Avanquest Software has released Avanquest SendPhotos, a new tool that enables photography enthusiasts to organise an entire photo collection online. This tool has three components, Avanquest SendPhotos Mobile, Avanquest SendPhotos PC and Avanquest SendPhotos Web. The software is currently in beta mode, and is available as a free download. Additionally, users get 1GB of online storage space at no extra cost.

Ricoh have issued a firmware update for the Ricoh CX1 compact digital camera, which earned a ‘Highly Recommended’ rating in our recent review. Version 1.16 has corrected a part of the information on a file in the MPO / JPEG format to comply with the Multi-Picture Format and fixed the following bugs:

•  If you take pictures with M-Cont. Plus, an MP file may be recorded with missing a partial frame(s).
•  In Focus Bracketing, a self-timer feature may not work properly.

Website: Ricoh CX1 Firmware Update Page
Review: Read our in-depth review of the Ricoh CX1

The Photron Fastcam SA5 - allegedly the world’s fastest high-speed camera, which can shoot 7,500 frames per second at a resolution of 1,024x1,000 pixels - will be exhibited and demoed at the National Broadcasters Association Show. Held in Las vegas, NV, the NAB Show will take place between 18 and 23 April. The Photron Fastcam SA5 has a new CMOS sensor which can shoot at 7,500fps at full resolution, and even faster at reduced resolution settings. Photron even quote a dazzling one-million-frames-per-second shooting speed, although a quick glance at the product sheet reveals that this latter figure is valid only at a resolution of 64x16 pixels.

Corel have announced a limited-time special offer on Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 (standard version). UK users can now purchase a license for £29 including VAT, instead of £47.50, a saving of £18.50. The offer is valid until 30 April for purchases made via the Corel website.

Website: Paint Shop Pro Photo X2

Pentax have released a firmware update for their top-of-the-line DSLR, the Pentax K20D. Version 1.03 is claimed to improve the accuracy of the Shake Reduction (SR) apparatus. Shake Reduction is the Pentax approach to sensor-shift image stabilisation.

Website: Latest Pentax K20D Firmware Update
Review: Read our in-depth review of the Pentax K20D

Olympus have issued a firmware update for the Olympus E-3, their flagship professional DSLR. The company claims that version 1.4 improves the auto-focus performance of the camera (without specifying exactly which aspect of AF performance gets a boost).

Website: Olympus Firmware Updates
Review: Read our in-depth review of the Olympus E-3

Allegedly, Leica is finalising a new, limited-edition version of its digital rangefinder camera. Luxist has it that an all-white Leica M8 - or, more probably, M8.2 - is on its way to become available in “extremely limited” numbers. There is no info on pricing yet, but if the olive green Leica M8.2 Safari Edition is anything to go by, expect it to cost at least double the price of the standard all-black version (which isn’t exactly the cheapest digital camera on the planet to begin with).

Website: Special Edition All-White Leica M8 At Luxist.com

Update (15 April 2009): photoscala reports that the Leica M8 White Edition will cost €7,000 in a bundle with a silver-coloured Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 wide-angle lens, and should be available from mid-June.

Rocky Nook has published a new photography technique book, entitled Photographic Multishot Techniques. Written by Jürgen and Reiner Gulbins, Photographic Multishot Techniques is a hands-on guide to exciting multishot practices like High Dynamic Range imaging, super-resolution, stitching and depth-of-field extension via focus stacking. Throughout the book, the authors use tools such as Photoshop, PhotoAcute, Photomatix Pro, FDRTools, CombineZM, DOP Detail Extractor, and Helicon Focus to illustrate the workflow with detailed, step-by-step instructions. The price of the book is $34.95 in the USA, £26.99 in the UK and €28 in the euro zone.

Corel have announced the imminent release of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 Small Business Edition. This edition allows small businesses and start-up companies to install the software on three individual systems at a significant discount over the combined MSRP of three individual licenses. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 Small Business Edition will go on sale tomorrow, at an RRP of £399 excluding VAT.

Nik Software have announced that their Silver Efex Pro software is now compatible with Lightroom 2.3. This comes after a similar announcement concerning Color Efex Pro, another program by the same manufacturer. Silver Efex Pro features Nik Software’s patented U Point technology to selectively apply enhancements without the need for any complicated masks or selections. Furthermore, Silver Efex Pro offers you a collection of 18 emulated black-and-white film types. All current owners of Silver Efex Pro for Photoshop or owners of the Complete Collection for Photoshop are eligible to receive this update for free. Others can download a free 15-day demo version to see if the plug-in meets their needs.

Review: Read our review of Silver Efex Pro

Eastman Kodak Co. has announced that it has recycled 1.5 billion single-use cameras since the beginning of its recycling programme in 1990. Laid end-to-end, the 1.5 billion cameras would stretch 120,000 miles, which is enough to circle the earth five times or reach more than halfway to the moon. According to Kodak, they now recycle 84% of their own disposable cameras in the USA, which is claimed to be “the highest rate of recycling of any consumer product “.

Shutterfly has introduced Shutterfly for iPhone, a new free photo sharing iPhone application that lets you upload, view and share your Shutterfly photos while on the go. Photos taken on the iPhone can be uploaded to your existing Shutterfly account and stored for free, at full resolution. Additionally, you can create a new Shutterfly account directly from your iPhone. The application, also compatible with the iPod Touch, is available free of charge at the Apple App Store.

GeoSpatial Experts are now offering the Nikon Coolpix P6000 bundled with their GPS-Photo Link Express software. “Nikon believes GPS technology wedded with photography not only has recreational applications, but as GeoSpatial Experts has proven to us, it has industrial, commercial, engineering and other specific business applications,” said Scott Crawford, Manager of Special Markets and OEM Accounts for Nikon USA. The bundles start at $750.

Review: Read our in-depth review of the Nikon Coolpix P6000
Review: Read our Canon G10 vs. Nikon P6000 head-to-head test

PhotoShelter has released a free guide to getting photography websites listed on search engines. The PhotoShelter SEO Toolkit offers internet marketing guidance for serious photographers looking to grow their businesses online. The primary content is PhotoShelter’s SEO Cookbook – a 30-page, step-by-step e-book covering every tactic, on and off the photographer’s web page, that can be employed to garner better search engine results. The toolkit can be requested here: http://pa.photoshelter.com/mkt/seo-kit-for-photographers.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation and Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company have jointly launched “This Place Matters,” a Web-based photo sharing campaign. ‘This Place Matters’ is meant “to empower Americans to weigh in on places that they feel are architecturally or culturally significant”. People are invited to go to www.preservationNation.org/thisplacematters, download a “This Place Matters” sign (pictured above), take a picture or video of themselves with the sign in front of a place that matters to them, and then post it to the “This Place Matters” Web site.

Website: This Place Matters

FotoBridge has announced new photo scanning packages for those with a very large archive of negatives, transparencies and/or prints. Prints are scanned at 300, 400 or 600dpi, whereas for slides and negatives, you can choose from 2000, 3000 and 4000dpi packages. Prices start at $39.95 for prints, $89.95 for slides and $99.95 for negatives. The new ‘Super Value 5000’ photo scanning package is available for $439.95 for up to 5000 prints, $969.95 for the same amount of slides and $1195.95 for negatives.

Proud Central will be hosting an exhibition of Sam Shaw’s iconic photographs of Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. This exhibition, showing at Proud Central between 30th April and 26th July, will be his first UK show to feature both actresses. Alongside the well-known photographs, some never-before-seen shots will also be on display. This exhibition has been specially put together for Proud
Galleries by the Sam Shaw Archive and will not be able to be viewed anywhere else after its time at Proud Central. The address is 32 John Adam Street, London. Admission is free.

Photo © Sam Shaw

The first event in the series ‘The Real Thing? Staging, Manipulation and Photographic Truth’, organised by The Royal Photographic Society, will take place on Saturday, 25 April. This education workshop will be held in Cayley Lecture Theatre, Westminster Business School, Marylebone Road, London; with registration starting at 10:30am. Lecturers include Dr David Bate, Andy Golding, Mitra Tabrizian, Colin Jacobson, Dr Sophie Triantaphillidou and Dr Eugénie Shinkle. To book, contact The Royal Photographic Society’s reception on 01225 325 733 or send an e-mail to [email protected]

Website: The Real Thing? Staging, Manipulation And Photographic Truth Workshop

Photo Credit: Mitra Tabrizian