The 30mm equivalent Olympus 15mm f/8 Body Cap Lens is a funky fixed-focus, fixed-aperture lens the size of a body cap. With a depth of only 9mm, the Olympus 15mm f/8 Body Cap Lens slips easily into a jacket pocket. When mounted to a camera like the PEN lite or PEN mini, it enables quick, spur-of-the moment snaps that require no effort to set focus or aperture. Featuring a built-in lever that enables shooting in the macro range, the Olympus 15mm f/8 Body Cap Lens will go on sale in October for £70.

Olympus is launching an all-black limited edition of its M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f/2 Micro Four Thirds lens. Equivalent to a 24mm ultra-wideanlge optic in a 35mm system, the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f/2 (read review) is a high-grade, all-metal, fast lens that features built-in depth of field and distance indicators, making it ideal for zone focusing. Available from October, the special-edition M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f/2 will retail for £849, which includes the matching metal lens hood and cap.

Olympus has announced pricing and availability for its M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro MFT lens. Originally announced in February, the M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 is a telemacro lens with a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:1. Housed in a dust- and splashproof body, the M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro is designed to complement the similarly rugged Olympus OM-D camera (but can, of course, also be mounted to any other Micro Four Thirds body). Available from October, the M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm 1:2.8 Macro lens carries a recommended retail price of £429.

Successor to the critically acclaimed XZ-1, the new Olympus XZ-2 features a 12.3-megapixel backlit CMOS sensor, a 28-112mm (eq.) f/1.8-2.5 Zuiko Digital lens and customisable controls that make it easier and faster for photographers to get exactly the shot they want. That’s in addition to a new touch-sensitive tilt screen, the same TruePic VI image processor used in the OM-D E-M5 compact system camera, Full HD movie recording and Eye-Fi/FlashAir compatibility for sharing images directly on your social network.. Another bonus for seasoned photographers is the fast-response autofocus that you activate with a simple tap on the 920,000-dot, 3-inch hypercrystal LCD. The Olympus XZ-2 will be available from late October 2012 for £479.99

Billed as the manufacturer’s “smallest and lightest full-frame digital SLR camera for serious photographers,” the Canon EOS 6D features a newly designed 20.2-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, a built-in wireless transmitter and an integrated GPS module. The camera also includes an 11-point AF array and 63-zone dual-layer iFCL metering sensor together with 1080p Full HD video capabilities. Other highlights include 14-bit analogue-to-digital conversion and a maximum continuous shooting speed of 4.5 frames per second. The Canon EOS 6D will be sold in a body-only configuration for $2,099/£1,799 and it will additionally be offered in a kit version with Canon’s EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM zoom lens at an estimated retail price of $2,899.00/£2,519.99. Both configurations are expected to be available in December 2012. The separately sold BG-E13 battery grip retails for £249.99.

Canon has announced three new Wi-Fi enabled, 12-megapixel PowerShot models, including the Canon G15 with a 28-140mm (eq.) f/1.8-2.8 zoom, the PowerShot S110 with a 24-120mm (eq.) f/2-5.9 lens and the PowerShot SX50 HS with 50x optical zoom. Successor to the critically acclaimed G12, the Canon PowerShot G15 comes with a considerably faster lens, higher-resolution (albeit non-articulated) rear screen, faster AF system and continuous capture of up to 10fps at full resolution. Like the G15, the Canon S110 also features a fairly big (for a compact) 1/1.7-type sensor, improved focusing speeds and 10fps burst shooting, complemented by a Touch Shutter feature courtesy of its 3-inch capacitive touchscreen. The Canon SX50 HS comes with a much smaller, 1/2.33-type sensor but offers an incredible 50x zoom lens (24-1200mm equivalent). Like the other two models, the PowerShot SX50 HS benefits from improved focusing times and offers high-speed continuous shooting at up to 10fps. The Canon PowerShot G15, PowerShot S110 and PowerShot SX50 HS are expected to be available in October for estimated retail prices of $499.99, $449.99 and $479.99, respectively.

Canon has added two new models to its Pixma Pro series of 13-inch inkjet printers. Built with the same quality of output and design as the flagship Pixma Pro-1 professional inkjet printer, these two models are claimed to produce excellent black-and-white and colour prints. The Canon Pixma Pro-10 printer (pictured) utilises a 10-ink tank system with LUCIA pigment-based inks to produce a wide colour gamut and exceptional print longevity on fine art and glossy paper. The printer employs three monochrome inks, including Matte Black, to generate deep, dark blacks when using fine art paper. The eight-colour, Canon PIXMA PRO-100 printer utilises the ChromaLife 100+ dye-based ink system to produce vibrant, saturated colours on fine-art and glossy papers. Three monochrome inks are included to help enhance black density and produce accurate prints with smooth tonal gradations. The estimated selling price of the Pixma Pro-10 and Pixma Pro-100 Professional Inkjet Printers are $699 and $499.

Canon has announced the upcoming launch of three new additions to its Pixma range of printers. Joining Canon’s All-in-One Photo printer range are the Wi-Fi enabled MG5450 and MG6350, which feature fast print speeds, the option of cost-saving high capacity XL inks, and enhanced connectivity for printing around the home. The Pixma MG6350 additionally. features an 8.8cm colour touchscreen and a 6-ink printing system (versus the more traditional 7.5cm display and 5-ink system of the MG5450) that combines with Canon’s Intelligent Touch System for easy and intuitive, light-guided touch operation. The similarly Wi-Fi capable Pixma iP7250 single-function printer has a 5-ink system, and features direct printing from tablet and smartphone devices. The Canon Pixma iP7250, MG5450 & MG6350.will be available from November for £79/€99, £129/€159 and £169/€219, respectively.

The Fujifilm XF1 is a 12-megapixel premimum compact with a 2/3-type sensor and a 25-100mm (eq.) f/1.8-4.9 lens with Optical Image Stabilisation. The camera’s EXR-CMOS sensor features Fujifilm’s three switchable sensor modes (SN - high ISO and low noise, DR - dynamic-range priority, and HR - resolution priority) which can be selected according to the subject. The quick read time of the CMOS sensor, coupled with the high-speed EXR processor, accelerates all operations - start-up in 0.55 seconds, focus acquisition in as little as 0.16 seconds, and minimum shot-to-shot time of 0.8 seconds. The Fujifilm XF1’s slim-line lens is constructed of 7 lens elements in 6 groups (four aspherical and three extra low dispersion), the first with a highly variable profile and a high refractive index, and the second an aspherical element with an extremely high refractive index. The Fujifilm XF1 will cost £399.00 in the UK. The Black version is exclusive to Jessops for two weeks from October 18th. All the versions are then generally released from Oct 29th with the Black and Tan versions available through the Fujifilm retail network, while the Red version will be exclusive to Dixons.

The Worlds’ biggest photography show, Photokina, starts on Tuesday 18th September in Cologne, Germany.

Lots of exciting new cameras and photography products will be unveiled in the next few days as the manufacturers finalise their Autumn 2012 ranges. The Photography Blog team will be at Photokina to bring you all the breaking news, including tomorrow’s Press Day when several manufacturers are making announcements.

So make sure to regularly visit Photography Blog this week for all the very latest news from Photokina 2012.

You can view all of our Photokina news on this page: http://www.photographyblog.com/category/photokina_2012/

The Samyang 10mm f/2.8 ED AS UMC CS is an ultra wide-angle prime lens designed for use with cameras that have APS-C / DX sensors. It will be manual focus only and gives an equivalent focal length of 15mm (or 16mm in the case of Canon EOS) in 35mm terms. A prototype of the Samyang 10mm f/2.8 ED AS UMC CS lens will be showcased at Photokina and it will be available at the end of 2012.

The Tamron SP 70-200mm F/2.8 Di VC USD is the most compact full-size, high-speed telephoto zoom lens. Equipped with VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabilization, and USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive), the Tamron 70-200m F/2.8 lens is currently under development with no launch date or price set. It will be available for Nikon, Canon and Sony mounts.

The Tamron SP 90mm F/2.8 Di MACRO 1:1 VC USD is a redesigned version of the classic 90mm macro lens. Equipped with VC (Vibration Compensation) and USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive) with completely redesigned optics, the Tamron 90mm F/2.8 Macro lens is currently under development for Canon, Nikon and Sony mounts, with price and availability to be announced.

Want to see exactly what the new Sony A99 full-frame DSLR camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our hands-on gallery of photos of the Sony A99 SLT camera, including a break-down of the camera’s components and with the new 300mm F2.8 G SSM II lens (which costs a cool £6700).

Want to see exactly what the new Sony RX1 compact digital camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our hands-on gallery of photos of the full-frame Sony RX1 compact digital camera, including a break-down of the camera’s components and a side-by-side comparison with the Cyber-shot RX100.

Want to see exactly what the new Sony NEX-6 compact system camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our hands-on gallery of photos of the Sony NEX-6 mirrorless camera and the innovative 16-50mm Power Zoom lens.

The World Photography Organisation (WPO) has announced the inaugural Student Focus conference dedicated to the subject of photography education, The World Photo Educators’ Symposium. Taking place at Photokina, Cologne, Germany from the 22-23 September, the conference will bring together leading professors of photography from across Europe and the US to discuss the future of photography education. Executive Director of the US-based Society of Photographic Education (SPE), Virginia Morrison, commented: “We are looking forward to a rich conversation that will include such topics as students, teaching and making art; online learning; thinking digital; curriculum; the Internet; impact of photographic imagery; and community and collaboration.”

The Sony Alpha SLT-A99 is a 35mm full-frame camera with a Dual AF system and pro-style video features. The Sony A99 has a newly developed 24.3 megapixel full-frame Exmor CMOS sensor, Dual AF System with 19 sensors (including 11 cross sensors) and 102 AF point system (focal plane), ISO 50-25600, Full HD 50p progressive movie shooting with non-stop Continuous AF and pro audio, and an XGA OLED Tru-Finder with 100% frame coverage. The Sony SLT-A99 is available from early November 2012 priced at around £2500.

The new 300mm F2.8 G SSM II (SAL300F28G2) lens is designed for demanding sports and wildlife applications. A new wide-aperture Carl Zeiss A-mount prime lens is now under development. Optimised for superb results with the camera’s 35mm full frame image sensor, the Planar T* 50mm F1.4 ZA SSM will be available in Spring 2013.

The Sony NEX-6 is a new enthusiast compact system camera. The NEX-6 features a 16.1 megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor, ISO 100-25600, Fast Hybrid AF for optimal fast and precise autofocus, 10fps burst shooting with continuous focusing, XGA OLED Tru-Finder, wi-fi connectivity, PlayMemories Camera Apps, a built-in flash and new Multi Interface Shoe. The Sony NEX-6 will be available from mid-November 2012 priced at around £710 body only, £830 with the new 16-50mm Power Zoom lens, and £1030 with the 16-50mm Power Zoom and the 55-210mm lenses.

The SELP1650 is an extremely light, compact 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 powered zoom lens, priced at £310 / $350. The SEL35F18 is a fast 35mm prime / fixed focal length lens with a bright maximum aperture of F1.8, costing £400 / $450. The SEL1018 is a super-wide angle zoom with a maximum aperture of F4 right across its 10-18mm range, retailing for £750 / $850. All three new lenses have Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation built-in.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 is the world’s first compact camera with a 35mm full-frame sensor. Featuring an Exmor CMOS sensor with 24.3 effective megapixels, the Sony RX1 has a Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 35mm F2 prime lens, ISO range from ISO 100-25600, 5fps burst shooting, 14-bit RAW, and Full HD movies at 50p/60p or 25p/24p. The Sony DSC-RX1 will be available in December 2012 for around £2600 / $2800.