Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 is a new version of the best-selling consumer photo-editing software. Available for Windows, Photoshop Elements 7 features a new Scene Cleaner which creates the ideal photo by letting users simply brush away unwanted subjects. The new Smart Brush helps users apply incredible effects to a specific area of a photo with a single stroke. Also, a new selection of Online Albums, based on Adobe Flash technology, offers users a richer interactive experience. Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 will be available in October 2008 for for £65 ex Vat / $99.99. A Photoshop Elements 7 and Premiere Elements 7 bundle will be available for £95 ex Vat / $149.99.

We didn’t have long to wait since last week’s leak before Canon made the EOS 50D DSLR official. As per the leaked spec, the new Canon 50D has a 15.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, with an extensive ISO range of 100-12800, which matches the Nikon D700 / D3. Continuous shooting speed of 6.3 frames per second, Canon’s latest DIGIC 4 image processor, improved Integrated Cleaning System, 9-point AF, 14-bit image processing, a new Live View mode with Face Detection, and a 3.0” Clear View VGA LCD complete the 50D’s headline features. The Canon EOS 50D (body only) is available from the end of September 2008 priced at £1199.99 / €1599.99 / $1399.00, or £1499.99 / €1949.99 / $1599.00 with the 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens.

The Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS is a new 11x zoom lens. Offering an equivalent focal length of 29-320mm, the EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS is designed exclusively for use with EOS cameras featuring an EF-S lens mount. The EF-S 18-200mm features a 16 element, 12 group construction, close focusing distance of just 45cm, and 4-stop optical Image Stabilizer. The Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS is available from the end of September 2008 priced at £549.99 / €729.99 / $699.00.

The Canon PowerShot SX110 IS is a new 9 megapixel digital camera with 10x optical zoom lens. The Canon SX110 IS replaces the previous SX100 IS model, and features a focal length of 36-360mm with optical Image Stabilizer, 3-inch LCD screen, more compact and lightweight body, and 20 shooting modes including Easy Mode and full manual control. The Canon PowerShot SX110 IS is available from September 2008 priced at £239.00 / €309.00 / $299.99.

The Canon A2000 IS, A1000 IS and E1 are three new additions to the PowerShot range of digital cameras. Replacing the PowerShot A580 and PowerShot A720 IS respectively, the 10 megapixel PowerShot A1000 IS and PowerShot A2000 IS are around 25% smaller than their predecessors. The 10 megapixel PowerShot E1 has been designed by women for women bringing feminine style to the range. All 3 models offer a new Easy Mode which sees all shooting settings chosen automatically by the camera. The Canon PowerShot A2000 IS is available exclusively from Jessops in the UK from September 2008 for £199.99, available in gunmetal and silver - it will cost $249.99 in the US. The Canon PowerShot A1000 IS is available from September 2008 priced at £169.00 / €219.00 / $199.99, available in Blue, Brown or Silver. The Canon PowerShot E1 is available exclusively from Argos in the UK from September 2008, available in White, Pink or Blue - it will cost $199.99 in the US.

The new Canon Selphy ES3 and ES30 compact photo printers offer stylish, updated designs with new creative photo printing options. The Canon ES3 has a 3.5-inch LCD screen and offers 1 GB built-in memory. The cheaper Canon ES30 model has a smaller 3-inch screen. Both models offer rapid image viewing and function selection with Canon’s Easy-Scroll Wheel, a more intuitive button layout, and a handy integrated power adaptor. Unique Easy Photo Packs combine ink and media for simple operation and protection from dust, and new Gold and Silver Easy Photo Packs add sparkle to prints. The Canon SELPHY ES3 is available from the end of September 2008 priced at £189.00 / €239.00 / $199.99. The Canon SELPHY ES30 is available from September 2008 priced at £139.00 / €179.00 / $149.99.

The new Canon Pixma iP4600 and iP3600 printers feature an enhanced ChromaLife100+ enabled ink set for stunning prints. The new system expands color reproduction, especially in red areas, and produces a more neutral black to improve contrasts. Both the iP4600 and iP3600 offer simple-to-use software, individual ink tanks, and faster print speeds to deliver high-quality photo prints. The Canon PIXMA iP4600 and PIXMA iP3600 printers will produce a 4 x 6 inch lab quality, borderless photo in approximately 20 and 41 seconds, respectively. The Canon iP4600 will be available for $99.99, and the Canon iP3600 printer will cost $79.99.

The new Canon Pixma MP980 and MP620 all-in-one printers offer a personal digital darkroom and office productivity machine in one inkjet device. The PIXMA MP980 is the first AIO printer to include a separate gray and photo black ink for truly neutral black-and-white photo printing. Both models have a sleek modern styling, smaller footprint and curved exterior to fit the décor of any home or office. The Canon MP980 and Canon MP620 both feature Canon’s new Auto Photo Fix and Auto Scan Mode, plus the built-in convenience of Wi-Fi or ethernet connectivity. The PIXMA MP620 Photo All-In-One printer will cost $149.99, and the PIXMA MP980 will cost $299.99 / £279.00 / €362.10.

The Olympus SP-565 UZ is a new 10 megapixel camera with a massive 20x optical zoom. Equivalent to 26-520mm, Dual Image Stabilisation helps to prevent blur caused by camera shake. The SP565 UZ also offers a 2.5 inch LCD screen, P/A/S/M exposure modes, Advanced Face Detection, and xD-Picture Card and microSD Card compatibility. The Olympus SP-565 UZ will be available in late September 2008 for £349.99 / $399.99.

The Olympus mju 1050 SW is a new shockproof, waterproof and freezeproof digital camera. Shockproof to 1.5m, waterproof to 3m and freezeproof to -10°C, the 10 megapixel Olympus 1050 has a newly-developed TAP control interface that lets you adjust settings and review images on the 2.7-inch LCD screen by tapping your finger. The 1050 SW also offers a 3x, 38-114mm zoom lens, Advanced Face Detection and xD-Picture Card and microSD Card compatibility. The Olympus mju 1050 SW will be available in a choice of Dolphin Grey, Pacific Blue, Midnight Black or Misty Rose late September for £259.99 / $299.99.

The new Olympus mju 1040 digital camera measures just 16.5mm at its thinnest end. With a 3x optical zoom equivalent to 38-114mm, the Olympus 1040 also offers a 2.7-inch LCD screen, Advanced Face Detection, Shadow Adjustment and the brand new Intelligent Auto mode which detects the five most commonly-used scenes and automatically adjusts camera settings including focus and exposure. The Olympus mju 1040 will be available in Starry Silver, Midnight Black, Magma Red and Melon Yellow from September 2008 for £149.99 / $199.99.

The new Olympus FE-20 digital camera offers 8 megapixels and a 3x optical zoom lens. The FE20 also features a 2.5-inch LCD screen, Digital Image Stabilisation, Face Detection, xD-Picture Card and microSD Card compatibility and measures just 21.5mm in depth. The Olympus FE-20 will be available in September and comes in silver or black for £119.99.

Canon China have leaked the full specification of a new DSLR camera, the Canon EOS 50D, successor to the popular 40D model (pictured). The eagle-eyed editors over at Photography Bay quickly copied and pasted all the details of the Canon 50D before the product page was pulled down. Apparently the EOS 50D will be a 15 megapixel DSLR with a 3-inch, 920,000 dot LCD screen and ISO range of 100-12800 (rivalling Nikon’s recent DSLRs). Other standout features of the Canon 50D include a magnesium alloy body, new Digic 4 image processor, 6.3fps continuous shooting, and Live View mode.

Website: Photography Bay - Canon EOS 50D

The Epson V300 Photo is a new film scanner with low power consumption. The V300 Photo has a 4800 dpi scan resolution and a built-in transparency unit for scanning 35mm films and slides. It’s also equipped with ReadyScan LED technology which means the unit has low power consumption and requires virtually no warm up time. The Epson V300 Photo costs £69.99 / $99.99 and will be available from 1st November 2008.

Ricoh have released a new firmware update for the Ricoh R8, a 10 megapixel digital camera with a 7.1 wide-angle zoom lens. The new firmware update, version 1.25, improves the gradation reproducibility of high-intensity part in an image.

Website: Ricoh R8 Firmware Update 1.25

Vauxhall has launched an annual arts bursary programme called the Vauxhall Collective. Every year it identifies up and coming creatives in various sectors, including photography, and gives them a commission. The new Style Council is made up of industry opinion leaders, who were asked to put forward names of young creatives they felt would be worth considering for the commission. The Style Council will make their final decision on who should get the commission and the result will be announced in mid September. The winning photographer will then be commissioned to create a series of photographs based on the theme of the Great British Road Trip.

Canadian based Lightbox Photo is officially launching its photo gallery software into the UK. Lightbox Photo allows users to create their own stock photo libraries or online proofing systemseither as a stand-alone website or seamlessly integrated into an existing website. Lightbox Photo is available as a Standard, Professional or Enterprise Version priced from $399 (approx. £200).

PhotoShelter have announced a limited-time opportunity to purchase a selection of prints from The PhotoShelter Collection. Handpicked by PhotoShelter’s team of editors, the prints reflect the wide aesthetic range of images contributed by PhotoShelter’s global photographer community. PhotoShelter Prints are available today through until October 1, 2008. PhotoShelter may formally launch a PhotoShelter Prints line which would then be open to participation from the full PhotoShelter community of photographers.

fotocommunity is inviting Americans to go on staycation. “For the photography-minded in the US, fotocommunity may be the best summer travel deal of all–an instantaneous and inexpensive connection to like-minded people anywhere in the world without spending one penny on fuel.” says Andreas Meyer, founder of fotocommunity. Registration on fotocommunity is free, although free visitors can post only limited photos. Membership starts at a basic level of 6-USD.

DigiCamReview have reviewed the Canon EOS 450D / Digital Rebel XSi, a 12 megapixel compact DSLR camera.

“The camera speed is excellent, with a good switch on time, fast focusing time, excellent shutter response, quick playback mode, quick menus, very good continuous shooting, and good flash recharge time. The camera has a wide range of features that should suit most people, such as numerous scene modes, macro mode and optical image stabilisation.”

Website: DigiCamReview - Canon EOS 450D Review

Website: Read our Canon EOS 450D Review