US retailer Dale Photo & Digital is holding an online webinar with Justin Stailey, technical product specialist for Leica. Justin will present in-depth information on all the new Leica products, including the 37 megapixel Leica S2 (pictured). The New Leica Products Webinar takes place on Saturday, November 15th, 2008 at 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST.

Website: Dale Photo & Digital - New Leica Products Webinar

The Coral E-Current Photo Contest invites photographers to submit their underwater images for a chance to win a copy of the photography book Reef. Winning photos and photographers will also be spotlighted in an issue of E-Current Photo, Coral’s free electronic newsletter. The contest will run on an ongoing basis with a new winner announced every other month. The deadline for the January 2009 contest is December 15, 2008.

The Ultimate Guide to Travel Photography is a new book from Nikon UK and Intrepid Travel. Written by acclaimed author and photographer of ‘Unforgettable Places to see Before you Die’ Steve Davey, it covers everything that you need to know about travel photography. As well as taking pictures, the Ultimate Guide to Travel Photography will inspire you to head out and see the world. When you buy the book, you also get exclusive access to a dedicated website.

ViewSonic has introduced two 8-inch digital photo frames to its product line, starting at $129. The catchily-named DPG801BK and DPG807BK both feature touch-screen technology with hidden control buttons that illuminate to show your menu selections only when needed. Both frames feature 512MB of internal memory, 800x600 resolution, 4:3 aspect ratio and 500:1 contrast ratio. The DPG801BK and DPG807BK are available now at estimated street prices of $129.

Nikon have released a new firmware update for the Coolpix P6000 compact camera. The following improvements have been made in version 1.1.

- When pictures were taken with the Wide Converter WC-E76, with the Wide-angle converter and Distortion control items in the shooting menu set to On, the effects of distortion control were weak. This issue has been resolved.
- When Autofocus mode in the shooting menu was added to My Menu and autofocus mode set to Full-time AF, the setting was displayed as Single AF in My Menu. This issue has been resolved.

Website: Nikon Coolpix P6000 Firmware Update 1.1 (Windows)

Website: Nikon Coolpix P6000 Firmware Update 1.1 (Mac)

Samsung has announced plans to spin-off its camera division, according to a report by Reuters. A new company called Samsung Digital Imaging will be formed by February 2009, taking 0.31 of the capital from parent company Samsung Techwin (itself partly owned by Samsung Electronics). Price competition, the global credit crunch and heavy research and marketing expenses are to blame for the camera division’s poor performance.

Website: Reuters - Samsung Techwin to spin off camera business

Following recent rumours that Panasonic were preparing to buy Sanyo, the two companies have now started discussions about a possible alliance. Panasonic and Sanyo are starting an “intensive discussion on the capital and business alliance between both companies based on the premise of making SANYO a subsidiary of Panasonic, keeping a variety of options in mind” with a target date of the end of December 2008.

Canon has released a new version of its RAW codec, which lets you view Canon RAW files within Windows. Version 1.5.0 now supports the EOS 50D, EOS 5D Mark II, and PowerShot G10 (pictured) cameras.

Website: Canon RAW Codec 1.4.0

Phase One have released a new version of their RAW workflow software, Capture One 4 Pro. Version 4.5.1 for Windows adds support for Canon EOS 50D and 5D Mark II RAW files, and enhances the general performance of the software.

Website: Capture One 4.5.1

Sony Ericsson have launched a new photo competition where you can become an official Sony Ericsson Photographer. The winner will go behind the scenes at key red-carpet events in 2009 and also get an 8 megapixel C905 camera phone. To enter, you must be based in the UK, submit a ‘never before published online’ portrait shot, and rally votes for your entry.

The new Wolverine F2D scanner instantly converts 35mm film negatives and slides into digital images without the need for a computer.  “We have created a very simple-to-use device that works right out of the box and produces a five-megapixel digital image in five seconds at a push of a button,” explains Matt Mardini, Wolverine Data president. The Wolverine F2D has a built-in 1.5-inch color LCD screen for viewing and editing, and a memory card reader that saves the converted images directly onto SD memory cards. The Wolverine F2D Scanner is now available for $149.99.

Jobo has unveiled two new 8.4” digital photo frames. The PDJ801 and PDJ800 feature a 8.4” high-resolution LCD display with 800 x 600 pixel resolution and a contrast ratio of 500:1, acrylic frame with a modern metal trim, and automatic slideshow presentation.The PDJ801 additionally offers 1GB internal memory. The Jobo Photo Displays will be available at the end of this month for $179 / €179 (PDJ801) and $159 / €159 (PDJ800) respectively.

EDGE Tech Corp has just released a sleek, stylish line of high-resolution digital picture frames. Available in seven-inch, eight-inch, and 10-inch screen sizes, all of them display photo slideshows with multiple transition effects and timing, include MP3 players and feature Auto Power, allowing you to program the frame to power on and off at designated times. The 8-inch frame additionally offers Wi-Fi connectivity. The EDGE Tech Corp digital picture frames start at $59.95 (after rebate) for the 7-inch. The 8- and 10-inch Digital Picture Frames are $149.95 (after rebate).

The ProShow Plug-in for Lightroom seamlessly exports professional slide shows from Lightroom to ProShow. The ProShow Plug-in allows photographers to quickly and easily set-up slideshows in Lightroom and export directly to ProShow Gold or Producer. Photographers can also take advantage of the plug-ins ability to add captions and copyright information from metadata. The ProShow Plug-in for Lightroom is a free download.

Odysseys And Photographs: Four National Geographic Field Men is a new book that celebrates the work of four of its greatest photographer-storytellers. The work and personal stories of Maynard Owen Williams, Luis Marden, Volkmar Wentzel and Thomas Abercrombie are showcased in this richly illustrated new book. Odysseys And Photographs includes 200 of the photographers’ most arresting images, many of which lay hidden in National Geographic’s archives for decades. A selection of 65 images from Odysseys And Photographs is currently on display at the National Geographic Museum in Washington.

The Canon E1 is the first model in a brand new series of PowerShot compact cameras, designed by women for women. The PowerShot E1 has a new curvaceous design and is available in White, Pink or Blue. A new Easy Mode promises to allow even complete beginners to take great photos with ease, and there’s also a 10 megapixel sensor, 4x zoom stabilized lens and 2.5 inch LCD screen on offer. Our intrepid reviewer, Zoltan Arva-Toth, discovers if the Canon PowerShot E1 can also be safely used by men in our latest in-depth review.

Website: Canon PowerShot E1 Review

The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS / 1000D Companion book is a full-on photography class for Canon’s entry-level DSLR camera. “By the time you’re done with this book, you’ll not only know how all the XS’s controls function, but you’ll also know how to recognize a good photo and how to use the XS’s controls to represent that subject as a compelling image,” explains author Ben Long. The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS/1000D Companion costs $24.99.

One of the world’s leading photographers, Nadav Kander, will be in discussion with Joanna Pitman as part of the PhotoVoice Lecture Series. On Tuesday 18th November 2008 at the Royal Geographical Society in London,  Kander will be showcasing his latest project: Yangtze, The Long River. Tickets cost £10 in advance or £15 on the door.

The global market for digital photography technology will be worth $230.9 billion in 2013. According to a report by BCC Research, it was worth $136.7 billion in 2007 and an estimated $155.0 billion in 2008. Digital photography products are the larger market segment, generating $91.0 billion in 2007. The markets are substantially larger than they were in the past because a much greater number of people are more passionately involved with digital photography than with silver halide photography.

The RAW converter software Silkypix Developer Studio now supports the Nikon D90, Nikon Coolpix P6000, Canon EOS 50D and Leica D-LUX 4 cameras. Version 3.0.25.1 is available as a free upgrade for registered users. Silkypix Developer Studio 3.0 costs $149.00 and a free trial version is available.

Website: Silkypix Developer Studio 3.0.25.1