaking, tips for taking better travel photos, and inspirational talks from Daisy Gilardini, Martin Hartley and Peter Marlow. To RSVP, visit the website below.

In 2011, Marrakech’s Riad El Fenn will host a series of short creative workshops, including a five-day travel photography course.. Former Travel Photographer of the Year, Karoki Lewis, whose photographs have appeared in Harpers & Queen, Conde Nast Traveller and The Independent, will take guests to the hidden corners of the city as well as the Atlas Mountains and a number of Berber villages to practice their skills. The workshop takes place from 31st January to 4th February. The cost is £1,065 per person including board and lodging. For further information contact Riad El Fenn in Morocco on 00212 524 44 1210.

Barely Exposed is a new book by photographer Latana, who has photographed and surveyed 60 ethnically diverse young adults around the world. “I asked them to be half-dressed because I did not want them to hide behind their clothing,” says Latana. “It was important for me to capture the vulnerability in their faces. Half-dressed, they were all the same…half child, half adult, and yet completely different individuals.” Signed copies of the book are available via the author’s website for $40.

ACD Systems International has launched the beta test version of ACDSee Pro 4. The company expects thousands of professional photographers to participate in the ACDSee Pro 4 beta period and provide feedback in the development process, similar to the 10,000 testers who helped shape the current version. Specifically, user feedback is needed on Metadata Working Group compliance, the workflow-accelerating tools,geotagging and map viewing features, vignette and chromatic aberration correction and so on. ACDSee Pro 4 beta testing is available at the website below.