The LaCie 4big Quadra supports seven RAID modes and offers capacities of up to 6TB. The 4big offers burst transfer rates reaching up to 200-230MB/s through eSATA 3Gbits. “The LaCie 4big Quadra definitely sets a new standard in RAID Technology for creative professionals and small sever backups,” said Arnaud Prézelin, LaCie Product manager for Creative Pro solutions. “For instance, the 4big Quadra enables digital content creators to work on multiple HD video streams or to manage RAW photos libraries with live effects.” The LaCie 4big Quadra will be available in 2TB, 4TB or 6TB in October starting at £659.00 for the 2TB.

The world’s fastest aspherical lens has been announced by Leica. The new Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH offers extremely shallow depth of field at full aperture. This new lens is the successor of the famous NOCTILUX-M 50 mm f/1 marketed by Leica for over 30 years, beginning in 1975. The Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH will be available from February 2009 for £6290.

Lexar have released 16GB versions of its Platinum II 60x SDHC and 80x CompactFlash memory cards. The Platinum II SDHC memory card is speed-rated at 60x, capable of a minimum sustained write speed of 9MB per second, while the Platinum II CF memory card is speed-rated at 80x, which represents a minimum sustained write speed of 12MB per second. Available later this month, the new Lexar Platinum II SDHC and CF cards include a limited lifetime warranty and image-related software - the full version of Lexar Image Rescue 3 and a six-month trial of Corel Painter Essentials 4.

Sony has released a new firmware update, version 4, for the 12 megapixel Sony A700 DSLR camera. Version 4 provides the following benefits:

- The choice to select auto exposure bracketing (single & continuous) with 3 shots in 2 EV steps has been added.
- The choice to turn [Off] the High ISO NR feature has been added.
- Improvement of the image quality in high ISO setting.
- Improvement of the auto white balance and D-Range Optimizer performance.
- Improvement of reliability for communication between camera body and vertical grip.

Website: Sony A700 Firmware Update v4 (Europe)

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 is a new 10 megapixel super-zoom digital camera with an 18x optical zoom lens. Successor to the popular FZ18 model, the Panasonic FZ28 now offers a 10 megapixel sensor, 2.7-inch LCD screen, Venus Engine IV processing engine, updated iA (intelligent auto) mode with newly added AF Tracking function, and high-definition 1280 x 720p video. With a suggested retail price of £329.99 / $399.95, Mark Goldstein found out if the Lumix DMC-FZ28 is a worthy successor to the FZ18 or just a modest upgrade…

Website: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 Review

The catchily named Leica M8.2 is an upgraded version of the company’s M-series digital rangefinder camera. New additions to the Leica M8.2 include a extra-quiet, low vibration metal blade focal plane shutter, an ultra scratch-resistant sapphire crystal cover glass for the LCD screen, snapshot mode, “vulcanite” finish to the camera body, viewfinder bright-lines and a more compact, faster charger. The Leica M8.2 is available now for £3990 in the UK.

In a surprise move, Carl Zeiss is expanding its manual focus SLR lenses to to include the Canon EF mount with the new ZE range. The first lenses to be available will be the Planar T* 1.4/50 ZE and the Planar T* 1.4/85 ZE in the last quarter of this year. The Planar T* 1.4/50 ZE will cost 579 euros, and the Planar T* 1.4/85 ZE 999 euros. Further focal lengths will be added to the line within the next few months.

Bibble 5 will be officially launched at Photokina next week. The latest version of this RAW conversion software includes improved performance (up to twice as fast as Bibble 4), complete non-destructive selective editing including multiple layers, and an advanced and fast Digital Asset Management system. Bibble 5 Pro will be available in Q4 of 2008 at an initial price of $199.95, and will continue to be offered for Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux. Customers who purchase Bibble 4 now will receive a free upgrade to Bibble 5 when it is available.

X-Rite has been chosen as the calibration partner for the new HP DreamColor LCD screen. “X-Rite is once again pleased to work with HP in a shared vision of making accurate, predictable, and easy color reproduction. This is an ideal springboard to launch a new standard in color excellence everywhere that DreamColor technologies can be applied,” states Tom Vacchiano, X-Rite’s chief executive officer. The HP DreamColor LP2480zx display provides broad color support, rich visual quality, and consistent color presentation results on a 24-inch, wide-aspect, studio-computer screen.  The panel technology supports over 1 billion colors, with X-Rite-developed color control and factory-calibrated color-space breakthroughs, making it the industry’s first LCD to exceed CRT color performance standards.

Seagate has introduced the Fall 2008 lineup of its FreeAgent external hard drives. Seagate’s flagship offering, the FreeAgent Go portable storage solution, is the slimmest external drive available today. The new FreeAgent Go is the first external hard drive to offer a docking option. The FreeAgent Desk drive and FreeAgent XTreme drive are the family’s two 3.5-inch high-capacity desktop offerings. The FreeAgent Go for Mac and FreeAgent Desk for Mac are both formatted for use with Mac OS X out of the box and are Time Machine ready with FireWire800/400 or USB 2.0 connectivity.

The eighth edition of the PhotographyBB Online Magazine has just been released. Issue 8 includes tips and techniques for using camera flash, conclusion of the four-part series on HDR photography, workflow techniques for Lightroom 2, and a tour of St. Petersburg. PhotographyBB Online Magazine is available for free download in either PDF or ZIP formats.

Boots has teamed up with Photobox to provide a range of online photographic services to UK customers. All Photobox products including the latest photobooks, canvases, home accessories and gifts will be available directly from the Boots.com website. Ross Crombie, photo category manager, Boots said: “This is the first time that Boots has teamed up with a specialist online retailer in this way. The move will provide our customers with the very best service and products that the web has to offer in the photographic market.”

WD’s range of My Passport external hard drives is now available in 500Gb capacities. Both the My Passport Elite and My Passport Essential portable drive models benefit from the upgrade. Weighing in at less than 7 ounces and designed to withstand the rigors of everyday use, the new 500 GB My Passport portable drives are small enough to fit in a pocket or backpack for easy portability. The 500GB My Passport Elite costs $219.99, and the 500GB My Passport Essential costs $199.99.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 is the World’s first Micro Four Thirds camera. Using a mirror-less structure and an electronic viewfinder instead of a conventional optical viewfinder, the Panasonic G1 still has a 12.1-megapixel Live MOS, Four Thirds sensor, but is much smaller than a regular DSLR camera. Other standout features of the DMC-G1 include a 3-inch, 460K dot, free-angle LCD screen and high-resolution 1,440,000-dot equivalent Live View Finder, both of which provide a 100% field of view and Full-time Live View. The Panasonic G1 accepts not only Micro Four Thirds System interchangeable lenses, but also conventional Four Thirds System lenses when an optional adapter is mounted. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 will be available from November 1st for £599 / $799.

Panasonic have unveiled two new Micro Four Thirds lenses to accompany the DMC-G1 camera. The LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. lens offers a zoom range of 28-90mm in 35mm terms, and the LUMIX G VARIO 45-200mm/F4.0-5.6/MEGA O.I.S. lens offers an equivalent range of 90-400mm. You can use the camera’s contrast AF system when either lens is mounted on the DMC-G1, and both lenses feature optical image stabilisation. Pricing and availability of the Panasonic 14-45mm and 45-200mm is still to be announced.

Hasselblad will launch its eagerly awaited Hasselblad Masters book at Photokina. This commemorative book contains a selection of creative work of the ten chosen Hasselblad Masters of 2008. It contains 170 photographs both in colour and black-and-white, as well as biographies and other information on each of the Hasselblad Masters of 2008. The Hasselblad Masters Book is priced at £65/€79.90/US$95.

The Life of a Photograph is a new National Geographic book by photographer Sam Abell. Drawing on 40 years of Abell’s fieldwork, the book takes readers on assignment and inside the heart of this master photographer to witness the making of nearly 200 images. Many photographs are complemented by text from Abell, providing background on the photograph and how he crafted the image. The Life of a Photograph will be available at the end of October for $40.

Tea Leaves have an interesting review of the Nikon D300, a 12.3 megapixel DSLR camera, from the point of view of a long-time Canon user.

“With no huge investment in quality glass, why shouldn’t I at least look at Nikon? “It’ll never work”, said Pete. “You’ve spent three years living, breathing, and thinking Canon. You can’t rewire your brain to a completely different user interface. You’ll hate it.” But I was curious to try the experiment anyway. I contacted Nikon, and they graciously agreed to loan Tea Leaves a Nikon D300 and a very nice lens. I’d like to tell you a bit about my experience.”

Website: Tea Leaves - Nikon D300 Review

Website: Read our Nikon D300 Review

The Epson P-7000 is a brand new 160GB multimedia photo viewer, replacing the P-5000 model. Promoted by Epson as a “compact, premium on-location back-up and viewing solution”, the P7000 features a 4-inch, 640x480 LCD screen which displays a remarkable 94% of the Adobe RGB colour gamut. Download speeds are up to 35 percent faster than previous models, and the P-7000 also offers improved battery life and a new jog dial that makes it easier and faster to scroll through images. Available now, the Epson P-7000 costs $799.99 / £549.99 - Jon Canfield discovers if it’s worth it in our Epson P-7000 Review.

Website: Epson P-7000 Review

SanDisk have released a 32GB version of their Extreme III CompactFlash memory card. The new card’s 30MB/s (200x) read and write speeds enable users to record and transfer content quickly and reliably. All SanDisk Extreme III CF cards from 4GB to 32GB, as well as the new SanDisk Extreme III SDHC and SanDisk Extreme III Memory Stick PRO HG DUO, recently received a 50 percent speed increase from 20MB/s to 30MB/s. The 32GB SanDisk Extreme III CF card has a retail price of $299.99 in the United States. Worldwide availability is targeted for October.