Fujifilm has announced the development of the Fujfilm GF670W Professional, a new medium-format rangefinder camera with a wide-angle lens. Similarly to the existing Fujifilm GF670, the new GF670W uses 120/220 format roll film and features 6x6 and 6x7 dual-format shooting. Unlike that camera, though, it has a 55mm f/4.5 lens instead of an 80mm f/3.5. Fujifilm says it has received “numerous requests for the production of a series of medium-format wide-angle cameras”, and the GF670W Professional is the company’s response to these requests. Like the GF670, it features a coupled rangefinder, an electronically controlled leaf shutter Aperture Priority and Manual exposure modes, central-weighted average TTL metering and +/-2EV exposure compensation in 1/3EV steps. A prototype will be on display at Photokina 2010. No pricing information has been given but if the GF670 is any indication, the Fujifilm GF670W won’t be cheap.

Website: Fujifilm press release

The new Kodak Professional Portra 400 is claimed to be the world’s finest grained 400 speed colour negative film. Available in 135, 120/220 and 4x5” formats, the new film incorporates Kodak Vision Film Technology, plus Antenna Dye Sensitisation in the cyan and magenta emulsion layers to achieve its fine grain structure. Retaining the natural skin tones and remarkable colour reproduction the Kodak Portra line has always been noted for, the new Kodak Professional Portra 400 utilises optimised Emulsion Spectral Sensitivity and Image Modifier Chemistry, Kodak’s Proprietary DIR Couplers and Micro-Structure Optimised T-Grain Emulsions, resulting in a finely-grained negative that is easy to scan. Kodak says the new film replaces the existing Kodak Professional Portra 400NC and 400VC film offerings, meaning these emulsions will be discontinued.

Judith Stenneken, a professional photographer from Berlin, Germany, was awarded the $25,000 Grand Prize in the third annual Photography Book Now competition for her photography book, “Last Call.” The book features pictures Ms. Stenneken captured at the historic Tempelhof Airport in Berlin between February and October 2008. The airport, which was an important lifeline for residents of West Berlin during the Cold War, shut its doors for the last time on 31 October 2008. “Ms. Stenneken’s work stood apart as this year’s Grand Prize winner,” said Darius Himes, lead judge, Photography Book Now. “Her photographs combine a rigorous, large-format camera aesthetic with a quieter sensibility.”

The Canon Powershot G12 is a new premium compact with a high-sensitivity 10-megapixel CCD imager and a vari-angle LCD screen. Featuring a 28-140mm equivalent zoom lens with hybrid image stabilisation, the Canon G12 boasts features like a new front dial, multi-aspect shooting, raw image capture, a High Dynamic Range mode, 720p/24fps HD movie capture and an electronic level. The Powershot G12 is also compatible with a new optional Lens Filter Adapter, which extends with the lens when using the zoom to offer full coverage throughout the zoom range. The Canon Powershot G12 will be available from early October 2010, priced at £539.00 / €649.00 / $499.99.

The 14-megapixel Canon Powershot SX30 IS is the world’s first camera with a 35x zoom lens. Sporting a 24-840mm equivalent lens with optical image stabilisation, the Canon Powershot SX30 IS provides full manual control, HD movie recording and a 2.7” vari-angle LCD screen and flash hot shoe. The lens construction comprises multiple special lens elements including an Ultra-low Dispersion (UD) element as well as a Hi-UD element, compensating for light aberrations while maintaining high image quality across the entire zoom range. Supporting both SDHC and SDXC memory cards and Eye-Fi connected functions, the Canon SX30 IS will become available in late September / early October priced at £449.00 / €549.00 / $429.99.

Want to see exactly what the new Samsung NX100 mirrorless camera looks like in the flesh?

Here are 38 hands-on product shots of the Samsung NX100, including a look at both new i-Function lenses and the electric viewfinder, external flash and GPS module - click through to view the gallery.

Want to see exactly how the new Samsung NX100 mirrorless camera compares to some of its key rivals?

Here are 25 hands-on product shots of the Samsung NX100 and some of its main rivals, including the Panasonic GF1, Olympus E-PL1 and Samsung’s own NX10 - click through to view the gallery.

The Samsung NX100 is a new mirrorless camera equipped with the world’s first i-Function lens. The intuitive i-Function button on the lens allows users to control the NX100 by scrolling through manual settings (shutter speed, aperture, EV, WB, and ISO) and using the focus ring to change parameters for each setting. The NX100 also has a lens priority mode, selecting scene options optimized for the lens being used. The Samsung NX100 shares the same 14.6 megapixel APS-C size sensor, dust reduction system and 3-inch AMOLED screen as the NX10. In addition it boosts the ISO speed to 6400 and adds 720p HD movies and a range of smart filters.

At launch the NX100 will be joined by a new compact zoom 20-50mm F3.5-5.6 lens and an Electronic Viewfinder (EVF10), Flash (SEF15A) and GPS tracker (GPS10), and shortly afterwards a small and light 20mm f/2.8 wide angle Pancake lens. Two additional specialized lenses will be made available in the first half of 2011 - a 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens (July) and 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Super Zoom lens (April). To expand the lens line-up even further, three more lenses will be introduced by the second half of 2011. The i-Function feature will be made available for the NX10 as a firmware upgrade.

The Samsung NX100 will be available in black, white and brown and will cost £449.99 (tbc) with the 20-50mm kit lens.

Olympus Japan has posted a few full-resolution sample images captured with the new Olympus E-5 digital SLR camera. Two of these were shot using the Zuiko Digital ED 50mm f2 Macro lens (one with the EC-14 teleconverter), whilst a third was captured using the Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 SWD, a High Grade zoom. This last photo is a demonstration of the all-new Dramatic Tone Art Filter which, according to Olympus, “generates a virtual HDR image with just one shot”. The photographs were taken at ISO 200/24° and ISO 400/27°.

Website: Olympus E-5 Samples

The Olympus E-5 is a new dustproof, splashproof DSLR camera designed for extreme photography. The successor to the E-3, the Olympus E5 features a 12.3 megapixel High Speed Live MOS sensor, TruePic V+ engine, a 3 inch VGA Swivel LCD, 5fps sequential shooting IS0 6400, 720p HD Movies, and 1/8000th second high-speed shutter speed. The Olympus E-5 will be available from October 2010 for €1,699.

Phase One today updated its raw conversion and image editing workflow software, Capture One. Version 5.2 improves tethered performance and adds enhanced support for Leaf, Mamiya and Nikon digital camera systems. Additionally, the new release improves colors and tone response as well as consistency for the following Nikon camera models: D3s, D3x, D3, D2x, D700, D300, D300s, and D90. Capture One 5.2/5.2 PRO is a free service release to existing Capture One 5.x/5.x PRO owners.

Website: Phase One

Mute is an upcoming exhibition of haunting dog portraits by Martin Usborne at East London gallery theprintspace. The collection consists of eight large-scale prints of dogs looking out of car windows. theprintspace’s Cathy Eck said, “This exhibition is an unusual treat for dog lovers and photography fans alike, with a really impressive collection of images. The mournful look in the dogs’ eyes really stops you in your tracks, a must-see.“ The exhibition opens on 21 October 2010 and runs until 9 November.

Panasonic have teamed up with Channel Five for the advertiser-funded programme commission How To Take Stunning Pictures. Each programme in the six-part series focuses on a different theme; portrait, action, celebration, landscape, holidays and animals. Photography master classes will be provided by Martin Parr, Harry Borden, Tim Flach Emily Quinton, Bob Martin and Charlie Waite. The series will be sponsored by Lumix, Panasonic’s range of photographic cameras and will also be available to view on Panasonic’s IPTV service Vieracast. The programme launches tomorrow at 7.30pm on Channel Five with Episode 1: Portrait.

Website: How to Take Stunning Pictures

The winners of the Red Bull Illume 2010 Image Quest were unveiled at a stunning exhibition in Dublin. We teamed up with Red Bull Reporter to send aspiring photo-journalist Mike Gamble over to capture the action and tell the story of the ceremony, which took place inside the historic grounds of Trinity College. Click through to read his report and see some of his photographs.

This is the latest assignment from Red Bull Reporter, the programme from Red Bull that sends aspiring writers, photographers, filmmakers and presenters to interview talent and go behind the scenes at music, culture and sports events all over the UK and beyond. Find out more at www.redbullreporter.com

Eye-Fi is celebrating its fifth anniversary by announcing a new developer programme to expand its digital connectivity platform. “Looking back five years, Eye-Fi’s founders recognized the need for a solution that has already helped people back up, organise or share more than 100 million memories,” said Jef Holove, President and CEO of Eye-Fi. “ We have since created an ecosystem of seven camera partners and 45 online services that enrich those personal memories and the introduction of the Developer Programme is our response to the growing interest from application developers.” To sign up for the programme, simply follow the link below.

Website: Eye-Fi Developer Programme

DxO Labs have announced the availability of 99 new DxO optics modules for DxO Optics Pro. Providing extra lens support for Canon, Fuji, Nikon, Pentax and Sony DSLRs, the new optics correction modules are listed at the website below.

Website: 99 New DxO Optics Modules

Fantasea Line has announced an underwater housing for the Nikon P7000 digital compact camera. Featuring a double O-ring seal and a special mount for accessories, the Fantasea FP7000 housing is shock resistant, depth rated to 60m/200 feet and is fully functional with ergonomically designed and labelled controls. Availability is slated for early 2011.

The Panasonic AG-AF101 is an interchangeable-lens digital video camera that takes Micro Four Thirds lenses. Demonstrated to attendees at the Panasonic stand at IBC, ahead of its introduction to the market in December, the Panasonic AG-AF101 has a Four Thirds MOS sensor optimised for HD video recording. The camera can record video in Full HD (1080i/p)/720p formats including 1080/24p native mode with Full HD Variable Frame Rate function. The video can be recorded on SDXC memory cards in professional high quality PH mode (up to 24Mbps). Two SD card slots allow relay recording from one card to another to give large recording capacity of up to 12 hours in PH mode or 48 hours in HE mode. The Panasonic AG-AF101 will be released in December at a recommended retail price of €4,900+VAT.