The Trek-Tech Optera is a flexible, hold-tight tripod that securely secures your DSLR camera. The Optera is designed for rugged outdoor use, with a water-resistant bottom and rubber feet for added grip, and it even wraps around your camera for protection whilst carrying. Available in two sizes, the Optera 230 has a 230mm leg length and the Optera 460 Pro 460mm. The Optera 230 will be available from the middle of November for £44.99, and the Optera 460 Pro for £54.99.

XDepth 48 is a new technology that allows JPEG images to reach a maximum of 16 bit for each RGB component. XDepth 48 employs the same image reconstruction algorithm offered with XDepth Raw, thus avoiding common JPEG and JPEG2000 artifacts. It also offers improved compression of files, with XDepth asserting that a 48bit TIFF of 6088x4550 pixels would be 166MBs in size, with the equivalent XDepth 48 JPEG only being 17MBs. Further details are scarce, but there is a full-sized sample available for download.

Website: XDepth 48

Sigma’s range of EO-ETTL II flashguns do not work with the Canon EOS 50D DSLR camera. The Autozoom function does not work properly, and exposure is not set correctly. Sigma are supplying a free-upgrade service to their customers to solve the problem. All new products shipped after today already include the updated firmware.

Buy a LaCie external storage device and get unlimited online backup for one year after installation, worth $49.95. The online backup service is powered by well-known provider Carbonite. “LaCie Online Backup provides one year of free unlimited online storage to showcase the importance of backup strategies that keep data safe, and our dedication to helping users get there.” said Philippe Spruch, LaCie Chief Executive Officer. Unlimited LaCie Online Backup will be available at no extra charge for one full year beginning November 2008 on LaCie consumer hard drives.

Popular photo hosting website Digital Railroad has shut down with immediate effect. Attempts to find additional financing have been unsuccessful, forcing Digital Railroad to close all operations. Digital Railroad’s main aim was to provide an archiving and marketing services for the professional photographer. It also recently branched out into stock photography. Rival service PhotoShelter is offering Digital Railroad customers three free months if they sign up for a Standard or Pro annual subscription by November 4th.

Olympus has released a new firmware update for five compact digital cameras. The models are: SP-565UZ (pictured), mju 1060, mju 1050SW, mju 1040 and FE-370. Version 1.1 resolves communication errors that occurred when using the direct print function with some printers.

Website: Download Files: CAMEDIA Utilities, Drivers, Patches

Olympus has released a new firmware update for five of its Zuiko Digital lenses. The models are: 25mm F2.8 (pictured), 35mm F3.5 Macro, 14-42mm F3.5-5.6, 35-100mm F2.0, and 40-150mm F4.0-5.6. Version 1.2/1.3 ensures compatibility when used with the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 camera.

Website: Download Files: CAMEDIA Utilities, Drivers, Patches

Nikon have released a new firmware update for the D300 DSLR camera. Version 1.10 includes a large number of improvements, including greater focus accuracy in dynamic-area AF and contrast-detect AF modes, and better Auto white balance performance. Click the Continue link below for the full list.

Website: Nikon D300 Firmware Update 1.10 (Windows)
Website: Nikon D300 Firmware Update 1.10 (Mac)

Apple have released an updated version of iPhoto, which allows you to share your photos by email, create web pages, cards and calendars, and automatically organize your photo library. iPhoto 7.1.5 improves the printing quality of books, cards and calendars ordered via the iPhoto printing service.

Website: Apple iPhoto 7.1.5

Canon have released a new firmware update for the EOS 50D digital SLR camera. This firmware update (version 1.0.3) incorporates the following fixes:

  1. Corrects a phenomenon in which an image becomes overexposed when C.Fn.II-3 Highlight tone priority is set to “1” together with other camera settings. (This correction has already been incorporated in the Version 1.0.2 and later firmware.
  2. Corrects a rare phenomenon in which “busy” blinks on the camera’s display panel and the shutter cannot be released due to the timing of battery installation.
  3. Corrects a rare phenomenon in which “Err 99” appears on the camera’s display panel and LCD monitor and the shutter cannot be released due to the timing of pressing the shutter button.

Website: Canon EOS 50D Firmware Update 1.0.3

The brand new PowerShot G10 is the most expensive and most feature-rich model in Canon’s extensive range of compact cameras. The G-series has long been the preserve of the keen enthusiast looking for a serious photographic tool that can still be easily slipped into a coat pocket. The new Canon G10 continues that tradition, adding even more advanced features into the mix, including a bigger 14.7 megapixel sensor, higher resolution 3 inch LCD screen, 5x wide-angle zoom lens, and dedicated Exposure Compensation dial. It also retains all of the key photographer-friendly features from the G9 - RAW format, PASM shooting modes, optical viewfinder, flash hotshoe and image stabilisation are all present and correct. With a recommended price-tag of £449 / $499, does the Canon PowerShot G10 offer enough to justify the expense? Mark Goldstein found out…

Website: Canon PowerShot G10 Review

The Casio W63CA is a new 8 megapixel camera phone complete with 9-point auto-focus and a 3 inch LCD screen. Only announced in Japan so far, the W63CA takes a typical Casio Exilim compact camera as its starting point, and then designs a camera phone around that, rather than trying to cram photo features into a mobile phone. The Casio W63CA features a 3.1 inch OLED screen with 480 x 800 pixels, face detection, anti-shake and Casio’s now standard YouTube video mode. The W63CA will be available in Japan in early-November.

Website: Engadget - Casio’s 8.1 megapixel W63CA with 480 x 800 pixel OLED flips out in Japan

Website: Casio Japan

Enter Canon USA’s “Why do you love football?” photo contest to win a trip to Super Bowl XLIII. Two winners, one adult (over 18) and one teen (13-18), will each win a trip for four plus a Canon Digital Rebel XSi camera kit (pictured) - just submit your youth football photos to enter. The contest is open now and runs until December 3rd 2008.

Website: Canon “Why do you love football?” Photo Contest

The Photoshop CS4 Companion for Photographers is a new book that explains how to use only the critical tools you’ll need most often. Author Derrick Story teaches you how to quickly and efficiently organize and edit your photos without compromising the originals. “CS4 is going to be a game-changer for many photographers using Photoshop. For the first time, Adobe has included all the tools necessary to build a non-destructive workflow from upload to output. The Photoshop CS4 Companion for Photographers walks you through each step of this process showing you best practice techniques along the way.” explains Story. The Photoshop CS4 Companion for Photographers is available now for $24.99 / £15.50.

Parrot Specchio is a new designer digital photo frame from contemporary French artist Martin Szekely. The Parrot Specchio frame by Martin Szekely becomes a mirror when it is turned off. “If you look in the mirror, your left is on your left and your right is on your right. On the photo, your left is on your right and your right is on your left. So, this object is both a mirror and a photo,” explains Martin Szekely. Very cryptic. The Parrot Specchio digital photo frame will be available in the UK for £300.

Fujicolor Crystal Archive paper was rated top in a silver halide print longevity test by Wilhelm Imaging Research. It had the highest Display Permanence Rating amongst silver halide colour prints made with digital minilabs’ lasting 40 years under glass. In comparison, the equivalent Kodak paper managed just 19 years, and the worst performer in the test managed just 4 months. Food for thought when you next have your photos printed at a minilab…

Transcend’s StoreJet 25C and StoreJet 25M portable hard drives are now available in 500GB capacities. Combining huge storage capacity, great looks and compact mobile convenience, Transcend’s high capacity 2.5” portable hard drives are an excellent way to effectively ensure ample storage space for backing up, transferring, and storing important data. In addition, Transcend’s 2.5” portable hard drives offer vastly-improved storage productivity with the bundled StoreJet elite software package.

Gary Eastwood’s photo “Barney on a jetty in December, Hove beach, East Sussex” is the winner of the Take a View - Landscape Photographer of the Year 2008 contests. Now in its second year, the UK’s prestigious Take a View competition challenged photographers to capture the diversity and beauty of the British landscape. The finalists’ works will premier in a free exhibition at London’s National Theatre between 18 November 2008 and 17 January 2009, all printed using the new Epson Stylus Pro 9900 large format printer.

Nikon has released a new version of its RAW codec, which lets you view NEF files within Windows. Version 1.4.0 now supports NEF (RAW) images taken with the D90 DSLR camera (pictured).

Website: Nikon RAW Codec 1.5.0

The Canon iPF6200 is a new 24-inch wide, 12-colour large format printer. The iPF6200 utilizes Canon’s LUCIA color pigment ink, offering an extremely large color gamut and optimized for printing digital photographic imagery. The iPF6200 includes a professional-grade software RIP and an 80GB internal hard drive. “Building upon the foundation set by our award-winning iPF6100, the new imagePROGRAF iPF6200 will offer photographic and graphic arts printing professionals an affordable printing solution without compromising quality or speed,” said Jim Rosetta, vice president and general manager, Imaging Systems Group, Canon U.S.A. The Canon iPF6200 printer is available immediately for $3,495.