The Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 2/28 ZE is a new wide-angle lens for the Canon EF mount. With a maximum aperture setting of f2, it is among the most light-intense of its kind in its focal length. Following the recent introduction of its two ultra-wide-angle lenses, the Distagon T* 3,5/18 ZE and the T* 2,8/21, the new Distagon T* 2/28 ZE is Carl Zeiss’ first “moderate” wide-angle lens for the EF mount. Thanks to the Carl Zeiss T* anti-reflective coating and meticulously crafted lenses, the new Distagon T* 2/28 ZE is claimed to deal effortlessly with reflections and stray light. The Distagon T* 2/28 ZE will be available starting this autumn for a suggested retail price of €965.55 (excluding VAT).

One of the largest and most prestigious international underwater photography and video competition series celebrates its five year anniversary this year. The unique competition series was founded by professional underwater photographers Jason Heller & Eric Cheng and hosted by popular websites DivePhotoGuide.com and Wetpixel.com. The series is held in association with two leading scuba diving expos on opposite sides of the world, simultaneously - Our World Underwater, now in its 40th year, and one of the largest consumer scuba diving expos in the US, and DEEP Indonesia, the first and only scuba diving and watersports expo in Indonesia, one of the most bio-diverse marine ecosystems in the world. Participants will compete in technical, themed and video categories, to win more than $80,000 in prizes including premium dive travel, underwater photo and video equipment, scuba diving gear and more. For more information, visit the website below.

Website: Underwater Competition

The six category winners of the Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest have been announced. The photographers are now in the running for the “ultimate” grand prize: a trip for two to the Galápagos Islands accompanied by a National Geographic expert and the chance to see their photo grace the pages of National Geographic magazine in an ad for Energizer® Ultimate Lithium batteries. In August, 12 photos were selected as Category Finalists by Jim Richardson, a National Geographic photographer and the judge for the “Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest.”  Then America was asked to go online to nationalgeographic.com/lithium to vote for a favourite in each category.  After four weeks of voting, the following were named Category Winners: Ruston Agte for “Polar Bear Swimming” (Animals/Wildlife), Tracy Hagen for “Light Shaft Shines on Sea” (Nature), Glenn Traver for “Boardwalk and Ocean” (Travel), Frederick Abels for “Sultry Porch and Cloud Reflections” (Weather), Bernardo Medina for “Boy and Boats” (People and Cultures) and “Peddling Bicycle in Wind” (Inspiration/Keep Going). To see the winning photos, head to the website below.

Website: National Geographic / Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest

Jessops has announced the launch of the new and exclusive to Jessops Fujifilm Finepix F72EXR camera. The Fujifilm Finepix F72EXR is a 10 megapixel, 10x optical zoom camera featuring Fuji’s EXR technology, which has been previously featured in the F200EXR, and uses the sensor in three different ways to optimise resolution, dynamic range or low-light performance. The F72EXR appears to have much the same feature set as the F70EXR we recently reviewed, though it comes with a slightly different finish.

The Polish distributor of Samyang lenses, telescopes and filters has announced a delay in the production of the Samyang 14mm f/2.8 IF ED MC Aspherical lens. The news release found on the company’s website states that the delay is due to a partial redesign of the lens, as well as some unspecified “further improvements”. The Samyang 14mm f/2.8 IF ED MC Aspherical lens, which we first wrote about a few weeks ago, is an ultra-wide manual-focus lens whose imaging circle is large enough to cover a full frame on 35mm film or a similarly sized imaging sensor. Samyang originally planned to release the lens this November, in Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony/Minolta versions, and the Samyang Poland site even published an MSRP of 999 zloty (about $360). The new release date is the first quarter of 2010.

Website: Samyang Poland

HotPrints is offering one free photo book every month per person to all Facebook users. The HotPrints Facebook application allows users to create 16-page, personalised photo books with drag-and-drop simplicity.  The application features multiple photo book themes including travel, family and more.  Each book is completely customisable and comes in two languages – English and Italian. In addition to the current offer, every new user who downloads the HotPrints application receives their first photo book for free, including shipping and handling. Also, every user who refers 10 friends will receive another HotBook completely free.

Camera Bits has announced the launch of its new camerabits.com website, the introduction of its improved Photo Mechanic user manual and the October 22, 2009 general availability of Photo Mechanic version 4.6.2.  The launch of Photo Mechanic 4.6.2 will coincide with PhotoPlus Expo in New York City from 22 to 24 October. The new camerabits.com will have a library of video tutorials, helpful for both beginners and professionals alike, detailed feature / function descriptions and screen captures. It will also serve as the home of the improved Photo Mechanic user manual, which incorporates several new sets of instructions, tips and techniques.

Billed as “the largest documentary project of all time”, Week of Life is a Czech-American initiative that aims to build a “photo archive of humanity”. The basic building block of the project is the period of one week in the life of an individual, who captures each day of the week in nine photographs taken throughout the day. The idea was inspired by the book One Year of My Life in 3285 Pictures by photographer Adolf Zika, published in cooperation with Leica. Zika set a goal of documenting one year of his everyday life in nine photographs a day. Three years after the publication of the book, the idea evolved into the Week of Life project. Every participant who contributes with his or her week thereby becomes an original piece in a neverending mosaic of human originality and uniqueness and a co-author of the whole documentary project, a gigantic photographic library of humankind in the 21st century. To learn more, visit the website below.

Website: Week of Life

From October 9-12, Nikon will sponsor 100 promising young photojournalists in upstate New York for the 22nd Eddie Adams Workshop, also known as “Barnstorm.” At the workshop, students will have the opportunity to use Nikon’s professional digital SLR camera system, as well as the new D300s (pictured above, and recently reviewed here on PhotographyBLOG). Nikon technical experts will also be available onsite to offer advice and guidance. Barnstorm participants will benefit from the experience and advice of legendary professional mentors such as Bill Eppridge, Stacy Pearsall and Tim Rasmussen. In addition to sponsoring the Barnstorm, this is the sixth year that Nikon will award a $10,000 scholarship to the top student from the Barnstorm XXII Workshop. A panel of judges selects a student based on the work he or she presents during the workshop. The scholarship money must be used by the winning student to further his or her education in the photographic arts field, and will be applied towards their tuition and/or housing at the college of his or her attendance.

The Yashica EZ F521 is a new, retro-styled digital camera featuring a 43mm equivalent prime lens. The pared-down Yashica EZ F521 has a 1/2.5” type 5-megapixel CMOS sensor, a 2.4” TFT LCD screen, a 43mm equivalent f/3 lens with two focus settings, 1.5m to infinity and a “macro” setting for subjects between 20-40cm from the sensor plane. The electronic shutter offers shutter speeds ranging from 1/2 second to 1/500 second, while the ISO range is unknown and not user controllable. The camera runs on 3 AAA type batteries and records images (as well as VGA-resolution videos) on SD and SDHC cards. The price is 7980 yen in Japan.

Via Engadget | 1001noisycameras

Induro have just announced a new line of tripods, monopods and heads, claiming that their design team came up with “new designs from top to bottom”. The redesigned spider has a wider stance, reinforced cross braces and is machined out of high-strength magnesium alloy. Changes in the leg lock make locking and unlocking the legs fast and easy. And, each leg angle has allegedly been selected for maximum performance. The new Induro Carbon Fibre 8X CT-Series tripods are claimed to be the “strongest, most stable tripods ever offered”, while the Induro AT-Series aluminium alloy tripods promise uncompromising quality, strength and durability at a reasonable price. Plus, Induro also offers new carbon fibre and aluminium alloy monopods that have up to twice the load capacity of earlier models. Finally, Induro have also announced new heads, including the BHD-Series dual-action ballheads with an Arca-Swiss style quick release plate system, and the all-new Induro Gimbal Head, designed for long and heavy telephoto lenses.

Website: Induro

Professional photographer John Freeman has announced the launch of John Freeman Photours, a comprehensive range of educational photographic tours and workshops that offer the chance to benefit from the knowledge and success he has gained during his 40-year career. Starting in January 2010, John Freeman Photours will offer photographers of all levels unique, educational photographic tours in the UK and abroad. A diverse range of London-based studio workshops will also be available from January 2010 for those wanting to discover more about the professional approach to studio working methods. Anyone that requires further information or would like to make a booking should call 0800 298 8190.

Fashion and portrait photographer Irving Penn died yesterday at the age of 92. Originally schooled in drawing and painting, he became famous for post World War II glamour photography and portraiture. One of his most famous shots is a tightly-cropped portrait of Pablo Picasso but, as The New York Times notes, “his subjects were usually shown whole, apparently enjoying a splendid isolation from the real world”. Superior compositional skills, a penchant for clarity and creative use of light were the cornerstones of his style. In 1950, he married one of his models, Lisa Fonssagrives, and the two remained faithful to each other until Lisa’s death in 1992.

Website: Obituary in The New York Times

The Eye-Fi wireless SDHC memory cards will soon be available in the United Kingdom. The launch date is 19 October 2009.  Eye-Fi cards allow users to take photos and videos anywhere (like their existing memory card) and automatically upload their photos and videos as soon as the camera is within range of the user’s Wi-Fi network. Three Eye-Fi cards will be available in the UK: the Eye-Fi Home Video, the Eye-Fi Share Video and the Eye-Fi Pro. These Eye-Fi cards will range in price from £49.99-£119.00 depending on model.

Sigma has just issued a firmware update for the Sigma DP2 large-sensor digital compact camera. Version 1.03 addresses the issue of intermittent camera freeze-ups, and improves the accuracy of auto white balance (AWB). The firmware update can be downloaded from the website below.

Website: Sigma DP2 Firmware Update Page

Rocky Nook has just released a new title, ‘Mastering Digital Panoramic Photography’ by Harald Woeste, who takes the reader on a tour from the basics of capturing panoramas, all the way through stitching, editing, and printing panoramic images. Topics covered include a history of panoramas and panoramic cameras, shooting technique and equipment, stitching methods and software, output methods and case studies of indoor and outdoor panoramas. The 160-page book, ‘Mastering Digital Panoramic Photography’, is available for $34.95 / £26.99.

Minox has just announced the ultra-compact Minox DC 1044, a ten-megapixel digital camera featuring a 35-105mm equivalent Minoctar zoom lens and a large, 3-inch rear screen. Other features include electronic image stabilisation, face recognition and smile detection. Photos are stored on SD cards or in the 32MB internal memory. The Minox DC1044 draws power from a removable Li-ion battery and comes bundled with an ever-ready case. The camera will become available this month at a recommended retail price of €119.

Germany’s largest-circulation women’s magazine, Brigitte, has decided to use amateur models only for its photo spreads and features, as of 2 January 2010. Under the initiative “Wihtout Models”, the magazine is encouraging its own readers to sign up for a photo shoot. “We want to illustrate fashion and beauty by showing women who are not subject to the often perverse laws of the modelling business,” the magazine’s editors said. Interested readers should send a self-portrait and a full-length photo of themselves via the form below (the form is in German, but applications are accepted from other countries too).

Website: Brigitte Amateur Model Application Form