The Sony A580 and A560 are two new DSLR cameras that can both shoot Full HD movies. The 16.2 megapixel A580 and 14.2 megapixel A560 also offer up to 7fps shooting, an articulating 3 inch LCD, ISO 25,600, 15-point phase-detection autofocus system, in-body sensor shift image stabilisation, 3D Sweep Panorama, Auto HDR and Multi Frame Noise Reduction. The new Sony DSLR-A580 and DSLR-A560 digital SLR cameras will be available from October 2010 for £650-700 and £550-600 respectively. In the US only the A560 will be released, with the 18-55mm kit lens costing about $750, with the body only costing about $650.

Canon have developed a new 120 megapixel CMOS sensor that can shoot at 9.5fps and record Full HD movies. Nearly 7.5 times larger and offering a 2.4-fold improvement in resolution when compared with Canon’s highest-resolution commercial CMOS sensor of the same size, the 120 megapixel APS-H-size sensor has 13,280 x 9,184 pixels. The imaging area of the newly developed sensor measures approx. 29.2 x 20.2 mm. No word yet on exactly what Canon intend to use the new sensor for…

Mamiya, Phase One and Profoto have just today announced the Phase One/Mamiya V-Grip Air, the first vertical grip with a built-in wireless flash trigger. The wireless flash triggering system is an out-of-the-box solution that works with all current and most modern Profoto flash systems. It is also possible to leverage the wireless flash triggering with other flash brands by using an optional receiver unit from Profoto. Additionally, the new V-Grip offers owners of Phase One and Mamiya 645DF cameras more shooting styles, and delivers longer camera battery life through power integration and easy firmware upgrades. The Phase One/Mamiya V-Grip Air for Phase One and Mamiya 645DF camera systems is priced at $1290/€990. An L-bracket/handstrap standalone package is available for $299/€229, while the Profoto transceiver costs $199/ €149.

Carl Zeiss will present new lenses and, for the first time, accessories at Photokina. The “application island” at the booth in Hall 2.1 will allow visitors to test the entire line of Carl Zeiss lenses using a number of real subjects. In addition to the entirely new Zeiss lenses, guests will also be able to use Sony lenses featuring Carl Zeiss technology. Zeiss’ other partner, Nokia, will also present its latest smart phones at the booth, featuring Carl Zeiss optics.

Nikon has released an update for Capture NX. Version 2.2.5 adds support for raw files produced by the Nikon D3100 DSLR, fixes bugs and implements changes to Picture Control Utility specifications. The Macintosh version also adds compatibility with Mac OS X version 10.6.4.

Website: Nikon Capture NX 2.2.5 for Mac
Website: Nikon Capture NX 2.2.5 fot Windows

The Ricoh G700 is a new 12-megapixel dust- and waterproof digital compact camera. Announced today in Japan, the Ricoh G700 has a 28-140mm equivalent 5x zoom lens and is waterproof down to a depth of 5m for up to 2 hours, shockproof up to a height of 2m (even when powered on), and offers grade 6 dust protection according to the JIS/IEC standard. In addition to that, Ricoh says the G700 is protected against certain chemicals including ethanol and hypochlorous acid. Other highlights include a 3-inch LCD screen with automatic brightness adjustment and a resolution of 920K dots, an electronic level gauge, and a wide array of security functions including password protection and support for Sandisk’s WORM (Write Once, Read Many) cards. The DW-5 wide-angle attachment as well as the new AC-5c mains adapter and SC-700 soft case are available as optional extras. Available from 10th September, the ruggedised Ricoh G700 camera will cost 99,000 yen in Japan. There is no word on international pricing.

Website: Ricoh G700 Product Announcement (in Japanese)

Jessops, the only UK retailer to offer the Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD in September, is now taking pre-orders for the lens. The VC abbreviation in the product name stands for “Vibration Compensation” - so it is an optically stabilised lens -, whilst the USD designation indicates that the lens has an Ultrasonic Silent Drive auto-focus motor, which also enables full-time manual focus override. The the Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD utilises an advanced optical design that features an LD (Low Dispersion) and an XLD (Extra Low Dispersion) lens element made from specialised materials that prevent chromatic aberration. The Tamron SP 70-300mm lens is available to pre-order now at jessops.com for £429.99.

This is your last chance to become a Red Bull Reporter at the Red Bull Illume event in Dublin. All your travel and accommodation expenses will be paid for, and it’s a great chance to see a different city, attend a high-profile photography exhibition and awards ceremony, and gain exposure through getting your work showcased here on Photography Blog.

Kodak today unveiled a 10-inch version of its Wi-Fi enabled, touch-sensitive digital photo frame, Kodak Pulse. With all the features of Kodak’s current 7-inch Pulse digital frame, including Wi-Fi connectivity and a customisable email address, the 10-inch Pulse frame allows pictures to be e-mailed to it from mobile phones, computers and any device with e-mail capability.It also connects to Facebook and Kodak Gallery photo albums, offers easy set-up with no software to install, and has an intuitive touchscreen interface. Available this autumn, 10-inch Kodak Pulse digital frame will retail for £169.99.

Kodak today introduced the Kodak Playtouch pocket sized digital video camera. Featuring a 3-inch capacitive touchscreen, digital image stabilisation and on-camera editing functionality, the Kodak Playtouch can record 1080p Full HD videos and 5-megapixel stills, and save them on SD and SDHC memory cards. A Share Button allows users to easily upload photos and videos to Facebook and YouTube, while a built-in USB arm provides for easy file transfer and battery charging. The Kodak Playtouch digital video camerawill be available this autumn in Smoke Gaze (Black), Chrome, Cabana (Orange) and Spa Blue (Teal) for £199.99 including an HDMI cqable and rechargeable Lithium-ion battery.

The Kodak Easyshare M590 is claimed to be the world’s thinnest digital camera with 5x optical zoom. Equipped with a 14-megapixel imager and a 35-175mm equivalent internally stacked zoom lens, the Kodak easyshare M590 measures just 15mm on its thinnest side. Other highlights include optical image stabilisation, HD video capture, face recognition, a 2.7-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 230,000 dots and a share button for easy upload to sharing sites like Kodak Gallery, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube. Compatible with microSD and microSDHC memory cards, the Kodak Easyshare M590 digital compact camera will be available this autumn for £169.99.

Nikon has posted a number of sample images taken with the new 24-120mm, 28-300mm, 55-300mm and 85mm lenses. There are 5 sample photos captured with the AF-S 24-120mm f/4G ED VR, 5 shots taken with the AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, 2 images photographed with the AF-S DX 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR and 5 photos shot with the AF-S 85mm f/1.4G.

Website: Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm f/4G ED VR Samples
Website: Nikon AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Samples
Website: Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR Samples
Website: Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.4G Samples

Redrock Nano is a new range of accessories and rigs for video DSLR cameras. Designed for low-cost entry level, photojournalism/documentary, and discreet shooting applications, Redrock Nano are manufactured to precision professional standards, and can be easily upgraded to more advanced rigs as needed. The Redrock Nano line of products consists of 7 new rigs and 5 new accessories, with prices generally under $495.

The Sanyo VPC-PD2BK is a new Full HD pocket-size dual camera. Offering 1920x1080 30p video recording, 10 megapixel stills, and 3x optical zoom, the VPC-PD2BK also has two microphones on the sides of the camera that record stereo sound. The Sanyo VPC-PD2BK will be available for purchase in September for $169.99,

The Metz mecablitz 58 AF-2 Digital is a replacement for the mecablitz 58 AF-1, upgraded with a new stable metal base, an optimised lock system, a revised motor zoom mode and an improved high-performance flash tube. Additionally, the Metz mecablitz 58 AF-2 digital offers servo flash release functionality via the integrated camera flash which is also compatible with cameras without master function. The slave/servo sensor has been integrated into the front of the flash unit to increase the transmission quality of wireless flashes. The wide-angle diffuser has also been adapted for illumination of wide-angle focal widths from 12mm (in 135 format). The flash has an integrated flip-out reflector card and a USB interface for installing firmware upgrades. The suggested retail price of the Metz 58 AF-2 Digital is €399.00 / £369.99.

Successor to the Metz mecablitz 48 AF-1, the mecablitz 50 AF-1 Digital flash incorporates numerous enhancements. The guide number has been increased to 50 (in metres) at ISO 100/21° and 105mm focal length. Performance and reliability have been further optimised through improvements to the flash tube. Moreover, the Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 Digital has been equipped with a servo flash release via the camera’s internal flash which also works independently of the camera’s master function. Finally, the wide-angle diffuser has been adapted and is now even suitable for illumination of wide-angle focal lengths from 12mm (in 135 format). There are different versions of the Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 flash available for Canon, FourThirds, Nikon, Pentax and Sony cameras. The suggested retail price is €249.00 / £229.99.

Ricoh has posted five official sample photos taken with the newly announced Ricoh CX4 digital compact camera. The pictures - which were all taken at a sensitivity of ISO 100/21° - include a landscape, a macro, a portrait, a still life and a night landscape. You can download the photographs from the website below.

Website: Ricoh CX4 Samples

Want to see exactly what the new Nikon D3100 DSLR camera looks like in the flesh?

Here are 20 hands-on product shots of the entry-level Nikon D3100, including the HD video mode in action - click through to view the gallery.