Paper manufacturer Hahnemühle are celebrating their 425th anniversary with a new competition and products. The Hahnemühle 425th Anniversary Photo Award is an open, international competition with the theme “For Originals”. Hahnemühle will be awarding non-cash prizes, in several categories, worth 36.000 Euro. Hahnemühle are also releasing a special anniversary edition containing a choice of three papers from the Digital FineArt Collection.

The new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX150 is one of the more intriguing compact cameras on the market, offering something to both beginners and keen photographers alike. The 14.7 megapixel Panasonic FX150 has a 3.6x, 28mm wide-angle lens, Venus Engine IV image processing engine, 2.7 LCD screen and the ability to shoot 720p HD movies. Panasonic’s innovative IA (Intelligent Auto) mode is ideally suited to the point-and-shoot user, while manual control over aperture and shutter speed and the option to shoot in RAW format should appeal to the more experienced shutterbug. Officially priced at £299.99 / $399.95, the Panasonic DMC-FX150 is also good value too. Gavin Stoker discovers if the FX150 can live up to its early promise…

Website: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX150 Review

The Panasonic DMC-FS15 is a new 12 megapixel ultra-compact digital camera. The FS15 features a 29mm wide-angle, 5x optical zoom Leica lens, improved Intelligent Auto Mode, 2.7 inch LCD screen, Venus Engine IV processing engine, and WVGA movies (848 x 480). The Panasonic FS15 will be available from February in a choice of silver, black and blue.

The Panasonic DMC-FS7 and DMC-FS6 are two new entry-level compact cameras with 4x zoom lenses. The 10.1 megapixel FS7 and 8.1 megapixel FS6 both offer a bright F2.8 Leica DC lens with a focal range of 33mm-132mm, Intelligent Auto mode, Venus Engine IV processing engine, and WVGA (848 x 480) movies. The Panasonic FS7 has a slightly larger LCD screen than the FS6 - 2.7 inches versus 2.5. The Panasonic FS7 will be available in silver, black or pink and the Panasonic FS6 in silver, black, red, blue and pink, both available from February.

The Panasonic DMC-LS85 is a new budget compact digital camera. Successor to the LS80, the Panasonic LS85 features a 4x optical zoom lens (33-132mm), Intelligent Auto Mode, Venus Engine IV processing engine, 2.5 inch LCD screen and WVGA (848 x 480) movies. The Panasonic DMC LS85 will be available from March and will come in a choice of silver or black.

Panasonic have released a new firmware update for the DMC-LX3 compact camera. Version 1.2 offers the following improvements:

1. Improved white balance flash mode setting when DMW-FL220 is connected.
2. Proper setting of shutter speed on iA mode and Scene mode when OIS is turned ON.
3. Proper Exif information in the JPEG picture file.

Website: Panasonic DMC-LX3 Firmware Update 1.2

Mirage Premium Edition is a new software plug-in for Epson large-format printers. Mirage Premium Edition allows users to work faster and more efficiently by providing all the features, tools and settings required in one layout. Martin Johns, Senior Product Manager at Epson UK stated, “For professional applications Mirage Premium Edition simplifies the printing process. By bundling the software with the Epson range of large format printers we are delivering quality and ease of use to our customers”. Recommended for retail sale at £399, this Adobe plug-in is free when users register their Epson large format printer.

The Canon PowerShot A480 is a new entry-level digital camera. Replacing the popular PowerShot A470, the 10 megapixel Canon A480 is 25% smaller than its predecessor and offers a 3x zoom lens and simplified button layout. “Whether you’re 7 years old or 70, the PowerShot A480 offers a great-value way to discover the fun of taking pictures,” said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging, Europe. The Canon PowerShot A480 will be available in silver, red, blue or black from February 2009 priced at £129.00 / €159.00. In the US the A480 will be available in March for $129.99.

The new Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM lens offers a 13.8x zoom range. The lens’s Hybrid Optical Stabilizer provides an anti-shake function for the camera body and also compensates for image-shake in the view finder. The Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 has a minimum focusing distance of 45cm at all focal lengths and a maximum magnification of 1: 3.4 reproduction ratio. Designed for use on APS-C DSLR cameras, Sigma’s new lens will be available in March for Sigma, Nikon, Canon, Sony and Pentax cameras for £559.99.

Barack Obama is the first American President to have his official portrait taken with a digital camera. Which lucky camera manufacturer will benefit from all the global attention? Canon, as official White House photographer Pete Souza uses a Canon 5D Mark II.

Website: Barack Obama Official Portrait

The new Nikon D3x DSLR is the best DSLR camera currently available, according to DxO Labs. With a DxOMark Sensor score of 88 points, the Nikon D3x takes the lead among the 54 cameras currently evaluated on the site. According to DxO, “the Nikon D3x is the first camera which actually achieves more than 12-bit depth of effective image information”. Maybe that justifies the £5999 / $7999 price-tag…

FilePrint offers low-volume professional quality for photographers at a fraction of the price of conventional printers. FilePrint offers a full range of paper qualities and print sizes up to A0 oversize and can cost-effectively print from a single copy with no set-up charge. Any type of document can be produced, including promotional post cards and price lists, events material, greeting cards, posters and bound portfolios. A choice of delivery services is offered, covering all of the UK.

The Canon PowerShot SX1 IS is a new 20x ultra-zoom digital camera offering an effective focal length of 28-560mm. The big brother of the SX10 IS that we reviewed before Christmas, the Canon SX1 additionally offers full HD movie recording, a CMOS sensor, larger 2.7 inch tilting LCD screen, 4fps continuous shooting, as well as the same 10 megapixels, built-in image stabilisation, and full range of manual shooting modes. It also costs substantially more - £529 / €679.99 to be precise - making it more expensive than most entry-level DSLRs. Gavin Stoker discovered if the Canon SX1 IS is worth splashing out for…

Website: Canon PowerShot SX1 IS Review

Panorado from Simple Software is an image viewer and browser featuring innovative mouse interaction. Version 4.0 of Panorado supports panoramic image viewing, image metadata, geocoding (GPS), and managing large amounts of images. It also adds HDR image viewing (High Dynamic Range), RAW camera file formats, and an improved and extended Organizer tool. Panorado 4.0 costs £19.99, and a free 30-day trial is available. Customers who bought a Panorado 3.3 license after 01/01/2008 can upgrade to version 4.0 for free before 03/31/2009.

Website: Panorado 4.0

NKRemote 1.0 is a new remote capture software program for Nikon DSLR cameras. Released by Breeze Systems, NKRemote currently supports the Nikon D3, D700, D300, D90 and D200. It allows you to control Nikon DSLR cameras from a PC, display live images on a PC screen, autofocus and manually control focus from a PC, plus comprehensive time lapse control. NKRemote 1.0 runs on Windows XP or Windows Vista and is available now priced at $95. A 15 day free trial version is available.

ExpoImaging have lowered the price of the Ray Flash Adapter by $100 to $199.95. The Ray Flash Adapter is a portable adapter for shoe-mount flash units that replicates the unique lighting effect of studio ring flash units. “The Ray Flash has been incredibly well received by the photography community, as it is easy to use and produces fantastic results,” said Erik Sowder, President of ExpoImaging. “We expect that the new price point will open the door for even more photographers to benefit from the product and enhance their out-of-studio photo shoots.” Current models of the Ray Flash are designed to fit the Canon 580EX (MKI & MKII) and Nikon SB800 flash units, and it can also be adapted to fit other flash models.

Olympus Europe is offering all purchasers of the award winning E-3 DSLR camera one of five free products, worth up to €888. You can choose from the following products:

- ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 9-18mm 1:4.0-5.6 lens (worth €599)
- ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 50mm 1:2.0 (100mm) Macro lens (worth €599)
- ZUIKO DIGITAL 25mm 1:2.8 pancake-type lens, FL-36R wireless flash and Swing Bag (worth €537.90)
- FL-50R Flash (worth €529)
- SRF-11 Ring Flash Set (worth €888)

To qualify for the Olympus E-3 “Rev up your system” promotion, purchase a new E-3 (body only or any kit) between 1 January and 31 March 2009, register it and claim online by 30 April 2009.

Olympus UK is giving away a free power grip, wireless flash or a Swing Bag with the new E-30 DSLR. To be eligible for the free HLD-4 power grip or an FL-36R wireless flash, current owners of an E-System camera need to purchase a new E-30 (body only or any kit), register online, and stake their claim by 31st March 2009. For the free E-System Swing Bag, anyone can sign up online by 28th February, then purchase a new E-30 (body only or any kit) and register it by 31st March 2009.

The free XDepth Raw Converter converts RAW files to the new jpeg-compatible XDepth Raw file format. XDepth Raw is a new file format that functions as both a JPEG and a RAW image. XDepth Raw Converter is a professional-grade raw development software featuring a fully High Dynamic Range 96bit/pixel floating point rendering engine. The XDepth Raw Converter also works with 48bit/pixel images by loading and saving Tiff, PNG and XDepth 48 file formats. XDepth Raw Converter is available completely free of charge for both personal and professional use.

The HP Photosmart B8550 is a new 13x19 / A3 printer aimed at the photographer on a budget. Retailing for just $299, the HP B8550 can print everything from 4 x 6-inch album snapshots up to large posters in both black-and-white and colour, whilst being able to comfortably fit on your office desk. Jon Canfield finds out if the HP Photosmart B8550 is worth considering…

Website: HP Photosmart B8550 Review